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15 MAR
The Belize Times THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
Established 1957
The Truth Shall Make You Free
15 MARCH 2015 | ISSUE NO: 4936
www.belizetimes.bz | $1.00
Gapi fails to deliver O.W. …Denny Grijalva on the chopping block Orange Walk Town, March 10th 2015 There are major political tremors in the United Democratic Party in Orange Walk, following their major loss in the polls in that municipality on March 4th. These tremors have been triggered by increasingly louder calls for the immediate removal of Denny Grijalva as the UDP caretaker for Orange Walk Central.
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Denny Grijalva will be replaced by an even bigger loser
PUP MOVES
FORWARD IN UNITY
PUP Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca, former Party Leader Hon. John Briceño, soon-to-be Lake Independence Area Representative Cordel Hyde & campaign manager Godfrey Smith talk about UNITY during Wednesday’s meeting of the National Executive
UDP Deputy Leader Gapi Vega failed to deliver Orange Walk Town
Boots Belly Full!! UDP Port representative has gone from “Boots” to “Expensive Shoes”!!
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SENIOR ASR/BSI EMPLOYEES IN HOT WATER John Gillett
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CHARGED FOR OW MURDER UDP spokes person Jamil Matar
Dennis Reneau
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Alexis Ramirez
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15 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
OPINION OUT Without litter, Belize will glitter - The Bus Sticker Project By Koichi Fukuoka (JICA) “One love for Belize. Zero litter for our future” is the name of a new movement we; JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) are supporting. It’s a countrywide movement that seeks to increase public awareness of passengers travelling on buses. We are aware that some bus passengers litter from the bus without realizing the pollution to our environment and devalue of beauty it creates on our highways. The littering problem in Belize is ghastly. The rainforests, Caribbean Sea and Blue Hole attract plentiful tourists from all over the world - Belize is even getting more popular among Japanese tourists nowadays. However, there is not only wonderful nature and beauty, but also litter everywhere in this country. Tourism has been one of the biggest industries for Belize, and we are more than certain that many tourists might share our feeling of concern when it comes to the litter problem. Our assignment is to teach environmental education at primary schools in different districts of Belize. Given that environmental awareness starts at home, parents’ behavior and education for their kids might just make a big difference. Many parents litter on the street even in front of their children, and children are follow-
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ing parents’ behavior. When these children grow up, they will do the same thing as their parents did. Consequently, it has been taking a long time to stop this bad cycle. Both home and school education is very important for children, and we think home education has great influence on kids’ ethics and morals. In our opinion, education and awareness are the essential keys to changing the situation. We need to properly educate our next generation for our country and future. To hold garbage or plastic bottles until getting off the bus might not be something that people might want to do and we are not certain whether these stickers will be effective or not, but it might just make one or two people think twice before littering. If one or two people litter less from the bus, then we are polluting a little less. It all starts with awareness and the stickers are a start in the right direction. Cooperation from bus passengers will make a better Belize, not only for our own Belizean citizens, but for our visitors too. We strongly believe that “without litter, Belize will glitter!” We invite bus passengers to have a cleaner bus trip from now on. Finally, we fully appreciate to all of the sponsors and bus companies that cooperate to this movement.
Letter to the People of Dangriga from Former Mayor of Dangriga, Major H. Gilbert Swaso (Ret’d)
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10 March 2015 My Respected Fellow Dangrigana,
Last week, you my Respected brothers and sisters, gave the mandate to the Candidates of the United Democratic Party (UDP) to administer the affairs of our beautiful Dangriga. This mandate signals the changing hands of the Baton of leadership from a People United Party (PUP) Municipal Government to that of the UDP. It is my humble view that, despite many successes that was achieved by our PUP Leadership and Team, you the people of Dangriga had grown very weary of the punishment inflicted by a vindictive, uncompassionate and disrespectful UDP Central Government. For three years, despite and amidst our struggle for equality and an equitable distribution of our Nation’s natural and economic resources, the UDP Central Government waged a protracted war of FEAR and HATE on just because we all exercised our Constitutional Rights to then vote for the Team of PUP Mayor and Councillors. It is rather unfortunate that we had to suffer such an ill faith. Now that the UDP’s strategy have won them back our Beautiful Dangriga, we must remain vigilant and stand guard with the hope of equality for all and the right to earn living so that we shall live in dignity. My fellow Dangrigana, everything happens for a reason therefore, we
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should not be disheartened, because we must live with the hope of a better Belize, a Better Dangriga under the stewardship and leadership of a PUP Central Government. The PUP and a better Dangriga is the common ground that we must hold on to. My respected Fellow Dangrigana, on behalf of my family, the Deputy and our Team of Councilors, I would like to take this opportunity to Thank God, the People of Dangriga and our Party Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca for the privilege to have served you the people of Dangriga. It was a pleasure and a lifetime experience to have served you. Thank you very much for the trust and confidence you reposed in our team and I. I am eternally grateful to you to have made my work as a Servant Leader of you the people very challenging, enjoyable and satisfying. May God Bless Belize, May God Bless Dangriga, May God Bless the People’s United Party. May peace and power, health and happiness be with you all. With all best wishes for peace and loads of success. Sincerely
Major H. Gilbert Swaso (Ret’d) Mayor of Dangriga (2012 – 2015)
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14 APR 2013
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ISSUE NO: 4840
The Truth Shall Make You Free
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15 MAR
03 3
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
PUP Celebrates Women CITCO WORKERS ON THE CHOPPING as Nation Builders BLOCK?
Belize City, March 10, 2015 Ever since the first International Women’s Day was observed in 1911, women all over the world have been commemorating International Women’s day with special marches, rallies, speakouts and meetings. Here in Belize, while there was barely a squeak by the Government on how they will advance key issues affecting women, the People’s United Party dedicated a discussion session on the morning of March 10th, examining the impact women have made on Belizean society. The theme was “Women as Nation Builders” and had the participation of various leaders in the Party including Deputy Leader Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Senator Lisa Shoman, Secretary General I. Myrtle Palacio, Collet Standard Bearer Yasmin Shoman, Mesopotamia Standard Bearer Dorla Vaughan, Councillor Candidate Sharret Yearwood and others. The two-hour long discussion was aired live on Vibes TV. Some 26 women were also highlighted for their extraordinary efforts. They are: Lucille Melendrez, Molly Fonseca, Lucille Eusey, Juanita Ramos, Alma Arnold Jones, Evelyn Avila, Meg Craig, Rubia Rosado, Adela Arzu, Nurse Evadne Grant, Elda Bermudez, Yolanda Fonseca, Emily Avilez, Louise Berry, May Cacho Felix, Iris Gullap, Venancia Petillo, Louise Bevans, Magdalena Young, Nurse Lillian August, Nilcia Acosta, Olga Gordon, Josefina Martinez, Felicia Nunez, and Ileana Sealey.
PUP Women leaders holding important discussions
Belize City, March 11, 2015 Just days after the March 4th elections the returned UDP Council at City Hall under Mayor Darrell Bradley is faced with the big question: what are they going to do with the BML workers? If it were up to the Mayor, as he had indicated before, he would never have hired them. But under pressure from Dean Barrow to saveface, he did. Now, the Mayor must be all too eager to sack them. If it were up to the Mayor, he would have sacked them a long time ago. Had it not been for Dean Barrow’s intervention with financing to keep them on because of the CitCo elections. But now that the elections are over and “Petrocaribe roll” dwindling down, Darrell and Dean are facing the same problem - find the money. Additionally, with
Mayor Darrell Bradley the reading of a new budget come April and falling oil, sugar and citrus export revenues, the economy down will surely dip and mean that the Barrow Administration will walk down a financial tight rope. What this means for Darrell is that he is left on his own to find cash to keep the BML workers in the Council, something he wanted nothing to do with. The result will be the same: either retrenchment as a strategy over time or retrenchment en masse as a wake-up call to Dean. Either way, CitCo’s BML workers days are numbered.
PUP LEADER FRANCIS FONSECA thanks all candidates who offered themselves in the 2015 Municipal Elections and all campaigners, workers & supporters who served the Party
THE BATTLE IS NOT OVER!
