Belize Times May 22, 2016

SCAN HERE

The Belize Times

Established 1957

The Truth Shall Make You Free

22 MAY 2016 | ISSUE NO: 4994

www.belizetimes.bz | $1.00

ABDUCTED! PUP DEMANDS INVESTIGATION INTO KIDNAPPING OF BELIZEAN Belize City, May 18, 2016 Following a very serious report that Guatemalan military kidnapped two Mennonites working on a farm in Green Hills, Spanish Lookout, the People’s United Party has called for “immediate and decisive action from the proper and pertinent authorities”.

In a release issued on Tuesday, the PUP points out that “Five days have passed since this alleged incident and we have heard nothing from our Police and nothing from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs”.

Well, up to press time it has been six days and counting and there has been absolutely NO ACTION. The incident in question happened around 3:45pm on Thursday, May 12th in an area of Spanish Lookout known as

Roger Plett & Manuel Ayala

Pg. 3

Pg. 3

FACEY GUAT MINISTERS INVADE SARSTOON UDP CRABS IN A BUCKET Saldivar vs.

Faber Pt. 1 Pg. 23

Pg. 8 BNTU WALKS THE WALK!

Pg. 8

Violence in Ladyville Escalates

MORE Refugee Confusion Pg. 7

356 DAYS SINCE BARROW LOST THE SARSTOON

0 22

22 MAY

THE BELIZE TIMES

OPINION OUT Major Lloyd Jones proposes Counter Strategy to Guatemala’s offensive

!

Dear Editor, When the US power structure decided that they wanted to take out Sadam Hussein in Iraq they launched an unprecedented informational campaign against him. The US in particular told all the world that Sadam had weapons of mass destruction and as such he posed a clear and present danger to world peace. The US even went so far as to try to link Sadam’s Iraq to terrorism and the events of 911 when it was clear that there was a Saudi connection to those events.

After the informational campaign had swayed global public opinion, then came the diplomatic efforts to isolate Sadam. Once the diplomatic isolation was complete, then came the pain—the US led coalition invaded Iraq in March of 2003 and Sadam would face the gallows a few years later.

It must be clear by now that the Guatemalan strategy to reclaim Belize has been executed to perfection, so much so that it has already yielded them sovereignty over the Sarstoon without a single shot fired by Belize in her own defence.

The Guatemalans, as of late, have been using the elements of national power to great effect. Under President Morales we are seeing an increased use of information to steer regional, if not global, public opinion against Belize. This is an important development because through the crafty use of informa-

OUT

tion relating particular to border incidents sparked by the “eastward drift”, the Guatemalans have painted us as the belligerent neighbor.

Information is an important tool since a properly designed campaign can sway both public and political opinion in targeted countries from which support for Belize is most likely to come. If we examine the facts on the ground it is plain to see that the facts do not match the pronouncements by the Guatemalans but whether by accident or design, the Government of Belize has not been nimble enough to effectively counter the Guatemalans.

The Guatemalans have used the recent justifiable shootings in the Chiquibul to seize the PR initiative and influence regional, if not global, public opinion. Now that Belize has been made to be the hostile, murderous and provocative neighbor, the Guatemalans have crafted their diplomatic campaign to make Belize’s isolation complete by limiting its strategic option to ONLY the ICJ. Today even our so called “friends” are saying that the ICJ is the only way to go: the US, the UK, Europe, the Commonwealth and even CARICOM are all harping the ICJ nonsense.

They prescribe for us a medicine that they themselves would never take!

We must be mindful that if global public opinion is sufficiently maneuvered against Belize and we refuse the ICJ option, it would make Guatemala better able to get away with its often threatened prescription of pain.

Of the five elements of national power (diplomatic, informational, military, economic and technological) only three can bring real pain: the latter three. The first two are merely pathways. Guatemala does not yet have the capacity to bring us any real economic pain given the significant trade imbalance (in their favour) and the likely political push back that would arise from this option. Neither does it have the technological prowess to cause us any real technological pain by way of “cyber attacks”. The military option, therefore, remains the only available pathway to pain.

The loss of the Sarstoon is a fiat acompli but Belize must move quickContinued on page 14

WEATHER

LOCAL 19 May

20 May

21 May

22 May

Authoritarian UDP Government

!

Dear Belizeans, On Tuesday morning I had breakfast with two of my best friends. During our conversation we discussed the ICJ, the Guatemala/Belize border issues, the news regarding the bulldozer allegedly temporarily seized by Guatemalan military and other local politics. I mentioned that I was to investigate a complaint from my constituents regarding the lands department in which applicants are requested to have a recommendation from John August who is supposedly the UDP/ government political officer and not one from me who is the elected representative.

As promised, I arrived at about 11 a.m. at the lands department office. I asked to see one Mr. Manzanero. I was directed to his office.

He was attending to a client so I waited my turn outside his office.

When the person left, I went in and said ‘good morning.” I was pleasantly surprised with a “have you spoken to the secretary outside”? I said “No”. I told him I came to see him. He responded saying that he does not attend to the public on Tuesdays and that he was only doing the other person a favor. So I introduced myself as the area Representative for Cayo Northeast and that I was investigating whether or not it was true that he was asking my constituents for a recommendation from John August. His answer was affirmative. So, I asked whether those were his instructions or instructions from Belmopan. He responded saying those were instructions coming from Belmopan.

It was then that I told him that he should not have a problem if I recorded what he said especially since he was only following instructions.

He told me I did not need to record it but continued saying that those were instructions given to him from Belmopan.

Similarly, I have written the ofContinued on page 23

2623Mar May

2016

OUT Stand your ground BDF!

!

Dear Editor, When I watched last week’s video of the BDF encounter with the Guatemalan military, I was disappointed, hurt and embarrassed; in fact, words cannot begin to express how I felt when I saw the Guatemalan soldiers telling our BDF they can’t go up the Sarstoon.

Maybe we can’t fight the Guatemalan army and nobody is suggesting war. But our BDF, sworn defenders of Belize, should have held their ground.

For if we cannot depend on the BDF to stand their ground, then who can we depend on? You just don’t pick up and run away. Stay. Stand your ground until reinforcements come.

I believe that for now we need to send Wil and Rufus down there to show our boys you don’t have to be belligerent or provocative, but stand your ground. If we don’t do so, we will lose our country.

The Ministry of National Security needs to step up. Give the BDF support. Send Commander John Borland with the Coast Guard and their real boats. Give our men in uniform a real chance to stand their ground for us.

Signed.

L. Jones BDF SCAN HERE

The Belize Times

Established 1957

14 APR 2013

|

ISSUE NO: 4840

The Truth Shall Make You Free

www.belizetimes.bz

|

$1.00

serving Belize since 1957 as the longest continuous newspaper.

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22 MAY

2016

THE BELIZE TIMES

ABDUCTED! Continued from page 1 Green Hills, on a farm which lies immediately on the border with Guatemala.

Belizean Roger Plett told Police that he was on a tractor carrying out fire duty when he was approached by Guatemalan military and civilians who beat on his Ford tractor with machetes. He was then marched over into Guatemalan territory and tied up. His only form of communication, his cellular phone, was taken away.

Plett further told San Ignacio Police that it was only when he told his captors that he was a Canadian citizen and only visiting Belize that the situation changed and he was later allowed to return to Belize on his tractor which had been badly damaged by the Guatemalans.

While Plett was detained by the Guatemalans, a bulldozer on the farm being driven by Mennonite Rudy Friesen was also seized by the Guatemalans and put to work on the Guatemalan side clearing brush to fight a fire.

Friesen, says Plett, was able to escape by claiming that the Caterpillar bulldozer needed fuel, and while being escorted by military to get that fuel from the farm on Belizean soil, he drove

through a fire and the soldiers could not follow him.

The incident was reported to Police on Friday, and instead of going to investigate the accused Guatemalans, the Police detained the Belizean supervisor of the farm, Manuel Ayala, who was one of the men accompanying Plett to provide statements. Plett told the media in a conference on Monday that it was obvious that the Police, accompanied by an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, were not interested in hearing their story and seemed to want to sweep the matter under the rug.

The Police even changed the statements provided by the Plett that they came under assault from Guatemalan military, to Guatemalan peasants. Plett said he told the Police that they acted as cowards.

The San Ignacio Police has since referred all queries from the media to the Commissioner of Police, who has admitted in the past that he has no radio or tv to keep track of the news. He has remained silent, similar to the posture he took following the murder of Danny Conorquie in September 2014.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has stated that it cannot act until it has re-

ceived a report from the Police.

Police sources, on the other hand, have told the BELIZE TIMES that they cannot act, or even process the scene, without a go-ahead from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In its release the PUP denounces this inaction, and calls on “the Government and all its pertinent bodies to investigate the allegation of kidnapping of a Belizean,

by Guatemalans on Belizean soil, and to take all necessary diplomatic actions to follow investigation”.

This is not the first time Guatemalan military is accused of kidnapping Belizeans. Since last year, there have been at least two other reports of these acts, including the March 2015 abduction of the Belize Territorial Volunteers and a boatful of Belizeans who travelled up Sarstoon River, and the June 2015 forced detention of five Belizeans Ray Martinez, Ashton Mckenzie, Rafael Cus, Rutilio Cal and Michel Romero who had travelled to Santa Cruz Village. In neither of the those incidents did the Government condemn the actions of the Guatemalan military.

03 3 FACEY GUAT MINISTERS INVADE SARSTOON Belize City, May 18, 2016 While Prime Minister Dean Barrow has stopped Belizeans from going to Sarstoon River with an old colonial law, Statutory Instrument 42, the Guatemalan military and even senior Government officials of the Jimmy Morales administration have considered it “open season” as they continue to assert their claim over the entire Sarstoon River.

Over the weekend, the Guatemalan Government’s media channels posted photos of a high-level delegation of Government officials including Foreign Affairs Minister Carlos Raul Morales, Defense Minister Williams Mansilla on tour of the Sarstoon area.

Another set of photos show Morales, the recalled Guatemalan Ambassador to Belize Manuel Estuardo Roldan, and Organisation of American States representative Magdalena Talamas, visiting communities along the border in Guatemala.

The photos of the Guat officials in the Sarstoon are the more incendiary ones. While Belizeans have been blocked by our own Government from Belizean territory, the Government does nothing about the Guatemalans who are invading Belizean territory to prop up their international campaign against Belize.

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22 MAY

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

HARD KNOCKS Speaking of hard knocks somebody fell and hit his head lately. We won’t call any names (Sedi) because we wouldn’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings (SEDI). So there’s this unnamed fellow (Sedi) who decides that you know what, he is so gosh-darned brilliant that the media shouldn’t even question him. I mean, what the hell is up with you guys in the media? Rambunctious impertinent crew that you are, dagnabbit! So this anonymous person (SEDI) says that the motley media crew is compromised. He says that the media is doing a disservice to society. He says that the media shouldn’t really try to understand stuff cause y’all is just a bunch of bozos. What you should do is just get releases from this brilliant government and just reproduce it. GET IT? REPRODUCE IT. In the words of that unidentified, unnamed thespian (SEDI) “we have the matter under control. You take it from me, we have the matters under control.”

Okay boss!

Talking Turkeys…

I’m sorry, we didn’t mean talking turkeys, as in referring to that astute and erudite fellow Mr. Wilfred and his close friend Carlos Raul. We meant talks in Turkey, as in Istanbul. You see the difference, right? We can understand why you’d make that mistake though. So the talks about the Sarstoon protocols – remember that river we used to say we owned a half of – will be done in this far off country – nothing wrong with that.

