Sunday, May 30, 2010
The
The Belize Times
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Belize Times The Truth Shall Make You Free
From Lady Z to Lady ZERO SUNDAY MAY 30, 2010
Issue No. 4695
first term there were signs that this golden girl lacked the wisdom, the honesty and the integrity to run a growing city which she was elected to serve. When former Councillor Mark King blew the whistle about her on grounds of mismanagement and alleged corruption no one paid it much mind. Zenaida still had the support of most of her peers and many of the voters. In fact that proved true when she destroyed her arch rival for the mayoral seat, Anthony Michael, and then went on to again win at the polls in 2009. But by then there were more political woes being added to the list of controversies: questionable contracts to family members, singlehanded and unilateral decisions without Council's consultation and approval, and then of course, the famous "under-depositing" scheme
She rose to fame leading into the 2006 municipal elections when Belize City residents endorsed her as the favourite to run the old capital and then voted for her overwhelmingly at the polls. But since Zenaida Moya Flowers g ot into office, City Hall has been besieged by allegations of sweetheart deals, bloated contracts, mismanagement of public funds, misappropriation of public funds, missing money, corruption and complete incompetence. In fact, she still faces 24 criminal charges before the courts. And as if that weren't enough, she has now been expelled from the same party that polished her and propped her on their political pedestal for the 2006 municipal elections. She was the UDP's golden girl who brought in the full slate. But just months into her
Baymen Battle Royale‌
The ugly battle over a liquor license granted to former UDP national campaign for use at #48 Baymen Avenue shows no signs of abating, and in fact may escalate in the wake of a public hearing on the issue which was held on Wednesday at the Belize Biltmore Plaza. Because of the internal mess in the United Democratic Party, a simple issue has been blown into a war which includes UDP ministers Carlos Perdomo, Gaspar Vega, Gabriel Martinez and
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important UDP players like Solie Arguelles, Sylvia Perdomo and Karim Berges. The Belize Times would like to provide some political background into the brouhaha over the liquor license for those not in the know. Former UDP Campaign Manager Karim Berges applied for and was granted a liquor license for his business which he says is a conference facility but which others in the (Continued on page 35)
(Continued on page 35)
Barrow disregards call to ban offshore drilling
While the nation begs the government to cancel permits granted for offshore oil exploration in Belize, the Barrow administration seems to have turned a deaf ear to the cries. People's concerns grew immensely over the issue since the fuel crisis occurred over a month ago in the Gulf of Mexico along the state of Louisiana. A whopping 18 companies have been granted concessions to drill for petroleum on land and under the sea. And since the treasured Belize Barrier Reef was parceled
out for drilling, non-government groups such as the Association of Protected Areas Management Organization [APAMO], OCEANA and more recently, Citizens Organised for Liberty Through Action [COLA] have publicly denounced the idea of offshore drilling and have called (Continued on page 35)
Are YOU Better Off Today?
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The Belize Times
Are we ready?
The rainy season is here and so far there have been a few rainy days and already the rains have started to take their toll on the nation’s infrastructure. One of the recently constructed culverts which drains water from the east side of the Western Highway to the west side and out to the sea had to be dug up because it was not properly reinforced. As a result the Ministry of Works is in charge of digging up the area and redoing a job which was obviously done poorly in the first place. Twice since the rains started the temporary crossing at Kendal has been underwater, stopping the flow of traffic and hindering commerce in the South. It has been 720 days since the Kendal Bridge was washed away by flood waters on 1st June 2008. In a few days the new hurricane season will begin, and experts are predicting that it will be a, “Hell of a year for hurricanes.” The threat of an above-average 2010 Atlantic hurricane season has increased over the last month and it now promises to be very active. According to the experts, the water temperature in the Atlantic is getting warm faster than usual. This warning comes as the season also sees an unusual factor added to the mix: the Gulf oil disaster. Forecasters are looking at a season that could be as active as the 2005 hurricane season. The 2005 hurricane season was the most active season ever, therefore a comparison to this can only mean that we in the hurricane belt will have to not only pay attention, but be actively prepared. With the complete breakdown of services in most of our cities and towns, with the obvious lack of competence in the Prime Minister’s Cabinet to manage the day to day problems of nation building and with the immediate pressing issues like the overwhelming crime situation and an economy in peril, one has to wonder: “Is the Barrow Administration ready for an active hurricane season? Natural Disasters are considered to be acts of God and as such you cannot prevent them from occurring, therefore governments invest in putting in place proper planning and preparation to try and minimize casualties and damage. During the PUP administration, the Government established the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO). Today NEMO runs a full time operation, and in the event of a natural disaster, NEMO is the Organization that manages the emergency. A critical part of its function is to ensure that the uniformed services, first responders and everyone who must work during an emergency are aware of their role and how they will aid in returning the country or affected area back to normalcy. With the hurricane season only days away; with the knowledge that this season will be an active one, we have heard of no workshop, planning meetings or simulation exercise by NEMO. In fact Belizeans must rely on the tips that come on during the weather news if they are to learn about hurricane preparedness. When it comes to preparation for hurricanes, NEMO must do its work to ensure that the nation is ready to deal with a hurricane making landfall in Belize. It must also keep informing Belizeans of what to do in the case of an emergency. Every Belizean must know how to contact emergency services; they must know where the nearest shelter is located and which radio station to listen to for official information about an emergency. Radio and television personalities must be trained in how to handle emergency situations and must be told to rely on the experts for information rather than assuming these functions themselves. NEMO is an organization that can save Belizean taxpayers millions of dollars. Numerous studies have shown that the economic cost of investing in disaster preparedness and disaster risk reduction is far less than the cost of dealing with the aftermath. In fact, some estimate that for every dollar spent on risk reduction, at least four dollars are saved. Given all this, the Minister responsible for NEMO must be someone in whom the Belizean people have great confidence and be someone with strong leadership and organizational skills. We can have the annual Guadalupe procession to seek divine intervention in protecting us from a storm; this is welcomed, however at some point it is inevitable that one will hit our shores. If this is that year are we prepared? Is NEMO ready? Have they done their job to prepare Belizeans and to ensure that lives are saved and damage kept to a minimum? Given this government’s record of efficiency so far and the fact that NEMO remains quiet just days away from the start of what is to be an active storm season, many are doubtful.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Out Spoken
Not for Sale!
25 May, 2010 The Editor The Belize Times Belize City
Dear Editor, Allow me a space in this week’s issue of the Belize Times to discuss some of the results of the Village Council Elections held during the past weekend. This weekend was one when the villagers up North decided that they would come out in droves and show the UDP that they were not for sale. In all the villages it was evident that the UDP cronies were openly paying voters to vote for the UDP. But you see Mr. Editor, while you can buy some of the people some of the time, this will not work all the time. In Yo Creek the villagers even took out their placards advising the UDPs that the people of Yo Creek are not for sale. People are no fools; they watch and take note how these people are using all the government resources to run political elections. They use vehicles, gas, workers, and lots of other resources to ensure a win for the UDP. And the voters also know that as soon as the elections are over, these so called elite UDPs never return to these villages. In some cases, it’s the first time these UDP’s are venturing into these villages in the out district as they so often refer to them. Imagine, even the Prime Minister found his way to these villages, I guess to watch us the village idiots in the face. In Corozal, for example, the resources of the Town Council were being used to run the Village Council elections. Even if the Corozal Town Council does not have resources to patch the streets and clean the town, on Sunday last you saw all the workers and the trucks working for the UDP slates. Even the Corozal Mayor, who is always missing in action in Corozal Town, was out there trying to convince voters to go red. Well, he got a slap in the face because San Andres went full blue. This past Sunday the villagers of Orange Walk South showed the UDP that indeed they are not for sale. The four villages that had election went blue and voted for the PUP. In Corozal North, the two big villages again went blue with convincing majorities. So much so that the Prime Minister couldn’t even show his face in Xaibe. Thinking that they would have won San Andres, the Prime Minister risked showing his face but perhaps that is why San Andres went convincingly blue. Just two and a half years after, Belizeans are already fed up with the UDP. They are tired of the increase in the cost of living, increase in the gas prices, and increase in crime, increase in unemployment and increase in the abuse, arrogance and corruption of the UDP. In the villages, we are especially fed up with the victimization of the UDP! Sincerely, Elenita Noh
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Roberto Peyrefitte
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
If Da Noh Soh…
Biting Insects… There I was, poking a little fun at mi bally Joe and mi bally Fonso last week, and I didn’t realize that this thing is no laughing matter. The poor boys are up that proverbial creek with no paddle and rapids dead ahead and a whole bunch of UDP hecklers
stoning them from the banks. It’s that bad. After a second week started without the amazing antics of the two sissy clowns, I started to miss them just a little, so I sent some messages of support through my friends at the UDP Secretariat, a.k.a. Red Top. In return I got back some info. It seems like these two idiots (pardon me, my true feelings slipped out) have been under scrutiny for some time now, after king baldy got word that their nickname within the UDP is ‘biting insects.’ Best we could figure is that
these two morons have been selling ‘services’ on WAVE, promising certain parties either ‘protection’ or a convenient ‘big-up’ in exchange for a small bite, so to speak. All hell apparently broke loose when the two fools (slipped again, sorry) were caught on camera at our very own Vibes Radio and money was seen exchanging hands. Sources tell us that the sissy clowns put their own spin on that close encounter of the financial kind and they were given the benefit of the doubt. This was Monday last week. But lo and behold the bloody jackasses (damn) did it again on Tuesday. That time the ‘bite’ was obviously courtesy of the ‘brief tief ’ from #48 Baymen Avenue, because Joe and Fonso were doing everything but promising Creamy sensual massages on air. That was too much for the higher ups, we understand, and Joe and Fonso were immediately yanked. Poor guys! We’ve been trying to raise funds for Care packages but nobody seems to care… If Da Noh Soh! Baldy’s balls… Old baldy was on Channel 7 Wednesday night saying that he’s none too morose to be seeing the last of his golden girl turned wicked witch Zenaida. It’s a sentiment shared by quite a few in the Party. One wizened old UDP stalwart we spoke to had this to say – ‘she took the city for a
ride and we were okay with that, but the durned girl just had to go after Mr. Barrow’s weak spot, and we all know how sensitive he is about that.
We had to do what we had to do.’ But seriously though, I can’t understand the UDP’s fixation with baldy’s balls or lack thereof. I’m sure that there must have been bigger issues than that. But anyway, the learned leader says that he’s seen the last of Zenaida, but we wouldn’t be too sure about that. Last we heard, she’s stating that she has the pictures to prove her claim… If Da Noh Soh! While baldy gloats… According to his exalted brilliantness on Love FM this week, the latest statistics from the Central Bank indicate that there is an increase in exports for the first quarter, mostly due to an increase in crude oil from two additional wells. His baldness stated that government’s revenues increased from this ‘windfall’ (not to be mistaken for Barrow’s bogus windfall tax) but alas, that very boon to Government’s coffers due to the
increase in oil production and oil prices meant that consumers suffered from increased prices at the pumps. Now hold up just a damned minute there, boss. Government got more money from oil and Belizeans had to pay more money for fuel. There’s something wrong with that there equation. I vaguely remember king baldy promising to lower government’s take on fuel if prices passed the $7 mark. That never materialized. Then the price passed the $8 mark and the $9 mark, and it still did not materialize. Now it’s past the $10 mark and Belizeans are bawling at the pumps while the king vulture gloats because GOB is raking in so much more. Man, off with his head… If Da Noh Soh! Increased activity… And the words coming out of Mr. Barrow’s mouth just got ‘curiouser and curiouser.’ When the leader of the nation was asked if imports had picked up, since that is an indication of the spending power of Belizeans, he said that the figures didn’t show it, but he personally had picked up an increase in activity at the Corozal Free Zone. Hahahahaha. What an idiot. Of course there’s been increased activity at the Corozal Free Zone. Everybody
knows that. Customs is still looking for two container loads of goods which vanished mysteriously in the Zone. There’s some activity for you. There’s a helluva lot of activity up
north in general, but like Mr. Barrow said the reports won’t show it because government isn’t getting any revenue off it. It’s called contraband, stupid. Maybe you should talk to your fellow minister. People say that he’s quite knowledgeable about the trade. He could maybe fill you in on the increased activity in the Free Zone, though we can’t promise you’d like what you hear, you being of sterling character and all… If Da Noh Soh! LOL… I swear Mr. Barrow could headline as one of the kings of comedy. He’s that funny. Last night the man looked
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down his patrician nose and with a straight face, get this, he states – well, Jules, you know me. Ahem ahem, I always distance myself from anything with even a hint of impropriety! Yup, that confirms it. Mr. Barrow is
the real jackass. He must be joking. He has been accused of the very worst impropriety in his appointment of UDP cronies to certain key positions – like Alberto August to Chair the Elections and Boundaries Commission; like Marilyn Williams to head the Financial Intelligence Unit; like his brother Denys to sit on the Court of Appeals; like his wife and son to sit of the board of the hijacked BTL. The list goes on and on and on. Mr. Barrow is the boss of impropriety, the king of impropriety, the ruler of the land of impropriety. You get the point… If Da Noh Soh!
Hypocrites of the Week
Last week Mr. Barrow and his Cabinet were crowned the hypocrites of the week for dealing with petty, stupid political issues like the ‘brief tief ’ and his liquor license while the nation and people are in crisis. This week, it is Mr. Barrow’s UDP executive which is in the limelight for its furious activation to attack and expel Zenaida, all because she dared to insult Mr. Barrow. That very same UDP executive was apparently struck deaf, dumb and blind when Zenaida’s colleagues in City hall produced evidence of bloated contracts and sweetheart deals. That executive was evidently on vacation when the Ministry of Local Government accused Zenaida of misappropriating funds and overpaying herself without authorization. The UDP executive was reportedly out of the country when the Mayor unveiled her new economic and accounting creation – underdepositing. And I guess the executive must have been in the
restroom when the audit report revealed hundreds of thousands of dollars missing and glaring evidence of mismanagement in City Hall. But say that Mr. Barrow has no balls and the UDP executive has come out firing like all the furies of hell. Within hours of her comment, the plan to kick the Mayor out of the Party had already been revealed. Hell, NEMO couldn’t respond to a disaster as fast as the UDP Executive rushed to protect Mr. Barrow’s balls. There are so many issues which came up because of the Mayor’s mismanagement of City Hall and the public coffers. Remember when more than 100 sanitation workers lost their jobs because the Mayor would not pay their salaries? Well, the UDP executive was silent then too. For rushing to pamper their leader’s ego and bolster his pride while ignoring the cries and suffering of the Belize people, the UDP executive has been named this issue’s hypocrite of the week.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
From the Desk of the Party Leader
The Spirit of the PUP
Our Party Chairman, Ms. Carolyn Trench Sandiford, wrote a very pertinent article in last week’s Belize Times titled: “Practicing what we Preach.” In her article she makes a compelling argument about “living the constitution”. Our Chairman argues that when we stray from our guiding principles, we abandon those basic tenets which ground us as PUPs to our philosophical moorings. In the past, the leadership and many influential Party Members were accused of this; the claim was that we were no longer able to define ourselves and as such some leaders used this as an opportunity to do as they wished. We were no longer seen as the party that “serves the people”. We were no longer the party that was working for the poor and underprivileged. The cry was that we were no longer the party the George Price built. Instead we had become a Party that cared more for special interests and less about the people’s needs. For the rank and file, we had to change and we did. Today there is no question that the People’s United Party is still the greatest political party that has ever served Belize. While we seldom name structures or build monuments to celebrate our work, there is no major accomplishment in Belize that does not carry the imprint of the PUP. This is a part of our political culture, something that goes back 60 years and the reason we have grown is because we were always able to change with the time and for the people. That is the secret to our legacy. After gaining independence, one of our greatest milestones, the Party had to change; how to effect that change resulted in an intense ideological quarrel in the Party. These were some difficult times as we tried to redefine ourselves. There were those who said the communists were planning to take over the Party and this forced the capitalists into action. This became a protracted debate which almost tore the party apart despite all the efforts of Mr. Price to bring the warring factions together. By 1984, the euphoria of independence was gone and the division resulted in the Party suffering its first defeat, a crushing one! It was after 1984 that many party supporters believed that the party started to stray away from its principles; from its message of social justice and more towards the special interests. Pre-independence, the PUP was considered a social democratic party meaning the party believed in gradualism and that the government must have a strong say on issues pertaining to the economy yet work hand in hand with business to bring about development. Today, our party supporters are telling us that they want the PUP to go back to being a more inclusive party and to rededicate ourselves to the job of serving the people. For this new leadership and in this time, the task is not only to return the party to those principles and to get back to our philosophical mornings, but also to make the party relevant to this political usage. To do that we must embrace new ideas, welcome new people and we in the PUP must never ever forget who we truly serve - the Belizean people. The only way we will win back the confidence of the Belizean people is for us to learn from our past mistakes, say never again and move forward living the principles of social justice and in the spirit of the Party’s Constitution which calls on us to love our country and work for the betterment of all Belizeans.
James Flynn is 2010 National 16 and Under Tennis Champ
Left to Right: Runner-up Richard Huang; Champion James Flynn
The Belize Pickwick Club was the venue for the 2010 National 16 and Under Boys Tennis Championship held the 14th, 15th and 16th of May, 2010. There were a total of nine participants. After two rounds of play four players emerged to contest the semifinals. In the first semifinal #1 seed James Flynn played the 14 and Under Sub-Champion Marco Mendez of Orange Walk. Flynn dominated a very game Mendez with aggressive baseline play complemented by equally deft finishes at the net. He won easily by a score of 6-0 6-0. In the second semifinal, the 14 and Under Champion Richard Huang scored a stunning upset over the #2 seed Jared Cattouse. Huang played with a consistent and carefully constructed game plan as Cattouse racked up numerous unforced errors. He won by a score of 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. This set up the finals between #1 seed James Flynn and Richard Huang. Flynn continued his aggressive play and dominance as he prevailed easily over Huang by a score 6-0 6-1. All players are to be commended on their spirited playing. In particular recognition is given to James Flynn who under the guidance of his father Tony Flynn has consolidated his status as quite arguably Belize’s best junior player. Flynn continues to shine as one of our most valuable assets having represented Belize at international junior events. We support and encourage his pursuit of the development of his game in Florida and look forward to his return to competition back home in Belize. Special thanks to the sponsor Insmedard, the host, the Pickwick Club and the Belize Tennis Association for sanctioning the tournament.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
UDP Politics as usual
Expelled for disrespect… I have a serious problem with the recent expulsion of Mayor of Belize City Zenaida Moya from the United Democratic Party. Actually, I don’t have a problem with the expulsion, per se, because I think that the Mayor should suffer a fate far worse than expulsion for what she has done to Belizeans who trusted her. What I have a serious concern about is the reason for the expulsion. Our Prime Minister has a humongous, gargantuan ego but a question has arisen about the existence of his dangling appendages (how’s that for diplomatic speak?) Our Mayor in an interview claims that her political boss lacks those objects. Two days after the Mayor made her startling revelation the powers that be within the UDP sprang into action to play out her demise. Oh, the disrespect of our exalted leader, they cried. How dare the Mayor say that the Prime Minister has no balls? Off with her head! Did I mention that when the Mayor gave that interview it was outside the courtroom where she was arraigned on a charge of theft from the Belizean people? Oh yes, our Mayor has had a somewhat sordid history within City Hall. She was accused early on of misusing public resources, by no less than one of her Councilors. Then she was accused of orchestrating sweetheart deals and bloated contracts for her brother, with checks produced to prove it. Then she was called out by her Councilors and the Ministry of Local Government for misappropriating the people’s money, paying herself a hefty ‘extra’ every month without authorization. Then there was the infamous ‘under-depositing’ for which we have still received no account. Then there was the audit report which showed hundreds of thousands of dollars missing at City Hall. Even now City Hall is embroiled in another scandal involving missing money. All this was during the Mayor’s time, all this under her watch. Mr. Barrow is responsible for Zenaida’s entrance into politics, so one would have thought that he would feel at least marginally responsible for all her messes. If not that, then one would have thought that out of a sense of responsibility to Belizeans and adherence to the best principles of integrity, honesty, transparency and accountability the leader of this nation would have brought Zenaida to task a long time ago. But no, it has nothing to do with that. Zenaida has been expelled from the UDP because she hurt Mr. Barrow’s pride and questioned his manhood. Nothing more, nothing less! Moral of this story…be as corrupt as you want, be as incompetent as you like but never, ever say that Mr. Barrow has no balls!