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15 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
Court adjourns Noh Mul Case Despite public confession, Denny Grijalva’s attorney attempts to get case struck out Orange Walk Town, March 11, 2015 Oh, how the wheels of justice turn so slowly when it comes to dealing with UDP politicians. The wanton and careless destruction of the ancient Noh Mul Mayan site by Denny Grijalva drew heavy condemnation nationally and internationally in May 2013. The UDP standard bearer for Orange Walk Central admitted that his company was excavating the Mayan site for road
material, and authorities moved slowly to lay charges on him. Now almost two years after, the case began before the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court and Grijalva’s facey-ness was in full display. When the case commenced, Prosecutor Kileru Awich informed the Court that the files had just been provided to him and he requested an adjournment. Grijalva’s attorney Bryan Neal objected to such request, saying that the matter has been before the Courts for two almost years, and requested that the case either proceed or be struck out.
But Magistrate Hamilton did not accede to Grijalva’s wishes. He allowed more time for the prosecution and transferred the case to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court.
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15 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
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EDITORIAL UDP Distractions Will Fail
H
on. Francis Fonseca, as Leader of the Opposition along with the National Executive of the People’s United Party met on Wednesday and made some important decisions on the way forward. Three burning issues were on the agenda for discussion and decision. The results of the municipal elections; the so-called Briceno tape, and the way forward from these issues. The municipal elections were an unpleasant surprise and at the end of the day the Opposition lost the Dangriga and Punta Gorda Town Councils. A combination of several factors contributed to this situation and closer examination is under way. No doubt UDP bribery and corruption had a part to play but that is not the whole story. Vote buying, bribery and corruption, including manipulating the voters list in Belmopan will also be undergoing closer scrutiny. As will the PUP message to voters and its delivery. Without getting into details of these and the other constituencies in this Editorial, the National Executive has resolved that the results have come as the lightening rod to galvanize the People’s United Party. The UDP has been violating the laws, abusing taxpayer’s monies, misusing PetroCaribe funds and engaging in dishonesty. While there were those who sold their votes or were threatened with loss of food pantry and removal of government handouts, the onus remained on the Opposition to stimulate voters. In Belize City, some forty-two thousand voters are registered. Yet only forty six percent went to cast their votes. Given the fact that Mayor Bradley spent over $40 million dollars and Central government spent over $50 million dollars only eleven thousand voters voted for the UDP. The PUP, with no money, and many constraints and disadvantages captured over seven thousand voters. Some 54 percent remained uncommitted. No amount of UDP millions and bribery could move these voters to support the UDP. No form of distractions will help them from hiding their failures. There is much work ahead for the PUP. The so-called Briceno tape has caused some consternation and there were calls for sanction. The Party Leader has asked that this matter be treated as an internal party issue. Mr. Briceno has made allegations but offered no facts, not in a single case. Everyone knows how easy it is to blame and to find fault. He has pledged renewed allegiance to his party. The People’s United Party needs loyalty and steadfastness of purpose. The worst of the traitors, Mark Espat, has been profiting from his treachery and has been feasting off public funds joyfully in the arms of the Prime Minister Barrow. No doubt they deserve each other. But wait and see what becomes of them. Which brings us to the way forward. After seven years of Dean Barrow and the UDP, Belize is in the worst mess it has ever found itself. The nation is importing
three times more than the products it is exporting. This spells economic disaster. Poverty is at an all-time high of between 45 to 50 percent and increasing. Pause for a moment and digest the enormity of what this means. The very body politic, the very social fabric of our country is in danger. Does the Barrow government have a program? Have any solutions been put in place? Does the Prime Minister really care about the less fortunate citizens of the country? Does he not feel guilty about feeding his family members from the public through? As he wastes and squanders precious resources has he ever done anything to reduce poverty? The answer is obvious. Has unemployment been front and center of the government? Are there statistics to support the number of new jobs created each of the past seven years under Mr. Barrow? The millions wasted on some streets to employ a few dozen unskilled laborers, in short-term unsustainable temporary work, is all that can be showed for seven cruel years of poverty and hard times. What of the hundreds of bright young graduates leaving high school and tertiary institutions each year. The government prefers giving George street (Queen Square Constituency) gang members weekly stipends while graduates have nothing to do. Look at the disgraceful crises that have befallen the education system since Mr. Barrow became Prime Minister. The World Bank review. The inter-American Development Bank report. They all highlight what is common knowledge to our young people. They have no future in a system which keeps fifty percent of them from reaching or graduating from a high school in Belize. No amount of election bribery or using Channel 7 to repeat a recording can mask the scandalous neglect of educating the young citizens of Belize. On this issue alone, Mr. Barrow is an abject failure. There is similar woe when it comes to the health sector of the country. As we go to press there are disturbing reports of the shortage of important medication at the hospitals. Service is below standards and equipment purchased has turned out to be useless and serve only to feather the nest of UDP cronies at the risk of the health of citizens. It is against this litany of woes which stem from the mismanagement and corruption of Mr. Barrow’s government that a renewed PUP must get its house in order. The challenges are many and the stakes are high. Seven long, hard, bitter years under Mr. Barrow is just as about as enough as the nation can take. The municipal elections are the trumpet call for the PUP. There is only one way forward-unity of purpose and hard work. The message must be taken to every house and every voter. The people of Belize, properly informed will make the right choices. A government of bribery, incompetence and corruption versus a renewed vision for improvement under the leadership of Hon. Francis Fonseca and a renewed PUP. That is the new way forward. And money is not stronger than the truth.
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CHARGED FOR OW MURDER Victim was stabbed 4 times, his throat was slit
Luis Ricardo Campos Orange Walk Town, March 10th, 2015 Two men, Dennis Reneau and Alexis Ramirez, have been detained and charged for the horrific stabbing murder of 26 year old Orange Walk resident, Luis Ricardo Campos, which occurred on the morning of Sunday, March 9th. Reneau and Ramirez appeared before the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday, March 11th, where they were charged for murder. Senior Magistrate Merlene Moody adjourned the case until April 29th, 2015. Campos was discovered at the Waldy Cuello Stables, located just off the San Antonio Road, with multiple stab wounds to his throat, right shoulder and face. His throat was also slit. The Officer in Charge of Orange Walk Police Formation, Police Superintendent Dennis Arnold, explained that they believe Campos was attacked by persons he viewed as friends.
LIQUOR LICENSE NOTICES Notice is hereby given that NATHAN A. UNDERWOOD is applying for a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “Nate’s Fast Food & Chill Spot”, situated at 21 Miles Phillip Goldson Highway, Gardenia Village, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980. Notice is hereby given that DAUDLING WITZ is applying for a Beer Liquor License to be operated at “Chelas”, situated at #41 Asuncion Street, Orange Walk Town, Orange Walk District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.
