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The Belize Times THE BELIZE TIMES
29 MAR
2015
Established 1957
The Truth Shall Make You Free
29 MARCH 2015 | ISSUE NO: 4938
www.belizetimes.bz | $1.00
PetroCaribe:
UDP Piggy Bank!!
Pg. 3
PM Admits Price Gouging Marketing Board Cheats Belizean consumers
Pg. 6 NO ONE CHARGED FOR OW DOUBLE MURDER Michael Usher
Pg. 3
PUP Leader Francis Fonseca Blasts 2015-2016 Budget Pg. 4
Gapi Out! Longsworth turned Lame Duck! Oscar Daniel Vasquez
Pg. 23
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OPINION OUT
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Dear Editor, We Belizeans will regret March 26th 2015 for the rest of our lives as the UDP and Dean Barrow has become a total dictatorship! A Bill proposed and passed on Thursday gives complete Dictatorial Power over loans made by GOB. This is the essence of what will be signed today: (1) Notwithstanding anything contained in the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act, 2005, or any other law to the contrary, it shall be lawful for the Government of Belize to borrow money from ALBA Petro Caribe (Belize Energy) Limited in any amounts without the prior authorization of the National Assembly and to enter into a loan agreement with APBEL for the said purpose. (3) No limitations shall apply to the use of the money borrowed from APBEL and it may be used to finance capital projects as well as to provide social and community assistance to the poor and the socially marginalized, and any other legitimate purpose as the Government may consider fit. Read attentively and see how the situation will turn out. All loans are lawful to the different sources mentioned in 3. (1) By Government WITHOUT APPROVAL OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. They will now do as they wish with money loans. Also “NO LIMITATIONS SHALL APPLY TO THE USE OF THE MONEY BORROWED FROM APBEL AND IT MAY BE USED FOR SOCIAL COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE TO THE POOR AND THE SOCIALLY MARGINALIZED AND ANY OTHER LEGITIMATE PURPOSE AS THE GOVERNMENT MAY CONSIDER FIT”. So then who will benefit according to this latter part? Obviously the social assistance and community assistance to the poor and the socially marginalized WILL be used to continue
27 Mar
OUT
OUT
Belize Enters Bitter Dictatorship
LOCAL
29 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
No to Petro Barrow!
!
Ladyville residents reject toll
!
Dear Editor, I read in last week’s BELIZE TIMES newspaper that the Belize City Council intends to construct a toll somewhere on the Phillip Goldson highway and charge commuters entering Belize. We Ladyville residents reject the proposal and I am calling on my neighbors and community members to launch a vigorous campaign against this. There are hundreds of commuters who travel to Belize City from Ladyville daily. I imagine the same can be said from neighboring Lords Bank and northern communities leading to Orange Walk and Corozal. I chose to live in Ladyville to get away from the violent crime in the city but I travel to work daily. Fuel is once more climbing to its usual high price. The idea of a toll is not economically feasible for us. There is nothing wrong with the Mayor’s desire to construct a four-lane highway, but the plan of installing a toll that will charge us to enter the city is a sick and cold one. What is the rationale for this Mr. Mayor, we in Ladyville want to know? Signed, B. Ramirez to fund the UDP’s political gimmicks of giving “ham and turkey”, free money, and food pantry to keep the poor deeper into poverty. The Finance and Audit Act of 2005 is a GOOD LAW, which was passed to curb corrupt practices and reduce wanton, unbridled spending and squandering of monies. But the new Bill/Act declares itself to be CONTRARY to the spirit of that act of 2005? It now opens the doors to corruption and hustling. Belizeans we are living a most difficult time!!! Signed, Roy Longsworth
Dear Editor, Belizeans must think critically in these hours. Does the Petro Caribe slush fund undermine democracy in Belize? The answer is YES as it is being used and spent by the Barrow regime as a political slush fund at their whim and fancy without any House approval as required by the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act and without any form of check and balance. This slush funds allows the Government to provide under the table kickbacks to its Ministers. No amount of financing flowing to any other political party can match the Petro Caribe slush fund. The Barrow Government is now awashed with monies and they want to spend it however they feel like. But they have a political plan for this money – to push their agenda with gimmicks and selected projects in which their cronies are allowed to shave off personal profits for themselves. The only thing that can tame the wild and rampant hustling and illegal use of millions of dollars by this Government is a serious push for proper checks and balance through the Public Accounts Committee and Campaign Finance Reform. The Opposition needs to step up to the plate. The Opposition needs to move fast and furious and bring a resolution before the House where the House will decide how the Petro Caribe funds can be spent and that it must be done in a transparent manner. Belize’s democracy is under threat by a new class of political leader in Dean Barrow. He has learnt to manipulate society by keeping the poor wanting and Government handling millions of dollars.
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With such a threat, there are drastic measures that must be taken for democracy to be rescued and preserved. Otherwise, it would mean giving in to Barrow and his use and abuse of the Petro Caribe funds, taking Belize down a dangerous path. You gotta fight Opposition PUP, fight for Belize. Signed, Clarence Bautista
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The Belize Times
Established 1957
14 APR 2013
|
ISSUE NO: 4840
The Truth Shall Make You Free
www.belizetimes.bz
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29 MAR
2015
PetroCaribe:
UDP Piggy Bank!! Belize City, March 26, 2015 A dangerous and retrograde legislation introduced by the Barrow Administration at today’s sitting of the House of Representatives seeks to turn the hundreds of millions of dollars loaned to the country for poverty alleviation through the ALBA Petro-Caribe initiative, into the United Democratic Party’s very own piggy bank. The controversial legislation entitled Petrocaribe Loans Act (2015) seeks to make the borrowing of BZE$228,614,712 between September 2012 and August 2014, and the borrowing of future amounts under the Petrocaribe programme, absolutely exempt from parliamentary oversight. The borrowing of amounts over $10 million is required by law, the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act (2005), to obtain the approval of the House of Representatives. Late last year, three years after the Barrow Administration had already borrowed over $200 million, the Prime Minister was taken by surprise when the Opposition PUP, led by Hon. Julius Espat, brought feverish heat on him for not taking any of the loans before the House as required by law. Hon. Espat, who is also the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, launched a legal challenge to the Prime Minister’s illegal borrowing. That matter is before the Supreme Court. Now, in an attempt to avoid legal review of his illegal actions, subvert any possible oversight and to make himself supreme above all laws, the Prime Minister introduced today’s Bill which states that “Notwithstanding anything contained in the Finance and Audit (Reform) Act, 2005, or any other law to the contrary, it shall be lawful for the Government of Belize to borrow money from ALBA Petrocaribe (Belize Energy) Limited in any amounts without the prior authorisation of the National Assembly and to enter into a loan agreement with APBEL for the said purpose”. The Bill also gives the Prime Minister overweening authority stipulating that there will be “no limitations” to the use of the Petrocaribe money. And to ensure that the Bill can cover the illegal borrowing that has already occurred, the Bill is retrospective to include the $228,614,712 borrowed between September 2012 and August 2014 and the $57,552,486 borrowed between September 2014 and February 2015. Opposition Reaction The Bill did not come to light until yesterday afternoon, less than a day before today’s House Sitting, when the Clerk of the National Assembly Eddie Webster emailed it to Leader of the Opposition with a note that “it will go through all its stages during the meeting tomorrow”. Opposition Leader Hon. Francis Fonseca objected to the ramming through of the Bill, and described the proposed legislation as “scandalous” and “unconstitutional”. He asserted that Belizeans should be given an opportunity to review and analyse the Bill before it was pushed through. Despite the objections of the PUP Leader, the UDP pushed through all three readings of the Bill today and has now given itself unfettered and unrestrained authority to borrow and spend millions unrestrictedly.
THE BELIZE TIMES
NO ONE CHARGED FOR OW DOUBLE MURDER Orange Walk Town, March 24, 2015 “His death was so cruel. They killed him like worse than a criminal. I don’t know what else to say I just want justice for my little brother,” were the words shared by the grieving sister of 16 year old Oscar Daniel Vasquez, one of the teenage victims of a double murder which occurred on Saturday night, March 21, 2015.
Valdez and his neighbour, 17 year old Michael Usher, were socializing in front of Valdez’ home on Palmar Boundary Road when around 9:00pm a vehicle drove up along the street in front of the residence, and someone let loose a barrage of gunshots at them. Usher and Valdez were both injured in the attack. They
03 3 were rushed to the Northern Regional Hospital, but passed away during the emergency treatment. The vehicle used in the attack has been described as a Blue Toyota Tacoma pick-up truck, but has not been found. The shooter has yet to be identified or detained. According to the family of the victim, the murder could have been avoided if Police authorities had made sufficient interventions. Vasquez’ sister said her family had made numerous reports to the Police of death threats against her 16 year old brother. But the Police say they have no record of those reports.
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29 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
“BORROW & SPEND BUDGET”
2015
San Pedro: “La Isla Bonita”
PUP Leader Francis Fonseca Blasts 2015-2016 Budget Belize City, March 26, 2015 Day 1 of the two-day debate of the 2015-2016 Draft Estimates began today and the Leader of the Opposition Hon. Francis Fonseca kicked off the discussion on a high pitch as he blasted the Barrow Administration for presenting a budget that “lacked substance” and which has no “new development and no long term job creation plan”. Hon. Fonseca added that the country continues to see very little investment, placing the entire country “dependent on the largesse of the Government”, which means that the Government has had to rely heavily on its tax base and on loans, in this case Petro Caribe loans. “…borrowing money and pouring concrete is all well and good, but what our peo-
ple and their future. What are the plans for the development of our beautiful Belize? Our rising debt places us in the top 20 worst countries in debt-GDP ratio, at almost 80%,” said the Hon. Fonseca. The Opposition Leader also said that the Prime Minister’s promoting of a UDPfirst agenda in the distribution of Government support and assistance was “governance at its worst”. In his address, he called for the establishment of the 13th Senator and Campaign Finance Reform. He warned the Prime Minister that the people of Belize will soon judge them by their actions, and the results could be the wake up call that they direly need. “This is a budget deliv-
Glitter for the tourist; Ghetto for poor Belizeans ered by a Prime Minister and a UDP Government full of themselves, intoxicated by power and consumed by their so-called historic destiny of a third term. Well I say to you today, Mr. Speaker, and I say to you the Belizeans Nation, It Shall Not Be, It Will Not Be!” The debate continues on Friday, March 27th, and we will provide a more detailed report in next week’s edition.
