Cordel Says Government Wants to Maintain Pretense

Cordel Hyde

If the Leader of the Opposition’s statements were broad and presented the macro picture of the so dubbed Barrow’s bogus budget, then his deputy, Lake Independence’s Cordel Hyde, was more surgical and precise. Hyde leads a division where many feel the day-to-day effects of Belize’s economic malaise, and he led off the P.U.P.’s response by arguing that nothing has really changed where it matters – among those on the streets and those who are told to do as the Government says, but not what their leaders do. Hyde compared the Government’s attitude to a man who carries a stiff upper lip despite losing it all.

Cordel Hyde, Area Rep., Lake Independence

“You remind me of the neighbour – with your permission, Madam Speaker – you remind of the neighbour  who lost his job; his wife has left him; he’s broke, can’t even put gas in the car; the cupboard in the kitchen is empty. But he’s maintaining the pretenses, so every day he comes on the veranda dressed up like he’s going to work, picking his teeth like he just had a serious meal, and God knows there’s nothing inside the house for him to eat. That’s the U.D.P. Government for you right now – everybody knows the country is broke, but they can’t admit it, because it’s not in their DNA to admit it. So they pretend; they pretend all is well, they pretend the economy is rolling again; they pretend that Hugo Chavez will come walking through that door – but I’m afraid he’s not, sir, no matter how hard you pray! The truth is, even the dogs on the streets know that things are bad in this country. If you see the dogs on the streets – and you know this, Tambran – they just di walk right up into the vehicle, di commit suicide; dehn can deal with the pressure under the U.D.P. Some of them just lean up on the fence, shrink to bones, they give up, can’t deal with the matter. Da only the friends and families of the Government di eat, bredda; dah dehn dey talk to ‘bout this Happiness Index.”