THE BELIZE TIMES
15 MAR
2015
Gapi fails to deliver O.W. …Denny Grijalva on the chopping block
Continued from page 1 You see, Grijalva has been found to be an extreme political dunce by his own colleagues after he failed to deliver the town council – mostly made up of the constituency Orange Walk Central – to the UDP. Grijalva couldn’t deliver victory despite the millions of dollars thrown into the political race by the UDP. The loss is a huge embarrassment to Dean Barrow. The UDP leader had chosen to spend his birthday on March 3rd in Orange Walk. In true Barrow-bombastic style, while speaking at a rally a day before the elections last week, the UDP leader tried to pull a trick on residents by saying that his Government will spend millions and millions if the residents vote for the UDP. Barrow said that the two roads that have been paid by Central Government, was the UDP’s way of whetting the people’s “appetite”, but he warned that if the Council remained PUP there will be no such support for infrastructure work. The rent-a-crowd at the
rally was only a handful, leaving Barrow worried. He looked to scold Denny, but the once-Pastor-turned-politician was nowhere to be found that night. The elections results which show the PUP winning despite the UDP’s big spending has made matters worse for Denny. Three UDP candidates, including El Odio, Juan Dedos and Gapi met last week Friday in a closed-door meeting and decided to cut Denny. Reports are that they will sacrifice the Pastor and replace him with one Ruben Scampos, whose litany of sins in Orange Walk is known by all. But while Denny is the easy scapegoat and will be put to pasture for not delivering …the real big loser in Orange Walk for the UDP is Gapi Vega. Gapi is ashamed to admit that he himself failed to deliver votes from Otro Benque Road, which is the only section of his Orange Walk North constituency that forms part of Orange Walk Town. There are 941 registered voters who reside along Otro Benque Road. The
majority of the 731 voters who casted their votes on March 4th rejected Gapi resoundingly. They supported Ramon “Monchi” Cervantes Jr. and the PUP Town Council team who have been constantly visiting the residents and pledging that a lot more work will get done by working with the community. The residents of Otro Benque Road have not forgotten the tremendous disrespect by the UDP. During a 2013 fiasco involving Gapi’s notorious nephew, Imer Hernandez, and his misuse of $179,951.55 which were paid to his company by the Government for the rehabilitation of San Antonio Road which never occurred, the Government claimed with no proof that Hernandez had instead used the money to pave Otro Benque Road. The residents knew the truth behind this claim. Gapi the millionaire could not deliver a single street and he is the biggest loser in Orange Walk. But his influence on the UDP coffers is too great for him to suffer for the UDP’s failure in the north, or perhaps time will tell.
15 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
WOMAN IN THE HOUSE By Dolores Balderamos Garcia
EARTHA KITT AND BLOODY SUNDAY On this weekend before International Women’s Day I have been listening to the music of American cabaret singer, voice artist and activist Eartha Kitt, who died in 2008, and I have taken note also of a significant anniversary, “Bloody Sunday” in Selma, Alabama, USA fifty years ago. Eartha Kitt was the inimitable song interpreter and artist, who delivered the most interesting and very best version of the classic Christmas song “Santa Baby.” She had an absolutely distinctive singing style, enjoying a long and storied career in entertainment. A few years ago a friend of mine told me that Eartha Kitt is the lady who “cuss
out” Lady Bird Johnson in the White House in 1968. I wanted to learn more about her! Yes, indeed, Eartha had socked it to the First Lady of the USA. On being asked by Mrs. Johnson about the Vietnam War, she replied “You send your best of this country off to be shot and maimed. No wonder the kids rebel and take pot [marijuana].” Reportedly, she added a few more choice criticisms of American policy as well, and Mrs. Johnson burst into tears. Eartha’s career took a severe hit thereafter, but as an activist she endured the hard times. She remained a member of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, and for
Boots Belly Full!! UDP Port representative has gone from “Boots” to “Expensive Shoes”!!
Belize City, March 10, 2015 Reliable reports reaching the BELIZE TIMES is that another Government Ministry will be coming to another UDP Cabinet Minister-owned building. This time the special contract will go to no other than Anthony “Expensive Shoes” Martinez who owns a life-sized, yellow-coloured, three-storey building at the entrance to the city. Government sources have informed the BELIZE TIMES that the Lands Department Belize District office will be moving from its Basra Street address directly to one of the lofty floors in the Boots building. This is the same building which currently houses offices for a dubious company named “Barrow and Barrow Domestic and Foreign Investments Limited” and “Port Housing for the Poor”. One can recall that the Government is already paying for rental of space at the “Boots” building at the corner of Mex and Amara Street for a Police Precinct, but how could Boots not get more rental sweets when he sees the Santi building on Hyde’s Lane rented out for $7,000 to house the Government’s Vital Statistic Unit and the Barrow family eating greedily at the public’s through. But for the people of Port Loyola
there are no such sweets or eating. They are the ones who will have to say how longer they will allow Boots to go on. Can’t they see what is happening? Aren’t they tired of lining up in front of his office at 4 o’clock in the morning to see their Minister who now only sees them around election time? And how is it that only a few bad boys get to be around him, to pick up the crumbs that fall off his table. Now that the elections are over, the new rental agreement is ready for the red ink. Isn’t this conflict of interest??
many years she was under surveillance by the CIA. During her Broadway career Eartha starred in a musical called “Mrs. Patterson,” which was the tale of an African American young woman who dreamed of being white and rich. One song from the musical is entitled “If I Was A Boy.” The lyrics include a line that goes “If I was a boy, there’d be some use in having a brain.” What?? Girls and women don’t have use for our brains? Exaggerated for dramatic effect, yes, but what a message regarding the unequal status of girls and women at that time in the 1950’s; and not only sixty years ago, but even now. Which leads us to remember how the marchers for the Voting Rights Act for African Americans were brutalized on Bloody Sunday, as they crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma on March 7, 1965. This occurrence was one of the turning points in the civil rights movement in the United States. Then President Lyndon B. Johnson, Ladybird’s husband, later protected the marchers and saw to it that the law was passed guaranteeing the right to vote for African Americans. It seems fitting to remember both Eartha Kitt and Bloody Sunday at this time of International Women’s Day. Eartha was an untiring social activist and believer in equal
07 7 rights for everyone, including minorities. Additionally, the marking of the Bloody Sunday fiftieth anniversary reminds us that the fight for freedom and equal rights is not at all over, as US President Barack Obama stated in his speech today. In America there is still too much police profiling of young African American men, and still too many unjustified killings by the authorities. Here at home on International Women’s Day we need to keep in mind our young men as well as our young women. The killings of young Belizean men continue, and they affect us all. We’re all in this together, working for gender equality. Nonetheless, women still have a long way to go in all spheres. Social security reform, labor laws reform, more protection for women and children, better pay for jobs mostly filled by women, more relevant education, much better health care delivery, more women at the decision-making table – these are only some of the issues that must be kept front and center of the national agenda. Eartha Kitt and Bloody Sunday, an individual and an event, are great examples that social justice and equal rights for all, including all women, have to be struggled for and need to be attained.
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THE BELIZE TIMES
15 MAR
2015
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BTL Cobb’s Arm wins
15 MAR
2015
BTL Cobbs Arm wins
2015 Ruta Maya River Challenge Belize City, March 9, 2015 The BTL Cobb’s Arm canoe has finished in the top 5 of the annual Ruta Maya River Challenge for the past 4 years, but this year Roy Cano, Eric Cano and Clayton Cabb of Santa Familia Village, Cayo District pulled out all the stops and paddled into 1st place to win the 4-day canoe race from the Hawksworth Bridge in San Ignacio to the Belcan Bridge in Belize City over the March 9th weekend. The NICH team and paddlers Efrain Cruz, Felix Cruz and Alexander Cruz were in 2nd place, while the OCB Wavemakers Chris Guydis, Jerry Rhaburn and Wilberto Daniels finished 3rd. Last year’s champs, Belize Bank Bulldogs (8 times champs, actually) with Armin Lopez, Daniel Cruz and Amado Cruz were 4th place while the Westrac Stingers Jerry Cante, Hener Cruz and Erwin Cruz were 5th.