And that means…? As best we can figure, this means that the Mayor is still in charge of the City, still the boss of City Hall, but she is not a UDP anymore. This means that she still makes the decisions within City Hall and still has access to all your money, but she will certainly not be getting any support in any undertaking from the UDP Central Government or from the Party in general. Let’s break this down. With the Mayor getting the full support of the UDP Central Government as a member in good standing of the UDP, City Hall is a mess. The Council is broke, the city is a dilapidated cesspool and Belizeans can access absolutely no services. With the Mayor standing alone, it stands to reason that things will get much worse, though it is difficult to imagine worse than the mess we are in. Mr. Barrow needs to stop focusing on his balls or lack thereof and deal with the affairs of the people. He should have stepped in a long time ago and dealt with the Mayor for her financial shenanigans with the public coffers and for her glaring incompetence. That is what the City demanded. Instead he has punished her for her ‘no balls’ comment which means that she is still in a position of authority but with no real power. Because of Mr. Barrow’s ego, the people will be the biggest losers in this deal. Rain rain go away… The rains are here, if not with a vengeance, then with some consistency and, as everyone with some modicum of sense predicted, GOB was caught with its figurative pants down and head stuck in the sand. The south is a mess. For the second week, the Kendall crossing was closed due to flooding, effectively cutting off the South of the country. The Middlesex crossing was recently closed for the second time in two weeks. The approach to the Mullins River temporary crossing washed away. Really now, this Kendall crossing thing is no
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joke. Apparently the government does not seem to understand the seriousness of the entire south being cut off from the rest of the country. It’s been two years now and our government is still talking about seeking funding, and saying that these things take time. How much more time do they need? The hurricane season hasn’t even started yet and NEMO has had to be called in to deal with flooding in the south. What will happen in the event of a major disaster, God forbid? This UDP administration can manage to find money in the blink of an eye for trivial things like new fancy rides, but somehow they can’t help the people in the South. This is a serious situation. No offshore drilling… In response to a letter from an organization advising caution in the push toward offshore drilling for oil, the Prime Minister patronizingly retorted that the writer could not presume to speak for the rest of the country. Boss, what part of HOLD UP don’t you understand? Are you watching the news about the BP oil spill? Do you realize that an oil spill anywhere near that magnitude in our waters would spell disaster for our nation? Real and complete disaster! Nobody’s playing politics with this one, Jack. We know that the PUP gave out some of those contracts for offshore drilling. So what? All we’re saying is that the BP oil spill has scared the crap out of us, all of us. Now that we’ve seen the possibilities, we’re saying – let’s just re-examine this thing. Sure we want to invite investment into our country, and yes, we do promote development of the nation…but not at the possible cost of the nation. Hell No! The PUP has deliberately kept out of the increasing outcry against offshore drilling because this is bigger than politics. Nobody’s telling you to chase all foreign companies out of our waters, Mr. Barrow. Now that we’ve seen the up-close view of the danger, all we’re asking is that you make sure that all possible safeguards are in place. Until they are, as the leader of this nation Mr. Barrow has the responsibility to place a hold on all offshore drilling. The people aren’t going to let go of this one, PM. There’s just too much at stake. Dudus & Kalilah This situation in Kingston, Jamaica is crazy, really crazy. It’s a little scary too, because even in our little Belize we know that there are big time gang bangers and drug dealers with real big time political connections. Anyway, there are unofficial reports of over a hundred and fifty deaths, though official figures stay under thirty. There have also been reports of grenades thrown into crowds. A lot of our students are heading back home cause they can’t deal with the danger over there. Channel 7 had a story a couple nights ago giving the latest in the mayhem and Belize’s very own Kalilah Enriquez was on the frontlines reporting for a local Kingston television station. That girl just kept on reporting the facts with clinical precision even as gunshots rang out all around here. She barely flinched in the face of real violence and danger and just did her job. When I saw that report, I thought to myself – now that girl has got a lot of what our Prime Minister is accused of not having (I just couldn’t help myself). But seriously though, kudos to Kalilah! And as to the violence overtaking Kingston, I can only say that I hope our gang-bangers and dope dealers aren’t watching and decide to follow the examples being set. Like I said, we’ve got all the elements of Jamaica’s troubles right here in our paradise – gangs, drugs and political connections. Let’s hope for the best…! Crazy Barrow… Mr. Barrow was on Love FM Wednesday morning. I listened to him for as long as I could stomach his sweet nonsense. I heard our learned leader say, in not so many words, that Carlos Perdomo has been hopeless when it comes to finding any solution to rampant crime. I heard him say that nothing has worked so far and now he will step in to show Belizeans that GOB means business. The Prime Minister admitted that his crime minister has been a failure. And then in the very next breath he stated that he will do nothing about Carlos. Isn’t that absolutely crazy? In other countries when things go wrong in departments, government ministers line up to hand in their resignations. They do so because they bear ultimate responsibility if areas under their watch are in disarray. In Belize nothing has gone right in crime and the Police Department is on the public’s most hated list. Yet the man at the helm has not himself taken responsibility for the mess and his Prime Minister seems to be allowing it to happen. Belize is in a mess, and this government is just taking us deeper under, that’s for sure.
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PARTY PAGE San Lazaro PUP Village Council
The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
THE BLUE MACHINE
Party Leader Tours Chunox and Copper Bank Villages
ANNOUNCING
the 60th Anniversary Celebrations of the People's United Party Coming Soon
We Are The PUP
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
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INTEREST RATES NOT FALLING FAST ENOUGH
In the first quarter of 2010 Government, in response to the clamor for reduction of interest rates in the banking sector, sought to intervene in the market by making amendments to several pieces of legislation, namely the Treasury Bill Act, Central Bank of Belize Act and the Bank and Financial Institutions Act. The purpose of those amendments was to be reflected in a reduction in lending rates to Belizean businesses and households to ensure sustainability under the current economic recession. A review of the Bank’s performance will reveal that changes are slow and although several of the commercial banks implemented new initiatives to meet client’s needs, they are not moving fast enough and going far enough. It is a known fact that the cost of financing in Belize is high and accessing credit not as easy. Average interest rates on deposits in 2009 were 6.19% while at March 31, 2010 a slight reduction to 5.86% can be noted. A review over the same period revealed the weighted average interest rate on lending actually increased from 14.07% in 2009 to 14.22% for this year. It is important to note that lending rates vary significantly between mortgages and consumer loans. Scotia Bank does record the lowest residential mortgage rate at 11%, with Belize Bank and Heritage Bank recording the highest rate of 13%. Thus the movement between average lending rate and average deposit rate shows very little adjustment on the bank’s interest rate spread which averaged 8.21% in 2009 and now in 2010 is 8.03%. The interest rate difference between deposits and lending is the operating cost and profit margin of the institutions managing these deposits and making funds available for lending; taking into account the taxes payable by
the banks. So with the banks passing on their operating cost to consumers, it begs the question how can interest rates be expected to decline when some banks continue to record positive profit margins. A review of the financial position of the commercial banks in Belize as at March 31, 2010 illustrates the level of profits that are being realized despite the fact that Belize’s economy is still in the midst of a recession. A review of the banks profitability can be noted by their return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). ROA measures the banks’ profits for every $1 of assets, with 1% being the benchmark. The higher the ratio the more income is being generated from a given level of assets. At the end of the first quarter of this year all banks recorded negative returns with the exception of Atlantic and Scotia Bank, with the highest being 3.7% after tax for Scotiabank Belize. ROE on the other hand measures profitability from the shareholders perspective and likewise all banks with the exception of Atlantic and Scotia Bank recorded negative returns. The ROE could be further analyzed by decomposition of the ratio (DuPont analysis) to ascertain what is driving the high returns. This writer would opine that both banks have been the beneficiary of large term deposits and operational accounts from public and private institutions such as the DFC, Social Security Board and Belize Telemedia Ltd. So in effect, it is the Government that is contributing to the profit margins for those banks, instead of having financial decisions made based on risk and return analysis. Another pointed issue is the availability and return on government securities. Treasury Notes current return for a one year paper is 6.0% interest rate and
for a two year maturity interest rate is 7.0%. The objective of the legislative amendments was to have banks be mandated to hold larger quantities of these securities in an effort to drive interest rates closer to those levels. However, as at March of this year ScotiaBank held the most with $60.6M and Heritage Bank the least with only $10.1M. Government intervention through the Central Bank of Belize will be slow to manifest itself, due in the main to the fact that Government lacks the institutional capacity to avail itself of the tools required to effectively guide monetary policies. The Central Bank has indicated the existence of a monetary policy reform project that has been in operation since 2009, further implementation in 2010 should see the formulation of liquidity management policy. However, the implementation of any such policy remains elusive
has the Government and Central Bank have both demonstrated impotence in meaningfully addressing interest rates. Therefore, consumers are left to wait and see how best to survive under the current economic climate and play hop-scotch between the various banks while Government tries to get a grip on the financial situation. While the ideas are being marinated, Belizeans continue to lose their homes. Gwyneth Sydney Nah Send comments to GwynethNah@gmail.com
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The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Friends Take the Rap for Going Equipped
and Dion Parchue, Three men, one of them the 25, all of Belize City, son of a senior police officer got and Leon Fitzgibbon off the hook when two of his of Ladyville. Inside colleagues, with whom he was the vehicle, police nabbed with paraphernalia used in found a .38 revolver, crimes, pled guilty to the charges. a 9 millimeter Noel Leal Jr, 25, son pistol, a ski mask, of Assistant Commissioner and a camouflage of Police Noel Leal Sr, was mask. Leal was also apprehended with a group of carrying a licensed men following a robbery two 9mm pistol. All Fridays ago in Orange Walk were charged with Town. Officer Commanding the two counts of Orange Walk Police Detachment, unlicensed firearm Superintendent Joseph Myvette said that the men were found with apprehended along with Herman and unlicensed ammunition and a cache of weapons. Leal Jr. was Grant, 20, Morris Middleton, 20, going equipped.
But when they were taken to court Middleton and Fitzgibbon pled guilty to all the charges and the prosecution withdrew the charges against Leal, Parchue and Grant. Middleton and Fitzgibbon were each given concurrent twoyear sentences for each of the offenses. While Leal was freed, he also carried a licensed weapon the night of the arrests.
and of all prizes he collected. A similar situation presented itself last year when Quinton Hamilton tested positive for dextamethozone, which is used in the treatment of
revised list of banned substances. In Perez's case the jury is still out because he reportedly informed upon testing after the race that he had been taking medication for pain in the knees.
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Cross Country Champ investigated for "unspecified hormone"
Miguel Perez
It is not very often that a cyclist in Belize is put under the microscope and their supplement intake is investigated. And many Belizeans are still upset by the Holy Saturday upset which Guatemalan national, Miguel Perez, pulled off when he stole the show in convincing fashion over the local favourites in the 82nd Annual Cross Country Cycling Classic. But now an investigation by the Belize Cycling Association into the champ's practices will reveal if he indeed won the race using illegal boosts as the accusations suggest. The Association wrote Perez, informing him that the results of a urine test at the end of the race were suspicious and now due process must take place in resolving the matter. The University of California which conducted the test is requesting that Perez take additional tests for them to be able to determine definitively what the substance was that gave the results. So far Perez has not tested positive for any performance enhancing substance or banned substance. But as to Perez, if he is found in violation of anti-doping regulations, the BCA will initiate disciplinary actions against him. Under the International Anti-doping Rules bylaws and regulations, Perez would be immediately stripped of the garland and title of cross country champion
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several medical conditions. Hamilton was suspended for seven months but was later reinstated when the BCA discovered that the chemical present in his asthma medication was not on the
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
BARROW’S LATEST CIRCUS
What type of humpty-dumpty, upside-down party politics is being played by Dean Barrow? Unable to stomach a little bit of criticism he finally got his party hacks to expel Mayor Zenaida Moya from the UDP. Mayor Moya, just days after giving birth was dragged from her maternity bed and hauled before Magistrate Court to answer several allegations of financial and accounting irregularities at the City Council. The lame duck Mayor is no stranger to a mind-boggling, never ending series of scandals and irregularities involving City Council funds. Outraged at the personal way Barrow had orchestrated her arrest and Court charges the Mayor had some choice words for her tormentor. Among those she used the words that by his behavior Barrow had shown he “had no balls”. If Barrow was a manly person he would have ignored the comment. Not Barrow. He was seen the said week limping from his sick bed to attend a party meeting at UDP Headquarters rumored organized hastily to discipline and expel Mayor
ANOTHER RESIGNATION
The Deputy Solicitor General of Belize has resigned. Belizean Priscilla Banner who is a trained Attorney at Law has submitted her resignation to the Government. This latest resignation in the government’s legal offices is another blow to national pride and the need to stuff the legal department with competent and motivated attorneys. It is also an indictment of the UDP government. The Solicitor General’s department is the office that provides legal advice to all governments agencies and deals with civil matters in court. The current Solicitor General is a foreigner who does no legal cases in the Courts. It is Priscilla Banner who has been carrying the heavy burden of representing the government in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. The choice plum cases are given to private law firms of known UDP’s. The Belize Times understands that recently an attorney from law school applied to the Director of Public Prosecutions to work as a Prosecutor. He was turned down because he was a Belizean. Since the UDP took over the government the offices of Solicitor General and Director of Public Prosecutions have been demoralized and are in shambles. Murder cases are mounting with a huge backlog. Those that reach trial result in nolle prosequi. At the Solicitor General’s office there appears to be no legal guidance for public officers and Ministers, particularly the Police, and Heads of Departments where illegality is the order of the day.
Moya. The procedure was done in breach of basic legal principles and Mayor Moya obtained a Supreme Court Order blocking Barrow. Now the unmanly Barrow has found a way to expel his critic. This weekend Moya was unceremoniously booted out of the UDP. Which brings up the real question since Moya was elected as a UDP and as the Mayoral Candidate of the UDP, how can she remain in the City Council as Mayor if the party has thrown her out? If a priest was defrocked and put out of his denomination, can he remain in the Cathedral preaching on behalf of the denomination that expelled him? In his haste to embarrass Moya, Barrow has now gained another item of notoriety - a UDP City Council headed by a UDP Mayor who is no longer a UDP officer. Whoever cried that “Barrow is bad for Belize” is a political genius. Belizeans are seeing it every day that unfolds.
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BARROW & WILLIAMS SECRETARY GETS BAIL RIGHT AWAY
Our Court reporter had predicted the results of this one. And he was proved right. On Wednesday morning Magistrate Fraser read several charges of drug trafficking and one possession of ammunition to two Belizeans. They are car dealer Alwyn Gonzalez and Secretary Tiffara Bradley. The Magistrate explained that because of the ammunition charge the
Court could not grant bail and that such bail could be applied for in the Supreme Court. The law requires that the DPP office be allowed seven days to obtain information and assign a prosecutor to attend the bail hearing in the Supreme Court. But to no one’s surprise the Secretary was not sent to prison on leaving the Magistrate Court. Instead the DPP Cheryl Lynn Branker-Taitt Vidal personally came from Belmopan and re-saw a hasty process in which the Secretary received bail within hours of the Magistrate remanding her. How could this be? The Secretary works at the law firm of Prime Minister Barrow and his law partner Rodwell Williams. The Police and the DPP have some explaining to do. The other Belizean, Alwyn Gonzales will more than likely be denied any special attention by the DPP and will no doubt have to wait at Hattieville Prison until a judge hears his application. Under the Barrow government some folks are treated more equal than others.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Preparing for Municipal Management………
Carolyn Trench-Sandiford Party Chairman Belize City is my home. It is where I grew up and still live. Its history, socio-economic, cultural and political energy, people and other inhabitants [including the rats, the crabs, the cato etc.], spatial organization, growth and development continues to intrigue and fascinate me. However, it also concerns me that for the past decade, our policy makers and leaders continue to approach the challenges of the city as if we are still living in the 1970s and 80s and nothing has changed. Our City is a magnet of hope for many, but it is also a place of considerable despair for others. Yes, there are many successful areas, where families are living in well laid out communities with aesthetically pleasing homes and safe and attractive neighbourhoods, and in most cases, they have good jobs, have their own transport and can afford education and health care. This should be maintained. Unfortunately, many other areas of the city are either succumbing to urban blight and decay, or emerging as “shanty” or “squatter” communities, where living conditions are deplorable, unemployment is high, health problems are increasing, literacy rates are declining, crime is of epic proportions, educational facilities are bursting at their seams, recreational and other social and basic facilities and services are either non-existent or inadequate, transportation is questionable and overcrowding pervades. This is due to the
lack of planning, inefficient and inequitable resource allocation, and unregulated growth. Rather than making an attempt to balance the equation and addressing the problems of the city holistically, over the past weeks both the city council and the cabinet appear to be expending energy over the granting of a liquor license for #48 Baymen Avenue. This has led to a public power struggle between UDP constituents, area representatives, campaign manager, the owner of # 48 Baymen Avenue, Cabinet, and the UDP liquor licensing board and the theatre continues. While many revelations emerged, the root cause of the problem was never even in the periphery. I have continuously argued that Belize City is growing at an alarming rate without the requisite planning to provide for the needs of population growth and new household formation. That is, properly designed street layout with sidewalks, land designations for housing, schools, parks, sporting and recreational facilities, employment opportunities, libraries, health centers and other basic services and utilities, such as water and electricity to facilitate and sustain successful communities. Neither has there been any attempt to regulate the redevelopment that is taking place in existing built up areas of the City where old buildings are being torn down, including those of historical significance, to make way for modern multi-storied commercial structures, which is transforming neighborhoods and communities from low traffic to high volume traffic. This has implications to congestion, air and noise pollution, safety and security, gentrification and exclusion of low income families, lost of cultural heritage, and the proliferation of activities that contributes to criminal behavior and poor living conditions. I also have a fundamental problem with cabinet interference in a municipal matter, because this is why we go to elections to elect our municipal leaders, it is their duty and responsibility to make
decisions regarding the good governance of their municipality. While I will not fault Hon. Carlos Perdomo, as an area representative to go to bat for his constituents, I am mystified that it is an area representative from Corozal who will make the decision as to whether a liquor license is to be granted. What understanding does he have about the workings of the city? As Minister of Local Government, his responsibility is to provide guidance and direction as to municipal operations for the country, and leave the day to day decision making to the municipal authorities. If he does this, he would be able to see the forest, and not the tree, and to understand that # 48 Baymen Avenue has occurred because of the lack of planning and zoning laws, and the institutional capacity to prepare and implement such plans and enforce such laws. That is the root cause of the problem. The bottom line is that the city, as well as the towns, and villages need to engage in development planning, of which land use and zoning plans are but one component, to address historic, contemporary and emerging challenges associated with development, population growth and human needs.
