Belize Times March 22, 2015

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Greedy, Greedy Boots!!

Belize City, March 17, 2015 Last week, the BELIZE TIMES published reliable information provided a source that the Belize City Lands Department will be transferred from its Basra Street location and will now rent space at the Boots Building at the corner of the Central American Boulevard and Cemetery Road.

The newspaper also published a picture of a banner that shows that a company by the name “Barrow and Barrow Domestic and Foreign Investments Limited” was housed in the building.

Perhaps also paying a hefty rent. Who are the personalities hiding behind this “Barrow and Barrow” company will soon come to light!

Now this week, a new sign has appeared on the building, displaying the name of another group called “Port Loyola Housing for the Poor”.

Most Belizeans, especially residents of Port Loyola, don’t even know that such a group exists. But the truth is that the group was registered almost 19 years ago, but did not become active until 2008, after the UDP won the elections. The group, which calls itself a Non Governmental Organization, is actually a FOR PROFIT group and that much became clear when the organisation began benefitting from Government contracts. The group was even given 12 acres of prime land on the George Price Highway between mile 4 and mile 4.5.

When the land giveaway was exposed in 2009, Anthony “Boots” Martinez jumped to defend the group and even claimed he was part of it. He claimed that “they” had big plans, saying that “what we do here is to culminate our work, here is our warehouse.

It is a land for the economic purpose for the people of Port Loyola. Shortly we will be putting up a building to host the residents of Port Loyola in regards to computer training and sewing etc.”

But five years later, there is no such computer training or sewing programme. There has also not been a massive boom of “Housing for the Poor” in Port Loyola, the constituency that is high in poverty and where Boots is the area representative. The use of “Housing for the Poor” has turned out to be more of an abuse…as the large tract of land still belongs to Boots’ “Port Loyola Housing for the Poor” and the group continues to benefit from Government funds.

The major problem here is that

LOCAL 20 Mar

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Cut the fat Mr. PM!

His office pays $650,000 to Contract Officers

Boots could be cashing in again on rent from this dubious group, which he is a part of. If he were really serious, the work proposed by this group through its name could have easily been done

through an office in one of his high-paid Minister’s building.

What residents of Port Loyola need to demand to know is how much this group is cashing in on their name?

Greed certainly knows no limits….and Boots just keeps filling up his expensive shoes!

Fuel shortage causes chaos

Belize City, March 17, 2015 The poor monitoring and administration of fuel supply has triggered unexpected shortages at several gas stations throughout the country, spiralling chaos and resulting in major losses to the transportation and productive sectors.

The main fuel supplier, PUMA, has had to ration their fuel supply to fuel distributors/stations such as Shell and UNO. The gas stations, as a result, have had to cut back on their sales to large customers and even turned back others, either in fear that they would run out of fuel too quickly or because they have run out.

Government-appointed Deputy Chairman of the Alba Petrocaribe Belize Energy Limited John Mencias admitted that the fuel shipment was delayed by about four days, but he doubted that it would cause major shortages.

It turns out he was very wrong. Before midweek there was no Premium or Diesel fuel at several gas stations throughout the country. This occurred faster in towns and cities where tourism activities and the transportation sector is the busiest.

Customers are being told that there would be no supply until early next week, as the next shipment of fuel is expected in the country sometime this weekend.

22 Mar

Belize City, March 18, 2015 Prime Minister Dean O. Barrow must explain why his “Office” has been spending so much money on maintaining high-salaries for politically cronies.

Since 2008, the Prime Minister has used his office to provide a means through which agents of the United Democratic Party, specially-hired to advance his political agenda, are allowed to milk the public coffers. Today, the number of UDP agents who are hired as contract workers have increased from four in 2008 to ten in 2014/2015.

These agents and their titles Continued on page 2 SCAN HERE

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22 MAR

2015

THE BELIZE TIMES

03 3

FORWARD with FRANCIS Cut the fat Continued from page 1 Area Representative John Briceno made statements criticising the leadership. The contents of this recording, however, contradicts all statements made at recent National Executive meetings and actions on the campaign by Hon. Briceno in the past months, where he has demonstrated good faith and the will to work along with the Party Leader, and which led to the Party’s victory in Orange Walk Town in the most recent municipal elections.

The ruling United Democratic Party and their agents, in particular those in the media, capitalised on the appearance of a struggle and division and attempted to do what they do best: divide and destroy.

But the PUP held its ground.

Wednesday’s meeting was opened by the Party Leader who expressed his deep commitment to leading the PUP and guiding the Party through transformational reform and victory. He called on all Party officials to see themselves as the transformational leaders who will achieve this.

The Party Leader then put the question of whether the Party should hold a leadership convention in the coming months, and one by one, the near 40 persons who attended the meeting, representing Standard Bearers and the National Executive which includes the arms of the party, Marshalls, United Women’s Group and Belize Youth Movement, spoke

Mr. PM!

His office pays $650,000 to Contract Officers

Party officials discussing internal issues at Wednesday’s meeting openly and freely. They unanimously condemned the attempts being made to divide the Party and gave their support to Hon. Francis to lead the Party into the next general elections.

There were various important statements made by the leaders, among them that unity is the most effective way to achieve success; and that the majority of Belizeans know that only the PUP can properly develop Belize and positively impact the lives of the people through education and poverty elimination.

The PUP’s Lake Independence standard bearer Cordel Hyde reminded the Party officials that the PUP is

the most experienced winning political party in Belize.

Following the resounding expressions of support and commitment to do battle, the Party Leader said that he was humbled, but re-energized.

“I have heard your words,” he said, “this trust and confidence must be supported and awarded with greater effort to thrust us forward and to lead the PUP to victory whenever the elections are called”.

The Party Leader said the PUP members of the House will be more than ready for the Budget Debate next week.

Continued from page 2 which never existed under the former PUP administrations, are given all sorts of titles such as “Executive Coordinator”, “Executive Assistant”, and “Programme Officer”, and also benefit from large sums of money as salaries.

The UDP Government is currently paying these contract workers a total of $646,400 as of December 2014. There exists TWO Chief Executive Officers in the Prime Minister’s office. One of them is the UDP’s political officer Audrey Wallace. There is also a “Special Advisor” who incidentally was appointed the President of the University of Belize in June 2014. And then there is a “Director of Public/Private Partnership”, “Senior Programme Officer”, “Human Development Programme Officer” and then those listed before.

All titles were created after 2008.

Financial prudence seems to have gone out the window under the Barrow Administration, at the public’s expense.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

KHMH IN CRISIS Hospital faces sterilization medication shortage!

Belize City, March 16, 2015 The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital is facing a severe crisis and the hospital staff is suffering in silence and fear.

The main public referral hospital could very well be the next Phillip Goldson International Airport where the essential workers may need to shut down the institution to get someone’s attention.

There are shortages of all kinds of medications (for example, an important medication for general anesthesia has been unavailable for months now and another important anesthesia medication for mothers who go to the hospital to give birth is also unavailable. Worse yet, the main medicine that is used for spinal anesthesia is expired so it doesn’t work well if at all, so it causes the patients to experience sever pain when the doctor starts to cut.

There is a shortage of even more basic supplies like needles used to put drips into the patients. There are no sets to nebulize children with asthma and pneumonia.

Common surgical tape is in short supply, but very senior nurses at the very top are trying to suppress the complaints.

Worse of all, the most basic of blood tests are not being done in the

hospital. The blood level test which should be taken half hour to do, now requires 3 days for results. People are being encouraged to do the tests privately.

But the last straw is that the sterilizer needed to prepare material for surgeries has finally stopped working. This problem was already obvious for over a year now and no real measures were taken to deal with the situation. At first they sent the material to be sterilized in Belmopan and when their sterilizer broke down, they sent the stuff to Orange Walk but their sterilizer broke down as well. The supplies are now going to Dangriga and the turn around time is too long. What will happen when their machine finally breaks down too? The situation is so serious that only extreme emergency surgeries are being allowed. There is a real possibility that even those may have to stop too. Again, senior people in management (including the doctor who sound like he can’t bruk egg) are spending scarce resources on pet projects and neglecting the core needs of the people who have no choice but to go to Karl Heusner.

Cement is not a very good medicine, by the way.

The staff at the hospital is fed up and frustrated but they are saying that it is the people of Belize who are responsible for putting these incompetent politicians and their stooges in charge. So, it will be up to the people to change them or to simply continue putting up with the bad situation and to keep suffering.

2015

Visitors to Belize City will pay toll! Mayor Bradley Belize City, March 18, 2015 Mayor Darrel Bradley has revealed disturbing news for Ladyville residents.

Actually, it is bad news for all residents who travel into Belize City, especially daily, or city residents who carry out business in other districts and have to travel.

Mayor Bradley appeared on one of the local morning show radio/tv programs and revealed that his Council will implement a toll collection at the Phillip Goldson Highway which will charge anyone entering the city.

He did not say what the fee would be, and indicated that the move is necessary to fund a project on the highway.

Since 2012 when he first entered office, Mayor Bradley’s Council has received disproportionate and advantageous financial support from Central Government. He received the tens of millions, while other municipalities have received crumbs.

At the same time, Mayor Bradley increased the cost of all services offered by the Council. Trade license, property tax, drivers’ license, vehicle inspection and so on. Now why on earth, having collected millions upon millions already, does he need to continue squeezing the pockets of people? The truth will soon be told.

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22 MAR

THE BELIZE TIMES

2015

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EDITORIAL Politics Over Priorities

W

e have seen a troubling pattern. The job of the Belize City Council through the leadership of its Mayor is to improve the living conditions of the entire city. But when you have a Mayor who is blinded by his political ambitions, the job gets muddied by pursuits of personal fantasies.

Mayor Darrell Bradley seems hell-bent on pursuing his ambitions to become the UDP’s candidate in Caribbean Shores over the greater needs and priorities of Belize City and its residents.