1st Female Koop Sheet Metal
Intramural 1st Western Home Supplies/Cobb’s Arm - Alfred Lopez, Byron Cruz, Armando Lopez - 18:23:02 2nd Wat Eva Boys - Sergio Lopez, Adrian Williams, Alfred Linarez - 19:03:07 3rd Turdz - 19:27:07 Masters 1st Watt A Ting - Michael Searle, Andres Cabb, Alex Lisbey - 19:52:03 2nd Grumpy Old Men - Jerry Wilken, Stanley Bailey, Joe Segura - 20:39:51 Pleasure Division 1st Print Belize/Wrobel - Leroy Romero, Rudolph Gentle, Jason - 19:34:13 2nd BDF “Weh Dem Deh” - 19:41:28 3rd Police Crime Fighters - Tyrell Talbert, Carlos Linares, Armin Lopez Jr - 20:42:05 Female Division 1st Koop Sheet Metal - Maricella Guardado, Francisca Pfaender, Sarah Lassard - 19:28:58 2nd Belize Bank Bulldogs - Ana Lopez, Lily Cruz, Delilah Cabb - 19:43:50 3rd Belize Coast Guardians - 21:14:08 Mixed Division 1st BDF “Wave Runners” - 19:59:45 2nd “Green & Blue Canoe Oars” - 22:32:10 3rd “U Can” team - 22:39:01 Family Division 1st “Slim and Trim like a Guava Limb” - 13:58:51 2nd “Gentle Bubble & Grind” team - 16:34:13
San Pedro sailors top 87th Baron Bliss Harbor Regatta
2nd Female Belize Bank
Carolina Sersland 7th & Kevin Velasquez 1st
Belize Rural girls
Belize City, March 8, 2015 San Pedro’s 14-and-under sailors won 5 of 10 top places when the Belize Sailing Association held 6 “Optimist” dinghy races as part of the 87th annual Baron Bliss Regatta in the Belize City harbor over the weekend. San Pedro Racers’ 13-yearold Kevin Velasquez won back to back for the Optimist White fleet, placing 1st in 4 of the 6 races. He won the 1st race and 4th in the 3rd race on Saturday and dominated all 3 races on Sunday tallying a final score of 8 points. Belize Sea Scouts’ 12-yearold Trent Hardwick was 2nd with 16 points, taking 4th place in the 1st race, and 1st in the 3rd race on Saturday, and 3rd and 2nd in the 4th and 5th races on Sunday. Belize City Sailing Club’s 14-year-old Antonio Ricardez Jr took 3rd place with 24 points, after winning 2nd place in 2 races. San Pedro Junior Sailing Club’s 14-year-old Blanca Velasquez, who was voted Best Sailor of 2014, was 4th with 28 points after placing 3rd in one race, and placing 5th in 3 other races. San Pedro Racers’ 13-year-old Mitchell Sersland placed 5th with 33pts, after placing 2nd in the 1st and 2nd races on Saturday.
Belize Rural High girls & O.W. Tech boys win softball championships Placencia Sailing Club’s 11-year-old Peter Joo was 6th with 39pts, from a 3rd place finish in the 6th race on Sunday, and a 5th place finish in two other races. Placencia Sailing Club’s 12-year-old Diana Carlin won all 5 races among the beginners’ Green fleet for a perfect score of 5pts. Nine-year-old Christian “CJ” Ferrell Jr. also of Placencia was 2nd with 13pts having won one race, placed 2nd in the 5th race and he also had 2 3rd place finishes. Corozal’s 10-year-old Adyaneiri Susie Teck ranked 3rd with 18 points from placing 2nd in 2 races. Placencia’s 11-year-old Adner Lopez and 10-year-old Cianna Garbutt were 4th and 5th respectively. The Belize Sailing Association presented trophies and medals to the winners at an award ceremony at the Ex-Services League Headquarters, followed by a reception with food and refreshments on Sunday evening. Awards and medals went to Team “Sandra” Leonard Myers, Kent Myers and Austin Welch who won the sailing dory race; while “Heather” and its crew Liston Myers, Imar Welch and Kent
Myers took 2nd prize. Keith Hardwick captained the “Seagull”, and with his crew of Dion Cooper and Felix Cob to win the Bosun’s class sloop race. Peter Maullin won the single-handed Laser sloop race. Antonio Ricardez Jr. won the open race for all-comers. Captain Leonard Usher and his crew sailed Maheia’s “United” to win the sandlighters race against the “Radio”, captained by Robert Jeffery. The “Radio” is a truly venerable lady; as her keel was laid in 1885, she’s 130 years old! The San Pedro Racers will host a training clinic for “Laser” class sloops from March 28 to April 7, and the Caye Caulker Sailing club will host the Caye Caulker regatta on April 4-5. Note: Indefatigable sports photographer William Ysaguirre also won medal as an honorary member of the Optimist Green fleet, for his consistent reporting of all BSA races!
O. Walk Tech boys
Orange Walk Town, March 7, 2015 The Belize Rural High School girls and the Orange Walk Technical High School boys will represent the North at the National Secondary Schools Sports Association (NSSSA) softball championships to be hosted by Independence High School on Friday and Saturday, March 20-21. Belize Rural High girls defeated the San Pedro High School girls in the championship final 20-0. They were led by their pitcher Sabrina Campos, who struck out 3 San Pedro batters and walked 2, but allowed no runs zero runs, forcing the SPHS girls to leave 2 runners on base. Sabrina Campos, Iris Flowers and Natasha Thompson also scored 3 runs apiece, as SPHS pitcher Ada Cordova walked 10 batters. The BRHS girls collected 11 hits of Cordova’s pitching, while the SPHS diamond made 5 errors. Norma Lopez relieved Cordova on the mound, but BRHS’ Caitlyn McFadzean, Lyneece Moody, Lynese Alvarez and Selena Banner scored 2 runs apiece, while Kelly Flowers and Diedra McFadzean came home once. Continued on page 11
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Tichelle & Tisha Solis win female beach volleyball marathon
WESTERN BALLAZ LEADS ELITE BASKETBALL
Tisha Solis hits Belize City, March 8, 2015 Tichelle and Tisha Solis hammered the team of Maurissa Williams and Leyla Hernandez in straight sets: 21-15, 21-17 to win the Female tournament of the Belize Volleyball Association’s all-day beach volleyball marathon held to kick off the 2015 beach volleyball competition. In the Men’s finals, Abil Godoy and Luis Cunil of Corozal advanced undefeated to the men’s finals by winning 3 games. Bryton Codd and Raheem Flowers of Belize City forced Godoy and Cunil to extra points in the 2nd set, but Godoy and Cunil clinched the marathon win: 21-14 and 23-21. This year’s tournament begins on Sunday, March 22 at the Marion Jones Sports complex.
Belize Rural High girls & O.W. Tech boys win softball championships Continued from page 14 In the male championship final, pitcher Angel Alvarez led the Orange Walk Tech boys to a 7-4 win over San Pedro High School. Pitcher Lester Gomez struck out 5 batters, but walked 4, allowing Yradier Aldana to score Sugar City’s 1st run in the 2nd inning. The Sugar City diamond made 8 errors, and the SPHS boys led 2-1 when Jerry Ack and Guillermo Nunez came home in the 2nd inning. Gomez’s pitching collapsed in the 3rd inning and Sergi Samos, Javier Rosado and Angel Alvarez came home in the 3rd inning. Nachor Howe took over from Gomez on the mound, but also gave up 4 walks, allowing Evan Gongora and Darvin Hernandez to come home for Sugar City to lead 7-2. Tournament rules had set only 3 innings for the final to finish before nightfall, and in the bottom of the 3rd inning only SPHS Nachor Howe and Gabriel Nunez came home.