LIQUOR LICENSE NOTICES Notice is hereby given that RUTH E. SALAZAR is applying for a Malt and Cider Liquor License to be operated at “Puerto Mariscos”, situated at 89 A Freetown Road, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.
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29 MAR
2015
THE BELIZE TIMES
5 05
EDITORIAL
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UDP – A Sunken Ship
or the period 1998-2008 there was a massive influx of foreign dollars that entered the Belizean economy via Foreign Direct Investments (FDI). Investor confidence in Belize was high. Countries were booming and Belize prospered for those ten years. A report by the Caribbean Media Corporation news agency of March 18 2006 stated, “The Belize government Friday March 17 presented a 1.2bn-BZE (Belizean dollar) tax-free budget to parliament on the basis that Gross Domestic Product (GDP) would grow in real terms by 3 percent in 2006”. The state of Belize’s economy in those times, marked in history, is important and noteworthy for comparison and analysis by fledgling economists and researching students today. This was under a People’s United Party (PUP) administration and also before any oil profits entered the government’s coffers. While oil in commercial quantities was discovered under the PUP Government in 2005, it was until about 2007/2008 that it began impacting Government’s revenues. This is because the infrastructure for extraction took some time to put in place. Despite all the Prime Minister’s recent chest beating about his “billion dollar” budget, the PUP’s 2006/2007 budget was far more prosperous and equitable. Barrow’s budget for 2014/2015 gives the perception that the UDP Government has the country booming, but Belizeans know the real picture. In fact, the statistics on poverty and unemployment tell a different story. The UDP’s budget is actually stuffed with millions of dollars in projected revenue from the oil sector. Without those oil revenues, the 2014/2015 budget would shrink down drastically, with figures that pale to compare to the period when the PUP had the economy working. Since 2008, the year the UDP formed the government, the economy has staggered. Had the UDP not contracted the economy and frightened away foreign investors, the oil revenues would have been the surplus revenue the country so badly needs now for key areas such as Health, Education and Poverty Alleviation. However, they did the opposite. They shrunk the tax/revenue base that includes foreign investment, and began using oil money to supplement the loss in revenue to cover the expenses along with a steady diet of borrowings to finance the annual growing deficits. This has been the consistent trend since 2008. This contraction in the economy is vividly displayed in the banking/financial sector. At present that sector
finds itself on a slippery slope. Since 2009 when the expropriation of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) by the UDP government took place and subsequently Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) in 2011, the confidence in investing in Belize has plummeted. Ever since, the Prime Minister Barrow has had to admit that that his Government has struggled to attract Foreign Direction Investment. Unwilling borrowers have not wanted to risk their investment or collateral as they were uncertain that the economy can sustain the projects they have wanted to embark on. On the other end of the spectrum, there are borrowers who want/need to borrow but present a high risk to the banks. Either they lack repayment capacity or security because they have been out of a job with no source of income due to the stagnation in the Belizean economy. When they come – or at least the few that have come – like ASR in the sugar industry – they come with high demands such as eventual rule over sectors. In tandem with the expropriation which scared away foreign investors, there was also a whispering campaign led by the Prime Minister and the Central Bank of Belize for commercial banks to reduce their lending rates “or else”. Well, eventually the Central Bank and the government abandoned that idea, but not before they further weakened the confidence in free market lending. The Banks have noted a drastic reduction in borrowers over the last couple of years and the expense of interest on deposits are eating away at the bank’s profitability as well as the non-performing loans continue in the double digit percentage (according to the IMF’s report). There was a time, not long ago, when there was major competition for deposits. This came mostly from the productive sector (some risky but beneficial for the economy as it created jobs and earns foreign exchange). The productive sector boomed under the PUP 1998-2008. Investor confidence was high and the banks made their money. More importantly, Belizeans had jobs, poverty was decreasing, and sectors of the economy were thriving. Those days are gone. This UDP Government has no money except Petro Caribe money, but this is not their hard earned money. This is easy money – millions of dollars of borrowed money and as we all know, borrowed money must be paid back.
6 06 Say it ain’t so Mr. Speaker! THE BELIZE TIMES
Belize City, March 25, 2015 Is Speaker of the House Michael Peyrefitte a gang member or does he support gangs? Peyrefitte has yet to publicly comment on the publication of a photo of him flashing gang signs next to notorious “Gaza” leader and music artist Vybz Kartel. The photo appeared in last week’s edition
PM Admits Price Gouging Marketing Board Cheats Belizean consumers Belize City, March 25, 2015 Belize was once hailed as the prospective breadbasket of the region, but that dream has been killed by greed and poor management which has led the country to food insecurity. The country imports onions from Holland, potatoes and other vegetables from Guatemala and Mexico, and soon it will start importing rice from Guyana in South America. A very wealthy businessman, who is a close friend and reported financial donor of several UDP Ministers, Jack Chawla aka Jack Charles, has announced that he intends to import rice from Guyana for domestic supply. Charles claims that he could sell Guyanese rice at a retail price of $0.69 per pound, while the existing rice is priced at $1.20 per pound. Charles accused the local rice produces of making “unjust profits” and said that he will invoke his rights as a CARICOM citizen to freely trade goods under the CARICOM Single Market and Economy (CSME). He also exposed that the Marketing Board was guilty of conning consumers. Last year, the Marketing Board had imported 3.2 million pounds of rice from Guyana at $0.52 per pound. Not only were consumers not informed of this as the rice was sold under the usual brand of local producers, but it was also sold at the same price as the local rice, at $1.20, allowing the wholesalers and retailers to make substantial unjust profit. While Prime Minister Dean Barrow expressed some concern about the local industry being “wiped out”, he said nothing about the actions of the Marketing Board officials who he admitted had “short-changed” Belizeans. But the Prime Minister’s initial stance should not be comforting to the local industry. It is under the Barrow Administration that the local farming industry has come under attack from greedy Government officials who are not sound policy makers, but backdoor paper pushers for greedy businessmen who care little for the local industry.
of the BELIZE TIMES. In it Peyrefitte is seen with his right hand out and his fingers crossed to depict a “W”, which in the gang world is how the deadly “West side CRIPS” distinguish themselves. In Jamaica, there is no CRIPS, but there is the new “GAZA” gang. Kartel who is posing next to Peyrefitte in the photo is also seen flashing gang signs. It appears that Peyrefitte and Kartel belong to the same gang. The House Speaker is also an attorney at law; therefore, he is fully aware of what the Laws of Belize state about gangs. Section
2 (3) of Part I of the Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act is very clear: “…a person is guilty of an offence if he knowingly:(a) belongs or professes to belong to a criminal gang; (b) solicits or invites support for a criminal gang; or (c) arranges or assists in the arrangement of, or addresses, any meeting of three or more persons (whether or not it is a meeting to which the public are admitted) knowing that the meeting is:(i) to support a criminal gang; or (ii) to further the activities of a criminal gang.”
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2015
We are reliably informed that Peyrefitte has defended himself in private conversations, claiming that the photo was taken three years ago during a visit to Jamaica. To prove it he has reportedly said: “just look at my weight then and now”. But this is no excuse! Do we need to remind him that five years ago he was a candidate in national elections?
29 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
WOMAN IN THE HOUSE By Dolores Balderamos Garcia
St. Patrick’s and First Holy Communion This week I would like to report on two church events which took place within a week of each other – these being the Feast Day Mass at Saint Patrick’s RC Church in Lord’s Bank and the First Holy Communion Mass for children of Our Lady of the Way School and Church in Ladyville. Last week Sunday, March 15th Father Noel Leslie celebrated Mass for the feast of St. Patrick’s Day. Our Catholic Church in Lord’s Bank is named for St. Patrick, and so it was our special day. St. Patrick’s in Lord’s Bank is a tiny and welcoming Catholic Church. The congregation is expectedly small, but I have found that Fr. Leslie just loves saying Mass there on third Sundays.
The Mass is at 8:30 am, so at that time of the day it is still fairly cool. In bright pink vestments Father said Mass and preached a lovely sermon, which had three main themes. First, the love of God is universal. Catholic means universal, and the love of our Father is one of universality and full inclusion. Secondly, there is individuality in the love of God our Father for everyone, excluding no one. The example used was that of the Good Shepherd, who left his ninety-nine sheep in order to go out and save the one sheep who had strayed; so God loves each and every one of us. Thirdly, God’s love has redemptive power in the lives of all and for all children of God. We must therefore
believe in our Lord and Savior and trust in the saving grace of Jesus Christ. The church had been beautifully decorated by the youths with green streamers and shamrocks, and there was a festive mood throughout. After the liturgy, parishioners enjoyed refreshments and cold drinks provided by the Swift family, the Parks family and other regular attendees of St. Patrick’s, and Father Leslie asked that everyone spread the word about Mass at St. Patrick’s. All are of course welcome, Father tells us. This Sunday Father Leslie, joined by Deacon Alvin Lambey, officiated at the Mass for the First Holy Communion of thirty six young girls and boys, mostly of Our Lady of the Way RC Church. So, all of them, except only six, attend school at Our Lady of the Way. The Church was packed with the nineteen girls and seventeen boys, their parents and family members, other friends and relations, as well as regular parishioners. Again we enjoyed a well-prepared and meaningful liturgy, and Fr. Leslie exhorted the boys and girls to always remember their First Holy Communion and to respect the Church and keep attending Mass regularly. And the First Holy communicants themselves had been thoroughly rehearsed in the signifi-
07 7 cance of taking Holy Communion. After Communion, they sang a choral rendition of “Create a New Heart.” In a similar manner to the liturgy at St. Patrick’s, the encouraging sermon was well received by the girls and boys and everyone in attendance. First Holy Communion coming within the Lenten Season holds great importance for those who receive it, and I think that the girls in their comely white dresses and the boys in white shirts, dark long pants and black bow ties will surely remember their special day in the presence of proud parents, grandparents and supportive family members. The Catholic faith community in Ladyville and Lord’s Bank is fortunate to have Deacon Lambey as Administrator for the school and church, as well as Father Leslie as our regular pastor for both St. Patrick’s and Our Lady of the Way. For my part as a parishioner of Our Lady of Way for over thirty years, and also now of St. Patrick’s, I encourage everyone of faith to join us for Sunday Mass and other services and to support our ministry outreach to both the communities of Ladyville and Lord’s Bank. The active participation of as many persons as possible is invariably very positive and uplifting.
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THE BELIZE TIMES
29 MAR
2015
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THE BELIZE THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES
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29 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES TIMES THE BELIZE
2015
No Deon – No Goals! Jaguars & Cayman draw, Re-Match on Sunday
Belmopan City, March 25, 2015 The Belize Jaguars’ blank scoreboard after 90 minutes of peppering the Cayman Islands’ goal with shots had Belizean fans booing the players on their way to the locker room after failing to come up with a win in Game 1 of the World Cup 2018 Russia elimination qualifiers at the FFB Stadium in Belmopan on Wednesday night. They clearly felt the Jaguars had squandered an opportunity. Harrison “Kafu” Roches had thrilled the fans when his mid-air flying kick found the back of the net in the 66th minute, but referee David Moller Reyna ruled it was offside. Man of the Match goalie Ramon Sealy had put his body on the line to stop Elroy Smith’s attempt to convert a penalty in the 5th minute, and even Smith’s second try on the rebound.
Denmark Casey on the attack
Sealy had also come out of his goal to meet every attack when the Jaguars escaped the Caymans’ defenders. The Jaguars had dominated possession almost 80 per cent and Elroy “Bib” Kuylen, Jarret Davis, Daniel Jimenez, Delone Torres, Andres Makin Jr, Denmark Casey Jr, Nahjib Guerra and Carlton “Fubu” Thomas all got off shots at goal, but none were on target and they were left only to lament what
Yellow Pages Hurricanes
blow away Dangriga Warriors 68-61 Belize City, March 20, 2015 The Belize Yellow Pages Hurricanes came from behind in the 4th quarter to post their 3rd win and deny the Dangriga Warriors a 4th win in the National Elite Basketball League competition at the Belize Elementary auditorium on Friday night. Daniel Nolberto led the Dangriga squad with 23 points and 6 rebounds and Brandon added 14 points and 2 boards as the Warriors led 18-13 in the 1st quarter and 36-25 at the half. Earl Johnson led the Hurricanes’ comeback with 13 points and 9 rebounds while and Winston “Air Jun” Pratt added 12 points and 4 rebounds to shave the deficit to one point 48-49 at the end of the 3rd quarter. Tariq Middleton and Brian White scored 8 points apiece, while Akeem “Timmy” Trapp, Leon “Bigs” Williams, Lindbergh “Prince” Graham and Auburn Rivero chipped in 4 points apiece. Other matches: Cayo Western Ballaz vs.
Belmopan Red Taigaz – 61-60 Top scorers: Richard Troyer (17pts, 11 rebounds), Kurt “Chengo” Burgess/ Giovanni Lennan (11pts) San Pedro Tiger Sharks vs. Orange Walk Running Rebels - 73-66 Top scorers: Darwin “Puppy” Leslie (19 pts, 5 rebounds); Andrew “Bynum” Ortiz (17pts, 6 boards); Randy Usher (18pts) Belize City No Limit vs. Toledo Diplomats vs. 20 -0 (Win by forfeit) Upcoming games: Western Ballaz vs. Hurricanes, BES auditorium, Friday Tiger Sharks vs. Belmopan Red Taigaz, UB Gym, Saturday Running Rebels vs. Toledo Diplomats, Julian Cho High School Belize City No Limit vs. Dangriga Warriors, Bird’s Isle
Andres Makin with ball possession
might have, could have been. The lack of goals only fueled fans’ feelings that Belize’s most prolific international goal-scorer Deon Macaulay could have done better, had he been on the squad, and that he would have scored at least a hattrick off the many goal opportunities the Jaguars squandered. The draw has put the Jaguars on the hot-seat, as they now travel
to the Truman Bodden Stadium in Georgetown, Grand Cayman for the return match on Sunday night, March 29. They need a win, whether in regulation 90 minutes, overtime or penalties, to advance to the second round, when they would play a similar home and away series against Dominica. But first, they need to win!
UB girls win 3rd ATLIB football championship Santa Clara Village, March 22, 2015 The University of Belize defeated the Southern Zone 2nd place team, the Stann Creek Ecumenical Junior College girls 3-0, to win their 3rd Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB) national football championship. MVP Emmerlyn Nunez scored the 1st goal when she recovered a rebound off the Ecumenical goalie, after Daniela Vargas shot at
goal from a set piece. The UB girls won another free kick, and this time Daniella Vargas threaded the ball right through the goalie’s legs for a 2nd goal: 2-0. The UB defenders Esther Cal, Alberta Garcia, Tricia Coye and Kendra “Peaches” Goff held off the Ecumenical girls’ attacks, while Emmerlynn Nunez blasted in a 3rd goal for the 3-0 win. The UB girls were presented with the ATLIB champ’s team trophy, while the players received individual trophies. The SCEJC girls got a 2nd place team trophy and individual medals. The Most Valuable Player award went to Emmerlyn Nunez.
Rosaria Cal scored UB’s 2nd goal
Greg Rudon scored 28 points Winston Pratt scored 12pts
Victorious UB girls
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Centro Escolar Mexico wins ATLIB male football champs
Santa Clara Village, March 22, 2015 The Centro Escolar Mexico (CEM) men won the 2015 Association of Tertiary Level Institutions of Belize (ATLIB) national football championship at the Santa Clara football field on Sunday. MVP Eliazar “Toto” Itza scored another hat trick, to give his team the 2-0 lead in the first half before Independence Junior College’s Hyram Augustine scored in the 2nd half. Centro Escolar Mexico lost Denzel Zetina to injury and Leonardo Velasquez to a red card; and reduced to 10 men, and then 9
when Itza was sidelined with an injured hand, the Centro Escolar Mexico defense could not stop Independence Junior College’s Terrick Meighan from scoring the equalizer: 2-2. This sent the match into overtime and a penalty shootout which Centro Escolar Mexico won 4-3 with goals by Denis Esquivel, Edgar Itza, Naigel Cabanas and Eliazar Itza. Only Jairo Cruz, Jaden Garbutt and Victor Franco scored for Independence Junior College`. The Centro Escolar Mexico men were presented with the ATLIB champ’s team trophy, while the players received individual trophies. The Independence Junior College men got a 2nd place team trophy and individual medals. The Most Valuable Player award went to Centro Escolar Mexico’s Eliazar “Toto” Itza.
Ladyville Tech girls are softball champs Independence Village, March 21, 2015 The Ladyville Technical High School girls won the 2015 national high school softball championships hosted by Georgetown Technical High School at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium in Independence Village over the weekend. The Ladyville girls won 10-4 against the Belize Comprehensive girls, as MVP pitcher Elma Wade struck out 7 batters, walked 2 and gave up 5 hits from which the Compre girls scored only 4 runs as they left
LadyvilleTech girls
Belmopan Compre girls
4 runners on base. Compre’s pitcher Renisha Richards allowed only 3 hits and struck out 10 batters, walked 8, and her 9 wild pitches allowed Elma Wade, Dejeanne Noralez, Jalecia Jones and Ashley Robinson to score 2 runs apiece, while Jay Gideon and Christy Robinson each came home once. Principal Ervin Casimiro of the host school presented team trophies and individual medals to the 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners and the MVP award to Ladyville Technical High School pitcher Elma Wade.
Centro Escolar Mexico champs
Centro Escolar Mexico’s Rodney DelCid & Independence Junior College’s Victor Franco
Nazarene boys
Nazarene High boys repeat as softball champs Central Christian team
Central Christian girls & Holy Redeemer boys advance to finals
St. John Vianney team
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29 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Companies listed below have been dissolved and duly struck off the IBC Register as follows: NAME OF COMPANY
Date of Dissolution
SYBAN INVEST CORP. ITANIA HOLDINGS CORP. CRONULLA COMMERCIAL CORP. INSTINCT SECURITIES LTD. SMARTEC SERVICES S.A. MARQUISE INC. VANDY UNIVERSAL S.A. NOYCE CONSULTING LTD. DALIMERO LTD. TOMENTELLA PARTICIPATION CORP. CUPRESSA MARKETING LTD. SQUARE CONSULTING INC. TRILORO PARTICIPATION INC. CLEARWATER CONSULTING & TRADINC INC. CALENDY ASSOCIATES INC. SHARPIE DEVELOPMENT INC. BARRETT SHIPPING LIMITED NEREUS SHIPPING COMPANY LTD. EUROLAW ASSOCIATES S.A. SHIBATA COMMERCIAL CORP. ST. GERMAN INC.
05-Feb-15 11-Feb-15 11-Feb-15 13-Feb-15 13-Feb-15 14-Feb-15 14-Feb-15 18-Feb-15 18-Feb-15 18-Feb-15 18-Feb-15 18-Feb-15 18-Feb-15 21-Feb-15 25-Feb-15 25-Feb-15 25-Feb-15 25-Feb-15 27-Feb-15 27-Feb-15 28-Feb-15
Morgan & Morgan Trust Corporation Belize Ltd.
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.
29 MAR
13
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’s programme Rise and Shine Boys and Girls 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 Boys and Girls 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 Boys and Girls 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:Rise and Shine Boys and Girls 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
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. 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.
Call 650-8429 Text 600-1074
MUSA & BALDERAMOS LLP 91 North Front Street Belize City Attorneys-at-Law for Scotiabank (Belize) Ltd.