Just two weeks into his second term, Bradley proved he continues to be driven by political fantasy and greed when he re-introduced his plan to spend over $10 million to construct a four-lane highway from the Buttonwood Bay boulevard junction to the Haulover Bridge.

That section of the highway isn’t even a street in the city. But it does run along the Caribbean Shores area. Mayor Bradley has publicly declared numerous times that he is interested in the division, and while he was forced to throw his hat in the Mayoral race once more in the recent March 4th municipal election, it was on the condition that he would be allowed to challenge current UDP representative Santino Castillo in the near future.

Castillo, who has claimed that he is preparing for the challenge, has given free political advice to Bradley that he should “be smart” instead.

But the Mayor is facing bigger challenges.

As mentioned, the northern road is part of a highway and not a street and so it does not fall under the jurisdiction of the City Council.

The Ministry of Works (Central Government) maintains jurisdiction and while they have

cautioned the Council to focus on the city, the Mayor is, as Krem WUB’s Mose Hyde has said before, very stubborn.

Mayor Bradley would think rationally if he would only get his head out of the concrete!

Having spent $40 million to pour cement on several streets in the northside of the city, actually mostly in the Caribbean Shores area, the truth is that he has ignored the city’s drainage conditions and the dilapidated state of streets in the Southside.

One would think that the UDP Council would show some fairness in its second term and put in efforts to pave Southside streets, but to the Mayor apparently there are no political benefits there, and his Councillors have no clout in the decision making.

The other challenge is that the City Council has no funding and must continue to rely on drawing funds from loans and free money from Central Government, which is drawn from the Petro Caribe loans. The cashstrapped Council owes $20 million borrowed through the municipal bond, and then several hundreds of thousands of dollars owed to the sanitation companies.

With the bleak financial state the Council is in, it would be wise for the Mayor to focus on responsible spending. Maybe he should set up a Finance Committee to help the Council navigate through the financial storm ahead, but that would entail opening the books and we know the UDP Council has been hiding a lot.

Choosing politics over the city’s priorities is a very unwise and costly decision. The Mayor should heed to Santi’s warning: “it’s very easy to spend money…it’s very hard to pay it back”.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

The Betrayal Belize City, March 16, 2015 Judas sold out for 30 pieces of silver. But a least he later felt remorse and hanged himself.

It has now been confirmed that the former Minister of Economic Development in the PUP Government Mark Espat collected over one million, six hundred and fifty nine thousand, three hundred and thirty three dollars (1,659,333.00) from the Barrow Government as a fee for the debt restructuring in 2012.

This hefty sum was paid according to the Government of Belize invoice on the 21st March 2013 to a company called Hallmark Advisory Ltd. The company Registry in Belmopan shows that on the same day one year earlier the company Hallmark Advisory Ltd. was registered by Mark Espat owing 95 percent of the company and his wife the remaining 5%.

The Directors of the company are Mark Espat and his two brothers Jose Espat and Jorge Espat.

It has now come to light that in addition to the $1.6 million that Mark Espat received on the 21st March 2013, he has been collecting through his company Hallmark for the past two years the princely sum of $20,000.00 per month.

Dean Barrow the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance has been paying Mark Espat “A monthly retainer” of $20,000.00 plus expenses or over a quarter of a million dollars every year (over $250,000.00). This corrupt concealed financial arrangement done behind the backs of the taxpayers of Belize indeed without the approval of Cabinet or Parliament has got to be the biggest in your face filthy lucre betrayal of the public trust in the history of post Independence Belize.

UNSUSTAINABLE

BUDGET!

Debt balloons to $2.7 Billion under Barrow Continued from page 1 Without mincing words Senator Lizarraga remarked, “We need to be sustainable with our finances…and we don’t believe that this Budget leads us to a path of sustainability”, as he appeared on the Open Your Eyes show on Wednesday morning.

Senator Lizarraga pointed out that the Government is borrowing too much and not managing its expenses properly. He indicated that annually, Government’s borrowing to cover the financial deficit has increased and surpassed what is initially estimated. In the 2013-2014 fiscal year $177 million was borrowed, while in 2014-2015 the Government had to borrow $207 million to make up for the financial gap, after it had estimated that it would have been $141 million. It is projected that in the new fiscal year, the overall deficit will be $174 million.

Senator Lizarraga stated that the Petrocaribe financing available to the Government is being “abused” at the expense of taxpayers.

“We’re spending everything we have as if there is no tomorrow, and that is not sustainable,” he said.

The 2015-2016 proposed Budget will be debated by the members of the House of Representatives on Thursday March 26th and Friday March 27th 2015.

There will be explosive remarks by the Opposition about the failure of the Government to reduce poverty and cure social ills despite spending millions and millions of dollars.

The Opposition is also expected to question the Government’s heavy borrowing. The Prime Minister reported in his Budget speech that “Central Government’s debt to increase by $102

million to $2.7 Billion the equivalent of 76% of GDP in fiscal year 20152016”. 85% of that remains external or foreign obligations debt. This overall debt is now twice the amount which the Barrow Administration inherited when it took office. This means that while in 2008 the debt was $1.1 Billion dollars which represented debt from ALL the previous governments, the UDP in just five short years, borrowed $1.6 billion.

Also commenting on this issue, Senator Lizarraga said that it was a major concern for the business sector, “What the business community is saying is that we have to be realistic.

We already owe more than any country per person per G.D.P. in the whole region – Mexico to South America.

We owe more than any country per person. We owe more than any country in Central America. Where are we going with this? Where will it end?

How will we pay for this? Already the Belizean people, each and every one of us, owe approximately twelve thousand dollars, and every year we have to find three thousand one hundred and fifty dollars for the budget…each person in this country.”

NOTICE I, Mayela Augustine, do hereby give notice that I have applied to the Magistrate’s Court sitting in the Orange Walk Judicial District for a Certificate authorizing me to obtain a Moneylenders’ License in the name of Surplus Quick Service located at #13 Liberty Avenue, Orange Walk Town.

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2015

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THE BELIZE TIMES

2015

WOMAN IN THE HOUSE

By Dolores Balderamos Garcia

Honoring our Heroes and the Commonwealth Last week on March 9, 2015, which was National Heroes and Benefactors Day, I attended two brief and touching ceremonies in Belize City. The first was the Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony at the Baron Bliss Tomb, Fort George, at the invitation of the Governor General Sir Colville Young. The second was the Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth Ceremony at the Flag Monument at the entrance of Belize City, at the invitation of the President Elect of the Scout Association of Belize Ms. Jersha Lennan and the National Scout Assembly.

Despite some early rain, the sun was out at the Baron Bliss Tomb, a beautiful setting near the sea for the Wreath Laying

Ceremony. It is always a short and well-put-together program.

A Guard of Honor was mounted by the Belize Police Department, Belize Defence Force, Boy and Girl Scouts, Boys Brigade, and Police Youth Corps, with the Police Band providing the music. All in their uniforms looked very smart.

With only a few members of the diplomatic corps and some invited guests present, the Governor General arrived at 8am, and inspected the Guard of Honor.

The Invocation was given by Reverend Roosevelt Papaloute of the Methodist Church, after which wreaths were laid on Baron Bliss’ Tomb by the Governor General and Mr. Joseph Waight, who chairs the Baron Bliss Trust. Wreaths

were then placed before the images of Rt. Hon. George Price and Hon. Philip Goldson, our National Heroes,

by Ms. Diane Haylock, Chairperson of NICH. Florence Goldson delivered a heartfelt memorial of her father, Mr. John Waight delivered his concise memorial of George Price, and Mr. Basil Coleman delivered the memorial and tribute to Baron Bliss. The short ceremony closed with the departure of the Governor General.

At 10am the Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth Ceremony commenced with Master of Ceremonies Rev. Dr. Rudolph Anthony welcoming the Governor General, the British High Commissioner, invited guests and an impressive group of the Girl and Boy Scouts assembled.

President Elect Jersha Lennan did the Invocation, after which Queen’s Scout Lisa Gideon gave the formal Welcome. Queen’s Scout Kesilyn Lizama read the Message from Queen Elizabeth II expressing her support for the flag raising in over thirty-seven countries of the Commonwealth, and the Message from the Commonwealth Secretary General was read by Scout Adrian Pott.

Venture Scout Ashton Nicholas delivered the Commonwealth Affirmation of commitment to world peace, democracy, friendship and development. In a heavy show-

07 7 er of rain, the Flag of the Commonwealth was then raised with Honorary Flag Bearers Sir Colville Young and High Commissioner Peter Hughes along with several scouts. To close off, Queen’s Scout Aidian Flowers gave the Vote of Thanks.

I was very honored to have been present for both ceremonies. It is a pity that so few leaders attend the Wreath Laying Ceremony. It appeared that I was the only member of the National Assembly in attendance. Our political leaders should show more support for this annual demonstration of honor and respect to our greatest Benefactor and our two National Heroes.

Likewise, my feeling is that there should have been some media coverage of the Flag Raising ceremony honoring the Commonwealth. The Girl and Boy Scouts of Belize, now led by a woman in the person of Jersha Lennan, have done us very proud in showing respect for the Commonwealth, an institution we must all be proud to belong to.

Our country is better for publicly acknowledging our Heroes and Benefactors and for supporting the Scouts in their efforts to instil universal values in our youths, our future leaders.

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The 2015-2016 Budget Comfort to Fools!!

Contributed by the Commoner In a Newsweek publication December 2010-January 2010, written by Jaques Attali: The West and the Tyranny of PUBLIC DEBT it was written that “The history of public debt is the very history of national power: how it has been won and how it has been lost.

Dreams and impatience have always driven men in power to draw on the resources of others – be it slave, the inhabitants of occupied lands, or their own children yet to be born – in order to carry out their schemes to consolidate power, to grow their own fortunes…”

The budget for 2015-2016 was read on Friday March 13th 2015 in the halls of the National Assembly. The Honorable Dean Oliver Barrow and his other members and gallery courtiers will without a doubt be doing the “Orangutan dance” to the lyrics of political rhetoric along with a bellyful of hearty theatrics during the budget debate. It will be clear that House matters will not matter.