Rather than quarrelling over a liquor license for # 48 Baymen Avenue, the emphasis should be on preparing a Development Plan for Belize City to enunciate a clear developmental path with defined goals to ensure that the city maintain its prominence as the country’s premier financial, commercial and service center for the country, while facilitating an acceptable quality of life and creating opportunities for all, not some. A component should be a zoning and land use plan, that demarcates the city into zones with permitted uses, that is residential, commercial [bars, small shops etc.] light industry, mixed uses etc., and the standards to apply, that is, the height of the building, density, building coverage and set back and parking according to uses etc. Vision is what is needed. Thus, it is up to the People’s United Party to ensure that development planning and land use and zoning regulations feature prominently in our policy position on municipal management. For only if we do so, can the revolution continue….and only so will we be able to create a NEW BELIZE, which will bring to all Belizeans a better life and a just share of the national wealth……
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF BELIZE, A.D. 2010 (DIVORCE) Action No. 65
CURLIN JAMES WILLIAMS
BETWEEN
PETITIONER
and
KIMBERLY FOXY BELINDA WILLIAMS
RESPONDENT
TO: KIMBERLY FOXY BELINDA WILLIAMS
TAKE NOTICE that a Petition for dissolution of marriage dated the 22nd day of March, 2010 endorsed with a notice to you to appear and answer the charges therein has been filed in the Supreme Court of Belize by CURLIN JAMES WILLIAMS and that you are required within fifteen days of the second and last publication hereof to enter an appearance at the Supreme Court in Belize City, Belize, should you think fit so to do and thereafter to make answer to the charges in the said Petition AND FURTHER TAKE NOTICE that in default of your so doing the COURT will proceed to hear the said charges proved and pronounce judgment, your absence notwithstanding.
REGISTRAR THE SUPREME COURT OF BELIZE
on s g n i t Wri theWALL Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
11
ivan says: May 26, 2010 at 11:58 am zenaida moya was elected to serve the city of belize in the best of her ability and with transparentcy”and accountability,which she has failed the belizean people and this should have been done a long time ago,sheover paid herself monies from the council without the approval of the council,-she was ordered to return it bakand she never did so the question is what has moya zenaida done for belize city? NOTHING ,she has been collecting monies from the cruise taxto better the city and where is the money going or which bank account is it in?the city hasn’t change at all after many years of the moya clan,only her huge mansion has been built.moya is a problem. maddyvandijk says: May 26, 2010 at 6:42 am Police and the BDF are patrolling the streets right now which seem to put a small dent in criminals side, and this has helped so far crimes seems to have fallen under the radar but for how long? We all know this operation has an expiration date, is the GOB planning for a substitute when this operation is expired, if not, keep locking your doors at night because the criminals have not gone away, and they are not all in prison lock away. I can pretend to be optimistic but that would make me just darn ignorant. Gray says: May 24, 2010 at 4:37 pm The Queens Square Market… How did it get t be Finnigan’s market?????????????? Mr Kandid says:
May 25, 2010 at 2:10 pm
I wonder how Hotchandani came into possesion of this land in the first place? Was there any lining of pockets and clicking of glasses while our Belizean crabs in a bucket tried to scratch their way out with a pitance of a kick back? Maybe not. While 20 BZD a day may not be unfair, it has once again been handled in a most uncivil manner. E. M. says: May 21, 2010, 15:30 Apparently, the UDP,s leadership, who constantly brags about good govrnance and transperancy is currently bankrupt in terms of how to successfully govern and lead the Nation. Instead of moving forward it appears to be reaching backward to the llopsided form of leadership style that existed under the former government of Manuel Esquivel. Belize had not accomplished an iota of progress under that old regime. Clearly, the current government is exhuasted and shoud be place in retirement.. They have absolutely no new ideas on how to coduct the affairs Government. All that you hear from them are excuses and blame. They’ve been in control of the seat of government for two long years or more, and still cannpt come with anything more than the same old political rhetoric and blame. game When will this government grow up and come into the relization that one cannot govern by continously trying to pass the buck. The buck must stop at the current leadership, not with was or what happened two or four years ago. It’s time to grow uo or shut up Mr. Barrow. The old game and name calling is over. Jorge says: May 23, 2010, 21:27 As a long time visitor to Belize I find myself not wanting to set foot in the Country as the dangers and corruption have turned a wonderful country and place to visit and retire to into a place ALL persons should avoid until a new Goverment is elected.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
No More Band-aid Solutions…
Not unexpectedly, the top brass of the Police Department have been patting themselves on the back for the success of Operation Jaguar, their latest anti crime fighting strategy to loosen the stranglehold that the criminals have on the nation. It was about time that the Prime Minister the Honorable Dean Barrow and his government did something about the alarming crime situation or risk giving the impression that the carnage being wrought by the criminals should be accepted as normal human behavior. It is indeed appalling that the crime situation had been allowed to fester for so long. The fact is that pressure has been building for some time now on Mr. Barrow and his embattled National Security Minister Hon. Carlos Perdomo as the crime situation that has the nation in its tentacles has worsened persistently as the strategies that have been embarked upon by the Police have made very little if any impact. In reality, the public has grown weary of the excessive talk but not enough action by the powers that be in dealing with the unacceptable levels of crime in general and the wanton gun related murders in particular that have traumatized us to the point of making us prisoners in our very homes. Indeed, time and again Mr. Barrow and Mr. Perdomo have waffled and have refused to focus on the choices they must make and the priorities they must set if the nation is to effectively manage the crime situation. As a result of their vacillation and their refusal to make the crime situation a top priority, it seems that the nation is being held hostage by the criminals. And in spite of the adverse effects of the economic recession, business owners and home owners have had to spend a ton of money to protect their properties from the marauding criminals who operate with impunity and continue to be one step ahead of the Police.
For its part, Operation Jaguar that has seen the Police buttressed by the personnel of the Belize Coast Guard and the Belize Defense Force has resulted in the expected dramatic decrease in crime such as the killings, the armed robberies, and the home invasions. It has been a welcomed respite for the law abiding residents who live in the crime ridden areas of Belize City and who have the specter of violence hanging over their heads. For too long, they have lived with a high level of anxiety as they are well aware that anyone, anywhere can be struck down in the already blood soaked streets. But blanketing the Southside of the City with our security personnel is not a long term solution and as a result, it is expected that the crime situation will remain largely unfazed as nothing has been done to tackle its root causes. It is clear also that the Police who have had their operating budget butchered this year by Mr. Barrow will be unable to sustain Operation Jaguar for much longer. And whenever this latest anti-crime fighting strategy comes to an end, the criminals who have been “holed up” waiting for the Police to leave will return to the streets with their savagery and their guns ablaze. There is no doubt that this will sound like the beating of the proverbial “dead horse,” but
the only viable solution available presently to bringing the crime situation under control remains a major improvement in the poor relationship that exists between the Police and the public. Yet, the greater cooperation that is so essential in putting the hardcore criminals behind bars is almost absent on account of too many officers today carrying on as though they are above the law and acting as though they should be feared rather than acting like the servants and the protectors of the public, and the public seeing them as their sworn enemies. As a consequence, there are too many persons who possess vital information on crimes that have
been committed who are afraid to come forward because they do not have the confidence that the Police have the ability to protect them from the criminals before and after they have testified. In addition, it seems that too many officers are too close to major underworld figures and more than likely would pass on confidential information such as who are the persons who are “informing” on them. On account of that, the criminals walk free for the lack of evidence. Obviously, one’s personal safety will always win over communal responsibility. Clearly, no one wants to become another murder statistic. Mr. Barrow is scheduled to unveil his government’s newest anti crime fighting measures next Wednesday June 2nd. But one has to wonder why the crime situation has not provoked prompter action. Surely if fighting crime was a priority to Mr. Barrow, all possible steps should have been taken by now to bring the alarming crime situation under control. Hopefully, the new measures will not be more band aid solutions like Operation Jaguar, but will include positive steps such as the sacking of Mr. Perdomo and the Police Commissioner Crispin Jeffries who both have failed miserably to provide leadership in the fight against crime. We have to start somewhere.
A Public Service Message Courtesy of The Belize times.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
13
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO’S FIRST WOMAN PRIME MINISTER
Trinidad and Tobago has a new prime minister and her name is Kamla Persad-Bissessar. After 13 years as Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago, Mr. Patrick Manning found himself in that often awkward, but necessary position of having to pick up the phone and to offer congratulations to his opponent and now Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar. This process is a part of the process of transition in democratic societies, where the outgoing leader offers congratulations to the incoming leader, followed by the concession speech. Ousted in Monday’s general election, Patrick Manning and his People’s National Party (PNM) lost to a coalition of opposition parties called the "People's Partnership," which was originally the United National Congress, the Congress of the People and three others. Lead by PersadBissessar, the coalition won 29 of the 41 seats in Parliament, while the PNM got 12 seats. On Wednesday, Kamla Persad-Bissessar, a former attorney general became the first woman prime minister of Trinidad. She heads the United National Congress (UNC), which put together a coalition to oust Manning's People's National Movement (PNM).
The New Prime Minister said it is an honour to get the position after 24 years of public service but noted that she now bears an enormous responsibility to move the society forward and open a new chapter in the history of Trinidad and Tobago. Her first act was to name her Attorney General. She is expected to select her cabinet in the next couple of days. Manning and the PNM suffered defeat after an election that saw him accused of mismanaging funds and spending exorbitantly on public buildings. While he completely denied these charges, he takes the blame for his Party’s defeat. "I take full
responsibility for the loss." Manning called snap elections midway in the five-year term of his administration to thwart an opposition motion of noconfidence in him. Here in Belize, the last time a snap election was called was in 1993 and the result was that the PUP lost the government. Manning, who was a popular prime minister and a much liked and respected Caribbean statesman spent his 13 years as PM working on issues like poverty reduction and attracting billions of dollars in investment in Trinidad and Tobago's petrochemical industries.
Like many other Caribbean nations Trinidad and Tobago is in the grips of a serious crime problem. Kidnapping and execution style murders are common place and this along with corruption and what many saw as waste of government funds led to the demise of Manning and the PNM. Trinidad and Tobago is a country with a population of about 1.3 million people. The country is ethnically divided almost evenly between descendants of African slaves (blacks) and those of Indian indentured workers brought over when the territory was a British colony. According to official numbers released by the Elections and Boundaries Commission, of the 1,040,127 registered voters, almost 70 percent turned out to vote in Monday’s election. Of the 722,322 people who took part in the polls, 432,026 voted for one of the five parties making up the coalition. The PNM received 285,354 votes across the country.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
COURT NEWS
Three Years and Two Months for Jaime Palacio
BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 26, 2010 Jaime Palacio, 21, a construction worker of #24 Raccoon Street who allegedly entered the house of Allison Bowen, 55 and stole a weed eater valued at $1,200, was charged with burglary and common assault when he appeared yesterday in the #2 Magistrate’s Court. Palacio pled not guilty to the charge. But because he owed the Court $3,000 for a conviction of robbery and $250 for a conviction of possession of a controlled drug, Palacio was not offered bail. Instead he was taken to prison to begin to serve 3 years and 2 months in default of payment of the fines. The burglary and common
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Jaime Palacio
assault occurred at around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 19. Bowen, who resides at #15 Currasow Street, reported to the Police that while he was at home, Palacio entered as a trespasser and choked his stepdaughter, Alma Manzanero then stole his weed eater. Bowen said Manzanero told him that Palacio told her not to say anything and he left with the weed eater. Pa l a c i o wa s d e t a i n e d by Police the following day, Thursday, May 20.
PUBLIC AUCTION SALE: PROPERTY Vista del Mar, Belize District
BY ORDER of the Mortgagees, Messrs. Heritage Bank Limited, Licensed Auctioneer Kevin A. Castillo will sell the following property ON SITE on Monday the 31st May 2010 at 1:30 pm:
Punta Gorda Store Owner Charged With Drug Trafficking
BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 26, 2010 Diego Witz, 48, a store owner residing in Punta Gorda who the Police alleged they busted with 4,316 grams of cocaine in an undercover operation, was charged with drug trafficking when he appeared in the #2 Magistrate’s Court on Friday, May 21. Witz pled not guilty to the charge. Magistrate Sharon Fraser explained to him that the Court could not offer him bail because of the quantity of cocaine involved. She remanded him into custody until June 28. The incident occurred at around 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19. The Police reported that in their undercover operation they saw a red car with Dangriga license plates in which there were 3 persons. They reported that they followed the car as it went over Belcan Bridge and it stopped at the Texaco Gas Station on the Northern Highway. According to the Police, Witz got out of the car and got into a white Ford car with Corozal license plates and he was seen putting some things into the front of his pants. The red car drove off and Police intercepted the white car at mile 4 on the Northern Highway. The Police reported that they found Witz with a
Parcel No.1604 Corner Rock Beauty & Red Snapper Drive, Vista del Mar, Belize District
Marvin Polanco
BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 26, 2010 Yesterday, almost one year and one month after a traffic fatality, air traffic controller Marvin Polanco, 37, who resides at #2302 Mahogany Street, was charged with manslaughter
TERMS: STRICTLY CASH KEVIN A. CASTILLO TELEPHONE 224-4473 E-mail:kevinacas@yahoo.com
red knapsack which contained a black plastic bag with 5 brown parcels in which there was cocaine and $6,000 U.S. currency. The Police reported that the red car was pursued as it headed back over Belcan Bridge and they lost it when their vehicle collided with a Land Rover Discoverer at the junction of Partridge Street and Vernon Street. Assistant Superintendent of Police Alford Grinage, who was driving the police vehicle received minor injuries and lost consciousness. He was released later the same day after he recovered. Both the police vehicle and the Land Rover were damaged.
Air Traffic Controller Charged With Manslaughter by Negligence
REGISTRATION SECTION BLOCK PARCEL Vista del Mar 16 1604 (Being a concrete bungalow dwelling house [24’ X 38’] and lot [343.61 square meters] containing 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, living/ dining/kitchen/laundry situate at the corner Rock Beauty & Red Snapper Drive, Vista del Mar, Belize District, the freehold property of Mr. Mike Panton & Ms. Barbara Panton).
Diego Witz
by negligence and other related charges. Polanco’s other charges included causing death by careless conduct, driving without due care and attention and driving a motor vehicle without reasonable consideration for other persons using the road. Polanco was arraigned in the #3 Magistrate’s Court. No plea was taken from him because the offences are indictable. He was released on bail of $5,000 and his case was adjourned until June 25. The incident occurred on April 30, 2009. According to the alleg ation, Polanco was driving his Toyota pick-up truck on the western Highway and when he reached between miles 11 and 12 he knocked down Nestor Edwards Flores. Flores received injuries to his head and body which proved fatal.
Her Graciousness, The Reigning Queen of the Bay, Reena Usher invites all Belizean young women between the ages of 18 and 23 to participate in The Queen of the Bay Pageant on Saturday, 4th September, 2010. Call 203-7373 or 602-2307
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
15
COURT NEWS American Businessman Charged for Car Dealer and Secretary Charged With Unlicensed Ammo and Drug Trafficking Ammo without Gun License
Bradford Keith Bryant
BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 26, 2010 American businessman Bradford Keith Bryant, 39, who was remanded to prison last Friday after he
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was charged with keeping ammunition without a gun license, was released on a bail of $5,000 yesterday. His attorney, Ellis Arnold, applied to the Supreme Court for bail and it was successful. Bryant is to return to Court on June 14. Around 10:30 a.m. on May 20, the Police acting on information received went to the Phillip Goldson International Airport. At the Delta Airline Office they searched Bryant’s luggage and reported that they found 5 rounds of Winchester Magnum a m mu n i t i o n i n s i d e t h e b o t t o m compartment. The ammunition was in a black and blue ammunition box, the Police reported. When asked if he had a license for the ammunition, Bryant said he has one in the United States, but none in Belize. As a result, Bryant was detained and charged. The ammunition was labeled as exhibit. Bryant is in the air condition business and he is from Georgia. He was vacationing in Belize and he was getting ready to board a Delta Airline flight to Atlanta, Georgia when the incident occurred.
BY ORDER OF MORTGAGEE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO SELL HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED a statutory body formed and registered under the Credit Union Act, Chapter 314 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, and whose registered office is situated at No. 1 Hyde’s Lane, Belize City, Belize District hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under and by virtue of a Deed of Mortgage registered at the Land Titles Register between Glenford Villanueva and HRCU. HRCU will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule below. ALL offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing to HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED from whom full particulars and conditions of sale my be obtained.
SCHEDULE ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 3451, containing 416.497 Square Yards situate along Allan Pitts Crescent, Loyolaville, Belize City, Belize District, being a portion of land comprised in MINISTER’S FIAT GRANT No. 273 of 1991 dated the 31st day of July, 1991 and more particularly shown and delineated on a Plan of Survey No. 273 of 1991 dated the 31st day of July, 1991 by David Aguilar, Licensed Land Surveyor, recorded at the office of the Commissioner of Lands and Surveys, Belmopan City, Cayo District in Register Plan No. 1703 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon, the freehold property of Glenford Villanueva
Tiffara Bradley
Alwyn Gonzalez
BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 26, 2010 Two persons, Alwyn Gonzalez, 30 and Tiffara Bradley, 26, were charged with 3 counts of drug trafficking when they appeared today in the #2 Magistrate’s Court. They were also charged with keeping ammunition without a gun license and possession of a metal pipe used for smoking cannabis. They pled not guilty to the charges. Magistrate Sharon Fraser explained to them that the Court could not offer them bail. She remanded them into custody until June 28. The Police reported that on May
22 acting on information they received they went to an apartment building at #11 Guadalupe Street and searched it. They say that the search led to the discovery of 6.1 grams of heroin, 359 grams of cannabis, 27.6 grams of crack cocaine, 35 rounds of 9mm ammunition, one metal pipe and $10,000. According to the Police, Gonzalez and Bradley were the occupants, of the apartment at the time. Gonzalez was represented by attorney Dickie Bradley while Bradley was represented by attorney Nigel Ebanks.
