EDITORIAL

By: Omar Silva

EDITOR: National Perspective Bz DIGITAL 2024

Belize City: Tuesday, 13th August 2024

Belizeans were promised a future of prosperity and growth under Plan Belize. But nearly four years later, it’s clear that those promises were nothing more than political bait—an illusion crafted to win votes while leaving the people stranded in a desert of broken promises and unmet needs.

The PUP’s Political Shell Game

In November 2020, the People's United Party (PUP) rode a wave of discontent to an overwhelming electoral victory, unseating the United Democratic Party (UDP) with a promise to turn the tide. They promised homes, free education, healthcare for all, and a brighter future under the banner of Plan Belize. But what has unfolded is a cruel joke at the expense of the Belizean people.

The UDP, under Prime Minister Dean Barrow, resisted the iron grip of the IMF, re-nationalizing critical assets like Belize Telecommunications Limited (BTL) and Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) in a bid to reclaim national sovereignty. They borrowed heavily, yes, but with a vision to protect Belizean interests. The PUP, on the other hand, has proven that their resistance to the IMF was mere political theatre—now, in power, they have cozied up to the very institutions they once decried.

Housing for All? Hardly.

Let’s start with the housing debacle. Plan Belize’s promise of "housing for all" has turned into a farce. What they’ve delivered are barely one-bedroom, ultra-limited bachelor quarters—a pitiful shadow of the substantial homes built by the previous PUP administration under Musa/Fonseca. These half-hearted structures are not homes; they are a slap in the face to the Belizean families who believed in the PUP’s promises. Families are left scrambling to make do in these cramped spaces, their dreams of home ownership dashed by a government that sold them a fantasy.

Education: A Mirage of Free Tuition

The promise of free education for all? Another mirage. In reality, only a few high schools in each district offer free tuition, and even then, families are still saddled with the hefty costs of registration, books, and other fees. What good is free tuition when the other expenses push education out of reach for many? The PUP’s “free education” is little more than a token gesture, a hollow fulfillment of a campaign promise that leaves the majority of Belizeans out in the cold.

Healthcare: A Political Prop, Not a Policy

And then there’s healthcare. Plan Belize touted the expansion of National Health Insurance (NHI) as a cornerstone of its platform. Yet here we are, with NHI only selectively implemented in certain districts, backed by a token budget that’s more about optics than outcomes. The PUP has turned healthcare into a political prop, using it to bolster their image while leaving countless Belizeans without the coverage they desperately need.

The IMF’s Stranglehold

Let’s not forget the IMF, still pulling the strings behind the scenes. The PUP, once vocal opponents of IMF interference, now find themselves dancing to its tune. The IMF’s demands for higher tariffs, increased costs for driver’s licenses, and skyrocketing business fees are suffocating Belizeans. The cost of living is through the roof, and the PUP’s solution? More of the same old IMF-driven austerity that they once condemned.

The re-nationalized assets that were supposed to serve the people are now being run like any other business—focused on profit over service. The cost of water, electricity, and telecommunications remains exorbitant, with no relief in sight. The PUP has effectively sold out the very people they vowed to protect, all while borrowing over $1.7 billion and boasting about debt reduction in a deceitful narrative that masks the reality of their reckless financial management.

The Political Con Game

What we’re witnessing is a political con game—a strategy designed not to uplift Belizeans but to secure the PUP’s grip on power through the next election and beyond. Plan Belize was never about transformative change; it was always about political survival. The PUP has mastered the art of political propaganda, using cosmetic changes and half-baked initiatives to create the illusion of progress while the social structure crumbles beneath the weight of their incompetence.

Conclusion: Time to Demand the Truth

Belizeans, it’s time to wake up. The business of politics in Belize is not the business of the people—it’s the business of politicians securing their own futures at the expense of yours. The promises of Plan Belize have proven to be nothing more than a smokescreen for a government that is out of touch with the needs of its citizens.

It’s time to demand more from our leaders—demand honesty, demand accountability, and demand policies that truly serve the people. The future of Belize is at stake, and we cannot afford to let it be hijacked by those who would rather serve their own interests than the interests of the nation. The time for political games is over. Belize deserves better, and it’s up to us to make sure we get it.