The
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize TiMeS
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Belize Times The Truth Shall Make You Free
SUNDAY MARCH 14, 2010
Issue No. 4684
$1.00 www.belizetimes.bz
City Gone Mad!
Crime Minister Perdomo Must GO…
By our unofficial count, there have been four murders and one questionable death in the past week. That includes three bloody homicides on city streets, one by a policeman’s gun, a savage chopping in the Orange Walk district and the death of a Customs Officer while in Police custody. Unofficially, there have been 12 separate shooting incidents in the last 9 days. In just one of those incidents, five persons were injured, one of them an eight year old boy. And these figures don’t include the daily robberies which also often end in bloodshed. A popular store in the center of downtown Belize was robbed yesterday in broad daylight, and a security guard and an employee were pistol-whipped. Just today, blood splattered the streets of the city as robbers attempted another
brazen hold-up of Atlantic Bank. The streets of Belize City are running red, while residents are paralyzed by fear. Even the sanctity of homes has been breached by home invaders, who rob and rape and murder with abandon. Business owners now operate with full knowledge that any minute may be their last. Apparent fearless and coldblooded gangs rule our streets, and the death toll is rising steadily. Innocent blood has been shed by bullets which missed their targets. Belizeans are living in a city that is totally out of control, and there seems to be nowhere to turn. The Police Department which should provide sanctuary and stability in this storm of lawlessness has lost the trust of the Belizean (Continued on page 35)
Montero Fingered in Villager Alleges Nepotism Scandal Police Victimization
Belize City, Thursday, March 11, 2010
Channel Five News broke the story this week that the principals or subscribers for Gosen Products, the Belizean partners in Eco-Green, a company that had been awarded an exclusive contract to harvest and export Xate, are Ramon Matus Jr. of Macal Street in San Ignacio and Robert Jaime Montero of Church Street, the son of the Minister of Agriculture and Cayo Central area representative Hon. Rene Montero. Channel Five told its viewers that two men, Mario Mendez Cobar and Mildred Aguilar who are both registered at the same address in Guatemala, and Gosen Products are the owners of EcoGreen. Furthermore the news team said that their investigation had unveiled that the company was only paying a nominal
fee of one cent royalty to the Government of Belize when the going price is normally three or four cents per leaf. They noted that sources close to the minister had told them that Eco Green is employing Guatemalans and not Belizeans. The newscast concluded that “… the Minister’s son is a director of Gosen, that is a subscriber of Eco-Green, and Eco-green is the beneficiary of a lucrative contract awarded by the Government.” Our sources in Cayo insist that everyday Eco-Green’s Guatemalan workers are brought in and transported to work in a blue Ministry of Agriculture Toyota Tacoma complete with blue GOB licence plates. In the same newscast Earl Codd of Santa Elena told Channel Five News: “We had a license going back in 2006-2007, the license was cancelled by the Forest Department for no apparent reason before the expiration and was issued to one Gosen product for operation up in the Chiquibul area. We are still questioning why the license was cancelled and the reason for it. We had complied with all the necessary requirements set out within the license, setting in the proper proposal, security plan and harvesting plan and to date we have not received any response as to why the license was cancelled.” He went on to say that he believed the $250,000he had invested in the business was irrevocably lost. This is not the first time that it’s been reported that Montero has been (Continued on page 35)
. . . r e h et g o T e Com
Juan Coy Ordered it... says Teul
Hon. Juan Coy “I should have said this before but right now I feel ashamed that I campaigned for Mr. Coy or even associated with him when he was campaigning.” - Bartolo Teul. Belize City, Thursday, March 11, 2010
At approximately 4:00 pm on Sunday, March 7th, 2010, at a public community meeting held in Big Falls, Toledo, police officers arrested renowned and respected social and environmental activist Bartolo Teul, who is also a villager, for exercising his constitutional human rights, that of speaking out. A press release sent out three days ago claims that Teul was arrested simply because he dared to comment on some aspects of Toledo East Area Representative Juan Coy’s speech given during the above-mentioned meeting.
UDP Senator Pulcheria Teul The release stated: “When Mr. Teul presented opposing perspectives and challenged some points brought out by Hon. Coy, he responded by ordering the police to take out and arrest Mr. Teul. The Punta Gorda police officers present (six in total), who were heavily armed with SLR, M16, 9mm guns and long batons, took Mr. Teul out of the meeting in handcuffs as if he just committed a most criminal act. Villagers were amazed, shocked and intimidated by this very scary incident in our village. At no point was Mr. Teul being disrespectful, threatening or abusive to the Area Representative. Villagers who witnessed this outrageous incident are gravely concerned and are asking what next? Are we now under a form of dictatorship where citizens are (Continued on page 35)
It's Time For The PUP!
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The Belize TiMeS
Hypocrite of the Week
A FORECAST OF BARROW’S BUDGET
When the Prime Minister shamelessly told the Nation that we were in a recession, long after everyone knew this, he delivered the first blow. When he said that this year would be even tougher he delivered his second blow. On Monday when he presents his budget to the nation it will be the third blow and this time it will strike at the pockets of Belizeans in a way that will deliver the worst blow of all. This end of the year “gut check” is a total reverse of what he promised in his 2009/2010 budget, when he claimed that through his stimulus package he would increase “economic activity and spur growth.” On Monday the Prime Minister will stand before the nation and start his presentation with a report on the performance of his government for the past fiscal year. Because this was such a terrible year for Belizeans, he will go to the usual blame game. He will cut into the PUP, he will take the nation back to the wrongs of the previous administration; use terms like “the shackles of the PUP legacy” and so on. He will add to this excuse the effects of the world economic recession. It will be entertaining; he may even cut into a few PUP leaders, past and present, but when this is all done, he will not be able to account for any measure his government has done to ease the pain and suffering of Belizeans. And after all the theatrics and the table beating by his dodo birds to his right, he will raise your taxes. There will be very little detail about the success of his stimulus package and that is because there was no stimulus and the package never arrived. What happened to all those projects that should have resulted in what the Prime Minister termed as shining new investments in the physical and social infrastructure that would uplift the nation? Projects like the repair of Belize City Streets, the Solid Waste Management Project, the completion of the Southern Hwy and the $3 million for the permanent replacement bridge structure at Kendall? What happened to the $30 million that was supposed to be invested in municipal streets and drains that was to come on line in the last quarter of his budget? He said this would help to “end the year in an additional burst of glory.” As to whether or not he will offer any explanation for why his promised 2.5 percent economic growth never materialized, that one should be interesting. After that he will turn to the upcoming financial year 2010-2011. Of course he has already prepared the nation for the “big wap,” stating at his last press conference that this year will be even worse than the last one. He will of course tell you he has found a solution to closing that $60 million dollar gap through the amendments to the banking act which he will pass after he has concluded his budget speech. Of course the banking industry is already reeling from this news for they all know that what these amendments really mean is that they will have to carry more government paper and that in the end all we are doing is putting a strain on the nation’s foreign reserves and threatening our dollar against the US dollar. Simply put, all he will be doing is printing money to finance government’s expenses. Nothing in this new budget will restore investor confidence, because what little confidence was left flew the coop when the Prime Minister said that this year would be even worse. As to help for the productive sector, well with no real stimulus, the productive sector will once again be left to its own survival. As to those social projects and programmes that are so important to the nation - projects like scholarships, assistance for single mothers, more community projects to keep our streets safe and our children away from the lure of gang and street violence – well, the much needed assistance in these areas will be ineffective. At last year’s budget presentation the Prime Minister said that in putting his budget together government did it right, he said, “But we took our time; we analyzed the situation carefully; we consulted and we included.” Since there was not even money to allow for government consultation this year, and since there is no excitement from government over what Belizeans can expect, one can only conclude that the only thing coming in this budget is more taxes and haaada times for the Belizean people.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
This week there was some thought given to acknowledging Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega as the premiere hypocrite of the week. He certainly was in the running, after a news appearance in which he was proudly presiding over two palapa huts and a bathroom on Goff ’s Caye, and was patting himself on the back for that miniscule achievement in two years. Vega is certainly better known for all the land he has taken away from poor Belizeans, simply out of political malice. And he is certainly well known for all the land which has been acquired by connected UDPs under his tenure – to say nothing of the hustling in the ministry. But at the last minute the little runt minister from Collet beat out his northern colleague for the grand prize. See, Minister Faber was on the radio this week at the official inauguration of the ITVET facility at the Old Technical compound (coincidentally a project which was envisioned, formulated, negotiated and brought to fruition under the PUP). According to Faber, he and the rogue UDP bunch we call government will never stop a project just because it was brought to life under the PUP. According to Patsy, once it is a good thing, he and the UDP don’t care if a project was started
under the PUP – they will continue on the same path. What a crock. Patrick should have been struck down by a righteous bolt of lightning. This is the very same Patrick Faber who stood up in the House of Representatives and proudly boasted that he and his UDP have fired single mothers and the elderly for no other reason but that they were supporters of the PUP. This is the very same Patrick Faber who without a thought fired a school warden who had consistently exhibited exemplary performance, simply because she was a supporter of the People’s United Party. The very same Patrick Faber shamed that dedicated school warden when she went to find out why she was fired, since she was the breadwinner of her home with four children going to college. The very same Patrick Faber refused to budge despite the pleas of the mother; despite the fight the mother and her husband put up to protect her job; a fight which eventually led to the death of Charles Good. In fact, Patrick Faber was so fixated in his arrogant ways and hatred for anything or anybody associated with the PUP that the widow and mother of four had to take her fight to the Court. And it is that boy who has the balls to stand in front of the nation and give a commitment that he and the UDP commit to continuing PUP projects and not to discontinue them. Patrick Faber is a joke with dreams of becoming Prime Minister. But no matter what his dreams and aspirations, no matter what sweet nothings flow from his double-speaking tongue, Patrick Faber will never be the Prime Minister of Belize, and this award of Hypocrite of the Week is likely the most prestigious accolade he will be given.
Questions to Ministers 1 2 3
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Would the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance please say what new taxes will be announced in his budget presentation on Monday, and would he also say if he considers it fair to impose new taxes on poor Belizeans when times are already the hardest they have ever been? Would the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance please say if he will fire his ex-wife’s law firm and allow the SolicitorGeneral’s office to do its job, since he acknowledged that the Government is broke? Would the Minister of National Security please say just what the hell is going on in the streets, and if people should just stop looking to him for answers since he obviously does not have a clue on how to fight crime? Would the Minister of National Security care to comment on the situation down south, where six heavily armed police officers harassed a villager because he dared to disagree with UDP area representative Juan Coy? Would the Minister be willing to say if Coy has been granted special powers to order police to do his bidding? Would the Minister of Agriculture confirm or deny reports that he and his son are part owners of Eco-Green, the xate harvesting company which was granted a lucrative contract by government? And would the Minister further confirm or deny reports that a company he owns is providing construction materials under the Venezuela grant project?
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize TiMeS
If Da Noh Soh…
While baldy’s away… Enquiring minds are just dying to know the subject of the private discussions held by certain select UDPs in San Pedro this past weekend. According to reports, the slightly intellectually challenged (oops, mi bally, I meant) DPM called a meeting on the island to deal with some ‘urgent matters’ while the man in charge was out of the country. Oh, to be a fly on
the wall! But it wasn’t all about work for sure. The ministers and special ‘friends’ were also feted at a cocktail party hosted by the barefoot minister at a prime restaurant on the island and to top it all off, sailed along the coast on Saturday on a private boat stocked with lavish ‘treats’ and drinks. This columnist is awfully glad that the UDP ministers and ‘special friends’ had such a fine time on the island, especially in the midst of the recession and the upcoming budget which promises to be extremely painful for most Belizeans. And as to that credible report that we taxpayers funded this ‘fiesta weekend on the island’ for the ministers and special friends…nah, they wouldn’t! Or would they? If Da Noh Soh! Purple dread alert… The weekend in San Pedro may have been fun for the UDPs and friends, but for some islanders Sunday morning left them with a sour taste in their mouths. Several islanders experienced a nasty shock when they arrived on the beach with their kids for a nice swim. There parading up and down the beach in all his ‘glory’ (enter laughter here) was the Barbie dread himself, decked out in the
very latest bright purple speedos. Definitely not a sight for the faint of heart! I tell you, the man might make a mockery out of his nickname ‘clear the land,’ but he sure as hell ‘cleared the beach’ that Sunday morning…If Da Noh Soh! Early campaigning… It’s kind of interesting that the photo taken that weekend surfaced when it did. See, reports have been surfacing of a serious rift within the UDP, and it all has to do with the UDP convention supposed to be coming up a little later this year. Word out of the UDP is that the little runt
with plenty ambition but little hope wants his shot at Deputy Leader of the UDP (which he hopes will catapult him into the top spot – but keep dreaming, Pats). The other man
with his eye on the second spot is our friend from the far west, who is a deputy leader in name only and wants the real spot held by his colleague from the north. Notice who’s missing from the picture? So it looks like our semi-literate friend from Orange Walk heard those rumours too and is shoring up support one time…If Da Noh Soh! Some confirmation please… This columnist has received some reliable reports that the CEO in the Ministry of Natural Resources was involved in a traffic mishap recently in which she knocked down somebody and totaled a brand new government issued Toyota Rav4. I’d like some confirmation of that report, if possible, since it certainly won’t be found on any police sitrep. And could somebody also look into reports that the same CEO has already been issued a new government ride, a brand new Toyota Hilux? Can anybody say recession? Can anybody say hard times? Damn, if the report is true then our friendly CEO will soon catch up to the drunken UDP area rep in the north who has totaled four GOB vehicles so far and is working on a fifth… If Da Noh Soh! All businessmen are thieves… Word on the grapevine is that a group of businessmen met recently with a select team from the ministry of finance to discuss upcoming events, ahem, ahem, more taxes I mean. Apparently it didn’t end as cordially as it began, though, because we understand that one member of the financial team blurted out that the reason they have to raise taxes is because all Belizean businessmen are thieves. Ouch. Guess they’re learning from the big bald boss. According to
Barrow and the UDP, all attorneys (except Lice) are in Ashcroft’s pocket; all policemen and customs officers are corrupt; all teachers are ignorant and all doctors and nurses
are lazy. Guess the only perfect ones are those Barrow bluebloods who are mentioned most frequently. I guess the rest of us common Belizeans just don’t match up in the royal scheme of things…If Da Noh Soh!
All is not well… The PM is so caught up in his own little barrowesque fairytale that he’s losing track of what’s going on right around him. Sources right down deep inside the UDP camp claim that the boss man’s financial wizards are frustrated and angry and ready to walk. One in particular who
is often seated at the right hand of the master has been heard to confide that Barrow doesn’t know the first thing about finance and economics and should stick to law. Apparently, Barrow isn’t taking the advice he has been given and is just riding roughshod over everyone’s opinion. There’ll be a lot more said from inside the UDP camp on this matter very son, and there wasn’t even any need to dispense 30 pieces of silver…If Da Noh Soh! New CitCo taxes… Mayor Zenaida Moya has been operating below the radar these days, relishing a few weeks of relative peace after months of battering for her apparent lust for the cookies in that darned public cookie jar. Enjoy these moments, Lady Z, cause the
worst is yet to come and the audit will come back to haunt you for sure. But this brief segment of the column isn’t dedicated to sticky fingers, but to UDP fingers reaching into our pockets once again to grab up the precious little we have left. The City Council has come up with a gem of an idea for increasing revenues in their coffers (too bad they haven’t come up with an idea on how to use that revenue for legitimate purposes). See, CitCo is planning to charge all taxi-drivers what amounts to a trade license fee for doing business. That’s right - all taxi-drivers will now have to pay $175 before they can operate. Say 6,000 taxis X $175 and that adds up to a cool $1,050,000 right off the top…If Da Noh Soh!
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All likkered up… As I’m writing this at around 10:00pm Wednesday night, a call just came in from the north with some interesting information. A little while ago the usually drunk minister from Corozal Southwest and his driver were stopped at a routine Police checkpoint near Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico. As is usually the case, both of them appeared likkered up to the max, so the police officer on the scene proceeded to caution them about the dangers of driving in that condition on the road, in a government vehicle and especially with all the accidents happening these days. Apparently the lecture didn’t sit too well with el drunken norteno,
who proceeded to give the police officer a tongue lashing complete with ‘do you know who I is’ dialogue. Reports are that el borracho went so far as to tell the police officer that he would lost his job for daring to stop and lecture him…If Da Noh Soh! No water… This columnist understands that the village of Bullet Tree Falls in the Cayo District does not have any potable water. That’s not for lack of a water system, but because BEL cut out the electricity which is allegedly in arrears some three months, to the tune of $6000. Villagers are saying that one of the reasons is that the UDP appointed water maintenance crew and pump attendants were given a huge raise and the other reason is that the UDP faithful do not have to pay for the water they receive. Whatever the case, villagers are asking what the mostly missing in action Salvador Fernandez will
do now to remedy the situation. Our advice to them – look for help elsewhere, cause Salva isn’t worth diddley-squat as a representative and won’t bother to help…If Da Noh Soh!
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The Belize TiMeS
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Out Spoken
Man’s True Nature
From the Desk of the Party Leader
Celebrating with our Belizean Women
March is a month when we honour the contribution of our women and the role they play in the development of our nation. This special time provides us with the opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women everywhere. Here at home it is also a time to honour the courage of our Belizean women, to acknowledge their fight against poverty and ignorance; to renew our promise as a nation of people living with freedom, justice and equality and to commit to strive for a society free of all kinds of discrimination, particularly discrimination against women. We in the People’s United Party are proud to have been a partner in this struggle. It was under the PUP that we successfully advocated and achieved the right of women to vote. We are also proud to be that Party that successfully established and instituted the Family Court. We feel a great sense of pride in being the Party that strengthened our laws to protect our women against violence and provided more opportunities for women to improve their standard of living. Of course we know that enormous challenges lie ahead for us, but we believe that more can be done and we commit to continue the work for the improvement of women in Belize. We understand that our responsibility as a Political Party is to advocate for greater inclusion of women in decision making. We also understand that our work must always be influenced by a sincere desire to build one nation, with one people, united in the cause of the development of our country. We know that to have opportunity and to bring about prosperity, everyone must participate. For this to happen we must start working with our Party. We have to include women at all levels, ensuring that they have equal participation in the decision making process and in the leadership. This is why two of our three senators in the National Assembly are women and on our Party’s executive, we have increased the number of women. As a party we must remain committed to this cause so that when we return to government we can create the conditions to improve the lives of all our people, including women who are among the poorest in our society. To do this, we will have to continue to strengthen the laws to ensure that women have access to jobs and that they receive equal pay for equal work. We must also protect our children who are girls by ensuring that they are safe in their homes and in their schools. We must educate our communities and ensure that in our institutions equality is not only preached, but practiced as well. Together as a nation we must work to bring an end to violence against women and in general to defeat crime. As a tribute to the legions of women who came before and navigated the path of fighting for our independence and for justice, we must hold firm to the principles of equal rights for women. Of course women themselves must participate in this struggle, but as a people with a constitution that guarantees equal rights, everyone must make this a prime responsibility. As we continue to celebrate the contribution of women to the development of our nation, we in the People’s United Party call on women to take an active part in our political work. We also call on the women of Belize to support each other in advancing the role of Belizean women in leadership positions. We join others in acknowledging the indispensible role of women in building of our nation and call on all Belizeans to join with our women in the struggle for equality and in the important task of creating a nation fit for everyone.