Jury Finds Hemmans Guilty of Kevin Arnold Murder
Clarance Hemmans
BELIZE CITY, Wed. May 26, 2010 Clarence Hemmans, Jr. 20, charged with the murder of Kevin Arnold, 24, was found guilty of the charge in the Court of Justice Troadio Gonzalez on Friday, May 21. The jury of 10 women and 2 men deliberated for about 3 hours and 15 minutes before it arrived at its verdict. Although the automatic sentence should be life imprisonment, Justice Gonzalez has adjourned the sentencing until June 2 to see whether the fact that Hemmans
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was a minor when he committed the offence will have any effect. Arnold was shot 10 times at around 1:00 p.m. on May 27, 2007 while he was walking on Armadillo Street, going to meet his girlfriend Shana White who was by Los Cocos Bar waiting for him. White took the witness stand and testified that she saw Hemmans ride up on a bicycle and fire several shots at Arnold. She said Arnold tried to stay on his feet but Hemmans continued to fire shots at him and he fell to the ground. H e m m a n s g a ve a n a l i b i testimony in which he claimed that at the time of the incident he was at home with his common-law wife and two friends, Wilton Usher and Shelton Smith. Usher testified in an effort to corroborate Hemmans’ testimony but he was found not to be a credible witness. Hemmans was represented by attorney Phillip Palacio. Senior Crown Counsel Yohhanhseh Cave represented the prosecution.
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, May 30, 2010
Thank You from Shalini Dear Belizean Friends and Lovers of Sports, especially Cycling, Thank you so much for all the support you gave me at the recent Female Cross Country Cycling Classic. I never knew that my silver medal won at the Central America Games held in Panama could have catapulted me into the category of fame and more expectation! Everywhere I go, people greet me with smiles and nice words – “You win, no true! The Gold next time, Shini! Gial, we proud a you!” I guess it’s true. Everybody loves a winner, and I am happy to have won that medal for Belize and, now, the Female Cross Country for Belizeans. The foreign competition did not come. Had they, it may have been a different story! Nevertheless, I did my best, riding as if my life depended on it, keeping in mind some words that I heard Madam Mayor of Belize City tell the male cyclists at one of their races – “Let the miles be your trophies and the wind your victory song!” For my success, thanks are due. I’d like to thank, first and foremost, my Dad, my brother, Tony II, my adopted brother, Raul, who is always there for me, and of course, Roj, who is my inspiration. They are the wind beneath my wings. I’d like to thank my teammate, Jamie, for returning to the team and for her valiant effort after a long absence. I’d like to thank all those persons who lined the route of the race cheering us on, calling my name, and especially the children, and the little girl from Hattieville who even held up a sign with my name on it! Thanks to SOL who sponsored the race and the other sponsors, especially Tony’s Super Store situated in downtown Independence, who always assists LOVE FM so that the broadcast can reach the far corners of our nation. Thanks to the Cycling Association for organizing these races that our prowess may be put to the test, and to Miss Yvonne who always has time and kindness and consideration for me. Thanks to those who donated station prizes to make the route even more challenging and exciting! Special thanks to Berne, who wrote the little jingle, “Ride, Shalini, ride.” I didn’t hear it during the race, but I heard it afterwards – thanks, Berne! You, too, would make a good music ambassador. Thank you everyone for all you did. On the weekend of June 26 and 27, the biggest race of our Association, the National Road Championships, will be held, even bigger than Cross Country because this one determines the best Belizean cyclists for the year – male and female – who get to wear the Belizean jersey for a whole year wherever they go. My ambition is to ride for Belize in the Olympics, so I will be challenging myself again in this race, hoping that my ambition may be realized. It’s good to be a champion, but it is even harder to maintain that position! Please keep praying for me that God may keep me healthy and strong, that my ambition does not wane, that I can continue to persevere until the years take their toll on me, as they do with every champion, and that I, with all your support, can continue to make my family, friends, and all Belize proud of me. You win some and you lose some, but you keep on riding for the love of the sport, right? Right!
Shini
Once again thanks to everyone!
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
Mariposa'sKid's Corner
The hurricane season is about start. So today we are going to spend a little time learning how to be ready. Hurricanes are severe tropical storms. When they come onto land, the heavy rain, strong winds and heavy waves can damage buildings, trees and cars. The heavy waves are called a storm surge. Storm surges are very dangerous and a major reason why you MUST stay away from the SEA during a hurricane warning or hurricane.
Things to Know!
• • • • • • • • • •
Listen to what your Mommy and Daddy ask you to do to help out. This is not the time to be playing, it is important that you listen to your parents. Listening can save your life. Listen to a radio (make sure your family has batteries). Help your parents move your electrical things (e.g. television, computer, microwave, radio or video or dvd player) to a safe place away from possible water damage. Help your parents shut off your utilities -- water, electricity and gas. Place your school books and other books in large plastic garbage bag, tie it with a knot and ask your parents to put them in a place safe from water. Put your shoes in a large plastic garbage bag and tie with a knot. Remind your family to stay in touch with neighbours especially when you are told to evacuate/leave your homes and go to a SHELTER. At the shelter DO NOT leave your family. Pay attention to your parents’ instructions and stick together. If you don’t need to evacuate, be sure to STAY INDOORS during a hurricane. You could be hit by flying objects. Don’t be fooled if there is a pause in the wind. It could be the eye of the storm, and the winds will come again. Hurricanes can be very scary. If you are scared, be sure to talk to someone about it.
Get Ready... Get Set... FIRST-AID KIT: Ask your Mom or Dad or another adult for help in creating your first aid kit. These are the things your first aid kit should have: • Sterile adhesive bandages of different sizes • Cotton balls or pads • Scissors • Tweezers • Sewing needle • A lighter or matches • Antiseptic (like Dettol) • Thermometer • Tube of petroleum jelly • Safety pins • Soap • Latex gloves • Aspirin or other pain reliever • Anti-diarrhea medicine • Antacid • Any medicines your parents, grandparents, brothers and sisters or you might need.
• WATER: Storing water is one of the most important things you can do. In an emergency, pipes may be broken or the water contaminated. (Contaminated means it is not safe to drink.) Store water in plastic containers. Plastic soft drink bottles are good! Don’t use milk cartons or glass bottles. You should have a three-day supply of water. • FOOD: You will need a three-day supply of non-perishable food for every member of your family. Non-perishable • TOOLS & SUPPLIES: Place the following stuff in a school means food that can stay good for a long time without needbag or canvas bag. ing to be in the refrigerator. It is also good if the food doesn’t • Flashlight and extra batteries need to be cooked. Here are some suggestions: • Battery-operated radio and extra batteries • Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits and vegetables • Non-electric can opener • Canned juice, milk and soup • Pliers • Tape • Sugar, salt and pepper • Matches in a waterproof container • High energy foods, like peanut butter, jelly, crackers, • Aluminum foil • Paper and pencils granola bars, trail mix • Needle and thread • Plastic sheeting • Vitamins • Toilet paper • Soap • Fun foods! Like cookies, hard candy, lollipops, instant • Household chlorine bleach coffee and tea • Plastic bucket with a tight lid • Special food for babies or older people • Plastic garbage bags • CLOTHING & BEDDING: Everyone in your house should have a complete change of clothes and a pair of sturdy • TOYS & GAMES: Make sure to put in some of your fa- shoes or boots stored in the disaster kit. You should also have vourite toys, story books, colouring books and crayons and rain gear (raincoats and umbrellas) and blankets or sheets and games to help keep you occupied. pillows for sleeping on.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Now for the promised 'change'
SO the widely expected change of government has taken place. Indeed, the extent of the gains at Monday’s poll may have come as a surprise for even the hastily put together People’s Partnership coalition with its ’time for change’’ mantra. Yesterday, an effusive Kamla PersadBissessar was preparing to take the reins as Trinidad and Tobago’s first female Prime Minister and leader of a coalition administration that has achieved a substantial 29-12 parliamentary majority. In sharp contrast, Patrick Manning - in and out of government for some years, and head of three consecutive administrations over the past nine years - was yesterday contemplating a future that could well include surrendering leadership of the People’s National Movement (PNM) . Monday’s defeat marked the second occasion that Manning lost state power at a snap general election called by him. Perhaps more than most, if not all of his PNM’s key decision-makers, Manning would have more correctly interpreted the harsh meaning of the Kamlamania that had swept the electoral landscape. Yet he has remained stoic in the face of a humiliating defeat. Now, as he prepares to meet with his fellow party officials, he would certainly have one of them very much on his mind - Keith Rowley. Dr Rowley was the PNM’s candidate whose mixed messages of support for party as distinct from leader undoubtedly contributed to Manning’s loss. Monday’s landslide victory for Persad-Bissessar’s People’s Partnership was
only slightly less humiliating for the PNM than that suffered in 1986 by the 33-3 landslide of another coalition arrangement led by the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR). Every new government needs time to settle down to reflect on policies and programmes to be pursued consistent, first of all, with its election manifesto. The coalition, therefore, has its work cut out once the full cabinet has been appointed under ’Madam PM Kamla’’ - as media headlines have been saluting her. It needs to be quite sensitive to the laudable promise made to work to change the culture of governance that could well result in the demise of the ethnic-based politics that has for far too long afflicted T&T. In this sense, it must be evident, even to the coalition’s opponents, that the level of popular support received on Monday, across the ethnic divide, augurs very well
Death toll reaches 44
THE number of civilians confirmed killed in the security force operation in West Kingston has reached 44. Political Ombudsman Herro Blair, speaking on RJR 94 FM, said that he had counted 35 at the morgue with another nine bodies awaiting collection. Meantime Public Defender Earl Witter is questioning the disparity between numbers killed and the number of firearms seized. Security forces have so far accounted for four firearms seized.
Witter added that he saw no sign of bodies being burned as alleged by persons claiming to be residents who called media houses during the assault on Tivoli Gardens and Denham Town which began Sunday. One soldier and seven members of the security forces were injured after security forces entered the West Kingston communities to execute a search warrant for reputed local area don Christopher 'Dudus' Coke. Coke is wanted for extradition to the United States on gun and drug trafficking charges. He is still at large.
for the laying of a solid foundation for this qualitative change to seriously begin to take shape. The rest of Caricom and other plural societies in particular - Guyana and Suriname, for example - will be monitoring the progress of change. Or they may be looking to see what fundamentally differentiates this new administration from the old political culture of the PNM which had dominated the Trinidad and Tobago scene for generations. The UNC - the principal coalition partner, and its allies, Congress of People (COP), and those with trade union and civil society bases, have the obligation to make proper use of their threefifths parliamentary strength in the 41member House of Representatives. An assessment will, of course, be based on initiatives taken to foster policies and programmes that build con-
fidence at home as well as within Caricom. Whatever its domestic shortcomings, the PNM has over the years acquired a proud record in helping to foster and strengthen the region’s economic integration movement. Therefore, Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar and her cabinet can expect watchful eyes on how the coalition maintains, weakens or strengthens relations between Trinidad and Tobago and the rest of Caricom. One issue that readily comes to mind is completing arrangements to access membership of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). With a three-fifths parliamentary majority, and given Manning’s own oftenexpressed support, there should be no quibbling about Trinidad and Tobago having the CCJ as its final appeal court, and becoming the fourth to do so. However, it is appreciated that priorities in areas of basic social services (water, health and education) as well as changes in fiscal and economic policies must come first. It would be a pity to witness the coalition spending quality time chasing after issues linked to an old politics - the settling scores and, consequently, minimising the laudable promise of change so overwhelmingly endorsed at Monday’s poll. Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar’s firm promise of ’an end to divisive politics’’ is therefore a welcome assurance, one best assessed with the passage of time. For now, let the coalition’s ’Time for Change’’ programme begin.
Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, Glenmore Hinds, says the police will continue its operation in West Kingston, as long as such measures are required to restore law and order to affected areas. He was participating in a press conference at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) on Tuesday (May 25), to provide information on the ongoing police/military operation in Tivoli Gardens. The police and military have been engaged in the Tivoli Gardens area since Monday (May 24), after violence escalated following the issue of a warrant for Christopher Coke to be extradited to the United States to face drugs and gun
charges. The police have so far confirmed the deaths of 26 civilians and one Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) soldier since the operation started in Tivoli Gardens on Monday. Two policemen were also killed on Mountain View Avenue, Eastern St. Andrew on Sunday. JDF Colonel Rocky Meade said, in response to concerns raised by journalists about possible excesses during the operation, that no more force than necessary was used. "As you can appreciate we cannot go into details as to specific tactics that are being used. The operation is ongoing, so we have to be careful of that.but what I can assure you is that we have used no more force than is necessary to preserve lives, whether of our troops or of the civilians that we are protecting. We have been very careful of that," he said. Also speaking at the press conference, Minister with responsibility for Information, Telecommunications and Special Projects, Hon Daryl Vaz, said that the Government is determined to ensure that the criminals are contained. "I can categorically state that the time has come when we have to take this on frontally, without any apology. So, therefore, don't limit it to a matter of an operation in relation to execution of a warrant; this country is under siege by criminals and the time has come when it is going to be dealt with," Mr. Vaz declared.
Police Say West Kingston Operation Will Last as Long as Necessary
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
Detienen a candidato del PRD-PT en Quintana Roo
Cancún.- Autoridades federales detuvieron anoche al candidato del PRD, PT y Convergencia a la gubernatura de Quintana Roo, Gregorio Sánchez, y lo trasladaron al reclusorio federal de Tepic, en Nayarit, acusado, entre otras cosas, de lavado de dinero. Gregorio Sánchez fue detenido en el aeropuerto, cuando regresaba de la ciudad de México, cumpliendo con una orden de aprehensión girada por el juez segundo de distrito, con sede en Tepic, por los delitos de lavado de dinero, delincuencia organizada y delitos contra la salud, en su calidad de fomento. La captura del candidato del PRD, PT y Convergencia, fue confirmada por el vocero de la PGR, así como por el presidente del sol azteca, Jesús Ortega, quien declaró que no permitirán un michoacanazo en Quintana Roo y que la alianza de izquierda seguirá teniendo candidato, pues recurrirán al Tribunal Electoral, que ya determinó que mientras no esté sentenciado, puede competir en las elecciones. Jesús Ortega acusó al gobierno federal y del estado de Quintana Roo de utilizar las instituciones de procuración de justicia con fines políticos, para obstaculizar la candidatura de Greg Sánchez. Hay que recordar que en el caso del
candidato del PAN en Aguascalientes, Martín Orozco, quien también está acusado de un delito penal, el Tribunal Electoral le autorizó seguir con su campaña política como candidato, pues mientras no esté sentenciado, no se pueden conculcar sus derechos humanos y políticos. Sin embargo, en el caso de Greg Sánchez, se trata de un delito federal grave, que no alcanza fianza, por lo que tendría que seguir su campaña en la cárcel. Antes de iniciar su campaña se le acusó también de tener cuarteles de espionaje, pagados por el ayuntamiento de Benito Juárez, del cual es alcalde con licencia. Los centros de espionaje fueron descubiertos por el Ejército.
Asamblea Nacional ecuatoriana condecora al lider cubano Fidel Castro
Quito.- El titular de la Asamblea Nacional (Parlamento) de Ecuador, Fernando Cordero Cueva, viajó a Cuba como portador de una condecoración que el Legislativo otorga al líder de la Revolución cubana, Fidel Castro Ruz. Cordero se entrevistará este miércoles con el presidente de la Asamblea Provincial del Poder Popular de La Habana, Juan Contino Aslam, con quien dialogará sobre la situación regional, latinoamericana y mundial, en el marco de las acciones parlamentarias.
Posteriormente, se reunirá con el ministro de Relaciones Exteriores de Cuba, Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, y posteriormente tiene previsto entrevistarse con el historiador de La Habana, Eusebio Leal, precisa una nota oficial de la presidencia del Parlamento ecuatoriano. Como objetivo central de su viaje, Cordero se entrevistará con el primer vicepresidente de los Consejos de Estado y de Ministros, Ramón Machado Ventura, a quien entregará la condecoración que la Asamblea Nacional de Ecuador otorga al ex presidente cubano. En la tarde del propio miércoles, a las 15:00 hora local, el presidente del Poder Legislativo ecuatoriano se reunirá con estudiantes de su país becarios en centros educativos de La Habana. El jueves en horas de la mañana Cordero participará en la capital cubana de la inauguración del seminario "Logros y nuevos desafíos de la Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de nuestra América (ALBA)".
Aumentan a 314 los damnificados por temporal en Guanacaste
Guanacaste (Redacción). Las fuertes lluvias que desde el domingo afectan la vertiente del Pacífico hicieron que la cantidad de damnificados aumentara a 314 en las últimas horas, reportó la Comisión Nacional de Prevención de Riesgos y Atención de Emergencias (CNE). Hasta las 11:29 a. m. la Comisión mantenía bajo su resguardo a 96 personas en el albergue de Palo Seco de Santa Cruz, 50 en el Ebais de San Blas de Cóbano (Puntarenas), 20 en el salón comunal de El Roble de Puntarenas, 43
en la escuela de Nosara y cinco en la iglesia católica de Buena Vista de Nosara. Otros 100 habitantes de Nandayure abandonaron sus casas y están hospedados donde parientes o conocidos. De acuerdo con Werner Stolz, del Instituto Meteorológico Nacional (IMN), el sistema de baja presión causante del temporal tiende a alejarse hacia Guatemala. Sin embargo, la condiciones lluviosas en el Pacífico central y norte persistirán en las próximas 24 horas.
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Fijan fecha para juicio del ex coronel Aldana
Se determinó que el inicio de la audiencia de juicio oral contra el ex coronel Joaquín Enrique Aldana, acusado de matar y desmembrar a su esposa Érika Yeneris Gutiérrez, será para el 8 de julio, con continuación el 9, 12, 13, 14, 15 y 16 del mismo mes. En la misma diligencia, se aprobó el disco duro del computador de Aldana como prueba de la Fiscalía, pues en un comienzo la defensa adujo que este material probatorio había sido conseguido de manera ilegal. De la misma manera, se excluyó el testimonio de dos personas, una por parte de la defensa y otra de la Fiscalía. El abogado defensor pidió que se tuviera en cuenta la versión de una amiga de la pareja que podía dar fe de las infidelidades de Érika Yeneris en Medellín, pero el juez consideró que al estar en una cuidad lejana, sería dispendioso el proceso de traslado hasta Ibagué, además de lo repetitivo de la prueba. Igualmente, se excluyó como testigo una vecina del tiempo en el que el matrimonio vivió en Ibagué, pues el juzgado no vio méritos para llamarla a rendir su versión. En el caso del disco duro la presidencia de la sala no tuvo en cuenta los argumentos de la defensa y no excluyó esta prueba, pues consideró que era importante para conocer la verdad de los hechos. Al final, el abogado del ex coronel se mostró satisfecho con el resultado de la audiencia, "en un cúmulo de pruebas tan grande como el que se solicitó por parte de la defensa, el hecho de que sólo se haya denegado una, me parece que es un balance muy favorable y que corresponde
a un trabajo serio que viene adelantando la defensa, porque en la audiencia se sustentó cuál era la razón y la finalidad de estas pruebas", explicó Enrique Lozano Guarín. Como lo hizo ayer, el ex coronel Aldana habló con los medios y precisó que se encontraba enfermo. "Sufro de dolencias desde hace varios años, tengo problema de la mano. El año pasado me detectaron una hernia; necesito un tratamiento médico como cualquier ser humano". "Lo he manifestado en varias oportunidades y he sido muy claro, me siento acompañado de Dios y por eso es que yo he estado muy tranquilo con mi comportamiento. Nosotros debemos creer en la justicia; los que estamos siendo investigados no debemos utilizar el recurso de vencimiento de términos; porque eso crea dudas en la opinión pública, debemos someternos a una sentencia debidamente ejecutoriada", finalizó el ex policía.