Belize City, March 7, 2015 The Cayo Western Ballaz are leading the National Elite Basketball League after their 79-62 win against Belize City No Limit at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium in San Ignacio on Friday night. Richard Troyer led the Ballaz with 27 points, 4 rebounds, and Giovanni Lennan added 9 points, 12 rebounds. No Limit’s Greg Rudon scored 15 points, 6 rebounds; and Lennox Bowman added 13 points and 2 rebounds. The Belize City Hurricanes are 2-3 after a 79-62 win over the Toledo Diplomats (0-5) at the Belize Elementary Auditorium on Saturday night. Tariq Middleton led with 19 points while Brian White added 18 points and 5 rebounds. Other games: San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs. Dangriga Warriors - 87-79 Top scorers: Milton James, 29 pts and 11 rebounds; Densmore Edwards, 17 pts Belmopan Red Taigaz vs. Orange Walk Running Rebels - 85-72 Top scorers: Farron Louriano, 30 pts and 10 rebounds; Roger Reneau, 24 pts and 14 rebounds Upcoming games: San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs. Belize City No Limit Bird’s Isle – Friday Hurricanes vs. Belmopan Red Taigaz - UB gym – Saturday Western Ballaz vs. Running Rebels - Orange Walk Multi-Purpose Complex Toledo Diplomats vs. Dangriga Warriors - Ecumenical College
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Leon Williams scored 15pts, 17 rebounds
Winston Pratt scored 9pts
BDF remains No. 1 in Premiere League Belize City, March 8, 2015 The Belize Defense Force has yet to lose a game and is No.1 in the Premier League of Belize’s closing season with 14pts from 4 wins and 2 draws. They stomped Wagiya 1-0 at the Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga on Sunday. Verdes FC of Benque Viejo is still No. 2 with 9 points and the Bandits missed the chance to leap-frog over them, when they fell 1-2 to the Placencia Assassins at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan, they remain at No.3 spot with 8pts from 2 wins and 2 draws. At the MCC Garden in Belize City, FC Belize finally posted their 1st win in 6 outings. They now have 5 points from 2 draws and
3 losses. FC Belize romped to a 3-0 win over San Ignacio United with Devaughn Zuniga scoring the 1st goal in the 5th minute, Jahron Myvette converted a penalty for a 2nd goal in the 63rd minute and Carlos Lino came off the bench to head in a 3rd goal, finishing a corner kick by Kenyon Lewis. The King’s Energy Freedom Fighters and Police United drew nil-zip at the Toledo Union field in Punta Gorda. Upcoming matches: Bandits vs. BDF at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium – Saturday Placencia Assassins vs. Verdes FC - Michael Ashcroft Stadium – Saturday San Ignacio United vs. Freedom Fighters - Norman Broaster Stadium – Sunday Wagiya vs. Police United - Carl Ramos Stadium
FC Belize’s Jerome Bermudez attacks
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THE BELIZE TIMES
Nature Must Come First! By Hilairé Bennett In his article “Nature Must Come First”, published in Newsweek for December, 14 2009 the Prince of Wales said “As the world edged into financial crisis, there were repeated warnings that we were headed for disaster. In the end, disaster struck. In many ways, the challenge of climate change has a similar feel, and the alarm bells are ringing just as loudly. But while it was possible to bail out the banks and to stimulate economic recovery with trillions of dollars of public finance it will not be possible to bail out the climate-unless we act now”. In Belize the alarm bells keep ringing but are the warnings being taken seriously by the Government and the relevant agencies? In a contribution dated September 22, 2013 in the Reporter Newspaper, the Department of Environment explained that out Forestry are considered the lungs of the earth, holding vast quantities of carbon which filters the air we breathe. The forest is also responsible for the generation of rainfall and it is from within it that the water source is supplied to 45% of the Belizean population. In September 25-26, 2013, a professor Bhawan Singh Ph.D. of the University of Montreal, Canada, conducted a workshop to assess the potential impacts of climate change. He presented a series of scenarios and methodological for assessing the current impact and projected the future effect of climate change in various sectors of Belize. Our own man of the soil, Dr. Kenrick Leslie, and members of the five Cs (Caribbean Community Climate Change Center) brought the importance of understanding climate change, future effects and methods of mitigation to the forefront on Krem’s Wake Up Belize and possible other TV talkshows. However, he drew concern, reporting the “inertia” and the laggard reaction of the Government in respect to climate change and the effects it poses to the “jewel”. The Government and tourism developers have been advised to refrain from investing in mega resorts such as the Harvest Caye project and the Puerto Azul endeavour, and to direct their concentration on inland tourism packages including jungle tours, exploring the cultural attraction of Belize’s Mayan sites. The Maya are considered culturally the most advanced society (or among the most advanced ones) prior to Columbus’ arrival to the Americas. Climatologists and paleoecologists have evidence that climate changes (drought) did contribute to the collapse of the Maya. Scientists have published in the journal Nature GeoScience, subsequent to conducting studies of a stalagmite found in Yok Balum Cave in Belize, that the country ex-
13 perienced a drying trend since 1850. It is also within the ambit of their findings, and told by lead author Harriet Ridley of Durham University, that a prolonged drought was responsible for the collapse of the Maya in Belize and Meso-America. Historical facts submitted by Eric Thompson (1954) reveals that by the time Columbus arrived, the Maya civilisation had long been in a state of decline and only a shadow of its former glory remained. The period from 900 A.D. to the time of Columbus, arrival six hundred years later is considered by historians and archaeologists to be the post classic period of the Maya civilisation marked by its collapse and decline. Throughout its decline, as Thompson points out, several chiefdoms or city states continued to exist well into post-Columbus time. Although Maya warfare and its tribal conflicts contributed to the collapse of Maya civilisation it was climate change and a severe drought that were the main causes of the demise. In Jared Diamond’s “Collapse – How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed”, he pointed out that the Mayas were the greatest contributors to their own downfall. They “did damage their environment, especially by defor-
Continued on page 14
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Continued from page 13
estation and erosion”. Their form of agricultural system was based on slash and burn (swidden agriculture) in which the forest is cleared and burned, crops are grown in the resulting field for a year or a few years until the soil is exhausted and then the field is abandoned. The Kings and Nobles failed to recognise and solve these seemingly obvious problems which undermined their society. Their leaders’ attention was evidently focused on short-term concerns or enriching themselves, waging wars, erecting monuments, competing with each other, and extracting enough food from the peasants to support all those activities. Like most leaders throughout human history, the Maya Kings and Nobles did not heed long-term problems, insofar as they perceived them. They did not heed the alarm bells warning them of the incoming collapse. The sober fact is that a great part of this demised population lived in Belize, evidenced by our many Mayan sites. The historical and scientific deduction on the fall of this once great society should be the impetus for the Government and the relevant agencies to sincerely tackle the issue of climate change. The history of our forest, its problems and negative impacts it had on the environment, should accelerate the drive in mitigating climate change. However, the wanton pillaging of our forest and continuous incursion by Guatemalan bandits continue devoid of any practical solution. The scandalous felling of our precious rosewood and Minister Lisel Alamilla Pennell’s alleged collusion in her Ministry, notwithstanding a moratorium was set in place, the haste at mega-resort development and oil riggings propping up all over the jewel speak volumes regarding the Government’s stance on the issue of climate change. Similar to the Maya Kings and Nobles the Belize Government’s focus is on the short term concerns of the capital interest. The Government has failed to understand “that the economy is a subsidiary of nature and not the other way around. Nature is after all the capital that underpins capitalism”. Capitalism and the benefits of economic ventures have become one of the root causes of deforestation in Belize and the rest
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of the world. However, financial rewards have become available to countries like Belize in reducing deforestation. Belize has become qualified for funding from both the European Union and the Global Environmental Fund (GEF) to mitigate the effects of Climate Change. GEF is backing two projects, one of which is “Enhancing Belize’s resilience to adapt to the effects of climate change”. Additionally, a $60 million loan was secured from the World Bank to the Government of Belize regarding a project called Belize Climate Change Resilient Infrastructure Project (BCRIP). This initiative seems duplicitous to the project mentioned above being funded by GEF. BCRIP’s purpose is to strengthen various infrastructures against anticipated impacts of climate change. Several sections of roadways, culverts and creeks have been earmarked for these monies, which sounds like normal responsibilities of Central Government and municipal bodies and areas through which this project will be engaged. In my opinion, the areas earkmarked for these monies spell total nonsense. Scientific and historical facts illustrate that Belize and the rest of the world’s resilience to future effects of climate change will depend first and foremost on how we protect and manage our forest and its surrounding ecosystem. The Chiquibul Forest Reserve deserves immediate attention and efforts towards conservation; more so than any roadways, culverts, and creeks. A practical venture is copying the idea of “eco-lodge” as found in Peru’s Madre de Dios rainforest. These eco-lodges are responsible for the eco-tourism boom in Peru, catering to tourists wanting to experience a few days of nature in the Amazon. The Chiquibul Forest Reserve could create a touristic boom for Belize. The community working at the Chiquibul could become the conservation watchdog with the capability of the venture generating immediate cash flow and creating a livelihood for many. We must be cognizant that it was the destruction of the forest and land erosion which contributed to climate change and the collapse of the advanced society – the Maya. The forest are the lungs of the earth and I must agree that Nature must come first.