Dear Editor: I cannot support the “No Corporal Punishment” rule, because it is repugnant to my understanding of human rights. This conviction has been derived from assiduous study of the Belize Constitution, which is based on Judaeo-Christian principles, especially in its concept of what the human person truly is. The idea is that the human person is a being made of a material body that is infused and animated by a spiritual, immortal soul. The Preamble of the Constitution tells us that we are beings created by Almighty God. As Ombudsman when I travelled abroad I was regarded as the guardian of Human Rights in Belize. This was true, especially in Central America and in the Caribbean. As a faithful discipline of our Constitution in discussions on sexual and reproductive rights, I made my position absolutely clear: I could never in good conscience support or propagate the pro Choice position. It in essence advocates the murder of the most innocent of victims – the unborn human person in its mother’s womb. This slaughter of the innocents is based on a misunderstanding of the true nature of the human person, whose life in the image and likeness of Almighty God begins when sperm meets egg. As to the initiative to abolish corporal punishment, it is based on misconceptions. First, it fails to adequately acknowledge that every right has its concommittant duty and responsibility. Even in the case of children this principle applies. Parents and teachers and all who have authority over them share the responsibility of teaching this societal obligation to children. Secondly, those who believe that children may be fashioned at all times and in all places into the good models of good citizenship by gentle, sweet persuasion only, do not seem to understand that man’s nature is corruptible. This is why man’s law, to be effective, must carry sanctions that are feared. Without fearful penalty, or desired reward, law is useless to discipline man and woman, whose nature will never change to make the social engineering by the United Nations look good and true. Certainly, I am most intolerant of any abusiveness against children, or any human being, for that matter. But, some of the most outstanding, wholesome humans I know have told me that they were properly thrashed as children by loving, admired and loved parents. They all thought that the corporal punishment did them good. I find it most troublesome and disturbing, and I cannot support a rule whose conceptualization is so lacking in the correct understanding of basic Judeao-Christian principles. You don’t have to strain your imagination to see what will happen to our country if this foreign initiative of no corporal punishment is enforced. Pretty soon a generation will emerge that will proclaim by its actions that crime does pay, because they will have grown up not having experienced that breaking the rules may be sanctioned by painful punishment. We will never raise a world champion in any sport, because pain will be an unknown, ignored idea and reality. What’s the motto of most champions? No Pain, No gain. In my struggling adventure into the life of moral excellence, I’ve learned that the sport champion’s motto is the same in the spiritual and intellectual life of men. No pain, no gain; one achieves virtue through discipline, pain, and suffering. It is as simple as that! Unfortunately, the international agencies that promote Pro Choice and No Corporal Punishment seem to have no regard or knowledge of man’s true nature. Signed Paul Rodriguez.
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Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize Times
UDP Politics as usual
More taxes to come… Some months ago, when it was revealed that there would be something like a $60million shortfall in the budget, the Prime Minister was asked what he would do to bridge that deficit. He claimed that he had no clue at the time. Just weeks ago, when the question was again raised, the Prime Minister again claimed ignorance, saying that he and his Cabinet were working on a couple options. On Friday, when the Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega was asked the same question, they were still working on options, according to him. But get this – one of those options is more taxation. The Deputy Prime Minister, who still hasn’t been able to read the memo which expressly forbids him from opening his mouth in public, revealed that an increase in taxes is definitely on the table. Now Belizeans know what they can expect when the Prime Minister reads the budget on Monday – an increase in taxes; digging even deeper into our already empty pockets. Soon after that, you’ll hear the announcement about retrenchment. The writing is on the wall. You saw it here first… Priorities… And the questions continue to come up. With the economy in recession and with the Prime Minister on national television and radio announcing that the coming year will be the worst ever, why is GOB spending money where it is not necessary. For example, now that we common Belizeans have to tighten our already worn belts, the $1.5million paid to Lois Young leaves a distinctly sour taste in our mouths. The fancy government rides which continue to be bought for privileged UDPs leave another sour taste. The enrichment of a few while the majority starves continues apace, notwithstanding the announcement of recession. So what gives? Will the coming year be another year of plenty for the Barrow clan while we struggle to put food on the table? Only time will tell. Little Napoleon… The little man from down south is in the news again. Seems like whenever UDP Minister Jr. Juan Coy is in the news it’s for something he did wrong. The last time it was all about contraband, and this time he sicced six police officers on a villager who dared to disagree with him at a public meeting. What the hell? Apparently Coy was presenting his slate for the upcoming village council elections and one gentleman, Mr. Bartolo Teul, stood up and voiced his disagreement with the slate. Coy wasted no time in ordering the police officers on duty, six of them armed to the teeth, to forcibly eject Mr. Teul from the meeting. Mr. Teul, the husband of UDP Senator Pulcheria Teul and a well known conservation activist in his own right, was also issued with a bogus charge for assaulting a police officer while he was being ejected. Witnesses say Teul slipped when he was pushed out and held onto one of the officers for support – thus the charge of assault. Apparently crime is not so much of a problem, because the UDP area rep can summon six policemen armed with rifles and pistols to provide security at his public meeting. One villager stated that this is the first time there has been such a police presence at any public meeting. What’s going on down south? We’ll watch with interest to see how the Prime Minister handles this one, since Coy is known as one of the expendable ones. Eco-Green Nepotism… When Minister of Agriculture Rene Montero was on national television the other day singing the praises of the new Eco-Green company which has been granted a lucrative contract by government, one could have been forgiven for thinking Montero was getting a little bit on the side as a paid PR consultant. He just went on and on and on. So then it was no big surprise to hear that the company is part owned by Montero’s son. That was the rumour on the street anyway before it was confirmed by the paper trail. Apparently what this UDP did was cancel a contract given to a Belizean investor without any reason and award it to the company part owned by Montero’s son? Is that nepotism or what? Will the Prime Minister have anything to say about this particular case? Or will he be silent since Montero is actually just following in his footsteps, since Barrow is the acknowledged king of nepotism? Not enough…
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Finally, after weeks of public outcry, the Police arrested and charged Dr. John Gough for beating up a minor. The hopelessly incompetent Minister of National Security Carlos Perdomo was quick to jump into the media spotlight and boast that no matter who breaks the law, they will be dealt with as long as he is in charge. That’s just bogus – a bunch of political bulls@#t which means absolutely nothing. Perdomo needs to explain why it took almost a month for a man with UDP connections to be charged for an act of violence when the evidence was crystal clear. Perdomo needs to explain his role in a senior Police Officer showing up at the Police Station in shorts trying to intimidate the parents of the victim so they would drop charges against Gough. Perdomo needs to explain why the good doctor was charged only with wounding when the minor is alleging that he was beaten with a metal object resembling a gun – an action which carries a charge of aggravated assault and brings with it some jail time. Those are the questions Perdomo needs to answer. But you know what - nobody believes the crap coming out of his mouth anyway. People already know what went on and what’s going on. People already know that if it was not for the pressure and stink, the good doctor would have been given a political pass – a UDP don’t go to jail don’t face charges do whatever the hell you want card, so to speak… As for the rest… And as for the rest of it – those who have eyes to see are seeing it, minus the red-tinted glasses. The report on the investigation into the death of Chris Galvez seems absolutely bogus. Hey, call it what you will and pat Perdomo on the back if you want, but the thing is that the report just doesn’t hold any water. Investigations show that the entire thing wasn’t handled properly, from the Police arrival at the scene to the improper securing of the scene to the inability (or unwillingness) to provide first aid to a man lying on the ground dying to the logging of events to the detention of a suspect to the release of that suspect. Absolutely nothing was done right. The report says that. But that same report claims that investigators found no evidence of professional misconduct. WTF!!! What more evidence do they need? But anyway, the report was prepared by a few civilians acting at the behest of the politicos who had first dibs on the finished product, so what did we expect anyway? RIP Teddy… The young brother Teddy Murillo was laid to rest on Sunday, but the upheaval over his death will continue for a long time to come. The family is still convinced that a police officer killed him and the appearance is that the Police Department seems hellbent on protecting one of their own. The man in uniform accused of the murder, the man found with a mask just a week before the murder, is still walking the streets armed and dangerous. It is doubtful that anything will come out of this, at least from the official side. Just ask the mother of murdered businessman Jason Coombs what has come out of the investigation? Just ask the widow of murder cane-farmer Atanacio Gutierrez what has come out of that investigation? That’s the reality out her today. Two more dead… Two more men died at the hands of Police this past weekend – one by a bullet shot from a gun wielded by a policeman, the other while in police custody. The reality is that the official stories in both these cases may be the perfect truth. Young Customs officer Matias Duran may have jumped out of a Police pickup to his death. Young Mr. Neal may indeed have been pointing a weapon at the police officer who then shot him in self-defense. But the reality is that nobody believes the Police anymore. There is no trust in the Police anymore. There is no confidence in the Police anymore. Today there is an active hate and fear and distrust of the Police Department, those who are sworn to protect and serve us. That’s not a good thing. How much more will it take for Mr. Barrow to tell Carlos Perdomo to pack up and leave. Crime is at an all time high…corruption within the department is at an all time high…political manipulation is at an all time high…morale within the department is at an all time low and trust in the department is at an all time low. What more will it take, Mr. Prime Minister?
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PARTY PAGE
The Belize TiMeS
Community Activity
Sunday, March 14, 2010
THE BLUE MACHINE
To kick off the long weekend, on Saturday 6th March, the Fort George Constituency held its 2nd Dominoes Tournament for 2010 organized by committee member Henry Charles Usher. In the end Albert Pou of Pinks Alley took home the win and the firstplace cash prize.
Think Tank in Action!
EVENT
Diary of Events DATE
PLACE
TIME
Budget Consultations
Wednesday, March 17
Belize City
8:00pm
National Executive Meeting
Saturday, March 13
Punta Gorda Town
NA
National Party Council
Saturday, March 20
Scotland Halfmoon Caye
NA
Czl BYM Exec. Elections
Friday, March 12th
PUP Corozal Bay Office
7:00pm
OW BYM Exec. Elections Sunday March 14th & BYM National Executive Meeting
La Hacienda Steakhouse
10:00am
ANNOUNCING
the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the People's United Party Coming Soon
We Are The PUP
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize TiMeS
For Your Information At the last House of Representatives Meeting, the following Bills were tabled by the UDP Government: 1. The Central Bank of Belize Amendment Act 2010 2. International Banking Amendment Act 2010 3. Banks and Financial Institutions Amendment Act 2010 4. Treasury Bills Amendment Act 2010 5. The Lotteries Control Amendment Act 2010 The major implications are as follows:
1. Foreign exchange earners will no longer be able to make or ask for payment in any currency other than the BZ dollar.
2. The overdraft that GOB taps from the Central Bank (CB)
will be reduced from 20% of the previous year's total GOB recurrent revenues to 8.5% of this same sum.
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The
Whip
The baldy taxman Tax man is here, come like bad breeze 60 million from us he wanna squeeze He no di ease, wants all the cheese Pan top e put pay checks on freeze If all the ministers would stop the fleece If only the royal family would stop the grease, There would be no need for tax increase Mr tax man just stop the pilfering please New tax on garbage collection New raise on GST, causing great disaffection Business tax to be increased Must be the workings of the beast
3. The ceiling on the amount of debt securities of the GOB
Most of all Land tax going up Will be the hell of a bitter cup Income tax will be the chiller Social tax at free zone the killer
4. The CB will be able to prescribe to the commercial banks
Price on smokes up and away That of course will be okay But if you touch the Belikin That will take a different spin
held by the CB will be increased to 10 times the Capital and General Reserves of the CB (estimated at $28.1m), from its current level of seven times this sum. the aggregate and the specific proportions of approved liquid assets to be held by these institutions.
5. CFZ and EPZ developers and businesses will now be required to report all transactions with International Banks.
6. GOB will increase the ceiling on its Treasury Bills from
$100m to $200m and on its Treasury Notes from $75m to $225 million, while extending the maximum period for Treasury Notes from five years to ten. GOB, therefore, is providing for an additional $250m in domestic debt.
7. GOB will privatize the lottery system. We can expect that these Bills will be passed when the National Budget is approved later this month. Probably to finance its budget deficits, the GOB is expanding the amounts that it can borrow from commercial banks by coercing the banks to purchase GOB debt instruments. GOB also seeks to reduce the higher-cost CB overdraft and replace this line of credit with lower-cost, longer-term Bills and Notes. Ultimately, these loans will come from individuals and businesses whose savings the banks will use to purchase GOB debt. Rather than proposing a progessive framework to create a debt securities market, as that which exists in Jamaica, Trinidad, Barbadoes and the East Caribbean, whereby the private sector can raise investment capital by selling debt to the banks and the public, GOB is arranging for a "backdoor" entrance to finance its own operations. In the case of lottery privatization, the Party Leader had, as you may recall, preemptively raised in the House the threat which this decision represents to the jobs of the many boledo vendors, and cautioned against a "cozy contract" with a UDP insider. The GOB amendment will allow for the lottery to be privatized for an initial period of 10 years, with an extension of a like period. You should all be aware of these controversial proposals, which are all but certain to pass into law before month's end, when the GOB uses its super-majority in the House and the Senate for approval.
One more solution to the ordeal Central bank will soon reveal Is for government treasury notes With value and time of larger quotes Of brainless heads came this chimera Producing long term bond of local loan To think of better things put on a guayabera For your assumptions are a wishing bone From buccaneering minds it came The eight million plunder of the BTL With a face of brass, no utter shame Crumbs for shareholders poor as hell To pay for legal services rendered, For works which were never tendered, Of family and friends, that baldy recommends Unquenchable fiends from his hand he tends But twenty four months have passed Great wealth has the first family amassed Corruption of this government unsurpassed Every rule of the game has been by-passed What an irony is this situation The economy now has constipation Our people facing cruel devastation Only one family flourishes from the tribulation The tax man cometh for you and me Especially if you da PUP For 3 more years so it will be Hard times just start, you shall see‌ Government is a mess They just di go by guess The leaders deh lone transgress Fi we country di distress...
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The Belize TiMeS
The
Whip
Continued
The Milk (Health) Minister
Couldn't help but laugh, must be the goat milk gone to the Minista head. The man declare that heart attack, as cause of death, is rare, no longer is it a leading cause of death… no sweat, guess police brutality take the lead, the guys in the streets they taking the lead,..
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Drawing Inspiration…. Giving Hope
Carolyn Trench-Sandiford - Party Chairman The month of March is designated as Women’s Month, and the theme for this year is “Celebrating Achievements, Overcoming Challenges and Breaking Barriers” As the Chairman of the PUP, and being a woman, I found it a personal responsibility to use this article to acknowledge and honour all the women of the PUP, those who came before me, those who are with us now, and those who are sure to join the cause after me, because they believed in the People’s United Party, and the peaceful constructive revolution. And because they believed, they have been able to enrich the lives of many of our people.
Constituency, from Curassow to Elston Kerr Streets, and from North Creek to Gibnut Streets. Women owned all those lots. Her approach to empowering women and families also extended to creating opportunities for children, who were denied access to education because of their socio-economic status, the children of the poor and the working class. Madam Liz knew that education was the vehicle to opportunities. When her request for land for public secondary schools was denied, because according to Public Works officials, no school building could be constructed on the site
It is perhaps fitting therefore, that we pay tribute first and foremost to Belize’s pre-eminent woman politician, trailblazer, PUP Member of Parliament and minister, the Honourable Gwendolyn Lizarraga, known to all as Madam Liz, who in 1959-60’s, established the United Women’s Group to mobilize women to eradicate poor living conditions in housing and urban communities, through cooperative and community action. As Minister of Housing and Education, she was instrumental in empowering women through the issuance of leases for land and the construction of low income housing. At its greatest moment, it was 1500 strong and counting. They outgrew Independence Hall, and had to go to Riverside Hall for meetings. They were a formidable force to reckon with, and nothing and no one could have stopped them. As the story goes, whenever she went to the Lands Department at the then Paslow Building to apply for lands for the members of the UWG, she and her women were turned away, and told no land was available. She was not deterred. She took her women, a measuring tape, pieces of board and a hammer, into swamps and across the creeks, and started measuring lots, and placing markers with the names of women to designate them. She drew her own plan. Later, she went to back to Lands Department with her women beside her, and asked for forms to fill out to apply for lands. When told there was no land, her response was simple, “Do not worry, dear, we already have our land. Here are the stamps to put on the application forms and the map of the lots. All you have to do is process it.” Today, this is the portion of the Collet
she identified for such purpose, because it would sink, she and her women went out once again into the swamps, this time with two-man hand saws, and started cutting the mangroves down. The men from Public Works later joined in, and took over, and this is why today, thousands of children have access to secondary education from Edward P. Yorke and Gwen Lizarraga High School, formerly Belize Junior Secondary Schools #1 & #2 for children from marginalized communities. Madam Liz exemplifies the PUP woman. Strong. Gutsy. Assertive. Resolute. Tenacious. Feisty. Passionate and Compassionate. Unselfish. She overcame challenges and broke down barriers. Her achievements are incomparable. She was about serving the people. And this is why often times, when the going gets tough and it appears that all is lost, when I am frustrated, discouraged, and see no hope at the end of the tunnel, I go to Ms. Birdie on Pelican Street, a beneficiary of Madam Liz’s work, and talk about Madam Liz. And each time, it is as if her spirit knows I am calling on her, to draw on her strength, her wisdom, her resilience, her tenacity, and I immediately become energized, spirited, and battle ready again, to face whatever is coming my way, because I know she is with me. For only if I do so, if all of us do so, can we take our rightful place as partners with our men in the People’s United Party, in creating the NEW Belize, to bring to all Belizeans a better life and a just share of the national wealth. So in this month, let us honour Madam Liz and all our women. Let us revere them, and let them serve as an inspiration to all of us, so we may one day be there to give hope to others. Only so shall the revolution continue.. .
Then he presents a list of twenty policies to improve the health of the people. When last you heard them follow rule, deh think we fool… medicines and service are the need, stop playing around and proceed!! Let the truth from your lies be freed… The fifteen million dollars spent in medicines have gone in greed…get the medicines… until then the drugs formulary policy is a joke and a waste indeed Greatest of all his works he says is the companion at birth policy which allows a female to have someone holding her hand and encouraging her during childbirth, in this manner the Minister believes that infant/child mortality is to be reduced, therefore then the best thing is for females to have childbirth at home where all the family can hold her hand and give encouragement... The Minister says that child death is a natural occurrence, of which we seem to have quite a rapid recurrence , guess what he meant when he said that is that we have the best rates in the region, is we got the better occurrence, this ain't papayas you counting minister, the more we have the worse it gets.... Heard the Minista appointed a Commission for non-communicable diseases, better luck than with the KHMH Commission of Inquiry curse... maybe we should have finished with that joke first...
