Belize Times February 5, 2017

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The Belize Times

Established 1957

The Truth Shall Make You Free

5 FEBRUARY 2017 | ISSUE NO: 5030

www.belizetimes.bz | $1.00

BARROW’S DIRTY

VOTERS LIST

Manuel Heredia Jr.

Edmond Castro

John Saldivar

Erwin Contreras

Wednesday, 01 February 2017 The Dean Barrow Administration is actively seeking to delay a registration of voters, due by law on July 1, 2017, because they say the next general elections are too far away.They’re flip-flopping away from their excuse the last 2 postponements, which was that the country was too close to Rene Montero

Elvin Penner

THE BARROW/

ASHCROFT ALLIANCE WHO GOT RICH?

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Party Unity in OW Pg. 6

Lord Michael Ashcroft with US Vice President Mike Pence

Wednesday, 01 February 2017 In a move he claims was top secret, on Friday in the House of Representatives, Prime Minister Dean Barrow passed through all its readings "a bill for an act to restate for greater certainty the immunity of the Central Bank of Belize for legal proceedings in other states." This is a bogus bill. As he stepped out of the chambers after speaking on the absolutely critical

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BELIZE’S STAR SHINES BRIGHT

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THE BARROW/

BARROW’S DIRTY

VOTERS LIST

Continued from page 1 general elections. The Opposition Party is asking for it to be done, and demanding that the Government follow the laws of the country, but the ruling party is stubbornly sticking to its decision even though the last re-registration exercise was 20 years ago.

The Elections and Boundaries Commission reports that there are currently over a 198,000 registered voters in Belize. There is proof that the Opposition has provided in the past that there is fraud within the voters list. However, the latest bit of evidence came last week from former Immigration Director Ruth Meighan who conceded that just before 2012 General Elections there was fraud committed for Belizean nationality where UDP politicians and agents were rushing in to get nationality for persons who didn’t qualify. That fraud on nationality certainly transferred over to the voters’ list, and that was how the UDP managed to steal the 2012 elections.

This time around, when the PUP is trying to level the playing field and bring back some integrity in the electoral process of Belize, the UDP is deliberately trying to block that attempt. In August 2016, the Prime Minister first indicated that there would not be re-registration until after the 2018 Municipal Elections. The Elections and Boundaries Commission, headed by Chairman Doug Singh, finalized that decision on Tuesday, January 31, 2017, in a meeting with all commissioners. Their logic is that the people of Belize only come out to re-register when there is a General Election. They reason that to do one before then would compromise the voters’ list because all those people, who are qualified to vote, will not make it out to re-register because there is no urgency to do so.

Doing it before Municipals, from the UDP’s perspective, is not prudent since those elections only affect a fraction of the voting population. Instead, what the Commission wants to do is to conduct a re-districting exercise to equalize the 31 electoral divisions. It is well known that some constituencies are disproportionately larger than others. In one instance, a constituency is 3 times as large as another.

So, redistricting is important, but the Opposition believes that re-registration is a much higher priority because the voters list needs to reflect an accurate picture of the voting population of the country, which then allows for an equivalent division of the constituencies. Also, those voters who are deceased need to be removed from the list so that they cannot come back from the dead and vote in any other election. Therefore, doing a re-registration exercise legitimizes the compromised voters’ list that is currently afflicted by fraud.

The Opposition is calling the Government out on the decision to continue their course of action.

The PUP released a statement saying, “The People's United Party condemns this decision as a blatant act of political convenience when the national interests and the preservation of our democracy demand that we update our outdated, padded and illegal electoral rolls.”

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5 FEB

THE BELIZE TIMES

ASHCROFT ALLIANCE Continued from page 1 nature of that Bill, PM Barrow then did an about-face and told the media, “I need to repeat that this can't stop people who are not within our jurisdiction from making an attempt.” In other words, Lord Ashcroft can shuffle the debt to some other foreign entity which will then move to recover that debt. Ashcroft has shown that he is nothing if not determined and over-resourced, so this is not over by a long shot, and the Bill does nothing to protect Belize’s assets, except in the very, very short term.

UDP propaganda notwithstanding, there is something very off about the Prime Minister’s long and very lucrative relationship with Lord Michael Ashcroft. Belizeans have been told to vilify the PUP for an accommodation agreement signed over 10 years ago which made excessive government concessions to Ashcroft’s BTL – a GOB to BTL agreement. But there is no single PUP politician who has gotten rich off that accommodation agreement. For the truth, connect the dots and follow the money.

Which politician has benefitted the most from the alliance, unholy or otherwise, with Lord Michael Ash-

croft in the past 8 years? The answer would have to be – Dean Oliver Barrow. Mr. Barrow has benefitted politically by vilifying Ashcroft, even as his law firm, Barrow and Williams, continued to reap the benefits of a relationship with Lord Ashcroft, their client.

With control of BTL, Dean Barrow was able to place his son at the helm, with a host of other UDP cronies. Through BTL, the Prime Minister made his son a millionaire. When Anwar leaves BTL next month, it is said that his severance package will be in the region of three/quarters of a million dollars. Thank you, Lord Ashcroft.

In the Senate earlier this week, lead Opposition Senator Eamon Courtenay asked the pertinent questions which nobody from the government side has deigned to answer. Why did the government not challenge to an end the accommodation agreement in Court? Why were both the PUC and ACB (Association of Concerned Belizeans) instructed to discontinue their challenges to the so-called odious accommodation agreement?