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THE BELIZE TIMES
29 MAR
2015
BYM Review of 2015/16 Budget by Josue Carballo, PUP Orange Walk East Standard Bearer
‘The best way to predict your future is to create it’. Youths must become the motor and driving force of a much needed revamped, vibrant and modern economy. Current statistics & key indicators: Indicator # registered employers # active business # registered employees
2008 9965 10665 87500
2013 9687 10652 93172
by Micah Goodin, BYM National Executive, Chief of Staff
their organizations critical for enhancing the relevance of interventions and make them more respondent to labour market requirements. Raise awareness, gener-
Delta 08-13 -278 -3 5672
2014 Delta 13-14 10415 11218 97772 4600
Unemployment, April 2012 (SIB)
*Every year over 4,000 young people graduate from high school and tertiary level institutions >> 24,000 job seekers in the past 6 years
14.4% national unemployment rate (female 22.3%; male 9.2%) Young people (14 to 24 years) = 25.3% While governments are primarily responsible for creating an enabling environment for youth employment, employers – as major providers of jobs, and workers – as direct beneficiaries, have an important role in the process. 1. Direct action concerning skills development and training As key customers of the education and training system, business can help inform policy and practice across a variety of related issues. 2. Direct actions concerning job creation > Job facilitation and placement schemes to match young jobseekers with job offers from companies (e.g. a job bank by an organization) > Use of government programmes and incentives to create new jobs for young people (e.g. a Fund based on number of jobs uptake for young people) > Mentoring of young entrepreneurs and business start-up assistance. Young entrepreneurs’ networks or support to ease access to enterprise networks. 3. Policy making and advocacy (fostering the adequate environment) The participation of employers and
ating and disseminating information, and mobilizing support around youth employment issues. • National tripartite policy-making bodies dealing with vocational education and training and job creation (e.g. boards of educational and training institutions; funding bodies for grant allocation to young entrepreneurs) • Social dialogue and collective bargaining • Promotional campaigns and other initiatives targeting different groups depending on circumstances (e.g. young people, parents, schools, industry partners, etc.) using tools such as advertisements, radio spots, television chat shows, videos, newspaper articles, job fairs Marketing Belize as a safe and enabling place to live, with a vibrant living conditions At the end when it comes to youths becoming the breath of fresh air in our country’s economic development, we must find the answers to some key questions: Can youths participate in any growing area of the Economy? How can we give a feeling of greater ownership of this country to our youths? How can we better engage and identify the potential in our youths, incorporating aptitude tests in formal education and guidance? How can we better engage the private sector to understand their set skills needed, and then transform that into educational/ training programs? What can we do to create a more enabling environment for investment overall? Amongst the 300,000 people in Belize, 48.3% of them are under the age of eighteen. This is a future worth fighting for.
I am a youth. I am 21 years old and my life is in jeopardy. My country is considered the third most deadly place in the world to live. Young people like me are murdered before they can dream of a future. Our youths are filling up our cemeteries faster than they’ve ever filled our classrooms. From 2008 to this day almost 1,000 Belizeans have been killed of which more than half have been young people. There have been 26 body bags already counted for this year including two youths Oscar Daniel Vasquez and Michael Usher who were both murdered cold bloodedly in Orange Walk and more of us will continue to die because a budget like this A Band-Aid Budget does not protect us but merely attempts to stop the bleeding after we have been wounded. Young people like me are locked away before they can unlock their greatest potentials. In 2014According to statistics from the Kolbe foundation of the 1392 persons charged but not convicted there is a total of 1082 persons that range from below age 15 up to 35 years. To get a clear image of this dilemma imagine all the students at SJCJC 6th form behind prison. Let us not forget the draconian gun law that has contributed to the spike in these numbers. Let us also not forget the “quality of life crimes (bell and light)” that resulted in many bright students acquiring criminal records- and remember people with criminal records don’t get jobs no matter how smart they are. I assure you that the next People’s United Party government will address these outrageous laws. For the year 2014 we saw a government that responded to crime with stricter laws, penalties and GSU. We have heard and seen many instances of police brutality carried out on our youths by the very same hands that were to protect them. On a daily basis our young people, simply for being young, in most cases black and dressed differently are subjected to illegal and embarrassing searches by frustrated officers of the law. This is outright discrimination and profiling and must be stopped! This
abuse has to stop or this Youth Movement of which we are a part of will consult with our legal partners and prepare to file constitutional challenges against the GSU and by extension the Police Department. For last year according to the office of the Ombudsman there were 116 complaints against the Police Department so it is imperative that when the next PUP government sits at Belmopan the GSU must be disbanded and have zero tolerance for rogue officers. While that was GoB’s response last year, this year the Ministry of National Security is seeking to respond to crime by putting more guns on the streets and in the hands of the police – I am sure that John Saldivar is bright enough to know that guns are only effective at killing people. For the Community Police and Crime Prevention Program the government has estimated that it will spend $110,225 on firearms and ammunition which is almost double what it spent for the last fiscal year. However there has been no significant increase in recruits at the last intake which would warrant the need to purchase more guns. It is worthy to mention that while the budget allocates more finances to guns and ammunition the sports council will be getting an estimated cut of $52,000 this year, the Marion Jones Sporting centre whose completion has already taken an eternity will get an estimated zero dollars and the Belize City Centre that was recently torn apart will also get an estimated zero dollars according to this year’s draft estimates. When we have a government that can equip every police officer with a gun but can’t equip our youths with football boots then we know something is wrong with our government’s priorities. We have a National Football team that has to sell barbeque to get funds to go and represent us overseas- that is a national embarrassment caused by the Government of Belize. Guns are not the answer to fighting crime. We must invest in sports and education and in our families. Many youths join gangs in the search of love and loyalty and a sense of beginning. You ever notice they call each other bro, cuz and homie? We must strengthen the greatest institution of our country and that is the family. We must step up our efforts in sports and in education. In conclusion I appeal to the government of Belize: 1. To disband the Gang Suppression Unit 2. To remove gun law that was recently implemented to daily record, publish and make public a list of citizens detained at stations countrywide as to reduce the chances of abuse of a an individual or group in these holding facilities. 3. To equip every police, mobile and holding facilities with surveillance to monitor duties executed by the Police Department. 4. To discontinue the practice of granting contracts and employment to cronies that lack both experience and education as is the case with the Director of the National Forensic Science Services.
29 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
BYM Review of 2015/16 Budget
15
Presentation by Alberto Vellos, Belize Youth Movement National President
Five years ago, a radical study led by Social Anthropologist Dr. Herbert Gayle was in search of the root to the extremely high levels of gun violence in our small country. Dr. Gayle shared in an interview that the first thing that shocked him was that Belize City was the most dangerous place to raise a child. The now well-known Gayle Report conducted a clinical analysis of conditions and declared that not only has a cancer been eating away at the surface of our society, but also deep within. Dr. Gayle’s report found that the high levels of crime, which will be discussed by the speaker after me, are not disconnected from the education system, or better put, the mis-education system. The study found that the education system was committing social and economic genocide on our young people. It has been “failing boys and girls”. The education system is like “carrying water in a basket”. The study further found that the school system was “OUTDATED”, “STRUCTURALLY-FLAWED”, and that it was only producing “elite students”. This elitist system is leaving children out of classrooms by the thousands at the primary school level, by the TENS OF THOUSANDS at the secondary school level, and by a shocking 7:1 ratio at the tertiary level. This reality is clearly most brutal at the tertiary level. Our students who should be deciding whether to be engineers, doctors, educators, researchers or bright politicians, are instead FORCED by poverty, to find any work to support their families. BELIEVE IT OR NOT – two years after the Gayle Report underlined the cost of tertiary education as a deterring factor – in a major attack on access to tertiary education – this Government announced that the tuition fees at the national University, the University of Belize, were going UP because they were ending the subsidy for tuition. This was wrong and unsustainable. Three years after the Gayle Report, another study done by experts at the Inter-American Development Bank further exposed the failures in the same education system, stating (quote) “while the government of Belize has prioritized and invested heavily in education over the past few years, the outcomes in terms of education access, quality and equity are disappointing” (unquote). The study likened the education system to an IVORY TOWER where students of wealthier backgrounds had better chances of advancing to higher learning. This automatically sentenced many young people, from rural communities and poor neighborhoods in urban areas, to the bottom of the ladder. These two studies should have raised serious alarm bells for our leaders. Exposed bare was a society crippled by inequity and lopsided policies. Dr. Gayle called it a symptom of dysfunctional social relations perpetuated by inequalities in power. Tomorrow and on Friday the powers that be, in particular the very noisy Minister of Education, will expectedly
be thumping his chest that his Ministry is once again getting the second largest piece of the economic pie. He may even boast that, like every other year, the pie is larger than the previous year. But we share the concerns expressed five years ago by Dr. Herbert Gayle and two years ago in the IDB Report – it SURE is a lot of money, but the results still SURE are tremendously disappointing. The responses from the Ministry, so far, have been MISGUIDED KNEE-JERK REACTIONS and QUICK FIXES to very, very serious problems. In an attempt to boost primary school enrolment, a $300 subsidy program and a cash-transfer initiative were introduced. While the programs do provide menial support, it shamelessly exploits poverty for shortterm political gain and encourages our leaders and social providers to ignore the real problem of growing poverty in
families and the eventual social breakdowns that follow. Mr. Minister, those families continue to wake up in poverty. The other response has been a financial attack on high schools. In an effort to increase high school enrolment, the Ministry foisted a conditional financial rule on high schools, forcing them to minimize their standards of student acceptance or face financial cutbacks. If the Ministry only knew how they have made an already very difficult situation much worse. The above official responses to the crisis in the education system are unwise and are led by political urgency and not national purpose or rational thought. They are cosmetic at best and meant to hide the ugly truth at whatever cost. They are missing the point at the expense of our young people and the country. This is unacceptable! The proposed 2015/2016 budget does not offer transformative ideas for an education system that is in dire need of a major shake-up. It does not indicate that the Government is prepared to reverse the trend in disparity of access to education by ending the treatment of education as a commodity and recognising that it is a right…and a needed one, to properly equip our young people so that they become productive members of our society. We must stop endorsing a profit-led education system. Too many of the very few students who do seek higher learning are already deep in student loan debt. The Government should do everything possible to assist our young and promising scholars to obtain the funding for higher learning. This is where our OIL REVENUES should roll it!! We must treat our teachers as the gems they are…sustaining together the better ends and truly more meaningful
experiences for students in a system that is fast becoming burdensome, irrelevant and out of touch. The Ministry needs to get serious about teacher training…and also provide a realistic salary to our educators! The Ministry needs to overhaul the curriculum – give it real purpose!! Let it reflect our country’s vision and defined development needs. Sadly this Government has not shown any form of vision. Technology and innovation, as already underscored by our Party’s revolutionary Education Agenda, must become a transformative tool for our teachers and students by any means necessary. Similarly, vocational training and education must become a priority – but under this Budget. There is no longer the focus and investment that existed some time ago, for ITVETS to become leading centers for skills training for young people. Today, the policy and backward thinking at those institutions turn back potential learners. We take the time to announce the passing of Government’s big fanfare about 2015 being the year of science and technology. This budget does not support that notion. The structure of the Science Ministry – with a fresh out-of retirement bureaucrat/former high-salaried diplomat at the helm does not inspire anyone. THEY are truly wasting opportunities. Finally, we call on value-for-money at the Ministry of Education. Does the investment match up with the results? Clearly the evidence everywhere shows that it doesn’t. We need radical changes, and nothing less. The perpetuation of the status quo will drive Belize into further crisis...only to lead to social turmoil in the very near future. Mr. Minister, get with the times or fall into an abyss, but go on your own because we demand much more!