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize Times
Veteran Customs Officer dies in police custody: family alleges negligence
The family of twenty eight year old customs officer, Mathias Duran, is outraged at Orange Walk Police over his death while in police custody. Duran died while being transported to the Orange Walk Police Station in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Duran was reportedly engaged in a confrontation at Hi 5 Club on Aurora Street. By their own admission, police say that Duran was never arrested and was not going to be. But something went eerily wrong on Main Street. While Orange Walk Police are contending that Duran jumped out of the pan of the police pickup, his family says that is absurd to even suggest, especially since Duran was born with a hip imperfection which limited his movements. The Duran
Mathias Duran
family are going further by alleging that it was sheer negligence, at least, that led to Duran's untimely demise. They base their argument on several
points - one, the violation of traffic laws which prohibit transporting people in the pan of a vehicle; two, that because Duran had been drinking, he should have been offered to ride in the passenger seat; and that speeding was quite likely a factor in the death. While the Orange Walk police chief, Superintendent Joseph Myvette has publicly denied that allegation, Duran's sister Atiliana has said that an eyewitness mentioned to the family that after the police vehicle crossed the pedestrian ramp it sped off, and that was the same time Duran fell out. But Duran was not the only detainee in the vehicle. He and the other two persons with whom he was involved in the brawl, including a police corporal, were also being taken to
the station. The customs officer had agreed to be taken to the police station because officers told him it was just to allow him to "sober up". The post mortem certified that he died from a fractured skull as a result of a blow to the head. As the Duran family lay their loved one to rest on Wednesday, they are also taking steps to file a law suit against the police for Mathias Duran's death. And while two senior officers from other jurisdictions have been assigned to investigate the circumstances of Duran's death, there is not much police can offer at present, other than to say that transporting people in the pan of pickups is a practice the Department has been carrying on for years.
Robbers target Doony's again!
While the bloodshed has proven too much for police to handle, armed holdups across the City is another record-breaker that continues to rise unabated. But the criminal element seems to be taking sharp focus on the merchants in the downtown area. In just one week brazen thieves have held up just as many stores from among the Indian community. The last attack came against popular Doony's Store at the corner of Albert and Prince Streets. And what's more startling is that the robbers pulled off the crime in the height of activity, just before midday when students are leaving school for lunch and people are bustling about their midday meal. But that did not stop three well-dressed crooks from riding up to the store, park their bikes and hold up the security guard and another employee. They did not
get what they went for - cash, because the cashier was not at the cash register just then. But the trio still did not leave empty-handed, as they relieved the guard of his licensed weapon and
a female employee of her cellular phone. The proprietors of the store were conducting business in the back of the building when the culprits entered the establishment.
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The crime has triggered the frustrated proprietors to lash out at the lax police patrols in the business area of town. A member of the Sadarangani family who owns Doony's Store says the upsetting incident not only traumatized her employees, but left one of them injured. It happened when the thief who wielded the gun hit him in the head as they struggled. That employee was sent home for the day to recoup. The Police Department has announced its plans to increase patrols in the busy merchant sector, which will reportedly consist of a police officer at various intersections on Albert Street. But that will come a little too late for the management and staff of Doony's who have had to endure a second attack since August of 2008, and the many more businesses that have come under criminal attack.
A Public Service Message Courtesy of The Belize times.
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The Belize TiMeS
Sunday, March 14, 2010
BALANCiNG BUDGETS: iNCREASED TAXATiON NOT AN OPTiON
The nation waits with bated breath for the economy to recover from the current recession. We know that the pace of our recovery is hinged on the action or lack of positive intervention undertaken by government in order to spur growth. Government therefore cannot get away with excuses anymore and frankly the nation is fed up and tired of excuses. The people of Belize demand and expect results. People all across this nation are suffering and many are going hungry - many not able to say where their next meal will come from so the business of governing is no joking matter. This government puts itself forward as having the skill and care to deliver for all the people of Belize and with this they are tasked then with having to provide goods and services, meaningful infrastructural development and an enabling environment for businesses to prosper. As we near the end of the current fiscal period, the budget for FY 2010/11 presented by this Government will be the budget that defines them as a caring people and business sensitive government or one devoid of vision and compassion. It is crucial to look at how the budget will be balanced, given the current economic climate. One should pay keen attention, not to the usual verbosity of the presenters, and the usual ranting and raving but to the substance of what will be presented to the people by the Prime Minister. The budget will impact all citizens for better or worse. The lives of many Belizeans will be defined by this budget for years to come. Basic economic theory confirms that when an economy is in a recession, governments’ main objective is to stimulate growth and recovery through increased demand. This increase in demand is a necessary condition for increased output and consequently economic growth. This essay will provide an overview of what are some possible policy options that are at the disposal of government in the quest to be able to provide goods and services to the people of Belize. A quick review of the demand function would highlight that aggregate demand in an open economy is the sum of consumption, investment, government spending, plus exports minus imports. In this function, what will be reviewed is how government spending ought to operate when an economy is in recession. For small economies like Belize, government is the largest employer of labour and provides essential services such as basic health care, education, national security and infrastructure. In FY 2009/10 government’s expenditure on goods and services was estimated at $262,677,513 or 31% of total expenditures, with personal emoluments accounting for another 32%. Therefore, in a recession the policy options available to governments are either spending cuts or tax increases, especially when a budget deficit would prevail. However, in states where government spending is an integral component of the functioning of the economy, the policy options are counter-productive in a recession. Therefore, governments must make the policy choices that are the best fit for their particular circumstances. From
to taxes such as GST would increase government’s reliance on a tax rate that would then make it difficult for any reduction in the future to be realized. Instead, government must focus policy on supporting the development of emerging sectors within the economy so that those areas are able to generate economic activity and thereby provide increase tax revenue to the state. The development of a striving film industry
FY 2008/09 to 2009/10 government’s total spending increased by 9% however, such a miniscule increase surely did not reflect a stimulus package of any substance and that is because most of those funds indentified as stimulus funds, were already earmarked for projects and grant funds approved and undisbursed at the time. Therefore, there is little evidence to suggest that government would reduce its spending in an effort to bridge the financial gap that would exist; therefore the alternative option that must be reviewed is increased taxation. Increasing taxes when an economy is in a recession is counter-productive since it exacerbates the economic slowdown that already exists. This is the case, as increasing taxes would depress consumer and business spending within the economy. In Belize, history has shown that the tax most easily adjusted or varied as a response to government’s fiscal policy change, would be specific taxes or ad valorem taxes on goods and services. We were introduced to the Value Added Tax (VAT) in the mid 1990’s which was later repealed and replaced with a General Sales Tax (GST). Irrespective of the type of tax, the effect is that such taxes are regressive in nature; in that low-income consumers who have a high propensity to consume bear the tax burden. Currently GST is levied on utilities such as telephone, water, electricity and cable; in addition to consumable goods and other professional services. With the application of this tax, many goods and food items have been zero-rated or exempted. Therefore, any possible increase in GST from its current rate of 10% would be devastating to consumers who are not realizing any salary increases. It goes without saying that if there is any proposal for a tax increase it must be accompanied by reduced spending in areas such as administrative expenses. How can government perform for less without cutting people and providing better value for money expended? Any increased adjustment
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is one such option. Consequently, tax adjustments during a recession must be undertaken with great caution, as the consequences could prove to exacerbate an already depressed situation. Without vision the people perish, leadership is required to steer us to safety and so far we are languishing. Gwyneth Sydney Nah Send comments to GwynethNah@ gmail.com
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize TiMeS
Mariposa'sKid's Corner
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My Travel Scrapbook... ROAD TRIP TO ALTUN HA!
We didn’t get to go Caye Caulker but Dadi and Mommy still took me on di road! We went to Altun Ha. It was so cool! Altun Ha is where the Jade Head was found. I learnt a little about when the area was settled by the Mayans and how they built the reservoir that we trekked to see– one of the persons there told us that the pond has never run dry! The best part was climbing to the top of the pyramids. The view from the tallest one was so cool! I was seeing above some palm trees that were far off! It was hard trekking up to the top and Dadi was like an old man sometimes when he had to stop and sit down. Mommy had fun teasing him. We had a good time at Altun Ha and there was a surprise waiting for me when I got home. Dadi got me a necklace with my birth month in Mayan. I was born in the month of Yaxkin! Mommy helped me search on the internet and we found out it means “new sun” or “new day”. I really wanted to go to Caye Caulker but this was just as nice. Hope you get to visit one day!
Kriol - English Jumble
BRAAD BRAM BROAD CHEESY CHEEZI FLOWAZ FLOWER FOAKS FOLKS GONG
GOWN HAMAK HAMMOCK KEEP KIP MAIYA MAYA NAYBA NEIGHBOUR PARTY
ROOFTAP ROOFTOP ROOINZ RUINS WAAF WAAJROAB WAAK WALK WARDROBE WHARF
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The Belize Times
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Power crisis to hit Venezuela growth, fuel exports
Published on Wednesday, March 10, 2010 By Joshua Schneyer CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) -Venezuela's deepening electricity crisis may drag on the economy for several years, dashing government hopes for GDP growth, slashing fuel exports from the OPEC country, and ushering in lengthy rationing. The power shortages have come since late 2009 when a drought began to empty hydroelectric dams that supply 70 percent of Venezuela's electricity. Low reservoir levels threaten to shut off 40 percent of the country's electricity generation. President Hugo Chavez declared an emergency on Feb. 8, ordering industry to cut consumption by 20 percent, and asking residential and commercial users to follow suit. The power cuts threaten his support ahead of September legislative elections. Electricity rationing is already in place for up to 14 hours a week in some regions, and could worsen in the second quarter, before Venezuela's seasonal rains begin, usually around May. Government officials are still hopeful for 0.5 percent economic growth this year, but many economists now say GDP will fall again after shrinking 3.3 percent last year. One major local bank is likely to revise its formerly positive GDP forecast to a 2-3 percent contraction, a source at the institution told Reuters on Monday. Barclays and Citigroup have forecast a 1.7 percent GDP contraction this year, while UBS forecast a 2.1 percent contraction. Local thinktank Veneconomia expects the crisis to reduce 2010 GDP by a crippling 8 percentage points. Analysts say the crisis may even worsen in 2011, since reservoirs could take more than a year of rains to refill
from current critical levels. "The entire electric system is on tenterhooks," said Eurasia Group analyst Patrick Esteruelas. "Heavy rains could bring a situation of temporary normalcy, but the same problems could return next year and be worse." A plan to buy new power turbines will cost at least $4 billion, the government says. Burning diesel in the new plants could force Venezuela -- where oil makes up 94 percent of export earnings -- to slash fuel shipments and import diesel. Oil fields in Venezuela, the Western Hemisphere's top crude exporter, are mostly protected by their own generation plants, but power shortages may affect exploration and field maintenance, make oil more costly to pump, and hit other industries and services hard, analysts say. "It's going to have a big impact on companies and industries that use a lot of power," said Pavel Gomez, a public policy professor at business school IESA. "Electricity was so cheap lots of industries were designed to use lots of it." Private industry group Fedecamaras has suggested cutting the work week by 20 percent, and the government has already shortened the day for public workers to 8 a.m.-1 p.m. The rationing, and the potential for blackouts, are bad news for Chavez ahead
of legislative elections in September. In recent polls most people blame the government for the crisis. An El Nino-linked drought is a big factor, but the crisis is also due to power demand growing 6 percent a year this decade, triple the rate of expansion in generation capacity. Electricity tariffs have been frozen since 2003, with Caracas households paying 2.3 cents per kilowatt hour, around one-fourth of average U.S. residential rates. Reservoirs are at one-third or less of normal levels. A "collapse" point, which Chavez says could come in June, would close down at least 5 gigawatts of power at the key Guri dam. National capacity is about 23 gigawatts, but analysts say up to a quarter of it is inoperational due to poor maintenance. To hedge against a collapse, Chavez is scrambling to add 5.9 GW of new capacity this year, more than the 4.6 GW Venezuela has added in the entire 11 years since he came to power. The buying spree for thermoelectric power turbines that can run on either natural gas or diesel fuel would be one of the biggest and most hurried the world has seen, U.S. power sector sources said. It would require Chavez to pay huge premiums for turbines that usually take a year or more to be delivered. "Anyone who walks in the door with a power plant, they're gonna buy it,"
said Russell Dallen of Caracas Capital Markets. "They are in panic mode." Government sources estimate that Venezuela will pay up to $1.2 million per MW of capacity, meaning the government may have to shell out $7.1 billion to acquire 5.9 GW of new plants. The same plants would cost $700,000 to $800,000 per MW for buyers willing to wait for them to be built, sources said. Venezuela is negotiating with General Electric Co., Siemens, Hyundai Heavy and others to acquire and install the plants With almost no new gas supplies expected from Venezuelan fields this year, new plants would run almost exclusively on diesel fuel, reducing their efficiency by up to a third, a U.S. power industry source said. Running 5.9 GW of new turbines continuously would require 156,000 barrels per day of diesel, according to a source at a major international power plant supplier. At a typical Venezuelan operational rate of 80 percent, the new plants would burn at least 124,800 bpd. Cutting fuel exports would be a double-whammy for state oil firm PDVSA. Diesel fuel, which sold on Tuesday for around $91 a barrel on international markets, is heavily subsidized in Venezuela, where it is priced at less that $2 a barrel. Diesel would be sold to power utilities at local rates. Venezuela's heavy industry belt in the southern Guyana region, which accounts for around 3 percent of GDP, is another economic trouble area. It includes steel company Sidor and aluminium-maker Venalum, which together consume up to 10 percent of Venezuela's power. Sidor has been running at less than 50 percent of capacity, and year-on-year aluminium sales fell more than 40 percent in January.
Obama meets Preval, warns Haiti situation 'dire' Published on Thursday, March 11, 2010 By Stephen Collinson WASHINGTON, USA (AFP) -US President Barack Obama said on Wednesday that the situation in Haiti following January's earthquake was still "dire" and warned that a second humanitarian disaster was possible. After talks with Haitian President Rene Preval at the White House, Obama said the looming spring rains in Haiti could pose a severe threat to 1.3 million people left homeless, almost two months after the monstrous earthquake. "The situation on the ground remains dire and people should be under no illusions that the crisis is over," Obama said during a joint appearance with Preval in the White House Rose Garden. The president said that there was a "desperate need" for humanitarian aid in Haiti, describing the quake which killed more than 220,000 people as "one of the most devastating natural disasters ever to strike our hemisphere." "The challenge now, is to prevent a second disaster," Obama said, hours after former president Bill Clinton, now a UN special envoy to Haiti, warned that
a new wave of deaths could be caused by poor sanitary conditions. Obama described his Oval Office talks with Preval as "very productive" and said the Haitian leader had provided him with an update on the "awful scale of Haitian loss." "No nation could respond to such a catastrophe alone," Obama said, adding that an international donors conference for Haiti later this month at the UN would allow the world to keep its commitment to help Haiti rebuild. "This pledge is one that I made at the beginning of this crisis, and I intend for America to keep our pledge," Obama
said. "America will be your partner." Clinton delivered his warning in testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations committee, saying his biggest worry was that unsanitary conditions would "lead to a second round of deaths" when the rainy season comes. Preval used his joint appearance with Obama to thank the American people for a swift and massive response in the wake of the January 12 quake, and offered condolences to Americans who had lost loved-ones in the disaster. And he also delivered a stark warning that the lessons of his country's disaster must be recognized, arguing that global warming could cause similar humanitarian catastrophes in future. "We must draw the lessons from what occurred in Haiti. These are lessons for all of mankind," Preval said. "The massive, spontaneous, generous help was a good response to the disaster. However, its effectiveness must be improved, because effectiveness depends on the quality of coordination." Preval said that donor funds gathered at the United Nations conference in New York at the end of
the month should be administered by one single authority to ensure they were spent wisely. And he pleaded for help to offer Haitians health care, jobs and education, to forestall a possible wave of migration to the cities which could worsen the humanitarian situation. Obama also said he was "extraordinarily proud" of each member of the US armed forces who flocked to Haiti in the aftermath of the disaster of help with the relief effort and provide much-needed security. "They saved lives, countless lives, of men and women and children," Obama said. The Pentagon said that the Comfort naval hospital, which is leaving Haiti on Wednesday, treated 871 patients during its seven-week mission and performed 843 surgeries. The Comfort has spent the past two weeks helping Haitians for ailments unrelated to the earthquake, with the last person treated for earthquake injuries discharged on February 27, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. The naval doctors also delivered 10 babies onboard the ship, he said.
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Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize Times
13
WAYS BARROW COULD BALANCE THE BUDGET
1. Fire the firm of Lois Young and Company and use the services of the Solicitor General instead 2. Stop giving tax breaks to UDP cronies 3. Cut down on the Ministerial vehicle fleet 4. Stop subsidizing Belize City and Town Council Mismanagement 5. Stop the useless spending on spy-mobile and other espionage equipments 6. Stop awarding sweetheart contracts to SoBs1, FoBs2 and RoBs3 of Dean Barrow 7. Crack down on the blatant Ministerial hustling 8. Collect lawful taxes due from all goods flowing as contraband from the Free Zone and the Northern and Western Border of Belize. 9. Collect the $80,000 from Juliet Thimbrel, the $90,000 that Zenaida Moya overpaid herself and the extra legal tax breaks granted by Councilor Leila Peyrefitte. 10. Conduct a forensic audit of Housing for the Poor and recover all misappropriated funds 1
Sons of Barrow,
2
Friends of Barrow, 3 Relatives of Barrow
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Sunday, March 14, 2010
COURT NEWS Belize Court Of Appeal Dismisses Appeals by Petzold and Lopez
Dr. John Gough Charged With Wounding For Allegedly Beating
Dr. John Gough Roman Petzold
BELIZE CITY, Wed. March 10, 2010.
Appeals by Roman Petzold and Francis Lopez, convicted of rape and sentenced to 10 years, were dismissed yesterday by the Belize Court of Appeal. Petzold and Lopez were convicted on June 16, 2009. They were sentenced 6 days later. Their victim was a high school student. The incident occurred on April 13, 2005. The victim was taken to a house by her boyfriend who had sex with her there. Apparently, after her boyfriend was done he turned her over to his friends who were at the house and two of them raped her. A third man, Albert Forman, was also charged with rape but the charge was withdrawn. Attorney Hubert Elrington, who represented Petzold and Lopez, had appealed on several grounds. One ground
Francis Lopez
was that the record does not reflect that the jury was sworn not to discuss the case with anybody. A second ground was that the father of the victim allegedly spoke to the foreman of the jury while the trial was going on. The third ground was that there was no evidence that it was a joint enterprise. The second ground was abandoned because it could not be substantiated by the appellant. With regard to the first ground the Court of Appeal asked Elrington, the counsel for the appellant, and Senior Crown Counsel Cecil Ramirez, the counsel for the respondent, to look at the case of Wilfred Lauriano in which the ruling was that objection has to be made at the time the trial is going on. The Belize Court of Appeal will give its reasons in writing at a later date.
2010
BELIZE CITY, Wed. March 10,
Physicians take an oath to heal. But the opposite apparently was true in the case of Dr. John Gough who along with his friend, sales clerk Egbert Nicholson, 32, was charged with wounding when they appeared yesterday in the #6 Magistrate’s Court. Dr. Gough and Nicholson pled not guilty to the charge. They were released on bail of $1,000 each and their case was adjourned until April 21. The charge arose from an incident which occurred at 3:30 pm on February 15. The complainant, high school student Carlos Zelaya Jr., 16, reported to the Police that
he was walking on Dolphin Drive in Buttonwood Bay when a green Prado drove up beside him and stopped. Zelaya said a man of dark complexion wearing a black polo shirt came from the front passenger side of the Prado and asked him what he had in his pocket. Zelaya said he asked the man why he wanted to know that and if he was the Police and the man told him that a search would be conducted on him. Zelaya said he was about to say something when the man began to punch him in his face. The door on the driver’s side of the Prado then opened and Dr. Gough, whom he has known for 2 ½ years, got out, said Zelaya. Zelaya told Police that Dr. Gough began to punch him in his face and he fell to his knees. Zelaya said he asked the men why they were beating him but they did not reply. They just kept punching him, said Zelaya. According to a report, Zelaya had told Police that Dr. Gough pointed a firearm at him. But Dr. Gough was not charged with aggravated assault. After they felt that they had beaten him enough the men drove away, said Zelaya. Zelaya was examined by a doctor who reported that there were swelling and abrasions to his eyes. The doctor classified Zelaya’s injuries as wounding.
