Meet the Candidates of Belize Rural South

On Wednesday, voters all over Belize will head to the polls to choose the winners of the 2025 General Election. Over the past month, we’ve shown the candidates competing for seats in different constituencies. Tonight, we wrap up our ‘Meet the Candidates’ series with a look at the three hopefuls aiming to represent Belize Rural South. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

The 2025 General Elections are just hours away, and the race is intensifying for the candidates in Belize Rural South. Back in 2020, Andre Perez turned the constituency blue with his victory. He’s confident that his hard work will pay off, and he’ll secure another win.

 

Andre Perez, P.U.P. Candidate, Belize Rural South

“It’s what I have done already. It’s not only what I’m doing, but what I did in the last four years, the work I’ve done there speaks for itself. The track record with tangible results. We’re coming up the hustle and starting in San Pedro. We built a health center in Caye Caulker. The streets are being paved. The last thing is right now is the beach reclamation. We’re starting out already. So, so many things are happening. And not to mention as well, the amount of jobs, employment there that is just booming.”

 

Perez is facing off against three other candidates, including the U.D.P.’s Manuel Heredia. Heredia, who served Belize Rural South for over seventeen years, lost the seat to Perez in the 2020 elections. This year, he’s determined to turn the constituency red again. He decided to run after being asked to help save the constituency.

 

Manuel Hereda, U.D.P. Candidate, Belize Rural South

“I believe that we are losing our island, we are losing our democracy, and hence the reason why I decided to give it another shot. There were multiple people from different sectors calling me to please come up front and try to save this island.  So I am here tonight offering myself once more with the same humility, with the same respect. With the same dignity, I was never involved in any scandal during those many years that I was there.  And I intend to be the servant of the people.” Running under Moses Shyne Barrow for the U.D.P. is Mahmoud Dani Lagha. He promises economic development and more land distribution to residents.

 

Mahmoud “Dani” Lagha, U.D.P. Candidate, Belize Rural South

“My name is Mahmoud Lagha. I’m known as Dani Lagha.  I’m running for Belize Rural South under U.D.P. Democratic Party under Mr. Shynne Barrow. The reason why I’m running  for a minister, because I know we need a big change. We need a big difference. People are, are dying, people are hungry, people are doing so bad, so we need a big change for them. We need to help them, That’s the reason why I’m running.”

 

Also running is Abner Bacab of the Belize Justice Movement. Bacab, well-known for his work as an Emergency Medical Technician, also ran in the recent municipal elections. If he wins, he vows to bring justice to Belize Rural South and stand up for the rights of every citizen.

 

Abner Bacab, B.J.M. Candidate, Belize Rural South

“When it comes to doing things for our community, I’ve been a very active member of our community. Most recently, we put in three ambulances in San Pedro, something historical that has never been done by any organization, government, town council. So I’ve always been working with the people as we give free service to local people in San Pedro when they need emergency services. Additionally, and more important than that is we are helping to secure and safeguard our tourism. In San Pedro, as San Pedro is the number one tourist destination in the whole country of Belize. So we did something that was much needed for our tourism to be able to compete with other tourism destinations.”

 

Perez highlights economic activity on the islands, claiming that youths have had no trouble finding work under his tenure.

 

Andre Perez

“Riight now in San Pedro and Caye Caulker, right now it’s a severe shortage of work, right now. Especially with the coming of the BPOs. BPOs is at least about sixteen thousand people working. Which is excellent. But then again, it’s putting a dent in the tourism sector. So we are hustling and bustling right now in San Pedro and Caye Caulker. It’s the peak season of tourism.  Jobs everywhere right now. There’s need for waiters. People are getting hotels, restaurants, vacancies everywhere.”

 

Heredia pledges to keep the islands’ economy thriving by making sure all the money made on the islands is reinvested into their development.

 

Manuel Hereda

“I believe also that every time you’re supposed to have other sources of revenue to come over here. Take for instance, Caye Caulker. Caye Caulker was a village getting practically nothing. With our administration, every single financial  income that goes to Kikawka was done under our administration. From taxes, the little trade license. Everything that has been transferred, everything has been done through our administration. You can check that record and you will find that it’s so. You can ask the different village council chairperson and that has been so.”

 

Lagha says he will restructure the tax system and put more pressure on the B.T.B. to invest in the islands.

 

Mahmoud “Dani” Lagha

“First of all, we need to fix the taxes from it because the taxes are very expensive. And the B.T.B. need a lot of work and a lot of things to be good again.”

 

Bacab insists that the B.J.M. is not just a party, but a movement. He promises that if elected, he’ll keep up his efforts to serve the people of the islands.

 

Abner Bacab,

“Most politicians, when they come here, they will talk of what they have done. That’s what they bank on, no? For us it is a bit different because, again, you have to know that all the funding comes from private funding, nothing to do with the government, which by right should have been done by one of the governments, the P.U.P. or U.D.P., or the town council or minister, but they never had the interest of taking care of our community and our tourism, that is our bread and butter in San Pedro.”

 

Britney Gordon for News Five.