Why? Enter Lois Young Barrow, the exwife of the Prime Minister. She was the first attorney of choice to handle

BELIZE’S STAR SHINES BRIGHT Wednesday, 01 February 2017 Tonight there is no word on whether the government of Belize and the Belize Tourism Board will acknowledge Rebecca Rath’s achievements in Manila. There has been no press release after Sunday’s Miss Universe pageant, as there was after US Olympian Simone Biles won gold in the Olympics. There has been no talk of a motorcade or of the keys to the city being handed over.

As one, the collective heart of a hopeful nation fell on Sunday night as Miss Universe host Steve Harvey called out the name of the last semi-finalist. Our representative, Rebecca Rath, did not make it to that round. For hours the social media circuit buzzed with frenetic activity, Belizeans crying foul.

The reality, though, is that by her very presence and activity in the run-up to the pageant, Rebecca Rath provided Belize with amazing positive publicity. For weeks this young Belizean captured the hearts of international media outlets, and Belize was named prominently in them. She may not have won, but she represented Belize proudly and well.

It is past time that our government recognize not only Rath, but all Belizeans who go abroad to represent us. The odds are stacked against all of them because there is no official support and resources are ALWAYS lacking. The Belize Times salutes and thanks Ms. Rath for her stellar participation in the pageant.

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2017 litigation with the Ashcroft Group over BTL. She made millions from that litigation, and is now ensconced at the UN as Belize’s Ambassador. Enter Denys Barrow. Brother of Dean, he was a Justice on the Court of Appeal of St. Lucia, and actually resigned that eminent post to go back to private practice as his brother’s special attorney. Denys Barrow has made millions off Ashcroft litigation.

After all this expensive litigation, and defeat after defeat, the Prime Minister in a very secret meeting with Lord Ashcroft in Miami in 2015, mysteriously decided to give in. By give in we mean that he signed a blank check for the Lord – committing on behalf of Belize to pay an unknown amount of money, since the judgment from the arbitral panel was at that point unknown. He took his law partner to that meeting, but has refused to say how much his law firm made off the settlement with Ashcroft based on that secret meeting.

At the House on Friday, and in the Senate on Monday, the UDP continued to pump that old and worn spiel on the accommodation agreement. But there is something screwy about the events since 2008. There is something screwy about Dean Barrow’s very lucrative alliance with Lord Ashcroft, and about the decisions he has made as regards Lord Ashcroft since 2008.

Follow the money. Since 2008, who has gotten rich off association with Lord Ashcroft? The Prime Minister certainly has. His law firm and law partner certainly have. His ex-wife certainly has.

His son certainly has. Assorted UDP cronies certainly have. His brother certainly has. And Lord Ashcroft certainly has. Lord Ashcroft has not lost one penny from this prolonged litigation.

The Barrow/Ashcroft Alliance has been good for the PM and Lord Ashcroft and bad for Belize. That is the truth.

The Belize Times

Established 1957

14 APR 2013

6 Feb

ISSUE NO: 4840

The Truth Shall Make You Free

www.belizetimes.bz

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$1.00

serving Belize since 1957 as the longest continuous newspaper.

Founder: Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price, People’s United Party Leader Emeritus OFFICE MANAGER

Fay Castillo EDITOR

Mike Rudon

LAYOUT/GRAPHIC ARTIST

Chris Williams

OFFICE ASSISTANT

Roberto Peyrefitte SCAN HERE

5 Feb

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7 Feb

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5 FEB

2017

THE BELIZE TIMES

BRICEÑO CALLS FOR INVESTIGATION INTO ELECTORAL FRAUD ALLEGATIONS

Monday, January 30, 2017 During her final appearance before the Senate Select Committee on the special Immigration and Nationality audit on Wednesday January 25th, former Immigration Director, Ruth Meighan admitted under oath that in the run-up to the 2012 General Elections, an unusual number of Belizean nationalities were processed.

She disclosed that “the Department did process a lot of applications that would have taken a little bit longer during that period.” In essence, she admitted that electoral and immigra-

tion fraud occurred given that the requirements for many applicants were not met. She further acknowledged that indeed, she believed the reason to have been getting the new citizens inducted in time for them to vote.

Not surprisingly, the UDP shut down Opposition Leader, Hon. John Briceño when he attempted to call them out on the adjournment at the January 27th House Meeting. Prime Minister Dean Barrow used the excuse that the matter is currently before a committee of the Senate and therefore should be allowed to conclude before they discuss it in the Lower House.

The fact is that the revelations are out in the public domain already and so the Hon. Briceño wasted no time in reiterating that the blatant corruption must be addressed, when he was asked about Meighan’s disclosure after the Party’s National Party Council meeting in Orange Walk on January 28th. First, Briceño noted that the People’s United Party (PUP) is not surprised whatsoever as “we saw ministers and their cronies with boxes of applications between October of 2011 and February of 2012.”

Despite the fact that another General Election has come and gone since 2012, Hon. Briceño affirms that

Prime Minister Barrow “needs to do the right thing. He needs to look at what is going to be his legacy. Is he going to allow this to continue… to perpetrate this kind of electoral fraud? We are saying that we need to hold the people accountable—the people that orchestrated this plan.”

Briceño is requesting that the Director of Public Prosecutions be called in for an investigation “and if there are applications that were not properly vetted or did not have all the requirements, we need to be able to cancel them and let them start the process all over again.” Beyond that, Briceño insists that the people who obtained nationality in that rush must be scrapped off the voters’ list.

“The law was broken,” said Briceño and they must understand that as such, there must be a thorough investigation and chips must fall where they may: “if ministers are found guilty, they need to answer!”

But after Friday’s House meeting, PM Barrow said “while I’m concerned about the whole issue I’m particularly concerned about ministers, and quite frankly, let’s leave Mr. Penner aside, I don’t know that I have heard anything that would suggest to me that any minister has been guilty of any kind of actionable corruption. There are some

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terrible appearances, from what I have seen. You might want to question people’s judgment; you might even want to draw some conclusions that some of us might say are ineluctable. But that’s not the same as evidence that is convincing that ministers engaged in wrongdoing. If such evidence, later on, is forthcoming then I will know how to act.”

