2024-02-21 - Channel 5 Belize

What Are Residents Benque Viejo Hopeful For This Election?

Last weekend was bustling with activity in Benque Viejo, as both U.D.P. and P.U.P. candidates set off to continue their campaign trail and secure voters for the upcoming municipal elections. Leading the red campaign is former councilor and first-time mayoral candidate, Marco Tesucum, while the blue is led by current Mayor of Benque Viejo, Jorge Rosales. Tesucum believes that there is much social work to be done in the area with an emphasis on youth involvement, while Rosales seeks to further the development him and his team accomplished in infrastructure and industry development. Ultimately, it will be the voters who decide who is most fit to fill the positions. We visited Benque Viejo to find out what the residents of Benque Viejo are most hopeful for this election, Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon With that report.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Although quiet in the weeks approaching elections, Benque Viejo is still decorated with banners and flags, signaling the big event to come and the PUP and UDP parties are both hard at work on their campaign trails trying to secure the votes for the big day. The UDP candidates who were out in the afternoon comprised of Mayoral candidates, Marco Tesucum and his councilors who emphasize their desire to assist the youths in the community through sports programs, jobs, and education.

Marco Tesucum, Mayoral Candidate, U.D.P.

“We are looking forward to work with the institutions, the high schools especially, and try to assist them as much as we can with students. Many students go to classes without, um, breakfast perhaps, or even though they might go, but they might not have for lunch. So we are planning, for example, on a Saturday, they can work at least half day and they can earn some money for OUT 2:00 their week”

The PUP candidates are comprised of current mayor, Jorge Rosales and his councilors who are seeking to further their infrastructural work and create job opportunities.

Jorge Rosales, Mayoral Candidate, P.U.P.

“We will try to implement two hundred thirty works like call center and remove the where the, bus terminal is at the moment, which is not a terminal. It’s just a parking area where they’re parking and move, uh, Make a central bus terminal by the cancha where that’s where the call center will be and that will bring in the socio-economic businesses to a point that will be the center area of OUT 3:51 Benque Viejo”.

But what are the residents of Benque Viejo asking for come March sixth? We asked a few residents what they are hoping to see implemented in their hometown. Some residents expressed a desire to see further infrastructural development.

Britney Gordon

“What are some concerns that you have about Benque and what are you hopeful for this upcoming election?”

Elias Castellanos, Resident, Benque

“Well, just to make them fix good then streets.”

Britney Gordon

“What’s one change that you would like to see implemented as a result of the upcoming elections?”

Raul Jimenez, Resident, Benque

“Well, one result I would like to see is that they can kind of fix the streets because there’s where Like places, like up there, there’s like a lot of streets that have a lot of holes, so when it rains a lot, it gets really muddy, really horrible to be in there.”

Alongside the roadworks, a reoccurring issues was the need for jobs in the area.

Marion Ali

“The next municipal government, which will be elected on March sixth, what would you like for them to address?”

Errol Coleman, Resident, Benque

“As I have been seeing from them is that they have been working on it, make them keep it on working and on, and if they could develop more, what. We have not been seen here in Benque or what we usually is, we need is that create more employees for the youth that they come on for from high school or whatsoever. It’s, they prefer to go outside. It’s something that we doesn’t have as much as creating maybe one call center here. Jobs, like great jobs so that people could have their money.”

Britney Gordon

“What are you hoping come out of this election?”

Gustavo, resident

“We all hope that if the government changes or not we need jobs in this town. People are jobless here.”

Whether the vote will skew red or blue, only time will tell on March sixth. Britney Gordon for News Five.

Corozal Candidates Officially Nominated And Ready For Elections

As you all know, today the entire country was teeming with activity as the candidates for the upcoming municipal elections were officially nominated. That, off course, includes Corozal which saw its P.U.P. nominees parade through the streets in the morning, followed by an Independent candidate, and the U.D.P. candidates later that day. Then, after the respective festivities of the parade, candidates entered into the Corozal Magistrate Court to be nominated. We attended the event today in Corozal to see it unfold.

Britney Gordon

“So you’ve officially been nominated, can you tell me what this means for you and your candidacy?”

Rigo Vellos, P.U.P. Mayoral Candidate, Corozal

“It’s always a privilege to be able to give and be given the opportunity to serve our people of Corozal. So we are all excited and we’re happy. We’re happy that this process has happened. We can leave it behind and we can focus now on what we need to focus. Which is to make sure that we win on March sixth.”

