Minister of Civil Aviation says B.A.A. members had to be U.D.P.s

The names of the members of the new Belize Airports Authority Board were revealed this past Tuesday and by today, the Board along with its new minister, Manuel Heredia Junior, hosted a groundbreaking ceremony for the upgrade of the Orange Walk Airstrip. Now, there is a lot of public scrutiny on the B.A.A. because five months ago, in mid-January, the previous board was mired in controversy; thirty thousand dollars worth of cheques were written on behalf of the then Minister of Civil Aviation, Edmond Castro for personal and political events. The new members are highly connected U.D.P. insiders. So today, we asked Heredia about it and if it was déjà vu. Like Minister Mark King infamously said, “U.D.P. first, Belizeans second and P.U.P.s third;” the Minister of Civil Aviation told News Five that the members of the B.A.A. had to be U.D.P.s.

Duane Moody

“People sire, I have to ask, people are of the opinion that the board is made up U.D.P. cronies, insiders. What do you have to say to that one; and two, how are you going to ensure that there isn’t a repeat of what happened allegedly under the Castro-led B.A.A.?”

Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Civil Aviation

Manuel Heredia Jr.

“Well, my name speaks for itself you know. I think the whole country know me very well that I am a person that believes in principles. I live by principles and I will die by principles. I am not the type that I elect a board and I put a general manager and I will be running this person down. I allow all my people at the Tourism Board, at NICH, at the B.M.A. and B.A.A. to do their jobs man. If you trust someone, allow him to do his job. And I am not the type that every minute I will be requesting assistance for my constituents. I don’t believe in those things. I believe that monies that are generated from an industry as much as possible supposed to go back to that industry. And speaking about cronies, I make no apologies for people that I appoint, you know, because when P.U.P. was in power, they used their people. I make sure that it is my people, but that they are honest and hardworking people; but it has to be U.D.P.s.  That’s for sure; it is our government; we have to take care of our people.”