Briceño’s response - “I’m not in the least shocked that the Prime Minister is going to try to spin his way out of this! He was the one who talked about Ali Baba and the 40 thieves!”

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Questions to Ministers

Could the Member for Queen Square and Prime Minister please say whether his law firm, Barrow and Williams, was paid a percentage of the settlement agreement with Lord Ashcroft, since his law partner Rodwell Williams, signed on that agreement? Could he say what percentage, and how much money his law firm received?

Could the Member for Queen Square and Prime Minister please confirm very reliable reports that his law firm still represents the Ashcroft Group here in Belize? And would he be able to say exactly how much his law firm has made from Lord Michael Ashcroft since 2008?

Could the Member for Queen Square and Prime Minister please confirm or deny reports that his son Anwar will be receiving three/ quarters of a million dollars as his severance package when he leaves BTL in March of this year? Could he say how much his son has been paid, including allowances, since being placed at BTL? Could the Minister of NEMO, canefields and illicit affairs please confirm or deny reports that he recently put large parcels of land in the name of his baby momma from Belmopan? If so, could he say exactly how much land and how he was able to acquire that land?

Could the unelected Senator, Minister of Agriculture and the man formerly known as the people’s champion please confirm or deny reports that he called the Minister of Police to intervene when his son was allegedly detained for Aggravated Assault in Belmopan one week ago?

Could the member for Orange Walk East and junior Minister of Police please confirm or deny reports that he called Police to release the son of his colleague who was detained at the Belmopan Police Station for Aggravated Assault?

Could the unelected Senator, political failure and Minister of Natural Resources please say whether there has been any progress in the so-called investigation into the compensation scam under former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega?

5 FEB

2017

IF DAH NOH SOH!

Sick?

Sure as hell there ain’t no love lost between us and the bald Mugabe, but it gives us no joy to hear reports that Dean Oliver is ailing. We know he’s had a bad back for a while now. God knows we fervently believe that some of his decisions were made while he was under the influence of pain meds, but now there’s word that it’s much bigger than that. We hear that he’s leaving on a jet plane in a matter of months, and it’d be a lie to say we’re sorry to see him go. But hey, the least DB could do is tell that people what’s really going on. Hope he doesn’t think that he’s just gonna give the nod to his woman-beating sidekick and skip town, but I figure he’s already gotten the memo from Cabinet on that. Fun and joke aside though, if the reports are true we wish the fellow well.

Cleaning house…

It’s kinda interesting that since late 2016 the woman-beater has been acting out, playing grown up while his daddy Dean sits on the sidelines.

We hear he’s been on a countrywide tour to rally support for his push for PM when Dean departs, but apparently it’s not being going quite as well as he expected. Still, on the bright side, all nine persons who attended his Cayo Northeast rally were very attentive and supportive. So anyway, the word is out. The anger-management basket case has already indicated that he’s going to move on the land-grabber Rene Montero and also Mayor Earl Trapp. Apparently there’s talk of Montero being replaced by Vanessa Neal and John August being brought back. Don’t take my word for it…go find out for yourself! One thing about this lil fellow…he’s not making any friends in Cabinet or anywhere else. $4 Million immigration restaurant…

A couple issues back we told you about the proposal for a one-stop restaurant and immigration shop in Belmopan. A lil bird from the Ministry of Finance had told us that the owner of Chon Saan in the capital was asking $4M and government was interested in purchasing the building so the Immigration Department can move there. Shortly after, the owner of Chon Saan made a big fuss, saying that he was only asking $1.6M…man gat big hallary laughing cause he seh we get wih story wrong. Well here’s the thing. The source at the Ministry of Finance clarified for us. Apparently the owners are asking $1.6M for the building and the land it sits on. But then there’s the matter of the large parking lot right in front of the building. They’re asking $10,000 a month for a period of 20 years – that comes up to $2.4M. So do the maths - $1.6M + $2.4M = $4M. See, there you go.

Can you hear me now?

Severance package…

So the First Son gets set to leave BTL soon, probably in March. But he’s not going empty-handed. Since BTL is for us, and for you, I guess you already know that he’ll be walking away with approximately $750,000 as a severance package right? I guess, since we Belizeans run things at BTL, we also approved his yearly bonus of 75% of his annual pay. Want me to repeat that?

ANNUAL BONUS OF 75% OF HIS ANNUAL PAY! My lerd! I guess it pays to be the son of the Prime Minister because I sure as hell can’t figure out what else he did for BTL. In fact the company has gone to shit since he took over and ain’t nobody feeling the rush. Word to this bloated scribe is that the nod is being given to another one of the PM’s golden boys, John Mencias to replace the First Son. Let’s see how that’ll play out.

Godwin…

So check this out. Belmopan Police are investigating an allegation we hear has been made against the son of Godwin Hulse. According to reports, the son of the self-proclaimed genius pistol-whipped either one or two persons who went into the store he manages in Belmopan. Now see…any normal person would have been locked up immediately, charged for Aggravated Assault and remanded since the offence was committed with a firearm. But not so for the not normal people! Hear this…the Police don’t even want to admit that it was Godwin’s son, even though they had him detained for a minute before a call came in from up top. They say, in a whisper, that they will need to conduct an ID parade to be sure that it is Godwin’s son…lmao. But there’s more.