Princess Chef Busted With Stolen Tennis Shoes
Eugene Lanza
BELIZE CITY, Wed. March 10, 2010
Eugene Lanza, 26, a chef at the Princess Hotel and Casino who the Police reported they caught wearing a female tennis shoes stolen during a burglary, was charged with burglary and 2 counts of handling stolen goods when he appeared today in the #3 Magistrate’s Court. Lanza pled not guilty to the charges. His court record showed that he owed the Court fines for several convictions. Lanza told the Magistrate, Kathleen Lewis, he served 5 years for defaulting on payment of the fines and he was just released from prison on February 18. Magistrate Lewis told Lanza that the Clerk of Court will check to see if he owes any fine. She remanded Lanza into custody until March 31. The complainant, Orlin Martin, 35,
PUP Think Tanking Sessions Every Thursday, Independence Hall at 7:30pm
a security guard residing at #35 Santa Barbara Street, reported to the Police that the burglary occurred between 4:35 pm on Monday, March 8 and 5:45 pm on Tuesday, March 9. Martin said that besides the pink and black Reebok tennis shoes, belonging to his wife, the culprits stole one JVC amplifier, valued at $1,900. Shortly after Martin left the Police Station he returned and told Police he has just seen the culprit walking on Mahogany Street, wearing his wife’s Reebok tennis shoes. The shoes were retrieved and Lanza was taken into custody. The Police reported that while in custody, Lanza told them that a friend had the amplifier at his house. Lanza was taken into custody and charged. The amplifier was retrieved by the police. Both the Reebok tennis shoes and the amplifier were labeled as exhibits.
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Sunday, March 14, 2010
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COURT NEWS Construction Worker Remanded on incest and Aggravated Assault Charges BELIZE CITY, Wed. March 10, 2010
A 49 year old man who is a construction worker residing in Vista Del mar, Ladyville has been charged with incest and grievous harm for his 8 year old daughter and aggravated assault of an indecent nature for his 11 year old daughter. The man was arraigned on the charges when he appeared yesterday in the #4 Magistrate’s Court. Magistrate Aretha Ford explained to him that she would not take a plea from him because they are indictable offences. She also explained to the man that the Court could not offer him bail
Micah Lee Williams Remanded on Drug Trafficking Charge
because of the nature of the offences. She remanded him into custody until April 14. The accused pled not guilty to aggravated assault and was denied bail. The 8 year old reported to the Police that her father carnally knew her during the summer vacation of 2008. The child was examined by a doctor who classified the injury to her vagina as grievous harm. The 11 year old reported to the Police that her father fondled her private parts sometime in December 2009.
Micah Lee Williams
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. March 11, 2010
Micah Lee Williams, 25, who was wanted by the Police since March 2 in connection with an alleged drug bust appeared in the #5 Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, March 9, with a bullet wound in his right shoulder. Williams was charged
with drug trafficking for 8.9 kilograms of cannabis which the Police alleged was thrown out of a pickup truck Williams and two other persons were reportedly in. Williams pled not guilty to the charge. He told the Magistrate, Albert Hoare, that the bullet is still in his shoulder and that the Police did not take him to a doctor to have the bullet removed. Magistrate Hoare made a note of what Williams said and he noted that Williams should be taken to the hospital to see a doctor. He denied Williams bail and remanded him into custody until March 15. Last week Williams’ brother, Denroy Williams and Shawn Whittaker, were charged with the same offence. They both pled not guilty and they were remanded into custody until March 15. The incident occurred at a police road block in Hattieville at Mile 16 on the Western Highway. The driver of the pick-up tried to escape the road block when shots were fired by the Police. Denroy Williams and Whittaker were apprehended shortly afterwards.
iCB Former Cashier Charged With Theft of $10,220
Abisai Canul
BELIZE CITY, Thurs. march 11, 2010 Abisai Canul, 29, a former cashier for Insurance Corporation of Belize, located at #16 Daly Street, was charged with 2 counts of theft for $10,220.03 missing from the ICB cash pan, when he appeared yesterday in the #4 Magistrate’s Court. Canul pled not
guilty to the charges. He was released on a bail of $5,000 and his case was adjourned until April 14. The complainant, Abel Samos, 40, the Financial Controller at ICB, reported to the Police that on Friday, January 8 at around 4:00 p.m. he terminated the services of Canul and instructed him to hand over all the cash sales for the day to the accountant, Minnie Duncan, for reconciliation. Samos said Canul left without doing what he was told to do and on Monday, January 11, when the cash pan was checked $6,720.03 was missing. Samos told Police that on Wednesday, January 13, Canul when contacted admitted he took the money and he signed a promissory note agreeing to pay back the money but he has not paid anything. Samos reported that when a further audit was done on sales conducted by Canul it was discovered that on January 6th, $3,500 was missing. As a result Canul was charged with 2 counts of theft.
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Sunday, March 14, 2010
As you read this, think about something‌ it has been 650 days since the Kendall Bridge was completely washed away by Tropical Storm Arthur on June 2, 2008. The Kendall Bridge was a major artery between the South of Belize and the rest of the country. With that bridge gone, residents of the South face the real risk of being cut off in the event of any natural disaster or even heavy rains.
iN JUST ONe DAY, Prime Minister Dean Barrow paid his ex-wife $583,522.50 from government coffers. Yet in 650 Days, the people of Southern Belize still have not gotten their Kendall Bridge. Prime Minister, the People of Belize Question YOUR PRiORiTieS. Who is more important? lOiS or the BelizeAN PeOPle?
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The
The Belize TiMeS
Belize Times l o ñ a p s En E
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Una creciente desconfianza en la Policía
DOMINGO MARZO 14 , 2010
Issue No. 4672
El asesinato del joven de 18 años de edad, Elmore Neal en Central Américan Boulevard, cerca de su intersección con la calle Matura por un oficial de policía fuera de turno, la tarde del sábado 6 de marzo pone de manifiesto la creciente percepción pública de que varios oficiales de la Policía de Belice creen que pueden ahora ser juez, jurado y verdugos de los sospechosos. ¿Y por qué no lo harían?, si el Alto Mando una vez más, sostienen que se justifica el uso de fuerza letal por parte de uno de sus miembros. El informe oficial de la policía, es que el oficial conducía en Central Américan Boulevard cuando observó a Neal apuntando con un revólver 22 cromado a una persona no identificada. Como resultado, el oficial se bajó de su vehículo, se identificó con Neal, y luego le ordenó soltar el arma. En lugar de hacer como se le indico, Neal volvió el revólver hacia el y es cuando éste le disparó una vez para neutralizar la amenaza. Pero la familia y los amigos de Neal disputan la versión y alegan que fue asesinado porque le dispararon varias veces. El tiroteo de Neal fue el segundo tiroteo fatal en un mes. En febrero, un oficial adjunto a la estación de Ladyville disparó y mató al Jamaiquino O'Neil Jones después de que se alejaba de una pelea fuera de un bar en Lord’s bank. Testigos presénciales alegan que Jones no representa ninguna amenaza para los oficiales, pero la policía afirmó que Jones tenia un objeto brillante que los oficiales confundieron con un arma. Los dos tiroteos han planteado serias dudas sobre el uso de fuerza letal contra los sospechosos. Y las familias de Teddy Murillo, un diácono adventista, que fue asesinado hace dos semanas y Christopher Gálvez, quien murió menos de tres meses, insisten en que sus seres queridos fueron asesinados por oficiales. Ambos asesinatos siguen sin resolverse y la esperanza se desvanece rápidamente de que cualquier persona podrá ser considerado responsable de sus muertes. Es preocupante que la reputación de la policía también ha sido puesta en duda por el creciente número de denuncias de que los oficiales sean cómplices criminales, e incluso de participar en los crímenes. Pero los disparos mortales revelan que talvez los oficiales han olvidado que su deber es investigar delitos y detener a los sospechosos y que corresponde al juez y al jurado decidir si los sospechosos son encontrados culpables, condenados o puestos en libertad sobre la base de las pruebas presentadas por el fiscal. Pero lo más importante, parece que se han olvi-
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os permitir que los oficiales tomen la ley en sus propias manos. Y no, no nos estamos apresurando a sacar conclusiones respecto a oficiales relacionados con disparos, asumiendo que el peor de los oficiales utiliza la fuerza letal en defensa de ellos mismos y otros. La respuesta es sólo una consecuencia de la creciente desconfianza
dado de que los sospechosos tienen derecho a defenderse en los tribunales, independientemente de la gravedad de sus crímenes . Este es el proceso judicial que todos debemos respetar. También parece que el Alto Mando no ha iniciado investigaciones prontas e imparciales sobre los casos de muertes que involucran oficiales y no ha podido disciplinar o procesar a quienes sean encontrados responsables. Y los resultados de las investigaciones internas a menudo son una broma. Evidentemente, los agentes no se hacen responsables de sus acciones como cualquier ciudadano sería. Esto no es una gran sorpresa, pero cuando los oficiales no son castigados sin querer se les da la señal equivocada de que también pueden ser juez, jurado y verdugos de los sospechosos. Los tiroteos también hacen evidente por qué los oficiales no deben de tener el derecho a disparar a nadie a menos que hayan sido disparados en la primera o por qué no deberían estar autorizados a utilizar la fuerza letal a menos que sea verdaderamente necesario. Evidentemente, pueden incapacitar a un sospechoso hiriéndolo en una pierna o un brazo. Mientras que nadie discutirá que tienen derecho a defenderse, a menos que hayan sido disparados y que se están defendiendo a sí mismos. Y si están involucrados en un tiroteo mortal, puede que nunca sepamos la verdad, porque la otra parte no está cerca para decirle su version. Para ser justos, la mayoría de los oficiales no son del tipo de vaqueros de gatillo feliz, pero son profesionales y hacen bien su trabajo a pesar del carácter peligroso y estresante de su profesión. Es por ello que dependen de ellos cada día para mantenernos a salvo, se sitúan entre nuestras familias y aquellos que nos perjudican. Dicho esto, porque la policía tiene tanta autoridad, que nos incumbe a nosotros asegurarnos de que todos los oficiales que sirven a nuestras comunidades respeten el imperio de la ley que ellos mismos han jurado defender. No podem-
que el público tiene hacia los funcionarios que abusan y hacen alarde de su poder sobre las mismas personas que han jurado proteger. Como resultado de ello, ha llegado el momento para el Alto Mando de purgar el departamento de oficiales que están involucrados en actividades indeseables. Nosotros no merecemos menos.
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Belize Times ol
Sunday, March 14, 2010
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Políticas UDP, como siempre
Más impuestos por venir ... Hace algunos meses, cuando se reveló que habría un déficit como de $ 60 millones en el presupuesto, al primer ministro se le preguntó qué iba a hacer para superar ese déficit. Afirmó que no tenía ni idea en ese momento. Hace apenas unas semanas, cuando la cuestión se le planteó de nuevo, el Primer Ministro volvió a usar la ignorancia, diciendo que él y su gabinete estaban trabajando en un par de opciones. El viernes, cuando al Viceprimer Ministro, Gaspar Vega se le hizo la misma pregunta, dijo que siguen trabajando en las opciones, de acuerdo con él. Pero miren esto - una de esas opciones es más impuestos. El Viceprimer Ministro, que aún no ha sido capaz de leer el memo que expresamente le prohíbe abrir la boca en público, reveló que un aumento de los impuestos esta definitivamente sobre la mesa. Ahora los beliceños saben lo que pueden esperar cuando el Primer Ministro lea el proyecto de presupuesto el día lunes - un aumento de los impuestos; cavara aún más profundamente en nuestros bolsillos ya vacíos. Poco después, escuchará el anuncio de reducción de personal. La escritura esta en la pared. Ustedes lo vieron aquí primero... Prioridades ... Y las preguntas siguen saliendo. Con la economía en recesión y con el Primer Ministro en la televisión y la radio nacional, anunciando que el próximo año será el peor de la historia, ¿por qué gastar dinero del GOB donde no es necesario?. Por ejemplo, ahora que los beliceños comunes tienen que apretarse los cinturones ya gastados, los $ 1.5million pagados a Lois Young dejan un sabor claramente amargo en la boca. Los vehículos lujosos que el gobierno sigue comprado para los priviligiados UDP dejan otro sabor agrio. Son pocos los que se están enriqueciendo, mientras que la mayoría se muere de hambre, continúa a buen ritmo a pesar del anuncio de la recesión. Entonces, ¿qué pasa? ¿El año que viene será otro año de abundancia para el clan de los Barrow, mientras luchamos para poner comida en la mesa? Sólo el tiempo dirá.
No es suficiente... Por último, después de semanas de protestas públicas, la Policía detuvo y acuso al Dr. John Gough de golpear a un menor de edad. El irremediablemente incompetente Ministro de Seguridad Nacional, Carlos Perdomo se apresuró a ir a la atención de los medios de comunicación y se jacto de que no importa quien viola la ley, se tratarán con ellos mientras el este a cargo. Eso es falso, - es solo un montón de m @ #% a, lo que no significa absolutamente nada. Perdomo tiene que explicar por qué se tardó casi un mes en presentar cargos a un hombre con conexiones políticas UDP a por un acto de violencia cuando la evidencia era clara. Perdomo tiene que explicar su papel cuando un oficial superior de Policía se presento a la comisaría de policía en pantalones cortos tratando de intimidar a los padres de la víctima para que retiraran los cargos contra Gough. Perdomo tiene que explicar por qué el buen doctor fue acusado sólo con heridas cuando el menor alego que fue golpeado con una pistola por Gough - una acción que conlleva a un cargo de asalto agravado y trae consigo algún tiempo de cárcel. Esas son las preguntas que debe responder Perdomo. Pero usted sabe que nadie cree la basura que sale de su boca de todos modos. La gente ya sabe lo que pasó y lo que está pasando. La gente ya sabe que si no fuera por la presión y el olor, al buen doctor se le habría dado un pase político - un UDP no va a la cárcel, no enfrentar cargos, y tiene una tarjeta de haga lo que quiera, por así decirlo ... En cuanto al resto... Y en cuanto a lo demás - los que tienen ojos para ver lo están viendo, menos los lentes rojopolarizados. El informe sobre la investigación de la muerte de Chris Gálvez parece absolutamente falsa. Hey, llámelo como quiera y déle a Perdomo una palmadita en la espalda si usted quiere, pero la cosa es que el informe sólo no tiene nada de sustancia. Las investigaciones muestran que todo aquello no se manejo adecuadamente, desde el arribo de la policía en la escena a la incorrecta sujeción de la escena a la incapacidad (o falta de voluntad) para proporcionar los primeros auxilios a un hombre tendido en el suelo moribundo, con el registro de eventos a la detención de un sospechoso, a la liberación de ese sospechoso. Absolutamente nada se hizo bien. El informe dice eso. Pero ese mismo informe afirma que los investigadores no encontraron evidencia de mala conducta profesional. WTF!!! ¿Qué más pruebas se necesitan? Pero de todos modos, el informe fue preparado por algunos civiles que actúan a instancias de los políticos que habían primacía sobre el producto acabado, así que ¿qué podemos esperar de todos modos?
Pequeño Napoleón... El pequeño hombre del sur está en las noticias otra vez. Parece que cada vez que el ministro UDP Jr. Juan Coy está en las noticias es por algo que hizo mal. La última vez que se trataba de contrabando, y esta vez envió seis agentes de policía tras un aldeano que se atrevió a discrepar con él en una reunión pública. ¿Qué diablos? Al parecer, Coy presento su lista para las elecciones municipales próximas y En Paz descanse Teddy ... un caballero, el Sr. Bartolo Teul, se levantó y expresó su desacuerdo con la lista de El joven hermano Teddy Murillo fue enterrado el candidatos. Coy no perdió tiempo en ordenar a los oficiales de policía en servicio, domingo, pero la conmoción por su muerte continuará seis de ellos armados hasta los dientes, que expulsaron a la fuerza al Sr. Teul de la por un largo tiempo por venir. La familia sigue convencida reunión. El Sr. Teul es el marido de la senadora UDP Pulqueria Teul y un activista de de que un policía lo mató y la apariencia es que el conservación bien conocido en su propio derecho, también fue acusado falsamente Departamento de Policía, parece empeñado en proteger por agredir a un policía mientras era expulsado. Testigos dicen que Teul resbaló a uno de los suyos. El hombre de uniforme acusado cuando era expulsado y se aferró a uno de los oficiales, por lo que se le acuso de del asesinato, se le encontró con una máscara sólo una asalto. Al parecer, la delincuencia no es un problema, porque el representante de área semana antes del asesinato, aún anda caminando por las UDP puede convocar a seis policías armados con fusiles y pistolas para garantizar calles armado y peligroso. Es dudoso que algo vaya a la seguridad en su sesión pública. Un aldeano dijo que esta es la primera vez que ha salir de esto, al menos desde el lado oficial. Pregunten a presenciado a la policía en una reunión pública. ¿Qué está pasando en el sur? Vamos la madre del asesinado empresario Jason Coombs ¿que ha salido de la investigación? a ver con interés para ver cómo el Primer Ministro se ocupa de esto, ya que Coy es Pregúntale a la viuda del canero agricultor Atanacio Gutiérrez, ¿que ha salido de esa conocido como uno de los prescindibles. investigación? Esa es la realidad aquí afuera estos días. Nepotismo Eco-Green ... Cuando el Ministro de Agricultura René Montero apareció en la televisión nacional, el otro día cantando las alabanzas de la nueva empresa Eco Green, a la que se le había otorgado un lucrativo contrato por parte del gobierno, uno podría haber sido perdonado por pensar que Montero estaba actuando un poco como un consultor de PR pagado. Y continúo y continúo. Así que no fue gran sorpresa escuchar que el hijo de Montero es parte de la empresa. Ese era el rumor en la calle de todos modos antes de que fuera confirmado por el rastro de papeles. Al parecer, lo que este UDP hizo fue cancelar un contrato determinado, a un inversionista de Belice, sin ninguna razón y se lo concedieron a la empresa de la cual el hijo de Montero es propietario? ¿Es esto nepotismo o qué?¿Quién quiere tener una apuesta de que el hijo de Montero esta realmente poniendo cara por su padre? ¿El Primer Ministro no tiene nada que decir sobre este caso en particular? ¿Estará ya consiguiendo el olor a la corrupción del que habló?