We are told it’s because it’s a level playing field, impartial ground. Guess we couldn’t find anywhere closer. But here’s the thing. Will the OAS be at these talks in Istanbul? That’s a million dollar question. We don’t believe they will be, since a release from the government says that if talks break down (very likely) then the crew will head to OAS headquarters in Washington to meet again. This isn’t a good feeling. See, my minister is brilliant and everything, but he likes to make stupid statements, like that time he told Carlos Raul that only birds and animals should go on Sarstoon Island…BAM, we lost it. Scary stuff.

Holy Kidnapped Mennonites, Batman…

So the Guatemalans decide…oh, let’s just go over onto this farm on the Belizean side, grab this Mennonite man and take him over to Guatemala. Let’s tie him up and awww hell, just for kicks let’s break up his tractor. Then let’s go back over to the Belize side and take his bulldozer too, with driver. Holy crap! That’s where we’ve come. That’s what we’ve become.

And then his eminence the mostest intelligentest Minister Sedi says don’t panic – we’ve got this all under control.

We know what we’re doing. Feel safe my people – we got yu back. My word, I feel a conniption fit coming on. Our people were kidnapped by Guatemalans, people. And now our Ministry of Foreign Affairs seems to want us to believe their version of events – let’s see – yeah, these pesky Mennonites walked over to the Guatemalan side… yeah yeah! And then this little one Roger he tied up himself while the Guatemalans stood around all confused, wondering what he was doing. And then… oh, oh…he started breaking up his own tractor, kicking it to pieces with his legs since he’d tied up his own arms. How can you think we’d ever blame those poor Guatemalan dudes for something like that? Come on now. They were trying to help, standing around with guns in case this crazy Mennonite was attacked by a snake or something. If you’d leave this up to that CEO guy Larry something or the other, they’d probably want to give the Guatemalans awards for being good citizens. Lord help us!

Let’s Party….

It’s official. Let’s haul out the party hats and whistle thingies…what’s that godawful thing called, the vuvuzelas. Let’s break out the champagne and beer – hell, let’s do it all top shelf. What’s the celebration about you ask? Why, you heathen, it’s crystal clear. It’s the arbitration award, stupid. We only have to pay that Barrow demon/Barrow best buddy Ashcroft about $260 MILLION, give or take.

You know what, just because we like his yacht and he allowed Kim to throw a party there, let’s throw in another $25M. No, no, we’re not crazy. The Prime Minister is celebrating. When asked about the award he said (AND WE QUOTE) – “I have to consider it a victory for the government and people of Belize.”

People celebrate victories right? Thank the Lord for Mr. Barrow, or is that… the Lord is thankful for Mr. Barrow – something like that. We like it!

General Notice Fifth Road (Phillip S.W. Goldson Highway Upgrading) Project With the assistance of its funding partner, the Caribbean Development Bank, the Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Works, is actively executing the Phillip Goldson Highway Upgrading Project, which seeks to improve the highway between Buttonwood Bay Boulevard Roundabout and the Airport Road Junction for all road users.

Improvements include widening of the roadway, construction of concrete road medians, curbs and box drains, rehabilitation of the structural pavement, and resurfacing using double bituminous chipseal. Other works include improvement of road lighting, installation of new road furniture (painted lines, reflectors, signs), and construction of pedestrian friendly road features. To achieve this, the Ministry of Works intends to make full use of the existing road reserve. BEL and other utility companies have already begun to prepare for the construction scheme by relocating their infrastructure to an allocated corridor near to private property boundaries.

The Ministry is currently in the process of procuring the construction contractor for the road segment between Buttonwood Bay Boulevard and the Haulover Bridge, through an international competitive selection process, which will conclude shortly. It is anticipated that works on the ground may commence within 3 months, with an expected duration of 18 months.

By way of this medium, the Ministry of Works notifies all adjacent residents that they may expect some measure of inconvenience during the construction period. In order to construct roadside drains and make use of the entire road reserve, existing temporary signs, vegetation and driveway slabs will be removed. Provisions will be made for access to each individual property while construction activity is ongoing. Be reminded, that on road parking may be severely limited, especially during daytime hours.

Kindly take time to secure any personal belongings that may currently be temporarily stored on the road reserve so that they are not affected by the works.

The Chief Engineer Ministry of Works Belmopan, BELIZE

22 MAY

5 05

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

EDITORIAL

T

Get back Sarstoon!

he Barrow Administration, with Foreign Minister Sedi Elrington leading the charge, is intent on perpetuating what has come to be a diplomatic fraud, i.e. negotiating some kind of new “protocol” over the use of the Sarstoon with Guatemala.

How can Sedi Elrington tell the Belizean people that he “has things under control” when we can all see the evidence of Guatemala’s invasion of Belize’s territory of the Sarstoon River? How can we be expected to trust Sedi Elrington when it is he who has sufficiently empowered the Guatemalans into believing that we are “friends”, even as they bully and beat down on us and have carefully executed the annexation of the Sarstoon River?

The truth of the matter is that the United Democratic Party Government of Prime Minister Dean Oliver Barrow has no legitimate authority to “negotiate” where Belize’s border sits on the Sarstoon River. To do this without the Belizean people’s knowledge and consent is treacherous and traitorous. Our borders are non-negotiable. It is an established reality since September 21, 1981, and historically as far back as the 1850s when England secured the border separating British Honduras and Guatemala.

Can you imagine the audacity of Dean Barrow to pass into law a Statutory Instrument to ban Belizeans from going to the Sarstoon River until the government negotiates “protocols” with Guatemala? While Dean Barrow and his spineless Foreign Minister were busy with the millions and millions of Petrocaribe monies to win an “unprecedented third term” the Guatemalans were preparing to annex our side of the Sarstoon River. The dastardly deed is now done. Only the Guatemalan Armed Forces and

Guatemalan fisher folks are allowed on the river, until the “Protocols” for the Sarstoon River is worked out. The effect of the Statutory Instrument has been to conceal the craziness going on in the Sarstoon from the Belizean media and the public. The S.I. while prohibiting anyone without lawful authority from the Sarstoon area, is not applied to illegal incursions from Guatemala. Not even the BDF can go on the river without Guatemala’s expressed permission, a video of another clash between our security and Guatemala’s confirmed this.

When will Dean Barrow and his UDP government stop the “talking” about sovereignty and begin to exercise it sensibly in the diplomatic arena?

Why do we continue to limit the international mediation to the Organisation of American States? Despite the actions of Guatemala, at times witnessed by representatives of the OAS, that US-supported body is yet to bring pressure on Guatemala to respect our territorial integrity.

Senior military officials who have served with pride to ensure that Guatemala respects our borders have shared with us at the BELIZE TIMES that the Sarstoon is fully gone and Guatemala will now slowly move to annex more Belizean territory. With a weak and compromised Government such as the one we have today, this threat is very real and cannot be overlooked.

As Sedi meets with his Guatemalan “friend” and counterpart, Carlos Raul Morales, this Saturday we implore that he has one thing in mind: get back Sarstoon River and tell Guatemala to respect our borders. We don’t care how you do it; just get back our river that you lost because of your weak diplomacy and appeasement to the Guatemalans. Anything less is not acceptable.

Our Foreign Affairs in Shambles

By Richard Harrison Belize is currently facing its greatest foreign affairs challenge in its 35-year history as an independent nation.

Its neighbor, Guatemala, continued to claim part, half or all of Belize, depending on what period and who was in power.

During the recent elections held last November in Guatemala, elected president Jimmy Morales promised that taking Belize would be one of the principal objectives of his government.

During the last six months

since his election, he has directed his military to increase its aggression in the border areas, to enter Belize territory at the Sarstoon River and to take complete control of Sarstoon Island, which is at the mouth of the Sarstoon River, and which was always known and respected as Belize territory.

He has used every opportunity, including the recent unfortunate killing by the Belize Defense Force of a Guatemalan teen who entered Belize territory illegally, to spin rhetoric to give “justice” to his cause....while totally ignoring the fact that Belizeans have been killed by illegal Guatemalans in

Belize territory as well.

Belize does not claim any part of Guatemala....Belizeans do not enter into Guatemala illegally to use their land, harvest their natural resources nor to kill their people....and the Belize Defence Force does not enter willfully into Guatemalan territory.

Yet....political observers worry that Belize does not currently enjoy the international sympathy it once had in support of its independence and territorial integrity. There is a feeling that Guatemala has a much more organized and effective public relations and international relations

campaign.

There are reasons for this: 1. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs does not have a set of concise and precise OBJECTIVES that are clearly and regularly updated and articulated to a coordinated national and international effort. Every person and office is paddling their own canoe, having developed turfs that are closely guarded. To a significant extent, the “think tank” that guides foreign affairs does not exist except during emergencies, and generally follows the unilateral political Continued on page 14

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THE GEMS OF GRADUATION SEASON 2016 PT 1 Featuring Sadie Vernon Technical High, Ladyville Technical High, Canaan SDA High, Edward P. Yorke High and Maud Williams High By: Alton F. Humes (Freelance Reporter) BELIZE CITY, Tuesday, May 17th, 2016 It’s another school year coming down to the wire, and another class of eager and spirited faces and bodies ready and charged to go out and face the world. And it is in that frame of spirit that the BELIZE TIMES, for a third straight year, spotlights the best and brightest of the High School Graduating Class of 2016.

Our coverage this year kicks off with Sadie Vernon Technical High School, on Partridge Street. While school officials were unable to officially confirm at press time just how many will be marching up, the ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, June 2nd, 2016 at the Central Assembly of God Church on Freetown Road, beginning at 6:00 p.m.

Leading this class of 4H1, the school’s only 4th form, will be 17-year-old Mr. Byron Lopez (Valedictorian), 18-year-old Mr. Terrence Usher (Salutatorian) and 18-year-old Miss Anisha Gotoy (3rd Place).

All three graduates are from the Southside of Belize City (Lopez and Gotoy from the Lake Independence area, Usher from Glenn Street). While their family lives are mostly stable (only Lopez comes from a single-parent home), their 4 years at Sadie Vernon High were anything but.

Lopez, a noted football enthusiast, admitted that his 4 years were devoid of a chance to be a part of any sporting competitions in lieu of focusing solely on his studies. For Usher, a transfer student from Wesley College (he transferred at the start of 3rd Form), it was a positive change of pace, as he was better able to manage his studies and work at Sadie Vernon. Gotoy said that it was her English lessons that were most ‘complicated’, admit-

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THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

to go to 6th Form with no official career plans on tap as of yet, says he is grateful for the time he spent at Sadie Vernon High, and thanks his classmates for having fun together as well as for always supporting each other.

His valedictorian colleague Lopez, who will be taking a similar route to study Business, concurs and advises to “work hard, have a mind that excels as far as possible… Dedication is the key to success”. Ms. Gotoy, who plans to study Nursing at

SADIE VERNON TECHNICAL HIGH

Salutatorian, Terrence Usher

Valedictorian, Byron Lopez

3rd place, Anisha Gotoy

LADYVILLE TECHNICAL HIGH

Valedictorian, Danielson Correa

Salutatorian, Kaison Ortiz

3rd place, Dale Montero

CANAAN SDA HIGH

Valedictorian, Mariah Murillo

Salutatorian, Jacklin Vasquez

ting that her teacher used different methods to teach and “graded me very hard”.

