by Colin Hyde
If public employees don’t know that Ralph Fonseca (RF) did more for their take-home pay than any other political leader in this country, they should go and have a talk with former PSU president, Brother Hubert Enriquez. Prior to the coming of Ralphonomics, which burst on the scene in the 1989-1993 PUP government, the salaries of government employees was about 50% of what their colegas in the private sector were earning. Ralph and Hubert sealed salary raises for public employees for three consecutive years.
The UDP, which won a shock victory in 1993, a victory even more shocking than the PUP 1989 victory, couldn’t keep up with the payments, and to avoid a salary cut, shares in BTL were given to public employees, and hundreds were retrenched.
Ah, the public service of old: if you had the mindset that could handle 8 to 5 and you got a job with government, you got a job that didn’t pay that well, but it came with little pressure, almost no chance of ever being fired, and a forever-until pension at the end. Largely because of RF, the sweetest job in Belize today is in public employ. Hmm, RF might have led that charge because his dad, the highly regarded Rafael Fonseca, despite his tremendous contributions steering Belize’s economy, did not get a salary anywhere near comparable with what Belizeans in the private sector were getting. Mr. Rafael worked at a time when our country was under colonial rule, and all public servants were squeaky clean then.
Of course, there are other compartments to the famous Mr. Ralph Fonseca. There is privatization – as head finance man in the Musa governments, he led the charge to privatize all our utilities, which absolutely did not work out well, and he “privatized” our public service too. I think Joe Coye was the spokesman for the introduction of the CEOs, an idea which they said would speed up government bureaucracy; but it was the Musa regime, and Ralph Fonseca was the head finance man. RF is also known for borrowing from commercial banks. Ah, there are lots of things. Aha, before the PUP house crumbled, I said in one of my little pieces that that man, RF, was running too far ahead of the cart. I think I should stop there, for now.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Ralph Fonseca. Condolences to Ralph’s brother, Mark, who is a colega from Compre, and condolences too, to all his other family.
Focused on Mayor Cawich
So, the theme for the September celebrations is in. Congrats to the two winners, David Pena and Holly Vasquez, who each won a thousand dollars for their coinage which emphasizes unity: “Belize @44: Stronger Together, Rising Forever.” The ball kicked off; I am reminded that I have a little something to say to BMP Mayor, Pablo Cawich, from since last year. Braa, it was a blow to Belizeans who respect our history, all of our history, when it was announced that Belmopan was skipping the TENTH in 2024. The only excuse I could think of for the disrespect was that the misguided mayor was feeling merciful—the TENTH commemoration, thanks to political leaders, becoming quite an embarrassment because of low energy.
We know the PUP embarked on the abandonment of the TENTH after George Price said it was divisive. Price had a point, but he was wrong to abandon. Just as a child is committed to love their parents, even a father who sired them without permission from the mother, a people must honor/respect their ancestors.
Price probably had more than one reason to have difficulty with the TENTH. He had studied in Guatemala, and while there he must have learned about the aggressive Guatemalan historian who wrote that had O’Neill been a Spaniard, not an Irishman, Spain would never have lost the Battle of St. George’s Caye. Yes, certain elements in Guatemala were tochiz about our vamos compadre parade. Of course, that gave Price no excuse to bring rain on our celebration.
The battle here was led by European stock, British, and the invasion was led by European stock, Spaniard. Spain and England fought, yes, but guess who won? Time langa dan roap! Our enslaved African ancestors and the Miskito and the exiled Maya were the victors. They were soon joined by indentured Indians and Chinese, and Mestizo. Later, other tribes came, and soon this wonderful land was under the leadership of roots Belizeans. Belize doesn’t exist without the TENTH. This incredible blend of human beings, the world’s most beautiful and homogenous melting pot, doesn’t exist without the TENTH.
I think one of the reasons why our leaders keep letting us down is because they don’t honor our past, the things we’ve been through to the here and now. Throwing out the TENTH is like the Christians dumping on John the Baptist, the Baha’is dumping on the Bab. In our beautiful Jewel, we celebrate Nachankan, Wil and Sharper, Marcus Canul, and yes, ALL the heroes who refused to give up the Jewel.