Dos muertos más... Otros dos hombres murieron a manos de la Policía este fin de semana - uno por un disparo de bala de un arma en manos de un policía, mientras otros en custodia policial. La realidad es que las historias oficiales en ambos casos puede ser la verdad absoluta. El Joven oficial de aduanas Matías Duran puede haber saltado de una furgoneta de la policía a su muerte. Yong Sr. Neal en efecto puede haber estado apuntando con un arma a la policía que luego le dispararon en defensa propia. Pero la realidad es que nadie cree en la Policía ya. No hay confianza en la policía más. No hay confianza en la policía más. Hoy en día existe un odio activo, miedo y desconfianza en el Departamento de Policía, los que han jurado proteger y servirnos a nosotros. Eso no es una buena cosa. ¿Cuánto más se necesita para que el Sr. Barrow le diga a Carlos Perdomo que empaque y se marcharse?. La delincuencia esta en su punto más alto... la corrupción en el departamento está en su punto más alto... la manipulación política está en un momento de alta. La moral... en el departamento se encuentra en los niveles más bajos de todos los tiempos y la confianza en el departamento está en su punto más bajo. ¿Qué más necesita señor Primer Ministro?
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Un Pronóstico del Presupuesto de Barrow
Cuando el Primer Ministro descaradamente dijo a la nación que estamos en una recesión, mucho después de que todo el mundo lo sabía, nos entregó el primer golpe. Cuando dijo que este año sería aún más difícil nos dio su segundo golpe. El lunes cuando presente su presupuesto a la nación será el tercer golpe y esta vez va a golpear a los bolsillos de los beliceños de manera que entregará el peor golpe de todos. Este "corazonada" de fin de año es un revés total de lo que prometió en su presupuesto del 2009/2010, cuando afirmó que a través de su paquete de estímulo podría aumentar "la actividad económica y estimular el crecimiento." El lunes, el Primer Ministro estará de pie ante la nación y comenzara su presentación con un informe sobre el desempeño de su gobierno para el año fiscal anterior. Debido a que este fue un año terrible para los beliceños, se irá al juego de la culpa de costumbre. El recorte en el PUP, que se llevará a la nación de nuevo a los errores de la anterior administración, el uso de términos como "los grilletes del legado PUP" y así sucesivamente. Se sumará a esta excusa los efectos de la recesión económica mundial. Será divertido, incluso se puede cortar en unos pocos líderes PUP, pasado y presente, pero cuando todo esto se hace, no será capaz de dar cuenta de cualquier medida que su gobierno ha hecho para aliviar el dolor y el sufrimiento de los beliceños. Y después de todo el teatro y los golpes de mesa por sus pájaros dodo a su derecha, va a aumentar los impuestos. Habrá muy pocos detalles sobre el éxito de su paquete de estímulo y eso es porque no hay estímulo y el paquete nunca llegó. ¿Qué pasó con todos aquellos proyectos que deberían haber dado lugar, que el Primer Ministro calificó de brillantes nuevas inversiones en la infraestructura física y social para la elevación de la nación? Proyectos como la reparación de las calles en la Ciudad de Belice, el Proyecto de Manejo de Desechos Sólidos, la finalización de la autopista del Sur y los $ 3 millones para la estructura permanente de sustitución del puente en Kendall. ¿Qué pasó con los $ 30 millones que se suponía iban a ser invertidos en las calles y drenajes municipales que había de venir en línea en el último cuarto de su presupuesto? Él dijo que esto ayudaría a "terminar el año con una explosión adicional de gloria". En cuanto a si es o no se ofrece ninguna explicación de por qué su promesa de un 2,5 por ciento el crecimiento económico nunca se materializó, este debe ser interesante. Después de que se convertirá en el próximo ejercicio 2010-2011. Por supuesto que ya ha preparado el país para el “gran golpe", afirmando en su última conferencia de prensa que este año será incluso peor que el anterior. Él, por supuesto, dirá que él ha encontrado una solución para cerrar esa brecha de 60 millones de dólares a través de las enmiendas a la ley bancaria que va a pasar después de haber concluido su discurso sobre el presupuesto. Por supuesto, el sector bancario se había recuperado de la noticia para que todos sabemos que lo que estas modificaciones realmente quieren decir es que van a tener que llevar más el papel del gobierno y que al final todos los que estamos haciendo es poniendo una tensión en las reservas de divisas de la nación y amenazando nuestra dólar frente al dólar de EE.UU.. En pocas palabras, todo lo que se hace es imprimir dinero para financiar los gastos del gobierno. Nada en este nuevo presupuesto restablecer la confianza de los inversionistas, porque se dejó la poca confianza que voló la cooperativa cuando el Primer Ministro dijo que este año sería aún peor. En cuanto a la ayuda para el sector productivo, bien con un estímulo real, el sector productivo será una vez más abandonado a su propia supervivencia. En cuanto a los proyectos y programas sociales que son tan importantes para la nación - proyectos como becas, ayuda para madres solteras, los proyectos de más de la comunidad para mantener nuestras calles seguras y nuestros hijos lejos de la atracción de las pandillas y la violencia callejera - así, la tan necesaria asistencia en estos ámbitos será ineficaz. En la presentación del presupuesto del año pasado el Primer Ministro dijo que, al pone su presupuesto en conjunto con gobierno hizo lo correcto, dijo, "Pero nos tomamos nuestro tiempo, hemos analizado cuidadosamente la situación, hemos consultado y hemos incluido". Dado que no había ni dinero para permitirá la consulta del gobierno este año, y ya que no hay entusiasmo de los gobiernos sobre lo que los beliceños pueden esperar, uno no puede sino concluir que lo único que viene en este presupuesto es más impuestos y los tiempos mas duros para el pueblo de Belice.
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El Bejuco
Estado en calamidad 60 millones le faltan al pelón Pa’ salirse del oscuro callejón Pa’ cubrirlo al pueblo piensa exprimir Con nuevos impuestos nos va a curtir Habrá impuesto nuevo por basura Esto es una gran locura Ahora que la cosa esta tan dura Solo falta que taxee al cura El GST nos va subir Aunque nos pongamos a plañir Con más income tax nos va martillar Y esto es solo para caldear… Nuevos impuestos se le han ocurrido El Cascabel se los ha sugerido Hasta Gapi está más confundido Aunque él nunca ha entendido Yo vi en la televisión Cuando Gapi el buchón Declaro que el gobierno estaba dispuesto A subirle hasta a la gasolina el impuesto Ni parpadeo y Ni tartamudeo Cuando más impuestos tarareo Fácil, fácil nos jodió Riéndose como una gogó Si no gastaran tanto Si no malversaran tanto quebranto Si cabrones no fueran tanto No hubiera tanto quebranto... Hace tres años se hacían los santos Venían con toda clase de encantos Puras mentiras de tragasantos Nos tienen maganto como espantos No ha habido sujetos tan despiadados Como estos viles aborrachados Nunca un gobierno tan agranujado Ni lideres tan gandidos y abrutados El Año venidero será un gran atolladero El alza de impuestos es un mal agüero El gobierno nos bombardea La situación asquea… Somos un pueblo jodido Un gobierno podrido Un líder sin bondad Un estado en calamidad
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Si No Es Así…
Mientras el pelón no esta... Las mentes indagadoras se mueren por conocer el tema de los debates privados en poder de determinados UDPs seleccionados en San Pedro este fin de semana pasado. Según los informes, el poco retrasado (perdón, mi amigo, quise decir) DPM convocó a una reunión en la isla para hacer frente a algunos "asuntos urgentes", mientras que el encargado se
encontraba fuera del país. ¡Oh, quien fuera una mosca en la pared! Pero no todo fue trabajo eso es seguro. Los ministros y los "amigos" especiales también fueron agasajados con un cóctel ofrecido por el Ministro descalzo en un restaurante ideal en la isla y para colmo, navegaron a lo largo de la costa el sábado en un barco privado provisto de abundante 'trata' y bebidas. Este columnista esta tremendamente contento de que los ministros del UDP y "amigos especiales" tuvieron un buen momento en la isla, especialmente en el medio de la recesión y el próximo presupuesto que promete ser muy doloroso para la mayoría de los beliceños. Y en cuanto a que al informe creíble de que los contribuyentes fueron los que financiaron este fin de semana de fiesta en la isla para los ministros y los amigos especiales... nah, ¡no lo harían! ¿O si? ¡Si no es así! Alerta Púrpura... El fin de semana en San Pedro puede haber sido divertido para los UDPS y amigos, pero para algunos isleños la mañana del domingo los dejó con un sabor amargo en la boca. Varios isleños experimentaron una desagradable sorpresa cuando llegaron a la playa con sus hijos para un agradable baño. Hay desfilando arriba y abajo de la playa en toda su "gloria" (introduzca aquí la risa) estaba el mismo dread Barbie, ataviado
con un traje de baño speedo muy brillante color púrpura. ¡Definitivamente no es un espectáculo para los débiles de corazón! Te digo, el hombre puede hacer una burla de su apodo de "aclara la tierra”, pero seguro como el infierno que “aclaró la playa” el domingo por la mañana... ¡Si no es así! Haciendo campaña temprano... Es una especie de interesante que la foto tomada ese fin de semana salio a la superficie cuando lo hizo. Véase,
los informes han ido apareciendo de una ruptura grave en el UDP, y todo tiene que ver con la convención UDP que debe hacerse un poco más tarde este año. Chismes en el UDP es que el enano con mucha ambición pero poca esperanza quiere ser el Jefe Adjunto de el UDP (que espera que le catapulte al primer lugar - pero sigue soñando). El
otro hombre con los ojos puestos en el segundo lugar es nuestro amigo del lejano oeste, que es un líder adjunto sólo de nombre y quiere que el lugar real en manos de su colega del norte. ¿Observa que falta en la foto? Así que parece que nuestro amigo semi-alfabetizado de Orange Walk ha escuchado esos rumores y también quiere reforzar el apoyo de una vez... ¡Si no es así! Alguna confirmación por favor... Este columnista ha recibido algunos informes fidedignos de que la directora general del Ministerio de Recursos Naturales estuvo involucrada en un accidente de tráfico recientemente, en el que derribó a alguien y destruyo por completo el Toyota Rav4 ultimo modelo otorgado por el gobierno. Me gustaría alguna confirmación de ese informe, si es posible, ya que ciertamente no se encuentran en cualquier reporte de la policía. ¿Y alguien podría también examinar los informes de que a la Directora ya se le otorgo otro vehiculo del gobierno ultimo modelo de la marca Toyota Hilux? ¿Puede alguien decir que estamos en recesión? ¿Puede alguien decir que los tiempos están difíciles? Maldita sea, si el informe es cierto, entonces nuestra CEO amigable pronto alcanzará al representante borracho del UDP de la zona norte, que ya ha recibido cuatro vehículos del GOB hasta el momento y está trabajando en el quinto... ¡Si no es así!
financiero dijo que la razón de que tienen que aumentar los impuestos se debe a que todos los empresarios de Belice son unos ladrones. Ouch. Supongo que estamos aprendiendo del jefe calvo gordo. Según Barrow y el UDP, todos los abogados (salvo la liendre) están en el bolsillo de Ashcroft, todos los policías y funcionarios aduaneros son corruptos, todos los maestros son ignorantes, todos los médicos y enfermeras son perezosos. ¡Adivina! los únicos perfectos son los Barrow de sangre azul que se mencionan con más frecuencia. Supongo que el resto de nosotros beliceños comunes sólo no coincidimos en el régimen real de las cosas...¡Si no es así!
No todo está bien... El PM esta tan atrapado en su propio cuento de hadas barrowquescas que está perdiendo la pista de lo que está pasando a su alrededor. Fuentes provenientes de muy dentro del mismo campamento UDP dicen que los magos financieros del jefe se sienten frustrados, enojados
y dispuestos a irse. Uno en particular que esta a menudo sentado a la diestra del maestro se le ha escuchado confiar que Barrow no sabe nada de finanzas y economía y debe apegarse a la ley. Aparentemente Barrow no está tomando el consejo que se le ha dado y sólo hace caso omiso de la opinión de todos. Habrá mucho más para decir desde el interior del campamento del UDP en este asunto pronto, y ni siquiera hubo necesidad de prescindir de 30 piezas de plata... ¡Si no es así!
Nuevos impuestos en CitCo ... La Alcaldesa Zenaida Moya ha estado operando por debajo del radar en estos días, disfrutando de unas semanas de relativa paz después de meses de maltrato por su aparente deseo de las Todos los empresarios son galletas del tarro de las malditas galletas ladrones... públicas. Disfruta de estos momentos El chisme en la enredadera es que Lady Z, causa que lo peor está por venir y un grupo de empresarios se reunió recientemente con un selecto equipo del Ministerio de Finanzas para discutir los próximos eventos, ejem, ejem, más impuestos que quiero decir. Al parecer, no termino tan cordialmente como empezó, sin embargo, porque entendemos que un miembro del equipo
la auditoria volverá a aparecer por seguro. Pero este breve segmento de la columna no se dedica a los dedos pegajosos, pero para llegar a los dedos de los UDP dentro de nuestros bolsillos una vez más para tomar lo muy poco que nos queda. El Ayuntamiento ha creado una joya de idea para aumentar los ingresos en sus arcas (lástima que no han venido con una
idea sobre cómo utilizar estos ingresos para fines legítimos). Véase, CitCo tiene previsto cobrar a todos los taxistas lo que equivale a una tasa de licencia comercial para hacer negocios. Eso es correcto - todos los taxistas tendrán que pagar $175 dólares antes de que puedan operar. Decir 6.000 taxis X $ 175 y que se suma a un total de $ 1.050.000 así de fácil ... ¡Si no es así!
Bien borracho ... Estoy escribiendo esto alrededor de las 10:00 horas la noche del miércoles, una llamada acaba de llegar desde el norte, con información interesante. Hace poco el ministro general borracho de Corozal suroeste y su chofer fueron detenidos en un puesto de control policial de rutina cerca de la Escuela Secundaria Técnica México. Como suele ser el caso, ellos parecían borrachos hasta el máximo, por lo que el oficial de policía en la escena procedió a advertirles sobre los peligros de conducir en esa condición en la carretera, en un vehículo
del gobierno y, especialmente, con todos los accidentes que se en estos días. Al parecer, el sermón no le sentó muy bien al norteño borracho, que procedió a darle una maltratada incluyendo el clásico de “¿Sabes quien soy yo?”. Se informó que el borracho fue tan lejos como para decirle al oficial de policía que perderá su trabajo por atreverse a detenerlo y sermonearlo... ¡Si no es así! No hay agua ... Este columnista entiende que la aldea de Bullet Tree Falls, en el Distrito de Cayo no tiene agua potable. Eso no es por falta de un sistema de agua, sino porque BEL cortó la electricidad, que presuntamente se encuentra en mora de unos tres meses, por la suma de $
6000. Los pobladores dicen que una de las razones es que el UDP designó personal de mantenimiento de la bomba de agua y los asistentes recibieron un aumento enorme y la otra razón es que los fieles UDP no tienen que pagar por el agua que reciben. En cualquier caso, los pobladores están pidiendo saber que es lo que el desaparecido en acción Salvador Fernández va a hacer ahora para remediar la situación. Nuestro consejo para ellos - busquen ayuda en otra parte, porque salva no sirve para nada como un representante y no se molestara en ayudarles ... ¡Si no es así!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
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After holding consultations across the country, we’ve still been unable to come up with even ONE POSITIVE THING which this UDP Government has done for the country since February 2008.
So we decided to ask YOU. What has this Barrow Administration done for YOU since it took office more than TWO YEARS AGO? Name one thing… JUST ONE!
????????????????????
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In February of 2008, the UDP under Dean Barrow promised to – Ease the cost of living by lowering electricity rates and telephone rates. It is now March of 2010, and the people of Belize are still waiting patiently… In February of 2008, the UDP under Dean Barrow promised to – provide greater spending power by reducing GST and reduce fuel costs by replacing RRD with a lower flat tax. It is now March of 2008, and the people of Belize are still waiting patiently… In February of 2008, the UDP under Dean Barrow promised to – create a minimum of 5,000 new jobs in the tourism industry. It is now March of 2010, and the people of Belize are still waiting patiently… In February of 2008, the UDP under Dean Barrow promised to – ensure private sector prosperity by achieving an economic growth of at least 6% per annum. It is now March of 2010, and the people of Belize are still waiting patiently… In February of 2008, the UDP under Dean Barrow promised to - build 1,000 quality, affordable houses annually. It is now March of 2010, and the people of Belize are still waiting patiently… In February of 2008, the UDP under Dean Barrow promised to – increase crime detection, successful solving and prosecution of offenders by installing a fully equipped DNA-testing facility. It is now March of 2010, and the people of Belize are still waiting patiently. In February of 2008, the UDP under Dean Barrow promised to – offer shares in a National Oil Company to ordinary Belizeans so that the masses could have a personal stake in the national petroleum wealth.
it is now March of 2010, and the people of Belize are still waiting patiently…
MR. PRiME MiNiSTER – HOW MUCH LONGER SHOULD WE WAiT?
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Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize TiMeS our nation. You see this whole scheme was cooked up so that we could earn an extra buck, no problem, but at what cost? Can we really gamble our country’s future for some extra cash to follow the example of an educational system that is so clearly dysfunctional? From where I am standing this model clearly isn’t the one to follow. Can someone say Columbine? Are those the results we can look forward to? PISA in 2006 did a poll to rank countries in relation to their educational system. Which one was on top? Well I can tell you it was the Netherlands; I suggest we ask them for some advice on what they are doing right. Hey even the Koreans who came in a close second. If we need advice on distressing levels of delinquency gun control in schools or maybe rampant among minors. Let’s where we can find some good mention also the levels of teenage metal detectors for school well pregnancy, the literacy rate or the then I suggest the USA. Leading the way into this disheartening PSE results or even the BJAT scores for that matter. whole mess must be a person who What is being done about all this? was indeed mistreated as a child. Well the answer to all this I mean he must come from an is actually not to retrain teachers, overly strict background perhaps give them a raise to elevate morale with an authoritarian father figure. or even to ask their opinion since Perhaps he had an overly zealous they are at the front line of this kindergarten teacher and has war. Actually the answer according forever been marked. As such he to some is to ignore it and try may have problems dealing with to garner Uncle Sam’s favour by persons that are authority figures. adopting their harebrained policies He may even for a time have that are in line with that country’s pursued the very same profession blurred vision. By so doing we that had given rise to such earn some cash. Smells like we are phobias…but now on a power trip being bought, but the price is too may be rebelling and punishing high – the price is the youth of those he feels have wronged him
Notions by: Apathy
SPARE THE ROD Sowing the seeds of anarchy…
Jaded is what we have become; we are no longer appalled at the nightly news, we have become accustomed to being held hostage in our homes afraid of going even to the store; boarded up and living virtually in lockdown trying to feel safe in our own homes. Our children are no longer safe at school. Yet the dangers lurking out there are not easily identified. The government would have you believe that the dangers at school are the teachers spanking the children. The government would have us believe that the dangers are punishment for misdeeds at school. The government would have us turn a blind eye to the drugs being peddled in school. They would have us turn a blind eye to the
26 so long ago. Anyone remember a certain newscast where someone was running away from Police and had to be carted off feet first to the police station? That wasn’t too long ago. Is this who is leading this national education reform? The point is people, while there are some that don’t mind prostituting this country for the almighty gringo dollar and are bent on careening off to imitate a failing system, we could do better all alone. Test scores can be improved and sure there are other determining factors which affect those scores but I firmly believe we can do better on our own, without advice from outside. I mean that’s why we have our own government here to do just that or is this just another hint that maybe someone bit off a little more than he could chew? If you are not up to the job just let us know, we’ll be glad to offer free advice, no strings attached.