16 UDP Corozal Town Council raises taxes right after elections! Corozal Town, March 16, 2015 The UDP Corozal Town Council has hiked trade license fees for businesses in Corozal Town with no notice and for no apparent reason. One business place located in the Altamira area of the town has shared documents proving that the Town Council increased the amount charged for trade license
29 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
UDP Mayor Hilberto Campos
arbitrarily and illegally. The documents are two different tax assessment notices. The first one (Identified as Document 1 in photo), which is not dated but carries the Corozal Town Council’s official stamp, declared that the trade license was assessed on January 19th 2015 and
the fee was $450. But several days after the municipal elections the same business received another notice (Identified as Document 2 in photo), dated March 12th, which now declared that a tax assessment was carried out on January 1st 2015 and which placed the fee at
ability to reason. When we add the fact that the business is owned by a well-known PUP family, it then injects a dangerous mixture of political witch-hunting and victimization taking place. Perhaps the Mayor is overdosing on the meds he is taking for his sick leg.
$900!! There are major discrepancies in the documents, which the Council has not been able to explain. The only explanation that can be given is that the folks in charge of the Council have become so drunk with power that they have lost their minds and
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!!!
29 MAR
2015
THE BELIZE TIMES
Reid Damn Statistics By G. Michael Reid By the time this article gets published, our parliamentarians will be deep into their debate over this year’s budget. I use the word “debate” sparingly because no doubt, it will be anything but intelligent exchanges that will be crossing the floor of the National Assembly this Thursday and Friday in Belmopan. Prime Minister Dean Barrow will no doubt be tossing a healthy serving of “red meat rhetoric” meant more to appease the appetite of his hungry wolves than to provide any clarity to the figures in his budget. Instead of discussing his fiscal deficits and shortfalls, Mr. Barrow will be attempting to keep the focus squarely on the perceived entanglements of the Opposition. One would hope that the Speaker, as he regularly does with members of the Opposition, will advise the Prime Minister and his pack of yes men to stick to the exercise at hand. The challenge for the Opposition is keep their eyes on the ball and to not allow Dean Barrow to distract them and force them into unnecessary defense mode. We the general public, must listen keenly to the important factors in the discussions and not be continually dazzled by Mr. Barrow’s rhetoric and theatrics. Two weeks ago, the Prime Minister released his budget for the year 2015/2016 and to hear him tell it, the past year has been “annus mirabilis” and the next is gearing up to be “a train bound for glory”. Well, the last year was indeed miraculous for some people, mostly cronies and higher ups in the United Democratic Party. The cold hard fact is that while the government continues to spend a sizable sum on political ads claiming to be a “government for all”, supporters of the
People’s United Party and other Belizeans are continually disrespected and are pretty much left out in the cold. Without a doubt, there is evidence of lots of money being thrown around but most of it is disbursed in pure pork barrel fashion. A few political cronies gobble up all the contracts while ministers grow wealthy from grafts and kickbacks. There have been a number of menial jobs that have trickled down to the masses but those were obviously enough to give the UDP a victory in the recently held Municipal Elections. Most experts believe however, that this is simply a case of “one day bellyful” which as the proverb warns, is never enough to “fatten mawga dog”. Those in the know have warned that this extravagant spending of “borrowed money”, while presenting a pretty picture in the immediate, is unsustainable and will in the long run present major problems for our country. The immediate of course, seems to be enough for our current Prime Minister, who has made it quite clear that his vision extends only to the end of his political term; some believe only to the end of his nose. He revealed in a recent interview that one of the main reasons why he will not call an early election is because he would not have enough time to spend all
the money accumulated from the Petro Caribe initiative. Since 2012 when the Petro Caribe program was revived, government has realized over 300 million dollars; all of it from exorbitant prices charged for fuel at the pumps. The Prime Minister who is also the Minister of Finance has been given unfettered access to this money and with no need for any type of accountability or transparency. While he claims to be keeping records of his expenditures, no one has ever seen those records and anyone who dares ask is sternly and rudely admonished. While he vehemently denies it, the evidence suggests that the Prime Minister has used this Petro Caribe money to reward his friends, to punish his enemies and to influence the outcome of elections. Leading up to and during the time of the by-election in Cayo North, some three million dollars were reportedly spent which undoubtedly impacted hugely the outcome. Many were the reports of vote buying, intimidation and outright election fraud. A major concern of those who have shown concern in the figures of the budget itself is that too much attention has been given to ostentation and not enough on long term development goals. Roundabouts are being erected at just about every major intersection and our once quaint little towns are being turned into hot, dusty concrete jungles. The Prime Minister continues to paint a pretty picture but as the saying goes, this story has a twist. “The paintbrush is a razor and the canvas is our wrist”. Mr. Barrow is digging us into a deep hole of debt that might yet become a slave master’s chain and whip for generations of Belizeans to come. Are
17 we so short sighted that we cannot see what is happening here? This year, the Petro Caribe loan becomes due and while it has indeed been a wonderful ride for Mr. Barrow and his crew, the road ahead will be bumpy for the rest of us. So far, the money has only been flowing in one direction, and that is, in. Pretty soon, the flow will be reversed as we will have to pay back the loan and this cash cow will run dry. The recent shortage and rationing of fuel should have served as a wakeup call but our sleep is deep and hypnotic. The end of this Petro Caribe ride is much closer than we think, and then, what? In a scathing but revealing review of this year’s budget, Senator for the Private Sector Mark Lizarraga gave interesting commentary to the figures on a show televised on Channel Five last week. It is a must viewing for all Belizeans who are interested in the naked facts about this year’s budget. The show can be viewed at https://vimeo.com/122563526. I guarantee it will be the best use anyone has put to a half hour in a long time. In an article published in the BELIZE TIMES, Belizean entrepreneur Richard Harrison shared the view that “our boat floats not from our own buoyancy…but rather because Taiwan and Venezuela are putting big pegs into the holes”. He asks the question that every right thinking Belizean should be asking, “What will happen when these pegs are no longer there?” Unfortunately, it is the opinion of many learned and objective thinkers, that such a time is a lot closer than we think. May GOD help us all!
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THE BELIZE TIMES
29 MAR
2015
Another attack on the Cervantes family?
The murder of Don Ramon Cervantes Sr. is still an unsolved mystery
ing which implicates the Deputy Prime Minister is not being treated with any seriousness by the authorities. This week the BELIZE TIMES received a report of another attack on the Cervantes family, allegedly at the hands of an individual closely connected to the Deputy Prime Minister’s political circle. The individual, who has asked to remain unidentified, has reported to us that on the night of Wednesday, March 11, while driving on the Phillip Goldson highway from Belize City to Orange Walk, he was almost ran off the road by a vehicle
which he believes was the Government vehicle assigned to the Deputy Prime Minister. The person shared that around mile 39 he noticed that white in colour luxury SUV was fast approached his vehicle. He became startled when the vehicle drew closer and then suddenly began to overtake his vehicle. While driving parallel to him on the highway, he said the vehicle slowly moved closer to his as if trying to push him off the road. To avoid an accident, he slowed down and pulled to the side, allowing the vehicle to drive off.
Belize City, March 23, 2015 The Police’s investigation into the chilling murder of Don Ramon Cervantes which occurred last year appears to have gone very cold. There are no updates from Police officials and a record-
Down Memory Lane By Roy Davis The decade of the nineteen seventies is an era to remember. That was the time when bell bottom jeans and dashiki shirts were fashionable; when Afro hairstyle and platform shoes were in vogue. Yes those were the good old days when disco music reigned supreme and the popular dance was the hustle. Soul music too was very much in demand and soul singers like Marvin Gaye and Percy Sledge were constantly heard singing their hit songs on the radio and in the dance halls. Dancers would go searching for a partner when the DJ puts on, “Let’s Get It On” or “When a Man Loves a Woman”. Back then it was the Godfather of soul, James Brown, who brought out hit songs after hit songs like “Say It Loud: I’m Black and I’m Proud”, “Prisoner of Love” and “Cold Sweat”. The favorite night spots were “Johnny’s Club”, “Bismar”, “Melting Pot” and “The Tavern”. In those days “christenings” were much more regular because things were much cheaper and people could afford to spend money on parties. There was very little gun violence. It was more commonplace for men to settle disputes with their fists. People were not afraid to go out at night and you could even go out and leave your door open and come back and find everything intact. Now it is different. Belize City has become a cowboy town. In some cases hard words are enough to precipitate gun violence. And when it comes to burglary, you can be at home and that will not deter the perpetrator from entering. Robberies too have become rampant and Chinese grocers are often the targets. Sad to say, in many cases these robberies lead to murder. Continued on page 23
Down Memory Lane
The incident has startled the Cervantes family, who are yet to follow find closure in the killing of their loved one. Mr. Cervantes or Don Ramon, as he was known by all in Orange Walk, was a local icon. He had served the community as a past Mayor and Senator. He was also a businessman and was very involved in advancing the PUP’s work in the northern district. His son, Ramon Cervantes Jr. had become the PUP’s standard bearer for Orange Walk North in June 2014, one month before the murder took place in July 2014.