The victims gave statements, but all of a sudden the Police need further statements from those victims before they can proceed with the case, and those victims are apparently very busy, at least according to the Police. This is bullshit. I don’t give a damn if its Godwin’s son or John Doe…how the hell did we get to this point where there are two separate sets of laws for normal people and not normal people? If he broke the law lock him the hell up.

5 FEB

THE BELIZE TIMES

2017

5 05

EDITORIAL

Treacherous Waters

O

n Friday, in the House of Representatives, the government side found it a source of great hilarity when the Opposition was manoeuvred, forced really, into supporting ‘a bill for an act to restate for greater certainty the immunity of the Central Bank of Belize from legal proceedings in other states.’ What the Bill does, in a nutshell, is firewall assets held by the Central Bank of Belize from attachment – according to Mr. Barrow, a move made by the Ashcroft Group to recover $100M owed to it by the Government of Belize as a result of two separate judgments in the US Supreme Court.

The Bill, incredibly, also criminalizes any effort to recover those monies by moving on the reserves held by the Central Bank of Belize. What this likely means is that Lord Ashcroft, who holds Belizean status, and his companies registered in Belize, would become targets of the government of Belize if they move on our assets. Likewise, it seems that any individual or entity in Belize who assists that endeavour in any way, from attorney to advisor to secretary, would also be liable to jail time or a significant fine.

The Opposition was placed in a ‘damned if I do, damned if I don’t’ position. As lunatic as the Bill appears to be at first glance, which is all the Opposition members had in the hour they received it before the House sitting, the foreign reserves of the country are sacrosanct and must be protected. The economic crisis is already far-advanced. To have our reserves frozen, or God forbid seized, would be catastrophic, a death blow to a country already at the brink. To refuse support for Barrow’s new legislative bastard child would have seemed unpatriotic. To abstain would have appeared cowardly. It became a case of the end justifying the means – protection of our assets no matter the cost politically or otherwise.

Mr. Barrow grinned from ear to ear as the Opposition members supported, barely able to contain his mirth. The government members seemed unable to control themselves, howling with laughter. What a joyous occasion, a celebration, break out the champagne and strippers and let’s make it a real party. But really, the occasion did not call for it. It is as if they do not understand the gravity of the situation which has brought us to the point where our foreign reserves are in danger of being seized as a result of a US Supreme Court judgment. Never before in our young political history have we been at this point. NEVER! There is nothing to laugh about. Nothing to smile about!

The best case scenario is that the ‘Barrow Bill’ will result in a protracted round of litigation in which the substance of the Bill itself will go through every judicial stage, from the Supreme Court to the Caribbean Court of Justice. At the same time, no doubt, there will be parallel moves to recover the $100M owed to Lord Ashcroft. Because it is owed!

For eight years the government has relied on one spiel. Ashcroft is the white devil and the odious secret accommodation

agreement is the root of all evil. In the event of drought, blame the accommodation agreement. If there is flood, must be that damned accommodation agreement. Pestilence and plague – the accommodation agreement!

The white devil thing is iffy, since Mr. Barrow’s law-firm has represented self-same white devil’s interests for years and allegedly even now continues to do so. In fact, Mr. Barrow has maintained a more than cordial relationship with the Lord, including, we are told, parties aboard Ashcroft’s yacht. Talk about cozy.

All the PM’s vehemence and vitriol and rhetoric in public don’t hold much water when all things Barrow/Ashcroft are considered.

Then there’s this. If the odious, reprehensible accommodation agreement was so odious and reprehensible, why didn’t the admittedly litigation happy government challenge its validity in a court of law. Had they done so, and maintained that single suit to its end, we would not be where we are today. That is a fact. Instead, Mr. Barrow left the accommodation agreement alone, to be used only for political propaganda, and challenged every damned thing else, losing at every turn.

It is a fact that if the accommodation agreement of so long ago was challenged and declared null and void, there would have been no $557M albatross around the necks of the Belizean people today. Many other millions we have lost in prolonged, protracted and lucrative litigation would not have happened. There would be no $100M debt forcing us to scurry for cover, our foreign reserves in obvious jeopardy though Mr. Barrow plays it off somewhat.

We are where we are because of the wrongheaded decisions of Dean Oliver Barrow. HE decided to nationalize BTL. HE decided not to continue a challenge to the accommodation agreement. HE decided not to pay for the company. HE decided not to pay loans taken on by BTL before nationalization.

HE decided on prolonged litigation. He decided to settle, quite unexpectedly and mysteriously, with Lord Ashcroft after seven years of interest-laden litigation. HE decided to give Lord Ashcroft a BLANK CHECK. HE signed (and allegedly crafted) a terribly drafted agreement which allowed Ashcroft to demand payment in US, depleting our foreign reserves. HE decided that Belize would not be represented in arbitration abroad, resulting in this new $100M debt.

It is past time for Mr. Barrow to pull up his big-boy briefs and take some responsibility for his own actions. He has been the master of his own destiny and ours since 2008. Yet he continues to blame actions of more than a decade past for where we are today. The truth is that we are where we are because of the actions, and inaction, of Dean Barrow, not because of an agreement drafted more than ten years ago.

The truth shall set us free.

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5 FEB

THE BELIZE TIMES

‘Optical’ Barrow Runs from Ruth’s Testimony

Tuesday, 31 January 2017 Following Friday’s sitting of the House of Representatives, Prime Minister Dean Barrow was asked about the allegations of electoral and immigration fraud made against members of his Cabinet by a former Director of Immigration, Ruth Meighan. The most adroit of dodgers, Barrow responded, “Can we wait until the inquiry is concluded and the report is submitted before you ask me to comment in any detail...what is happening is public and conclusions are no doubt being drawn and facts are in the public domain. I don't think there is any need for assistance from me for that process."

