National Garifuna Council Pours Scorn on P.S.U.’s Neal

Condemnation by the National Garifuna Council against the remarks by Eldred Neal has come fast and furious. This morning in Dangriga, News Five spoke with N.G.C. President Sandra Miranda. She considers the remarks to be a betrayal of the Garifuna people.

Sandra Miranda

Sandra Miranda, President, National Garifuna Council

“In this day and age, we are not expecting to hear such coming out of the Public Service Union, where the public service is made up of multicultural Belizeans. So for me, I’m rather disappointed.  I would want him to be specific and say what benefits the public officers of Dangriga got because as far as I know, and I am a retired public officer so I would know some of these things, and Dangriga has no special benefits, worse from the union. He made an individual attack; he attacked one individual and I think that is unfair to that person because she was placed there by members of the very Public Service Union that he is representing.  Dangriga, Garinagu are public officers, the same as we are teachers, we are police, we are found as nurses. We are in all aspects of the Belizean society and nothing will stop us from getting in because we are Belizeans. And as Belizeans we have ambitions. It is more than backstabbing. I think besides backstabbing, he let down the people who really have him there because they were all encouraged by members of the public service union to vote for him as president. He was there choice…why? He is known to them. He comes to Dangriga, he promotes Travellers—and now I think Travellers needs to know who is promoting them. He works with Pal’s Guesthouse. Who owns Pal’s Guesthouse? A Garifuna. He makes his money on the nineteenth of November, he makes his money. So I think we are all disappointed in what he said and then it brings to mind sometimes you are sleeping with the enemy.”