Tag: 2024-04-23

One of Belize’s longest serving politicians passed away on Monday night in Belmopan. Michael Espat or “Iron Mike”, as he was affectionately known, passed away at the Western Regional Hospital. Reports are that he suffered a massive heart attack. Espat had not been fully active over the past couple months, as he was dealing with certain health complications. There was, however, no information on how severe those health complications were. His death comes at a great loss to his family, supporters in Toledo East and the People’s United Party. His constituents embraced him and showed their support by electing him six times to that seat. Espat only lost twice in Toledo East, in 1993 and 2008. Since his re-election in 2012, Espat has held on to the seat for three consecutive terms, up until the time of his passing. News Five’s Paul Lopez tells us more.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

An outpouring of condolences and well wishes are being extended to the family of Mike Espat, the six-time area representative for Toledo East. Espat passed away on Monday night at the Western Regional Hospital. Reports are that he suffered a heart attack. Linsford Castillo, the People United Party’s Secretary General, described Espat’s sudden death as a great loss.

On the Phone: Linsford Castillo, Secretary General, PUP

“It is an understatement to say that it is a tremendous loss to the People’s United Party. The passing of Honorable Mike Espat is not only a loss to the PUP but to the entire country of Belize, but especially to the people of Toledo East since being elected in 1989. We all know honorable Espat has served multiple times in the House of Representatives. Of course he had to sit out once or twice but for the most part he has dedicated the greater part of his life to the people of this country. So no doubt we as a party are certainly feeling this and his loss will affect us for many months and years to come.”

Espat first came on to the political scene in 1989, when he was elected in Toledo East under the People’s United Party. He won the seat five more times after that, 1998, 2003, 2012, 2015 and the November 2020 general elections. Following the 2020 general elections, Espat was sworn in as the Minister of State, in the Office of the Prime Minister.

Mike Espat, Area Representative, Toledo East (File: December 2^nd, 2020)

“I Mike Espat do swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to Belize and will uphold the constitution and the law and I will conscientiously, impartially and to the best of my ability discharge my duties as a minister of state and to right to all manner of people without fear, favor, affection or ill will so, help me God.”

A release from the Office of the Prime Minister describes Espat as a good and faithful servant of his people and country. Espat’s Toledo East team also issued a statement on his passing. In the statement, they referred to Espat as a true pioneer who worked tirelessly to bring Toledo East and the Toledo District to prominence. The release notes that his legacy includes projects like the Joe Taylor Bridge and the enhancements to the Punta Gorda Hospital. He was considered a man of few words who only spoke up when the interests of his constituents were at stake. On one occasion in 2018, it was concerning the PUP’s southern caucus’s no to the ICJ position.

Mike Espat, Area Representative, Toledo East (File: August 31^st, 2018)

“We took our position as a southern caucus after many discussions and talking to people in that area. You got to understand, what I did not tell you, that San Vicente, Jalacate, all the way Dolores, Acuacate, most of these people come from Guatemala. They are here because they cannot find the type of life in Guatemala. So they are in Belize. A lot of them have nationality. A lot of them have Belizean children. You think they want to go back to what they left? I don’t think so.”

On another occasion, while the PUP was in opposition, Espat rose inside the House of Representative to demand aid for his constituents affected by Hurricane Nana.

Mike Espat, Area Representative, Toledo East (File: September 17^th, 2020)

“I have heard absolutely no interest for the farmers in the Toledo District. It is absolutely pathetic to see the damage for our farmers in the district. I was in Dolores and all the corn fields are down. I have seen no interest from the Ministry of Agriculture. Why is it that they have not been able to come up with some idea of utilizing what is in the field, because it is all left there and in the next two to three weeks most of that will rot.”

And Espat was not one to engage the media too often. On rare occasions he would agree to interviews. The PUP secretary general says that might have been the case because Espat was a straight shooter who sought to avoid unnecessary conflict.

Linsford Castillo

“To a large extend honorable Espat was a man of action and not too many words and as you may know and we all know in the party, he was a very candid individual who spoke it as he feels it. He was aware of that so he tried not to be in the media too often, because of the personality that he was. He would have certainly rubbed a lot of people the wrong way because he called it as he saw it. But nevertheless, he was a genuine individual who loved this country, loved the people of Belize, loved his constituency and of course loved his party.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

We also heard from Prime Minister John Briceño who is currently on his way home from a visit to the Vatican. PM Briceño says the news of Espat’s passing caught him by surprise because they met last week in Belmopan to discuss works in Toledo East. According to PM Briceño, Espat’s death comes as a great loss to the party and the country. He reflected on his colleague’s lengthy political career and contributions to the public service sector. Here is what he told us.