When pressed a little further, Barrow withdrew to his usual ‘optical’ position, “I don't know that I have heard anything that would suggest to me that any minister has been guilty of any kind of actionable corruption. There are some terrible appearances. From what I have seen, you might want to question people's judgment. You might

even want to draw some conclusions that some of us might say are ineluctable, but that's not the same as evidence that is convincing that ministers engaged in wrongdoing."

Mr. Barrow will go down in history as the Prime Minister who has never seen any evidence of corruption in his Cabinet, even as he is being whaled in the head with that very corruption. When Ruth Meighan was speaking before the Senate Inquiry, she was not speaking as a pass-

Party Unity in OW 30th January 2017 On Saturday the National Party Council of the People's United Party met in Orange Walk Town. This was the first quarterly meeting for 2017 of the second highest governing body of the PUP, which includes the members of the National Executive and delegates from all thirty one constituencies. True to his leadership style of reaching out to the people, the Party Leader Hon. John Briceño endorsed having the NPC outside of the Party Headquarters in Belize City, and has pledged to rotate the venue throughout the country.

Welcoming the delegates to Orange Walk was Mayor Kevin Bernard who spoke of the work of the Town Council and the challenges they have faced having to deal with a vindictive central government. Despite that he said that with the support of the people he and his Council have gotten the job done, paving streets, renovating parks and providing quality service to all residents of Orange Walk Town. He called for all sections of the Party to awake to action to rescue Belize from the grips of this oppressive UDP regime.

Party Chairman Henry Usher went through the proposed changes to the Party's Constitution, highlighting that after wide consultation, the Party Leader had recommended to the National Executive Terms of Reference for the Regional Deputy Leaders and restructured roles for the National Strategic Manager, National Campaign Manager and Treasurer. These recommendations were approved by the National Executive and ratified by the National Party Council, which also approved unanimously the appointment of Servulo Baeza as National Campaign Manager.

Four resolutions were read and approved by the Council. The first on taxation calls on the Party to resist the UDP government's plan to levy more taxes on the already-over taxed citizens. On the issue of the national debt, which has ballooned to $3.3 billion because of the recklessness and incompetence of Dean Barrow, the Council demanded that the Government immediately engage in genuine consultation with all Belizean stakeholders including the PUP. The PUP must be included in the re-negotiation with Bondholders so that the best terms can be achieved for the long-term benefit of Belize; that there be full disclosure of fees paid to local and foreign advisors, including Hallmark, and that a comprehensive audit be done on the squandering of the Petrocaribe funds.

The Council then called for an independent audit to be carried out at the Ministry of Natural Resources, that the unlawful compensation packages paid out to Andre Vega and Sharon Pitts be returned immediately, and that those responsible at the Lands Department for the wanton corruption that permeated throughout in the last eight years be brought to justice. The Council further resolved to initiate a recall of Gapi Vega in Orange Walk North, if he refuses to resign.

On the issue of immigration, the Council called for a full criminal investigation into the issuing of nationalities at the Immigration Department from 2010 to present, a complete audit of the Immigration Department from 2010 to present, that the Penner file be handed over to the DPP, and that the re-registration exercise be completed before the 2018 Municipal Elections.

The meeting concluded with speeches from the Regional Deputy Leader from the North, Hon. Jose Mai, Deputy Party Leader Hon. Cordel Hyde and Party Leader Hon. John Briceno. They all focused on the proud track record and legacy of the Party, fighting for Independence in the face of unjustified opposition from the UDP naysayers, opening up the sugar cane industry for the farmers and growing the economy for the benefit of all Belizeans.

erby on the street.

She was speaking in the capacity of Director of Immigration during the period in question, the person entrusted by Dean Barrow to approve

nationality documents and passports.

So when Meighan admitted, “I am aware that the Ministers were trying to get people processed for nationality during that period (just before 2012 elections)," she is in the position to know. Meighan further admitted under examination that “Ministers were heavily involved in speeding up the processing of nationality for many individuals in the run up to that election.” She then admitted that the purpose of the intervention by

2017 Ministers was to get persons registered to vote. Shortly after, she went on to admit that the documents for many of those persons were ‘fraudulently prepared,” and many of them did not qualify for nationality and thus did not qualify to be registered to vote.

It is not clear exactly what the Prime Minister needs – perhaps a notarized confession of wrongdoing and corruption by his Ministers would do, assisted with photo and video evidence of those Ministers doing wrong, of course. It is incredible that the man who even now claims to be incorruptible and strait-laced, of such sterling character, is so blinded by greed for power that he is willing to ignore and even condone wanton, blatant corruption by his Ministers.

The testimony of Immigration Officers who allegedly received instructions from those UDP Ministers to issue fraudulent documents will be heard in the next weeks. It will be interesting to see the Prime Minister’s response.

REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST (CONSULTING SERVICES) BELIZE SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT PROJECT II WATER AND SANITATION REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST CONSULTING SERVICES Loan No. 3684/OC-BL Project No.: BL-L1021 Contract/Bid No. 002-2017/2018 The Government of Belize has received financing from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and intends to apply part of the proceeds to payments under the project Belize Solid Waste Management Project, BL-L1021, for hiring a specialized engineering consulting firm to perform the function of Design - Supervising Engineer for the Provision of complete Design Package; Preparation of Bidding Documents; Assistance in Bid Evaluation and Contract Negotiations; Supervision and Construction Quality Assurance and Quality Control for landfill cell expansion and associated ancillary facilities and appurtenances (liner works, surface water and leachate collection and treatment systems, gas venting etc..) of the Mile 24 Regional Sanitary Landfill (RSL). The purpose of the expansion is to extend the life and disposal capacity of the RSL to serve as the country’s only sanitary landfill.