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Sunday, March 14, 2010
J. A. Rebel
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The Belize TiMeS
More Hurting on Poor Belizeans
The Ambergris Caye Tour Guide Association is petitioning that the Fisheries Department address the issue of controversy with a new piece of legislation that will affect all and every Belizean. The issue stems from a Statutory Instrument, SI number 115 of 2009 of the sports fishing regulation. This new SI came into effect a few weeks ago and the effects of this new SI went unnoticed by the media. Little did we know how critical this little bit of legislation would be, changing the traditional fishing norm in the entire country. First it was believed that a fee would be charged for sport fishing of the permit, tarpon and bone fish - instead a fee is now charged right across the board. The new SI indicates that anyone with the intention to fish must apply for a fishing license. That means anyone, even those poor people who catch two or three fish to feed their family. Sounds like a joke but it is real; absolutely everyone must have a fishing license the minute you intend to throw a line into a body of water. The fees are $20 for one day, $50.00 for a week and $100.00 for a year. If caught without a license, the person faces criminal charges, either fined or confined a maximum of $5000.00 or six months in prison or both. This means that if you are someone that wants to eat a river fish, you must have a license to catch that fish. If a group of people go in a boat and the captain of the boat has a fishing rod or a fishing line, everyone on that boat must have a license to fish. If you are the person who would normally be fishing from the river bank, a wharf, seaside, a creek or lagoon to feed your family, you must have a license. What the heck is wrong with this government? Some people can hardly afford to pay their bills and the only way they can afford to put something
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on their table is to go catch a few fish for survival. This government is saying now that a poor individual must have a license to fish. Nothing is wrong with introducing a law that regulates sports fishing. In places like the US, it is common that one of the requirements to practice sport fishing is to have a fishing license. It is not a bad idea to do likewise in Belize, but to introduce a fishing license right across the board is just plain wrong. It is evidence that this government is looking at whichever way possible to put their hands on any kind of money. They are cash strapped to the point that they are willing to squeeze out the last dime out of the pockets of anyone that they can. You see, if you go to places like Corozal, Stann Creek, Caye Caulker and San Pedro, many of the younger generation fish to distract their minds from the criminal elements in the community. In the process, they save their families some money by putting food on the table. I have many nephews and nieces and they enjoy spending time on the wharf fishing. I prefer them to do that than to be idle on the streets that are plagued with crime. None of the technocrats knows the effect that this SI has on the poor man in San Mateo in San Pedro. They don’t care about how this will affect the poor fisherman in Copper Bank, Progresso, Santa Cruz, Libertad or the people living along the Belize River Valley. All these people who catch fish for their survival will have to pay for a license. This government is wrong and must readjust this SI. Peoples are tired of being taken for fools. This new SI is only adding more hurt and burden to the already poor Belizean public. Do something about this, Mr. Minister, do something and quick!
It’s been days since the Kendall Bridge was washed away. How much longer must we wait for a new bridge, Mr. Prime Minister?
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The Belize TiMeS
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Anatomy of a Crime
By: Joe Coye I am extremely disappointed in the dismissal of the malicious prosecution case against Alfred Shackron and I have been strongly advised by my lawyer to appeal. But this case must not be taken in isolation. It must be placed in the proper context of what I strongly believe to be a concerted and sustained smear campaign driven at first by a vindictive hatred and then by an insatiable greed to destroy me and consequently my family not just politically and financially but certainly character-wise. This debased and vile campaign has its origin in the preelection campaign by my political opponent who then described me on radio as his enemy. The facts and circumstances underlie my firm conviction. First it was the FIRE BOMBING of the ministerial vehicle immediately in front of my home in the wee hours of the morning while my family and I were asleep. The lives of my entire family were at great risk. That was a cowardly act and the product of a vile mind that was prepared to win at any cost. Next it was a flyer with a picture of my son’s home suggesting his house was financed by corrupt funds. Then it was a memo purportedly coming out of the lands department attached to a flyer saying that fifty-seven lots were sold to me for a total of $4,000. How absurd. And then in the euphoria of their post-election victory rally the now Minister of National Security, apparently inebriated by more than the exuberance of the victory, shouted words to the effect that he would jail me. This was followed by the post-elections attacks. First, it was the placing of cautions in February 2008 on the fifty-seven lots in the University Heights project for unknown reasons. The title holders were penalized clearly with the intent to smear me. After ten months of frustrating attempts the cautions were lifted. Then just two weeks later the cautions were placed again repeating the same frustrations until the cautions were finally lifted in January 2009. But that was not to be the end of that. On January 14th, 2009 a civil suit was filed against me and Mr. Florencio Marin alleging that we colluded to sell government lots measuring 90ft.x 60ft. for $4,000 that should have been sold for $20,572.44. Again, how absurd. These were undeveloped swamp lots with no electricity, no piped water, no roads or streets, not even an access road to the subdivision. These were all provided at the expense of the title holders. The charge was dismissed by the Chief Justice as being inappropriate. The decision is being
appealed. Concurrently with the above there was a sinister move afoot, the worst of them so far. A criminal act was being concocted against me. In March of 2008 I was reliably informed that at least two attempts were made to pressure Alfred Shackron to sign a prepared declaration knowing it to be untrue. On the 25thApril, 2008, I was arrested. The case was adjourned to the 10th day of July, 2008. On the 24th day of July, 2008, the charge was dismissed for lack of evidence. Important to note in this synopsis: 1) The prosecutor refused to make the police file available to us despite the exposure requirement. 2) When we did get the file despite the refusal, we found where the investigator’s report to the DPP clearly stated that he was directed to make the
arrest before he could make an independent investigation. Is this justice? And then the last attack, so far, was delivered at the heart of the family’s over-ten-year business venture in Placencia. It is now apparent that the conspiracy to tarnish my name as a professional public accountant was not enough. They must now destroy us financially. A 10 acre parcel that is the first phase of our multiple-site tourism-residential project was “confiscated” by the Minister of Natural Resources in July of 2009, ostensibly for a nature reserve. This was once 10 acres of swamp land that we had fully developed with a marina over several years. This matter is now before the court. I bear no hatred for the hu-
man worth for that would be an unbearable burden. But I do despise the acts of hatred against my family and myself. I harbour no irrational anger for that can blind me to the good in humanity, but I am angry. And I will be relentless in the pursuit of justice.
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Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize Times
Strictly Personal Barrow is bogus!
by glenntillett@yahoo.com “But back to Eco-Green, the new company promoted by the Minister of Agriculture that is registered in Santa Elena, Cayo, the Minister’s constituency. When we checked on its status, we found out that there are three subscribers, two registered at the same address in Guatemala, they are Mario Mendez Cobar and Mildred Aguilar. The third is Gosen Products, also registered in the Cayo District. And when we followed the paper trail further, the documents show that Gosen is a subscriber of Eco Green and has two directors. Guess who? Ramon Matus Jr. of Macal Street in San Ignacio and Robert Jaime Montero of Church Street, the son of the Minister of Agriculture. Sources close to the Minister claimed to News Five that Eco Green is employing Guatemalans and not Belizeans and that it pays a nominal fee of one cent royalty to government when the going price is normally three or four cents per leaf. Its target is to export three containers per month so if you do the math, there is a substantial loss to government coffers. All be told, the Minister’s son is a director of Gosen, that is a subscriber of Eco-Green, and Eco-green is the beneficiary of a lucrative contract awarded by the Government.” – Channel Five Belize News, March 10th, 2010 The recent revelation that yet another Barrow Administration Cabinet minister may be involved in a private business will not surprise anyone. Their credibility has fallen so far so fast that reflexively the electorate will believe the allegations to be true. This is because after more than two years a pattern has emerged. In this particular case, there have been several allegations made on the morning talk shows that Cayo Central Area Representative Hon. Rene Montero is “benefiting” from the harvesting and exportation of the Xate leaves from Belize’s rainforest, including several of its nature reserves. He has neither admitted nor denied the charge but that is not necessarily “scandalous.” The callers further allege that Montero, who is also the Minister of Agriculture, is using his ministry’s resources to facilitate “his” xate business, particularly a blue Ministry of Agriculture Tacoma pick up which bears blue Government of Belize license plates, to transport Guatemalan workers to and from Melchor. Again, for the record, the honourable gentleman has neither confirmed nor denied this allegation, and I have no idea if the practice is illegal or otherwise contravenes any of our laws. It appears morally reprehensible, though, that a Belizean political leader would firstly employ Guatemalans when there are so many Belizeans who need
jobs during this time of recession, and secondly, it does seem to be a perpetuation of the practice of hiring persons who by all appearances may be undocumented aliens. In his defense the honorable gentleman told Channel Seven News on March 5th, 2010: “I think the question you should be asking me is who is benefiting from the harvesting of xate. This is a new company, Eco-Green established in Cayo for the harvesting and packaging and export of Xate to foreign countries like the USA and Europe. Right now what I know for sure is that they employ single mothers. Look at the major industries that are bringing in foreign exchange; banana, citrus, and sugar. Look who is being employed. It is foreign labour. As far as I am concerned we should be looking at the benefit this new industry is bringing to the country. It is creating employment and it will generate foreign exchange and that is something that never used to happen before, it was harvested illegally by Guatemalans. This company is doing it legally under the supervision of the Department, under the supervision of the NGOs. We are working together to ensure that Belize benefits from its own natural resources. “Look at the major benefits that Belizeans will get from this industry in terms of employment, foreign exchange. As I said earlier 90% or 80% of the xate used to be harvested and taken across illegally. Now a local company, a local company owned by Belizeans will be harvesting the xate for the benefit of Belizeans.” But perhaps the most grievous “sin” in all this is the un-refuted allegation that the Barrow Administration canceled the license that Earl Codd, a Belizean investor, had been given a few years ago, and who had invested nearly $250,000 in the business, without explanation or compensation, and before it expired. Earl Codd told Channel Five News: “We had a license going back in 20062007, the license was cancelled by the Forest Department for no apparent reason before the expiration and was issued to one Gosen product for operation up in the Chiquibul area. We are still questioning why the license was cancelled and the reason for it. We had complied with all the necessary requirements set out within the license, setting in the proper proposal, security plan and harvesting plan and to date we have not received any response as to why the license was cancelled.” In answer to a question by Jose Sanchez he replied: ““More than a quarter of a million dollars; it was significant. Prior to the cancellation I had invested almost a hundred and fifty thousand dollars in getting packaging materials and about a month after acquiring my packaging materials the license was cancelled. I have a letter from the Forest Department stating that the license was cancelled.” It would seem to me that this is a clear case of unjust enrichment, and if it is not worthy of criminal action, it is surely one of those cases where the honorable gentleman would need to ask his lawyer to talk to God for him and plead his case up on high. This is the latest in a lengthening line of questionable business dealings by members of Dean Barrow’s Cabinet. The cruelest part of all this is not so much that they are using their ministerial positions to further businesses they may
have established otherwise. The cruelest cut is that they are simply taking away the resources and businesses established by other people for their own. This is why when I heard an unsupported report that Dean Barrow himself is involved financially in the development of a cruise tourism port in Placencia I believe the report to be true. When Minister Edmund Castro was reported to have “wrested” a portion of the cable business from a long established company it was true, and to date Barrow has not said a single word. There are several other stories of this type of Cabinet banditry, too many for us not to believe when we “hear” that one of these brigands has struck again. The corruption and cronyism is the worst I have ever seen it in Belize. A few months ago the Belize Times was one of several media outlets that reported that Anwar Barrow may be involved with Brads Gaming Company Limited, a company that was recently awarded a ten year exclusive contract to manage the Boledo and Sunday Lottery games. Young Mr. Barrow, I am told, has
29 denied this and is suing the Times. I won’t comment on the merits or demerits of the case since it is my opinion that no matter what the Times should publish, young Mr. Barrow will continue to pursue his legal options. I have been told by persons I consider reputable, but who would never set foot in a courtroom and admit so, that there are several Cabinet ministers who have a financial interest in Brads Gaming Company Limited. Because I cannot prove that that is the case I will not call their names. What I see though, is a pattern. There has been no Lotto or BEL-3 games played since February 20th, and many people are “speculating” that Tropical Gaming Company Limited’s contract to operate those games will not be renewed. Everyone, with one sole exception, who dares to venture an opinion out loud on this matter, believes that the contract to operate the Lotto game will be awarded to Brads Gaming Company Limited. The sole exception would only say that If Dah No So, Dah Naily Soh! Barrow is bogus.
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The Belize Times know him that close, but whenever I would see him on his bike (that is whenever he was not with a crew from BML working) he had one of his children on his bike bar riding to somewhere. If the news reports of persons arrested for firearm offences are any indication, it is safe to say that shootings and killings in the streets are being perpetuated by young males under the age of 25 years. These young men who have the streets running red with blood right now don’t seem to be cognizant of what they are doing to the lives of their victims’ family member or relative didn’t do families. They cannot. It seems that anything and didn’t deserve to die. I their humanity has been squelched might be going out on a limb here, from their soul. They are in many rebut from what I knew of the young spects a lot like the character Li’l Ze’ man, he was indeed a humble and whose search for acceptance in their hardworking man. And as his com- young years, led them to the claws mon law wife and mother-in-law of predators; older males who put related on the television, his chil- guns in their hands and wickedness dren seemed to be his world. Didn’t in their hearts.
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PON DI GULLY “City of God”
By anthony sylvestre Brazilian director Fernando Meirelles in the 2002 movie “City of God” depicts the growth of organized crime in the Rio de Janiero slum of Cidade de Deus (Portuguese for City of God) between the end of the 1960s and the beginning of the 1980s. It is said to be one of the best movies you will ever watch. The antagonist (that is to say, the villain) is a ruthless drug dealer Li’l Ze who recruits children as young as 10 into his army of criminals. The children who are forced to join Li’l Ze’s gang are forced to kill to prove their utility. Li’l Ze himself started killing around age ten in a hotel heist which ended in a bloodbath. The children in Li’l Ze’s gang are given guns as their only tool. They rob, kill and rape with unimaginable heartlessness. No one is spared from the viciousness of Li’Ze and his army of killers. Men, women, and children are killed with the same degree of brutality. Residents’ only source of security is to align with a rival drug dealer. The police are hated and despised by the residents who have their individual horror stories of police executions of troubled youths. Life expectancy for a young male is about 25 years. A world of crime seems the only possible way out for most of these males in the slums of the City of God. The news cycle this week of the many shootings (11, Channel 5 says in 8 days) reminded me of how much the streets of Belize City has become like those in the City of God. There is a continued escalation in the brazen callousness of the young men in the streets of Belize City. If we thought otherwise, the murder of Glenford Matura jolted us out of that slumber. Matura, another youth from Queen Square, is reported to have been gunned down while eating his breakfast on Euphrates Avenue on a break. I know we always see family members on television crying and saying that their
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Sunday, March 14, 2010 While I would prefer not to cast any blame on government for the state of lawlessness in the City, it has to be said that government’s inaction, its do nothing approach to addressing the matter of crime, is incredulous and unpardonable. From the looks of things, government has given up its responsibility of providing security for the residents of the City. In this state of affairs, hopelessness and lawlessness will only worsen. It is a cruel irony that an area pervaded with crime, pain and suffering is called the City of God. Some may even say that that is blasphemous and irreverent. But when people’s lives and livelihood are daily in the chasm of pain, anger, frustration and hopelessness, even those things sacred to them lose their value. I fear we are reaching that point in the City.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize Times
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A Growing Distrust of the Police Department The killing of 18-year old Elmore Neal on Central American Boulevard near its intersection with Matura Street by an off duty police officer on the afternoon of Saturday March 6th highlights the growing public perception that various officers of the Belize Police Department believe that they may now be judge, jury, and executioners of suspects. And why wouldn’t they, if the High Command once again maintain that the use of lethal force by one of its members was justified? The official police report is that the officer was driving on Central American Boulevard when he observed Neal pointing a .22 chrome revolver at an unidentified person. As a result, the officer got out of his vehicle, identified himself to Neal, and then commanded him to drop his weapon. Instead of doing as instructed, Neal
turned the revolver on the officer, and that is when the latter shot him once to neutralize the threat. But Neal’s family
and friends dispute the account and allege that he was murdered because he was shot multiple times. The Neal shooting was the second fatal shooting in a month. In February, an officer attached to the Ladyville Station shot and killed Jamaican O’Neil Jones after he was riding away from a fight outside a bar in Lord’s Bank. Eyewitnesses alleged that Jones did not pose any threat to the officers but the police claimed that Jones had a shiny object on him that the officer mistook for a gun. Both shootings have raised serious questions about the use of lethal force against suspects. And the families of Teddy Murillo, an Adventist deacon, who was killed about two weeks ago and Christopher
Galvez who was killed less than three months ago are adamant that their loved ones were also gunned down by officers. Both murders remain unsolved and the hope is fast fading that anyone will be held accountable for their deaths. Disturbingly, the reputation of the police has also been called into question by the increasing number of allegations that officers are aiding and abetting criminals, and even participating in crimes. But the fatal shootings reveal that perhaps officers have forgotten that their duty is to investigate crimes and to arrest suspects and that it is up to the judge and jury to decide whether the suspects are found guilty and sentenced or set free based on the evidence presented by the prosecutor. But more importantly, it seems that they have forgotten that the suspects have the right to defend themselves in court regardless of their crimes’ severity. This is the judicial process that we must all adhere to. It also seems that the High Command has not initiated prompt and impartial investigations into the cases of deaths involving officers and has failed to discipline or prosecute those found to be responsible. And the outcomes of the internal investigations oftentimes are a joke. Clearly, officers are not made accountable for their actions like ordinary citizens would be. This is not much of a surprise, but when officers are not punished it inadvertently gives other officers the wrong signal that they too may be judge, jury, and executioners of suspects. The shootings also make obvious why officers should not have the right to fire upon anyone unless they have been fired on first or why they should not be allowed to use lethal force unless it is truly called for. Clearly, they can incapacitate a suspect by wounding him in a leg or an arm. While no one will argue that they do not have the right to defend themselves, unless they have been fired on they are not defending themselves. And if they are involved in a fatal shooting, we may never know the truth because the other party is not around to tell his side. In all fairness, most officers are not trigger happy cowboys but are professional and do their jobs well despite the dangerous and stressful nature of their profession. That is why we depend on them every day to keep us safe, to stand between our families and those who would harm us. That said, because the police have so much authority, it is incumbent on us to make sure that all officers who serve our communities respect the rule of law that they themselves have sworn to uphold. We cannot afford officers to take the law into their own hands. And no, we are not quick to jump to conclusions regarding officer related shootings, assuming the worst about officers who use lethal force in defense of themselves and others. The response is only a result of the growing mistrust that the public has for officers who abuse and flaunt their power over the very persons they are sworn to protect. As a result, the time has come for the High Command to purge the department of officers who are involved in untoward activities. We deserve no less.
