Meet the Candidates for the Corozal District

The political scene is heating up now that the Prime Minister has officially set March 12th as the date for the general election. Over the weekend, we followed all eight candidates as they campaigned in their constituencies. This weekend, News Five took its cameras to the Corozal District to catch up with all eight candidates running there. They shared their plans and the feedback they’re getting from voters on the campaign trail. Here’s News Five’s Marion Ali with the report. 

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

We caught up with the UDP’s candidate for Corozal Southeast, Antonio “Tony” Herrera, in Sarteneja Village, one of the northernmost communities in Belize. If elected, Tony plans to leverage the recent infrastructure improvements and the village’s charm to boost tourism and create jobs. He also aims to tackle the high cost of fuel and living.

 

Tony Herrera, U.D.P Standard Bearer, Corozal Southeast

“We, as a government in waiting, our purpose is to try and bring down the cost of fuel because that’s where we had it before, and also we will try our best to lower the cost of living. We will encourage tourism – eco-tourism, flyfishing, stuff like that in the area of Sarteneja. Look at Sarteneja, the beautiful sea it has. We can exploit that. That will increase the betterment of the livelihood of this area. Look at Chunox. It has a beautiful lagoon; Progresso Lagoon, Copperbank Lagoon. So all this area will be accessible by you and I, not only by tourists.”

 

 

 

Herrera is also advocating for improved policing in the area. His political rival in Corozal Southeast, the incumbent Florencio Marin Junior, emphasizes that he doesn’t take his constituents for granted. For Marin, infrastructure and education are top priorities as he heads into this election.

 

 

 

 

Florencio Marin, P.U.P Standard Bearer, Corozal Southeast

“I now need to focus on expanding on lights in the streets. I now need to focus on expanding the school here. We’re going to complete the Caledonia – Buena Vista Road. We’re working on that right now. We’re going to complete from Progresso to San Estevan. We’re also going to connect Progresso to the Sarteneja Road. We’re also going to connect Chunox to the Sarteneja Road and Chunox to the Progresso – San Estevan Junction, so that we can be able to get the whole area paved as much as possible. We also need to support the growing community in Cerro Sands, so we have already started paving some parts towards the Cerros Maya ruins.”

 

 

 

In May 2022, Martin Rivera was selected as the U.D.P. candidate for Corozal Southwest. He believes that voters’ frustration with the government’s handling of inflation in Belize will lead to a shift at the polls.

 

Martin Rivera, U.D.P Standard Bearer, Corozal Southwest

“The prices of all goods, of merchandise, of textiles, of technology, everything has gone so high, especially the cost of living, the food, the basic food has been so expensive. And I do believe that they are going to look out, they’re going to target, they’re going to penalize this system, this government that has been jeopardizing every citizen’s growth.”

 

 

 

 

Ramiro Ramirez is running for the P.U.P again in Corozal Southwest. His campaign began the moment he won the last election, and his work in the community show his dedication. Every Sunday, you can find him leading a garbage collection drive.

 

 

 

 

Ramiro Ramirez, P.U.P Standard Bearer, Corozal Southwest

“We bought a truck. And that truck is giving service to my community. Now it’s easier and faster. We don’t have to wake up 5 o’clock in the morning. Now it’s 7 o’clock, by 10, 11, we’re done. Before, sometimes, it was all day with the trucks.  So, I think that’s a plus for all of us and there’s no charge. Nobody charge to pick up garbage. On the left you can see a complex, and it’s not the only one that we have here. We have one in Libertad, we have one in Louisville, we have another one in St. Victor and, we have another one that is going to start soon, soon after election. What I want for San Francisco. We need a police station, and we need the market, and we need a school.”

 

The U.D.P. has been rocked by a fierce leadership battle, but Martin Rivera and Tony Herrera are confident it won’t hurt their chances at the polls.

 

Martin Rivera

“Shyne and Miss Tracy Panton – they are keeping democracy alive. One of the things that I don’t like is that they have gone to the extreme, but democracy in our U.D.P. is alive. Most of the U.D.P. supporters in the Corozal Southwest have pledged to me that they will work with whosoever is the leader and I am one hundred percent willing to work with anybody who becomes the leader.”

 

 

Tony Herrera

“The Honorable Shyne, the Honorable Tracy will not campaign for me, I have to do that myself. For me, politics is local. I have nothing to do in that fight and my people understand that. That it’s what I bring to the table, what I can do for them.”

 

 

 

This Wednesday, we’ll introduce you to the other PUP and UDP candidates running in the four remaining constituencies in the Corozal District. Marion Ali for News 5