BELIZE CITY, Sat. Dec. 12, 2020– The tragic news of Hon. David “Dido” Vega’s death came just moments before the ceremonial opening of Parliament on Friday, December 11.
Vega had been struggling with severe symptoms of COVID-19 since Saturday of last week when he was hospitalized at the Belize Healthcare Partners Limited with acute respiratory distress. He died around 9:00 o’clock on Friday morning, leaving behind two young daughters and his wife.
Recent reports are that his wife, Ingrid Vega, was also intubated on Sunday; she continues to battle for her life.
The news of Vega’s death took a visible toll on the PUP during the first meeting of the National Assembly. What should have been a day of triumph for the party turned into a day of mourning. An emotional Prime Minister, Hon. John Briceño, made the announcement before he delivered his speech.
Briceño said, “It is with a sad heart that I inform the nation of the passing this morning of the Honourable David “Dido” Vega. David, known to us as “Dido,” would have been swearing the same oath as we did earlier. On behalf of all of us, I extend to his family, to the people of Corozal Bay, and to the nation, our heartfelt condolences to the Honourable David Vega’s family. ”
In a show of solidarity, the sworn-in PUP officials all signed David Vega’s oath of office.
The 47-year-old career teacher was an unwavering supporter of the PUP. The constituency of Corozal Bay was his base. He worked tirelessly for years to deliver a PUP victory in that division, and was elected area representative for the division following the November 11 elections, defeating former UDP Minister of Health, Pablo Marin.
His death occurred just weeks after he achieved that feat.
David “Dido” Vega is remembered by friends and family of his as a loving father and husband. He is greatly respected and cherished as an educator and champion for the PUP. Prime Minister John Briceño announced that Vega would be given a state funeral, and that he (Briceno) would order that all flags across the country be flown at half-mast.
While the death of Vega has sent the country into mourning, his absence has caused a vacuum in the Corozal Bay constituency. A by-election must be conducted within the coming months.
In an interview with local media after the opening ceremony of the National Assembly, Briceño said that he is not sure when the election will take place, and he did not wish to speak further on the topic so soon after the tragic passing of Vega.
“I wish not to speak too much about that; Honorable Vega just died and I think we need to honor him for what he has done. He was an exemplary teacher, and he reached out to a lot of young people. He was always concerned and wanted to do things for his community,” Briceño said.
(Note: This afternoon, Monday, December 14, Hon. David “Dido” Vega was laid to rest in a state funeral ceremony that took place at the graveside in Mount Calvary Cemetery in Corozal Town.)