San Pedro Residents Plan Protest Over Soaring Costs

Rising prices are pushing San Pedro residents to the edge and now, some are preparing to take their frustrations to the streets. A protest is set for June third right outside the office of Area Representative Andre Perez, as islander Celestino Tzul leads the charge. He says residents are fed up with the soaring cost of living, high fuel prices, and ongoing concerns over dredging. But how deep does the frustration run? Today, we hit the streets of San Pedro, hearing directly from Tzul, Perez, and residents who say the pressure is building and they’re ready to be heard.

 

Celestino Tzul, Protest Organizer

“When the price of fuel goes up, some people even before they get their new stock, the prices are added on the old stock. That is hurting our people. Already the cost of living, rent just to live in San Pedro itself is not as e- easy thing. And it’s not only now it’s a while back, it’s a while back. How do we control this? When are we planning to even control it? I’ve seen that the price control came in, Last year, I believe. They didn’t intend to control it, but they’re not here stagnant and they’re not here to keep it going. And these people know that you’re not coming back now, they don’t take it serious enough to say, All right, we’re gonna help out our people. Try to maintain an average price on the cost of living.  But it’s out of control. There’s no control on anything right now. It’s very expensive to live in San Pedro, and it’s very expensive to vacation in San Pedro.”

 

San Pedro Resident

“Groceries expensive. Just that da the problem I have. Six dollars fi wa burrito. If you want go da shop with twenty dollars and expect change then you wrong.”

 

Britney Gordon

“And you mention that it’s even cheaper to go to Belize to buy your groceries and come back?”

 

San Pedro Resident 1

“Yes more easy and better for you.”

 

San Pedro Resident 2

“Every supermarket you can go into shopping it’s about you need to spend minimum fifty dollars for daily living, and that affecting all business in the island, like golf cart rentals, all about it’s going to in one, into one, salary is not that high, income is low. People living on small costs.”

 

Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South

“Everybody has a right to voice their concern, especially in this day and age with, of social media. I want to make it sure that this is a clear, that this is a democratic country. You are free to say anything you want. You are free to demonstrate and manifest, but there’s something, a level whereby we must respect one another, right? The ground swell is what I don’t want to agree with. That’s not the adequate word to say that because I don’t think it’s going to go anywhere.”

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

Watch the full newscast here: