PM Briceño: State of Emergency is Necessary Evil

While these undertakings are being done to reduce the prevalence of gun violence, in the Lake Independence area, a State of Emergency has taken effect. This means that for thirty days, at minimum, thirty-one individuals believed to be affiliated with gangs in that community have been locked up to quell the tension that had been brewing in that area. But Lake-I is the constituency where Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde sits and he has expressed his views that a sweep such as what accompanies a State of Emergency in any area means that innocent people are pulled into the fray. Today, Prime Minister Briceño addressed that concern raised by his deputy.

John Briceño

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I can understand his frustration but the Cabinet does support setting up this State of Emergency within that small region because history has shown that whenever some gang shooting happened, then you see mass shootings just going after any and everybody. There are many instances you have innocent people being killed. I remember the kid that went to buy ice cream I think with his dad or his uncle and he was on the bicycle and he was shot and got killed. That little child had no chance to live out his life. So, I believe that we rather err on the judgment of being extremely cautious and declaring a state of emergency and holding things down until things can calm down than to just not do anything. So I understand his frustration. He lives in that area, but we have to look at the big picture.   We’re just trying to pull them aside and hold them somewhere until things calm down. And to these people that are being caught up innocently, we give a sincere apology because that’s not the intention. But I’m sure that the police that, once you hold it to this group, and you realize that one or two people do not belong in there, we let them go, we let them go home. These things will happen but I rather that would happen than to have an innocent person, especially an innocent child being murdered in the streets of Belize City.”