Once again the political pixie-dust has been hurled in the eyes of the populace to keep them transfixed on the political drama rather than the reality of our economic state of affairs regarding the economy of the “Jewel”.

The harsh reality is that Belize has a financial ticking time-bomb on its hand – the National Debt. Instead of putting a rein on the debt, the Prime Minister in this 2015-2016 budget, has allocated more monies in several areas of government reverting to his spendthrift ways of his first term. It was that time when the UDP failed to apply political pragmatism and formulate sound fiscal policies but engaged themselves in reckless spending of the public funds.

It was not until June 29th 2012, after the budget for 2012-2013 was read, that the Prime Minister realised that it was dire that the Government apply fiscal discipline and expenditure restraint. Budgetary cuts were made in healthcare, education and national security. These are the very areas economic theorists has identified that lead to growth and development of a country’s economy.

Seemingly this Government has not been able to differentiate between unwise and unintelligent debt.

Unwise debt can be described as dead debt such as inflated administrative costs that are allocated to running the country, e.g., huge allocations awarded to various ambassadorial offices, commissions such as the one formed to manage the “Superbond” restructuring, and the use and misuse of Government vehicles just to point out a few, come with great administrative cost. The costs go toward appeasing party supporters. The Ambassador’s sit in luxurious offices and penthouses with fat salaries at the Belizean taxpayer’s expense.

Intelligent debt can be described as purposeful debt – such as healthcare (especially primary healthcare),

22 MAR

THE BELIZE TIMES

education, national security, agricultural development and infrastructural development.

It is my opinion that the majority of Belizeans think that the UDP Government lacks the managerial skills to move the country forward. Apparently this Government has not realised that it has both the capacity and the technical expertise in the public servants.

However, the very experts in the public service become perfunctionaries to the political will of Ministers who lack “sound financial stewardship”. They become political driftwood riding the political tide instead of assisting to chart the course for meaningful development of the “Jewel”. Offices such as those of the Contractor General, the Auditor General and other financial authorities are subjected to the whims and fancy of the political hierarchy.

The 2015-2016 budget is one that brings comfort to fools – mere promises. This budget is like an overloaded dice with which only the House wins.

2015

The electioneering process continues with the general elections on the horizon. Monies have been allocated for public servant pay increase, food pantry and the BOOST program, Christmas and Mother’s day cheer with the usual “political Godfathers” at the helm.

Belizeans must be mindful that when budgetary cuts were conducted in 2012, healthcare, education and national security were on the chopping block. Teachers were up in arms over their promised increase in wages. This was a disrespectful act as these are important areas in a country’s economic development.

In respect to food pantry and BOOST, these programs are forging a yoke of iron around the necks of the Belizean poor. No assessments have been made regarding funding that has been lobbied on the backs of the people lying down at the bottom of the societal ladder. This Government continues to foster inequality controlling the wealth hence controlling the people.

The Industrial Revolution in the

Eighteenth Century, written by Paul Mantoux (1961) laid it well. It said, “In many cases people come to rely on out-relief as a usual and necessary help when formerly they would have tried to earn their own living”. In the past, many Belizeans have struggled through life with large families never applying for or asking for relief. Today, society has plunged into the abyss of dependency at the hands of the United Democratic Party and its leader Dean Barrow.

The budget debate will be a case of blindsman bluff. The Prime Minister will spin his, his cohorts will spin theirs, and truth dies a lonely soul. The truth is Belize is heading towards a financial firestorm. This could well be the halcyon days this leader is pumping up his chest about. However, the fools will find comfort in the budget debate and its hollow promises.

La lucha continua, the struggle continues.

“Those who remain silent in the face of injustice become a party to that injustice” – Martin Luther King

BANDOLERO CONSULTING INC. # 59,795 (“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 BANDOLERO CONSULTING INC.: a) is in dissolution b) commenced dissolution on the 18th day of March, 2015; and c) Vassos Paraskevas whose address is 4th Floor, 9 Kafkasou Str., Aglantzia, 2112 Nicosia, Cyprus is the Liquidator of the Company.

Cititrust International Limited Registered Agent

22 22 MAR MAR

2015 2015

THE BELIZE THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES

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10 SPORTS

22 MAR 15

THE BELIZE TIMES TIMES THE BELIZE

2015

Cayo Western Ballaz lead NEBL basketball: 6-0!

Orange Walk, March 14, 2015 The undefeated Cayo Western Ballaz continue to lead the National Elite Basketball League tournament: 6-0! They bounced the Orange Walk Running Rebels 82-66 at the Orange Walk Multipurpose complex on Saturday night.

Richard Troyer scored 32 points and had 4 rebounds, while Giovanni Lennan followed with 15 points and 4 rebounds.

Rebels’ Tyrone Baptist led the scoring for his team, with 12 points.

The San Pedro Tigersharks were staring at an 87-86 loss to Belzie City’s No Limit with 11 seconds remaining, when Tyrone “Mission” Edwards stole the ball from No Limit’s Lupito Acosta and Andrew Ortiz scored the winning basket for Tigersharks’ 5th win at Bird’s Isle on Friday night. Ortiz also rammed home 3 monster dunks as he led Tigersharks with 21pts.

Other games:

Belmopan Red Taigaz vs. Belize City Hurricanes - 88-79 Top scorers: T. Lennan/S. Williams (18pts, 5 rebounds); F. Louriano/J. Velasquez (13pts, 7 rebounds) Dangriga Warriors vs. Toledo Diplomats - 67-54 Top scorers: T. Usher (20pts, 4 rebounds); D. Nolberto (17pts) Upcoming games: Cayo Western Ballaz vs. Belmopan Red Taigaz at the Sacred Heart College auditorium on Friday Dangriga Warriors vs. Belize Hurricanes at the Belize Elementary auditorium on Friday Tiger Sharks vs. Running Rebels at the Orange Walk Multi-Purpose Complex on Saturday No Limit vs. Toledo Diplomats at the Julian Cho Technical High School on Saturday

Greg Rudon scored 28 points

Ladyville Tech girls advance to softball nationals

Ladyville Tech girls

Nazarene High to defend title at softball nationals

Wesley girls Belize City, March 12, 2015 The Ladyville Technical High School girls will take on the Southern zone champions, the Stann Creek Ecumenical College girls on Friday, in the Central Secondary Schools softball championship.

The Ladyville Tech girls defeated the Wesley College by mercy rule with a score of 16-1 in 3 innings last Thursday. Wesley’s pitcher Shania Pook gave up 8 hits and walked 12 batters, while the Wesley diamond made 5 errors, allowing the entire Ladyville diamond to score in the 1st inning, with Seleany Goodin coming home 2 times. Kristy Terry scored

a consolation run for Wesley but the Ladyville lead grew to 14-1 in the 2nd inning, and the game was called by mercy rule when Ladyville scored 2 more runs in the 3rd inning.

The softball championships will be hosted by the Georgetown Technical High School at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium in Independence Village on Friday and Saturday, March 20-21. The Western zone champs, the Belmopan Comprehensive girls will meet the Northern Zone champs, the Belize Rural High school girls.

Belize City, March 12, 2015 The defending champs, the Nazarene High School boys, will try to repeat history as they take on the Southern zone champions, the Independence High School boys, in the Secondary Schools softball nationals.

BTTA holds RF&G table tennis national ranking tournament

Nazarene High won the Central Division championship 3-0 against the Gwen Lizarraga High School at the Rogers Stadium in Belize City last Thursday. Nazarene’s pitcher Jerome Carr struck out 9 batters and scored 2 runs in his 3-0

shut out of the Gwen Liz boys.

The Western zone champs, the Belmopan Comprehensive boys will meet the Northern Zone champs, the Orange Walk Technical High School boys.

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2015 2015

THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES THE BELIZE

11 SPORTS 11

GUY EAST WINS 34TH ANNUAL SMART BELMOPAN CYCLING CLASSIC Belize City, March 15, 2015 Team Santino’s American import Guy East won the 34th annual SMART Belmopan Elite Cycling Classic, a 100 mile ride from the SMART headquarters in Belize City to Belmopan and back on the George Price and Philip Goldson Highways on Sunday.

Top Ten Finishers: 1st Guy East – Team Santino’s - $2,000 prize 2nd Giovanni Choto – Team C-ray Road Addikz – 4:30:00 $1,500 prize plus a ZTE Engage cellphone 3rd Brandon Cattouse – Team C-Ray Road Addikz – $1,000 prize plus a ZTE engage cellphone

4th Marlon Castillo – Team Santino’s - $500 prize and a medal 5th Jose Robles – Team Western Spirits - $300 prize and a medal 6th Joel Borland – Team Digicell 4G 7th Jose Mojica (Cuban) Team Benny’s Megabytes 8th Giovanni Lovell – Team Digicell 4G 9th David Henderson Jr – Team SMART 10th Gregory Lovell – Team Digicell 4G Masters 35+ 1st Jose Robles - Team Western Spirits - $250 prize and a trophy

2nd Henry Moriera – Team Smart - a $50 prize 3rd Kenroy “Smokes” Gladden – Team Police - $25 Masters 4/5 1st Kenroy “Smokes” Gladden - Team Police - $200 prize Under-23 1st Joel Borland – Team Digicell 4G - $200 prize and trophy

2nd Giovanni Lovell – Team Digicell 4G - $50 prize and a medal 3rd Richard Santiago – Team Digicell 4G - $25 prize and a medal Elite 4/5 1st Patrick Bennett - Team SMART - $200 prize and trophy 2nd Zamir Guerra - Team Western Spirit - $50 prize 3rd Deezan Spence – Team BECOL Cycling - $25 prize

Kaya Cattouse wins 34th annual SMART Belmopan Female Cycling Classic

Kaya Cattouse

Belize City, March 15, 2015 Team C-Ray’s Kaya Cattouse won the 34th annual SMART Belmopan Female Cycling Classic held by the Belize Cycling Federation to La Democracia and back on the George Price and Philip Goldson Highways on Sunday.