Cuatro personas mueren al caer avioneta
Cayó sobre una fábrica en la zona 3. Uno de los trabajadores falleció en el percance. Cuatro personas murieron cuando la avioneta bimotor tipo Navajo con siglas TG-LAP se precipitó a tierra. La mayor parte del fuselaje de la aeronave cayó sobre una fábrica de salchichas en la zona 3 y uno de los trabajadores falleció con el impacto. Los tripulantes fueron identificados como Francisco Pineda, el piloto, Rolando Soto y Guillermo Zedan. La fabrica se ubica en la 6ª. Avenida y 33 Calle de la Zona 3 y varias viviendas cercanas sufrieron daños cuando una de las alas cayó sobre los techos. Una gran cantidad de combustible se podía visualizar en el lugar y miembros del Cuerpo de Bomberos
Municipales trabajaron para contener el derrame del combustible. Bomberos municipales y voluntarios utilizan equipo especial de rescate para poder extraer a los fallecidos entre el fuselaje. La Policía Municipal de Tránsito con el apoyo de la Policía Nacional Civil han cerrado el paso vehicular y peatonal debido al riesgo que representan las calderas, los contenedores de combustible de la fábrica y el combustible derramado de la aeronave. Autoridades de Aeronática Civil junto a bomberos aeroportuarios se apersonaron al lugar para realizar investigaciones de rigor y expresaron que la avioneta había salido hace unos minutos rumbo a Ilopan, El Salvador.
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vul·gar
The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
[vuhl-ger]
–adjective 1. characterized by ignorance of or lack of good breeding or taste: vulgar ostentation. 2. crude; coarse; unrefined: a vulgar peasant.
PUBLIC AUCTION SALE: PROPERTIES Vista del Mar, Belize District
BY ORDER of the Mortgagees, Messrs. Heritage International Bank and Trust Limited, Licensed Auctioneer Kevin A. Castillo will sell the following properties ON SITE on Thursday the 3rd June 2010 at 1:30 pm:
REGISTRATION SECTION BLOCK Vista del Mar 16
PARCEL 1991
(Being an incomplete 18 – 2 bedroom apartments + 1 – 4 bedroom apartment situate in Vista del Mar, Belize District on 1.07 acres of seafront land, the freehold property of Mr. Frank Speight)
REGISTRATION SECTION BLOCK Vista del Mar 16
PARCEL 1992
(Being an incomplete 18 – 2 bedroom apartments + 1 – 4 bedroom apartment situate in Vista del Mar, Belize District on .08 acres of seafront land, the freehold property of Messrs. Franklin Pointe Development Company Limited)
TERMS: STRICTLY CASH KEVIN A. CASTILLO TELEPHONE 224-4473 E-mail: kevinacas@yahoo.com
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
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Belize #1 Sports Page
Cross Country Champ Miguel Perez tests positive Te a m S u g a r C i t y S t a r z ’ Guatemalan import Miguel Perez wowed Belizean cycling enthusiasts when he outdistanced all other rivals on his solo ride from Cotton Tree to Belize City to win the 2010 annual Holy Saturday Cross Country Cycling Classic in 6:09:22, but the latest word from the Belize Cycling Association is that Perez’s body fluids sampled after the race have come back positive in anti-doping tests. SCS team manag er Damien Goff confir med the news, but said Perez had denied using any perfor mance enhancing dr ugs. To be fair to Perez, it remains for the second sample which Perez
gave after the race to be tested to confirm the results of the first test. A carbon-isotope test will also be done which will deter mine conclusively whether or not Perez had used any steroids or other prohibited drugs. If the initial results are confir med, Perez will lose his title and prizes, which would then go to the man who placed 2nd, Venezuelan rider Wilmen Bravo Isaga of Team Zamir. Team Santino’s American import John Delong would be bumped up to 2nd and Belizean Marlon Castillo would be bumped up to 3rd place.
St Ignatius, Ebenezer & Wesley Upper boys win 2 back to back in primary schools football The St. Ignatius RC School boys and the Ebenezer Methodist each won two victories back to back in the Belize City Primary Schools football competition at the M.C.C. grounds this week. On Tuesday, the St. Mar tin de Porres School girls won 3-0 against the Queen Square School girls, with goals scored by Kedidra Tunn and Kimberly Garcia, who scored 2 goals. The Wesley Upper School boys won 1-0 over the St. Martin de Porres School boys with a goal scored by Fredrick Williams. The St. Mary’s Primary School boys won 2-0 against the Trinity Methodist School with 2 goals scored by Niam Wilson, who now leads the competition with 8 goals.
The St. Ignatius School boys posted their 2nd win 2-0 against the Calvary Temple School boys with goals scored by Steven Dillett and Akeem Baptist. The Belize Elementary School girls also enjoyed their 2nd win 1-0 against the Queen Square Anglican School girls when Balika Meighan scored the winning goal. St. John Anglican’s star striker Roslyn Smith tried to lead her team to a win when they took on the Wesley Upper School girls on Tuesday afternoon, but in the end they settled for a nil-zip draw. The Belize Elementary School salvaged a 1-1 draw out of the jaws of defeat when they took on the Queen Square School boys on Tuesday afternoon. Rayne Gentle scored first for Queen Square in
the 1st half, but George Perez scored the equalizer for Belize Elementary in the 2nd half. The St. John Vianney School boys breezed to an easy 3-0 win when the Ephesus S.D.A. School boys forfeited their game. Last Thursday, May 20, the Ebenezer Methodist School girls had held the Belize Elementary School girls to a nil-zip draw.
The Ebenezer Methodist School boys had posted their 2nd back to back win 2-0 against the Belize Elementar y boys with 2 g oals scored by Allan Contreras. T he Holy Redeemer School boys got the easy bye to a 3-0 win over the Stella Maris School boys, who forfeited their game and St. Ignatius School boys also picked up their first win over Ephesus SDA School by a forfeit.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Belize #1 Sports Page
Millennium girls spank Placencia Pearls 3-0 in female football
The Millennium girls spanked the Placencia Pearls 3-0 in Week 2 of the Belize Female Football league competition at the M.C.C. garden last Saturday, May 22. Miriam Villamil and Shinelle Gentle led the Millennium girls’ offensive with the help of Kara Kisling and Salambu Munnings on the wings and midfielders Kaya Cattouse and Lynette “Panchy” Gabourel. The visitors’ defensive line Beverly Ver non, Jeena Casey, Zulma Ortega and Kira Eiley were completely outfoxed by Kara Kisling, who soon embarrassed the Placencia goalie Jasmine Garcia with the 1st goal early in the 1st
half. The Placencia strikers Shari Lopez, Denise Glenn and Maylin Martinez tried to get a counterattack going with the help of Khadijah Asales, K arissa Rhamdas and Corby Rhaburn at midfield but were no match for national team striker Kaya Cattouse who blasted in a 2nd goal past Garcia for the Millennium girls to lead 2-0 at the half time break. Meanwhile the Millennium girls’ defense lineup which included veterans Adelma Broaster and M e l o n y Ta s h e r, a n d n a t i o n a l team sweeper Shadalee Ho and Kendra Clarke, shut down the Placencia girls’ attacks and goalie
Ermine Ferguson handled all other challenges, often coming out of goal to scoop up a loose ball before the visitors could get to it. In the second half, Emrice Linarez replaced Corby Rhaburn on the wing; Corby took over from Garcia in goal and Janice Westby moved in to a defenders position, relieving Kira Eiley. Millennium introduced Geanne C a y e t a n o t o r e l i e ve A d e l m a Broaster, K ara Kisling moved back to defend and Sharlene Lopez replaced Shinelle Gentle. Even so the visitors could not stop Miriam Villamil from driving in a 3rd goal. Placencia’s Enrese Linarez,
Sh a r ida C a b r a l a n d Na ta sh a Gibson entered the ball game for Shari Lopez, Karissa Rhamdas and Denise Glenn but even they could not change the final score: 3-0. In the other games around the league of the competition, Gentle Touch of Esperanza upset Pumas Auto Rentals 2-1 at the Carl Ramos Stadium on Saturday with 2 strikes by Nataki Alvarez, while Nykemah Kuylen scored a consolation goal for the Pumas. Gentle Touch will host the Placencia Pearls at the Norman Broaster Stadium on Saturday, May 29, and the Pumas will host the Millennium girls.
Placencia Assassins still No. 1 in Belize Bank in Super League football
The Placencia Assassins continue to lead the Belize Bank Superleague Football competition, following a 1-1 draw with Santa Elena Synergy in week 7 at the Placencia football field on Sunday afternoon. The Placencia fans roared their approval when Ashley Tor res scored the first g oal for the Assassins in the 13th minute, but Dean Flowers delivered the equalizer for Santa Elena in the 42nd before the long whistle. A t t h e M . C. C. g a r d e n o n Sunday, Belize United bounced back from back to back defeats to inter r upt Nizhee Corozal’s winning streak 1-0 with a strike by Kevin Rowland in the 56th minute
of play. Rowland and Ashton Lewis led the City offensive with the help of Emersson Garnett and Marshall Nunez on the wings, backed up by David “Manu” Macaulay Sr. and Thomas Castro at midfield,. The Nizhee visitors had come to town to win and were not about to roll over so easily. Their defensive line led by team captain Antonio Castillo, Julio Tun, Kenny Canul and Andrew Allen shut out the City boys’ attack the entire 1st half, with goalie Benito Moreira coming out of goal to halt Lewis’ and Rowland’s attacks. Michael “Chenko” Whittaker an d Dar n ell M o ssia h led th e visitors’ offensive, with the help of Christian Pena and Javier Pott
on the wings, and Uriel Yam and Arieni Swazo at midfield. Veteran defender Glen Martinez held the line for Belize United, backed up by Mark “Kelo” Leslie, Dennis Peralta and Andy Aranda and goalie Stanley “Jordan” Reneau shut out the visitors until the long whistle. Up north, defending subchamps San Felipe Barcelona toppled the City Boyz 1-0 at the People’s Stadium on Saturday night when Lorenzo Diaz blasted in the winning goal in the 6th minute of play. Hattieville FC salvaged a 1-1 draw out of the jaws of defeat when they took on Cayo South United at the Hattieville field on
Sunday. Joshua Richards scored first for the visitors in the 3rd minute of play, but the Hattieville fans groaned with relief when Leon “Lem” Jones delivered the equalizer for Hattieville in the 17th minute, and so it remained until the long whistle. The competition continues with Belize United hosting San Felipe Barcelona at the MCC garden on Saturday night, while on Sunday the City Boyz will pay Santa Elena synergy a visit at the Santa Elena field, Nizhee Corozal will look to ambush Hattieville FC at the Santiago Ricalde Stadium and the Placencia assassins will awa i t C ayo S o u th U n i ted i n Placencia.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
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Belize #1 Sports Page
BDF burns Ibayani 2-1 in the 2010 Caribbean Motors Cup football final
Defending BPFL champs Belize Defense Force burned Georgetown Ibayani in Game 1 of the Caribbean Motors Cup championship football finals at the Carl Ramos Stadium Sunday. Orlando Jimenez and Lisbey Castillo led the BDF attacks with the help of Evan Mariano and Kareem Haylock on the wings and the BDF looked to get on the scoreboard early when Tyrone Pandy brought the ball up on the flank and centered into the
goal area for Jimenez, but Ibayani’s goalie Elias Pelayo intervened. K areem Haylock also tried to create a play for Jimenez but again Pelayo intervened. Ibayani was not looking to take a back seat and Onis Martinez tried a left foot shot that was wide of the mark. The BDF finally got it together when Evan Mariano g ot up the vertical to put the finish on a cross to center from Lisbey Castillo to embarrass Pelayo with the 1st goal of
the ball game in the 37th minute of play and the BDF held on to their 1-0 lead up to the half time break. The B.D.F. won a free kick early in the 2nd half and David Trapp set table for Kareem Haylock on the wing, but Mariano failed to finish on Haylock’s cross to center. Never mind because on Haylock’s next try, Khalil Velasquez was there for the finish to give the BDF a 2-0 lead in the 49th minute of play. Georgetown’s Mario Villanueva
did his best to put the Griga squad on the scoreboard, but his right foot shot sailed over the crossbar. The B.D.F. almost made it 3-0 when Dennis Serano got an open look at goal, but Serano choked. The BDF defense shut out the Georgetown squad until injury time when Darwin Castillo finally scored a consolation goal in the 91st minute. Game 2 of the series comes up at the M.C.C. garden on Sunday, May 30
San Pedro Tigersharks and Belmopan Bandits win in Digicell senior basketball The San Pedro Tigersharks posted their 3rd back to back to back win 80-75 over Jamboree in the Digicell “Balling for Life” senior basketball competition at the Belize City Center on Friday night; while the undefeated Belmopan Bandits impressed Creative Graphic Impressions 82-77 on Sunday. San Pedro’s 4 foreign imports Ivan Jackson, Damien Staples, Gene Myvett and Stretch Marcellus gave them the advantage for their 80-75 win over Jamboree on Friday night. Team captain Lester Cadle hit a long trey in the 1st quarter, Ivan Jackson followed suit with 2 treys, but Jamborees’ Judson Stubbs and Richard Troyer answered with 8 pts each and Keith Acosta and Ronald Rivers added more buckets to give Jamboree a 20-19 lead in the 1st quarter. Cadle finished with 14pts while Gene Myvett led the island squad with 24 pts as they took over the lead 41-37 at the half. Richard Troyer drained in 3 treys to lead Jamboree with 36pts, Ronald Rivers also hit 3 treys to finish with 13pts and Jamboree took back the lead in the 3rd quarter, which ended with Tigersharks up 62-59. L i n d b e r g h G r a h a m , Tr o y e r, Stubbs and Acosta regained the lead for Jamboree in the fourth quarter with advantage see-sawing back and
forth, but Ivan Jackson drained in a final trey and more buckets from Staples and Myvett, and Sheldon Williams’ 8pts saw them through to the 80-75 win. Bandits’ Christian Rodriguez scored the 1st basket against CGI, and Jay Chavarria and Mark Wagner each tossed in a trey to give the Bandits a 21-18 lead in the 1st quarter. CGI’s Andre Almendares led with a
game high of 28pts, while team captain Harris Patten drained in 3 treys to add 17 pts as the Creative Graphics regained a slim lead 49-48 at the half. Bandits’ Ron Belisle and Kirk “Chengo” Burgess each drained in 3 treys, Burgess playing big D as he grabbed 17 rebounds, and the game was tied 63-63 at the end of the 3rd quarter. CGI’s Kelvin Gillett added 15pts,
Mark Bainton was good for 11pts and Winton Augustine tossed in 4pts, and Kevin “Coby’ Arnold tossed in a bucket but it was too little too late. B u r g e s s f i n i s h e d w i t h 2 0 p t s, Chavarria added 15pts, Rodriguez had 14pts and Belisle added 11pts. Evan Salazar snagged rebounds and scored 8pts on the putback. David Laing added 7 pts and Adrian Jones chipped in 3 pts for the Bandits’ 88-77 win.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Belize #1 Sports Page
Hold On Smart wins 2 back to back in Digicell Junior basketball
Hold On Smart posted back to back wins in the Digicell “Balling for Life” junior basketball competition at the Belize City Center over the weekend On Friday, Hold On Smart blew away the Lake I Boys 83-57 and followed up with a 58-42 blast of the Ghetto Ballers on Sunday. Hughson Tillett led Smart with a long trey, but Ryan Theus, Alberto Cuellar and Michael Murillo gave the Lake I boys a 12-10 lead in the 1st quarter. Hold on Smart soon took over the lead when Russell also hit a trey adding 17pts, and Edgar August added 4pts to give Smart a 33-22 lead at the half. Smart’s Jamaal Kelly shot a game high of 28 pts, so that even as Theus finished with 16pts and Cuellar hit a trey to finish with 14pts the Smart boys led 57-34 at the end of the 3rd quarter.
Smart’s Elvis Olivera added 13pts, Marshall Nunez Jr drained in a trey to add 8pts in heavy traffic, and Kendis Williams, Devon Wright, Beresford Codd and Lyndon Arnold tossed in more buckets for the 83-57 win. On Sunday, Kendis Williams led the attack with 5pts in the 1st quarter, Russell Staine and Marshall Nunez each drained in a trey, Nunez finishing with 6pts, while Staine totaled 15pts and Smart led from the getgo: 12-5 in the 1st quarter. Ja m a a l Ke l l y a d d e d 1 3 p t s, Hughson Tillett and Olivera, Staine and August tossed in more buckets to give Smart a 31-14 lead at the half. Ghetto Ballers’ Albert Tasher lit up the scoreboard with 4 treys as he led his squad with 26pts, but he was the only one in double digits, and the Smart boys continued to
lead 46-31 in the 3rd quarter. The undefeated Orange Walk Running Rebels posted their 5th win 103-55 over the Youth Hostel on Sunday; John Diaz leading with the first bucket, and Randy Usher - 12pts, Michel Martinez – 16pts, and Jarrel Velasquez – 4pts added more buckets to lead 21-7 in the 1st quarter. Ronald Sutherland’s 3pts, Marcel Richards’ 12pts and Omar Tesecum -17pts saw the Sugar City boys leading 45-19 at the half, even as Thomas Fernandez scored all seven points for Youth Hostel in the 1st quarter and he added another 4pts in the 2nd quarter, he finished with 25pts. Darren Herrera drained in 2 treys to add 6pts and power the Rebels to a 73-34 lead in the 3rd quarter. Youth Hostel’s Raheam Mariano scored 12pts, Nor mandi Caliz added 5pts and Jonathan Gideon
tossed in a bucket, but the end was never in doubt. The Truckers squashed NHI 108-62 in Game 1 on Sunday Oliver Solis leading the way with 40pts and the Truckers were up 26-15 in the 1st quarter. Michael Roaches drained in 2 treys in the 1st quarter and another in the 2nd to lead NHI with 16pts. Truckers’ Brandon Murillo answered with 2 treys for 8pts, and Steven Wade tossed in 16pts to give the Truckers a 55-32 lead at the half. NHI’s Dennis Brown added 1 4 p t s a n d D i o n Ro ch e s a n d Giovanni Rolland scored 8pts each, but Truckers still led 78-44 in the 3rd quarter. John Rolland added 9pts for NHI and Leroy Gladden chipped in 6pts, but Kadeem Tam hit a trey to finish with 15pts as the Truckers rolled on to the 108-62 win.
