2024 is history, and hopes are high for 2025, and our Prime Minister and his PUP administration are quite justified in patting themselves on the back, and feeling a sense of accomplishment for all that they have done in the first four years of an administration that took up the reins of government in a time of great national trauma as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and its associated devastation of the Belizean economy, with much of the blame also falling on a disappointing outgoing UDP administration. But, while the UDP still appears in disarray, and the PUP is re-charging its political batteries for another general election campaign, it may be worth their while to observe some caution in their optimism, and resist the temptation to gloat or declare a win “fi everybody”; because it is not so, and those few in the bracket of the still suffering could become the catalyst for a resurgent Opposition, while the general populace is increasingly feeling the discomfort of rampant crime and violence, so that their lives are not as happy and fulfilled as they would wish it to be, despite the supposed boom in the economy. Even with the milestone of high employment and strong foreign reserves, serious attention still needs to be given to “the least of these,” those struggling sectors of our society who have not felt the impact of the great strides in the economy, and some of whom are tempted to join the ranks of the criminal element. The fight against crime and violence, then, could still be a battle cry of the Opposition, that could catch the ear of frustrated members of the public who are still praying for a Belize like we once knew, where there was peace and love in the city and country.

The government has bragged about the very low 2 percent unemployment “among those who are seeking employment”, which may camouflage the actual figure of the unemployed, as a number of individuals with a “record” or who lack education or skills, may have given up trying to gain employment, as the manual labor jobs are all taken up. Such an approach to gathering statistics may render the results questionable. Rather, with the known age-bracketed labor pool, a more reliable figure would be that of the actually gainfully employed, with a resulting unemployment figure that is more factual and devoid of subjective perspective and opinions.

Healthcare has improved, with new clinics and hospitals being built in a number of district towns and villages, and it has been declared that NHI is about to reach the entire country, with the Prime Minister declaring in his New Year’s address that “all fees and costs at every public health clinic in the country have now been eliminated.” However, that needs some qualifications; ask anyone who attends the KHMH and needs a C.T. scan or ultrasound, or an operation of any kind. A lot of the financial burden has certainly been relieved under the NHI, but for people who are counting nickles and dimes to try and make the next meal, accessing essential healthcare services is not as free as it sounds.

The last administration made some progress in addressing marijuana use, it being a very minor drug compared to the many dangerous narcotics that are plaguing societies in the developed world, but there’s been no more progress since. Local legislation stopped short of providing an avenue for legal sales of weed, while allowing users to have in their possession up to 10 grams only. So, how will a committed marijuana user get his 5 or 10 grams for personal use, if not from someone else who is supplying, it still being illegal to plant your own weed tree? And our police are still making busts and criminalizing enterprising risk-takers who try to make a big score by purchasing in bulk from illegal suppliers. It’s madness! And it just makes more of our adventurous young people into criminals. And more than that, it fosters competition among such daredevils in quest of a big score, leading to more gun violence, as the only enforcement of rights in the illegal drug arena is through violence, since no one can seek police assistance in protecting their investment.

There was a viral video on 7News recently of a young man on a bicycle around Mile 2 on the Philip Goldson Highway, and he was being brazenly challenged by another young man in an effort to take away his bicycle. The rider was only successful in holding on to his bike when a passing vehicle stopped and the driver blew its horn and shouted to stop the bare-faced attempted heist. This is the jungle coming to life in Belize City, and it is symptomatic of something seriously wrong in some quarters of our community, where mis-education abounds, opportunities are scarce, and some young men see crime as a viable way to “get theirs”. Where are we going wrong?

There have been great efforts by our Police Department and the Leadership Intervention Unit (LIU), who all admit that the crime problem is complex and requires many hands on deck (“a multi-sectoral approach”). With all the progress in the economy these past few years, still there were 4 more murders in 2024 (91) than the previous year (87). A 6-year-old child was recently shot in her arm by a stray bullet while inside her home in Southside Belize City; no one knows from where the shot came. ATMs and banks across the country have been robbed, and only a few of the culprits have been caught. Home invasions are still not a thing of the past. Even a police station has been shot up; and hospital personnel have been aggressed and threatened while on the job by the partners of a known gang member being treated. Belizeans are still not feeling safe; and that’s the bottom line.

The hard job of building the economy and doing big projects, like building roads and bridges and hospitals, is worthy of great appreciation and praise; but like a house being built, with floors and walls and steps and a roof, there are vital finishing touches that must be accomplished before any self-respecting contractor can inform the new owner that the job is done, and the family can proceed to live comfortably in their new home. Doors have to be properly hung, windows put in, bathroom and kitchen fixtures must be properly installed and functioning, plumbing and electrical connections must be done right, molding around doors and floor edges, tiles neatly laid; every surface needs to be well painted or varnished, locks on doors …  all the “finishing touches”. The infrastructure work continues, and there is still much to be done. More effort now needs to be focused on the “livity” of the Belizean people, especially those who have been left behind, still struggling to make ends meet, that 2 percent who need to be lifted up, before they become the load that brings us all down in a violent, “me-fus”, selfish society, where some are living the high life, and a significant few are desperate, hungry and angry at all the rest.

In our current capitalist system, where our politicians seem fully invested in the mantra of foreign direct investment as the path to national economic development, our long-term objective needs to be clear; for GDP and per-capita income can look great on paper, while the escalating gap between the successful rich and the neglected poor may see our society continuing to deteriorate down the path of crime and violence. Much has been done; but much more remains to be accomplished if this PUP government will live up to the full meaning of its “social justice” creed. Justice for the desperate unemployed! Justice for all who labor to help build Belize, and have been creating the wealth for the big people to live the lives of the rich and famous!