1st Kaya Cattouse – Team C-Ray - 3:23:41 - $750 prize, a round trip to San Pedro and a trophy 2nd Alicia Thompson – Team Belize Bank Swoosh - $500 prize

BTTA holds RF&G table tennis national ranking tournament Belize City, March 15, 2015 Four new champions emerged when the Belize Table Tennis Association hosted the 2015 RF&G bi-annual national ranking table tennis tournament at the “home of table tennis”, the Belize Elementary Auditorium on Sunday.

Some 50 table tennis players participated, with 4 of the top senior players competing in a Double Elimination Final round in the A division. The winners were: 1st - Carlos Cui; 2nd - Tux Vasquez; 3rd - Zhi Cheng and 4th - Tyrone Tun In the B Division, 8 players competed in a Round Robin classification event with the top 6 advancing to the Double Elimination Finals. The winners were: 1st - Gabriel Guerrero; 2nd - Sen Sen; 3rd - Yasser Musa and 4th -

Fabio Carballo In the C Division, more than 32 players, including many of the top junior players, competed in a round robin, from which the top 16 players advanced to the Double Elimination finals. The winners were: 1st - Bjarne Gabourel; 2nd - Luis Bardalez; 3rd - Fabio Carballo and 4th - Jaylen Nicholson In the Women’s Division, 4 players competed for the top spot in a Double Elimination leading to the Finals. The winners were: 1st - Sen Sen; 2nd - Tyola Casimero; 3rd - Samira Pott and 4th - Kayla Arnold.

The event ended with trophies being awarded to all the winners by the BTTA Membership Director, Mrs. Janine Carballo representing the sponsors RF&G Insurance.

3rd Gabrielle Lovell - Team Digicell 4G $300 prize 4th Shalini Zabaneh – Team Sagitun 5th Estefany Cruz –Team Sagitun - 3:24:21 6th Darlene Martinez – Team Sagitun Station Prizes: Almond Hill - Alicia Thompson - $100 prize Rockville - Gabrielle Lovell - a SMART Mi-Fi

card

Mile 25 going - Kirah Eiley - $100 gift

Mile 25 return - Gabrielle Lovell - a MotoG cellphone Hattieville - Estefany Cruz - $100 prize Almond Hill return - Kaya Cattouse - a SMART Mi-Fi

Horizon Academy wins first Primary School Tennis Competition Belize City, March 15, 2015 Junior tennis players hailing from St. Mary’s Primary School, Horizon Academy, Belize Elementary School and Hummingbird Elementary School gathered at the Pickwick Club Tennis Courts on Saturday March 14th in the first ever Primary School Tennis Competition hosted by the Belize Tennis Association and sponsored

by ATLANTIC BANK LIMITED, SIMON QUAN & CO. LTD. and BRODIES. The tournament was a Red Stage 1 geared for Beginner Level with smaller tennis courts, bigger and less bouncy balls and smaller racquets, and it will be held bi-annually. After about 4 hours of playing round robin style, Horizon Academy garnered the most wins and took the 1st place trophy, with Hummingbird Elementary School taking the 2nd place

trophy. Belize Elementary School and St. Mary’s primary school took 3rd and 4th place trophies. For the individual category, Daniel Musa from Hummingbird took gold medal, whilst James Courtenay from BES took silver and Anthony Rudon from Horizon Academy took the bronze.

Errol Ferguson from St. Mary’s Primary School must be recognized as the most improved player and for demonstrating genuine love and natural talent for the sport. Thanks to the Primary Schools, the coaches and parents for their support; and special Thank You to ATLANTIC BANK LIMITED, SIMON QUAN & CO. LIMITED and BRODIES for sponsoring the first of its kind competition. The next Primary school Tennis Competition is set for May 16th, so all junior players are encouraged to keep on practicing!

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THE BELIZE TIMES

22 MAR

2015

22 MAR

2015

13

THE BELIZE TIMES

As BIG as you think you are...

Building on Kut Avenue

Building in Belama Ph. 1

Building on Western Avenue

Building on Euphrates Avenue

Building on Fabers Road

Building on Fabers Road Boots Martinez

Building on C.A. Boulevard

you’re living in a SMALL world

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22 MAR

THE BELIZE TIMES

2015

VIBES RADIO 90.5FM | 102.9FM Sundays: 6 am Opening Transmission 6am to 7am Inspirational Music 7am to 9am Country Music 9am to 10am De Domingo a Domingo 10 am to 1 pm Repeat of Morning Whip 1pm to 3 pm Rural Talk 3pm to 4pm Music 4pm to 5pm Princess Shirley Talk show Tell Me 5pm to 7pm Reggae Sunday 7pm to 9pm Love Bug Show DJ Alex Mondays : 6:00 am Open transmission 6:10 am Devotion at dawn 6:20 am Children programme rise and shine 7:00 am – 10:00 am Morning Whip 10:00 am – 12 pm Eclectic Storm GMike Reid 12pm to 1 pm Easy listening music 1 pm to 5pm Music with Gerard Coleman 5pm to 7pm Recovery Monday Dj Pebblz 7pm to 9pm Dirty Jokes 9pm to 6am Repeat of Morning Whip and Overnight Music Playlist Tuesdays: 6am opening of Transmission 6:20 am Children’s Programme Rise and Shine Boys and Girls 7am to 10 am The Morning Whip 10am to 1pm Music Gerard Coleman 1pm to 4pm Throwback Tuesday Keegan Lord 4pm to 6pm Dj Alex 6pm to 8pm Nice and Easy Tuesday Dj Jesse J 8pm to 9pm Music 9pm to 6am Repeat of the Morning Whip and Overnight Music Playlist Wednesdays: 6am Opening of Transmission 6:20am Children’s Programme Rise and Shine 7am to 10 am The Morning Whip 10am to 12pm Eclectic Storm GMike Reid 1pm to 4pm Music Gerard Coleman 4pm to 8pm Explosive Musical Showcase Dj Pebblz 8pm to 9pm Outspoken with Katie Numi Usher and Micah Goodin 9pm to 6am Repeat of the Morning Whip and Overnight Music Playlist Thursdays:

Fridays :

Saturdays:

6am Opening of Transmission 6:20 Children’s Programme Rise and Shine 7am to 10am The Morning Whip 10 am to 3pm Music Gerard Coleman 3pm to 7pm Belizean Full a Talent Show Keegan Lord 7pm to 9pm Love Bug Show Dj Alex 9pm to 6am Repeat of Morning Whip and Overnight Music Playlist

6am Opening of Transmission 6:20 am Children’s Programme 7am to 10am The Morning Whip 10am to 12pm Eclectic Storm hosted by GMike Reid 12pm to 1pm Easy Listening Music 1pm to 3:30 Music Gerard Coleman 3:30pm to 5pm Dj Alex 5pm to 10pm Hyperactive Fridays Dj Pebblz and Jesse J 10pm to 6am Repeat of The Morning Whip and Overnight Music Playlist 6am Opening of Transmission 6am to 10am Music Gerard Coleman 10am to 1pm Combination Session Vibes Explosions Dj Fire, Dj Pebblz and Jesse J 1pm to 4pm Barbecue Saturdays Keegan Lord 4pm to 6pm Dj Mike and crew 6pm to 10pm Dj Reesh 10pm to 6am Overnight Music Play List

Call 650-8429 Text 600-1074

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.

22 MAR

2015

New Book reveals history of Roman Catholic Evangelization in Belize March 19, 2015 On Tuesday, March 24, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belize City & Belmopan will launch the book entitled Years of Grace: The History of Roman Catholic Evangelization in Belize (1524-2014). The research for the book, which covers a 500-year span, began in 1986 by lead author Charles M. Woods, Sr. It evolved into the comprehensive history it is following years of research at numerous archives, incorporating the work of many authors of primary and secondary sources, including that of Bishop Hopkins and Fathers Sutti, White, Short, and Buhler. In May 2000, the then bishop, Bishop O.P. Martin had encouraged Mr. Woods to extend the book into this comprehensive history to mark the Sesquicentennial (1851-2001) of the uninterrupted presence of the Church in Belize. Woods, a former history teacher at SJC, worked at this until his demise in 2007.

Long-time Belizean educator J. Alexander Bennett, himself a published author, and Silvaana Udz, Assistant Professor at University of Belize, completed the book. It moves through the arrival of priests as part of early Spanish voyages, to the presence of Franciscan and Dominican Friars, then to the arrival of the Jesuits in 1851. Chronicling the work of ten female and seven male religious congregations and the rise of Diocesan leadership, as well as the impact of Vatican II and the socio-economic realities that were transforming Belize. Years of Grace includes pictures, appendices, tables, an Index, and accounts of conflicts and hurricanes, schools and social works, cooperatives and credit unions, and interactions among var-

15

THE BELIZE TIMES

ious religious groups. The authors hope that this 398-page account will captivate others as it did them.

All proceeds from sales of the book Years of Grace go to the Diocese in service to the continuing work of the Church in Belize. All are invited to Parish Hall for the 10:00 a.m. launch on Tuesday March 24. The special launch price is $30 (thirty dollars BZE); thereafter, direct sales from the Chancery/Diocesan Office is $40, with a slightly higher price from individual outlets. The authors and the Diocese thank the Adveniat (German Bishops’ Foundation in Essen), Holy Redeemer Credit Union (HRCU), and NICH’s Institute for Social and Cultural Research (ISCR) for their contributions that made production and publication of this book possible, as well as the members of the editorial committee, and those who assisted with interviews or access to information.