The Solid Waste Management Authority (SWaMA), Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development as Executing Agency on behalf of the Government of Belize now invite eligible consultants to indicate their interest in providing the services. Interested consultants must provide information establishing that they are qualified to perform the services (brochures, description of similar assignments, experience in similar conditions, availability of appropriate skills among staff, etc.).

Consultants may associate to enhance their qualifications.

Consultants will be selected in accordance with the procedures set out in the InterAmerican Development Bank: Policies for the Selection and Contracting of Consultants financed by the Inter-American Development Bank, GN-2350-9 of March 2011 and is open to all eligible bidders as defined in the policies. The selection process shall be the “Quality and Cost Based Selection, (QCBS)” method.

Interested consultants may obtain further information at the website and address below during office hours, 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM local time.

Expressions of interest must be delivered via direct mail, email or hand delivered to the address indicated below by 4:00 PM on March 20th, 2017.

Solid Waste Management Authority of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development Attn: Mr. Gilroy Lewis, P.E., Project Director Queen Elizabeth II Blvd., Cohune Walk Belmopan, Belize, C.A.

Tel: (501) 828 4864; Fax: (501) 802 1527 PO Box 285 E-mail:sw.director@naturalresources.gov.bz; belizeswama.com

5 FEB

2017

UDP DROPS THE BALL IN LITIGATION AGAINST ASHCROFT

Tuesday, January 31, 2017 The Barrow Administration on Friday, January 27th introduced in the House of Representatives two top secret pieces of legislation intended to further insulate and to criminalize attempts to crowfoot the Central Bank of Belize assets abroad. Like the parliamentarians in the lower chamber, all 13 senators unanimously approved the bills when they were debated in the Senate on Monday January 27th.

Perhaps chief among the concerns of the social partner senators was the matter of ongoing costly litigation as a result of the passage of this legislation seeking to insulate the Central Bank’s foreign reserves.

That aside, the background to the need for these bills was also a main focus on the Senate floor Friday. In response to UDP Senator Aldo Salazar, who spoke about the BTL accommodation agreement, Lead Opposition Senator, Eamon Courtenay urged that the whole picture be painted because “we don’t want alternative history.” He explained that this legislation came about because of different companies attempting to enforce arbitration awards.

Courtenay pointed out that the accommodation agreement was subject to two pieces of litigation in Belize. One of them was brought by

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THE BELIZE TIMES

the government-controlled Public Utilities Commission in early 2009 to declare the agreement unlawful and unconstitutional while the other was brought by the Association of Concerned Belizeans (ACB) and Senator Godwin Hulse, then senator representing the business community.

Courtenay questioned, “how is it that they started that when the UDP was in opposition, and when the UDP became the government, they did not continue with the litigation…because if the litigation had proceeded and they won, then the accommodation agreement would have been declared

null and void and there would have been no possibility of succeeding in the arbitration.”

It got worse, added Courtenay.

“When the Government of Belize was taken to arbitration over the accommodation agreement who defended the interest of Belize? Did the Government of Belize defend the interests of Belize in the arbitration? Did the Government of Belize hire an attorney to represent Belize’s interests in the arbitration? The answer is No! No! No! The result is an undefended arbitration award: US$19 million. Interest continues

LADRON!

to accrue and it is now over US$22 million. Nobody defended Belize’s interests.” Likewise, Courtenay says a second and third arbitration also went undefended. Those total US$40.6 million, without interest.

After the Senate meeting, the response of Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte to Senator Courtenay’s questions was, “well, because we knew it was foolishness and it would never fly in our local courts. We knew that what the then Prime Minister did was completely illegal. We were not ‘gonna be a part of a sham; we were not ‘gonna be a part of a charade, waste legal fees, because had we done that we would have had criticism for that. So that was the one instance where we said look, it is expensive to do arbitration in those territories, we don’t know how long it will take and so—but we knew that those could never be enforced here in Belize so we did not waste any time with that.”

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THE BELIZE TIMES

5 FEB

2017

RESOLUTIONS OF THE PEOPLE'S UNITED PARTY RESOLUTION ON SUPERBOND 3.0 National Party Council January 28, 2017 WHEREAS in 2006, the People’s United Party Government being desirous of putting Belize on a sustainable debt repayment path, successfully negotiated an exchange of existing bonds in the amount of US$546 million for new bonds, effectively reducing the average interest rate from around 9.75% per annum to a three stage interest rate step up initially as low as 4.25% per annum for the first three years up to 2010; extending the repayment terms from less than 9 years to 22 years, and creating over $180 million in cash flow relief for the Government in the just the first three years after the exchange; AND WHEREAS by 2008 prior to the UDP taking office, around $80 million in Petrocaribe funds had been accumulated at the Central Bank by the PUP Government that could be used to debt service the superbond; AND WHEREAS because of the fiscal and economic mismanagement and incompetence of the UDP Government bringing the economy to a standstill, and its failure to prudently utilize the $80 million in Petrocaribe funds as originally intended, Belize was unable to meet the repayment obligations in 2013 and was therefore forced to re-negotiate the Superbond AND WHEREAS Dean Barrow after renegotiating the bond boasted to Belizeans that he "had solved the problem once and for all" AND WHEREAS under the UDP the Belizean economy is once again in recession, the fiscal deficit has reached almost half a billion dollars in the last two years alone, over $400 million in Petrocaribe funds has been squandered and the national debt is now $3.3 billion with the result that notwithstanding the pretentious statements of Dean Barrow the Government is yet again unable to meet its obligations to Bondholders BE IT RESOLVED that the People’s United Party: 1. Demands that the Government immediately engage in genuine consultation with all Belizean stakeholders including the PUP regarding the re-negotiation with Bondholders so that the best terms can be achieved for the long-term benefit of Belize; 2. Insists that the Government should not introduce additional taxes during the current recession, nor retrench hard-working Belizeans to try to solve the current economic crisis, nor give in to the demands of Bondholders; 3. Demands full disclosure from the Government of agreements with and total amount of fees agreed to be paid to all local and foreign advisers including Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and Hallmark Advisory in the current and previous renegotiation of the superbond; 4. Demands an immediate and comprehensive audit of the reckless expenditure of all the Petrocaribe loan funds; and 5. Condemns the UDP economic mismanagement and incompetence that has resulted in Belize being repeatedly unable to meet its debt obligations, repeatedly forced to re-negotiate the Superbond and that has once again forced Belizeans to suffer through another UDP induced deep economic recession.