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The Belize Times
Sober
Reflections Things deh buck!
is more difficult than it has been at any other time in recent or not so recent memory. My friend and I talked also about the very real poverty of children going to school hungry because there is no money for food. Many of those children go through a full day of school without a bite to eat before heading to the nearest congested business areas to beg a dollar or two before heading By: Mike Rudon Jr. Most days people in the political arena who don’t like me would say I’m a complete a$$hole. Most days I’d tend to say that’s pretty damned accurate. I try to tell it exactly like I feel it is and I’ve made me some serious enemies very close by. The thing is that politics has gotten to a point where it’s difficult to tell friends from enemies. In what has become a cloak and dagger facsimile of scenarios played out in old Cold War thrillers, it is difficult to say who has your back or who wants to stand at your back to slit your throat. I guess the point I’m making is that most days I’m so disgusted by the games being played that I just want to holster the old pen (or close the laptop) and call it quits. Then I remember that little thing called a paycheck and those big things called bills and those other little things called hard times and I soldier gamely on, so to speak. But yeah, these are nasty times in the great old Party, full of treacherous pitfalls and deadly vipers and sinister plots. What a disservice we are doing to those many thousands who still believe in us and still look to us to take over Belmopan whenever the call comes. Anyway, with that said let me look to another thing that keeps me in the game, at least until my call comes. I was speaking to a friend over the weekend and he was telling me that he and his wife had to make a conscious decision to do away with the traditional gestures on special occasions; things like bouquets on Mother’s Day and birthdays. He claimed that it just didn’t make sense to spend $100 plus on flowers which would last a day or two before withering away. In these times, that money could be used in a hundred more meaningful ways. Granted, this isn’t a heartbreaking story of poverty like so many untold here in real life Belize, but it sends the picture that ‘haad times’ are not just restricted to the poverty stricken. If you still don’t want to lay the blame squarely at the feet of this Barrow administration fine. Instead let me say that under this Barrow administration, making ends meet
PUP Think Tanking Sessions Every Thursday, Independence Hall at 7:30pm
home. That happens! So many of our children do not even make it into the classrooms because they are forced to hit the streets to beg so that they can eat and live! How many families are living in ramshackle huts without utilities and proper sanitation – children too hungry and desperate to study by candlelight while rats and roaches scurry across the warped, gapped wooden floors of their shelter? The Minister of Education has a speech which he loves to give whenever he is granted a photo opportunity and sound bite for the evening news. He exhorts our children to be all that they can be and reach for the highest stars and let nothing hold them back. Boss, how can our children reach for the stars when your government has them living in the deepest depths of abject poverty with not a hint of light on the horizon? Seriously! And we talked about the royal backsides of our UDP ministers, cronies and political appointees. For a country admittedly struggling economically (43% of Belizeans live below the poverty line) why is it that our Ministers must drive the very latest and most luxurious SUVs? Why is it that millions are spent on fancy vehicles for ministers when for
Sunday, May 30, 2010 two years our government has not been able to find a lousy $4million to put a permanent bridge over the Kendall crossing? Our Deputy Prime Minister received a brand new luxury Montero when he got into office, and now he sports a brand new luxurious top of the line Lexus SUV. Why? Our Minister of Health was given a Land Cruiser with heated seats which cost about $160,000. Why? And the list goes on and on. Mr. Barrow spends so much on assuring the warmth and comfort of the royal backsides of he and his crew while so many Belizeans lie on cold floors with no idea of what the next day will bring. This is the reality of the lot we chose in February of 2008. And the thing is – Mr. Barrow still has not come before us to say if or when there will be a lessening of the suffering. Our people need us to stand for them because the UDP does not stand for the people. We need to stop this foolishness. All of us! There are too many games being played, too much ego in the equation, too many personal petty agendas. I am by turns frustrated, confused, angry, disenchanted and disgusted. I can only imagine how many of our supporters out there feel.
meg·a·lo·ma·ni·a [meg-uh-loh-mey-nee-uh] –noun
1. Psychiatry. a symptom of mental illness marked by delusions of greatness, wealth, etc. 2. An obsession with grandiose or extravagant things or actions.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
J. A. Rebel
UP
The Belize Times
Shame on the San Pedro Mayor
San Pedro Amberg ris Caye is unique in many ways, one of which is the composition of the population on the island. Currently, the island’s population consists of mainly mainland residents who have mig rated to the island in search of a better quality of life. In so doing, they have contributed tremendously to the growth and development of the island and in many instances these mainland people consider San Pedro their new home. In fact the operation on Ambergris Caye would come to an almost complete halt if the mainland residents would choose to move off the island overnight. So then we can safely say that the island is dependent on the mainland residents for their operation to continue and similarly the mainland people are dependent on the island as a major source of employment. It is important for me to bring these scenarios into perspective because of a particular situation that exists at the San Pedro Town Council. Generally speaking, I am tempted to say that Sanpedranos are not prejudiced against mainland residents, but expect them to fit into their community and embrace the values, goals and objectives of the island. Nothing is wrong with that, but where I draw the line is when there are clearly divisions and preferences over being from the island vs. being from the mainland. For too long the UDP elected officials have been discriminating against these mainland residents calling them “come yah” or “outsiders.” In fact this racist position became evident when there was a major power struggle to appoint a new deputy mayor of San Pedro Town. Two o f t h e U D P e l e c t e d officials are not originally from Ambergris Caye. Councilor Joseph Elijio is originally from Dangriga while Councilor Pablo Ico is from Orange Walk. It was a pre-election understanding that the position for the Deputy Mayor would be rotated on an annual basis and those who had not ser ved in that capacity under the previous ter m would get a try at the position. There was no objection from within the council and the rank and file of the UDP when a Sanpedrano was nominated to serve in this capacity in the first year of the current UDP Town Council. The challenge came when outsider Pablo Ico was set to become Deputy Mayor.
It took over a month before Ico was announced as the Deputy Mayor to the displeasure of many including the Area Representative. Just before the announcement, Ico fired off a serious press release, partly lashing out at the barefoot minister. To make a long story short, Deputy Mayor Ico was given one of the most powerful portfolios on the island - Tourism, Traffic and Transpor t. Little did Ico know that even with such an a p p o i n t m e n t h e wo u l d n e ve r actually control those positions. The former deputy mayor refused to hand over the vehicle to Ico; in fact transport officers were asked to confiscate the vehicle from the former deputy mayor before it was turned over to Ico. It is almost three months now that Ico assumed the responsibility of Traffic and Transport and he still has not been given the autonomy to control those departments. In fact, the Guerrero brothers, who are very cozy with Junior (the barefoot minister), are the ones running the Traffic and Transport Department. Ico is not deputy mayor because he is liked by the Mayor. Ico was appointed deputy major because the Mayor and some of her councilors felt that Ico would blow the whistle on them if not given the position. The main reason that the elements within the UDP refused to give Ico full autonomy for traffic is that the rank and file of the UDP has used the traffic department for personal gains. Should the books at the traffic department be opened and audited, then the dolly house at the town council would crumble to pieces. The San Pedro Traffic Department is in a complete financial mess; licenses are sold over the counter, vehicle importation permits are sold to a select few while monies are unaccounted for. But because Ico has publicly declared that he will call a spade a spade, the Mayor is afraid that Ico will “spill the beans.” The Mayor, the Guerrero brothers and even Junior has no shame to admit that they are dissatisfied that an “outsider” or “come yah” is Deputy Mayor. What is it that the Mayor, Junior and the Guererro brothers want to hide and cover up? Let not your heart be troubled - the beans are spilled and the documents are out! But we’ll leave that for another time.
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FOR SALE
By Order of the Mortgagee Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., a company duly registered under the Companies Act, Chapter 250 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition, 2000, and having its registered office at cor. Albert and Bishop Streets, Belize City, Belize, hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Mortgagee under a Deed of Assignment Mortgage made the 30th day of December, 2006, registered in Deeds Books Vol. 5 of 2007 at Folios 243 – 264, between FirstCaribbean International Bank (Barbados) Limited (the Assignor) and Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., under a Deed of Assignment of Mortgage made the 5th day of July, 2004, recorded in Deeds Book Vol. 21 of 2004 at Folios 1129 – 1122, between Capital Life Insurance Company Limited (the Assignor) and FirstCaribbean International Bank (Barbados) Limited, which said property was mortgaged by Jorge Meliton Auil II and Anna-Marie Auil to the said Capital Life Insurance Company Limited on the 27th day of December, 1995, recorded in Deeds Book Vol. 1 of 1996 at Folios 641 – 690; and the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd. will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the schedule hereto. All offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing and full particulars and conditions of sale may be obtained from the said Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.
SCHEDULE ALL THAT piece or parcel of land containing 0.787 acres being Lot No. 6 a portion of the lands comprised in Grant No. 13 of 1990 situate at Mile 11 on the Old Northern Road, Belize District all as the same is shown on a Plan by G.V. Bautista, Licensed Surveyor dated the 17th November, 1994 the said lot being bounded on the North by Lots numbered 4 and , on the South by the Lot No. 7, on the East by the Old Northern Road and on the West by the remaining portion of Lot No. 3 and being more particularly described as follows: Commencing at a concrete pillar being the northwestern corner of the said lot thence (premising that all bearing and distance are grid) on a bearing of 91°25’45” for a distance of 144.98 feet to a concrete pillar thence continuing in the same direction for a further distance of 200.20 feet to another concrete pillar thence on a bearing of 157°42’33” for a distance of 98.88 feet along the Old Northern Road to a concrete pillar thence on a bearing of 270°23’57” for a distance of 382.66 feet to a wooden post thence on a bearing of 0°03’15” for a distance of 97.43 feet back to the concrete pillar at the point of commencement and which said lot piece or parcel of land is more particularly shown and delineated on a survey plan drawn by G.V. Bautista, Licensed Surveyor dated the 17th November 1994 and recorded at the Ministry of Natural Resources in Belmopan in register No. 8 at Entry No. 2257, TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon.
DATED this 11th day of May, 2010.
MUSA & BALDERAMOS
91 North Front Street Belize City Attorneys-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
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THE PATRIOT
Pussyfooting: Operation Jaguar
It is high noon. Navigating down the swing bridge on a day when the weather decides to be as stubborn, indecisive and oppressive as the current reign of this UDP administration is no easy task. Yeah, despite the fact that the sky was ominously overcast and the sun seemed to have abandoned us, it is so humid and choking even the crayon smelling kids who are normally sugar fueled to hyperactivity seem to be more subdued. But even as the mid-day sultriness disapprovingly stared at the pack of school aged boys, who were blocking the adult flow of traffic on the pedestrian walkway of the rust resilient Swing Bridge, the tallest boy of the lot requisitioned “Unu wah si wich paat di blood deh fahn di man weh get dead?” His tone was sparkling with all the anxiety and rouse appropriate for the intense adventure of an Easter egg hunt. Off they raced weaving through the canal of handbags and purses clenched by the office workers and frantic housewives who were late to prepare afternoon lunches. I just could not shake from my mind the thought that Belize had become a sweat factory, an economic sauna, and a social presha pat. The images of our children gamboling through the streets while bullets, guns and bombs shout their names just feet away from their classrooms and Dora schoolbags, is just infuriating. Cold like that! It was only when the sales pitch of the newspaper boy and the inescapable mustiness of that homeless-sprang head odor which is the trademark of downtown Belize City hit me that I looked down at the front page of the Guardian newspaper. The bare feet newspaper boy peddled in serious jest, “Times, Guardian, Reportah,…get it while e hat…if yuh kiyah read den buy it and watch di pitcha!” The Bredrin was right! The truth in the high resolution picture on the front page was worth a thousand words. The picture was the poster child for the “uncaging” of operation Jaguar. (On a side note though people, seriously, who comes up with these names for these UDP failed experiments? 360 degree Plan on Crime, which is a full circle back to the original position; Preventative detention which is oxymoronic at best, and now “operation jaguar” who would release a ferocious wild killer into a civilian population? I don’t know if it is Bert Tucker, Yellowman, DJ Dolla, Ramon Dim Witz or some other UDP genius but mi bally unu haffu do better wid dey name.) Yeah but this photo was excessively daring and provoking. It knee jerked with all the things the desperate public wanted to shout at the Minister of National Security. Yeah, it did. I mean look at it, there was an intimidating Hispanic descent police officer, with the peak of his hat masking his eyes and half his face, while he confidently taunted an armory of assault weapons which had never been pointed at a Guatemalan intruder. In the background, not too far from a prospering hamans tree and a wooden house which obviously saw no benefit from the Venezuelan grant money for home improvement, was another bullet proof officer, who had just nabbed an obvious bad man. The guy had to be a miscreant! Come on look at him. He was black, riding a beach cruiser bicycle, baggy gang clothes and a rusty high afro. Gat im!!!!
We all are fed up and unified, even the “Passin” deh come out of their slumber and are in full on exorcism mode against crime. In terms of shameless futility, of all the elected and unelected UDPs, closeted or flamboyantly out the political closet UDPs, main stream UDP’s or underground ACB –UDP’s, it took a politically disgraced mayor who is an alleged criminal to “cast the first stone” against crime. But, but, but…. Operation Jaguar? Operation Jaguar? Come on!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Boots, what kind of rock is this government smoking? Belize is an interesting country; we are the only place where it is popular to have fire lit barbeques at a gas station and no one even blinks. No!! On the contrary we wait patiently in long lines more concerned that when we get to the front of the line all the breast wah done. That fear is more real to us than the fact that we are standing inches away from a smoking barbeque pit which is no more than spitting distance away from an explosive gas pump!!!!!! We are the same people who will sit back, cross its fingers, close its eyes and hope that this incompetent UDP government is successful at releasing wild man eating Jaguars into our streets. Operation Jaguar!!???!!! I waited a while before I became critical of this pussyfooting operation. The way I see it, like most other things in Belize, we are what my grandmother used to call “fuss bruk”. When something is new, no different from a child with a puppy we rush to it but after the novelty of it wears off and we have to clean up the indiscriminant spirals of mushy pooh, no one cares. Well the dung has been here long before the puppy!!! Come on, family, how can we be in support of this Operation? Some people will take the popular and ear pleasing position of saying that crime is every one’s business but to me this UDP administration is bankrupt and bird brained in everything, much more in solving crime. Operation Jaguar, are you kidding me????!!!?? Yeah I can be harsh. I can be brutal even! I could memba that it is this same UDP government who just weeks aback slashed/hacked/robbed the Ministry of National Security budget, despite all the pointed and constructive queries from the Opposition in the House. Dey no serious, big man! Who could forget that long before Dean he mi want turn Belize City into the Cockscomb Basin, we the Opposition mi di tell that haad ears one he dat he should have quitared Carlito’s job as Minister over our national insecurities. No, he did not want that. Boss, imagine that man di drap like fly bout yah and that breda too busy playing “lass lick” with a UDP shoplifter who ran the National Campaign for the Government. Crime??? The UDP is not concerned about crime, they are far too busy shoplifting and casting people out of their party or killing their own. Look, Howell Longsworth, now Pastor, get dash weh. Zenaida get dash weh. Marcel Cardona get hib weh. Mark King get chow eh. Michael Peryfitte get fling weh. Dey shave Kenny Morgan head and put he inna the attic. Karim Berges get used like wa eight miles patron and then get pitch weh. Trust me, big man the list is much longer. Crime??!! This government is a
crime which needs to be fed to lions and jaguars. Their idea of governance is to make people suffer and try to jail their own people. See Deano and the UDP are so obsessed with petty side shows that they barely took their head out of the commotion of in fighting and inbreeding to give us the hollow afterthought of Operation Jaguar. You no serious!!!! My youth, this is the same government who paroled an ex-convict to the ranks of Ambassador in homage to his royal blood and who signed another extension for the head of the Police Force, whose head most Belizeans would prefer to see roll. But the operation itself is foolhardy, for a couple of reasons. The first is that the operation is nothing more than a souped up police vigilante program with stressed out, over- worked, under paid, low morale officers speeding around town with guns like chickens without heads. It is the worst timed operation in Belize’s history. This must be on the acumen of UDP advisor Easy Glen, because more police officers will hit the streets on the wake of an epidemic of police abuse and corruption. Think about the back drop here: Police officers in ski masks, suspicions of police death squads, the shoot to kill top brass directive, police assassinations of another police inside the police station, three police killing of civilians in two months, the arrest of CIB officers who are accused of masterminding a criminal rink, the crippling of Stephen Buckley and Elvin Torres, who was featured in our rice bun version of the Rodney King affair. And it is this same police force that you want to unleash? Stap play boss!!!! Secondly, in the past few months the most heinous crimes have really been happening out district, not Belize City, mi bally!!! We had the murder of the security guard in Spanish Lookout and the robbing of the Bank there. We had the
27 be-heading of two people in Bella Vista, which remains unsolved despite its having similar criminal fingerprints as another murder in that area, and recently we had a Chinese business woman who had her baby strapped to her who was slaughtered at her work, again in San Ignacio. But, no!!! Release the jaguars in Belize City. Why? Boss, easy question. Jules, Jose Sanchez and all the cameras are here. This operation lacks both glitter and substance. But I guess Dean forgot to throw his penny in the wishing well of Dr. Gayle, locking down the city alone with nothing else will only do two things: the first is that it will push criminal elements into the trans-district and out of district criminal activity. And as we noticed that done mi di happen! But, secondly, as I heard one defiant gang member say, “we haffu eat, boss”. These youths have no job, no skill and no direction. After they are on lock down for two or three weeks which is the maximum time for this “Operation act like something di happen” to die off, our delinquent juvenile population will be three weeks “more broke” and three week out of committing crime to feed their drug dependent habits, demanding girlfriends or pampers wearing children. Three weeks without hustling money and three weeks more desperate, do you think that they will by divine intervention put on long sleeves and ties and become entrepreneurs? Where do you think they will get the money from to pay for three weeks of debt? You think that they will go get an application form from the loans officers on Albert Street? After they finish roughing up and shooting the pants sagging black boys in the streets of Belize City what is the next phase in the skinning the crime cat? I mean after they force ripe a former UDP Minister’s son to Commissioner, of course. My guess is…this is all that there is and all that there will be.
