Briceño on Petrocaribe Funded Projects

Earlier we told you about the House debate in which both sides think the Petrocaribe program is a good thing – hundreds of millions worth of a good thing since 2012. To no one’s surprise, the motion was passed by the majority, but not without the Opposition getting in some good shots. Orange Walk Central Area Representative John Briceño took aim at contractor Imer Hernandez, who is the nephew of the Deputy Prime Minister. Hernandez has benefitted from millions of dollars in infrastructure projects, one of the largest the paving of the road which passes through Orange Walk. The first phase of that project was completed just over a month ago, and it is not considered stellar work. In fact, the hot mix surface is already breaking up on various sections. Briceño says that the shoddy construction is reason for somebody’s head to roll.

John Briceño, Area Rep., Orange Walk Central

John Briceño

“Look at this picture, Mr. Speaker. See how the sidewalk is breaking up, see how the whole hot mix is breaking up? This is right where Guadeloupe Street meets the highway. Look at it. This is a shame. Millions of dollars, millions of dollars. This is at most a month or two after it was done, so imagine a year or two after. Yeah but they think by then elections done. Look at this one by the late Rick Cantun house…again, the same highway in town and the same contractor….Imer Hernandez. Look at how this is breaking up. Mr. Speaker this was built about a month ago. Here we have by the Blanco family house Mr. Speaker. Look how this hot mix is already breaking up. And I am told that this contractor will collect about five million dollars, and with just a month, the project isn’t even finished and it is already breaking up. Look at this one by Landy’s Store, Mr. Speaker. Again the sidewalk is breaking and there are areas where the road and sidewalk is open. It is already about an inch open because they are just doing a cheap, hurry job and there’s no accountability. The Prime Minister will tell you that he’s no engineer and I agree with him. But he has a Minister of Works whose people are supposed to be out there checking the work, Mr. Speaker.”