I say, Mr. Mayor of Belmopan, you have ample time to get the feast prepared for the TENTH. You don’t have to be the star if you are slow to get the vibes. I am sure UB and some personnel at NICH, NICH minus Francis, would step up and do the ground work, lead the honoring of our glorious past, all of it.
Panama troubles in banana, over social security pensions
It is so that after major trauma in the world, there is upheaval everywhere; and yes, Belize is no exception. After WWI disrupted the world, we had the Ex-Servicemen’s Uprising; because of hard times brought to our shores by the Great Depression, we had the birth of the labor movement in Belize; and because of hard times after WWII, we had the birth of the nationalist movement. The 2020-23 pandemic crushed economies around the world, and the world has been an unstable place since.
Going on two months now, there’s been a labor uprising in the wealthiest country on the Isthmus. Visual Capitalist said that in 2024 the GDP per capita income in Panama was US$19,000, in Costa Rica US$18,000, and in Belize US$8,000. It’s amazing: these people are earning twice what we earn, yet they are fussing.
Last year we noted a new race of Panama Disease, Tropical Race 4 (TR4), that was a serious threat to the banana industry in the Americas, and I remember a report from Australia which mentioned some success with containing it. An AI Overview said that TR4 is already in Panama. Banana lovers will know that Panama Disease destroyed the industry in the last century. People of my generation oanli yer bowt Gros Michel and Lacatan, the two bright banana varieties that were the foundation of the industry. Unfortunately, both were decimated by the Panama disease. Our old folk told us that the present variety being grown, Grand Nain, is not in the league of the aforementioned two. But what we have knock nothing to hell. And we pray TR4 doesn’t do it in.
The problem in the industry isn’t agronomic. The first story I have here, “Banana workers in Panama reject president’s demand to end protest”, comes from AFP News Agency, via the Tico Times (Costa Rica). The story was published on May 31, and it appeared in the Tico Times on June 7. The story says: “Workers in Panama at a subsidiary of the U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands rejected on Friday President José Raúl Mulino’s demand to reopen roads they have blocked in protest of a recent pension reform. The company, which laid off 5,000 of its 7,000 employees after more than a month of protests and millions in losses, continues to face roadblocks in the Caribbean province of Bocas del Toro, near the border with Costa Rica.
“In the midst of the crisis, the government and unions agreed on a draft bill to reinstate the healthcare, and pension benefits that banana workers had before the recent social security reform. Mulino demanded on Thursday that the roads be reopened as a condition for sending the bill to the National Assembly, but the unions insist the law must be passed first.”
This other story, “Panama’s president appeals to a higher power as nearly two months of protests roil nation,” is by Alma Solis and it was published by the Associated Press on June 6. Solis said Mulino “appealed to a higher power on Friday, calling in an archbishop and a rabbi to deliver a message to striking banana workers after nearly two months of social protest that have roiled the country. Mulino has said he won’t reverse controversial changes to Panama’s social security system, courts have deemed the strike illegal and top banana Chiquita Brands fired nearly 5,000 striking workers last month in Panama’s western Bocas del Toro province. But nothing has stopped the protests.”
Solis said the leader of the striking banana workers’ union, Francisco Smith, said the “social security reform passed in March threatens the special privileges laid out for banana workers in another law, covering things like subsidies and labor protections.”
Solis said “at various times teachers, construction workers and students have protested as well”, that “authorities have said they’ll withhold the pay of 15,000 teachers for their strike.” Solis reported police clashes with protesters, with injuries on both sides. She said demonstrators have also “protested a security agreement giving U.S. troops access to some Panamanian facilities and efforts to reopen a massive copper mine.”
The above “interference”, it is only to update on what is happening with our neighbors. As I mentioned, Panamanians are wealthy compared to us. What is very interesting here is that the strike is not against the multi-million dollar multi-national Chiquita; it is against the government.