_{Photo: Moses “Shyne” Barrow (above), Anthony “Boots” Martinez (above right) and Hon. Tracy Panton}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Oct.23, 2024

Former Port Loyola area representative, Anthony “Boots” Martinez held a press conference this morning in the parking lot of the UDP’s headquarters on Youth for the Future Drive in Belize City on the heels of a vote by 334 of the UDP’s delegates to recall Moses “Shyne” Barrow as leader of the UDP. That recall vote took place at a Special Unity Convention which was held on Sunday, October 20, by the UDP Alliance for Democracy (AFD) at the Belize City Civic Center, where the area representative for the Albert constituency, Hon. Tracy Panton, was elected as Interim Leader on Sunday, October 20. Panton secured the support of Hon. Patrick Faber, who was the leader of the party prior to Barrow’s ascent to the post, as well as that of John Saldivar (the UDP Belmopan standard bearer who held the UDP leader post for a brief period), Anthony “Boots” Martinez, and Edmond Castro, notable names within the UDP.

Following the convention, however, Barrow has made a number of public statements, including during appearances on local media outlets, to dismiss the recall vote and the convention on Sunday as illegitimate. Barrow, in fact, reportedly went as far as having the doors of the UDP’s headquarters welded shut.

This action led to Wednesday’s press conference by Martinez, who wants Barrow out due to his allegedly dictatorial behavior.

“I have been in this party since 1980 – with the YPF – longest active member of the United Democratic Party up to 2024. Tek mi lick fu dis party. Geh mi eye buss, all kinda ting. I have nothing wrong with people making their choices; but what I have a problem with is Mr. Barrow wanting to take this party into a dictatorship kind of leadership. It doesn’t work like that. They don’t follow any part of the Constitution,” said Martinez.

“Where is the voice of reasoning within this party? Where are the senior people at this party? Where is the voice of reasoning? We can’t just allow things to happen! There is a code of conduct for things to happen, including for him [Shyne]. How you will get on television and call this one ‘corrupt’, and this one yah ‘woman beatah’, and you have fu you own difficulties. Memba you stamp yo wife eena ih back, and all that is recorded da police station. Who are you, Sir? I think he tricks lotta people in Belize by posing as this millionaire, and I nuh think he got ahn at all,” added Martinez.

Martinez further highlighted concerns about how the party is being run under the leadership of Barrow.

“I believe in reform, and everybody needs to have a second, third, or fourth chance; but they always say a scorpion is a scorpion. His only job is to sting, and that is his modus operandi. He wants to take over this party as a dictator, in my humble opinion … It seems like he wants to die with the chair eena his hand, and ih nuh wahn let ahn go any minute regardless of what. The minute there is a disincentive, you da this and you da that. You see di kind of things he is saying about, not only standard bearers, but citizens of this country. He is rude, a bully, disingenuous, and disrespectful, as far as I know. He nuh got di capability to run this country,” Boots went on to say.

So, what does the future hold for the UDP? Martinez says that he doesn’t know what will happen, but knows that there is one UDP, and that party is currently being led by Panton.

“I don’t know what will happen. I know about one. I know about the one where the majority of the delegates decide. I know he nuh gweyn easy. He wahn hold on to da chair like whe ah seh,” he said.

Notably, Barrow, as Leader of the Opposition, has generated controversy due to certain remarks he has made in the House of Representatives—including unparliamentary remarks he made toward the Speaker of the House, Hon. Valerie Woods, which caused him to be kicked out of the National Assembly Building.

More recently, a motion was presented by the Prime Minister of Belize, Hon. John Briceño, in the House of Representatives to celebrate the diplomatic ties between Belize and Taiwan, which was supported by almost all House members, including Faber and Panton of the Opposition. However, Barrow refused to support the motion.

In reference to that position taken by Barrow, Martinez said, “As a Party Leader and as Leader of the Opposition, he mek lotta mistakes without checking with di party. They put out a press release: oh, we nuh deh with this one, da one, and that. The people of Mesopotamia and, by extension, Belize benefit from Venezuela and Taiwan.”

A press release was issued by the UDP (the faction led by Panton) which states that Barrow will no longer be the Leader of the UDP. The release stated: “Effective immediately, Mr. Barrow is not authorized to act on behalf of the UDP in any capacity. The UDP is moving forward under the new leadership of Hon. Tracy Panton, who was overwhelmingly endorsed by Party delegates at the convention.”