RESOLUTION ON RESOLUTION ON THE TAX INCREASES IMMIGRATION SCANDAL National Party Council January 28, 2017 WHEREAS it has been made clear that the United Democratic Party Government has mismanaged and abused the people’s money for the unlawful gain of their own AND WHEREAS it has been revealed that assets and monies belonging to the people of Belize have been misappropriated by certain UDP Ministers without shame or hindrance, AND WHEREAS the fiscal and economic mismanagement and incompetence of the UDP government has created an economic crisis, with unsustainable and ever-increasing debt repayments, recession and threat of devaluation AND WHEREAS in 2008 the People's United Party government left a Primary Surplus of 98.1 million dollars, and in 2016 under the UDP government there is now a Primary Deficit of $87.6 million dollars AND WHEREAS the National Debt has ballooned by over 1 Billion Dollars in only 8 years, while GDP per Capita has actually declined under that same time period under the UDP government AND WHEREAS over $400 million dollars in Petrocaribe funds have been squandered by the UDP government instead of being used to ease the burden of Belizeans shackled by high taxes, inflation and an increasing cost of living AND WHEREAS the unemployment rate now stands at 12% and the poverty rate is approaching half of the population while UDP Ministers, their family members and cronies continue to get rich BE IT RESOLVED that the People’s United Party: 1. Condemns the UDP economic mismanagement and incompetence 2. Demands that investigations be launched into the sudden and unexplained accumulation of wealth of UDP Ministers, families and cronies and that any monies obtained by illgotten means be returned for the benefit of the people of Belize 3. Insists that no more taxes be introduced on the already-over taxed citizens, nor retrench hardworking Belizeans nor introduce any other austerity measures that will worsen this economic crisis.

Whereas the Constitution of Belize demands that the sale of Belizean Nationality is illegal and when it is against the Laws of Belize to illegally sell or acquire Belizean Permanent residence or nationality And whereas it is illegal to issue visas which do not meet the requirements Conscious of the risk to the national security of Belize and fully cognizant of the fact that the former Director of Immigration declared during the Inquiry of the Special Select Committee of the Senate into the Immigration Scandal that nationality certificates were fraudulently issued prior to the 2012 national elections The People’s United Party: 1. Demands a full criminal investigation into the issuing of nationalities at the Immigration Department from 2010 to present 2. Calls for a full audit of the Immigration Department from 2010 to present 3. Calls on the Dean Barrow administration to instruct the Commissioner of Police to hand over the Penner File to the Director of Public Prosecutions as instructed by the Courts 4. Calls on the Government of Belize to revoke any nationality or permanent residency of any person which was issued with a fraudulent passport or permanent residency 5. Calls for an immediate re-registration exercise to be completed before the 2018 municipal elections.

RESOLUTION FOR THE RESIGNATION OF GASPAR VEGA November 14, 2016 - At a special meeting held on Saturday, November 12, 2016 in Ranchito Village, Corozal District the Northern Caucus (NC) of the People’s United Party (PUP) was updated on the process, procedures and requirements for the recall of a Member of the House of Representatives.

After a very spirited discussion where the members were informed of other land scandals during Hon. Gaspar Vega’s tenure as Minister of Lands the PUP Northern Caucus resolved that: 1. Hon. Gaspar Vega should resign immediately from the House of Representatives because the land issue involving his son Andre Vega, his niece Aragon and compadre Derrick Gillette clearly points to blatant nepotism, cronyism and an egregious cases of conflict of interest.

2. The PUP Northern Caucus supports and will endeavor for a successful recall of the Hon. Gaspar Vega in view of the clear evidence of his dishonest acts.

3. The PUP Northern Caucus calls for urgent public disclosure of the Auditor General’s audit of the Compensation List at the Lands Department.

4. The PUP Northern Caucus calls on the Prime Minister to ensure that monies from other similar land transactions also be recovered.

5. The PUP Northern Caucus calls on the Prime Minister to hold the present and past CEO’s of the Ministry of Natural Resources (Accounting Officers), whose signature appear on the various Agreements with Andre Vega, Sharon Pitts and other similar agreements, accountable and press charges.

6. The PUP Northern Caucus calls for an independent Inquiry/Investigation of the entire Lands Department during the tenure of Hon. Gaspar Vega.

85 MAY FEB 12 JUN 19 JUN

2016 2017 2016 Mexico’s Most Wanted Millionaire was captured as he attempted to re-enter Mexico

By Carlos Loret De Mola (translated) According to official sources, it all ended last week.

David Miguel Nanes Schnitzer, the most wanted millionaire was captured at Mexico City’s International Airport as he tried to re-enter Mexico with false identification, but today he is behind bars at the ‘Reclusorio Sur’ of the country's capital.

On two occasions he was about to be captured

by Mexican Authorities but on those two occasions he slipped away from under their noses. Nanes Schnitzer was not a drug lord nor a serial killer. He was not a corrupt politician. He was simply a millionaire. This is how authorities divulged his information and how the manhunt began.