In his Introduction, Woods Sr. states that “the full extent of the work of Roman Catholic evangelization in Belize may come as a surprise to many Catholics and non-Catholics of this generation. It is my fervent hope that it will be a source of inspiration to all through a deeper appreciation of faith heritage and knowledge of the enthralling historical accounts unfolded in Years of Grace.” Former president of SJC and anthropologist Fr. Richard Buhler states on the back cover: “While this book is a Catholic history, it also contains many other aspects of Belize’s history that should be more widely known … I hope it gets the widest possible circulation.” (Press Release - End)

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 4th January, 2012, between LEOPOLD ARGUELLES and JULIET MAS of Cahal Pech Hill, Sam Ignacio Town, Cayo District, Belize of the one part, and Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd., of the other part, and recorded in Deeds Book Vol. 1 of 2012 at Folios 473 to 504, 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 freehold piece or parcel of land situate in the Kay Works Agricultural Area, San Ignacio Town Extension, Cayo District and numbered Lot 49 containing 412.894 square metres of land and Lot No. 50 containing 399.201 square metres of land being a subdivision of Block No. 47, 56 and 57 bounded and described as shown on Entry No. 10480 Register 22 dated 04th June, 2007 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon.

DATED this 19th day of March, 2015.

MUSA & BALDERAMOS LLP 91 North Front Street Belize City Attorneys-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.

16

22 MAR

THE BELIZE TIMES

2015

GOB continues to neglect ailing BDF Norman Rodriguez

Belize City, March 16, 2015 Norman Rodriguez had sworn to give his life for Belize when he joined the military force. But since he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, the nation has shown him that his life is not worth enough to save him.

Rodriguez has had a tough battled throughout these past years, not only with medical condition, but with understanding how is it that his superiors in the Belize Defense Force and the Ministry of National Security have shown no sympathy with his state. His story is really sad.

He was demoted, his salary was denied and then he was fired and left to die alone in the cold. Rodriguez was treated locally and then sent to Mexico for further tests and more detailed scans to confirm the condition.

When he returned from Merida,

he was given time to “rest” but did not receive the necessary financial aid to keep him up. He turned to the media for assistance eventually, because the BDF was not doing enough for him. As a result, a BDF superior promised that Rodriguez would receive a salary until he dies due to his severe condition. The BDF does not pay Social Security or insurance for their officers. They are completely unprotected.

Rodriguez has never received the salary promised to him. So he went on Plus TV’s Rise and Shine morning show to appeal for aid and attention from the public. Hell broke loose when he took that decision. He was called back to work to be punished for going on Plus TV and branded as “bad”. This held no ground however, as Rodriguez had recently a certificate of recognition for his dedicated service (15 years) and good conduct.

He went back to work, was punished, and then discharged from duties. All he got was his service pay for the years of service and then left in the dark.

After going through a medical board which classified him as a person unfit to work he has been left jobless. This means he cannot get a job because he is unfit to work, and he has no pension or the salary as promised. He was back on Plus TV on Monday of this week. He is still battling the tumor, but it is not

that which is killing him rapidly. It is depression, emotional struggle and disappointment in the “system” and the leaders. He cannot work and has no salary; no help from BDF, no help from the Ministry of National Security. He has been left to die on his own. His ordeal is over two years.

One doctor has said, according to Rise and Shine host Pastor Louis Wade, that there have been persons in similar health conditions in Belize, who have had surgical interventions and recovered. So, why is Norman

not being helped when some others in the BDF have gotten medical attention even abroad? How can there be people without a heart, with no sense of justice, compassion and no moral feeling for their fellow man?

How can they be so corrupt and evil in mind and heart to refuse to help Norman Rodriguez? It is not only their Christian duty but their duty as employers to help him, or else he will die because of their neglect, insensibility and willingness to help. What a Shame!!!

Credit Master Systems PUTTING VALUE BACK INTO “YOUR WORD” BAD DEBT COLLECTIONS ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE COLLECTION COMPLAINT INFORMATION SYSTEM SETTLEMENT NEGOTIATIONS INVESTIGATION/TRACKING CREDIT MANAGEMENT TRAINING #11 Douglas Jones Street Belize City Tel: 223-5845/2283 Email: cmsbz@btl.net Website: cmssearch.bz

Look like only Barrow fu eat!

NEPOTISM = CORRUPTION

Lois Young Barrow (Ex-Wife)

Anwar Barrow (Son)

Shyne Barrow (Son)

Kimano Barrow (Nephew) PUC Board Member/Granted Oil Exploration Licence

Naima Barrow (Niece) Appointed to Election and Boundaries Commission

Liesje Barrow (Niece) Appointed to Belize Advisory Council

United Nations Ambassador

Appointed to BTL Board

Cultural Ambassador

Denys Barrow (Brother)

Appointed to Court of Appeal/Private Attorney for GOB

Cheryl Krusen (formerly Barrow) Appointed to Solicitor General

DEAN BARROW IS BELIZE’S BIGGEST PROBLEM!!!

22 MAR

2015

THE BELIZE TIMES

Reid Check your change!

By G. Michael Reid Friday 13th might very well have been an appropriate day to hold the reading of the budget in the House on Capitol Hill. Friday 13th is always associated with bad luck, and bad things are said to occur on that day. Of course, bad things do not always come labeled as bad and even when delivered by bad people, the deliverer does not necessarily appear bad. Sometimes the bearer comes wearing a grin and is attractively eloquent and charismatic but, as they say, the “devil” is in the details. If one was to judge simply by listening to Prime Minister’s presentation, one could easily be deceived into thinking that this year’s budget was full of hope and good news but nothing could be further from the truth.

There was much in this year’s budget that is of concern but as could have been expected, very little attention was paid to the actual figures. Belizeans seemed more concerned about a recording of a private conversation between Johnny Briceňo and Julian Chell and the theatrical clowning about same by Prime Minister Dean Barrow. The Prime Minister once said that a prime purpose of proceedings in the House of Representatives is to amuse and entertain the people. Sadly enough, he seems to be proven right over and over again.

Channel Seven’s lead-in to its news for the day summed it up succinctly, “Today was Budget Day at the House of Representatives in Belmopan. It’s the biggest day for parliamentary business on the House Calendar - because the revenue and appropriations bill is tabled - that’s what makes government run. But, it’s not the headline anywhere tonight and that’s because the secret recording of former PUP Deputy Prime Minister John Briceňo was the most important thing discussed at today’s house meeting.” According to the newscaster, “…it’s too ripe a political opportunity for the UDP to miss

out on.”

The UDP had apparently gotten hold of a recording in which Area Representative for Orange Walk Central Johnny Briceňo was trying to encourage a member of his constituency to continue supporting him.

Unbeknownst to Briceňo, the man who he thought was his friend was secretly recording everything that was being said and eventually turned the tape over to someone in the UDP. There was nothing new in what Briceňo was saying and all of it has been discussed ad nauseam. The Prime Minster himself, while in Opposition, had used much of what was said to propel himself into office. All this mattered not however, because such was the exact type of distraction that Mr. Barrow needed to divert attention from his own misgivings.

In fact, one could only hope that the Prime Minister was listening to himself when he spoke in the House on Friday. “This money was not yours”, said the Prime Minister, “it belonged to the people of Belize”. “That money could have been spent for affordable housing, education and National Security”, said the Prime Minister. Well Mr. Barrow, this is exactly what we have been saying to you about the Petro Caribe funds. It is not your money or the UDP’s money, it belongs to all the people of Belize and should be used to fund the very programs of which you speak. Instead, it is being poured into cement streets; many of which are already stained with the blood of our many young people who have fallen victim to the senseless

crime and violence in our country.

On that same day, Friday March 13th, two cases involving massive corruption by members of Mr. Barrow’s government went to court in Belize City. In the first case, Elvin Penner walked out a free man having gotten away with blatantly and disgustingly betraying the trust of the Belizeans people. In the second case, Denny Grijalva inched closer to his acquittal despite being responsible for the demolishing a major Mayan architectural site in Orange Walk. Neither of these cases was of much importance however, because on Friday, all attention was focused on a tape recording that revealed nothing new and offered no more evidence toward righting whatever wrong might have been done. It was distraction and nothing but distraction.

The Prime Minister did finally get around to the business of the day, that is the reading of the budget, at which time he revealed that “The projection is for Central Government’s debt to increase by $102 million dollars, bringing the total debt to $2.7 billion”; that is billion with a “B” people. I have long maintained that when the true scope of our external debt is realized, it will make the Superbond look like puny pawnshop loan. It is necessary to note that this figure is far from final because it does not include pending payments for the unlawful appropriation of public utilities such as BEL and BTL. Just this week, the Supreme Court of Belize ruled in favor of a couple of other businesses that were strong-armed by government.

International Business Companies Registry (IBC) and International Merchant Marine Registry (IMMARBE) which were appropriated in June 2013, was this past Tuesday given the go-ahead by the Supreme Court to seek damages. A ruling by the CCJ on the BTL matter is imminent and will most likely prove enormously expensive for the people of Belize.

17 On top of that of course, there are the millions and millions of taxpayers’ dollars that must be paid out to the attorneys litigating these cases; many of who are close relatives of the Prime Minister. You want corruption Mr. Prime Minister; that is corruption!

What is most obvious from the recent budget reading is that we have a government that is held up primarily by Petro Caribe funds. Given the ongoing and increasing political unrest and declining economy of Venezuela, this “plenteousness of the era” might be coming to an end a lot sooner than we think. This week, we are already seeing previews of what might be the reality of our future.

Service stations revealed that they were low on fuel and began a rationing system. The Prime Minister conceded that, “Hydro electricity generation has been trending downward recently due to dryer weather and petroleum extraction has been on its inevitable finite decline.” He also reluctantly revealed that “As it looks ahead into the rest of 2015 the Central Bank of Belize conservatively expects GDP growth to decelerate to between 2% and 2.5%, they feel that the tail winds that drove the 2014 expansions will moderate”.

The People’s United Party is going through some tough times and much effort will be needed to right this ship again. The PUP is not the one running this country however, and the woes of the PUP, while giving comic relief and short term distractions, is not what is currently posing problems for this country.

Belizeans must wake up and understand that the pretty words and theatrics of Dean Barrow, while comforting and amusing to some, can do nothing to avert the imminent danger ahead. The PUP will weather its storms and will survive but the real question is, will Belize?

