San Pedro Has a New Mayor! One HOT Election Day in Belize

Yesterday was Municipal Election Day in Belize.  They are held the first Wednesday in March, every three years.  This year, San Pedro was going to get a new mayor no matter what.  Our former town head, Mayor Danny Guerrero of the United Democratic Party (Red, UDP), had served 3 terms – and that is the limit.

The FINAL paint job for the SAN PEDRO sign in Central Park.  All the iterations (and signs across the country) here.

This election – just like the entire country in the National Election in November 2020 – the town of San Pedro swapped from RED to BLUE (UDP to PUP) – and voted straight down the ticket for the blue party.

Photos taken around mid-day yesterday of a quite subdued SPHS (one of two voting spots in San Pedro)

Wally Nunez, the PUP candidate, won decisively – as did the entire PUP ticket (you can click on San Pedro in this graph and see the breakdown)

Here he is getting interviewed by one of the news stations.

But as I am typing this – over 69% of San Pedro’s registered voters cast their votes.  And Wally received over 3400 and his opponent, Mr. Reuben from the UDP ticket, just over 1700.

My Sit-Down with (then) Candidate Wally Nunez just about a month ago.

It was a HOT hot day – and I headed to town (a last-minute decision after a friend told me I NEEDED to take photos of the election) for a few hours to check out the action.

Even the cupcakes at Annie’s Pastries were celebrating election day.

People were voting but it was all very quiet.  Masks are required – social distancing, required.  So there was not the large amount of rallying that we usually see.

Instead of the I VOTED stickers you see in the United States of Election Day – you see purple fingers. The indelible ink that says “I Voted in Belize”.

I decided to make my way to Polling Place #2 on the other end of San Pedro town.  There was a bunch of traffic – as folks were re-routed away from the polling places – and this situation with the electric company was not helping.

I paused under a banana plant to take the picture.  DANG was it hot out.

A cute little shop…

I didn’t make it all the way down to the RC School.  It…was…so…hot.  And like an oasis…Elvi’s Kitchen was calling me.

Come in Rebecca…you look weary…you could use a lime juice, Rebecca…

AND they make a delicious burger.  The homemade bun is SO good and no skimping on the fries.

I went back where Jeff parks his boat to sit in the shade and wait for my ride…

The 2000 palm fronds that had been cut on the mainland – and shipped over to San Pedro (for $1.25bzd a frond) were waiting to go up to the Camp.  The palapa is about to get a new thatched roof.

Note:  Palm fronds must be cut within a few days of the full moon – that ensures that they last a long time.

Congratulations to Wally and his team – or now I need to call you “Your Worship” (the official Mayoral title in Belize.)

I hope we all have a very good three years ahead of us.