7 News Belize

A Timeout For Tacos Means Desperation For Vendors
posted (May 13, 2020)
So, as you can see, the Corona virus has brought hardships to Belizeans abroad and at home. And for food vendors who've had to abide by health and safety measures, it's meant a complete loss of livelihood.

And while certain measures have been relaxed this week, food carts remain on the list of prohibited businesses. But there's been some pushback by vendors desperate to earn a living. This morning Cherisse Halsall spoke to two taco vendors fighting through restrictions to earn a living while serving a much-needed budget-friendly breakfast.

Last month after the Ministry of Health ordered the shutdown of all street food vendors, the city's tacos stands were left deserted.

Since then most tacos vendors have been waiting for permission to return to work. But some can't wait; their families will go hungry if they don't find a way to get back on the tacos grind. So, they've had to clandestinely get back to work.

And this morning when police shut down Baeza's tacos on Coney drive the couple, who make the daily commute from Orange Walk, was left with pots of chicken, tasty and warm, and no one to sell it to.

Jose Canul, Vendor, Baeza's Tacos
"They came to tell us that we couldn't sell and I asked why because we were on private property. told him that if he wanted I could move the tent more and he said no you can move the tent all the way to the back if you want to and you still can't sell."

"This is hard work and we're just trying to survive and get back and we don't even know what to do with all of the products that we've already invested in. I don't even know how I'm gonna pay back the loan we got to try and re-start the business, I don't know."

"They should have just given us the opportunity to sell today so that we can fix the area because it's been over two months, look at how the area looks. We need the opportunity to fix the area. That's the opportunity that I was asking for."

"This is a private property I could have done this as a drive-through because they can come in through here and come out through there. I was actually going to enclose the whole tent. Close the whole tent and just have a little window where we can serve through and put the signs and everything."

"Customers were here buying and they told everybody that they weren't allowed to buy from us and that they were closing down the spot."

"And we were going to put the, paint the six feet distance where people could stand up and around here it's mostly office people, we do deliveries."

"I was going to be the one to give change, i'm the cashier and then I had my wife right there and the workers who roll the tacos, and we have our delivery guy and the handwash and everything would have been out here with hand sanitizers."

"We applied for government help. Yesterday I got a call from human development with a lot of questions and we still didn't get anywhere because the man didn't even all back. It's a lot of problems just to get a little bit of groceries. Do you know how many people depend on these businesses here, not just us, a lot of workers and what will happen to us now, what will we eat? What do they want us to do thief, we can't do that. They're not helping you and their not permitting you to help yourself."

Over at the bus terminal Ana Tejada is working but she's had to lean on a fellow entrepreneur in order to legally restart her tacos stand.

Ms. Ana Tejada, Tacos Vendor
"She is just trying to make ends meet and I am the owner of this location here Zelly's boutique and I was nice enough to give her you know the opportunity to sell in this area here doing it legally at the same time."

Cherisse Halsall:
"But she's still open air so have the police given her any problems."

Ms. Ana Tejada, Tacos Vendor
"No, They haven't given her any problem, as a matter of fact, the police come and they buy tamales and tacos from her as well."

"She says that the methods of hygiene that she's using out here are the same as usual when she's selling out on the streets. She has her water here to wash her hands. She has her cloth to cover up the stuff so that dust or flies don't pitch on the stuff and she covers her pots. She has her face mask and her husband is the one collecting and also he is the one that gives the orders to the customers, so she just is making the tacos and rolling them but doesn't touch money or anything like that."

"She says it was very difficult just like for everyone else because this is her daily means you know this is how she makes her money she rents her apartment, she has car payments, pays light and water so it was very difficult she says to be home without getting money coming in."

For now, tacos vendors, like all Belizeans, can do nothing more than wait and listen for tomorrow's press conference when it is hoped that some of the health and safety measures that affect Belizean livelihoods can be rolled back.

And starting tomorrow Baeza's Tacos has also found a solution for Taco sales. They will, for now and the foreseeable future be operating from a storefront at the corner of Handyside and Queen street.

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