But what got them through was the “village” of supporters who got them over the ever-morphing ‘hump’. In addition to their respective families, Usher additionally points to school counsellor Mr. Samson

Jacobs, who he referred to as a “lifesaver” who kept him from giving more trouble than he was already known for, and two more critical figures, Ms. Kelly and Mrs. Jules, who he says “motivated me to go back to school” when he was close to dropping out entirely.

Usher, who plans

3rd place, Gabriel Tun the University of Belize, advises upcoming students to continue “[to] work hard; and stop back-answering and disrespecting the teachers. They know better and know more than you do”.

Moving into the Belize District, Ladyville Technical High School in Ladyville will graduate

64 students on Saturday, June 4th at the Ramada Princess Hotel on Newtown Barracks in Belize City, beginning at 3:00 p.m. 34 females and 32 males will be marching up, and leading their ranks are: Mr. Danielson Correa (Valedictorian), Mr. Kaison Ortiz (Salutatorian) and Mr. Dale Montero (3rd Place).

Going back to Belize City, Northside mainstay Edward P. Yorke High School will be graduating its largest class yet - 142 students. The ceremony is scheduled for Sunday, June 5th at the Ramada Princess Hotel on Newtown Barracks in Belize City, beginning at 3:00 p.m. Leading that class are: 16-year-old Valedictorian Mr. Glevaughn Smith [of Class 4-Industrial Studies (IS), with a Grade Average of 91.148%], 17-year-old Ms. Irene Flores [of Class 4-Science, with a Grade Average of 91.102%], and 3rd Place, giving the Vote of Thanks, 17-year-old Ms. Guadalupe Miranda [also of 4IS]. They were interviewed on Friday, May 13th, in the midst of their hectic schedules at the school’s Princess Margaret Drive campus.

Smith came to Belize with his parents and little brother from the island nation of Jamaica. The Belize-bred Flores and Miranda have their roots much closer. Flores is from the Caribbean Shores constituency, and Miranda lives on Central American Boulevard, but very disparate nonetheless. Flores lives with her parents and 2 younger brothers, while Miranda only has her 28-year-old sister to depend on since her mother is deceased, and her father is in-and-out of her life.

Add to the above the experiences heading into and going through high school, and the picture gets that much more complicated. Smith, who entered Edward P. Yorke High from the prestigious primary school institution Belize Elementary School, said his peers “felt I was far off from reality”. For Miranda, she felt somewhat ostracized during her years because she came from Queen’s Square Anglican Primary School. Flores said her ‘short’ stature made people, particularly her peers, “not take me seriously” but it was a challenge she overcame with her towering enthusiasm to study.

Similarly to Sadie Vernon students, it was the efforts of the community of friends and supporters that kept these students together. Smith points to his parents as his chief cheerleaders, despite their strict monitoring and “always push me to do my best.”

For Flores, in addition to her parents, it was her English Language and English Literature teacher, Mr. Nicholson, who always asked about her grades and who kept her in and ahead of the game. And Ms. Miranda can now certainly thank her older sister, who was “always there” for her.

And with 16 CXCs on his plate, and an eye on becoming an Engineer one day, Smith phrases his Continued on page 20

22 MAY

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

07 7

MORE Refugee Confusion MAJOR LLOYD JONES Cabinet Rejects earlier GOB release Elected Eastern Caucus Chairman & Immigration Minister’s Comments on Refugee Program

Secretary General Linsford Castillo, Deputy Leader Hon. Kareem Musa, Major Lloyd Jones, Danny Madrid, Chairman Henry Usher and Micah Goodin Belize City, May 13, 2016 Major Lloyd Jones, a retired military commander, was elected to lead the Eastern Caucus of the People’s United Party following elections on Wednesday May 11, 2016.

Major Jones and Gilroy Usher Sr. accepted nominations for the post but the majority of the delegates at the Caucus meeting supported Jones.

Major Lloyd Jones and Gilroy Usher Sr. Usher Sr. was thanked for offering himself and was encour- PUP and will be an asset to reoraged to continue his efforts in the ganising of the Eastern Caucus.

Party.

Also elected unanimously to The Major has a stellar record, serve in the Executive of the Eastboth in military and professional ern Caucus were Vice President service, which is an asset to the Danny Madrid, Treasurer Albert

Northern Caucus

Alberto Dominguez, Councillor Josue Carballo, Ivan Valencia and Thea Garcia

Western Caucus

Belize City, May 17, 2016 The Barrow Administration has cast a cloud of confusion and cynicism on itself for a refugee program it is part and parcel of.

On Wednesday, after two weeks of a media outcry over a completely secret Refugee Program which has allegedly been underway since late last year or early this year, Cabinet spoke on the matter in an official release. But instead of providing clear answers, the release has only helped to muddy the waters over what is really going on.

The Cabinet release contradicts every other official position taken by the Government on the issue, as if attempting to cover up something.

In the release, Cabinet, the country’s top policy-making body decided that “there exist NO formal, nor legal, agreement between the Government of Belize and the NGO, Help for Progress that authorizes Help for Progress personnel accepting application for refugees status in Belize, and to further conduct interviews and determine which applicant has a legitimate case or not.”

But that is not what the Barrow-appointed Minister of Immigration Beverly Castillo said in media interviews on May 6th. In that interview, Castillo indicated that Help for Progress and her Ministry are working hand in hand. She said, “The Help for Progress office is processing refugees that currently reside in Belize and are seeking refugee status. The Protection Transfer brings those people at risk from our neighboring countries through Belize and further transfer to the U.S. The refugees are moving into the Help for Progress office, looking at the application forms and filling them out. There is a next process to that…that is to review and to determine whether they would qualify as refugees.”

Following Castillo’s slip ups, a Government of Belize release issued by the Press Office on May 10th later clarified that “Help for Progress…has the responsibility to receive applications from potential asylum seekers and conduct an initial interview. Those applicants who meet the criteria for refugee status are referred to the Immigration Department…”

But today, the Government suddenly has a different position on Help for Progress. All of a sudden, they are disassociating themselves from the organization.

The Cabinet has declared no entity other than their Refugee Eligibility Committee is empowered to determine whether refugee applicants have a legitimate case.

“Any entity other than the duly authorized Refugee Eligibility Committee involved in processing applications for refugee status considerations should cease and desist from such activity,” stated the release.

No one knows why Cabinet has made such a u-turn. But what we do know is that every week hundreds of immigrants have been lining up at the Non-Governmental Organisation, Help for Progress, located in the City of Belmopan. There they would fill out their applications for refugee status which would then be presented to the Immigration Department. Interestingly, nobody in that Department could definitively state how many applications had been reviewed, or approved.

Additionally, there was little information about the criteria for refugee status, since many of the immigrants applying for that status had been living undocumented in Belize for many years. Sources within the Immigration Department claimed that persons applying for the status were being granted special legal status for up to one year, without screening or vetting.

Come clean GOB! What is this Refugee business really all about?

1st Zika Case Confirmed Western Caucus Chair Michel Chebat along with executive members of Western Caucus

Southern Caucus Vaughan and Secretary Micah Goodin.

Major Jones joins new leaders from other Caucuses including Thea Garcia (Chairlady, Northern Caucus), Michel Chebat (Chairman, Western Caucus) and Oscar Requena (Southern Caucus).

Hon. Oscar Requena

Belize City, Wednesday, May 18, 2016 Earlier this week, worst fears were realized when the Ministry of Health confirmed that the first case of ZIKA in Belize. According to health officials, they have been awaiting the results of seven samples sent to the Caribbean Public Health Agency, CARPHA, and late last week there was confirmation from the lab in Trinidad.

Director of Health Services Dr. Marvin Manzanero has verified that the test sample was extracted from a Belizean in Belize City, and as is done in the case of other vector-borne diseases, the Ministry is conducting an intensive mapping exercise to contain any potential of an outbreak. According to Manzanero, “as soon as that information was shared with us an investigation was launched by the epidemiology team from headquarters, supported by the team from the Central Health Region”.

Manzanero also claims that at least for now, pending the return of the other samples sent, this is an isolated case. He told the media that “we haven’t been able to link any other case. I can’t tell you that we have had any other potential cases. That’s all we have for right now. We still have not been able to ascertain how and where the patient got the virus”.

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22 MAY

THE BELIZE TIMES

BNTU WALKS THE WALK! Belize City, May 14, 2016 Unofficial Police sources have reported to the BELIZE TIMES that the Belize National Teacher’s Union march against the Sarstoon Law held on Friday, May 13, had the participation of some 2,500 supporters. Government sources and UDP organs like 7News would claim that the numbers were far less. But the BNTU must not pay attention to the noise. They must stand tall and proud.

The BNTU, which joined the Opposition and other groups in calling on the Barrow Administration to rescind the Statutory Instrument which impedes Belizeans from travelling to the Sarstoon River, flexed to show just a sample of its might when it flooded the city streets with its members who stood in support of their Union’s position.

BNTU branches countrywide gathered supporters and travelled in buses to the old capital for the demonstration.

In support of the BNTU, the Opposition People’s United Party whose leader Hon. John Briceno, National Deputy Leader Hon. Cordel Hyde, Deputy Leaders Hon. Abe-

lardo Mai, Hon. Kareem Musa, Hon. Rodwell Ferguson and Hon. Julius Espat all turned out with a crowd of nationalists as well.

The large demonstration moved from the Constitution Park to the downtown area then east towards BTL Park, where they gathered to listen to speakers that included BNTU National President Luke Palacio, National Trade Union Congress President Marvin Mora, Christian Workers Union President Audrey Matura-Shepherd, Senator Elena Smith, Krem Radio’s Mose Hyde and Belize Territorial Volunteers leader Wil Maheia.

The BNTU will remain committed to their goal of standing up for Belize. Next on their agenda is a series of sensitization forums for teachers to discuss the ICJ proposal. These will begin on May 18th in Corozal Town, May 24th in Orange Walk, May 25th in Stann Creek at the Ecumenical Auditorium, May 26th in Toledo at the Father Ring Parish Hall, May 31st in Belmopan at the George Price Center, June 1st at the Sacred Heart Auditorium and June 2nd and 3rd in the Belize District.

Violence in Ladyville Escalates

Belize City, Wednesday, May 18, 2016 Two suspects being sought by Police for their connection in Friday night’s shootout and murder in Ladyville turned themselves in on Tuesday afternoon. Egbert Baldwin, 28, and Darwin Prado, 19, will be charged for the attempted murder of Lyndon Gillett, Terence Flowers and Casey Lozano. The three were wounded by gunfire in an attack this past weekend.

Ladyville Police have been busy trying to put together the pieces of this violent puzzle. At around midnight Friday Gillett, Lozano and Flowers were apparently socializing around a picnic table in Lozano’s yard on Marage Road. Authorities believe that two men, suspected to be Baldwin and Prado, came from the rear of the yard with the intent to ambush the three men around the table. Preliminary indications are that Lionel Rhamdas, 21, approached the trio from the front of the home to complete the ambush.

According to Police, there are two

possible angles to the story which ended with Rhamdas lying dead on the pavement on Marage Road with a gun in his hand. He was either shot by one of the persons under attack returning fire, or shot by accident by one of his two likely accomplices, Baldwin or Prado.

