Meet the Candidates of Belize Rural Central  

With just days to go before the 2025 general elections, the candidates for Belize Rural Central are gearing up for the big day. Former U.D.P. area representative Beverly Williams, current area representative Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, and U.D.P. newcomer David Almendarez are all in the race. In tonight’s edition of Meet the Candidates, we sat down with each of them to get the scoop on their campaigns. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

There are roughly seven thousand, eight hundred registered voters in the Belize Rural Central constituency. Beverly Williams served as the UDP area representative for five years before suffering a landslide defeat in the 2020 general elections. This time, however, she says residents are eager to bring “Bev” back. She shared her plans to continue where she left off if she is reelected.

 

Beverly Williams, U.D.P. Candidate, Belize Rural Central

“We had four years of program starting with basketball football program, or Yearly Mother’s Day program. We had a marching band. We did band fest. We did carnival and and Christmas parades huge Christmas parties on the field. And so it is building on those and experiencing and enhancing those because we want to really have interactive programs. Particularly we started with the basketball and football. It was more adult to keep and maybe the youths, keep those at risk youths. In positive activities, somewhere to go, some activity having, but now we’re complaining about absenteeism, so there’s no representation. So we want to enhance on those programs that we had.”

 

In 2020, the PUP swept through Belize Rural Central, voting Dolores Balderamos-Garcia as the new area representative. She is running for re-election to continue the projects she began during her previous term.

 

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, P.U.P. Candidate, Belize Rural Central

“We have done a lot but there is a lot more to do. We have done a tremendous amount, but we can’t get to everybody at the same time. I am asking our P.U.P.. people, our Belizean people, and our people of Belize rural central, I don’t want you to continue to work and we have seven thousand eight hundred voters in the least rural center and we have to work hard for each and every one of them.”

 

Political newcomer David Almendarez has entered the race as well. Running under the leadership of Moses “Shyne” Barrow, he promises a new era for the constituency, free from corruption.

 

David Almendarez, U.D.P. Candidate, Belize Rural Central

“We want good jobs. We want better infrastructure in our community. We don’t mind you being a minister and everything, but at least be a minister for your area. We really need good infrastructure, drainage, whenever it rain, the street dey broke up, you patch up the street then with white limestone. We don’t want that. We want good, good streets. We want better health care, we di get older. We be able fi, if some a we drop down sick, some of we can’t go da Merida, so we have to make sure the health care system is tight. We want better jobs, because if you don’t make anything less than five hundred dollars  a week right now, you’re tight”

 

Balderamos-Garcia admits that the large size of the constituency has slowed down some of her projects, but she assures residents that progress is ongoing and the work to improve the communities continues.

 

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

“Educational support, support for infrastructure, support for our families, support for our children. Making sure, making sure that we try to reach out. Now, we have not reached everybody because one of the things that is pending is the need for land. But Cordell has pledged to us that he will help us to get new surveys in Belize Rural Central for our people so I am asking everybody to have the patience. You wa get yo land if you give us a little time.”

 

According to Williams, the reception has been warm and welcoming from the constituency. She believes that truly caring for a community means taking the time to get to know its residents and staying open to their concerns.

 

Beverly Williams

“It’s about love, I think it’s how we interact. Sometimes we would look at a person and say Miss Bev, but when they sit with me that’s where I’m at my best. Interacting on a personal level and so that’s the reason for sharing  my contact information, asking them to reach out to me. If you tell me you need to see me, I will come. And so we begin the interaction at that level. And so it’s how we communicate at that personal level that will help us to grow together.”

 

Almendarez pledges to bring change and accountability. He asserts that he has the constituency’s best interests at heart and is confident that he can be the change he wants to see.

 

David Almendarez

“I am asking the  people of Belize Rural Central. Noh get confused by the noise of the market. Check your change. I confidently walk the streets and everybody have said, they’ve had this one. Cuanto quire? Este? Este? Este or este? All of them are the same thing. I’m different”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.