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The Belize TiMeS
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Belize #1 Sports Page
Zip Rider canoe wins 2010 Ruta Maya River Challenge
The Zip Rider canoe paddled by Jerry Rhaburn, Efrain Cruz and Felix Cruz and sponsored by Cruise Solutions won the 2010 annual Ruta Maya River Challenge race, outsprinting 6x Ruta Maya champs the Belize Bank team of Daniel Cruz, Erwin Cruz and Amado Lopez, clocking 18:41:07 to win first prize overall in the grueling 4- day race, also capturing the coveted Kinich Ahau (jade head) trophy. The Belize Bank team clocked 18:42:34 to finish in 2nd place. The Caribbean Pride canoe paddled by Chris Guydis of Burrell Boom and Jermaine Sanchez and Justin Sanchez from Flowers Bank and sponsored by Citrus Products of Belize Limited clocked 18:54:454 to finish in 3rd place. The Reagan International canoe paddled by Nolberto Seguro, Jeremy Sanchez and Sheldon Seguro clocked 19:04:15 for 4th place. The N.I.C.H. team: Oscar Cardona, Jimmy Valdez and Manuel Rodriguez paddled their canoe into 5th place 19:30:07. The Coast Guard Redemption team placed 6th, Cool Step was 7th, “Is it worth it” was 8th; “Just Do It’ was 9th and the Belize Coast Guard Cutter was 10th. The Cobb’s Arm Happy Cow Cheese
canoe finished 11th, just ahead of the “No Limit Soldiers” who won the Mixed division in 12th place overall, clocking 20:33:00. The “Lost & Found” team: Janise Leslie, Eldon and Derwin Sanchez won 2nd in the Mixed division as they paddled their canoe into 13th place overall, in 20:34:59. The Print Belize Canoe paddled by Evelio Flores, Javier Guardado and Rudolph Gentle returned as champions of the Pleasure division, clocking 20:43:49 to finish 15th overall. The Police “Crimefighters” canoe paddled by Neri Waight, Alfonso Guerra and Jerome Ingram won 2nd in the Pleasure division, clocking 21:01:23 to place 16th overall. The “Born to Rule” team clocked 21:55:18 to win 3rd prize in the Mixed division, finishing 26th overall. Mike and Johnny Searle and new teammate Robert Quilter from Manatee paddled their “Junkunu” canoe to win the
Master’s Division, clocking 21:08:59 to finish 19th overall. Their perennial rivals, the “Grumpy Old Men”: Jerry Wilken, Francis Codd and Stanley Bailey placed 2nd in the Masters’ Division, clocking 22:21:27 to finish 30th overall. The St Francis Xavier canoe paddled by 13-year-old Alfred Lopez, Sergio Lopez and Byron Cruz won by a nose against the 1st all-girl canoe “Peacemakers” clocking 21:16:44 to finish in 21st position and win 1st in the Intramural division; Alfred Lopez was also the youngest paddler in this year’s Ruta Maya The Police “Peacemakers”: Jane Usher, Audrey Moody and Francisca Cruz, won 1st in the Female Division, clocking 21:18:40 to finish 22nd overall. The University of Belize Black jaguars: Pedro Witz, Kristopher Waight and Elvis Sutherland won 2nd in the Intramural division, clocking 21:50:42 to place 24th
overall. The St. Ignatius High School team, “Nashus is Back”: Arlin Bautista, Henry Martinez and Oscar Ulloa won 3rd in the Intramural division, clocking 21:51:06 to place 25th overall. The dorey, “Can’t Ketch Me down” paddled by Roberto Cabb, Eric Cano and Windell Humes won the dorey division, clocking 22:13:05 to place 28th overall. The Santa Familia dorey placed 2nd in the dorey division, clocking 24:07:45 to place 40th overall. Some 83 canoes had begun the race, and over 67 teams finished the race. Special kudos go to one paddler, Justin, who lost his 2 teammates who found the Ruta Maya too extreme for them. Justin personified the indefatigable spirit of the Ruta Maya as he paddled his canoe all alone over the last 25 miles from Burrell Boom to Belize City to complete the race. Times Sports sez, “Nuff respect, Justin!”
BDF & Ibayani lead Caribbean Motors Cup football The Belize Defense Force and Georgetown Ibayani continue to lead the Caribbean Motors Cup football competition organized by the Belize Premier Football League, now in its
fourth week. BDF has 10 pts from 3 wins and a draw, while Ibayani has 9 pts from 3 wins. FC Belize remains stuck in 3rd place also with 9 pts after their third win 1-0 over the Hankook Verdes at the M.C.C. garden on Sunday. Georgetown Ibayani romped to a 1-0 win over Corozal Shaniah at the Ricalde Stadium in Corozal on Sunday, when Deon Burgess scored the winning goal in the 57th minute of play. The Paradise Freedom Fighters also posted their 2nd win 1-0 when they visited BRC Blaze at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium on Saturday night. Devon Makin delivered the winning goal in the 78th minute. The Belize Defence Force muzzled the San Pedro Sea Dogs 1-0 on Saturday night. The island boys held the B.D.F. to a nil-zip draw up to the half time break, but Lisbey Castillo scored the winning goal for the BDF in the 58th minute of play.
It seemed all the league games would be 1-0 wins as F.C. Belize also picked up their 3rd win 1-0 over Hankook Verdes at the M.C.C. garden on Sunday. The Verdes strikers, Danny Jimenez, Windell Trapp and Marlon Meza made no impression on the FC Belize defenders Albert Thurton and Jose “Shaggy” Caceres, Byron Usher and Nigel Franklin, and FC Belize goalkeeper Linares put on a brilliant performance to shut out the Cayo visitors up to the break. Delroy “Thinman” Flowers and Delwin Jones led the FC Belize attack with the help of midfielders Jerome Archer, Francisco Diaz, Roberto Bernardez and Jason Cadle, but they could not get the job done against the Verdes’ defenders Humberto Requena, Luis Mendez and Everald Trapp and midfielders Ricky Jimenez, Jose Monroy, Shamir Pacheco and Roy Cano recovered the ball to renew their attack. Finally it was left to Delwin Jones
to deliver the coup de grace with a header to fi nish a corner kick which beat Verdes’ goalie Jamie Brooks for the winning goal in the 48th minute of play.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize TiMeS
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Belize #1 Sports Page
Shalini Zabaneh, Melvin Tillett & Peter Choto win 28th annual Belmopan Cycling Classic
Shalini Zabaneh, junior rider Melvin Tillett and Peter Choto won their respective races in the 28th annual Belmopan Cycling Classic, the last dress rehearsal before the Holy Saturday Cross Country, on Sunday, March 7. Team Sagitun’s Shalini Zabaneh of the Sagitun team won the female race, a 50 mile ride from the Constitution Park in Belize City to La Democracia and back in two hours 29 minutes and 54 seconds to win first prize and a trophy. Sheena Castillo riding unattached outsprinted Fiona Humes-Gonzalez for second place in 2:32:57 while Humes placed 3rd a second later. Team Telemedia Swoosh’s Anthea Sutherland finished fourth in two hours 33 minutes and five seconds. Team C-Ray’s Melvin Tillett clocked 2:35:27 as he won the Junior race, a 50 mile ride from the Constitution Park in Belize City to la Democracia and back to win first prize and a trophy. Tillett outsprinted the Cayo High Road teammates Daniel Choto and Kyle Gentle took 2nd and 3rd places respectively. Team Clear Di Land’s Austin Armstrong was 4th. Mexican rider Johnny Quintal Valencia of the Depredadores team from Chetumal, Quintana Roo finished 5th in 2:38:27 seconds to win the youth category. Team C-Ray’s Christopher Andrews was 6th, Team Cayo High Road’s Aiden Juan clocked 2:38:56 to finish 7th , winning 2nd
place in the Youth category. Team Cayo High Road’s Richard Vera and Juan Umana Flores, both of the Cayo High Road team were 8th and 9th, Umana winning 3rd place in the Youth category. Team Cayo High Road’s Kristopher Chuc rounded out the top 10.Team Clear Di Land’s Bernard Trapp was 11th, Edward Burns was 12th, Clear Di Land’s Wasani Castro was 13th and Joel Borland riding unattached was 14th. Ethan Neal was 15th, C-ray’s Claude Young was 16th, David Tillett of the M&M engineering team was 17th, and Clear Di Land’s Steven Castaneda was 18th. C-Ray’s Mitchell Lewis and Jeffery
Rhaburn rounded out the top 20. Team Zamir’s Peter Choto clocked 4:20:13 on his 100 mile ride from the Constitution Park in Belize City to Belmopan and back in to win first prize and a trophy in the Elite race. In the sprint to the finish, Choto opened up an 8 second gap from the 6-man breakaway to cross the finish line alone. Team Santino’s Giovanni Leslie outsprinted Western Spirit’s Jose Choto for second place, clocking 4:20:21, with Roger Troyer taking fourth place 2 seconds later and Team Zamir’s Guatemalan rider Luis Santizo rounded out the top five. Nieves Carrasco led the main peloton
finishing two minutes behind the winner in sixth place. Gilberto Santiago Martinez was seventh, Mateo Cruz of the Zamir team pulled in eighth, Angel Tzib of the Western Spirit team was ninth and Quinton “the Baddest” Hamilton of the Zamir team rounded out the top 10second among Category 3 riders Brian Lopez of the Police team was 11th, Team Santino’s Colombian import Lisban Quintero was 12th, while Kyle Gentle of the Western Spirit team was 13th. Darnell Barrow of the Santino’s team finished 14th, Michael Lewis was 15th – third in Category 3, and Rodrigo Leiva of the Sugar City Starz was 16th. Luigi Urbina of Team Typhoon from Orange Walk was 17th but won first prize and a trophy in the Master’s category. Sherman Thomas of the Police team finished in 18th position – second among the Masters’, while Collett “Bunas” Maheia of Sugar City Starz was 19th – third among the masters. Panamanian rider Christian Mcnish of Benny’s Megabytes completed the top 20, while his Costa Rican teammate was 21st. Leroy Casasola and Domingo Lewis, both of the Santino’s team, were 22nd and 23. The favourite Marlon Castillo of the Zamir team finished in 24th ahead of 2006 Cross Country champion Shane Vasquez of the Western Spirit team who pulled in 25th. Arnidez Rivas of Sugar City Starz was 26th and Kelvin Tillett - 27th.
UB Jaguars & U-20 Belize Bank Bulldogs win in The U-20 Belize Bank Bulldogs and the University of Belize Jaguars enjoyed blowout wins when the 2010 “DIGICELL’s “Ballin-4-life” basketball tournament kicked off at the Belize City Center last Friday night. In Game 1, the Bulldogs ran over Hold On Smart 78-63. Kachief Thomas led the Bulldogs with 2 treys in the first quarter and finished with 17pts, while the Bulldogs led 22-7at the end of the 1st quarter. Bulldogs’ captain Sherwin Garcia added 14pts, while Matthew Young tossed in 25 pts and the Bulldogs were up 39-24 at the half time break. Marshall Nunez scored one free throw in the first quarter, leading Smart with 21 pts, while Russell Staine added 14 pts in the 2nd half. The Bulldogs seized a 52-41 lead in the 3rd quarter as Alejandro Baptist, Raheem Staine and Raheem Gaynair added four points each for the win. Beresford Codd, Kingsley Eusey, Devon Wright and Lyndon Arnold added four points each as Smart tried to hold on, bur Louis Barcelona added 7 pts to take Bulldogs to a 78-63 win. In Game 2 the UB Jaguars held
basketball clinic for Brothers Habet Berger Boyz 107-77 in the senior tournament. Winston “Air Jun” Pratt led the UB attack with a trey to score 5 pts in the 1st quarter. He would finish with a monster 33pts. Team captain Stephen “Muerte” Williams followed suit with 13 pts. Ryan Zuniga, Leroy Louriano and Darren Bovell added more buckets as the UB men jumped the Berger boys 22-17 at the end of the 1st quarter. Jorret Jones drained in 2 long treys and Daniel Nolberto added seven points as the UB men led 51-37 at the half time break. Albert Bainton finished with 18 pts for the Berger Boyz, while Greg Rudon tossed in buckets to finish with 21. The Berger boyz’ big centre Elsworth Itza played big in the paint and scored 12 pts, while Keith Pollard entered the ball game in the 2nd quarter and finished with 15 pts. The UB men led 77-60 at the end of the 3rd quarter; Nolberto finished with 19 pts, ‘Muerte’ had 13 pts, Leroy Louriano - nine points, while Zuniga, Bovell and Jones had 6 pts each. On Sunday in Game 3, the Rising Stars also outshone Ferrari 70-58 on Sunday afternoon. Jaleel Arnold led the attack with 17pts, Lindon Reneau added 15pts and Stephen Smith added
14 pts; Bryton Meighan was good for another 11pts and Hakeem Arzu tossed in seven. Vince Young led Ferrari with 18 pts and Rodwell Neal added 15pts, while Dylan Moguel chipped in six and David Robateau finished with 13 pts. In Game 4, Sunday evening, the Belize Bank Bulldogs senior team chomped on the San Pedro Tigersharks 81-66. Earl Johnson, Darwin “Puppy” Leslie and Lennox Bowman led the attack hitting treys as the Bulldogs led 18-13 in the first quarter. The Bulldogs never let up, leading 44-30 at the half time break. Lester Cadle scored 2 treys to lead the Tigersharks with 20pts and Sheldon Williams added 15 pts, but they were still down 46-60 at the end of the 3rd quarter. Leslie finished with 21 pts, Bowman hit a 2nd trey to finish with 20 pts, while Earl Johnson had 12pts, Paul Swasey tossed in 7pts and Marcel Orosco added 6pts San Pedro’s Doug Penland scored 3 treys to add 11pts for the Tigersharks, while Ian Carcamo had 5pts and Jesse Martinez and Dandre Robinson each added 4pts. The senior competition continues on the weekend with games featuring Ebony Lake, the BNE
Oilers and Jamboree, while the junior competition continues this weekend with games featuring the Kremandala Boys, Belize Bank Bulldogs 2, Truckers, Orange Walk Running Rebels, Ghetto Ballers, Boom Celtics and Team Castillo
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The Belize Times
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize Times
City Gone Mad!
(Continued from page 1) people because of its evident inability to protect and apparent powerlessness in the face of relentless violent. As if that were not bad enough, members of the Police Department have recently been implicated as the shooters in a series of murders. The ‘rogue element’ of the Police Department has joined the criminal element as public enemy #1. The families of Teddy Murillo and Chris
Villager Alleges...
(Continued from page 1)
not allowed to think independently? Is this the change we voted for in February 2008? Where is our democracy, our democratic and constitutional rights heading? This coarse and crude attack on our freedom of speech is absolutely unacceptable.” “Coy apparently feels insecure in the position he holds and clearly doubts his ability to lead and is now using intimidation tactics by having armed police officers at village meetings. As far as it can be recalled there has never been the need to have police officers armed with assault rifles and dressed in bullet proof vests as if they are expecting a riot, at our village
Montero Fingered...
(Continued from page 1) caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Just a few months ago it was revealed that the Ministry of Natural Resources had “acquired” 20 acres of land owned by Montero in the Mountain Pine Ridge area, and he was to be paid almost $90,000 for it. In fact less than a week after the “acquisition” the Ministry of Finance ponied up a cheque for $20,000. Late last year the story broke that Montero had acquired a caye that was supposed to be the property of the Social Security of Belize, and that it was being sold for US$1.5 million. The San Pedro Sun reported on December 17, 2009: “… Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Cooperatives, Honorable Rene Jaime Montero has obtained and is allegedly selling an island located in a lagoon on Ambergris Caye.
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Galvez have continued their campaigns for justice amid allegations the police officers pulled the triggers which ended the lives of their loved ones. The Minister of National Security has been able to provide no comfort to the grieving families of those left behind or to Belizeans in general who are pleading for some sort of reprieve from the bloodshed. His appearances have been limited to photo ops while his
Commissioner of Police has been left to answer the hard questions. There has been no more talk from Perdomo about the 360 degree approach to crime which he touted relentlessly before elections. To most Belizeans, Perdomo has become a non-entity in the war against crime. To his own colleagues, he has become somewhat of an embarrassment and a joke. The Opposition People’s United Party has consistently called for the removal of Carlos Perdomo as Minister of National Security, since it became
patently obvious that he does not have the ability or the competence to deal with the crime situation. Callers to the talk shows daily are demanding a change in the Ministry of National Security. The public outcry is becoming deafening. The Prime Minister’s turning of a blind eye and deaf ear to the cries of the people will not be tolerated much longer. How many more must be gunned down before the Prime Minister acts to remove Carlos Perdomo? How much more blood must run in the streets?
meetings. In fact, for those who do not understand the dynamics of Mayan villages, there is the Alcalde system, where the Alcaldes are responsible for maintaining peace and order among community members. A heinous crime was committed in Big Falls a few months ago where a prominent businessman was brutally murdered. The response from the police was pathetic and confused to say the least and the criminals are still at large. At that time, it was reported there were no officers available and the one available vehicle had no fuel but this last Sunday they were in abundance to intimidate law abiding citizens.” “People of Big Falls are outraged by this occurrence and many walked out
of the said meeting and have since come forth to express their displeasure and disappointment in the arrogant and poor leadership of the Area Representative.” The release signed by 12 villagers calls on the Minister of National Security to investigate the matter and make an appropriate response. Teul was an ardent campaigner for Coy and the UDP, and his wife, Pulcheria Teul is a UDP Senator. He told Channel Seven News in a broadcast interview that Coy and the police added insult to injury by having him charged with assault after ejecting him from the meeting. “… I was stepping outside when the policeman came and he pushed me and on the verandah of the community
center is like a concrete slab and there is a drop about 8 feet and I slipped on that and when I went backward I fell into the police and he said you assault me and I will arrest you,” Teul said on air. Teul was taken to Magistrate’s Court in Punta Gorda on Monday, and charged for assaulting a police officer. He was offered bail in the amount of two thousand dollars and is to re-appear in court on May 11th. Bartolo Teul is considered a leader in the very vibrant conservation movement in the district and is the programme manager of the Yaxche Conservation Trust. He is also a member of the Maya Leaders Alliance negotiating team and advisory council.