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The Belize Times
Notions by: Apathy
Play Nice…
There was a strange aroma that lingered long after I had read the Perspective. I couldn’t decide if it was the pungent smell of fecal matter or the bittersweet smell of sour grapes that was stronger. Anyway, one of the burning questions in my mind is how we go from the Belize Times being part of the Price Estate to actually becoming the property of private citizens, namely Ralph and Said? I am not too young to remember even if he himself is no longer able to, that the Leader Emeritus bequeathed this property to the PUP. How is it then that it came about? Is Said a part of the Price Estate; how exactly did this happen and when? Was the property purchased, and if so were the monies taken from the Party’s coffers? All of the details are not clear in your article and enquiring minds do want to know. I was always under the misguided impression, and it seems that so was the rest of the country, that Independence Hall and the Belize Times and what they represent which is so much more than the monetary value; that these things belonged to all of us that call ourselves PUP - that Truth, Justice, and Stewardship never belonged to anyone in particular but were the ideals that members of the PUP believed in. Quite the Party’s historian, it seems I must thank you as I stand corrected that while I never made the assumption or connection as you did that these things were also part of the Price Estate and were then the sole property of Mr. Price that he could sell, inherit, bequeath or dispose of them as his fancy pleased. Again I must concede that you are privy to better information than I on both the Price family chronicles and the PUP’s history since you speak of them as being one and the same in some instances when so clearly they are not. Alas you must really have been off your meds when you wrote this rambling text. I say so because it is quite incoherent. First off if the assets belonged to the Price Estate and they were sold, assuming it was to the very enterprising duo of Musa/Fonseca, then at this point it is just that - a private enterprise and the Party really has no assets. So, what can the new regime take over when clearly nothing was left for them to take over? So why whine about having to pay outstanding bills accrued if clearly this business was privately owned and the Party had nothing to do with it? Why should we foot the bill? It
Send your letters to the editor to:
mike_rudon@hotmail.com
really is amusing to try and unravel your very confused and twisted psyche. As to Article 17, you ask where it was all this time…it was and is where it has always been - at the heart of the Party’s Constitution. It is obvious you never heard of it until I shoved
it deep…in your face. As to why Said and Ralph never enforced it, well I will hazard a guess in saying they probably never heard of it either. You know how I hate to call names, but for you guys I’ll try to explain s l o w l y so you can understand. The reason why you are not employed here anymore has nothing to do with your ethnicity, gender, socio-economic background, status or family affiliation. It all is quite simple really; the reason is this you are STUPID! I do agree the PUP constitution gives you the right to vote for whom you want, call yourself what you will, tell yourself all the lies you can conjure. The one thing it cannot give you is credibility, you have lost yours and nothing can ever bring it back. You see being a PUP is not a right you have it is a privilege that you earn. Sadly, as little boy blue Gordy chronicled a few weeks back, he has lost sight of that. Finally, racism is an ugly word and an ugly sentiment and quite frankly it is very disrespectful. If you want to get technical about it, the only real
Sunday, May 30, 2010 Belizeans are the Maya people who had been living here for centuries before we were colonized. The beauty about Belize is in part its multi-ethnicity, its multi-culture - at least that’s what all the promos say. Why would you go out of your way to single out Belizeans just because they belong to a certain ethnic group? It is also discrimination to favour one person over another because of their ethnicity. In closing, Gordy et all it really would be in your best interest to use a dictionary before you start throwing words around just to check up on meanings so you don’t become confused. I’d also like to remind you to play nice, because you really don’t know who you are dealing with, but that’s just the way I like it. This way we don’t get distracted by egos and we can truly deal with your issues. As for Guatemalan politics… well we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it, besides I don’t know why so much malice is directed toward Mrs. Garcia just because she has such an illustrious family - we don’t hold your pedigree against you, do we?
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times These visible shows of abuse, it seems to me, have caused the lack of confidence in the system and a correlating and deleterious culture of lawlessness and indiscipline in our country today. They, no doubt, have an even more deleterious effect on the psyche of our youths. Presently in Jamaica, the seeds of lawlessness and indiscipline (abuse of authority and lack of confidence in the system) are wreaking havoc in that country. A civil war between police and badmen have erupted in that hours is released and then picked up country following the government’s back as he steps out of the police move to capture accused crime boss station to spend another 48 hours in Christopher “Dudus” Coke, who is detention. Whilst it is true that the wanted in the United States as the police have a tall order to contend mastermind of a sprawling cocaine with in terms of the criminality on and marijuana smuggling operation the streets, the abuse of their au- to that country. thority in these kinds of ways do not Dudus appears to be more powhelp their crime fighting capabilities. erful than the Prime Minister who
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PON DI GULLY No Rule of Law
By anthony sylvestre Lawyers have a thing they call the “rule of law”. It is a necessity in any society, this rule of law thing - that the laws of the land must be obeyed by everyone, from Prime Minister downwards. This rule of law thing has a co-existing side to it: when laws are not obeyed, the system (which is to say, the justice system) must take that citizen to task. There is an overwhelming view by Belizeans that we don’t have any rule of law in this country right now. Government Ministers and officials, criminals, indeed everyone does what they want without consequences. The fact that there is just widespread abuse of authority by those in authority only exacerbates this lack of confidence in the system. It seems like almost each and every day, a Belizean citizen is sent a letter from the Lands Department telling them that their lease has been cancelled or their land taken away. The distressing thing of course, is that that same lease or land is given to a UDP supporter or crony. And many times the Ministry of Lands tries to pull one over citizens, taking away their land and saying that the land is needed for a public purpose. Very recently, the Chief Justice had to scold the government for this wrongheaded and unconstitutional practice of taking away a citizen’s land to give to another private citizen under the guise of a public purpose acquisition. In addition to giving the man back the land, government was ordered to pay the man $30,000.00 as well. Then there is also the widespread abuse of citizens’ rights by the police. The police department, it may be said, is like a punching bag and is daily pounded with criticism and condemnation. You would have thought then, that the police will by now have gotten their act together. But things just seem to be getting worse. Citizens are routinely locked up by the police in excess of the legally allowed 48 hours and oftentimes released only to be “recycled”: this is the term the police use when a person who is in detention for 48
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29 was forced to fess up to the nation that his political party has been using their influence to stall his extradition to the United States. We in Belize seem to be heading on a collision course ourselves. You can feel it in the air. Our Prime Minister was on television the other night, mocking us with his talk of transparency and his law firm and the oil company his law firm represents. Meanwhile, the opportunities for young men and women to attain a decent life continue to shrink as small as the point of a needle. Hopelessness and lawlessness are the order of the day; people’s confidence in the system is further eroded on a daily basis. Yet, this government continues to b—s--- the people with talk of transparency and accountability. The people are watching and feeling Mr. Prime Minister.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times
Grace
Amazin
“Comfort ye, Comfort ye, my people, saith your God." Isaiah 40:1 The circumstances and pressures of this life can be overbearing at times. But as Christians we know that God will never give us more than we can bear. This is despite the fact that our faith is tested and we sometimes may feel like giving up or doing nothing. It may feel like there is just simply too much to tackle. How do we see headway? How do we over come? God promises us joy, and peace like a river. We have hope. Hope is the faith that good will come our way. Hope makes us believe that better is ahead of us because God is on our side. The Bible teaches in Psalm 3:3-6: “But You, O LORD, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head. I cried to the LORD with my voice, And He heard me from His holy hill. I lay down and slept; I awoke, for the LORD sustained me.” We have the shade of God’s love to look forward to. This keeps us, fills us and strengthens us. As the David wrote “ But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You. For You, O LORD, will bless the righteous; With favor You will surround him as with a shield.” Psalm 5:11-12 We are never alone. God is always with us. He promised “I will never leave you. I will never abandon you” Hebrew 13:5. God’s promises to you are promises you can trust – promises of love, forgiveness, salvation, protection, guidance and peace. God promises to be with you always and to help you when you are lonely, sad, discouraged, ill, worried or in pain. All these promises are found in the Bible. God loves you and makes these promises to you freely and unconditionally. Through the Bible God offers strength and courage and hope to all generations of people in the world and here in Belize. His promises are sure. Lean on God and trust in God’s promises to you. God invites you to live in faith and does his part, if we live in obedience, to give us renewed guidance every morning. Through this column I wish to encourage believers, to pray with confidence, “Let us hold on firm to the hope we profess, because we can trust God to keep his promise.” Hebrew 10.23 See you next week, and please stop by your nearest church or place of worship. Good things await you. In this column, I wish to share some of my Christian devotional insights. I am a Christian first and foremost at the same time, I, like many others, am also a member of the Peoples United Party. I pray that the verses or reflections I share will touch all people who read it and that they glorify our Father who is in heaven. I am thankful for the indulgence and opportunity of the Belize Times Newspaper, our Party Leader and the People of Belize. God Bless you and your families.
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Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. George Harrison and Isolene Pearline Gill…..
She was a vision in blue and white as she entered the doorway of the Assembly of God Church situated at 21/2 miles on the Western Highway on Saturday May 22, 2010. Isolene Pearline Gongora was on her way to joining George Harrison Gill in holy matrimony, and her smile said it all, as her son Steven escorted her up the aisle, to join the best man, the maid of honor and the bridegroom. The church was elegantly and tastefully decorated, also in blue and white, to compliment the chosen colours for the marriage celebrations. The ceremony was short, but meaningful and touching, inter-
spaced with songs of love and praise. The resounding I Do’s were said loud and clear, so there could be no doubt that they wanted the world to share in their love and commitment to each other. This was much to the laughter and cheers of their family and friends who gathered to witness this momentous occasion. The reception followed at the Lyons Center on Princess Margaret Drive, where all joined the newlyweds in an intimate setting, and were treated to a feast of boca, relleno, tamales and the traditional turkey dinner and desert, after the toasts, to end a day that was so beautiful for all who attended.
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Sunday, May 30, 2010
ditorial
¿Estamos listos?
Desde el Ecritorio del Lider del Partido
El Espíritu de el PUP
Nuestra presidenta del Partido, la Sra. Carolyn Trench Sandiford, escribió un artículo muy pertinente en el Belize Times la semana pasada titulado: " practicamos lo que predicamos." En su artículo hace un argumento convincente sobre "vivir la Constitución". Nuestro Presidente dice que cuando nos alejamos de nuestros principios rectores, abandonamos los principios básicos que nos anclan como PUPs a nuestros amarres filosóficos. En el pasado, los dirigentes y muchos miembros influyentes del partido fueron acusados de esto, la percepción era que ya no éramos capaces de definirnos a nosotros mismos y, como tal, algunos líderes aprovecharon esto como una oportunidad para hacer lo que quisieron. Ya no estábamos considerados como el partido que "sirve al pueblo". Ya no éramos el partido que estaba trabajando para los pobres y desfavorecidos. El grito era que habíamos dejado de ser el partido que George Price había construido. En su lugar, nos habíamos convertido en uno de los Partidos que se preocupaba más por los intereses especiales y menos acerca de las necesidades de la gente. Para las bases, teníamos que cambiar y lo hicimos. Hoy no hay duda de que el Partido unido del Pueblo sigue siendo el mayor partido político que haya servido Belice. A pesar de que rara vez nombramos estructuras o construimos monumentos para celebrar nuestro trabajo, no hay ningún logro importante en Belice que no lleve la marca del PUP. Esta es una parte de nuestra cultura política, algo que se remonta a 60 años atrás y la razón por la que hemos crecido se debe a que siempre hemos sido capaces de cambiar con el tiempo y para el pueblo. Ese es el secreto de nuestro legado. Tras conseguir nuestra independencia, uno de nuestros mayores logros, el Partido tenía que cambiar; cómo efectuar ese cambio dio lugar a una intensa disputa ideológica en el Partido. Estos fueron algunos momentos difíciles, como hemos intentado redefinirnos. Hubo quien dijo que los comunistas tenían previsto hacerse cargo del partido obligando a los capitalistas a la acción. Esto se convirtió en un prolongado debate que casi rompió el partido fuera a pesar de los esfuerzos del Sr. Price para llevar a las facciones en guerra juntos. En 1984, la euforia de la independencia se había ido y la división resultando en que el partido sufrió su primera derrota, ¡una aplastante! Fue después de 1984 que muchos partidarios creían que el partido comenzó a alejarse de sus principios; de su mensaje de justicia social y más hacia los intereses especiales. Antes de la independencia, el PUP se consideró un partido socialdemócrata que significa que el partido creía en gradualismo y que el gobierno debe tener una voz fuerte en asuntos relacionados con la economía y aún trabajar codo con codo con las empresas para generar desarrollo. Hoy en día, nuestros militantes del partido nos están diciendo que quieren que el PUP vuelva a ser un partido más inclusivo y renovar nuestro compromiso con el trabajo de servir al pueblo. Para este nuevo liderazgo y en este tiempo, la tarea no es sólo de regresar al partido a esos principios y para volver a nuestras mañanas filosóficas, sino también para hacer la parte pertinente a este uso político. Para ello debemos aceptar nuevas ideas, dándole la bienvenida a gente nueva y a nosotros en el PUP nunca se nos debe olvidar quiénes somos en realidad y a quien servimos - el pueblo de Belice. La única manera de recuperar la confianza del pueblo de Belice es que aprendamos de nuestros errores pasados, decir nunca más, avanzar y vivir los principios de justicia social y en el espíritu de la Constitución del partido que nos llama a amar a nuestro país y trabajar por el mejoramiento de todos los beliceños.
La temporada de lluvias está aquí y hasta ahora no hemos tenido un díade lluvias escasas y las lluvias ya han comenzado a pasar factura en la infraestructura de la nación. Una de las alcantarillas de nueva construcción que drena el agua del lado este de el Western Highway hacia el lado oeste y hacia el mar tuvo que ser desenterrado debido a que no se reforzó adecuadamente. Como resultado, el Ministerio de Obras Públicas está a cargo de la excavación de la zona y tiene que hacer de nuevo un trabajo que se hizo, obviamente, mal en el primer lugar. Dos veces desde que las lluvias comenzaron el cruce temporal de Kendal ha estado bajo el agua, deteniendo el flujo de tráfico y dificultando el comercio en el Sur. Han transcurrido ya 720 días desde que el Puente de Kendal fue arrastrado por las aguas el 1 de junio del 2008. En pocos días la nueva temporada de huracanes comienza, y los expertos predicen que será un "infierno de un año para los huracanes." La amenaza de uno grande a la media temporada 2010 de huracanes del Atlántico se ha incrementado durante el último mes y ahora promete ser muy activa. Según los expertos, la temperatura del agua en el Atlántico se está calentando más rápido que de costumbre. Esta advertencia llega cuando la temporada también ve un factor inusual añadido a la mezcla: la marea del Golfo. Los meteorólogos están buscando una temporada que podría ser tan activa como la temporada de huracanes del 2005. La temporada de huracanes del 2005 fue la temporada más activa que nunca, por tanto, una comparación con esto sólo puede significar que estamos en la zona de huracanes y será necesario no sólo prestar atención, pero estar preparado de manera activa. Con la ruptura completa de los servicios en la mayoría de nuestras ciudades y pueblos, con la evidente falta de competencia en el gabinete del Primer Ministro para gestionar el día a día los problemas de la construcción nacional y con los problemas inmediatos apremiantes como la situación de la delincuencia abrumadora y una economía en peligro, uno tiene que preguntarse: "¿Esta la administración de Barrow lista para una activa temporada de huracanes? Los desastres naturales son considerados actos de Dios y, como tal, no podemos evitar que se produzcan, por lo tanto los gobiernos invierten en el establecimiento de una adecuada planificación y preparación para tratar de minimizar las bajas y daños. Durante la administración PUP, el Gobierno estableció la Organización Nacional de Manejo de Emergencias (NEMO). Hoy NEMO ejecuta una operación de tiempo completo, y en el caso de un desastre natural, NEMO es la Organización que gestiona la emergencia. Una parte crítica de su función es garantizar que los servicios uniformados, personal de primera respuesta y todos los que deben trabajar durante una emergencia sean conscientes de su papel y cómo van a ayudar a que el país o zona afectada vuelva a la normalidad. Con la temporada de huracanes en sólo unos días, con el conocimiento de que esta temporada será muy activa, no hemos oído hablar de ningún taller, reuniones de planificación o el ejercicio de simulaciones de NEMO. De hecho los beliceños deben confiar en los consejos que se presentan durante las noticias del clima para que puedan aprender sobre preparación para huracanes. Cuando se trata de preparación para huracanes, NEMO tiene que hacer su trabajo para asegurar que la nación está lista para hacer frente a una toma de tierra del huracán en Belice. También debe seguir informando a los beliceños de qué hacer en el caso de una emergencia. Cada Beliceno debe saber cómo ponerse en contacto con los servicios de emergencia, deben saber dónde el refugio más cercano se encuentra y qué estación de radio deben escuchar para conseguir la información oficial acerca de una emergencia. Radio y personalidades de la televisión deben estar entrenados en cómo manejar situaciones de emergencia y hay que decirles que deben confiar en los expertos de información en lugar de asumir estas funciones ellos mismos. NEMO es una organización que puede ahorrar a los contribuyentes millones de dólares de Belice. Numerosos estudios han demostrado que el coste económico de la inversión en la preparación para desastres y reducción del riesgo de desastres es mucho menor que el costo de lidiar con las secuelas. De hecho, algunos estiman que por cada dólar gastado en la reducción del riesgo, por lo menos cuatro dólares se guardan. Teniendo en cuenta todo esto, el ministro responsable de NEMO debe ser alguien en quien el pueblo de Belice tiene una gran confianza y ser una persona con un fuerte liderazgo y habilidades de organización. Podemos tener la procesión anual de Guadalupe para buscar la intervención divina en la que nos protege de una tormenta, lo que es bienvenido, sin embargo en algún momento es inevitable que uno llegará a nuestras costas. Si es este año ¿estamos preparados? ¿Esta NEMO listo? ¿Han hecho su trabajo para preparar a los beliceños y para garantizar que se salven vidas y los daños se reduzcan al mínimo? Dado el historial de este gobierno, de la ineficiencia hasta el momento y el hecho de que NEMO permanece en silencio a solo unos días del el inicio de lo que es ser una temporada de tormentas activas, muchos lo dudan.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
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Políticas UDP, como siempre
Expulsada por falta de respeto ... Tengo un problema serio con la reciente expulsión de la alcaldesa de la ciudad de Belice Zenaida Moya, del Partido Democrático Unido. En realidad, no tengo un problema con la expulsión de por sí, porque creo que la Alcaldesa debe sufrir un destino mucho peor que la expulsión por lo que ha hecho a los beliceños, que confiaron en ella. Por lo que tengo una gran preocupación es por la razón para la expulsión. Nuestro Primer Ministro tiene un ego enorme, gigantesco. Fue por una cuestión que ha surgido acerca de la existencia de sus apéndices colgando (¿cómo es eso de hablar diplomáticamente?) Nuestra Alcaldesa en una entrevista afirmo que su jefe político carece de esos objetos. Dos días después de que la alcaldesa hizo su sorprendente revelación, los poderes que están dentro del UDP entraron en acción para su desgracia. Oh, la falta de respeto hacia nuestro líder exaltado, exclamaron. ¿Cómo se atreve la alcaldesa a decir que el Primer Ministro no tiene las pelotas? ¡Que le corten la cabeza! ¿He mencionado que cuando la alcaldesa dio la entrevista estaba fuera de la sala del tribunal donde fue procesada bajo el cargo de robo al pueblo de Belice? Oh, sí, nuestra alcaldesa ha tenido una historia un tanto sórdida en el Ayuntamiento. Fue acusada de abusar a principios de los recursos públicos, por no menos de uno de sus consejeros. Luego fue acusada de orquestar ofertas y contratos inflados con su hermano, incluso lo demostraron con cheques. Luego fue llamada por sus consejeros y el Ministerio de Gobierno Local por apropiación indebida de dinero de la gente, se paga un fuerte «extra todos los meses sin autorización. Luego estaba el infame "Under deposit" por lo que no se le ha acusado todavía. Luego estaba el informe de auditoria que mostraba cientos de miles de dólares que faltan en el Ayuntamiento. Incluso ahora el Ayuntamiento está envuelto en otro escándalo relacionado con el dinero que falta. Todo esto fue durante el tiempo de la Alcaldía, todo ello bajo su mando. Barrow es el responsable de la entrada de Zenaida en la política, por lo que uno habría pensado que se sentiría al menos marginalmente responsable de todos sus líos. Si no es eso, entonces uno podría pensar que por un sentido de responsabilidad a los beliceños y la adhesión a los mejores principios de la integridad, la honestidad, la transparencia y la rendición de cuentas, el líder de esta nación habría llevado a Zenaida a la tarea hace mucho tiempo. Pero no, no tiene nada que ver con eso. Zenaida ha sido expulsada del UDP, porque le dolía el orgullo a Barrow y cuestionó su hombría. ¡Nada más y nada menos! Moraleja de esta historia... roba todo lo que quieren, se tan incompetente como te gusta, pero nunca, nunca digas que el señor Barrow no tiene pelotas!
