Would Tourism Minister Support Bridge To Mexico?
We asked the Tourism Minister for his views on the Prime
Minister's proposal to build a Belize-Mexico bridge that spans the
Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve, which is a World Heritage Site. According
to conservationists, it's not a good look, and so, what does Mahler
think? Well, he didn't give a straight answer last night:
Jules Vasquez
"Minister, will you support - will you incorporate it into your
ministry's plans the Prime Minister's idea for a bridge between Mexico
and Belize, one that goes over a World Heritage Site, as the case
maybe?"
Hon. Anthony Mahler - Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations
"(Smiles) You have to look at the feasibility. I don't think that this
is guaranteed. An assessment will be done, a feasibility study will be
done, and whatever major build-out is necessary to improve the quality
of the product on North Ambergris we'll seriously look at it. I think
that area gives us an opportunity to do things right. Even though
Ambergris Caye is the number 1 destination for Belize, I think the
infrastructure is lagging behind, and Minister Perez, the Area Rep. for
that area would attest to that, and the people who have been in tourism
for a long time will attest to that. The bridge there needs to be
improved. You need a quality hospital. You need a fire station. You
need better roads. You need a sewer system. You need better
electricity. All these things have to be improved for us to be truly
considered a top-tier destination."
Jules Vasquez
"But a bridge across a World Heritage Site -"
Hon. Anthony Mahler
"I have no information on that."
Jules Vasquez
"But, it's your Prime Minister who said it. He didn't bring it up in
Cabinet?"
Hon. Anthony Mahler
"I have no information on it as yet."
Jules Vasquez
"So, he didn't bring it to Cabinet. He just said it in an interview."
Hon. Anthony Mahler
"He said they're looking at it, I believe. But, I have no information
on-"
Jules Vasquez
"Pick sense out of nonsense, my good friend."
Hon. Anthony Mahler
"I have no information on the bridge."
Jules Vasquez
"But, at some point you can say, that doesn't make any sense."
Hon. Anthony Mahler
"Well, I don't know if it makes sense or not."
Jules Vasquez
"Okay, but you know economics, and you know the Mexicans. They will
only be sending. That's gonna be a 1-way bridge because Mexico doesn't
take visitors from Belize. They send their visitors to Belize. You know
that."
Hon. Anthony Mahler
"I believe that we can get a lot more - well, we get hundreds of
thousands of Mexicans in the Free Zone every year. And I believe that
we can grow the numbers from Mexico exponentially. So, right now, I
think our efforts have been horrendous. We only get about 7,000
Mexicans coming into Belize overnight. The processing at the border
isn't one that is welcoming. And then, the air routes are kind of
difficult."
Jules Vasquez
"But you know that we cannot engage in an on-par, equitable tourism
relationship with Mexico because Mexico is too big for us."
Hon. Anthony Mahler
"Well, I think we can carve niches out."
Channel 7
AmbergrisCaye.com 
And while tomorrow the opposition will strongly oppose the bills, today the conservationists are debating whether the PM will actually go through with the road to Mexico, which would have to pass through a World Heritage Site. Even though it's just a proposal at this point, to the environment NGO's it seems like a rash decision and one that may not have been well thought through. Today we asked him about it.
"And obviously, before we make any such decision, we have to go through the process. At this time, we're talking about a plan, we're talking about a vision. And for that to happen, we have to make sure that we follow the process, that we follow the laws of Belize, follow the environmental laws and there's going to be full consultation. We're going to go through the NEAC, go through with the EIA process and everything. So I think they're jumping the gun before they start to criticize, I think you should join us to see what is it that we're proposing and how we could be able to transform north Ambergris Caye and the country because we truly need the revenues and the jobs for our people."
"Man goes to Mexico and gets excited and come back and start to talk about building a bridge from the Mexican Riviera all along and coming down over the Bachalar Chico Reserve, it has got to be madness and I ask about it this morning if he joked, he says he doesn't know where he will build the bridge yet. Its only one spot you could build the bridge. But the fact that these people are saying to you we are going to engage in this kind of agreement with the country of Belize, because of the good environmental record and you sir are out here talking about building a bridge over the remaining mangroves and the coral reef. That has got to be madness."