A Ladyville Police mobile was only about 500 feet away from the scene when it observed the wounded Casey Lozano and Terence Flowers running in their direction, with persons believed to be Baldwin and Prado in hot pursuit. When the two gunmen spotted Police they escaped into the bushes at the side of the road.

So while the two men will be charged for attempted murder, no charges have yet been levied for the murder of Lionel Rhamdas, pending the results of ballistics testing.

This latest attack is believed to be an ongoing attempt at retaliation, with Lozano the target, for the murder of Rene “Fat Cat” Chavarria in March, 2016.

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Contact 636-6245 for serious inquiries.

2016

PITHOULAS INVESTMENTS LIMITED #69,886 (“the Company”) Pursuant to Section 102 (4) of the International Business Companies Act, Chapter 270 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, notice is hereby given that PITHOULAS INVESTMENTS LIMITED:

a) is in dissolution b) commenced dissolution on the 13th day of May, 2016; and c) Andrei Kruglov whose address is 12 Schukinskaya, Flat 42, Moscow, Russia, is the Liquidator of the Company.

Cititrust International Limited Registered Agent

1 NOV 22 MAY

2015 2016

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10 SPORTS

THE BELIZE TIMES TIMES THE BELIZE

Jonathan Perera vs Fort George

Eiley FC bombs West Lake 5-2 in 1st Division Football

City Boys, Bombers & Rising Stars win Mundialito matches

Marlon Gutierrez scored FC Elite 1st & 2nd goals

Belize City, May 15, 2016 Eiley FC defeated West Lake 5-2 for their first win on Saturday as Week 2 of the Belize District Football Association’s 1st Division competition continued at the MCC Garden. Brian Martinez scored the

1st goal and Kevin Rowland added a 2nd goal. Trayvon Martinez and Devaugn Zuniga scored for West Lake. Jason Young, Dalton “Chicken” Cayetano and Kevin Alvarez scored 3 more goals for Eiley FC to win.

On Sunday, FC Elite bombed the Lake Independence Strikers 2-1. Marlon Gutierrez scored a penalty in the 28th minute and added a 2nd goal in the 32nd minute. Kadeem Myers scored a consolation goal for Lake I in the 58th minute.

The Stars Academy bombed Fort George United 3-1 after Henry “Pulu” Gillett scored on a corner kick in the 6th minute of play. Steven “Bredds” Baizar equalized for Stars Academy in the 18th minute, while Shemar “Mini” Thompson scored the 2nd goal in the 73rd minute and a 3rd goal in the 85th minute for the 3-1 win.

8 MAY 22 MAY

2016

Steven Baizar scored Stars’ 1st goal

Ladyville Rising Stars attacks

Belize City, May 14, 2016 The defending champs City Boys, Brown Bombers and Ladyville Rising Stars posted big wins in Week 5 of the 2016 SMART Mundialito at the MCC garden last Saturday.

Results: Hattieville Riverside Boys vs. Reality Youth - 1-1 Goals by Tyrique Solis, Jaheed Baptist Brown Bombers vs. Heights FC - 2-0 Goals by Keyden Shay Bowen, Jaylen Whyte Young Warriors vs. Ladyville Jaguars – 0-0 Ladyville Rising Stars vs. Face of Belize - 1-0 Goal by Adrian Armstrong City Boys vs. Carlston FC - 1-0 Goal by Rasheed Lord

Taye Parkinson

Latrell Solis

Amiri Hoare

Taye Parkinson, Latrell Solis & Amiri Hoare win at SMART Junior table tennis

8 MAY 22 MAY

SPORTS 11

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

Team Belize ready for Central American championships

Martin Flowers wins long jump

Belize City, May 14, 2016 The Belize amateur Athletic Association held open tryouts at the Marion Jones Sports Complex last Saturday to select the team which will represent Belize at the Central American championships in El Salvador next month.

100m 1st BHS’ Faith Morris - 12.59 secs 2nd Maud Williams High’s Hilary Gladden - 12.86secs 3rd UB’s Jada Parchue - 13.08 4th Kaithlyn Kelly - 13.22 200m 1st Faith Morris - 26.15 secs 2nd Hilary Gladden - 27.27 secs 3rd Jada Parchue - 27.46 4th Ajahney Carr - 27.91 400m 1st BHS’ Ashontie Carr - 1:00.77 2nd Ajahney Carr - 1:04.24 3rd Staiey Cayetano - 1:24.25 Long Jump Ashontie Carr - 5.38 meters Shot Put 1st SCA’s Brianne Codd - 8.86m 2nd SCA’s Aisha Williams - 6.64m 3rd Shemareaun Trapp - 6.11m Discus 1st SCA’s Brianne Codd - 24.91 meters 2nd Aisha Williams - 16.99m 3rd Shemareaun Trapp - 15.77m Javelin 1st SCA’s Hannah Kay Williams 20.98m 2nd Aisha Williams - 16.45m 3rd Brianne Codd - 10.24m 100 meters 1st Shaun Gill - 10.45 secs 2nd Georgetown Tech’s Haleem Palacio - 10.77secs 3rd Ecumenical’s Donell - 11.03secs 4th Frederick Usher Jr - 11.48 5th Mark Anderson - 11.58 200 meters 1st Mark Anderson - 21.57 secs 2nd Haleem Palacio - 22.44 secs 3rd Donell Arzu - 22.75 secs 4th Frederick Usher Jr - 22.94 400 meters 1st Mark Anderson - 49.12 secs 2nd Hance Card - 51.26 secs 3rd Rajeem Arzu - 51.42 secs 4th Ajani Requena - 52.94 secs 800 meters 1st Ernesto Villafranco - 2:06.47 2nd Nigel Rodriguez - 2:14.14 3rd Amir Ramos - 2:19.94 4th Giovanni Baiza - 2.27.0 1500 meters 1st Amir Ramos - 4.42 2nd Giovanni Baiza - 4:47 3rd Leon Guild - 5:03 4th Nigel Rodriguez - 5:19 Long Jump 1st Martin Flowers - 6.61 meters 2nd Kenneth Brackett - 6.40m 3rd Drayton Jones - 5.91m Shot Put 1st Martin Flowers - 10.87 meters.

2nd Darnell Oden - 10.43m Javelin 1st Martin Flowers - 45.10 meters.

2nd Darrnell Oden - 37.24m 3rd Aaron Young - 27.50m Discus Throw Darnell Oden - 37.67 meters

Faith Morris wins 200m SCA’s Hannah Kay Williams wins Javelin

SMART HURRICANES ARE 2016 NEBL CHAMPS Belize City, May 13, 2016 The Belize City SMART Hurricanes won the 2016 National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) championship, out-gunning defending champs San Pedro Tigersharks 98-92 in Game 3 at the Belize Elementary Auditorium last Friday night, May 13.

Darwin “Puppy” Leslie led the Hurricanes with 33pts, while MVP Farron Louriano added 17pts, and Leroy Louriano scored 11pts. For the Tigersharks Caleb Sutton scored 19pts, while Douglas Valley hit 4 treys to add 17pts; and Andrew “Bynum” Ortiz put up 16pts. Ashton Edwards hit 3 treys to add 15 pts, and Gene Myvett tossed in 10pts, 11 rebounds.

Raul Roches had 9 pts 9 rebounds, and Tyrone “Mission” Edwards scored 6pts.

Darwin “Puppy” Leslie won playoffs MVP and Belize Basketball Federation’s president Paul Thompson presented the championship trophy and the $10,000 first prize cheque to the Hurricanes. He also presented a team trophy to the sub-champions, the Tigersharks.

Darwin Leslie scored 33pts

Belize Bank Bulldogs win softball marathon

Taye Parkinson, Latrell Solis & Amiri Hoare win at SMART Junior table tennis

Belize City, May 15, 2016 The Belize Table Tennis Association (BTTA) held the SMART National Junior Table Tennis ranking tournament at the Belize Elementary School auditorium on Sunday, where 10-year-old Taye Parkinson of St. Joseph’s RC School won the 12 and Under category, SJC’s Latrell Solis won the 15 and Under category, and Amiri Hoare won the 18 and Under category.

12 and Under category 1st Place - Taye Parkinson 2nd Place - Devesh Hukmani 3rd Place - Jude Castellanos 4th Place - Jofny Paguaga 15 and Under category 1st Place - Latrell Solis 2nd Place - Amiri Hoare 3rd Place - Rohit Pagarani 4th Place - Devesh Hukmani 18 and Under category 1st Place - Amiri Hoare 2nd Place - Latrell Solis 3rd Place - Fabio Carballo 4th Place - Taye Parkinson

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THE BELIZE TIMES

22 MAY

2016

22 MAY

2016

THE BELIZE TIMES

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14 OUT Major Lloyd Jones proposes Counter Strategy to Guatemala’s offensive

Continued from page 2 ly to prepare a counter-strategy to Guatemala’s or risk losing more of its territory. I propose that such a counter-strategy must include the

Our Foreign Affairs in Shambles

Continued from page 5 directorate of the party in power and their special interests, and not one of national unity and representation.

The Belizean people are mostly uninformed, ill-informed, mis-informed or mal-informed...causing general confusion and lack of unity of direction. STRATEGY should follow OBJECTIVES. 2. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been overloaded with politically connected individuals who are mostly serving their own interest, and not that of the nation....whether it be for fun, travel, social status or business connections....having a field day.... often behaving aloof and with lack of discretion, commanding little or no respect....they are mostly untrained in the professional management of foreign affairs issues. The PEOPLE are generally not fit for the POSITIONS. PEOPLE should fit the PURPOSE. 3. There is no defined periodic standard reporting required by staff and management....nor performance appraisal and management audits conducted on the personnel and offices of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to confirm or disprove that objectives are being met...and to continuously refine and define the way forward. There is no STRUCTURED SYSTEM nor MANAGEMENT of a system in place..... hence, there is no measurable BANG for the BUCK. FORM should follow FUNCTION. 4. The first three reasons explain why the linkages and relations with international players, organizations and institutions, private and public, have been weakened over the years, and why empathy, sympathy and active support for our cause for an INDEPENDENT and SOVEREIGN Belize seem to have waned.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs needs an urgent overhaul. You cannot continue doing the same things with the same people and expect different results.

THE BELIZE TIMES following: Diplomatic: A renewed internationalization of the unfounded claim; the vigorous lobbying of our remaining friends to raise the annexation of the Sarstoon as a common theme at the UN General Assembly and such other fora. And a new diplomatic pathway must be found that does not include the ceding of territory nor going to the ICJ. Informational: Hiring of a global PR firm to manage our information campaign so as to regain the PR initiative. The creation of a special task force to quickly assess border incidents involving use of force by the BDF and any breaches of our territorial integrity and sovereignty

by Guatemala so as to be “first to market” with our story.

Militarily: Conduct a strategic review of the BDF with a view to improving its capability such that we are able to properly defend our territory. The new defence mechanism must include an improved standing army, a strategic reserve and a citizen army. Military science must be introduced in our high schools and every citizen must have a role to play in our OWN defence. Creative military alliances that would deter the Guatemalans must be forged, exercised and deepened.

Economic: A complete commercial, economic, and financial embargo must be instituted, in incremental fashion, against Guatemala

22 MAY

2016

to include educational services. We must ask our CARICOM cousins to do the same and thereafter the Commonwealth unless Guatemala walks back from its annexation of the Sarstoon.