2015
For Sale By Order of the 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 Mortgage made the 27th December, 2001, between ANDREW MIRANDA of Hopkins Village, Stann Creek District, Belize of the one part, and Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., of the other part, and recorded in Deeds Book Vol. 1 of 2002 at Folios 239 to 262, 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 being Lot No. 247 comprising 756.67 Square Yards, situate in Hopkins Village, Stann Creek District bounded and described as shown by Plan No. 1049 of 2000 attached to Minister’s Fiat Grant No. 1049 of 2000 TOGETHER with buildings and erections standing and being thereon. DATED this 11th day of March, 2015. MUSA & BALDERAMOS LLP 91 North Front Street Belize City Attorneys-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.
NOTICE OF COMMENCED DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given SORDIC SHIPPING COMPANY LIMITED and NENZEL COMMERCIAL INC. both commenced dissolution on 16th February, 2015; and Belizean Liquidators Services Inc. whose registered office is at 50 Shirley Street, P.O. Box CB-13917 Nassau, Bahamas, is the Liquidator of the company. Notice is hereby given UNIROK INTERNATIONAL LTD., ROLIN SECURITIES LTD., BRODINE BUSINESS CORP., WINDBRIDE INTERNATIONAL INC. and GRITA HOLDING S.A. all commenced dissolution on 23rd February, 2015; and Belizean Liquidators Services Inc. whose registered office is at 50 Shirley Street, P.O. Box CB-13917 Nassau, Bahamas, is the Liquidator of the companies. Morgan & Morgan Trust Corporation Belize Limited
NOTICE OF COMMENCED DISSOLUTION Notice is hereby given ASQUITH DEVELOPMENT INC. commenced dissolution on 25th February, 2015; and Belizean Liquidators Services Inc. whose registered office is at 50 Shirley Street, P.O. Box CB-13917 Nassau, Bahamas, is the Liquidator of the company. Notice is hereby given THIERRY COMMERCIAL CORP. commenced dissolution on 25th February, 2015; and International Liquidator Services Ltd. whose registered office is at Withfield Tower, 3rd Floor, 4792 Coney Drive, Belize City, Belize, is the Liquidator of the companies. Morgan & Morgan Trust Corporation Belize Limited
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2015
PSL, Ltd. # 62,036 (“the Company”)
Pursuant to Section 102 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, Chapter 270 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, notice is hereby given that PSL, Ltd.: a) is in dissolution b) commenced dissolution on the 4th day of March, 2015; and c) Cititrust International Inc. whose address is 35 Barrack Road, Third Floor, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator of the Company Cititrust International Limited Registered Agent
Petroleum Services Limited # 17,229 (“the Company”)
Pursuant to Section 102 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, Chapter 270 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, notice is hereby given that Petroleum Services Limited: a) is in dissolution b) commenced dissolution on the 4th day of March, 2015; and c) Cititrust International Inc. whose address is 35 Barrack Road, Third Floor, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator of the Company Cititrust International Limited Registered Agent
ARCO FINANCE INC. # 74,050 (“the Company”)
Pursuant to Section 102 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, Chapter 270 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, notice is hereby given that ARCO FINANCE INC. has been dissolved as at 5th March, 2015 and has been struck off the Register of International Business Companies. Cititrust International Limited Registered Agent
IRF Management # 77,126 (“the Company”)
Pursuant to Section 102 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, Chapter 270 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, notice is hereby given that IRF Management, Limited: a) is in dissolution b) commenced dissolution on the 4th day of March, 2015; and c) Cititrust International Inc. whose address is 35 Barrack Road, Third Floor, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator of the Company
ELECTIONS & BOUNDARIES 2015 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS RESULTS
Cititrust International Limited Registered Agent
F.R. Limited (formerly Cantera Resources Limited) # 9,322 (“the Company”)
Pursuant to Section 102 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, Chapter 270 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, notice is hereby given that F.R. Limited (formerly Cantera Resources Limited): a) is in dissolution b) commenced dissolution on the 4th day of March, 2015; and c) Cititrust International Inc. whose address is 35 Barrack Road, Third Floor, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator of the Company Cititrust International Limited Registered Agent
Continued on page 19
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BY ORDER OF CHARGEE 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 Chargee under and by virtue of a Charge registered at the Land Registry between ADRIAN LESLIE of the one part and HRCU of the other part. HRCU will at the expiration of three 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 may be obtained.
SCHEDULE ALL THAT piece or parcel of land comprising 328.818 S.M. being Parcel 3100, Block 16 in the Caribbean Shores/Belize Registration Section situate at the Corner of Albert Hoy Avenue and Supt. George Arthurs Street, Belize City, Belize District, the freehold property of ADRIAN LESLIE DATED this 25th day of February 2015 HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED 1 HYDE’S LANE, BELIZE CITY, BELIZE Phone: (501) 224-5644 Fax: (501) 223-0738
2015
VACANCY Vacancy exists at Chukka (Belize) for: Sales Assistants and Photographers. The successful candidates must:
- - - - -
Must possess at least a High School Diploma Must be computer literate Must possess good verbal and written communication skills Must be customer focused Must have at least two years experience
Submit applications along with resume to: Human Resources Representative PO Box #2131 Belize City Deadline for submitting applications: March 15, 2015
Job Offered By: Company: Job Type: Position:
BelAgro Agriculture Big Creek Group of Companies Full-Time PRODUCT SPECIALIST - SALES AGRONOMIST - Crop Input Team
Education: Professional Degree in Agricultural Science Skill Set: Exceptional communications and analytical skills in both English and Spanish. Ability to set and meet established goals. Ability to build/maintain strong relationships Excellent working knowledge of chemical, seed, fertilizer, and custom applications At least 3 years actively working in crop inputs Responsibility: Provide customers with current updated information on crop input products and best practices in the Industry, through the offering of accurate and label directed agronomic information to assist customers with weed, insect, and disease control options and fertilizer and seed options. Meet sales targets. Submit a resume to: Sales Team E-mail: agro@bigcreekgroup.com Attention: Manager Belagro Agriculture Submission Deadline: March 17, 2015
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THE BELIZE TIMES
Reid Barrow’s Bait or Weapon? By G. Michael Reid The Municipal elections have come and gone and the armchair generals and self-appointed pundits are still busy dissecting and analyzing the results. It was a decisive victory for the United Democratic Party and I will readily admit that I, for one was taken fully by surprise. Maybe I should not have been, since one should always temper expectations with reality! The number one reality is that the United Democratic Party is flushed with cash; cash money that they have been spending without the need to provide any type of accountability to anyone but themselves. Whenever he is asked about the Petro Caribe money, the Prime Minister always purports to be the keeper of such good records. He then invokes the integrity of his Financial Secretary as backative but there are a couple of problems here. First of all, nobody has ever seen these records and secondly, the Financial Secretary is a prominent member of Dean Barrow’s inner circle of confidants. Like any good dictator, Barrow does not tolerate dissenters and such good paying jobs are not easy to come by. It is quite easy for the Prime Minister to simply deny that any of the Petro Caribe money has been used to fund his election drive for obvious reasons. None of the oversight committees are in place and functioning and people like the Auditor General are appointed by the Prime Minister himself. It would be practically impossible to disprove what the Prime Minister is saying and certainly not while he is still in office. The evidence on
the ground tells a different story however, and few people are so convinced. Unfortunately, only those directly in charge of the money and only those who directly benefit would be in a position to blow a whistle, and given the nature of greed, we have a long wait for that one. There is an old idiom about corruption, “cut it out or cut me in for a bigger share”. Jules Vasquez, in a very telling interview following the elections, asked the Prime Minster if “… you intend on also staying in government long enough, to spend all that you can and the Petrocaribe fund? We know it’s close to 200 million.” Mr. Barrow replied, “That’s also another consideration isn’t it? Indeed… there is just no way we can spend all that money in the next few months.” This is a major problem with the way that the UDP has governed. Their vision extends only to the end of their term in government and with no consideration to the long term interest of the country. Governing has been made very easy for the UDP with the access to hundreds of millions of dollars from the Petro Caribe initiative, which interestingly enough was made possible through the efforts of the PUP. There is also another factor in these recent elections that war-
rants consideration. Voters know exactly how vindictive and heartless Dean Barrow can be. They know that any municipal council that would have been elected in these elections would have had to serve almost a full term under a UDP central government. In fact, on the eve of elections Mr. Barrow delivered the following speech to Orange Walk residents, “If you had had a United Democratic Party Town Council…in addition to the Belize/Corozal road… in addition to the San Antonio Road, pretty much every street in this municipality would have been paved, would have been concreted, would have been maintained to a standard that would have made you proud. In a way, what we have done is to show Orange Walkenos just a little piece of the promised land, because that is what Belize/Corozal Road and the San Antonio Road represents…a piece of the promised land. And we have done that to whet your appetite, to mek yu hunger for more…to make you understand that all you have to do to completely inherit all of the promised land is to vote for Yvette Liu Torres and the councillors of the United Democratic Party.” The people of Orange Walk had their minds made up however, and given the recent fiasco with the Sugar Industry, no way was UDP going to win that municipality. Mayor Kevin Bernard has also been doing a fantastic job, even without much assistance from Central Government. We can only hope that the people of Orange Walk do not suffer too much for their courage and they are certainly to be applauded for
17 taking such a tough stand in spite of the threats and promises. There is something wrong about this type of campaigning though; something very wrong. What Mr. Barrow was saying outright to the people of Orange Walk was that if they did not vote for his party that they would not get any assistance from his government. The voters of Dangriga and Punta Gorda knew all too well that what Mr. Barrow was issuing was no empty threat. They have felt the blunt of neglect for the past three years and have seen all the money going to municipalities that had UDP councils. The people of Cayo Northeast of course, have a different story to tell about his promises. What Mr. Barrow is doing is unethical and unconstitutional, but this man does not play by any rules. He makes them up as he goes along and if he needs to change the laws to suit his wants, well, he will readily do so; ask the previous owners of BTL or BEL! The people should be free to choose who they want to represent them without the type of conditions that are being placed upon them by the Prime Minister. Indeed, the money that is being wielded is the people’s own money and should not be used as either bait or weapon. The people of Orange Walk and Dangriga and Toledo pay taxes just like every other Belizean and should be entitled to the same type government-funded projects just like everyone else. There will have to be serious discussions about closing the loopholes that make this kind of campaigning possible.