“The land in question is an island measuring 3.69 acres located some 3.5 miles north of San Pedro Town on Ambergris Caye within Laguna de Frances. Minister’s Fiat Grant Number 823 of 2007 entered in The Crown Lands Books (Grant section) shows Minister Rene Montero as the holder of the island. The island is registered as Cayo Frances which, according to realtors in San Pedro, largely consists of mangroves and the area is used for sport fishing, mainly Tarpon. Montero obtained documentation to the island on September 28th…the document allegedly surfaced when the Minister began transactions to sell the island in late November of 2009. “While Minister Montero possesses ownership documents to Cayo Frances, another document leaked shows that the island was already owned prior to it being given to Montero. In 2005, the
same island, known as Cayo Frances, was granted to the Social Security Board (SSB) by the Government of Belize. Minister’s Fiat Grant number 873 of 2005 shows that SSB was granted the 3.69 acre island.” When the San Pedro Sun newspaper tried to contact Montero to get to the bottom of that particular matter, they were told the Minister was on a month’s vacation. Montero’s tenure as an elected representative and minister has become increasingly dogged by scandals and missteps. Less than a month after being elected his home was shot up. He was soon at loggerheads with the Public Service Union over his highhanded decision to fire several persons he considered to be PUP sympathizers from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority. Last year his decision to award
vegetable importation contracts to cronies and associates provoked protests and demonstrations by the Belize Vegetable Importers Association. And if all that isn’t enough, now there is word that Montero is the majority owner of a company named Agro-tech Supplies which is the company through which all the materials must be purchased for house construction and repairs in his constituency under the Venezuelan housing project. We are told that not only does Agro-tech not possess any showroom, warehouse and inventory, but the orders are filled at another well known hardware supplier Despite Montero’s name being called in different ‘questionable circumstances,’ the Prime Minister seems oblivious to the stink of corruption which seems to hang like black clouds over his Minister of Agriculture.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize Times
Celebrando a la Mujer Beliceña
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Marzo es el mes cuando honramos la contribución de la mujer beliceña y también realzamos su rol en el desarrollo de nuestra nación. Este espacio nos permite celebrar los logros que ha tenido la mujer por todo el mundo. Durante esta temporada, aquí en nuestro país, nosotros también enaltecemos el valor de nuestra mujer beliceña y reconocemos su lucha contra la pobreza y la ignorancia. También renovamos nuestra promesa como nación que vive con los principios de justicia, libertad e igualdad, a luchar por tener una sociedad libre de discriminación, particularmente hacia la mujer. Aquí en el Partido Unido del Pueblo (PUP) estamos orgullosos de haber colaborado en esta lucha. Fue durante un gobierno PUP que se logro el derecho de votar a la mujer beliceña. También estamos orgullosos de ser el partido que logro establecer la Corte de Familia. Sentimos un gran orgullo en ser el partido político que fortaleció la legislación contra la violencia de la mujer para protegerla y para asegurar que haya más oportunidades para mejorarle la condición de vida. Ciertamente reconocemos que aun se enfrentan enormes retos pero creemos que se puede lograr más y nos comprometemos a seguir trabajando para el mejoramiento de la mujer en Belice. Comprendemos y apreciamos que nuestra responsabilidad como partido político es abogar para que haya mayor inclusión de la mujer en la cúpula de decisión. También reconocemos que nuestra tarea debe ser influenciada con el deseo sincero de construir una nación con un pueblo unido en la causa del desarrollo de la nación. Igualmente entendemos que para lograr oportunidades y obtener prosperidad todos deben de participar. Para que esto sea posible debemos de empezar a trabajar internamente en nuestro partido. Debemos de incluir a la mujer en todos los niveles asegurándole participación equitativa en el proceso de decisión y en el liderazgo. Es por eso que dos de nuestros senadores en la asamblea nacional son mujeres y a nivel de partido se ha incrementado la participación femenina. Como partido debemos de permanecer comprometidos con esta causa para que se pueda crear las condiciones, cuando hagamos gobierno, para mejorar el nivel de vida de toda la población incluyendo la mujer que se encuentra entre los sectores más pobres de la sociedad. Para poder lograr esto debemos continuar fortaleciendo las leyes y así asegurar que la mujer tenga acceso al trabajo y que disfrute de equidad en el salario. Debemos también proteger a nuestras hijas y asegurarnos que estén a salvo en la casa y en la escuela. Debemos educar a nuestras comunidades y cerciorar que en nuestras instituciones no solo se hable de igualdad pero que se practique. Debemos de trabajar juntos como nación para acabar con la violencia en contra de la mujer y con el crimen en general. Al igual que todas las mujeres que supieron pelear por nuestra independencia y por justicia debemos de enfocarnos y atenernos a los principios de igualdad e equidad de género. Por supuesto que las mujeres al igual deben de participar en esta lucha. Pero como un pueblo que vive con una constitución que garantiza los derechos de todo ciudadano, debemos hacer de esto una responsabilidad primordial. Entretanto que se celebramos la contribución de la mujer al desarrollo de nuestra nación el Partido Unido del Pueblo les hace un llamado a todas las mujeres a que participen de forma activa en el trabajo político que hacemos. También les hacemos un llamado a las mujeres beliceñas a que se den apoyo mutuo en avanzar el papel de la mujer beliceña en posiciones de liderazgo. Hoy nos unimos a todos los otros organismos en el reconocimiento del papel indispensable que juega la mujer en la construcción y el desarrollo de nuestra nación. Le hacemos un llamado a todo beliceño que se unan en esta lucha por igualdad y en la tarea tan importante que es la de crear una nación que sea idónea para todos.
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The Belize TiMeS
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The Hon. John Briceùo and the People’s United Party pay tribute to our Belizean women who have contributed and continue to contribute so much to the development of the nation. For your love, commitment and steadfast dedication to Belize, we salute you.
Sunday, March 14, 2010
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The Belize TiMeS
The People's United Party
Consulting with D�n��ig� T���
the
People
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The Belize Times
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Do you know your pressure?!
Growing Old As the years continue to grow we grow along with it, not in growth but in knowledge and wisdom. So please don’t think when you start to get older you are finished; it is not so for me. You would be surprised to know what all you can still do. You can visit with the shut-ins; just remember they are lonely people and they appreciate it so much when you go and talk with them, ask them how they feel or what they had for lunch today? Or who is helping you because there is this lady I visited sometimes, she uses a walker and she is so independent. She is eighty-four years old and doing her own work, all she needs is your company because she lives alone. I admire her, she doesn’t leave herself to reach that stage of complete disability; when you go there she is always greeting you with a smile, then off she goes telling you what all she saw on television. She sits there talking excitedly when she gets a visitor. She has a sweet laugh and a strong voice. You can look at her and know all she needs is company. I asked her if she is not afraid to live alone with all the crime that is taking place, and she opened her eyes big and said, “No, I have my weapon right here beside me.” “Where is it?” I asked her and she said, “Can’t you see Him, it is Jesus, and He never leaves me, He is always here.” “So girl,” she said, “I am not afraid, I have the best friend in the world.” So my message to old men and women like myself is don’t ever give up. Give advice to the younger men and tell them what you’ve been through. You will be surprised to know how you can help. Sometimes I go to the school and tell stories or sing for them the songs we were taught in school and they really enjoy it as they ask me to come back. Another advice to all is to never sit down and feel sorry for yourself because you can’t do the things that you used to do before. You can do it if you try. My husband is old too and he uses a walker to get along but he still takes that machete and limbs off the tree limbs when they get too big. He tries to do whatever he can do in the yard. I watch him as he repairs his grandchildrens’ bicycles; as he talks with them making them laugh. Whatever you do, don’t give up and just sit down on the verandah looking at each other asking the same question over and over because Alzheimer’s walks in and it is very hard to get rid of it. Take a walk every morning along with someone or if you can ride use your bike and this will help your mind to stay active and working. Do not make it collapse on you. Do something. Gertrude Velasquez Burrell Boom
They Are Listening To You!
Carla Ayres Musa We’re not talking about your blood pressure. We’re talking about the level of pressure in your eyes! This is a symptom of Glaucoma, which is the 2nd leading cause of blindness in Belize, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The number of diagnosed cases is rising, and while you may have heard about this “sneak thief of sight,” do you really know what it is?
those with a family history of the disease. But don’t be fooled, it can affect anybody. Since severe damage to the optic nerve may occur before you notice anything is wrong, it is important that everyone 18 years and older has a regular eye exam. This is fast and painless: the doctor will check your vision, look into your eyes and measure the pressure of your eyes. The good news about this devi-
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that gradually steals sight without warning and often without symptoms. It is characterized by damage to the optic nerve at the back of the eye, and is often associated with an increase in the eye’s internal pressure. If left untreated, the nerve damage will start to destroy your peripheral or ‘outside’ vision. Gradually, the area you can see will become smaller and smaller leading to ‘tunnel vision’ and eventually, blindness. The risk of developing Glaucoma increases from the age of 18 and is more prevalent in certain groups: people of Afro-Caribbean decent (Creole and Garifuna), diabetics and
ous eye disease is that, in most cases, Glaucoma can be controlled with medication; or with simple laser surgery in more stubborn cases. However, once nerve damage has occurred and vision has been lost, it cannot be restored. Therefore, the aim of the treatment is to prevent any further vision loss. If treatment is started early enough blindness can be prevented, leaving the patient free to enjoy a full and happy life. If you would like to have your eyes tested for Glaucoma, or would like to know more about the disease, call the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired (BCVI) at 203.5206. Don’t Lose Sight of Your Vision!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize TiMeS
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Bloody Baron Bliss Weekend
Criminals seem to have gotten the better of the extended Baron Bliss weekend as the murders and shootings reigned. Since last Friday, there has been a killing every single day in Belize. The most recent homicide took place shortly after seven on Wednesday morning while Belize Maintenance Limited employee, Glenford Matura was working at the King Street/Euphrates Avenue intersection. Someone apparently wanted Matura dead because the gunman who shot him unleashed a barrage of bullets at him. Matura did not die immediately. He was able to run through an alley off Euphrates Avenue where a lady met him and drove him to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, drenched in his own blood. A bullet had struck Matura in the head and that was the fatal wound. He died about an hour later. But that was not all. The person who shot Matura also stole his bicycle.
Elmore Neal While Matura's family says he did not personally have any known enemies, the whole incident, according to them was a direct message to them from a rival group. What takes away any rationale that Matura's homicide was simply a solitary incident is the fact that it followed the Saturday afternoon killing of his close friend, eighteen year old Elmore Neal. Neal was shot twice by a police officer who has since claimed it was in self
Glenford Matura defense because Neal endangered the life of 27 year old Tyrone Thomas and the officer who shot him. The Police Press Officer has said that Neal was spotted pointing a gun at Thomas and when the officer, a passerby at the time, intervened, he too became a target for Neal. But eyewitnesses have rejected that claim, saying that the gun was discovered several feet away from Neal’s body. They contend that Neal was rid-
ing away and had dropped the gun. Again making matters more complicated for police is that just over six hours after Neal’s shooting death, Thomas was shot in his left arm while standing at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Trinity Street. Police have made no arrests thus far for any of the shootings. There were yet other shootings that took place in the old capital. On Friday, March 5th five people including an 8 year old boy were shot. The incident occurred just after 11 that night and has landed 23 year old Tony Gamboa, 40 year old Vanzie Lamb, 29 year old Lyn McKenzie, 29 year old Genevive Coleman and the little boy in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. The victims were near an alley situated off Water Lane when a trigger-happy gunman riding a bicycle opened fire. Like in the previous incidents, police have made no arrests.
Prosecution provides first batch of evidence against Mayor
Today the prosecution in the criminal case against Belize City Mayor, Zenaida Moya Flowers, presented the first set of evidence to the court. But they still needed more time to gather the remainder and Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie allowed them until next Thursday to do so. Moya Flowers along with City Hall's Administrator, Kiran Vanjani and Administrative Assistant Kiran Budhrani face a slew of offenses - twenty-two charges of Uttering a False Document for receipts worth seventy dollars each that allegedly came from the Esso Gas station at mile two on the Northern
BEL vs PUC
The fight is on and the contenders are two heavy weights. In the red corner is the Public Utilities Commission and their attorney, Senior Counsel Derek Courtenay. In the blue corner is the Belize Electricity Limited and their Counsel, Vincent Nelson, Q.C. And the referee in the matter is the Court of Appeal, comprising of Justices Elliott Mottley, Boyd Carey and John Sosa. B.E.L is challenging a previous decision made in October of 2009 by the court in which the court ruled in favour of the PUC. They are asking the court to consider whether there is the appearance of bias by Justice Denys Barrow who was one of three judges who presided over the matter in that previous decision. Justice Barrow is the father of Kimano Barrow who sits as a Commissioner on the PUC. BEL's position is that the decision should be set aside and the matter reheard by judges that do not include Barrow because Barrow may have been biased in carrying out
his duties. Vincent Nelson Q.C. argued that Justice Barrow should have recused himself from the hearing because of his relation to Kimano Barrow. But Senior Counsel Derek Courtenay pointed out that it is not enough for BEL to establish the relation. He claimed that BEL must prove how and why the father/son relationship gives rise to bias. The problem arose out of an order that the regulatory body for utlitities, the PUC, gave BEL in 2007 to purchase power from New Energy Limited, a power plant that a group of investors wanted to build. But BEL did not support the decision because the price of that power would have been based on the price of fuel oil. So BEL objected to signing the contract to purchase the power on grounds that it was not a good decision for the company, and their customers by extension. The court is expected to deliver their decision sometime next week.
Highway. But in addition to that, they also face a charge of Failure to Comply with City Regulations. The charges followed allegations raised by Patrick Tillett, who is the government-assigned Financial Regulator at City Hall. Tillett was the one who blew the whistle on the Mayor, pointing to discrepancies with funds at City Hall. Moya-Flowers and her team have claimed an unorthodox way of doing things, calling the unusual accounting practice "under-depositing". The charges were preferred on October 1st, 2009 and the defendants were jointly charged with the Council's then Finance Director, Dwain Davis. Davis
suffered a massive stroke shortly after leaving the courthouse on November 5th, 2009 for another adjournment date. He clung to life in a comatose state on a ventilator for eleven days before succumbing. The case resumes on April 20th when the preliminary inquiry is set to start.
PUP Think Tanking Sessions Every Thursday, Independence Hall at 7:30pm
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The Belize Times
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
The Belize TiMeS
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THE PATRIOT Taking a hit
“One of these days when u hear a voice say come who you gonna run to. You gonna run to the rock for rescue but there will be no rock…” from UB40: Johnny Too Bad. Music and lyrics by Bexford/Baily/Winston/Crooks.
I still have the text lodged in my phone. This syndicated chain letter of a text, dripping with all the conviction of a blockbuster movie script where the protagonist finally gets confirmation that his long standing conspiracy theory was right. I mean, it felt like the panic sigh of that character when he realizes that the string of poorly covered events which had snuck by the attention of the average six-thirty television viewer, and not him, was true; despite the nagging suppression by his own paranoia and eccentricity. Yes, the average Belizean believes that the allegations packed into the twenty-three word text message is not far from the truth. As one old lady sitting on an upside down pig-tail bucket confidently theorized, “Daawlin, deh have good cop and bad cops, jus like how deh have good piple and bad piple. Wan day di lee bwai dehn deh pan yuh gate mouth di smoke di weed, next ting deh di step inna blue and kahki.” Police murders boy? The “bogieman under the bed” cry that there is a band of Police assassins who execute civilians has been swirling around for years. Whether this sect of officers is acting under the sanction and instruction of the big man “dehn” or whether they are an uncoordinated rogue group who just “trip out” without notice, is anyone’s guess. But right now, seriously, this thing is quacking like a duck and walking like a duck. Normally, the name called is some notorious gangbanger, the witnesses are nowhere to be found or the “graveyard of bones” too remote. But every so often, “the bag buss” in plain view and even the most gullible law-abiding-citizen has to scratch his head. Who could forget reports by the hovering media vultures of the Southside community sorrows? I remember with revulsion when the salivating news station production team poured water onto the splatter of marrow on the concrete side walk of Euphrates Avenue, to get the perfect shot as Jules did his trademark, voice over: “21-year-old Leslie Rogers Jr. was a student at St. John's College Sixth Form and worked in the tourism industry but on Saturday night, this pool of blood on the Euphrates Avenue sidewalk was the only memory left of him after he was shot by police.”. That was as far back as Valentine’s Day of 2005. But in the past two weeks there have been at least three questionable killings of unarmed civilians by police officers. Now, there is a point in time when a conspiracy theory matures into undisguisable fact. Maybe that point will be after the gun smoke and confusion of the Chris Galvez murder is fanned away by the defiance of Yolanda Schakron. Or maybe someone will actually listen to the confessions of this Police Force under the UDP command. Did no one hear the “fool di talk but no fool di listen” interview of “Stiletto” in the police slaying of a Jamaican, O’Neil Jones? Freudian slip there, for the Police apologist? That Lords Bank police shooting of a civilian
in the back, drunkenly claimed headlines five years to the day after the Rogers killing - almost as if ordained for the sacrifice of some ritualistic police cult. Now with the muscle of a deacon’s credentials, the amplification of a peeved Adventist Church and the troubling admission by the ComPol of policemen carrying ski masks, we are able to pull the brakes on this train and question what in UDP-hell is going on. Really, this kind of talk is a far more plausible theory for our neighboring republics either sixty eight miles west of Dangriga or a hundred and seventy-four miles north of Barranco. But Belize is too small, too volatile and too naïve for this kind of allegation. I refuse to believe that the top brass of the Police Force is in on this. Nope. No way. Many voices in the swell of critics of the Police Force have been calling for a hit on Papa Jeff ’s employment, saying that he must know what is going on and if he doesn’t know, he should be forced to resign, reform or be removed. Ah???…but where is the Ombudsman in all this? Is she playing solitaire after she sent the telegram to Belize Health Care Partners? We all know that we cannot wait for Deanno to do anything. Spare us the placebo and expense of another Commission of Inquiry, we don’t want to hear about any more spoilt fish, when we should have been talking about pills taken home by a secretary. The Report on Crooks, sorry, I mean, Crooks Report, needs to be implemented with some political honesty and will. We don’t want to end up with a situation like Jamaica where international human rights organizations are blowing the whistle on a problem which is “outta ada”. After trying to hitch up a decaying socio-economic problem with crime which was spurred on by reckless political desperation, Jamaica saw the reign of notorious super cops like Renato Adams and “Trinity”. Today Jamaica is the “dancehall king” of police violence. According to an Amnesty International report entitled, Jamaica: Killings and Violence by Police: How many more victims?: “Jamaica has one of the highest per capita rates of lethal police shootings in the world on average 140 people per year have been shot and killed by the police in the last decade...” A human rights group in that country known as Jamaicans for Justice (JFJ) complained: “that almost all investigations and prosecutions of fatal police shootings are perfunctory, inadequate and unsatisfactory and do not meet international standards.” This surely is the complaint of the one eye man, who has not traveled to the land of the blind. If they think their investigations are poor, check wid Belize, my yute. In a paper presented to the Inter American Commission on Human Rights called Pattern of Impunity: A Report on Jamaica’s Investigation and Prosecution of Deaths at the hands of agents of the State, JFJ noted: “In Jamaica there is a clear pattern of police impunity for killings of civilians due to a combination of factors including: systematically poor investigative procedures; weaknesses of oversight bodies and mechanisms; failure to protect witnesses; delays and weaknesses in the processes of the courts; weaknesses and lack of will
in the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions; and lack of political will to correct the problem. By improperly investigating and prosecuting fatal police shootings Jamaican authorities are not only undermining the trust relationship that exists between a government and its people but also the internationally guaranteed fundamental right to life.” Boss, if you ask me, you can take out all the references to Jamaica and insert Belize and not even Johnny Cochran could stop the glove from fitting. As I read further, I realized what our government is deliberately doing wrong too: “[it] has failed to properly investigate police shootings on several systemic levels, including: A failure to preserve the crime scene and collect forensic evidence; A failure to protect witnesses of police shootings against intimidation and harassment, (at times the Police themselves are the perpetrators of the harassment and intimidation); and a failure to grant legislative support and resources to an independent investigative body to oversee the investiga-
insert 343 tion of police shootings. Furthermore, there has been a failure on [their] part to provide: A speedy and efficient remedy to victims’ families in terms of both the investigation (including adequate autopsy and post-mortem procedures) and the judicial proceedings. This failure includes a failure to prosecute police officials for the killing of civilians, despite overwhelming evidence.” Bam si deh. Now, what makes it worse in Belize is that this is a high tech problem that needs the proper support, finances and deliberation. It is a crime that this is even a topic of discussion in Belize. It is a flagrant act of national terrorism because in Belize, the term “police intelligence” is an oxymoron. We in Belize depend on community policing. We ain’t got nothing else. Now, if the public mistrusts the police and sees them as a state mercenary group, our slipping grip on democracy will come officially crashing down into the civil unrest of vigilante justice and anarchy. Who will arrest the despots and tyrants if they are wearing khaki?
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The Belize Times
Sunday, March 14, 2010