What I have set out is merely a broad framework. The details of such a strategy would have to be fleshed out by the Government in partnership with the Opposition so as to ensure continuity.

Finally let me say this. It’s about time that the PUP tells the Belizean people what their position is with respect to the Guatemala issue including the ICJ. Pussy footing around just ain’t cutting it!

Signed, Major Lloyd Jones (R)

22 MAY

15

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

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 Assignment of Mortgage made the 19th day of March, 2013, recorded as LTU-20130057, between THE BELIZE BANK LIMITED (the Assignor) SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD., and LETRICIA LAMB AND IAN PHILLIPS, which said property was mortgaged by the said LETRICIA LAMB and IAN PHILLIPS to the said BELIZE BANK LIMITED on the 11th day of Janaury, 2013, and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 1 of 2013 at Folios 1493 – 1536, 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.

BY ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT OF BELIZE LICENSE AUCTIONEER NOEL J. CODD WILL SELL the following vehicle on Monday 30th May, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at Noel J. Codd office, Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District:

THE SCHEDULE ALL THAT piece or parcel of land being Lot No. 39 situated in the Boom Pine Ridge Area on the Boom Hattieville Road, Belize District as shown on a plan of Subdivision prepared by Kenneth A. Gillett, Licensed Land Surveyor and registered at Lands and Surveys Department in Belmopan, Cayo District in Register No. 16 Entry No. 3435 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon.

DATED this 16th day of May, 2016.

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

2003 Grey Ford Explorer TERM: STRICTLY CASH LICENSE AUCTIONEER: NOEL J. CODD Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District Office: 677-5184 or Cell: 624-5184 Email: noelcoddauction@yahoo.com

16

22 MAY

THE BELIZE TIMES

BY ORDER OF THE SUPREME COURT OF BELIZE LICENSE AUCTIONEER NOEL J. CODD WILL SELL the following items on Saturday 4th June, 2016 at 11:00 a.m. at Corozal Free Zone, Corozal District: 355- BLOUSES 50 89- DRESSES 50 262- BLOUSES 3X100 161- SHORTS 3X100 55- PANTS 3X100 70- BLOUSES 25 45- PANTS 100 126- PANTS 50 26- PANTS SETS 100 48- BLOUSES 25 33- BATH SUITS 25 44- PANTS 50 46- KIDS SHORTS 3X100 44- MEN SHORTS 100 150- MEN T- SHIRTS 50 56- KIDS T- SHIRTS 3X100 92- MEN T- SHIRTS 3X100 108- KIDS PANTS SETS 50

179- KIDS T- SHIRTS 3X100 27- MEN PANTS 1 -CASIO CASH REGISTER 1- SEWING MACHINE 1-PLASTIC CABINET 1-WATER COOLER 1-SMALL FAN 1-OFFICE CHAIR 1-STOOL 2- PLASTIC CHAIRS 5- VEC FANS 22-METAL CLOTHES RACKS 60-WALL CLOTHES RACKS 36-MANIQUINS 1-STEP LADDER 3- NAP SACKS 12- TOWELS 7-SOCKS 12 PACKS

TERM: STRICTLY CASH LICENSE AUCTIONEER: NOEL J. CODD Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District Office: 677-5184 or Cell: 624-5184 Email: noelcoddauction@yahoo.com

2016

Elections and Boundaries Commission

Belize, 18th May, 2016.

DISSOLUTION OF VILLAGE COUNCILS WHEREAS, Section 10 (1) of the Village Councils Act Chapter 88 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000-2003, provides that the Elections and Boundaries Commission shall, at least seven days before any general election of members of the council becomes due under the provisions of this Act or any regulations made there under, dissolve that council, by Order published in the Gazette and on the radio; AND WHEREAS, the general election of members of the Village Councils set out in the Schedule hereto becomes due during the period 5th June 2016 to 10th July, 2016; NOW THEREFORE, in exercise of the powers conferred upon it by the aforesaid Section 10 of the Village Councils Act, the Elections and Boundaries Commission hereby dissolves the Village Councils set out in the Schedule hereto with effect from 26th May 2016.

As from the said 26th May 2016, the following provisions shall apply in accordance with Section 11 of the said Act:(a) All the powers, duties and liabilities of the outgoing Council shall, until the constitution of a new Council, be exercised, performed and discharged by the persons who held the posts of Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer of the Council immediately before the dissolution; and (b) All property belonging to or vested in or in the occupation of the Council shall, during the period aforesaid, vest in and be in the occupation, control and management of the persons indicated in paragraph (a) above.

DATED this 18th day of May, 2016.

PUBLIC AUCTION SALE

By Order of Owners Licensed Auctioneer NOEL J. CODD will sell on Friday 3rd June, 2016 at 1:30 p.m. on site.

SIGNED: Josephine Tamai FOR CHAIRMAN ELECTIONS AND BOUNDARIES COMMISSION

SCHEDULE

VILLAGE COUNCILS DISSOLVED WITH EFFECT FROM 26th May 2016

COROZAL DISTRICT Sarteneja Concepcion San Victor San Andres Xaibe

ALL THAT piece or parcel being Parcel 1213 Block 20 Belmopan Registration Section property containing 444.18 square yards, house measures 2300 sq. ft. containing 5 bedrooms 4 bathrooms Split Level concrete home with fence yard located at no. 3 Bladden Street, Belmopan City.

NOEL J. CODD Licensed Auctioneer Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District Office: 677-5184 Cell: 624-5184 Email: noelcodd@yahoo.com

ORANGE WALK DISTRICT Douglas Fire Burn San Felipe Guinea Grass Nuevo San Juan

BELIZE DISTRICT Hattieville Biscayne Gardenia May Pen Crooked Tree Caye Caulker

TOLEDO DISTRICT Corozon Creek Dolores Otoxha San Lucas Golden Stream Indian Creek Medina Bank San Miguel Silver Creek San Pedro Columbia CAYO DISTRICT Yalbac La Gracia Santa Teresita Teakettle Los Tombos Duck Run 111

STANN CREEK DISTRICT Alta Vista Hummingbird Middlesex Steadfast Valley Community Pomona Sarawee Hope Creek

22 MAY

2016

Commitment to Allegiance

By G. Michael Reid As important and relevant as this Guatemala issue is to our way of living, we have done very little to educate our people as to the facts thereof. It seems that for many years, we were satisfied with just cruising along hoping that it would just go away on its own. It has not and it will not!

Guatemala on the other hand, has kept this issue very much alive; preaching it to its citizens and teaching it in its schools: “Belice es nuestro”. They have it written into their Constitution and have Belize included on their maps. Their newspapers do not miss an opportunity to drive home the point and their politicians make it integral to their rant and rhetoric. Leading up to the last elections, now president of Guatemala Jimmy Morales had made the Belize issue a focal point of his campaign. He now seems geared up to act upon his campaign promise of acquiring Belize for Guatemala.

In Belize, our politicians have been mainly at each other’s throats.

The United Democratic Party has done very little uniting and has primarily focused its energies on discrediting, dismantling and destroying the Opposition. In fact, they have dismantled and destroyed just about every institution and organization that has not toed their party line. The unions, the Cane Farmers Association, the Bar Association and just about every sporting organization have all fallen prey to their dismantling techniques. Instead of promulgating distrust of Guatemala; they promote hatred for any and everyone who dares not bow down and pay homage to the king. Divided, we fall.

When it is convenient, the UDP will preach bi-partisanship but when it’s time to deliver goods and services, it is “UDP first, Belizeans second and PUP last”. If we are to mount any reasonable defence

THE BELIZE TIMES

17

ations that represent their interest.

It would be good to see each group issue a formal notice of support for Belize’s sovereignty and Independence. We need to know who we are, who is with us and who is only using us for convenience!

I believe that it is time to also institute a pledge of allegiance, in particular in our schools. In 1892, United States patriot and former against Guatemala’s aggression, Baptist preacher Francis Bellamy then we will have to unite and bepenned a short “little formula”, come as one nation. Until we can do which according to the author, that and recognize that our enemy is “has been pounding away on the not ourselves but those barbarians impressionable minds of children at the gate, we will not be able to for generations”. overcome this drawback.

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag Unfortunately, this disunity is of the United States of America not confined to politics for we are and to the Republic for which it divided in a number of ways. A key stands, one Nation under God, indivision exist between Belizeans divisible, with liberty and justice who are at home and those who for all” is recited every morning by live in the Diaspora. Over the past school children before they begin five decades or so, there has been their classes. It is also a required a tremendous brain drain as many order of business for the United able bodied persons have moved States Senate and their House of on to seek opportunities elsewhere.

Representatives.

In penning these 23 little words, Bellamy asThe United Democratic Party has done sured “that the distinctive principles of true Amerivery little uniting and has primarily focanism will not perish as cused its energies on discrediting, long as free, public education endures.” Every new dismantling and destroying the Opcitizen minted in the Unitposition. In fact, they have dismaned States is also required to recite this pledge of altled and destroyed just about every legiance. Given the large institution and organization that has number of Guatemalan children that cross our bornot toed their party line. ders each morning to get educated at our expense, it would be lowed to run for office. In my humNone can begrudge them that oplittle enough to require that they reble opinion, it is better to correct tion but the effects have been devcite a pledge of allegiance to the Inthat which is wrong than to attempt astating. It is estimated that one out dependence and freedom of Belize. justification by pointing to another of every three Belizeans now live It is time for this country to wrong. outside of Belize with those in the embark upon an effective educaApart from the Central AmeriUnited States alone numbering well tion campaign to ensure that every can immigrants, Belize has also over a hundred thousand. As late citizen is aware of all particulars become home to huge numbers as 1990, a census revealed that ten connected to this Belize/Guatemala of Chinese, Hindus, Mennonites thousand of those Belizeans living in differendum. In this scenario, ignoand West Indians, among others. It the United States had acquired citirance is not bliss and ‘tis certainly might be time for these who have zenship and pledged allegiance to not “folly to be wise”.Let us do all we made Belize their home to declare that nation. can to keep our citizens committed, their allegiance and support to our The arguments rage perpetual our children prepared and our friends cause. Most of these new Belizas to the pros and cons of this miinformed. May GOD bless Belize! eans are organized and have associgration as those abroad point to their remittances (which has been significant and substantial over the years) while those at home point to the damage done to our social fabric. Either way, the influence of the Diaspora is potentially massive and their voice might indeed be the ballast that could tip the balance in our favour.

Many Belizeans abroad still profess love for their home country and in particular during the recent crisis, many have been quite vocal in their support. As it has been said; “Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country”.

Unfortunately, a few of those who have acquired other citizenships seem to be holding us at ransom. There is the issue of Section 58 or the Constitution which states that “No person shall be qualified to be elected as a member of the House of Representatives who (a) is by virtue of his own act under any acknowledgement of allegiance, obedience or adherence to a foreign power or state.” In other words, “a man cannot serve two masters”.

The void created by this mass migration of indigenous Belizeans has been filled by immigrants particularly from our neighbouring countries. In an interesting twist of irony, it is believed that as many as seventy percent of these immigrants come from Guatemala. Every election, they are brought in by the droves and are given citizenship and other incentives to vote. Many have made Belize their home but a few even maintain residency in Guatemala and only come over to vote.

Talk about sleeping with the enemy!

