Cañero Leader Alfredo Ortega Rallies for Teachers

Alfredo Ortega

Earlier in the news we told you about the B.N.T.U. march that brought out hundreds in Orange Walk Town. Politicians, activists and other public figures joined the teachers today, including Chairman of the Orange Walk Sugar Cane Farmers, Alfredo Ortega. The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association issued a release throwing their support behind the B.N.T.U. and closed its office for two hours in solidarity with the teachers.  Today, Ortega said that he was joined by other members of the B.S.C.F.A. and they will continue to stand in solidarity because the issues resonate with them:

Alfredo Ortega, Chairman, Orange Walk Cane Farmers

“Not only myself, we have other members of the B.S.C.F.A. here. We have other branch Chairman. We have the C.E.O.  We have members of staff who are supporting the movement. As you can recall, on Monday the Association was closed completely both from Orange Walk and Corozal in support of the movement of the teachers. We are members of the B.C.C.I., so we are in support of this movement because we have fallen to the wrath of this government.”

Reporter

“When will we see the cane farmers come out in masses like the teachers?”

Alfredo Ortega

“At this point, I am unable to tell you that there will be a date when we can see that. Because, as you can recall, this is the same government that break the association in three pieces. The only ones who have benefitted out of this, is not the cane farmers, but it is ASR the manufacturer and the Government of Belize. Because they babysit one or two associations and then they get the benefit out of those things. So, seeing a mass of cane farmers moving together, I won’t say it might not happen but at this point in time I cannot say a date that it would happen. But, yes, there is a huge amount of farmers supporting the movement of what is ongoing. They may not be visible here but they are supporting this movement.”