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Celebrating the Life of

Gloria Elinor Simpson nee August October 24th , 1952 – February 27th , 2015

When our grandfather and grandmother William August and Leonie Jenkins gave our mother her name, I doubt that our grandparents realized at the time that the name Gloria would be the most fitting name for her. It is a name that all of us during her life would come to realize, best captured her- her soul and being.

The name Gloria is said to derive from the Latin phrase (“Gloria in excelsis Deo”) meaning Glory to God. And indeed, that is the name her longtime friend Ms. Cecelia and many others use to call her- Glory; which literally means- magnificence; of great beauty.

And this was our mother indeed.

She was a magnificent person (in body and soul) with great beauty (inside and out). And so she thus lived her life- as a magnificently beautiful woman. And this is no over statement or exaggeration. She was a magnificently beautiful woman in every sense of these words.

In everything she did, she was so beautiful, so graceful, so loving, so warming, so wonderful, so …. Gloria.

Everyone who was blessed to have met her- children and adults alikewill tell you the same thing: what a wonderful, sweet, special lady she was.

She had this infectious personality- her bubbly smile and laughter to go along with it- that enamoured you.

You felt the love emanating from her being when you were around her. And she spread this infectious personality everywhere she went. She got joy in seeing others happy.

And there were two constant things that drove her, motivated her, inspired her to live this magnificently beautiful life- her God and her family.

Those are the two things that she lived for.

She was baptized as a Christian sometime in the late 70’s. She was however not just a baptized Christian in words alone- but deeds.

She served in the women’s ministry of the churches she was a member of- here at Central Assemblies of God, Southside Assemblies of God, Ladyville Assemblies of God, Pastor Mossiah’s Church. This would take her to “witness” / “evangelized” to many, many, many people over the next decades.

It was during these times that we got to meet all the wonderful and special people like Ms. Cecelia, the Grants, the Burgesses, the Crawfords, the Mossiahs, the Hutchinsons, Ms. Kelly, Ms. Sharon Turton in Ladyville, Sr. Janice Adolphus, the other Sr. Janice, the Gordons, the Lambs, Sr. Miller, Sr. Pou, Sr. Wilshire, Sr. Franklin, Sr. Tennant, Ms. Alice Smith, Ms. Jenny and many, many, many more wonderful people. If I forgot to public call your names, please forgive me; it wasn’t intentional.

Our mother would tell us that it was through her bible studies- becom-

ing acquainted with the teachings of her Lord- that she would become a prolific reader.

And she in turn would teach us to love the bible and the Lord. When we were younger in the early 80’s- we- myself, Stacey and Shellyann- we would attend church every Sunday morning; then we would come home for lunch and then at around 2:00 in the afternoon we would go to Sunday afternoon bible classes; and then she and my stepfather would take us to Sunday evening church service.

These are the things which taught us to love, taught us humility, taught us probity, taught us to have heart.

To us, her children, she poured immense love into us. We were her lifeher everything. She lived for us.

It was the simple things that she did that made us realize this great love and devotion she had for us.

In the 70’s and 80’s, she used to work at the then Williamson Industry in Ladyville, she would leave early in the morning ( I think they had to catch 6:30 bus) and so, we oftentimes would not see her in the mornings. It was our grandmother (her mother) would who get us ready for school and be with us during the day. But when our mother came home in the evening, it was the best feeling.

I would wait, peeping around the lane to see her come around from Allenby Street onto West Street.

And the first thing you saw was her big bright smile. We would run to her and hug her and she would kiss us and be so playful with us. She would always bring something for us; some biscuit or the other. And if she didn’t, (and this is to show how deeply close we were), she would take the gum she had in her mouth and give each of us a piece.

She inspired us to dream. When everyone else did not believe in us- she did and in her strong, but sweet voice, she would say, “In the name of Jesus, you will.”

These are the memories that live with me.

Later on, she would stop working altogether and become what we now

call a stay at home mom.

My little brothers- Travis and Junie- were the babies and they grew with her at home there at No. 116 West Street; she attending to them, caring for them.

Late in her life (perhaps the last 7 or so years) our mother started experiencing a series of serious medical complications.

It was sad to see our magnificently beautiful mother suffering from arthritis, thyroid, diabetes and other medical complications, which began putting a strain on her physically.

Then she had a stroke a couple years ago- in December, 2013. But she never complained.

But the pain started to become too unbearable for her. On Sunday the 1st February, 2015 it became vividly clear, the immense pain she was in. She was beginning to give up. I could sense that.

She told us “Unnu nuh know di pain I deh inna”.

Later that night and into the morning of the 2nd February, 2015, she was rushed to the hospital.

She remained in the hospital the next 25 days.

The doctors, nurses and attendants in the ICU at the KHMH were nothing short of spectacular in the care and treatment of our mother.

Indeed, on Sunday the 8th February, 2015, when it seemed that our mother would leave us then, they worked on our mother for almost an hour ( from quarter to 2 to minutes to three) trying to resuscitate her. And they did.

The hand of God (the God that she served and loved) intervened and worked through the hands of the doctors and nurses. He was not ready for her to join Him just yet.

I would never hear her voice again as she never spoke from the time she entered the hospital. But when we went to the hospital, it was clear that she knew we were there and that she

FOR SALE A 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom concrete Bungalow house 925 Sq. Ft is for sale. Located in the quiet Cohune Walk area of Belmopan, measuring in 812.8 Sq Yard, fenced and parking is available. Call owner at 605-0859 or 663-1608.

Serious Inquiries Only.

22 MAR

2015

was listening to us.

We thank the Lord for those additional 25 days. We thank the Lord for giving us our mother. She is the source of strength and love.

We want to thank all those who have been there with us and our mother over the past years in her struggle.

To her caregivers and attendants, Mel, Tara, and Elaina, we thank you.

To Ms. Belo and Mr. Donald and to all of you who throughout the years have been touched by our mother, we know you too are grieving.

Ms. Gloria was 62 years. Many don’t live to see that age these days.

But because of how such a magnificently beautiful woman she is, we weep because those 62 years just don’t seem long enough for her to be with us.

But she would not want us to question God. So we will not question why she had to leave us. Our salvation, she use always tell us, is with God. By her deeds on earth, she earned her salvation a long time ago. On the February 27th, 2015, God opened the gates of Heaven and allowed her in. Her salvation now is truly with her Lord.

Our mother was predeceased by her mother, father and brother Leonie Jenkins, William August Sr. and William August Jr. respectively.

She is survived by her husband Edmund Simpson Sr., her children myself, Stacey Crawford, Shellyann Simpson, Travis Simpson and Edmund Simpson Jr. She is also survived by seven grandchildren: Dremon, Khajeem, Malachi, Amaris, Maciaa, Maya and Taesha.

Foster son Ian August. Foster daughters Nickesia Martinez. Pearl Valencia, Esther Babalola Brother Lysford Bailey Sr. Sisters Gretel Bailey and Gladys Hall.

Nephews: Lysford, Calvin, Lascelle and John Bailey. Charles Lewis. Emmerson and Dale Davis Neices: Evelyn Codd, Carol Mack, Trevolyn Flowers, Yvette Richardson.

Many, many grand nephews and nieces. Mother-in-law: Mrs. Grace Simpson; Brothers- in- law: Robert, Ernel, Kenroy & Lindy Simpson; Sisterin-law- Elsie, Lorna & Faye. And many, many, many others who are heartbroken by her loss, but find consolation that she is now in the arms of her Lord, happy and smiling and looking over us.

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Editing human embryos is genetics’ new battleground 16 March 2015 by Michael Le Page Replacing faulty genes in early human embryos and germ cells is within our grasp.

Such changes affect DNA in the nucleus and so would be heritable; ultimately, they could be used to make a genetically modified baby.

There are already reports that groups in China, the US and the biotech industry have done this kind of genetic engineering in the lab, prompting some scientists to call for a moratorium on this work.

But the underlying technology is potentially hugely disruptive, offering easier and more precise ways to manipulate genes. Here’s what you need to know about this new frontier in genetics.

What’s behind the current controversy over human genetic engineering?

Several teams have tried modifying the genome of a human embryo and submitted their results for publication, according to an article published in Technology Review on 5 March. This kind of research is already illegal in some countries.

What exactly has been done?

We don’t know the details yet. But based on what’s been done in monkeys, the work probably involved fertilising donated human eggs by injecting a sperm and then, while the fertilised eggs were still at the one-cell stage, injecting various RNAs. These RNAs cut DNA at specific sites, tricking our natural DNA repair system into destroying or replacing one or more genes – a technique known as gene editing.

The embryos would then have been allowed to develop for a few days until they reached

If designer babies ever come to pass, they won’t have superhuman qualities (Image: HANNAH GAL/SPL)

the blastocyst stage – containing a few hundred cells – before being destroyed. The embryos’ DNA would have been sequenced to see whether the gene editing had been successful.

So it’s now possible to genetically engineer humans?

It was already possible. The hard part is doing it safely and efficiently. Gene editing was first developed decades ago, but it was very difficult and expensive, and often didn’t work very well. To create just one genetically modified animal this way typically required hundreds of attempts. But editing genes has become a lot easier, cheaper and more efficient thanks to the CRISPR system, developed just a couple of years ago. This was the method used to modify the human embryos.

Why are some scientists calling for a moratorium?

They argue that human germline gene editing is dangerous, unnecessary and would lead to designer babies. They also claim it could lead to a backlash that would impede

the use of gene editing for making non-heritable changes to our bodies. A wide range of diseases, from HIV to cancer, could potentially be treated this way.

So is germline gene editing dangerous?

We don’t know yet. One of the points of trying it with human embryos is to find out.

The main worry is so-called off-target mutations, that is, unintended changes to the genome. The monkey studies suggest the risk is low. The risk also has to be viewed in context: the DNA in our cells naturally mutates. Each of us is born with around 50 new mutations, the vast majority of which have no known effect.