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ELECTIONS & BOUNDARIES 2015 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS RESULTS
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ELECTIONS & BOUNDARIES 2015 MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS RESULTS
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REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL
NEWS
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Ukrainian government spends millions of dollars every day on war against pro-Russian rebels [Reuters]
Obama declares Venezuela a national security threat Washington slaps seven officials with sanctions as US president signs executive order calling Caracas a security threat.
Ukraine to receive $17.5bn from IMF to save economy Credit extended on condition that the government, saddled with conflict in the east, carries out structural reforms. The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has agreed to extend $17.5bn in loans to Ukraine in an effort to pull back the country from the verge of economic collapse. Christine Lagarde, IMF managing director, said on Wednesday that the new four-year extended arrangement will support economic stabilisation and wide-ranging reforms in Ukraine. “The plan is to disperse about $10bn worth of financing during the first year,” she said. Natalie Jaresko, Ukraine’s finance minister, said ear-
lier in the day that the government expected to receive $5bn from the IMF in the “coming days”. Credit is being extended on condition that the government in Kiev implements deep structural reforms and slashes government spending. On Tuesday, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed off on legislative measures to drastically reduce spending and also approved changes to the tax system. “This fully carries out Ukraine’s side of the agreements that were reflected in a memorandum with the IMF,” Poroshenko said Wednesday at a joint press conference in Kiev with Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. Lagarde hailed Ukraine’s “strong commitment to reform”. “They have maintained fiscal discipline in very difficult conditions, allowed the exchange rate to adjust, and have increased retail end-user prices for gas,” she said in a statement. Lagarde said measures would be taken to help cushion the poorest from the impact of adjustments.
US President Barack Obama has issued an executive order declaring Venezuela a national security threat, and placed sanctions on seven officials. The White House says the new set of targeted sanctions excludes the Venezuelan people and any trade relations with the nation, and are instead specifically aimed at government officials the US accuses of violating human rights. “Venezuelan officials past and present who violate the human rights of Venezuelan citizens and engage in acts of public corruption will not be welcome here, and we now have the tools to block their assets and their use of US financial systems,” Josh Earnest, White House spokesman, said in a statement on Monday. “We are deeply concerned by the Venezuelan government’s efforts to escalate intimidation of its political opponents. Venezuela’s problems cannot be solved by criminalising dissent.” Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro responded by saying the US measures were intended to topple his Socialist government. “President Barack Obama, representing the US imperialist elite, has personally decided to take on the task of defeating my government and intervening in Venezuela to control it,” Maduro said in a national television address. Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry also recalled its top diplomat in the US for “immediate” consultations after the announcement.
Philippines’ generation of sex tourism children As sex tourists depart Balibago, they leave behind a growing number of children conceived in illicit exchanges. Angeles City, Philippines - Weekends are busy on Fields Avenue in Balibago. Young women greet meandering men and invite them into the bars that line the street. Known as the “supermarket of sex”, Angeles City’s red light district has fast become a top destination for sex tourism. Male travellers from Asia, Australia, the US, Europe and the Middle East constitute the bulk of the arrivals at Clark Airport, a former US military airbase. From there, many flock to the bars and clubs of Fields Avenue - and to the impoverished young women who work there. Acquiring their company for the night is straightforward. For a small fee, the men obtain what is known as an “early work release” that permits them to take the woman of their choice back to their hotel. It is a trade that thrives in the Philippines, where there are an estimated half-a-million sex workers, almost a fifth of whom are minors. According to a former US ambassador to the Philippines, 40 percent of all visitors to the Philippines are sex tourists. Although illegal in the predominantly Catholic country, an estimated $400m is spent on prostitution there each year. But when the sex tourists depart, they sometimes leave more behind than they’d arrived with. A large number of children have been conceived in such exchanges and while some foreign nationals provide support for and, in some instances, even marry the mother of their child, many more children never even meet their biological father and are left to live in poverty.
Fake IRS agents target more than 366,000 Americans in huge tax scam Schemes involve fake agents requesting payments by prepaid debit cards, costing taxpayers $15.5 million Fake IRS agents have targeted more than 366,000 people with harassing phone calls demanding payments and threatening jail as part of a huge nationwide tax scam that has cost taxpayers $15.5 million. More than 3,000 people have fallen for the ruse since 2013, Timothy Camus, a Treasury deputy inspector general for tax administration, said Thursday. The scam has claimed victims
in almost every state, Camus said. One unidentified victim lost more than $500,000. “The criminals do not discriminate. They are calling people everywhere, of all income levels and backgrounds,” Camus told the Senate Finance Committee at a hearing. “The number of complaints we have received about this scam make it the largest, most pervasive impersonation scam in the history of our agency.” The scam is so wide-
spread that investigators believe there is more than one group of perpetrators, including some overseas. Camus said even he received a call from one of the scammers at his home on a Saturday. He said he had a stern message for the caller: “Your day will come.” So far, Camus said, two people in Florida have been arrested. They were accused of being part of a scam that involved people in call centers in India contacting U.S. taxpayers and pretending to be IRS agents.
