Families of Fallen BDF Soldiers Awarded $760K After Four-Year Legal Battle

Attorney Audrey Matura recently spoke about the conclusion of the case involving two of the four Belize Defence Force (BDF) soldiers who died in a tragic helicopter crash on February 27, 2020. Matura represented the families of Corporals Reinaldo Choco and Yassir Mendez, who had hired her to seek compensation from the government for their wrongful deaths.

Matura recounted that, initially, the government had promised compensation, but after a change in administration, her team had to file a claim within the one-year period stipulated by the Tort Act. According to Matura, the government eventually admitted liability for the deaths in negligence on April 12, 2022, but the issue of damages remained unresolved.

“However, what we could not agree on was the quantum of damages, the quantum of compensation. So from April 2022 to October 2024, there was a lot of filing of documents, but most of it was legal submissions to the court.”

The case passed through the hands of three different judges.

Finally, Justice Tawanda Hondora delivered a detailed ruling in October 2024, awarding the families over $760,000 in combined compensation. The amounts were distributed according to legal dependents and other factors. However, Matura noted that the government retains the right to appeal the decision, with a 21-day window to do so.

“And in essence, what happened, he ruled that, yes, these people are entitled to compensation; uh, combined, the two families get over 700,000 in compensation, but broken down for different parties, different individuals, different, um, dependence according to the law; of course, we can’t just. say that it’s a done deal because the government also has the right to appeal.”

Reflecting on the families’ reactions, Matura said their patience and resilience throughout the four-year ordeal. Both families have endured personal hardships, including financial struggles and emotional trauma. For instance, Mendez’s family, including his two young children, continues to cope with his absence, while Choco’s wife has had to navigate life without the future they had planned together.

“They have been through a lot of personal hardship that they don’t speak of publicly. They’ve been waiting for this ruling. Imagine over four years and you still can’t get it…So of course, they welcome this decision with with much glee, sadness at the same time because the money cannot replace their long one.”