Civil Aviation Minister Confirms Private Plane Did Not Land

Manuel Heredia Jr.

Last week, the Director of Health Services discarded reports that a fishing tournament in San Pedro was a super spreader event for the virus. But the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Manuel Heredia Junior over the weekend spoke to Reef Radio on another matter weighing on the minds of many since the COVID-19 outbreak in San Pedro, Ambergris. Heredia addressed the looming matter of a private plane that purportedly landed in Belize. The Prime Minister made the report during one of his press conferences last week but later acknowledged it was not so. In his radio address, Heredia Junior set the record straight, saying that the Prime Minister was mistaken and misinformed. Heredia confirmed that the private plane did not land in Belize.

Manuel Heredia Jr., Minister of Tourist and Civil Aviation

“The Prime Minister made a mistake when he said that a private aircraft had arrived with a Texan and this and the other which indeed he was given false information. The media asked him if he was sure that that private aircraft had arrived and that is when he seemed to realize that something was wrong. But before I go into it I must say that if any private or any repatriation with United or Delta that has been done there is a protocol that has been followed which the Attorney General Ministry he is in charge of National Security, National Security is informed of the intention of such repatriation or such particular business who is coming or who owns any business in Belize for specific reasons and needs to come there is a protocol that was established. With the repatriation you had National Security, health and immigration that were contacted and at that point they would inform either myself or the director of Civil Aviation that such a flight would be arriving and all that we do is to give orders for the Belize Concession Company to open the airport. I am not the one who approves the flight. In normal circumstances that might be the takes but in times of pandemic the Oversight Committee holds control of everything. But it is the Oversight Committee that basically runs things and this is no exception.  In this particular case that they are speaking about that private arc raft never did arrive. It never touched ground on Belizean soil that is clear. They can check the Department of Civil Aviation. They can check Belize Concession Company. They can check immigration and customs and they will find out that it was mistake that the Prime Minister made.”