29 MAR
THE BELIZE TIMES
2015
In loving memory of
19
Under the overall supervision of the UNICEF Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist the UNICEF MICS Consultant (UMC) will support and provide guidance to UNICEF CO and SIB for the preparation, implementation, and completion of the MICS 5 survey in Belize. The UMC will advise SIB, especially the Survey Coordinator and sampling and data processing experts, during survey planning, questionnaire design, sampling, training, fieldwork, data processing, data analysis, dissemination, and archiving, ensuring that MICS protocols and recommendations are being followed at all times. The UMC will communicate effectively with the UNICEF CO and SIB, responding promptly to MICS related needs and issues as they arise. The UMC will be responsible for coordinating and supporting the work of other resource persons hired by UNICEF to provide technical assistance to the MICS 5 survey. He/she will work in close collaboration with the survey team, the stakeholders, and Steering and Technical Committees and will represent UNICEF in meetings and workshops in relation to the survey as needed. Main Tasks Related to the Job Provide technical and managerial support to the MICS 5 survey;
KEON MCKOY
Sunrise: November 14th, 2002 Sunset: March 19th, 2013 Precious Son God, I know you gave your precious Son To give us life with You But we didn’t want our son to leave, Cause he was precious too. We all are special in your eyes And all to you return We know our son will not come back And for this our hearts still yearn Our time on earth is for learning And when our lessons are through, Our Lord will choose the time we leave. And we come back to you. Our precious son is with you And there will be a day That we too will leave this earth And you will light our way His arms will be wide open And the wait will be worthwhile
VACANCY: A vacancy exists for a worker/helper at Andrade Tortilla Factory located on #43 New Road in Belize City. Must be male willing to do arduous work. Contact 602-0899 if interested.
WANTED: A cook/helper is needed for Resort Restaurant on San Pedro Caye. Must be able to work holidays and overtime hours. Ask for Hugo – 226-4000.
VACANCY: A vacancy exists for a Salesperson at Adelita’s Store located at 27 Albert Street. Call 628-2965.
LIQUOR LICENSE NOTICES Notice is hereby given that Marvin Larazo Rivera is applying for a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Cheaptown Hardware and Shop”, situated at 9171 Lacroix Boulevard, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.
Present the MICS methodology, tools, and guidelines to partners/stakeholders (e.g. ministries, UN Agencies, etc.); Finalize in collaboration with national partners and UNICEF CO, the Survey Plan and Budget, including timetable and share with UNICEF Regional Office (RO); Oversee each stage of the survey process and ensure that the MICS protocols and standards are followed by the SIB, more specifically during training and field supervision visits; Communicate regularly with the UNICEF CO, RO and/or Headquarters (HQ) responding to all MICS related issues in a timely manner; Provide progress reports on MICS activities to the UNICEF CO/RO/HQ on a monthly basis; Coordinate the work of SIB experts and UNICEF Regional Consultants and other resource persons assigned by the UNICEF CO and/or RO to support different survey stages; Ensure that external technical reviews by experts (i.e. Regional Sampling Consultant, Regional Data Processing Consultant, and Regional Household Survey Consultant) are carried out at key survey stages and coordinate the feedback and response between the CO/RO/HQ and SIB; Ensure that all survey related documents and deliverables (questionnaires, manuals, expert reports, final report, datasets, etc.) are properly archived throughout the survey process; Participate in all MICS Steering and Technical Committee meetings; Participate in, and contribute to, MICS Regional Workshops; Ensure that lessons learned, problems, and good practices are documented throughout the MICS process and rapidly shared with the MICS community (other MICS implementing countries, RO, and HQ) through all means available.
Specific Activities In consultation and collaboration with the UNICEF CO, SIB and the MICS Steering Committee, the UMC will be responsible for ensuring the following activities have been undertaken following the MICS guidelines and will contribute to the coordination of these activities: 1. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ 2. ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪ ▪
Survey Planning: The Memorandum of Understanding between UNICEF and SIB has been understood by both parties and signed; A Steering Committee is established and comprised of relevant line ministries/Development Partners; A Technical Committee comprised of all relevant technical experts is established; The Survey Plan and Budget, including timetable is finalized and shared with all stakeholders; Survey supplies are procured and distributed in time for training, data collection, and data entry; Sample Design:
The final selection of households is reviewed. Manuals:
MICS Supervisor and Editor, Measurer, and Interviewer Manuals are customized for the Belize specific context and translated. Data Entry Templates:
Data entry template is customized by the data processing expert of SIB with the guidance of UNICEF Regional Data Processing Consultant; Data entry template is reviewed by the UNICEF RO and/or HQ before finalization.
Household Listing and Mapping, Training, Fieldwork, and Data Entry: Household listing and mapping is planned and performed according to MICS guidelines; Training schedules are adequately adapted to the country context while following MICS guidelines; Appropriate resource persons are identified to facilitate training (i.e. nutritionists for anthropometry training, survey expert for methodology, etc.); Contribute to the fieldwork training; Fieldwork and fieldwork monitoring visits are planned and performed according to MICS guidelines; Field Check Tables are produced on a weekly basis, immediately analyzed by survey managers, and main findings reported to field supervisors for action. Field check tables are immediately shared with UNICEF RO; ▪ Participation of UNICEF CO staff is organized to assist in monitoring data collection; ▪ UNICEF Regional Data Processing Consultant is timely provided with necessary information and Belize visits are well managed and coordinated; ▪ Data entry room, hardware, and software are properly arranged and a working data entry and backup system is established; ▪ Monitor data entry and processing; ▪ Monitor secondary data editing. 3. Data Analysis and Report Writing: ▪ Sampling Weights are included in the datasets and reviewed by sampling expert of SIB with the guidance and review of the UNICEF Regional Sampling Consultant; ▪ MICS tabulation plan and standard syntax are used in generating SPSS dataset and tables. ▪ Dataset/Tables including the wealth index are substantively reviewed by technical (e.g. sampling expert) and subject matter experts at SIB, as well as by UNICEF RO and HQ MICS Team before the report writing commences; ▪ Coordinate and contribute substantively to the writing of the Summary Findings Report and Final Report, using MICS templates and according to MICS standards to ensure a timely release; ▪ Ensure that the reports (Summary Findings and Final) undergo the technical review process by RO and HQ; ▪ Coordinate the printing and distribution of the Final Report; ▪ Organize and facilitate the presentation of the Final Report through a national seminar; ▪ Organize wide dissemination of the Final Report and main results; ▪ Ensure that the MICS survey archive (questionnaires, manuals, sampling frame, field reports, database, tables, final reports, dissemination materials, etc.) is being produced by SIB. Estimated Duration of the Contract The duration of the contract should cover the whole MICS process: a minimum of 12 months. Only candidates who can commit for this minimum time in-country will be considered. The UMC will be recruited at the start of MICS planning and should remain on board until the final report and the survey archive are produced. Without significant and unforeseen delays, the MICS can be conducted over a 12 to 14 month period. Confidentiality of Data and MICS Documents The UMC must respect the complete confidentiality of the MICS data as well as any specific MICS documents that will be produced throughout the entire MICS process. The UMC can use the documents and the datasets only for the tasks related to these terms of reference.
Qualifications and Competencies Education: University degree in Social Sciences, Demography, Statistics, Epidemiology or any other related technical field is required. Skills and Experience: At least three to five years’ experience in the coordination and/or management of quantitative household surveys (prior MICS or Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) coordination experience highly desirable); Strong computer skills and strong expertise in statistical analyses (familiarity with data processing and data analysis software, particularly SPSS); Training experience and ability to organize and facilitate training and presentations; Experience in data analysis and survey report writing; Excellent oral and written communications in English; Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Familiarity and previous experience of working in Belize highly desirable and/or in the region. Ability and willingness to travel extensively in-country and to attend regional workshops. Other competencies: ▪ Demonstrated ability to work in a multicultural environment and to establish harmonious and effective relationships both within and outside the organization; ▪ Demonstrated leadership, managerial and supervisory ability. Kindly email applications to belize@unicef.org marked “Consultancy: MICS 5” in the Subject Header and must include:
Cover letter with an updated CV for lead consultant Completed United Nations Personal History Form (P11) for lead consultant. Link for P11 form: http://www.unicef.org/videoaudio/PDFs/P11.doc Proposal including financial cost
Deadline for submission of applications is 15 April, 2015; ONLY completed application packages will be given consideration. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
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BELIZE TIMES WEEKLY
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Sushi parasite inspires worm test for cancer 23 March 2015 by Vijay Shankar Dogs do it. Rats do it. Even some people seem to be able to sniff out cancer and other diseases. Now we can add the humble roundworm to the list of super-smellers. Japanese researchers have discovered that Caenorhabditis elegans worms can detect cancer in people’s urine. They are working with technology companies Hitachi and Johnan to turn the finding into a diagnostic test that can be used to catch the disease in its early stages. “In existing tests, people must have different examinations according to the type of cancer they have”, says Takaaki Hirotsu from Kyushu University in Fukuoka, Japan, who co-led the work. “Our odour-based test detected all nine types of cancer we tested.” Scent of a tumour Hirotsu and his colleague, Hideto Sonada, decided to investigate roundworms’ cancer detecting abilities after Sonada en-
Cancer detectors (Image: Sinclair Stammers/SPL)
countered a 63-year-old man with Anisakis larvae in his digestive system. This roundworm can be picked up by eating infected raw fish. The parasites had attached themselves to a small lesion in the man’s stomach that turned out to be the early stages of gastric cancer. The case is one of 29 recorded
since 1970 of roundworms attaching themselves to cancers, 62 per cent of which were when the cancer was still in its early stages. Hirotsu and Sonada’s team wondered if the odour of the cancer lesion was attracting the roundworms. To find out, they put droplets of culture medium that cancer cells had grown in on one side of
Europe’s electricity grid sails through solar eclipse 23 March 2015 by Debora MacKenzie The sun went out, but the lights stayed on. Last week’s partial solar eclipse in Europe provided an ideal stress test for the world’s most solar-powered country, Germany, and so for the future of solar power itself. It passed. Because solar power output varies with the intensity of sunshine, grid operators must use other power sources to balance out any fluctuations, or risk blackouts or power surges. Since 2006, the European Union has spent €3 billion on research and deployment of smart grids that do this balancing automatically. Germany gets around 26 per cent of its power from variable solar and wind, and already has some smart systems in place. Their biggest challenge is rapid fluctuation in supply – just what the eclipse caused when it partly blot-
The grid coped fine with the celestial spectacle (Image: Uwe Zucchi/dpa /Corbis)
ted out sunlight, then restored it three times faster than happens when the sun rises and sets, says Volcker Quashning of the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin. German utilities doubled staff numbers on eclipse day – which was largely clear, heightening the potential fluctuations when the eclipse occurred. To be on the safe side, the country also cut demand by turning off four power-hungry aluminium plants.