In our last General Elections, no less than three born Guatemalans were included among those who were running for office. The disgruntled among the Belizean born dual citizens have pointed to this as a reason why they should also be al-

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22 MAY

THE BELIZE TIMES

MY PERSPECTIVE

By Dolores Balderamos Garcia

ANOTHER VOICE

It has been really quite discouraging witnessing the allout media blitz and offensive of Guatemalan authorities, who have seized on first, the April incident of the death of the Guatemalan minor and now, on the shooting and injuring of another Guatemalan a few days ago. Fox News Latino has been trumpeting all weekend that Guatemala is accusing the Belizean armed forces of using excessive force. Even more troubling is the reference to the adjacency zone now as the “no-border zone”!!

This might seem completely incredible to us Belizeans, since we are hearing the accounts from our Belize Defence Force personnel and from Friends for Conservation and Development. We are learning the extent to which the Guatemalans, illegally in our country, are becoming bolder and bolder in raping our national patrimony, as well as their increasing aggression. I am compelled to agree with Mose Hyde that at every point Belize is being outmaneuvered by Guatemala.

We are being totally shellacked in the media offensive, and we seem to be doing practically nothing about it.

Friends and family of mine constantly monitor the Prensa Libre newspaper of Guatemala, and lo and behold, just yesterday came what I have to consider some welcome news and a breath of fresh air, another voice as it were, in this ongoing nightmare for Belize vis a vis the Guatemalan issue.

In the Prensa Libre (Sunday, May 15th) there is an article written by Rosa Maria Bolanos.

Its headline is “The Archbishop Believes that the Differendum with Belize is Used to Divert Attention.” I will try to translate what the article has to say: The Metropolitan Archbishop Oscar Vian has stated (I paraphrase) that the territorial dispute with Belize should have been resolved forty years ago, and that now it is being used solely to distract attention, as there has been no serious

search for a solution. Archbishop Vian added that “apart from being used to distract attention away from the daily problems of the country, this issue emerges precisely when we have other great problems in Guatemala, and therefore we raise a mountain of dust in order to conceal things.”

Archbishop Vian was speaking after midday Sunday Mass in the Metropolitan Cathedral in Guatemala City.

One of the Archbishop’s recommendations is that this subject [of the dispute with Belize ] must be given serious treatment because, as he put it, whenever there is a problem and they want to sidestep it, they bring out the problems we have with Belize.

Said he: “We should find out what is the real problem and we should treat it without fear, as it is necessary for the government to work in earnest for a resolution and to demarcate the border.” He also went on to call for dialogue, since Guatemala is going through a difficult time. Later, he went on to address other pertinent issues affecting the Church in Guatemala today.

I consider this to be big news!! Thank goodness indeed that there is another voice in Guatemala, and the voice of the Archbishop no less. Thank goodness that amidst all the mess of the belligerent voices of the two Moraleses, the President and the Foreign Minister, there seems to be a clear and cogent voice of reason speaking and proclaiming truth to power. No doubt the Archbishop is focusing on the many severe problems that Guatemala is facing today. But he is obviously keenly aware that the current political directorate are finding it so very convenient to be whipping up sentiment and creating their own narrative about cowardly and dastardly Belizean soldiers hunting poor Guatemalans where there is no real border. Clearly Archbishop Vian knows better, and he has spoken out forcefully, calling on the Guatemalan authorities to get serious about solving internal problems and also the Belize dispute. He is ANOTHER VOICE, a crucial one.

2016

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 18th day of December 2013, between GILBERT NORRIS BROWN of 6 Lords Bank Village, Belize District, Belize, of the one part, and SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD., of the other part, and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 24 of 2002 at Folios 1415 - 1438, 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. 6 comprising 1066.67 Sq. Yds. situate at Lord’s Bank Village, Belize District, bounded and described as shown by Plan No. 458 of 1999 attached to Minister’s Fiat Grant No. 458 of 1999 TOGETHER with buildings and erections standing and being thereon.

DATED this 16th day of May, 2016.

MUSA & BALDERAMOS LLP 91 North Front Street Belize City Attorney-at-Law for Scotiabank (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 9th day of November 2011, between JESUS ICH of San Antonio Village, Toledo District, Belize, of the one part, and SCOTIABANK (BELIZE) LTD., of the other part, and recorded in Deeds Book Volume 24 of 2011 at Folios 773 - 836, 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 lot, piece or parcel of land comprising 1041.57 Square Meters (1239.47 SY) situate in San Antonio Village, Toledo District and bounded and described as shown by Plan No. 58 of 1994 TOGETHER with all buildings and erections, standing and being thereon.

DATED this 16th day of May, 2016.

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

FEB 227 MAY

2016 2016

REGIONAL & INTERNATIONAL

THE BELIZE THE BELIZE TIMESTIMES

Colombia records ‘biggest seizure’ of cocaine Eight tonnes of cocaine worth $240m seized by police on a banana plantation along the Panama border Colombian authorities have confiscated eight tonnes of cocaine along the border with Panama in what its president described as the “biggest seizure of drugs in history”.

An estimated $240m worth of cocaine was seized on a banana plantation in the municipality of Turbo in Antioquia region by 50 commandos backed by helicopters, the national police agency said on Sunday.

Three people were arrested in the operation on the plantation where 359 canvas sacks loaded with packs of cocaine were hidden in a small cubicle under a cement cover 2.5 metres underground.

Three other suspects escaped, according to a police statement.

Defence Minister Luis Carlos Villegas said the drugs belonged to the Clan Usuga crime gang. The United States has offered a $5m reward for the capture of its leader.

Mexico leader Pena Nieto proposes legalising same-sex marriage Mexico’s President, Enrique Pena Nieto, has proposed constitutional reform to legalise same-sex marriage across the country The decision follows a Supreme Court ruling that opened the way to such unions.

Gay marriage is only legal in the capital, Mexico City, and a few states.

Elsewhere in Latin America, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and most recently Colombia have already legalised same-sex marriage.

Mexico’s Supreme Court declared last year that it was unconstitutional for the country’s states to ban such marriages.

Mr Pena Nieto made the announcement at an event marking Mexico’s national day against homophobia.

On Twitter, the president said: “For an inclusive Mexico that recognises in diversity one of its biggest strengths.” He used a hashtag in Spanish saying: “Without homophobia”.

His and the Mexican government’s profile pictures on Twitter were overlaid with the rainbow flag of gay pride.

Argentina was the first Latin American country to legalise same-sex marriages in July 2010.

Dominican Republic’s Danilo Medina claims election victory The Dominican Republic’s President Danilo Medina has claimed victory in Sunday’s election as partial results show him ahead by a wide margin With 67% of votes counted, Mr Medina had 62%, well ahead of his rival Luis Abinader on 35%.

Mr Abinader admitted defeat but accused the president of misusing state resources to win re-election.

Mr Medina’s Dominican Revolutionary Party also looked to have kept control of the Senate and Chamber of Deputies.

At a rally for supporters, President Medina said the people had voted to “continue on the path that we started”.

“We have received the support of the majority of the Dominican people,” Mr Medina told cheering supporters at his campaign headquarters in the capital Santo Domingo.

NEWS

19

9/11 bill passes US Senate despite Saudi ‘warning’ A bill that would allow the families of 9/11 victims to sue the Saudi government has passed a key hurdle in the US Senate.

The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) now moves to the House of Representatives.

Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister warned that the move could cause his government to withdraw US investments.

President Barack Obama said he will veto the bill, but a Democratic senator is “confident” he’d be overruled.

If it became law the legislation would allow victims’ families to sue any member of the government of Saudi Arabia thought to have played a role in any element of the attack.

Saudi Arabia denies any involvement in the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, which killed nearly 3,000 people.

Fifteen out of the nineteen hijackers in 2001 were Saudi citizens.

In 2004 the 9/11 Commission Report found “no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded the organisation”.

A White House spokesman said President Obama had serious concerns about the bill, and it was difficult to imagine he would sign it into law.

Venezuela reaches better oil loans deal with China Improved China deal is expected to give Venezuela’s economy “oxygen” in the face of heavy debt payments.

Venezuela has reached a deal with its main financier China to improve the conditions of an oil-for-loans deal, giving the oil exporting country’s crisishit economy a break as it faces heavy debt payments, its top economic official has said.

Despite having the world’s largest crude reserves, Venezuela’s economy contracted 5.7 percent last year, its second year

of recession.

The country is facing widespread food and power shortages. The improved China deal, as well as a steep cut to imports and a new, weaker foreign exchange rate would help Venezuela come out of a “very complicated” semester, according to Venezuelan Economy Vice President Miguel Perez.

“Today we can say that we’ve agreed to new com-

mercial conditions that are adapted to the country’s reality,” Perez said in an interview with Reuters news agency on Monday.

“This will give the country important oxygen to go forward.”

The economy is likely to remain in recession until the end of 2017, he added.

China has lent some $50bn to Venezuela over the past decade.

20

22 MAY

THE BELIZE TIMES

2016

THE GEMS OF GRADUATION SEASON 2016 PT 1 Featuring Sadie Vernon Technical High, Ladyville Technical High, Canaan SDA High, Edward P. Yorke High and Maud Williams High Continued from page 6 advice to his fellow graduates and upcoming students thus: “Don’t stop here, continue on. And do your best at all times, and don’t EVER settle for mediocrity”. Ms. Flores, who will also take 16 CXCs and is a tad uncertain as to her career plans (has interest in Chemical Engineering), isn’t uncertain in her advice: “Continue pursuing your dreams. Work smart, not hard”. And Ms. Miranda, who also will take on 16 CXC’s with a goal to pursue a career in either the Architecture or Medicine fields, has this to say: “Work hard, don’t settle. Continue working.

Remember, it’s not impossible, it’s ‘I’M POSSIBLE’”.

Keeping it on the Northside, but shifting to the Buttonwood Bay area, Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist High School will graduate 53 students on Sunday, May 29th, 2016 at the Ramada Princess Hotel, beginning at 3:00 p.m.

Leading that graduating class will be: 16-year-old Valedictorian Ms. Mariah Murillo (of Class 4-Academic, with a confirmed Grade Average of 90.07%), 18-year-old Salutatorian Ms. Jacklin Vasquez (also of Class 4A, with a confirmed Grade Average of 89.37%) and 18-year-old Mr. Gabriel Tun (of Class 4-Business, with a confirmed Grade Average of 88.82%).

The BELIZE TIMES caught up with the students on Monday, May 16th, at their Coney Drive campus.

Ms. Murillo, from the Faber’s Road Extension Area, is the youngest of her large family – 8 sisters and 3 brothers. Ms. Vasquez, from the Lake Independence area, has 1 brother and a sister. Mr. Tun, from the Freetown Sibun area of Hattieville Village, Belize District, shares that similar familial makeup. But when it comes to their years at Canaan, their difficulties and issues are also disparate yet similar.

Ms. Murillo points to the different methodologies of teaching students, noting that it helped her because “it helps when you get answers another way.” Ms. Vasquez points to the competition amongst her fellow students, while Mr. Tun points to not having time to study because of taking an extra course at the Institute of Technical and Vocational Education Training (ITVET), and trying to balance that with his work at Canaan.