Britney Gordon

“And what will you be doing moving forward to ensure that?”

Rigo Vellos

“The work continues. As a council, because we are elected, the work continues. But of course, on the campaign trail, we’ll still be visiting our people asking and pledging for that support on March sixth.”

Marleni Tapia, P.U.P. Councilor Candidate, Corozal

“I’m very privileged and honored. I’m feeling energized. I thank all the supporters who came out this morning. It is showing that the PUP is still strong here in Corozal. We are ready to continue the work with Mayor Rigo Vellos and my team PUP7.”

Britney Gordon

“So it’s much harder to promote yourself as an independent candidate. So what are you doing to let people be aware that you’re running?”

Hernan Riverol, Independent Mayoral Candidate, Corozal

“I have been, like I told you, I’ve been working with the for years. I even have, things that I did in the past about Christmas parade, giving our gifts, back to school, the kids giving away, some food to some people, some all over the area that they incur that, I mostly deal with the, mostly the needy person though, the ones that need the help in Corozal.”

Ricardo Ake, U.D.P. Mayoral Candidate, Corozal

“Nomination Day, the day that everyone is looking forward to put their name on that ballot. But nevertheless, a little bit nervous but at the same time very enthusiastic, energized. Words cannot express what the people are bringing to me here. Even if they are not here, even if work has them, or showing their support in being here.”

Benjamin Maestro, U.D.P. Councilor Candidate, Corozal

“I feel very enthusiastic. I feel that we have the support of our people. Our people know what’s coming, and it’s a good message for all of us the candidates in the street for the UDP.”

Belizeans Coming Forward In Immigration Passport Scandal Investigation

While in Belmopan, we also caught up with Tanya Santos, the recently appointed Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Immigration. She was asked for an update on the ongoing investigation at the Immigration Department Belize City Branch. As we reported, one employee has been placed on administrative leave following reports that falsified passports receipts were being entered into the system leaving numerous passport holders with illegitimate passports. Here is what C.E.O. Santos told us.

Tanya Santos, C.E.O., Ministry of Immigration
“So far, the investigation continues, clearly but we have had suspension of the officer and we are still gathering more information. So it is, bit by bit, day by day, the more we are finding out so.”

Reporter
“How many passports were illegitimately issued using this false receipt system?”

Tanya Santos
“I am not at liberty to say that at the moment but there were a few that we have encountered and people are also coming in to report it and still wanting to claim their passport that they paid for.”

Reporter
“When they come to say they paid for it, you all don’t have a legitimate receipt for that payment.”

Tanya Santos
“No we don’t and so it is an issue we are internally addressing as well, attempting to resolve and correct on behalf of the applicant. The scam isn’t per say with the passport. The scam is amounting to a financial issue. It could have occurred in any particular department of any Ministry. It really is the falsification and fraudulent production of receipts. And that could have happened in police. It could have happened in Lands. It could have happened anywhere but the fact that it is related to passports makes it a lot more egregious. So yes we do take it seriously which is why we wasted no time once we found out. We took the necessary steps and an investigation is still underway. We have made reports already. We have staff who have made reports and the investigation is taking its course.”

Reporter
“Might these passports have ended in nefarious hands since it was a fraudulent process that someone was selling these passports through?”

Tanya Santos
“I don’t think it ended up in nefarious hands. But anything is possible at this moment as the investigation continues and yes there is a loss of revenue and we are still determining the extent of that loss of revenue.”

C.E.O. Santos says an official police report will be filed following the ministry’s internal investigation.

Tanya Santos Embraces Appointment at Immigration

It has been just over a month since Santos took over the reins as C.E.O. of the Ministry of Immigration. Contrary to reports suggesting that she took the post with great reluctance, Santos says she embraced the challenge. She was asked about her experience working at the ministry over the last six weeks. Here is what she told us.

Tanya Santos, C.E.O., Ministry of Immigration

“I realized the big challenge it would have been. I also recognized that it is a big vote of confidence on my part from the Prime Minister and the leadership of the government. Therefore I embraced the challenge. I am not somebody who looks to be wasting time. I take my job vey5r seriously. I know there are struggles in this ministry. I know that there are challenges within the ministry but also with the service the public receives. I am also on the receiving end when I go for services in the Ministry of immigration and I have expressed to the staff as well that I have been the recipient of bad treatment and service. I absolutely embrace this challenge and it is one day at a time, one challenge at a time, one problem at a time. It is a big, big cake to eat but a little of it day by day.”