Photo: Former UDP Minister Anthony “Boots” Martinez
BELIZE CITY, Tues. July 26, 2023
Former United Democratic Party Cabinet minister and area representative Anthony “Boots” Martinez, came close to being knocked out with a crowbar the day after Hurricane Lisa in November 2022. His now famed spelling of “out” as “o-w-t” to emphasize how much his constituents want his successor out from the Port Loyola Division is now being used to describe his experience when he became a party to a squabble. Videos of the confrontation with Francis Williams (whom Boots refers to as Simon Williams) were leaked this week amidst Martinez’ recall efforts against current Port Loyola area representative Hon. Gilroy Usher.
The videos were circulated by Usher himself along with a press release which narrates one version of the events. Usher’s claim is that Martinez, in a heartless move, attempted to prevent the family of Norma Roches, the common-law wife of the late Lyndon Gibson, from salvaging what they could from his wooden house that partially slid off its base due to the hurricane-force winds. Gibson passed away weeks before the hurricane, and according to Usher, Roches lived with him for years and was therefore entitled to his property.
Martinez, for his part, says Roches was only a past girlfriend of Gibson’s who used to work for him and whom he considered a close friend. For emphasis, Martinez stated, “Indeed, they have a fling, but dehn neva mi di live.” In his opinion, it is Gibson’s children who were entitled to the property which he says is in Gibson’s name. Martinez has asserted that it was Gibson’s 13-year-old daughter from Dangriga who came to the city to take care of him when he fell ill, and he himself – Martinez – hired a caregiver for him. As a former parliamentarian, Martinez admitted that his actions captured in the video may have been a bad look, but insisted that it also shows that he “stands up for his constituents.”
It was Martinez who had granted approval for the handing over of a government house to Gibson years ago. In the leaked video, the former minister is seen running toward the yard where Williams and his common-law wife, Karen Roches, the daughter of Norma Roches, and others are piling wood and other material onto the back of a pickup. In the heated, expletive-laden exchange, Roches’ relatives argue that she is entitled to the property. But, in response. Martinez screams, “ih nuh belongs tu unu. Dah me build dis!” Williams then retorts in a heightened pitch, “but dat dah Govament money!” Martinez then says, “ih noh belong tu me, and ih noh belongs to unu!” As the exchange intensifies, Martinez says, “Yes, it belongs to me! Dah me build it!” As Martinez paces around, saying they can’t take the material, Williams warns him, “Yoh sih dis eena mih hand? I di give yoh wahn warning. I’m not threatening you, but if you f%^&k with me ah wahn hurt yoh!” Hollering, “And yoh noh wahn kerr denya ting yoh noh,” Martinez moves to grab a window from the truck, and that is when Williams is seen in the video swinging the crowbar beside Martinez and banging it down twice, then wielding it close to the former minister. Others present intervene, and Martinez then runs away, hollering, “Well, it’s ova now!”
Both parties ended up at the police station and, according to Williams, Martinez was advised by the officers, after which he left the station. Martinez, in his interview today, told Amandala that with police’s involvement he stopped the group that included a work crew from taking the material that day, but he believes they still ended up removing it a few days later.
We spoke with Williams, a retired senior police officer who actually works in Gilroy Usher’s office. He insisted that the video clearly shows that he never intended to hit Boots, and said that he only “made a motion to hit him” because it would not have taken much to actually hit Martinez with the crowbar.
Williams told us he did not leak the videos, and believes someone who ended up with his lost phone may have done so. He did admit that Usher was aware of the existence of the videos.
Martinez said he did not press charges against Williams as his objective had been to stop them from taking the material that day. He does not intend to press charges now either. He called it water under the bridge.
We have confirmed that back in 2010, the then Minister of Natural Resources issued approval for Gibson to purchase the land at #24 Fabers Road. Boots said that if Norma Roches can prove that she lived with Gibson and is therefore entitled to his property, she will have to pursue probate administration.
As to the progress in collecting the signatures for the recall petition against Usher, Martinez said, “We done deh halfway down the hill.” He intends to deliver the recall petition to the Governor General on September 8, the last workday before Usher’s birthday on Saturday, September 9. Boots revealed that he is transferring voters in the division and said that as soon as those persons exit the office, they sign the recall petition.