Ever since the advent of crack cocaine and the associated business that spawned the formation of criminal gangs in Belize, older Belizeans have witnessed the once peaceful Jewel enter a new era of violence among our young men, as the competing gangs in the illegal drug business began employing more and more powerful firepower in their street conflicts for control of distribution areas within the city. Despite the apparent progress in intervention efforts by community policing and the Leadership Intervention Unit (L.I.U.) to defuse inter-gang conflicts, the shocking public display of lethal violence over the weekend in Belize City has reminded us that the situation is still potentially volatile, and the possible impacts of recent American deportation policies only underscores the crisis we could soon be facing to preserve what semblance of social harmony we have been able to sustain in the Jewel. And with limited public areas of healthy entertainment and social interaction in the old capital, the crisis of the premier sporting arena, the MCC Garden, which sits in limbo and derelict abandonment by our authorities, has to be brought into focus. 

We are not going into the details of the gang warfare that had plagued Belize City for almost three decades, with the annual murder rate consistently reaching triple digits, whereas in the 1970s, for instance, there were probably less than ten murders all year. Professor Gayle did some fine work analyzing the gang problem and its causes in Belize, and our Police Department has been doing some serious community effort along with the Leadership Intervention Unit (LIU) to try and find peace among the feuding gangs and thus relieve the community of the trauma of the high number of deaths of our young men by gunshot execution. First, the problem was mostly confined to Belize City, but the gang problem soon spread to different towns and villages across the country. This past year, 2024, it seemed that the Police/LIU effort had finally begun to pay some dividends, as the murder rate had dropped below a hundred in consecutive years; and in fact, Police Commissioner Chester Williams was at pains to correct the media, insisting that the correct figure for 2024 was 89 and not 91 murders, as had been reported. But what transpired on Friday night at the Marion Jones Sports Complex is a real wake-up call for our security forces and citizens at large, and it raises the question of whether all the perceived gains in reducing the murders was real, or just a lull in the hostilities, which may be about to enter an even greater level.

Commissioner Williams has on a number of occasions said that the problem in prosecuting murder cases in Belize is the fear of witnesses to testify, a fear well-founded in the fact that witnesses have been threatened, and also killed on a number of occasions even before getting a chance to take the witness stand. And, as the Commissioner emphasized, without a witness’s testimony, the prosecution’s efforts often end in a nolle prosequi. Not only potential witnesses, but also members of the jury have been intimidated by agents of accused murderers, leading to the passing of new laws allowing trial by judge alone. Since then, it appears that there has been a significant increase in the number of guilty verdicts in murder cases, and it could be argued that such success in the prosecution of murder cases also had something to do with the reported decrease in the number of murders during the past two years. So, then, what emboldened the individual in this recent very public attack and execution of a reputed gang leader?

The shooting, which claimed one life and injured three others, reportedly took place on the bleachers at a Belize District Football Association-sanctioned 1st Division football match on Friday night at the Marion Jones Sports Complex football field. There were apparently many witnesses.  And the weapon used was reportedly one that “squeezed off” many shots in quick succession. Could the killer have been so intoxicated with the power of his artillery, that he feared no one, and dared anyone to say they saw anything, as has happened in past shooting incidents in different neighborhoods in the city, which left onlookers in shock and fear for their own lives?

We are in a dangerous place in Belize right now. The sense of achievement with the reduced murder numbers that the Commissioner boasted of, is suddenly seeming a bit premature. Efforts are reportedly being made by the Police and the L.I.U. to engage the known members of the feuding gangs (those of the victim and those of the accused murderer) to try and avoid an escalation in hostilities. But there are apparently weapons out there, powerful weapons, and daring young men, and at least one who seemed to have no care for his fellow citizens/fans or respect for the authority of our police officers and/or our justice system.

There is a lot to investigate when Belizean football fans go to a football game (where, admittedly, some of the players on the competing teams are from different gang areas of the city), and suddenly find themselves running for cover on the bleachers while gunshots are being fired amongst them. There were reportedly six police officers deployed around the perimeter of the playing field to ensure that the heat of competition did not get out of control among players, some of whom are known gang members. It is understandable when a commotion on the field leads to a fight, and police have to intervene, as has happened on occasion, that the expelled player would be escorted off the field and out of the playing area completely as punishment for his transgression. Fans understand this; it is part of the game, and the learning of discipline and respect by our troubled youth. But what happened on Friday night was way beyond that. The fans were themselves caught center stage in a murderous affair.

Football fans have long lamented the delay in efforts to upgrade the MCC, which was the traditional Mecca of Belize City football. For sure, there is more potential for security in a smaller and properly fenced stadium as was the MCC in its glory days. But things have fallen apart in the old capital, and many fans who were once regulars at the MCC have stopped attending football games ever since they were moved a mile away to the Marion Jones. The CYDP (Conscious Youth Development Programme) used to try to focus their energy on mentoring and life skills training of troubled youth in their football competition program that featured gang members from different areas. Their Peace Cup became quite popular, and though there were a few flare-ups at games, there was always heavy police presence to deal with the “gangsters”, who were all “rubbed down” before entering the MCC. The situation is not as “tight” at the Marion Jones, which could pose some difficulty for security when teams are gang- related and their base fans are in attendance.

It is said that out of bad things sometimes comes good.  Perhaps there will soon be some aggressive action taken towards bringing football back to the MCC. And we will see if, unlike the Nah triple-murder case that has been dragging on for two years now, efforts will be made to promptly demonstrate to all Belizeans, especially our young men, that our justice system is still strong, and that disrespect for law and order has serious consequences. Peace and love, and justice, Belize!