And like their counterparts at other high schools, familial supporters are key to keeping these students together. In addi-

EDWARD P. YORKE HIGH

Valedictorian, Glevaughn Smith

Salutatorian, Irene Flores

3rd place, Guadalupe Miranda

MAUD WILLIAMS HIGH

Valedictorian, George Barrera

Salutatorian, Nadira Moguel

3rd place, Selene Chun

tion to their encouraging, supportive parents and relatives (an aunt in the United States for Tun, a grandmother for Vasquez), friends are also part of the equation of success. Tun put it thusly, a la Chico Ramos: “Hand wash hand”. As far as their exam and career plans go today’s economy is clearly influencing their choices.

Murillo, who will take 4 CXCs, plans to continue as far as her Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing. She says to her fellow students, “Finish

your studies. Don’t be dependent on others to get your education”.

Vasquez surprised us by admitting she won’t take any CXCs, due to the above reasoning, but still plans to revisit the opportunity at the 6th form level. The future Marine Biologist’s advice to her fellows, in addition to agreeing with the above from her peer is: “Fight for what you want, what you believe in”. Mr. Tun, who will be taking 3 CXCs, plans to study Business Management and one day work

in his own business, like those of his family.

His advice is: “Finish your education. Education is everything in life. Put God first”.

Finally for this week’s special feature, Maud Williams High School. Intersecting 3 streets – Dolphin, Iguana and Racoon Streets – the high school will be graduating 35 students on Thursday, June 2nd, 2016 at the Holy Redeemer Parish Hall, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Leading them are: 16-year-old Valedicto-

rian Mr. George Barrera (of Class 4S1, with a Grade Average of 84.15%), 16-year-old Salutatorian Ms. Nadira Moguel (of Class 4S2, with a Grade Average of 84.13%) and the 3rd place (giving the Vote of Thanks), 18-year-old Ms. Selene Chun (also of Class 4S1, with a Grade Average of 82.17%). The BELIZE TIMES interviewed the students on Monday afternoon, May 16th at their campus as they were preparing for graduation practice.

Mr. Barrera is a resident of the Jane Usher Boulevard neighbourhood in the Port Loyola, and is the middle child of 7 children, 3 older siblings and 3 younger siblings. Ms. Moguel, a resident of the Antelope Street area, has roots both in the City and in Orange Walk Town, and has an older brother and 2 younger sisters.

Her colleague, Ms. Chun, is from Carmelita Village in the Orange Walk District, and has 3 sisters.

It is their families that both influenced their high school years and got them through the rough patches. Mr. Barrera, who admits he had to really “get serious” in his 3rd year, credits his dad for being “always there” and getting him whatever he needed. Ms. Moguel, whose sisters never finished or continued their education, was “under pressure” to break that streak, and credits her aunt with encouraging her to continue. Ms. Chun, who was unsure of what major she wanted to pick, credits her parents and uncle for being her guides, and her Dad in particular for being always there.

Barrera, who plans to take 4 CXCs with the goal of becoming a Neurologist, gives this advice to his fellow graduates: “Pursue your dreams, never give up and always stay true to yourself.”

Ms. Moguel, taking 5 CXCs with hopes of majoring in Early Childhood Education, says “Work hard and never give up.” Ms. Chun, who will be taking 3 CXCs and plans to become an Accountant, puts it like this: “Keep a positive mind and anything is possible”.

Stay tuned and keep reading the BELIZE TIMES for upcoming features on the High School Graduating Class of 2016.

11 girls escape Princess Royal Youth Hostel More Deficiencies at At-Risk Youth Institution

Wednesday, May 18, 2016 On Sunday, May 15, 2016, 11 young female inmates of the Princess Royal Youth Hostel managed to escape from the facility. Eight of them have since been located by Police, 4 in Belmopan and 4 in Benque Viejo del Carmen, and returned to the facility. Three others are still at large and are believed to be heading south.

According to Deputy Director of the Community Rehabilitation Department Maureen Williams, the escape is the result of a serious breach of protocols, and occurred in the evening when the girls

should have been taking their baths.

“For some reason the door was unlocked and they left. Three of them went over the fence and the rest of them went through the gate. The gate was unlocked, it wasn’t open, but it was unlocked and that is against protocols,” said Williams.

One security officer is posted on the grounds, but at the time of the escape he was allegedly occupied in the male section of the facility.

This recent escape, and breach of protocols, highlights the ongoing deficiencies at the facility which is entrusted with the

care of troubled teens, many of them removed from their homes by the state.

On November 28, 2015, three young girls burned to death in a padlocked room at the Princess Royal Youth Hostel. Anna Carlos, Elizabeth McKoy and Shadisha Arnold were allegedly locked up for escaping the facility earlier, and nobody could find the key to open the door when the small building went up in flames. Almost six months after, the public still awaits the findings of an allegedly intensive investigation into those deaths.

22 MAY

2016

THE BELIZE TIMES

21

EDITORIAL en Espanol ¡Que se nos devuelva el Sarstoon!

L

a administración Barrow, juntos con el Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores Sedi Elrington como líder de grupo, está decidido a perpetuar lo que ha llegado a ser un fraude diplomático, es decir, negociando con Guatemala algún tipo de nuevo “Protocolo” sobre el uso del rio Sarstoon. ¿Cómo puede Sedi Elrington decirle al pueblo Beliceño que “tiene todo bajo control” cuando todos vemos la evidencia de la invasión guatemalteca del territorio Beliceño del río Sarstoon? ¿Cómo se nos puede pedir que confiemos en Sedi Elrington cuando es él quien ha fortalecido bastantemente la creencia de que somos amigos con los guatemaltecos, aun cuando nos intimidan y apalean y cuidadosamente han logrado la anexión del río Sarstoon?

La verdad del asunto es que el gobierno Partido Unido Democrático del Primer Ministro Dean Oliver Barrow no tiene autoridad legítima para “negociar” donde se encuentra la frontera de Belice en el río Sarstoon. Hacer esto sin el conocimiento y consentimiento del pueblo Beliceño es peligroso y traicionero. Nuestras fronteras no son negociables. Esto se estableció el 21 de septiembre de 1981 e históricamente en la década de 1850 cuando Inglaterra aseguro la frontera que separaba Honduras Británica y Guatemala. ¿Imagínese la audacia de Dean Barrow en pasar la ley, un instrumento legal, para prohibirles a los beliceños ir al río Sarstoon hasta que el gobierno negocie “protocolos” con Guatemala? Mientras que Dean Barrow y su Ministro de Relaciones Exteriores, sin espina dorsal, estaban ocupados gastando los millones y millones de fondos del Petrocaribe para ganar un “tercer mandato sin precedentes” los guatemaltecos estaban preparando el anexo de nuestro lado del río Sarstoon.

Este acto cobarde ya está hecho. Sólo las Fuerzas Armadas de Guatemala y pescadores guatemaltecos son permitidos a navegar el río, hasta

que los “protocolos” para el río Sarstoon sean aprobados. El efecto de este instrumento legal ha sido ocultar de los medios de comunicación y del público Beliceño las locuras que ocurren en el Sarstoon. El instrumento legal mientras prohíbe a cualquier persona, sin autoridad legal, ir a la zona de Sarstoon, no se le aplica a incursiones ilegales Guatemaltecas. Ni siquiera el BDF (Fuerzas Armadas de Belice) puede ir al río, sin el permiso expreso de Guatemala. Un video reciente de un nuevo enfrentamiento entre nuestras fuerzas de seguridad y las de Guatemala confirma esto. ¿Cuándo será que Dean Barrow y el gobierno UDP van a dejar de “hablar” sobre la soberanía y van a empezar a ejercitarlo con sensatez en la arena diplomática? ¿Por qué seguimos limitándonos a la mediación internacional de la Organización de Estados Americanos (OEA)? A pesar de las acciones de Guatemala, a veces presenciado por representantes de la OEA, ese organismo respaldado por los E.U.A., aún no ha ejercido algún tipo de presión sobre Guatemala para que respete nuestra integridad territorial.

Altos oficiales militares que han servido con orgullo asegurándose que Guatemala respete nuestras fronteras han compartido con nosotros que ya perdimos el Sarstoon y Guatemala ahora se moverá lentamente para anexar más territorio Beliceño. Con un gobierno débil y comprometido como el que tenemos hoy en día, esta amenaza es muy real y no se debe pasar por alto.

Mientras que Sedi se reúne con su “amigo” Guatemalteco y homólogo, Carlos Raúl Morales, este sábado, imploramos que tenga una cosa en mente: que nos devuelva el río Sarstoon y que le diga a Guatemala que respete nuestras fronteras.

No nos importa como lo logre; sólo que recupere nuestro Río que perdió debido a su diplomacia débil y apaciguamiento a los guatemaltecos.

Menos que esto no aceptaremos.

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THINK ABOUT IT NEW COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR Anthony Mahler recently won the election and approval of the delegates at the National Convention in January 2016, for the office of Communications Director.

This is a crucial position for the renewed People’s United Party. As Johnny and Cordel focus on fully uniting the party as well as mobilizing the supporters; Anthony’s position is the next key area.

He is overall responsible for the party’s newspaper, its radio and television and the focus of public information and education.

Anthony told us recently that all three media organs will be upgraded and focused in their messages. In the case of this newspaper, there have been and will continue to be enhancements.

Circulation will be increased as well. The paper will be more sharply critical of the terrible government which is in charge of the country.

The Vibes Radio and Television will be expanded with more relevant and dynamic programs and quality presentations including young people shows, interviews, and human interest stories and exposés.

Communications Director is a huge responsibility and Anthony Mahler is taking his challenges seriously and energetically.

Respect is due.

TARGETING CRISTINA COC The latest attack against the Maya of Toledo comes in the form of arrests and court actions of thirteen Maya’s from Santa Cruz Village.

A man named Rupert Myles was shown on Facebook, also called in Belize Faceybook, tied up with a rope. To see the images of a black Belizean tied up, like a slave was not an acceptable sight.

But it was also not the whole picture.

Myles is accused by villagers of Santa Cruz of major disrespect and violations in their village, including building on top of Uxbencka, a sacred Maya site.

When the Myles in ropes images surfaced, the Prime Minister was under suspicion for his silence in the face of Guatemala’s aggression against Belizeans in the Sarstoon River. The Prime Minister immediately seized on the Myles story to distract the media attention away from a much larger issue. The media got conned. They switched to Myles.

It is now emerging that Myles is the bad guy and the Mayas are the good guys. Santa Cruz Village, like many Maya villages, has an Alcalde system. The Alcalde is like an African or American Indian Chief. Highly regarded and wellrespected in the village.

The laws of Belize give legal recognition to Maya Alcaldes. They have their customary ways of managing their villages and the law respects and protects their unique positions. Alcaldes can legally hold court hearings. Can arrest villagers and imprison them for up to three months. There is an official village police

22 MAY

THE BELIZE TIMES

in Maya customary rights and the Belize law accepts and supports that. In Santa Cruz the Alcaldes’ Police had been officially issued with a police handcuff by the government.

At the time of the Myles incident, the village’s Maya police did not carry his handcuffs to the village meeting held by the Alcalde. When Myles is reported to have barged into the Alcalde meeting and advanced towards the Alcalde and the Deputy Alcalde he was restrained and had to be tied.

When the Prime Minister, in a publicity stunt, vowed that action would be taken against the Maya villagers, the Gang Suppression Unit immediately conducted a Nazi or Guatemalan death squad operation. In the dead of night they started knocking down doors and rounding up villagers in Santa Cruz.

Some thirteen persons were dragged off to the police station in Punta Gorda Town; several were not fully clothed.