Is germline gene editing the only way to prevent some heritable diseases?

Severe disorders caused by a single faulty gene, such as cystic fibrosis, can usually be prevented by screening.

Parents can opt for IVF, for instance, with preimplantation genetic diagnosis – that is, testing the embryos before they are implanted to ensure they don’t have the faulty gene.

But when children are at risk of inheriting several faulty genes, screening usually isn’t feasible.

Serious genetic disorders that strike early in life are, fortunately, rare. But we probably all inherit dozens if not hundreds of gene variants that increase our risk of common diseases such as cancer, dementia, depression and so on.

Will gene editing lead to designer babies?

Possibly. But it’s not clear that many, or any, parents, would want to pay large sums and undergo a risky process – IVF has its dangers – just to ensure their child is blue-eyed. And it is of course possible to allow germline editing for disease prevention while banning it for other purposes. It would be hard for anyone who broke the ban to get away with it, given that genetic tests could reveal whether a child’s DNA has been altered. Some argue, though, that parents should be free to choose their child’s characteristics if they want.

But wouldn’t allowing designer babies lead to the creation of supersmart superhumans?

Actually, no. We could probably modify people to make them resistant to all kinds of infections and diseases, and stronger and fitter. But when it comes to the brain, it is hard to see how we could go beyond what evolution has created. We’re nowhere near to being able to predict how tweaking various genes would affect intelligence – in fact, the brain is so complex that this may never be possible. And it would obviously be totally unethical to experiment by creating mutants.

There has, of course, been a lot of interest in finding natural genetic variants that affect intelligence. But despite much effort, we’ve yet to find any that make much difference.

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REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

NEWS

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The number of civilians killed and wounded in Afghanistan jumped 22 percent in 2014 [EPA]

Ferguson report underscores need for racial profiling ban, say activists DOJ findings of racial bias in flashpoint city’s justice system supports residents’ allegations of police abuse.

Civilians killed in suicide attack in Afghanistan At least seven killed and 41 others wounded in a suicide bombing targeting provincial officials in Helmand province.

A suicide bomber has killed at least seven civilians and wounded 41 others in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, where the military has been battling rebels since last month, officials said.

The suicide bomber detonated his explosives-rigged truck near a complex that houses the governor, the head of the provincial council and the deputy provincial police chief in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, a senior local official said on Wednesday.

All three officials survived, but “seven civilian were killed

and 41 were wounded in the attack”, Deputy Provincial Governor Mohammad Jan Rasolyar told the AFP news agency.

“The attack was targeted at a gathering of senior government officials, civil society members and journalists in a hall for a seminar on human trafficking and kidnapping,” he added.

The wounded, including provincial government spokesman Omar Zhwak, were taken to hospital.

A senior police officer, who declined to be named, confirmed the attack and casualties, adding that buildings in the complex were also damaged.

Increase in civilian deaths The interior ministry also confirmed the attack in a statement.

Afghanistan’s military began an offensive against Taliban fighters in Helmand province last month, in what was seen as a key test of their ability to curtail the insurgency following the end of US-led NATO combat mission in late December.

On Monday, it claimed the killing of rebel commander Hafiz Waheed, who led a faction Kabul claims is linked to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group - though the organisation has never acknowledged having affiliates in Afghanistan.

A scathing Justice Department report revealing institutionalized racial bias and stereotyping in the police department and court system in Ferguson, Missouri, underscores the need for a federal law barring racial profiling, say local and national civil rights activists.

“We should outlaw racial profiling. It should be a crime,” said Libero Della Piana, a senior organizer at Alliance for a Just Society, a grass-roots group that works for national policy change. “If you actively reduce the number of racialized encounters, then you also reduce the incidence of these small things becoming killings.”

The DOJ probe released last week — prompted by the Aug. 9 killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson — found substantial evidence of racial bias among police and court staffers in the city.

Brown’s death sparked a national debate over discriminatory and militarized policing and drew attention to a series of other cases involving police killings of unarmed black men — including Eric Garner, 43, who died after being put in a chokehold by a New York City police officer; John Crawford, 22, who was fatally shot by police in a Beavercreek, Ohio, Walmart while holding an air rifle that was for sale in the store; and Tamir Rice, 12, who was killed by police in Cleveland, Ohio, while playing with an airsoft gun.

Among evidence the investigation found were racist email correspondence between employees of Ferguson’s justice system. One message joked about an abortion by an African-American woman being a “means of crime control,” the report said.

Netanyahu wins elections Prime Minister’s right-wing Likud party wins surprise victory, sweeping past rival Zionist Union in bitter campaign.

Haifa – With more than 99 percent of the votes tallied, Israel’s incumbent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu appears poised to retain his office and form the next government.

Though the final campaign polls showed Netanyahu’s right-wing Likud party trailing behind the centre-left Zionist Union, headed by Isaac Herzog, Likud gained 30 seats, six more than its main competitor, according to official results released on Wednesday.

The Joint Arab Coalition, an electoral alliance of four Palestinian-majority parties in Israel, pulled 14 seats, and Yesh Atid, the centrist party headed by former finance minister Yair Lapid, earned 11 seats. Kulanu, a right-wing breakaway party led by former Likud member Moshe Kahlon, took ten seats.

Arab bloc claims third largest force in Israeli parliament A number of smaller, mostly right-wing parties were unable to break the single digits: Jewish Home earned eight seats, the religious Shas and United Torah parties each got seven and the ultra-nationalist Yisrael Beitenu has six seats.

The left-wing Zionist party Meretz walked away with four seats.

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin has called for a national unity government including both Likud and the Zionist Union, but that prospect is unpopular with most Jewish Israeli voters.

According to a poll conducted by Israel’s Channel 10, 53 percent of Jewish Israelis oppose such a coalition.

German activists riot at austerity protest in Frankfurt Police cars set alight in anti-austerity protest at new European Central Bank headquarters in Frankfurt, officials say.

German demonstrators have clashed with police at an anti-austerity protests during the inauguration ceremony for the European Central Bank’s new headquarters in Frankfurt.

Police said two police cars were set on fire and one officer was injured by stones thrown by demonstrators near the city’s Alte Oper opera house during the protest on Wednesday, according to the Associate Press news agency.

Al Jazeera’s Dominic Kane, reporting from Frankfurt, said at least 500 demonstrators were detained.

Our correspondent also said that the city deployed at least 8,000 police officers ahead of the protest.

Video footage from the protests site showed some demonstrators running away from police in riot gear, as tires piled up in the middle of the street burn.

Police put up barricades and barbed wire around the bank headquarters as they braced for demonstrations

against government austerity measures and capitalism.

Protesters targeted the ECB because of the bank’s role in supervising efforts to restrain spending and reduce debt in financially troubled countries such as Greece.

The Blockupy alliance said activists plan to try to blockade the new headquarters of the ECB ahead of a ceremony on Wednesday inaugurating the building, and to disrupt what they term capitalist business as usual.

Some 10,000 people were expected for a rally in Frankfurt’s main square, the Roemerberg.

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THINK ABOUT IT AN UNJUST LAW IS CHALLENGED An unjust law was passed in Belize in 2011. It took away the right of every citizen to be tried by a jury of his peers. This law applied to murder, attempted murder and a few other crimes.

This injustice was done by the government for no other reasons than to help the Police to get convictions against accused persons.

Murder is the ultimate crime. The penalty for murder is still death by hanging and the alternative is life imprisonment without parole.

The right to a fair trial for crimes is a serious matter. Not to be taken lightly.

A fair trial includes an impartial Judge or Magistrate. The right to confront and question your accusers. The right to be represented by someone trained in law and the right to call witnesses.

The right to trial by a jury existed in Belize even before the so-called battle at St. George’s Caye in 1798. Even slaves in Belize could not be tried for murder without a jury.

One morning in 2011 the law makers in Belize broke the law by passing a law to take away a person’s right to have a jury hear the facts of the case and decide on the facts whether a person is guilty or not guilty. All over the world, a trial by Jury is treated as a sacred right.

There are other laws passed in Belize which have been messing with the rights of Belizeans to a fair trial and to be treated as innocent until proven guilty.

A classic example is the various amendments to the Firearms Act and the Crime Control Act. A person accused of being in possession of a gun or ammunition CANNOT be given bail by a Magistrate for a minimum of three months.

Such a person IF he/she can afford it is then forced to find money for a lawyer to apply to the Supreme Court for bail. In the meantime they must stay in jail. If you cannot find the money you stay in jail for three months.

Another injustice is this. Whether a person is found guilty of having a gun or ammunition he or she MUST be sentenced to jail for a minimum of five years.

It matters not if it is one single rusty bullet. The penalty for everyone is five years.

Whether a minor, an elderly, a student a professor. There is no discretion for the trial Magistrate. These are terrible injustice to an accused and to a convicted person. But so it is in our area of animal farm. The law turns a blind eye to important factors governing sentencing of a convicted person. Is he a first time offender?

Is he of good character? Is the only punishment that of imprisonment. Does the circumstances call for a lesser time than five years?

The great English writer Charles Dickens in his book Oliver Twist said “the law is an ass”. Well, laws just don’t spring out of the ground and govern us. A handful of persons in Belmopan are the makers of these “ass-inine” laws.

A lawyer from Jamaica is in Belize to fight the appeal of Akeem Thurton, the first person to be tried and for attempted murder without having a jury. One of the several grounds of appeal is that the law taking away jury trial is offensive to the constitutional protections guaranteed to Belizeans.

This case will be heard in the Court of Appeal this Friday.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

ANOTHER BAD LAW FALLS Supreme Court Judge Courtney Abel struck down a law that was in violation of the Constitutional rights of Belizeans.

The law, an amendment to the Income and Business Tax Act, was passed a few years ago to force Belizeans to pay all their taxes if they wished to challenge the amounts assessed against them.