As the eclipse waxed and waned, output from Germany’s 38.2 gigawatts of photovoltaic capacity dropped 15 GW, then climbed back. Operators compensated with power from hydroelectric and gas-fired plants. No problems were reported, either in Germany or with the 51 GW of solar in the rest of Europe. The challenge could become a daily one by 2030, says grid operator Ecofys. Some 66 GW of solar capacity is planned for that time, meaning a clear sunrise will boost output as steeply as the end of last week’s eclipse.
petri dishes. On the other side they put drops of fresh culture medium. When they added C. elegans to the dishes, the worms moved towards the cancer medium. They grew other kinds of cells in the medium, such as human skin cells, but these induced no such attraction in the worms. The researchers also knocked out the olfactory sense neurons in some of the worms. This stopped them moving towards the cancer side of the dish, suggesting that the worms are indeed attracted by smell. Sensitive sniffers To see if they could diagnose cancer, the worms were placed in the vicinity of spots of urine from people with and without cancer. Sure enough, the worms were attracted only to the samples of the people with cancer. With samples taken from 242 people, 24 of whom had a cancer diagnosis, the worms made the correct diagnosis 96 per cent of the time, a success rate that the researchers say is better than any blood test. The participants had various different types of cancer, and Hirotsu says the worms successfully identified cancer in all nine they were exposed to - stomach, colorectal, colon, oesophageal, pancreas, bile duct, prostate, breast and lung cancer. The team are now investigating whether different cancer types release different odours, and whether this has an effect on the worms. They hope to have a commercial product ready by 2019. The idea would be that users send a urine sample to the company and get the results back the next day, says Hirotsu. “It’s very surprising that the nematodes exhibited such a strong binary response to ‘cancer’ versus ‘no cancer’ urine,” says Michael Phillips at Menssana Research, a New Jersey-based company developing diagnostic tests based on people’s breath. He says the complexity of the tumours and the environment in which the samples are collected can contribute to confusing results. “We ought to suspend judgement on the test until it has been replicated in other labs using very careful controls,” he says.
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The morgue at the Pima County Medical Examiner’s office in Tucson, Arizona
US bombs Tikrit to support Iran-backed Iraqi ground force Airstrikes raise questions about participating in campaign spearheaded by Iranian-backed militia
Identifying Mexico’s many dead along US the border Activists say harsh security measures have ‘funneled’ migrants into deadly routes with thousands perishing on the trek Tucson, United States - The stench of death and decay hung over the morgue at the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner where dozens of white body bags lay on metal trays on a warm February afternoon. “We have 90 unidentified remains at the facility right now,” Dr Greg Hess, the chief medical examiner, told Al Jazeera, pointing at body trays on the right side of the room. “Most of these people we believe to be undocumented border crossers.” About 100km from Hess’ office, thousands of migrants have tried to cross the US-Mexico border through the US state of Arizona, which cuts through the arid Sonoran desert where summer temperatures soar above 40°C. Many poorly equipped migrants, hiking for days on end, eventually succumb to the adverse conditions. Since
2001, the Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner has received more than 2,200 recovered remains of suspected migrants crossing the US-Mexico border. Dr Hess unzipped a body bag with an “Unknown” name tag to reveal the limited contents within. “Here, [this is] not uncommon. We have a skull and a little bit of property. What are the odds that we will identify this person in a very timely manner? Probably very small,” he said. In 2013, 168 migrant deaths were recorded in Pima County, and 95 of the bodies remain unidentified. The Medical Examiner’s Office routinely works with the Colibri Centre for Human Rights , an NGO that assists families to find remains of their loved ones who disappear at the borderlands. The Colibri Centre was established amid the increasing discovery of unidentified remains of border crossers since the early 2000s. In a tiny office, Chelsea Halstead, programme manager at the Colibri Centre, sifted through folders of missing persons’ reports. “People started calling here to try and find their loved ones who had died while crossing. They couldn’t call the police because there were language issues or jurisdictional issues, or because the person in question wasn’t an American citizen
U.S. raids in support of a ground offensive on the northern Iraqi city of Tikrit were underway Wednesday, a senior U.S. official said, after Washington gave the green light to airstrikes to assist Iranian-backed Iraqi forces attempting to wrest the city from fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). “These strikes are intended to destroy ISIL strongholds with precision, thereby saving innocent Iraqi lives while minimizing collateral damage to infrastructure,” said Lt. Gen. James Terry, commanding general of the U.S.-led operation. He added: “This will further enable Iraqi forces under Iraqi command to maneuver and defeat ISIL in the vicinity of Tikrit.” Prior to the airstrikes being confirmed, the Pentagon said the United States had started intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance flights over the besieged city. Washington and Baghdad had been discussing possible American raids for days in a bid to revive a push against the extremists that had seemingly stalled. But the prospect of U.S. airstrikes in Tikrit raises sensitive questions about participating in an Iraqi campaign that has been spearheaded by Iranian-backed Iraqi militias. Iran has provided artillery and other weaponry for the Tikrit battle, and senior Iranian advisers have helped Iraq coordinate the offensive. Iraq pointedly did not request U.S. air support when it launched the offensive in early March. Recently, the offensive has lost momentum. Col. Steve Warren, a Pentagon spokesman, said Wednesday the Iraqi forces have encircled Tikrit but not yet made significant inroads into the heavily defended city limits.
Bus crash on Peru’s main highway leaves dozens dead At least 36 killed and 84 injured after three buses and a truck collided on coastal highway in Huarmey province At least 36 people have been killed and more than 84 injured after three buses and a truck collided on Peru’s main coastal highway in the country’s southwest. Police chief General Jorge Flores said on Monday that the most seriously injured were transported on helicopter to Lima from the scene in Huarmey some 321km north of the capital. Police say a bus owned by the company Murga Serrano strayed into the oncoming lane and slammed head-on into the first of the other two buses. The truck then plowed into the wreckage. Survivors said it took emergency crews about three hours to reach the scene, according to local media reports. The government sent five medical specialists to Huarmey to help the small clinic there care for the injured. It was Peru’s deadliest road accident since October 2013, when 51 people were killed near Cuzco when an overloaded truck fell into a ravine.
Iran warns of ‘bloodshed’ as Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen’s Houthi rebels At least 18 people reported killed in Sanaa; Saudi official says a ground offensive may be needed to restore order Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes in Yemen on Thursday after announcing a broad regional coalition to oust Shia rebels who have forced the country’s embattled president to flee. Some of the raids hit positions in the country’s capital, Sanaa, and flattened a number of homes near the international airport — killing at least 18 civilians and wounding 24 others, according to Yemen’s health ministry.
Saudi Arabia’s regional rival Iran condemned the move, warning against “short-sighted games” by outside countries that would only lead to “bloodshed” and further loss of life. The Saudi airstrikes came hours after President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi, a close U.S. ally, fled Yemen by sea after rebels pushed their way toward the southern port city of Aden, where he had taken refuge. Saudi-owned Al-Arabiya News reported that the kingdom had deployed 100
fighter jets, 150,000 soldiers and other navy units in Operation Decisive Storm. A ground offensive may be needed to restore order in Yemen, a Saudi source familiar with defense matters said Thursday, hours after the kingdom began spearheading the airstrikes against Iranian-allied Houthis. Four Egyptian naval vessels have crossed the Suez Canal en route to Yemen to secure the Gulf of Aden, maritime sources at the Suez Canal said. The sources said they expected the vessels to reach the Red Sea by Thursday evening.