They were, of course, roughed up.

Among those detained, arrested and dragged into the court was Maya leader and nationalist Cristina Coc. She has been an outspoken and fearless champion of the Toledo Maya. She is a regular target for scurrilous and vile personal attacks by the ruling party. She had nothing to do with the tying up of bully Myles, yet she was arrested and dragged into court wrongly.

Cristina and all thirteen were charged for a common assault. This included the official village police, the Alcalde and the Deputy Alcalde. Crisitina was merely an invited guest like other NGO officials present at the meeting.

The whole thing stinks. It is political and it is part of the ongoing efforts by government to intimidate this once silent and down-trodden people in the Maya communities of Toledo.

Government wants to take their lands and sell it to Guatemala investors and oil companies. This includes ancient Maya land and protected reserves.

All those who love justice need to fully support our Maya brothers and sisters against this latest attack on their rights.

YOUTH HOSTEL AGAIN On Sunday 15 May 2016, three young ladies from the Youth Hostel at mile 21 on the western road ran for their freedom. They climbed the high fence and made good their escape.

Another naked example of the negligence and slackness that is characteristic of government departments.

Only in November last year, the worst scandal at the Hostel occurred when three young ladies were locked in a room and died the horrible death of being burnt alive.

To date, none of the families have received a dollar of compensation for what is admitted by the Ministry as being gross negligence.

To add insult to injury the official inquiry into this outrage has been suppressed.

Things are outrageous in Belize.

We can’t take much more of this.

VILLAGE COUNCIL ELECTIONS Boycott the Village Council elections.

Village council elections are to be held in the next few weeks. Although the government has become very unpopular, they will still abuse taxpayers’ monies to bribe votes in the poverty stricken village.

But, Belize is in the midst of its worst existential crisis. Guatemala has annexed the whole half of Belize’s portion of the Sarstoon River and the large island which is part of our territory. This was done from May of last year and our government is either in denial or playing some serious games with our security.

As recent as two weeks ago, the government, in another act of appeasement and cowardice, rushed out a law to prevent Belizeans from going to the Sarstoon River.

Belize is in deep trouble and on the verge of a major catastrophe the Village Council elections is to be used as another distraction to the country.

The Opposition should boycott village council elections and call for a stop to the blatant party politicization of villages.

TINY CHINGGUM Police officers were gathered around each other excitedly at a Belize City station. They were looking at something on one of their cell phones. Must be a naked photo; maybe of Rihanna from her Kiss It Better video. Or some worthless police video having sex with a female.

What else could cause such interest and such laughter?

Well, it was. A naked photo that is. A naked photo of a Minister of government.

There he was lying down on his side, naked as he born. The face is unmistaken.

It is…(Noh call no name as Dickie seh) The short, neatly cropped white beard is also unmistaken.

But the laughter and butt of the jokes were centered, not on the large figure in repose. It was the tiny, little organ peeping out from between the bottom of the Minister’s belly. More laughter and small size jokes. Trump would love this.

Someone jokes about an incident in which a big, braggadocio fellow was photographed in the nude. Employees waited Monday morning with their jokes all lined up. In walked the bombocious fellow. Before anyone could say a word, he announced he had a belly “private”. He said it looks very small, but gets bigger as it comes from under his belly.

In defence of the Minister we urge his supporters to Facebook out a similar explanation. But to amend it to read the Minister has a hicatee private. A qui-an.

It is not clear if Patrick or one of his supporters is resending the Minister’s embarrassing naked photo. The caption: “big bad Juan and his tiny, little chinggum”.

No wonder Guatemala took away the Sarstoon River.

SANTA CLAUS IN MAY B.T.L the phone company known as Belizeans Taking a Licking popped up last week announcing huge revenues and even a small profit.

There is no financial year end, no audited reports just released. Why the

2016

hoopla? The Prime Minister was looking and sounding worse than ever. A pointless Press Conference. Smoke and mirrors. Words full of sounds and no fury; signifying nothing. Sarstoon River and Sarstoon Island confirmed taken from Belize. Confirmed by none other than the very Guatemalan we were told were our friends.

Pull out a distraction. Use BTL, GST and GSU. Get Love FM to announce record breaking revenues. Repeat the story.

Don’t answer any questions of who all are benefitting and enriching. Sure ain’t the consumers.

JUDGE WARNS OF PERJURY The unfortunate murder trial of Calaney Flowers in which her ex-boyfriend Lyndon, son of famous teacher Owen Morrison, died when his motorcycle hit the pavement on Freetown Road back in November 2013, is underway.

It is before Justice John Troadio Gonzalez, known for his extraordinary patience on the bench.

This week the judge felt compelled to warn a witness that she could face the penalty of perjury, as the witness kept switching her story from minute to minute. Lawyers for Miss Flowers were pressing the witness over two television interviews given shortly after the incident in which she stated that Lyndon said “I can’t stop baby, I am driving too fast”, seconds before the crash.

Calaney’s lawyers are at pains to cross examine the Police and expert witnesses for the prosecution that no signs or evidence showed any dent, scratch or damage to the front of Calaney’s car because it did not hit the speeding motorcycle.

UNIVERSITY OF BELIZE The University of Belize needs a President. The post is being advertised.

No salary is mentioned. Preference will go to family members of the Ministers, a crony or a political hack. But on a serious note, every effort should be made to give our University the best President available.

U.B., it’s students, and our country needs only the best. People like Evan X Hyde, Dr. Assad Shoman, Dr. Dorian Barrow, Zee Edgal, Dr. Colville Young, Dr. Alvaro Rosado and Sandra Coye. There are others, very competent and intelligent Belizeans who can make us proud.

Only the best is good enough.

C.I.A. The US Embassy official and CIA agent Donald Rickard assigned to South Africa has now finally admitted that he was the person who tipped off the racist government in 1962 on where to arrest Nelson Mandela, leading to the great man being put in jail for 27 years and galvanizing the world community of nations to eventually bring down the racist apartheid government.

From one racist government to another. USA and South Africa.

OUT WID SOVEREIGN DAY Its plain colonialism. Can’t we celebrate something more relevant and uplifting?

22 MAY

2016

Authoritarian UDP Government

Continued from page 2 ficer in charge of the Ministry of works in Santa Elena, requesting assistance to grade and fix the road between Bullet Tree Village to Santa Familia, Billy White and onto Duckrun One. In addition my requests included the re-installment of the hammock bridge at Branch Mouth.

I have written him three times. He has not had the decency to at least respond acknowledging receipt of my letter.

Now friends, this is the type of disrespect the government has on persons elected by the people. This type of government is authoritarian. It must stop. But, the people must stop it. I will do my share by addressing it at the next House of Representatives meeting. However, the people of Belize must care more and do more.

The response from lands department and the lack of response from ministry of works is a clear indication of Institutionalized Authoritarian rule. This government of the UDP punishes not only the opposition representatives but also the constituencies that support those representatives. This is a clear indication of a government that is here to Rule and not to Govern.

Sincerely, Hon. Orlando Habet Area Representative Cayo North East

VACANCY Point Medico Services Pharmacy and Clinic has a vacancy as Medical Officer.

Interviews will be on 27 May, 2016 at the clinic located at 51 Corner West Canal Belize City.

Contact #227-2992 or inquiries and interview appointments.

LIQUOR LICENSE NOTICE Notice is hereby given that Derrick Williams is applying for a Malt and Cider Liquor License to be operated at “D & D Cool Spot”, situated at 9.5 Miles Philip Goldson Highway, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that SHU XUN LI is applying for a Convenience Store Liquor License to be operated at “Shop King Shopping Center”, situated at 3065 Central American Boulevard, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

THE BELIZE TIMES

UDP CRABS IN A BUCKET Saldivar vs. Faber Pt. 1

Belize City, May 18th, 2016 The race for First Deputy Leader of the ruling United Democratic Party has taken its rightful place in the current scheme of domestic affairs. The upcoming convention has been lost in the obscurity of the insignificant. If it were not for the endless, monotonous and dull ads during the evening news one would have no idea that Patsy and John are going at each other for the post of second in command of the UDP, and supposedly an eventual shoo-in for leader any time within the next 1,460 days when Dean Barrow finally decides to give up and the UDP transitions into Opposition.

For the sake of our loyal readers and those political pundits who have been trying to keep an eye on the goings-on the Faber and Saldivar camps, the BELIZE TIMES has also been keeping tabs through close sources from within both sides. Trust us, we got the juice.

There have been enough body blows from both camps, including a KO low-blow from the Saldivar camp, to share.

The Base vs. The Big deal Patsy has been trying to make a big deal about having “the base” on his side. Saldivar, on the other hand, has swung back that he is about the big deal, that is, twelve of the UDP’s nineteen elected reps plus the major women leaders in the Party are backing him. Saldivar claims that those “big men and women” control their delegates and will ensure that votes go to

him.

The result of the quarrel is that Patsy and Saldivar have now launched one of the most divisive campaigns ever where persons are compelled to declare their support and loyalty to either one on video recording which is turned into television ads.

Of course, not only does this show the desperation of both men, but it has put on display the dirty tactics practised in the UDP. Toledo’s Juan Coy, for example, fell victim to his own dirty games. There are recordings of him pledging support to BOTH candidates, Patsy and Saldivar! Coy eventually admitted, on a for-Patsy ad, that he did meet with Saldivar and was recorded maliciously! Yea right! It is obvious that Coy has been trying to play both camps, and the one which satisfies him most is where he’ll stay.

Another person caught in between a sweaty and bulgy body and a hard place is Belmopan Mayor Khalid Belisle. It seems that the recentlyelected Mayor who John Saldivar had been “maintaining” with a lucrative Government post, must now pay his dues.

Rumors are, however, that Belisle has been making overtures to the Patsy camp. There have been reports of “secret” meetings between the two in which bold promises regarding the UDP’s future in Belmopan have been made. This may be the work of the young Mayor’s father, Denton Belisle, who is on Patsy’s side.

Belisle has attempted to lay the rumors to rest in private UDP meet-

23 ings. Of course, those were also recorded and turned into ads. Saldivar better keep a close eye on that boy.

He wouldn’t want to be caught saying, Et Tu Khalid?

Patsy outspends Faber has outspent Saldivar on television ads three to one. Pro-Faber ads flooded the television for three full weeks before Saldivar placed his first ad.

Saldivar outguns But Saldivar has brought the heavy weights on his side. Last week he resurrected former UDP Leader Dean Lindo just for an ad. Lindo still carries tremendous weight in the UDP. And Saldivar finally got Gapi to say that he has his back. Of course in the UDP, Gapi is fast becoming persona non grata for abandoning the sinking ship.

House in disorder Patsy has also made a big deal about controlling special Cayo delegates. You would think that since Saldivar is a Cayo rep he would have the entire west on lockdown. That isn’t so.

Patsy has turned Saldivar’s backyard upside down. Saldivar is a Belmopan boy, but he had slowly extended his political influence into Cayo South, in particular communities such as Camalote and Unitedville. But today, both Camalote and Unitedville are among those in support of Patsy.

In fact, Patsy has resurrected Ramon Witz who has declared his return to politics. The “chiney” man has had to hang on to Saldivar with hopes for survival.

There is more to report on this UDP fight. Next week we’ll tell you about Saldivar’s low blow and why Faber has called it pure desperation.

What joksters!

CARTOON

24

THE BELIZE TIMES

22 MAY

2016