Whether a person was a small hot-dog or panades vendor who is told she owed three thousand dollars in taxes or whether it is a big company assessed three hundred thousand dollars; if the person wished to ask the court to review the wrong assessment he or she could not go to court because the new amendment prevented him or her from going. What a worthless law. It was passed to prevent citizens from going to court to seek justice.

This bull….. was kicked out of the Supreme Court on Tuesday 17th March 2015 based on one of several challenges to the law by attorney Eamon Courtney.

We repeat: there are dozens of terrible laws rushed through the National Assembly by the government which are gross violations of the rights of Belizeans. These laws need to be challenged.

COLA, FIST, and the semi-defunct ROC along with workers unions should organize a day of rejoicing whenever an unconstitutional law is struck down by our Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and Caribbean Court of Justice.

No democracy should countenance unconstitutional laws. And no people who value their freedom should sit back and allow politicians to erode their rights and freedoms.

UNIFORMS OF BRUTALITY “Burning and looting tonight. Weeping and wailing tonight.”

“This morning I woke up in a curfew Oh God I was a prisoner too Could not recognize the faces standing over me They were all dressed in uniforms of brutality” Those words written and sung by Bob Marley are from the song “Burning and Looting”. Bob Marley is singing against Police brutality as well as the rebellion of Jamaicans against injustice.

Belize has now become like Jamaica in respect to the brutal behavior of certain members of the Police department.

For the past few days there have been several public television interviews by residents of San Pedro against the notorious Gang Suppression Unit. The GSU is accused of wantonly beating several persons and conducting themselves like criminals.

Some of them are said to be wearing masks, as if they are an anti-terrorist squad.

Ironically, it is the GSU which is the terrorist unit against citizens. Those paid by the public to uphold the law are become the law-breakers.

No police officer can be allowed to conduct themselves the way the GSU and other rogue elements are accused of behaving.

It is clear that this type of behavior is supported by the government.

Those victims of police abuse and illegal brutal behavior must obtain legal services and file law-suits.

We call on the Ombudsman to stop looking the other way and do the job for which tax-payers are paying him.

We also call on the Human Rights Commission to engage its offices in tackling these ongoing violations of the citizens of Belize.

And we condemn the Prime Minister, Attorney General, and Minister of Police for sitting on their butts and doing nothing in the ongoing shame that the GSU is bringing on the country’s reputation.

Did you Ministers swear an oath to almighty God that you would uphold the law and the constitution and do right to each and every citizen?

OBAMA IN JAMAICA President Barack Obama will be in Jamaica on 9 April for a meeting with Caribbean leaders.

Could Belizean students in Jamaica find time to carry placards and raise the issue of the G.S.U and Police violations against citizens so our Prime Minister can get the sense that some things are not acceptable to our people?

Or are our students afraid this victimizing government will take away their scholarships? Which the government is quite capable of doing.

Could Mr. Pitts and Mr. Elrington, now at Norman Manley Law School in Kingston on taxpayers’ money stand up for the law and what is right?

2015

Secondary or college enrollment is barely over 50 percent.

POVERTY in the country of Belize had reached FIFTY -FIVE PERCENT (55%) Ethnic groups were shown to be poor.

In the case of the Maya, 68 percent living in poverty. For Mestizos 42 percent were living in poverty. For Creoles 32 percent were living in poverty. No figures were shown for Garifuna or East Indians but for sure the figures would be high.

For the southside of Belize City the statistics can be described by the words of Otis Redding song-“Pain in my Heart”.

A whopping FIFTY PERCENT (50%) of all the households on the Southside of Belize City are unemployed. One out of every two persons is not working. Southside Belize City has some twenty odd thousand jobless persons.

Although Southside is less than ten percent of the population of the whole country, yet 40 percent of the countries murders were committed in the Southside of Belize City.

There are 5,300 households in the Southside of Belize City.

There are large numbers of children on the Southside who are growing up in homes where there are absent fathers.

There are also large numbers of overstressed and impoverished mothers, although the Caribbean back study gave no specific statistic.

A NEW BANK. WOW! The mighty Chinese financial empire that continues to rise from the East has formed a new development bank for Asian countries in order to help raise the standard and quality of their lives.

It is similar to the principle behind our regional hero Hugo Chavez, whose vision brought about the Petro Caribe initiative.

The USA has been fighting against China’s vision with the new bank. But in a huge blow to America, three of its allies- Germany, France and Italy jointly announced on Monday 16th March 2015 they will be joining in China’s great vision to become founding and funding members of the bank.

China will put FIFTY billion dollars in its first installment. America helps to dominate the world’s economy through its control of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. Such an iron fist of control becomes weaker with China’s new initiative.

There is also an international development bank formed by the BRIC countries.

BRIC represent Brazil, Russia, India and China which are among the four largest developing economies in the world.

It is hoped that a new PUP government will forge closer diplomatic and economic ties with China. The benefits to Belize will be enormous.

Two immediate benefits will be the assurance that the USA and Britain cannot force Belize to give a portion of its territory to Guatemala because China sits on the all-powerful Security Council of the United Nations.

Secondly, in economic matters, China’s investment in Belize would be twenty times what the Petro Caribe has brought to our treasury.

CRUEL FACTS In 2009 the Caribbean Development Bank study of Belize unearthed some disturbing information on Belize. Here are some.

More than one third of our Primary School children who sat the Primary School leaving examinations got under fifty percent.

In college, girls outnumber boys by 138 girls to every 100 boys.

BOGUS BUDGET The budget introduced last Friday in the House of Representatives is most likely the most bogus budget ever presented.

It is bogus and silly. Both in form and in substance.

It is not a real budget. It is a farce and a sick joke. In presenting the budget the Prime Minister actually told the nation that he will be presenting a Supplemental Budget in July.

What!

What natural disaster like a hurricane or major flood does Barrow know will take place which requires a supplementary budget?

Which conceivable event is coming this way in three months that you will need another budget?

We cannot help but speculate.

Is the Government finances and budget deficit in such a mess that serious measures need to be introduced?

Is it the upcoming Guatemala elections on 13th September for which Belize has agreed to hold simultaneous referendum on the Guatemalan claim and ICJ issue? This most serious matter may require a general elections that on 13th September and so the need to present a “new election give away of goodies” budget.

Something fishy is going on.

DARKNESS AND LIGHT “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that” Martin Luther King LENT The Bible tells us that Jesus fasted for forty days and forty nights and thereafter he was hungry. This is when the devil seen him weak and tried to tempt him.

Can you remember this story at primary school? How the devil told a hungry Jesus to turn the stones into bread? And Jesus instructive answer- man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God. Do you remember the other two temptations the devil put to Jesus?

Are you making any sacrifices for the period of Lent?

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2015

UDP Politicians receive death threats San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, March 19th, 2015 UDP politician, Belize Rural South Area Representative Manuel Herredia, has beefed up his personal security on the heels of an alleged death threat made against him and the Mayor of San Pedro last week.

Unconfirmed but reliable reports are that the threats were made following the arrest and arraignment of ten persons for possession of illegal gun and ammunition on San Pedro last week Friday March 6th.

Those persons are: 51 year old Peter Moses Hernandez, 26 year old Marciana Campos, 23 year old Teresita Jessely Cordova, 48 year old Guadalupe Gonzalez, 42 year old Victor Vasquez, 52 year old John Aran, 30 year old Michael Edwards, 27 year old Juan Gomez, 44 year old Laura Trapp, and 25 year old Pedro Campos.

It is alleged that one of Herredia’s relatives received the death threat when he answered a phone call and the person on the other end of the line informed him that if Herredia or Mayor Daniel Guerrero did not use their powers to release the persons detained, they would take matters into their own hands.

Herredia was left stunned and reported it to the Police. The Mayor, we understand, has not taken the threat too seriously, and has not increased security as his political colleague did.

We cannot say with confirmation what would trigger such a demand, but an earlier controversy involving Herredia and his intervention in the jailing of island resident Edwardo Jones, back in January, may have something to do with it. In that incident, Jones was detained by the island’s Police Officers for possession of marijuana. He would have been remanded to prison, but Herredia showed up to bail him out.

If the reports of the death threats prove real, it would certainly be a sad day for the island residents, but more it would be even sadder if it’s a case of chickens coming home to roost. The Police have not commented on the reports.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Castro in deep trouble!

UDP unleashes “pastor” at him

Belize District, March 14, 2015 Word is Castro is preparing for a lot of antics at the next week’s Budget debate.

He will be taking sweet peppers, carrots, tomatoes, rabbits, pigs, hens, goats and even very young tilapias (his favourite) to the House Sitting to show that he is the man for Belize Rural North.

Castro knows he needs to impress with the best circus act.

In preparation for the possibility of early elections, the UDP has issued a directive that constituencies that need to hold conventions do so by July. The elected UDP representatives like Castro and Herman Longsworth thought they were untouchable, but such is not the case.

Longsworth is a weak leader and a very strong faction led by Deputy Leader Gaspar Vega is putting their monies into a campaign to remove him and replace him with Phillip Willoughby.

Castro is a bad leader and there is a faction that wants to get him

Edmund Castro

Dwight Tillett

out. Castro’s reputation stinks. He has been accused of misusing public funds, fraud and theft, visa hustling, sexual assault and abusing his office by trying to get Government jobs for his children. And so, the UDP has leashed an exact opposite against him. The contender in Belize Rural North for the UDP is Dwight Tillett, a former CEO in UDP senior leader Michael Finnegan’s Ministry and a pastor in the Nazarene Church.

Castro knows he is in trouble and while he

has been telling everyone there will be no convention his party’s decision has given Tillett permission to launch a full scale media campaign. Tillett even has a western-style ad running on television, upholding integrity as his biggest asset. It’s like throwing salt into Castro’s eyes.

We expect Castro to pull all the tricks out a hat next week at the Budget debate.

But the inescapable fact is that Castro’s “Clear the land” time is over…it is now time to clear himself out of the way.

Point of Order!

Can the Speaker of the House Michael Peyrefitte explained why he is flashing gang signs with a convicted murderer

CARTOON

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2015