Taxi drivers V. police in Benque
It may have come on the heels of labour troubles at Venus Bus Line in Corozal but the ruction on the Western road this morning bears no resemblance to Monday’s events up north. Kent Pandy of SEN TV in San Ignacio was on the scene and his dramatic footage tells a story of taxi drivers determined to defend their livelihood and an even more resolute group of law enforcement officers charged with maintaining freedom of movement on the nation’s highways.
Janelle Chanona
At 3:00 this morning, members of the Benque Viejo Taxi Association took to the Western Highway using their cars to block the road. Their demand was simple: They want buses to stop their western runs at Benque and not take passengers the last mile to the border. That was still the situation at 7:00 this morning, but not for much longer, as the police arrived in a serious mood.
Hugh Cain, Deputy Commissioner of Police
“The traffic is going to be opened…”
Taxi Drivers, in unison
“No!”
Hugh Cain
“Then force will be used against you.”
Gonzalo Rosado, Benque’s representative of the Human Rights Commission of Belize felt the use of force would be contrary to the rights of the protesters.
Gonzalo Rosado, Human Rights Commission Belize
“We are very vigilant and we want to tell you that don’t let no one trample on your rights. If it has to be like that, then you have to face it.”
“I am observing one big squad of Dragon Unit and soldiers in camouflage coming with huge batons, and everything seems to be like in a path of destruction, hurricane like. We are indeed concerned by this because our country is seemingly not marching in the right path these days. Everything seems to be confrontation and no listening, no negotiation, no dialogue, no kind of concern for the people and their needs. I guess it’s about time we begin to listen because if this ends up in any kind of single blood drop shedding, it will tell us one message for our country.”
But for all intents and purposes, the Police Department was ready to take control of the situation.
(Soldiers in formation)
Hugh Cain
“I explain it to you all once and for all, you all have sticks and stones in your hand. I’m going to make sure the media capture everything. You interfere with any of my officers, force will be used against you. This is an illegal demonstration, illegal gathering, disperse, drive your vehicle peacefully, move out of the way of my officer.”
(Part of the soldier formation leaves, then returns in riot gear.)
Manuel Santos, Pres., Benque Viejo Taxi Assoc.(on the phone)
“We need a solution today. Yes, the police try and move we now. That’s what they say, but we are waiting for you, for your answer. Please come and do something, you all have to do it, you all are the power, you all are the government, you boss the whole place. You all can do it. Later on, how long will that be? In the next thirty minutes? Well please, we are waiting for your answer.”
Minister Dan Silva attempted to help the parties reach a compromise.
Dan Silva, Area Representative, Cayo Central
“We cannot stop the buses from going to the border, please let’s be honest with that. We will control it, we will control the amount…”
Taxi Driver #1
“So we the taxi driver must…we have family too.”
Taxi Driver #2
“Sir please, remember the government says “When you buy in Belize, you build Belize”….
Taxi Driver #3
“The bus charge one dollar from Benque to the border and we charge the same price. We are seventy families that are suffering and it’s only Novelo’s and Zabaneh that are getting all the money. All we are asking for is one dollar and one mile is all we are asking for. We have to pay insurance, we have to buy books, we have to send out kids to school”
Dan Silva
“I’m willing to fight for you, if you’re willing to negotiate. If you’re not willing to negotiate, I’m going to my constituency because I have a lot of work in my division. I’m willing to fight for the Benque crowd, if you agree to negotiate. If you’re not willing to negotiate, I wash my hands and go about my business, alright?”
But when that attempt failed, tension heightened as the crowd watched from the sidelines as the fire truck tried to cool off the heat.
Hugh Cain
“If there is anybody who is not a part of the demonstration, start moving. If anybody interferes with any of my officers, when we start work, force will be used against you. It will come from you first, the initiation of one stone, one person touching any of my officers, or anybody with a stick in their hand that comes and attempts to injure my officers, force will be used against you. If you’re not a part of this demonstration, start moving! (To the soldiers) We are starting with this vehicle first. Just lift it.”
Hugh Cain
“Move out of the way of the officers.”
(Soldiers start moving the vehicle, crowd starts throwing stones. Water from the fire truck is then sprayed at the crowd.)
And just when it seemed things could only escalate, the president of the taxi association decided it was time to give peace a chance.
(Taxi drivers get in their cars and move out of the way.)
After five hours of standstill, at 8:00 this morning once again traffic was on the move. And the tourists and other travelers who had been trapped on either side of the confrontation, were more than ready to go on their way.
Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona
At newstime taxi drivers and government officials were meeting in Belmopan in an effort to reach a compromise which would limit the number of buses running all the way to the border.