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THINK ABOUT IT UNFAIR TRIAL Belize Court of Appeal on Friday 20th March 2015. Seated at the Bench, their Lordships, Judges Morrison, Blackman and Awich. Seated at the Bar, Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Lynn Vidal, assisted by Crown Counsel Sabita Maharaj. Attorneys for the Appellant Norma Anderson, assisted by Bryan Neal. In the Prisoner’s Dock, Akeem Thurton, the Appellant who was convicted of Attempted Murder of a wealthy Belizean lawyer, who is also the law partner of the Prime Minister of Belize. In attendance as observers are Amandala Journalist Rowland Parks, BELIZE TIMES Editor Alberto Vellos and several freelance reporters. There is standing room only as many young attorneys are present to hear legal submissions. The major television stations are camped outside with their cameras. There must be something very important taking place in this tiny little but very big court in Belize. For the Director of Public Prosecutions it is her Good Friday. Her period to be scorned and nailed to a branchless tree. She had personally prosecuted; some would say persecuted Akeem Thurton. For it was Belize’s first trial without a jury. Akeem Thurton was like a guinea-pig. An insensitive government, in a moment of shame and frustration passed one of its many no-good and unjust laws taking away the time honored right to be tried by a jury for serious crimes. This was done in late 2011. It was done for the sole reason that the Police and by extension the D.P.P., who had been losing hundreds of murder and attempted murder cases in Belize, begin to look good. Foreign judges were improperly recruited and given two years employment in violation of the Constitution that judges should be independent and have security of tenure. This is like a political crime. The real problem is the failure of the government to improve the Police and specifically the Crimes Investigation Branch. There has been no increase in investigators. No training in investigation methods and techniques. No recruitment of a higher caliber of investigators with sixth form and university credentials. Three and a half years after the non-jury law, the Police and office of the D.P.P continue to watch accused murderers win their cases. But not Akeem Thurton. He had no jury, no lawyer and for a person who is semi-illiterate, he cut a lonely and forlorn figure in the dock as his fate was sealed. Justice Blackman, who barraged the D.P.P with questions, was through a whole afternoon, unimpressed with the responses. Justice Awich, usually reticent, showed concern. Justice Morrison, hero to all of Belize’s lawyers with his sharp brilliant mind, was cool, patient, amused but
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piercing with his questions. The D.P.P seemed, as the afternoon turned to evening, more like the accused, the defendant, the guilty party. From the questions of the Judges it appeared she had ambushed and then pummeled an illiterate young 18 year old who had no one to advise him. Speaking to the young lawyers who sat all day listening attentively to what the justice system has been reduced to, they are of the belief Akeem Thurton was a victim of an unfair trial, which as one female attorney put it is enshrined in our now tattered and disrespected constitution. A decision may come as early as this Friday, and Justice System will likely get a new chance to right a serious wrong. VIOLENCE IS COMING TO TOWN Over two years ago, a Judge by the name of Denis Hanomansingh came to town. No judge has stood up for the liberty and rights of persons like this Judge. Persons applying for bail, persons wrongly convicted by Magistrates; persons accused and at trial when there is little or no evidence have had their day of justice thanks to this judge. But wait ‘til he leaves Belize. Wait till persons start believing the system is stacked against them. Wait and pray that day does not come to town. LORD RHABURN Gerald Rhaburn is unquestionably the greatest Belizean song writer and entertainer our nation has ever produced. Back in the 1950s and 1960s he preferred a type of music coming out of the Caribbean called Calypso. As a young man, Gerald formed his own music band and called himself Lord Rhaburn. Therein a legend was born. Lord Rhaburn has written and performed so many hit songs and music classics that the list is so long to produce here. He has no equal in Belize. And it is only in Belize that the government can treat this great talent so shabbily. Lord Rhaburn should be given the official title of Music Ambassador and placed on a pension. Steven Okeke should be commissioned to create a sculpture of the Lord of Belizean music and entertainment. The best time to show appreciation and to give thanks and praises is when our brother is alive and well. To the Mighty Lord Rhaburn and his devoted wife: we cannot thank you enough, or praise you enough for all those wonderful years of listening to your songs, of dancing to your music and of jumping up behind your creations every September celebrations. UNCLEAN VOTERS LIST The Voters List of the country has not been revised for almost twenty years. There is no excuse not to do a re-registration exercise in order to
have a clean voters list. This way only a person who actually lives in an area would be able to vote in that area. Over the years dishonest and unscrupulous politicians have found ways to get their supporters to register in their constituency even though they live somewhere else. They do this by using the address of supporters who are in agreement and having persons registered there as if they live there. Or they pay persons to do this despicable matter. Some voter’s lists even have persons who do not live in Belize. These Belizean/Americans engage in this practice because they genuinely want to vote in our elections and or are paid to get a free ticket to come home and vote for a particular politician. These unacceptable practices subvert our democracy. The will of the voters living in an area is undermined by voters who do not live in the area. The law is very weak in dealing with this situation and needs to be strengthened. An Election and Boundaries official who recently had to appear in Court for some bogus voters said it is the voters who must report to the Election office that they no longer live at the address. This will rarely happen. Genuine voters who move may report. The majorities are unscrupulous and are undermining the system to get money or other benefits. A re-registration exercise is required. The country has the money needed to undertake a full revision of the voters list. The opposition needs to craft a strong call for a clean voters list. They should enlist the churches and NGOs. We do not expect the government to easily agree. They have become so corrupt and dishonest and have been manipulating the poor and desperate under-class to register where they do not live. No other than the Prime Minister’s constituency is one where this practice abounds. It is so disgusting in Queen’s Square that even abandoned yards with no houses have dozens and scores of voters. Our democratic process is more important than dishonest politicians. Clean up the voters list. NO MEDICINES Credible reports continue that several much needed medicines are no longer available at the Belize City hospital. At the Clinic for mentally challenged, the most widely used, Risperdal, has been unavailable for over a month. How can this be? It is true the government new budget shows they are operating on a deficit but the Prime Minister has personal control over millions of Petro Caribe monies. As we understand it Risperdal helps persons who hear voices, who wander the streets mumbling to themselves and search the garbage bins and beg or stay at home in a state of depression. How can we not have medicine for these unfortunate people, whose families are unable
2015
to buy medicines to help their loved ones? It is cruel. RICE Belizeans got another insight into how sloppy and incompetent the government behaves. A businessman went public on Monday to expose that from last year Belizeans could have been paying for less than they are for rice. The price being paid is around $1.25 per pound when rice could sell for 69 cents per pound. What’s going on? The reason we have government Ministers, Chief Executive Officers, Heads of Departments and dozens of public officers is to ensure Belizeans are protected against rapacious profiteers. Maybe UDP cronies are the ones benefitting at the public expense. This is so unfair. In fact the price of petrol has gone down all over the world since last July by fifty-two percent. In Belize the price of petrol has not gone down not near half that amount. Worse, the cost of living remains exactly where it was when petrol was sky high. Worthless government. EASTER The Easter period is like no other. March, April and May and parts of June when the weather is fine in Belize. Skies are blue, rivers are green, the sea is turquoise and the wind is breezy. Bougainvilla and Mayflower trees are blooming all over the land. Belize is part of the paradise on Earth. On the serious side of Easter, for Christians this period represents a time to get closer to God and closer to the soul. After 40 days of lent, Easter ends the period of fasting, minor self-sacrifice, reflection and prayers. Then comes Good Friday. This is a bad day for a good reason. Jesus was murdered in the evening of a Friday. He died a painful death hung up on a post or a cross. Two others were killed as part of the death penalty by the Romans who ruled over Israel at the time. One of the two who were on their own cross, probably with a slight creole DNA told Jesus mockingly-you deh round di place di help other people, help yourself now. Jesus did not bother to answer him. The greatness of Lent and Easter is that Jesus did not die because he was the Son of God. He rose from the grave to continue to inspire us to be better human beings. Love God and love each other was his message. If ever someone was alive and inspiring us today, two thousand years after being nailed to a cross, it is Jesus, the Christ. Another thing about Easter is the awesome hymns that are sung in most of the churches in Belize. No James Brown, Otis Redding, Jim Reeves, Lionel Ritchie, Puff Daddy, Lil Wayne, Junior Gang can match the majesty and beauty of hymns- “There is a Green Hill Far Away”, “Christ the Lord is Risen Today”.
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Gapi Out! Longsworth turned Lame Duck!
Gapi Vega
Herman Longsworth
The news that on Wednesday morning the UDP Leader Dean Barrow was himself naming a candidate for the Albert Division and that it wasn’t Herman Longsworth or Phillip Willoughby but his handpicked Mark Espat protégé, Tracey Taegar Panton, came as a shocker to most Belizeans To Albert Division voters, it was downright disrespectful. One must understand that moves like these made by Dean Barrow are his way of dealing with fires in his camp. Inside the UDP, it is strongly believed that Barrow will not be able to take the UDP into a third term. His medical condition is a strong factor. But moreseo, the health of the UDP is in a bad state – too much corruption and hustling is taking place and they know where that ship eventually goes. The only thing holding them together is the Petrocaribe money rolling through their Ministries and for some of them; even through their pockets. This strong belief that Barrow’s time will soon expire, has given the Indians hope that they will once be chief. Closest in line is the Deputy Chief, Gaspar Vega, who is the UDP’s wealthiest politician, aside from Sedi Elrington and the leader himself. Vega has been quietly placing his pieces on the board and in the Albert Division, he was backing Phillip Willoughby. Willoughby had gained tremendous ground against Longsworth after spending thousands of dollars with the help of sponsors and was on his way to becoming the next UDP standard bearer. Barrow’s decision on Wednesday to throw Willoughby under the bus is a direct message to Gapi that he will not be
Down Memory Lane
Continued from page 18 Back in the seventies children were well mannered. They knew how to say thank you, please, sorry, excuse me, good morning and good night. How things have changed. Nowadays, our children have no manners. They beg without saying please and don’t say thank you, when they receive. Words like sorry and excuse me are not in their vocabulary. And they never take time to bid you the time of the day. Let us go back to the old days. Belize would be a much better place.
Phillip Willoughby
outwitted by any of the Indians. Longsworth, who was for all sakes and purposes a lame duck representative, was given tremendous importance at the event and from all indications has been promised benefits in exchange for stepping down. When the PM was asked what those benefits were, he responded, “…if I told you, I would have to kill you”. For the PUP the move is good news. It means the UDP has been fretting about the Alberts. Clearly, they had no faith in Longsworth or Willoughby, and are now over-estimating the ability of a very unpopular bureaucrat who tremendously enjoys the perks of executive positions. She must be reminded by someone of the UDP’s track record with women. Ask Diane Haylocke or Anne Marie Williams or Marilyn Williams. The PUP Albert standard bearer Paul Thompson has stepped up his game, making it clear that the PUP’s plan is to win and that the people of Albert have a capable leader to serve them in him. The move by Barrow is also a clear indication that he is preparing for an early election. The PUP will be ready too!
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Regular gas prices increase by $1.15 Ministry of Finance admits price hike is due to “invoicing error”
Belize City, March 26, 2015 There is more proof that Belizeans are “getting the bukut” courtesy the incompetent Government. On Tuesday night this week the price of Regular gas shot up from $7.74 per gallon to $8.88, an increase of $1.15. Consumers were surprised that the increase took effect without notice to them and without any sort of reasoning. In fact, consumers understand that the prices are connected to the international market prices and they have remained alert by monitoring those prices which continue at their lowest points. But the very puzzling part is that the price was increased even though there was no new shipment of fuel into the country. In fact, while the increase took effect on Tuesday at midnight, the fuel tanker is not scheduled to arrive
until the end of the week. Consumers get no relief if it’s not election season apparently, and no defense when the scheming takes place in partnership with the Government. It is the Government that sets the price of fuel. It is they, then, who approved the increasing of fuel prices while no tanker was in town. And it is they who remain silent in the face of blatant price gouging at the gas pumps. In a late-attempt to explain what occurred, the Ministry of Finance issued a release on Thursday claiming that the sudden increase is “due to a correction of an invoicing error” made last week by the managers of fuel supply, Puma Energy Belize. The Ministry’s release said they did approve the price correction after obtaining independent verification, and offered a sheepish after-the-fact apology.
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