On the Phone: Prime Minister John Briceño

“I think the first thing that comes to mind is shock. It is something that was totally unexpected. Last week I had a meeting with him in Belmopan talking about his work and his concerns about what is happening in the Toledo District. So when I was informed that he had a heart attack and passed away I was shocked and started to reflect that this is a great loss not only for the PUP and the people of Toledo East, but for the country of Belize. Mike Espat dedicated his entire adult life to public service. Many people don’t remember he was a teacher and principal, and it was in 1989 that he offered himself to represent the people of Toledo East and since then he has been active in politics and service to the people. So a great loss to us and to our party and especially to his family. Just last year his wife passed way. So this is even more tragic for the Espat family, who lost a mother last year and then now losing a father. We will have an official funeral but we want to sit down and discuss with the family. They will have to tell us when they will have the burial. Once they inform us the ministry of foreign affairs, their protocol officers will take over and make all the arrangements. We are hoping we can bring his body to the National Assembly before he is taken to his final resting place which will be in Punta Gorda.”

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Valerie Woods, also spoke fondly of the deceased parliamentarian.  Despite Espat’s silence in the house, he was a well-respected politician who wasn’t afraid to voice concerns raised by his constituents in Toledo East.

Valerie Woods, Speaker of the House

“[It] came as a shock, a tremendous loss.  Honorable Mike Espat has been a member of the House of Representatives for several decades, but has been a quiet member of the House of Representatives.  He certainly epitomizes, I think, in my view, the resilience, tenacity and the courage, even as a backbencher, to stand up and not, if you will, follow tradition where we just go along with the program.  He questions and that is the beauty of what should be in our democracy, notwithstanding [the fact] that he is part of the government side.  The Honorable Mike Espat has always put on record questions of concerns he’s had for his area.  He was also a member who was very local, very old school, but very vocal.  When he met with me in the position that I hold as presiding officer, there was a time when the group of backbenchers wanted to meet with me to understand the rules, the standing orders, to make sure because as they had put it, they see the style that I am trying to bring and he just wanted to understand and he said in all… I take it as a vote of confidence by the honorable member for Toledo East when he said in all his years he has to respect the fact that he sees what I am trying to do in, if you will, correcting even the government side.  And coming from somebody with far more experience than myself that understands the politics, I respected that and I appreciate that.  He certainly will be missed in the house.”

According to Section Eighty-five of the Belize Constitution, when the seat of a member of the House of Representative becomes vacant, a bye-election must be held within three months. As the Briceño administration prepares to send Espat off with an official funeral, it must also consider the next move for the Toledo East constituency. With the next general election scheduled for 2025, that vacancy must be filled, unless the prime minister calls an early election. But he has already said that will not happen. It is also an opportunity for the opposition to gain ground in the Toledo District. This morning, Espat’s Toledo East team noted that they will support his son, Melhem Espat, to carry the torch as the next Area Representative for Toledo East. But Doctor Osmond Martinez and current PG Mayor Carlos Galvez have also voiced interest in the seat. Today we asked the P.U.P.’s Secretary General how the party intends to navigate this decision, when that time comes. We also posed the same question to Prime Minister John Briceño. Their responses were similar.

On the Phone: Linsford Castillo, Secretary General, P.U.P.

“Everything has to happen one step at a time. At this moment we are not even focusing on the next step in terms of who is next and what is going to happen in terms of a by-election and all of that. Those things will fall in place. For now, we are just focused on remembering him and paying tribute to him. Certainly, as a party, reflecting on the many deeds that honorable Espat has done as area representative, as minister of government and just as a soldier of the People’s United Party who has been at the helm for so long. That is our focus as a party at the moment.”

On the Phone: Prime Minister John Briceno

“Well it is certainly too early, and I am hoping nobody will be talking about wanting to replace the honorable Mike Espat right now. I think we need to give the family a chance to grieve, at least to wait until after the burial and then as a party we will decide. We know we only have ninety days, but I do believe we will be able to be ready and hope and expect that the people of Toledo East would once again have a representative of the People’s United Party. But most importantly I am hoping that nobody would want to talk about that right now. Let’s grieve with the family and pay him the respect he deserves.”

On Monday night, we led our newscast with a story involving a lawsuit brought against businessman Mike Feinstein and Stake Bank Enterprise Limited.  Tonight, we take a closer look at a sworn statement provided to the High Court on April nineteenth.  The Government of Belize and businessman Michael Feinstein entered into a Definitive Agreement to facilitate the development and operation of Stake Bank Island as a cruise ship docking facility in August 2017.  A year later, in his capacity as Director of Stake Bank Enterprise Limited, Feinstein approached the Atlantic Bank seeking an extension of bridge financing to Stake Bank Enterprise Limited in the sum of twenty million dollars.  In an affidavit from Gregory Maheia, the managing director of Atlantic Bank, he says that Feinstein, in providing details of the project, informed the bank that the island was too small and, thus, intended to extend the island by dredging and reclaiming roughly twenty-four acres of seabed.  On September twentieth, 2018, the Atlantic Bank provided a loan of twenty million dollars to SBEL and, along with a facility letter, Feinstein was furnished with a draft of the Mortgage Debenture for his execution.  The debenture was reportedly signed by Feinstein in his capacity as director of Stake Bank Enterprise Limited, however, the document remained undated and in the custody of Atlantic Bank’s lawyer because Feinstein reportedly did not wish to pay any stamp duty.  Instead, he insisted that the debenture was the beneficiary of SBEL’s exemption under the act and the bank was awaiting the First Registration Title for Minister’s Fiat Grant Number 699 of 2004 and 609 of 2006 which were still registered in Feinstein’s name.