By Belize Live News Staff: Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow expressed his strong support for the Belize Police Association’s defense of the late Police Constable Santiago Ciau Junior during the House Sitting on Friday. Ciau, who retired in March 2023 after being diagnosed with avascular necrosis—a condition resulting from a workplace injury—faced significant challenges in securing invalidity benefits from the Social Security Board (SSB). His battle to obtain these benefits, even after serving over seventeen years in the Belize Police Department, has garnered widespread attention.
The Belize Police Association recently condemned what they called “cowardly attacks” on Ciau, following SSB’s repeated denials of further payments. The SSB explained that Ciau had already received the maximum entitlement of 234 days of sickness benefits between April and December 2021, during which he continued to receive his full salary. However, from February 2022 to April 2023, Ciau was denied additional payments for exceeding the statutory limit. Despite this, the association maintained that Ciau was entitled to invalidity benefits and called for a more compassionate response from the authorities.
In his remarks, Barrow underscored the importance of treating public servants, like Ciau, with fairness and respect, especially when their health is compromised while on duty. He criticized the bureaucratic obstacles that Ciau encountered and called for urgent reforms to prevent similar cases in the future.
“The situation with Santiago Ciau is unacceptable. Those who serve our country with dedication should not be left to fight for benefits that they are rightfully owed,” Barrow stated during his address. His comments highlighted the need for better protections for police officers and other public servants, ensuring they are supported when injured in the line of duty. Barrow’s stance echoed the Police Association’s call for justice for Ciau and the reform of existing policies to safeguard the rights of all public servants.