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15 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
BELIZE TIMES WEEKLY
SCIENCE & TECH R
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HIV’s hiding places at last revealed by simple scan 9 March 2015 by Clare Wilson It’s like using heat cameras to catch criminals on the run, but it finds HIV instead. A novel scanning technique is enabling researchers to pinpoint where in the body HIV is lurking. “This could really help with the research for a functional cure,” says Alan Winston of Imperial College London, who was not involved in the study. Today’s potent drug treatments can eradicate HIV from the blood, but the virus must survive elsewhere in the body, because it returns when people stop taking these drugs. It has been assumed that the virus hides out in immune cells at various “sanctuary sites”, either replicating very slowly or becoming completely dormant. Supporting this, biopsies reveal the virus in sites such as patches of immune tissue in the gut. Sanctuary sites One strategy to eradicate HIV completely might be to somehow wake up the hiding virus and then kill it. Research into this “kick and kill” strategy is ongoing, but little is
ed radioactive antibodies into three monkeys with SIV that were being treated with antiviral drugs. PET scanning, which can detect the location of radiation sources within the body, revealed the viral protein, called gp120, in a range of sites including A dangerous game of hide and seek (Image: medicalrf.com/Getty) the nose, lungs, gut, genitals and lymph nodes in the armpits and known about which sanctuary sites groin. The antibody could not get into are the most important, what the vithe brain, however, which is thought rus is doing there and whether existto be another sanctuary site. ing drugs can reach the sites. The scans were not detailed Francois Villinger of Emory Unienough to reveal which specific cells versity in Atlanta and colleagues the virus protein was in, but tests wondered if a PET scanning apafter the monkeys were killed conproach, which is also used to show firmed that the virus was present in the spread of cancer, could reveal the immune cells of the areas identithe location of the virus. This idea fied by the scan. was prompted by the discovery of Kick and kill an antibody that binds strongly to Although the technique won’t SIV, the monkey version of HIV. show up a virus that is completely To test the idea, the team inject-
LOOK, NO FUEL! SOLAR-POWERED FLIGHT AROUND WORLD IS GO 9 March 2015 by Andy Coghlan Off the ground at last. After more than a decade of preparation, a pioneering attempt to fly around the world powered solely by sunshine has begun. Solar Impulse 2 took off early today from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates and, hours later, completed the first leg of its epic circumnavigation attempt by landing in Muscat, Oman. Pictured here following take-off at 7.12 am local time, the plane will take a total of five months to circumnavigate the globe, arriving back where it started in July. The co-inventor of the plane, André Borschberg, will take turns piloting each leg with his counterpart Bertrand Piccard over the 12 planned flights, expected
to take around 25 days’ worth of flying time in total, at speeds of 50 to 100 kilometres an hour. Next stop after Oman will be Ahmedabad in India. The plane weighs 2300 ki-
lograms, about the same as a car, but its wingspan of 72 metres is wider than that of a Boeing 747. Its wings bear 17,248 solar cells to power its electric motors. The cells
dormant, just being able to see where there is low viral replication is a major advance, says Winston. “It’s the first paper that has allowed us to visualise viral reservoirs.” The next step would be to develop antibodies that can recognise the gp120 protein made by the human strain of the virus. Scans made using these could aid researchers working on kick-and-kill strategies, and help investigate the rare cases where people seem to have been cured of HIV. This has been claimed for a handful of people who were given bone marrow transplants from donors whose immune cells are resistant to HIV, as well as for an infant who was given antiviral drugs straight after birth. Initially after that child – the socalled Mississippi baby – was taken off the drugs, there was no virus detectable in her blood, and her doctor claimed a cure. Unfortunately, after four years the virus returned and she had to restart drug treatment. The PET scanning technique could help in such cases, Villinger speculates, by revealing if the virus is present in sanctuary sites.
recharge four lithium polymer batteries, allowing the aircraft to fly at night. “We have the most efficient electrical motor in the world, the best insulation, a great lighting system, the lightest construction materials,” Piccard told New Scientist last month. “Our goal is not just to fly a solar plane around the world. We are creating, demonstrating and promoting technologies that the planet desperately needs in order to be cleaner and more sustainable.” The most perilous stages will be crossings of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, each expected to last five days and five nights. After crossing the Pacific via Hawaii, the plane will fly across the US, stopping in Phoenix and New York City’s JFK airport. Piccard says that to rest during these marathon stages of non-stop flight, he has developed a “self-hypnosis” technique enabling his mind to stay alert while he sleeps. “This allows me to take 20-minute naps, 10 times a day, with the plane on autopilot,” Piccard says. “If it leaves a predetermined envelope of flight, an alarm and vibrations in my flight suit will wake me.”
15 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
Election results and predictions
The Recordings Jules Vasquez Ignores! Belize City, March 15, 2015 Jules Vasquez and the United Democratic Party are busy trying to create problems for the People’s United Party. This is why Channel 7, who broke the news of a “recording” of PUP Deputy Leader Hon. John Briceno last week, has not ignored the contents of the recordings about two current senior UDP Ministers in which direct allegations of wrongdoing are made against them. There is the February 2014 Mark King recording of Edmond Castro, which put the always-embattled Belize Rural North politician in deep trouble with Dean Barrow. In the tape, it is alleged, Castro made heavy criticisms of the Prime Minister’s leadership of the Government. King, who always has his finger on the record button, saw an opportunity to come-up on Castro’s loose lips and recorded the entire conversation and then snitched on his Cabinet colleague. When Jules asked Barrow about the tape, the PM’s response was, “I won’t tell you what the contents of the recording are. I consider it an internal UDP matter, and I will leave it there.” And that was it. Jules neither fussed nor fought. The leader of his Party had “checktized” him, and he could do no more. There were no politically-slanted nightly features of the recording. And when the other explosive Manuel Castillo recording which implicated Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega in the murder of former PUP Senator and Mayor Ramon Cervantes Sr in Orange Walk came to light, Channel 7 has tip-toed around it. As if as gag-order has been put on him, Jules has never asked Dean Barrow to comment on the tape or the allegations against his Deputy Prime Minister and unpopular political boss in the north. But Jules is making much “news” of the recording and filling as many spots on the newscasts as possible on edited sound bite that sound more like UDP propaganda.
of the quantum of registered voters in all respective areas. 2) If General elections were called and the poll would receive an increase of double voter turnout it has the potential of a totally different result. 3) The estimated 80% voters that did not vote are the voters that cannot be bought and also the voters that are PATIENTLY WAITING TO VOTE OUT THE UDP, COMPLETELY IN GENERAL ELECTIONS. In 2008 the UDP won based on a campaign of Transparency and in this 2015 municipal election the UDP won on reckless and secret spending through PETROCARIBE campaign. There were 4 categories of voters 1) the voters that could be bought, 2) the voters who support a political party for genuine reasons they can identify with and therefore cannot be bought 3) the educated voters that are informed 4) the educated voters that lack common sense and the finally 5) the educated voters that are cronies so they intentionally turns a blind eye or is blinded to corruption because of their financial gain. I am of the firm view that the correct approach on the way forward for the PUP is to ensure their campaigners are educated to impart, debate on any national issues with the electorates. Honorable Francis Fonseca is the best leader for the People’s United Party. The PUP must demonstrate THEIR best quality to the Belizean people, which is their unique quality of originality: to pioneer the vision for developments in BELIZE.
CARTOON
By Kaila Moralez The UDP and the media are being misled by the results of the MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS 2015. The UDP is like an athlete on steroids gloating over a win. I’ll outline the subtle but important implications for a General election prediction. The subtle implication that most aren’t noticing are 1) the fact that the voter turn out in all municipalities were less than half
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SENIOR ASR/BSI EMPLOYEES IN HOT WATER Belize City, March 12, 2015 Reliable sources are that two senior employees of Belize Sugar Industries/American Sugar Refinery are in serious hot water. John Gillette, the company’s Factory Manager, and Jamil Matar, a known UDP spokesperson employed at the company as an electrical and engineering manager, are reportedly facing disciplinary measures and are under investigation by company officials after it was discovered that some expensive equipment that should be in their care went missing between September and December last year. The company launched an
investigation into the missing equipment early this year, after a factory employee who was terminated began “squealing” about alleged wrongdoing. Gillette could not be reached today for comment, and an employee of his office only indicated that he is out of office indefinitely. Matar is known in Orange Walk as a self-righteous, rabid UDP spokesperson who attacks PUP supporters and leaders in his weekly column in the UDP newspaper. We hope Matar can explain his doings and dealings at BSI in his next column. It appears he took the “UDP transformation” too seriously.
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THE BELIZE TIMES
15 MAR
2015