¿Y eso que significa ...? Como mejor podemos entender, esto significa que la alcaldesa todavía está a cargo de la Ciudad, siendo el jefe del Ayuntamiento, pero no es una más del UDP. Esto significa que todavía toma las decisiones en el Ayuntamiento y todavía tiene acceso a todo tu dinero, pero no van a estar recibiendo ningún tipo de apoyo en una empresa del Gobierno Central o del UDP. Vamos a analizarlo. Con la alcaldesa consiguiendo el pleno apoyo del Gobierno Central UDP y como miembro del pleno derecho del UDP, el Ayuntamiento es un desastre. El Consejo está roto, la ciudad es un pozo negro en mal estado y los beliceños no pueden acceder a ningún servicio. Con la alcaldesa en pie sola, es lógico pensar que las cosas se pondrán mucho peor, aunque es difícil imaginar peor que el lío en que se encuentra ahora. Barrow debe dejar de centrarse en sus testículos o falta de ellos y tratar con los asuntos de la gente. Tendría que haber intervenido hace mucho tiempo y se debería de haber encargado de la alcaldesa por sus chanchullos financieros con las arcas públicas y por su notoria incompetencia. Eso es lo que la ciudad exige. En cambio, la han castigado por su "comentario de falta de bolas", significa que aún se encuentra en una posición de autoridad, pero sin ningún poder real. A causa del ego del Sr. Barrow, el pueblo será el que más pierden en esta operación. Lluvia lluvia desaparece... Las lluvias están aquí, si no con una venganza, a continuación, con cierta coherencia y, como todas las personas con alguna pizca de sentido común, GOB fue sorprendido con los pantalones abajo y con la cabeza metida en la arena. El sur es un desastre. Para la segunda semana, el cruce de Kendall estaba cerrado debido a las inundaciones, aislando efectivamente el sur del país. El cruce de Middlesex fue cerrado recientemente por segunda vez en dos semanas. El cruce temporal a Mullins River se ha lavado. Realmente ahora, el cruce de Kendall no es ninguna broma. Al parecer, el gobierno no parece entender la gravedad de que todo el sur está aislado del resto del país. Ya han pasado dos años y nuestro gobierno sigue hablando de la búsqueda de financiación, y diciendo
que estas cosas llevan su tiempo. ¿Cuánto tiempo más necesitan? La temporada de huracanes aún no ha empezado todavía y NEMO ha tenido que ser llamado para hacer frente a las inundaciones en el sur. ¿Qué sucederá en caso de un desastre mayor? Dios no lo quiera. Esta administración UDP puede encontrar dinero en un abrir y cerrar de ojos para las cosas triviales como nuevos vehículos de lujo, pero por alguna razón no puede ayudar a la gente en el Sur. Esta es una situación grave. No a las perforaciones mar adentro... En respuesta a una carta de una organización de asesoramiento advirtiendo al respecto de las perforaciones mar adentro de petróleo, el Primer Ministro condescendientemente respondió que el escritor no puede presumir de hablar por el resto del país. Jefe, ¿qué parte de ESPERESE no ha entiendo? ¿Está usted viendo las noticias sobre el derrame de petróleo de BP? ¿Se da cuenta de que un derrame de petróleo en cualquier parte cerca de esa magnitud en nuestras aguas significaría un desastre para nuestra nación? ¡Un desastre real y completo! Nadie juega a la política con éste, Jack. Sabemos que el PUP hizo entrega de algunos de los contratos de perforación mar adentro. ¿Y qué? Todo lo que estamos diciendo es que el derrame de petróleo BP nos tiene asustados a todos nosotros. Ahora que hemos visto las posibilidades, estamos diciendo - vamos a volver a examinar este asunto. Claro que queremos invitar a los inversionistas a nuestro país, y sí, lo hacemos promover el desarrollo de la nación... pero no con el posible costo de la nación. ¡Ni Hablar! El PUP se ha mantenido deliberadamente fuera de la protesta contra el aumento de perforación mar adentro, porque esto es más grande que la política. Nadie le está diciendo que persiga a todas las empresas extranjeras de nuestras aguas Sr. Barrow. Ahora que hemos visto la visión del peligro tan cercano, todo lo que pedimos es que se asegure de que todas las garantías posibles están en su lugar. Hasta que no sea así, como el líder de esta nación el Sr. Barrow tiene la responsabilidad de retener todas las perforaciones mar adentro. La gente no se lo va a permitir PM. Hay demasiado en juego. Dudus & Kalilah Esta situación en Kingston, Jamaica es una locura, una locura. Un poco aterradora también, porque incluso en nuestro Belice poco sabemos que hay grandes pandilleros y narcotraficantes con conexiones en tiempo real político grande. De todos modos, hay informes no oficiales de más de ciento cincuenta muertos, aunque las cifras oficiales están en menos de treinta. También ha habido informes de granadas lanzadas contra la multitud. Muchos de nuestros estudiantes se dirigen de vuelta a casa porque ellos no pueden hacer frente al peligro allí. Canal 7 en una historia de hace un par de noches dando un reportaje sobre el caos, nuestra muy propia de Belice Kalilah Enriquez, estaba en la línea de fuego para una estación de televisión local de Kingston. Esa chica ni se conmociono al momento de denunciar los hechos con una precisión clínica aun cuando se escucharon disparos por todas partes aquí. Apenas hizo una mueca en la cara ante la violencia real, el peligro y acabo de hacer su trabajo. Cuando lo termine de ver, me dije a mí mismo - esa chica tiene mucho de lo que nuestro primer ministro está acusado de no tener (no pude evitarlo). Pero en serio, ¡felicitaciones a Kalilha! Y en cuanto a los hechos de violencia en Kingston, sólo puedo decir que espero que nuestros pandilleros y traficantes de droga no están mirando y decidan seguir los ejemplos que allí se ven. Como he dicho, tenemos todos los elementos de los problemas de Jamaica aquí mismo en nuestro paraíso - pandillas, drogas y conexiones políticas. ¡Esperemos lo mejor ...! Barrow el loco... Barrow estaba en Love FM este Miércoles por la mañana. Yo lo escuchaba durante todo el tiempo que pude aguantar sus dulces tonterías. He oído decir que nuestro líder aprendió, no en tantas palabras, que Carlos Perdomo ha sido inútil cuando se trata de encontrar una solución a la delincuencia rampante. Le he oído decir que nada ha funcionado hasta ahora y ahora intervendrá para mostrar a los beliceños que el GOB esta serio. El primer ministro admitió que su ministro de la delincuencia ha sido un fracaso. Y luego, en el mismo aliento siguiente, declaró que no le hará nada a Carlos. ¿No esta completamente loco? En otros países, cuando las cosas van mal en los departamentos, el gobierno alinea a sus ministros hasta entregar sus renuncias. Ellos lo hacen porque tienen la responsabilidad en última instancia si las áreas bajo su mando están en desorden. En Belice no ha salido bien de la delincuencia y el Departamento de Policía está en la lista de los más odiados por el público. Sin embargo, el hombre en el timón, no ha asumido la responsabilidad por el desorden y el Primer Ministro parece estar permitiendo que suceda. Belice es un desastre, y este gobierno sólo nos está llevando más bajo, eso es seguro.
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The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Births FOR SALE One Toyota HIACE Van, 2005, 4 cyl., seating 15 persons, 168,246 Kilometers, manual transmission, air-conditioned. Askign Price BZ$15,000.00 or o.b.o. One ISUZU RODEO, 2000 SUV, 4 cyl., seating capacity 5 persons, 47,061 miles, manual transmission, Air-conditioned. Asking Price BZ$18,000.00 or o.b.o. One ISUZU Trooper, 1999, 6 cyl., seating capacity 5 persons, 106,554 miles, automatic transmission, auto 4WD, Power windows and locks, air-conditioned and CD/Stereo. Asking Price BZ$17,000.00 or o.b.o. One 25ft. fiberglass Skiff with 70HP Johnson outboard engine, All cables are new, Steering wheel and Helm are new, Light switches and fuses are new and Tilt and trim motor on engine new. Asking Price BZ$15,000.00 or o.b.o. Interested persons can call 2230555, 610-2213 or 602-6245.
ST. JUDE NOVENA
May the Sacred heart of Jesus be adored, glorified, loved and preserved throughout the world now and forever. Sacred Heart of Jesus, pray for us. St. Jude worker of miracles, pray for us. St. Jude, helper of the helpless, pray for us. Say this prayer nine times a day for nine days. It had never been known to fail. (Publication must be promised.)
D.W.
Liquor License Notice Notice is hereby given that Esa Slusher is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated in Gales Point Manatee Village, Belize District under the Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980. Notice is hereby given that Ianthe Gentle is applying for a Malt and Cider License to be operated at “Gentle Cool Spot”, Gales Point Manatee, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor Licensing Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.
Prayer To The Holy Spirit O Holy spirit, you who are the fountainhead of all knowledge, who illuminate the pathway which enables me to reach my goal. You who share your divine gift permitting me to forgive and forget past insults and injustices, and who are always at my side within reaching distance. I desire in this short supplication to thank you for all that you have done for me, and to assure you once more that I never want to be separated from you under any circumstances, no matter what the incentive. I want to be with you, I along with my loved ones, cradled in your unending love. Thank you for your never failing kindness towards me and those I call my own. (Prayer to be offered for three consecutive days; faith in the Holy Spirit will cause him to respond to your request no matter how difficult the problem might be.) Publish prayer as soon as request has been granted.
E.E.H.
GRAND SUMMER EXCURSION TO MERIDA, MEXICO Leave: 15th July, 2010
Return: 19th July, 2010
Bus leaves from #6 Alexandria Street Belize City at 5:00 a.m. Price: $450.00 BZD HOTEL IS INCLUDED For more information contact Ms. Olive at 207-8244
Money Lender’s Notice I, Joaquin Riveroll, hereby give notice that I have applied to the Magistrate’s Court sitting in Corozal Town, for a Certificate to be granted to me under the Moneylender’s Act to authorize me to carry on business as a Money Lender in 2010 under the name “Numero Uno Pawn Shop”, SITUATED AT #10 2nd Street South, Corozal Town, Corozal District.
Raul Adonai to Vicente and Reina Margarita Orrego nee Miranda Winny to Wei Bo and Hui Zhen Liang nee Tan Hailey Leannie to Froylan and Solangel Alvarado nee Leiva Thalia Tiana Amber to Reginald James and Karla Leticia Gill neeCruz Brielle Adaliz to Armando Adrian and Ada Liza Garcia nee Cuello Janae Seanna to Charles and Jana Hanson nee Flowers Marcus Jordon Frederick to Tyrone Luvell and Rhonda Rachael Smith nee Gabourel
Marriages Daniel Devour Perez of Trial Farm, Orange Walk to Sherena Lucrecia Banner of Isabella Bank, Belize Vallan Murray Leopold Lord to Elizabeth Maria Requena both of Belize City Jason Michael Emmanuel to Hermelinda Marie Pinks both of Belize City Ryan Anthony Osborne to Harmony Lee Hunter both of Canada Mujaheed Kharuri to Edlita Ack both of Hope Creek, Stann Creek Omar Hamze to Rim El Sayed both of Belize City Matthew James Guiguet to Kristy Dawn Bostroom both of Canada Luis Santiago Macario Martinez to Amalia Morales both of Ladyville, Belize Justin Michael Pollard to Anna Carolina Barrow both of Belize City Chad Doyle Asay to Mollie Coleman both of Utah, USA William Dent Johnson to Shannon Julia McFarland both of South Carolina, USA Marcelino Miranda Aceves toElodie Segal both of Belize City Peter Hildebrand to Sarah Harms both of Indian Creek, Orange Walk Herman Alamilla to Margarita Castiilo both of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye Cesar Arcenio Quijano to Lourdes Anirdi Ewan both of Orange Walk Town Gerhard Harms to Elisabeth Guenther both of Indian Creek, Orange Walk Town Victor Henry Uh of Caye Caulker, Belize to Brenda Michelle Martinez of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye Ying Hua Zheng to Yan Chun Wu both of Corozal Town Pedro Pop to Candelaria Cus both of Hicatee, Toledo Rodolfo Linares to Jenny Mossiah both of Ranchito,Corozal Reynold Norman Tzib to Sarita Lourdes Tzib both of San Antonio Fidel Martinez Nava to Regina Eugenia Amaya both of Libertad, Corozal Nelder Luciano Noh to Aidee Isabel Orellana Hernandez both of San Pedro, Corozal Antonio Tush of Corozal Town to Lisbeth Garcia of Paraiso, Corozal Ismail Tan Sander Zara Imani Smith both of Corozal Town Augustin Moises Vasquez to Abigail Villanueva both of Corozal Town Aldo Enrique Mejia to Shamanda Isabel Hernandez both of Ranchito, Corozal Yousif Ande Palma to Karina Elizabeth Romero both of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye
Deaths
Darwin Anthony Gabourel, 66 George Emmanuel Loague, 44 Curt Francis Estell, 53
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Belize Times with the Prime Minister, with challenged that in court and got an the leader of the party...this is injunction in her favour, disallowing something that we all know from the party from implementing the the convention...Everybody know ban. But the most crushing blow that Zenaida dah noh wah puppet. in Moya's political career came this And from the convention day they week when word spread and it was wanted to ensure that I was not the quickly confirmed that she had mayoral candidate for that party...I been expelled from the party. It feel it that somebody doesn’t have came following a decision by the balls when they are going to come three member Ethics and Integrity after me when I’m on my bed Committee. This week when repor ters delivering a child.” These were the words that came awaited Barrow as he left the Love back to haunt her. The following FM Morning Show he said "...for weekend the UDP Party Council some time the Mayor has been going voted to ban her from taking part in in a different direction from the Executive affairs of the party. She party and I had not seen anything
35 that suggested a reconciliation was possible." But Barrow also said it may not be too late for Moya "...if there can be evidence produced of a genuine earnest desire to begin to act in a way that’s consistent with the principles of the party, to begin to subject herself to party discipline, to begin to adhere to party principles.” Moya has not publicly made any comments since this latest event but she has 30 days to appeal and word is that she will appeal on grounds that she does not accept the grounds outlined in the letter of expulsion.
neighbourhood claim is nothing more than a bar and gambling establishment. Despite opposition to the granting of the license by activists in the neighbourhood, the license was pushed through and approved by the Liquor Licensing Board, chaired by UDP crony and friend of Berges Wilmot Simmons. Some of the persons who objected to the granting of the license are very close to Minister of National Security Carlos Perdomo; close enough and influential enough that he took the issue of the license to Cabinet, where he prevailed on his colleague the Minister of Local
so-called buddy Gaspar Vega out of the country, senior UDP Carlos Government Gabriel Martinez to use Perdomo put pressure on relative his ministerial powers to revoke the UDP rookie Gabriel Martinez who license. Martinez did so, not realizing chaired the meeting. The Baymen the bonfire which would be lit by his crew objecting to the license was out actions. Berges, who boasts that he in force and the crime Minister even has all UDP ministers on speed-dial got his head of Eastern Division and is a close, personal friend of to speak out against the granting Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega, of the license. According to the apparently prevailed on his friend to lawyer for #48 Baymen Avenue, make a call to his northern Caucus Michael Peyrefitte, the meeting was a colleague Martinez. Martinez then mockery and a joke. But considering revoked his revocation of the liquor the players in this game, that’s not license. very surprising, is it? But that was to be a temporary As it stands tonight, things reprieve. At the public hearing don’t look good for the UDP’s held on Wednesday, the deck was former national campaign manager. stacked up against Karim Berges That indication was strengthened and #48 Baymen Avenue. With his when the Prime Minister, Hon.
Dean Barrow came out blasting the granting of the liquor license to Berges for #48 Baymen Avenue. Apparently the Prime Minister is either not on Berges’ speed dial or is not answering the call, because in an interview Barrow stated – ‘It seems to me that the constituents of the Area Representative the Minister of National Security who are against the license being granted very much outnumber those who support the license being granted. For that reason alone, but also as a consequence of collegiality I am firmly with Minister Perdomo." A decision will be handed down next week Wednesday, but we’d advise Berges not to stack up on too many alcoholic beverages.
(Continued from page 1) for a ban on any kind of drilling on the seabed. But Prime Minister Dean Barrow, in his usually dismissive and patronizing style, told the nation via television interviews that he will not stand in the way of oil explorations. As if the disaster in the
to simply say we’ll throw up our hands and call the whole thing quits...these risks in this case can be compounded by as a consequence of the activities of human beings and we try to guard against those risks. But I don’t think you simply at this point say that you will stop any possibility of progress in terms of the oil industry by putting an end to the entire process.” The continuous oil leakage in the
Gulf has amassed an area that exceeds the 174 mile length of Belize's Barrier Reef. A disaster such as that in Belizean waters would be an irreversible blow to our environment and marine stock and a complete devastation to the reef itself. Mr. Barrow, please take your head out of the sand and start listening to the people who put you there to make crucial decisions like this one.
Z for ZERO
(Continued from page 1)
which would be the start of her fall from grace. On October 1, 2009 when she was arraigned in Court on 22 counts of uttering a false document and violation of City Council regulations she gave a most stunning interview to the media during which she lashed out at her party leader, Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Said Moya to an all too eager press "Everybody knows that I do not have a cozy relationship
Baymen Battle Royale...
(Continued from page 1)
Barrow disregards call to ban...
Court of Appeal denies GOB injunction Another significant ruling took place
today in the Court of Appeal. Justices Dennis Morrison, Manuel Sosa and Brian Alleyne lifted an injunction which Supreme Court Justice Samuel Lungole Awich had previously granted the Government of Belize against seven individuals. The ruling is subsequent to government's introduction of new legislation that allows it to file injunctions against anyone that seeks international arbitration against it. The case resulted from the government's nationalization of Belize Telemedia. The seven felt that the injunction against them was unfair because it prevented trustees of Telemedia shares from seeking compensation for their shares through the international courts. Under the law, anyone whom the government takes out an injunction against cannot take them to court if they feel aggrieved by a takeover of their assets. If an attempt is made, the individual can face contempt charges as well as jail time of up to five years. So while the law still applies to everyone else, these seven, at least until the substantive case is heard, are free of this restraint. The substantive case is still before Justice Awich for a future date when the litigants will go head to head with the government over whether the new legislation is fair and just. The appeal case was argued by British Barrister Nigel Pleming, Eamon Courtenay, S.C., and Ashanti Arthurs Martin for the seven appelants. Lois Young Barrow argued for the government.
Gulf meant nothing to him, Barrow said "It doesn’t mean we don’t proceed. We are clearly a long way from any point at which drilling could begin to take place. We must ensure that before we get to that stage, everything that needs to be done gets done in terms of things like seismic...I don’t believe that is the proper thing to do
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The Belize Times
Sunday, May 30, 2010