BELIZE CITY, Wed. Apr. 6, 2022– Following a prolonged battle with stage 4 colon cancer, former minister of government and three-time area representative of Stann Creek West, Melvin Hulse, Jr., has passed away at the age of 74. Hulse was a colorful—and some might say refreshingly so—character on the Belizean political scene, and garnered much attention for his sharp tongue and his coining of phrases such as “flippin” and “madda fish” that made his manner of speaking amusing and distinct.
He was born in 1947, while Belize was still known as British Honduras, and grew up in the mahogany camps of the Stann Creek District. He attended Lyman College and served with the British Honduras Volunteer Guard. Hulse, who during his final public appearance in an interview with 7News’ Jules Vasquez referred to himself as a product of his times—a grassroots man from the valley with a deep love for the south—would also eventually go on to help develop much of the Stann Creek district, serving as a Minister under both the Esquivel and Barrow administrations and bringing roads, schools, and access to electricity to many villages in the area. Referring to the development projects he undertook in the 1990’s, he told Vasquez, “Up to then there was not a single lamp post in Stann Creek, there was not a single water pipe in Stann Creek, there were no roads, there was no phone, there was nothing out there, and they could say whatever they want. The fact is there was nothing…. We developed, I created, some of those villages, and the villages that existed before me, I developed with another thousand lots. So I developed, I created and help develop Middlesex, Hummingbird, Valley Community, Steadfast, Alta Vista, Pomona, Hope Creek, Sarawee, Silk Grass, Hopkins, Sittee, Maya Center, Santa Rosa, San Roman, George Town, Maya Mopan, Red Bank, San Juan, Seine Bight, Placencia and Mango Creek. In that time, I put in lights, water, brought phone out there, built schools in every village — you all know that I worked hard. Never liked what happened, but I paved the Hummingbird, I paved the Southern Highway, I got Hopkins road paved, we built and paved Placencia road.”
Notably, when asked by Vasquez why he was not a wealthy man after having served as a government minister for a number of years, he remarked, “Riches? Any madafishing salary are riches, and you are putting children through school and sometimes you have 4-5 of them in there? The only way as a politician you could come out rich is if you are hustling.” He also stated during that interview that he was intolerant of two things—“stealing and laziness”.
“Other than that I don’t care what kind of life you want to live. You want to drink every day, you want to rot every day — do whatever you flipping want, ‘cause I’m not living with you, but when we are at work and all of us are collecting taxpayers’ money, work for it — it done,” he went on to say.
Tanya Felicia Hulse wrote on the passing of her father on Facebook, stating, “It is with a collapsing and profound sense of loss that I share with you the news of the passing of our beloved father. Words cannot sufficiently describe how heavy the grief is that weighs on my heart. But I am grateful that the good Lord was merciful enough to give him rest from his suffering.”
“There could never be another like the legend and giant of a man that is my father. The strength and bravery he showed to the end. I am so proud and blessed that God allowed me to share this life as his daughter,” she added.
Despite his two-year battle with cancer, Hulse had remained in high spirits, even in the few weeks leading up to his passing, having spent plenty of time contemplating his mortality and even planning his own funeral.
A state service will be held for Hulse on Monday, April 11, at Mile 20 on the Hummingbird Highway at 10:00 a.m. Melvin Hulse leaves behind his eleven children along with a host of friends and family members, including his extended families—the United Democratic Party and residents of the Belizean south. We at AMANDALA would like to extend our deepest and sincerest condolences to the Hulse family.