Since 2009, David Miguel Nanes Schnitzer was the subject of a complaint from the Mexican Treasury via the Mexican Justice Department (PGR). Two years later a judge issued an arrest warrant against him but the guy was no longer within reaching distance. He had already fled the country.

Mexican Intelligence placed him in Texas for the first time in 2012 but by the time the Mexican Justice Department (PGR) filed documents for his arrest and extradition he had disappeared. While another two years went by as U.S. Treasury officials and the PGR worked hand in hand to build a perfect case with the US Department of Justice, the most wanted millionaire was able to disappear from Mexican and the United States Marshals’ radar screen. They waited too long to move in.

After that first time Nanes was relocated again in 2015, this time in Belize. A joint operation between Mexican and US authorities captured him in November of that year. And when everything was ready to be delivered to Mexico on the border of Belize with Chetumal, his lawyers filed bail and he was released, disappearing again from the trail. The case left a bad taste in the mouth of the United States-Mexico duo because the law office that defended Nanes Schnitzer in Belize was headed by Denys Barrow, a brother of the Prime Minister of Belize, Dean Barrow, who exercises his third consecutive term.

In Mexico, ever since the year 2000, a large number of bogus companies were created carrying names that sounded and appeared to be serious and important financial institutions but they weren’t. Their sole purpose was to fraudulently acquire the savings of the public, deceiving them into believing that they would be paid interest rates well above the market value.

And so, according to Mexican Treasury authorities, Rymcapital LLC, Sitma, Inverban, Sifisur was established and appeared as a registered bonafide company. Customers fell victims for the marketing of easy financial returns but were seduced into massive fraud.

Another such famous case was that of ‘Stanford Funds’, which established activities in 2005 spearheaded by David Miguel Nanes Schnitzer. According to his file, he was authorized by the National Banking and Securities Commission of Mexico to receive

THE BELIZE TIMES

9 SPORTS 09

Poverty in Belize… the Disturbing Reality Poverty continues to be the number one developmental challenge for countries such as Belize, simply because poverty can affect many different dimensions of a person’s life: education, health, security, etc. The Belize Country Poverty Assessment Report 2009, commissioned by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) reported that a staggering 42% of Belize’s population was poor with 16% being indigent (very poor).

In absolute terms this means that in 2016, 159,461 Belizeans were poor and out of that number 60,747 were very poor.

In 2009 the CDB defined the annual indigence line at around $2,000 per adult male while the poverty line was defined at around $3,400. To put this into layman’s funds from investors and invest them in a wide range of financial instruments, but with one condition: that this should happen in the Mexican territory and market only.

‘Stanford Funds’ became embroiled in a scandal because it began operating under a "pyramid" scheme and sent the money from its customers to the island of Antigua. In the end, this company was the Mexican branch of a much larger network: the Stanford Financial Group multimillion-dollar scam, of Texan Allen Stanford, a prisoner who has since been convicted in Texas and sentenced to 110 years in prison for a scam of $7 billion.

term, if in 2009 you did not earn $9.32 per day you were considered poor and if you did not earn $5.48 per day you were considered to be very poor. However, since inflation over the 7-year period 2010-2016 was about 12.9% this means that if in 2016 you did not earn $10.52/day you were considered poor and if you did not earn $6.18 per day you were considered very poor.

According to the 2010 population census Belize had an average household size of 4.1; this means that a bread winner had to bring home at least $43.13 per day or the members of that household would be considered poor. If the bread winner did not bring home $25.34 per day the members of that household were considered indigent (very poor). As an example, for a single mother working at a store and making minimum wage ($3.30/ hour) her take home pay would be $148.5/45-hour week. If she has 3 children, it means that the earning per member of the household is $5.31 per day, well below the indigent line of $6.18 per day. That single mother and her three children would therefore be considered indigent (very poor). Regrettably, the scenario set out above is all but prevalent in Belize because of the Barrow Administration’s mismanagement, incompetence and corruption!

With all of Mr. Barrow’s so called “pro-poor” programs, the fact is that more and more Belizeans are slipping into poverty on his watch. His obvious neglect of

rural areas has only served to deepen poverty. In Belize Rural North, Toledo East and Toledo West, the poverty rate is as high as 55%, whilst Stann Creek West is close behind with about 49%: well above the national average of 42%.

While the UN boasts of making marked progress regarding the reduction of poverty over the past decades, Belize, unfortunately cannot say the same because extreme poverty in Belize is unacceptably high. As we watch Barrow’s piss-poor handling of the economy we cannot help but feel that the poverty landscape is not going to change anytime soon. He squandered $400 million of PetroCaribe loans on unsustainable project; projects and activities that did not generate wealth. Mr. Barrow did not do anything to strengthen the Belizean economy, particularly the productive sector. Instead he spent millions fighting foolish legal battles and then, even after having losing those battles, he spent millions more on interest by refusing to pay on time as ordered by the Courts. None of Mr. Barrow’s actions have benefitted the average Belizean who must fork out $557 million for BTL when so many of them can’t even afford BTL’s high cost of service: such cruel irony.

We repeat. Poverty is the number one developmental challenge for countries such as Belize. Mr Barrow’s answer to the wretched state of our people has been his so called “Pro-poor” program.

The problem is that his “Pro-poor” program seems to have benefitted only the “poor” members of his Cabinet who became area representatives and in just eight short years have become wealthy: ala “Clear the Cane” Castro; Boots and Pablo to name a few.

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85 JAN 21 29 AUG JAN FEB

THE BELIZE TIMES TIMES THE BELIZE

2017 2016

SCA Girls Lead CSSSA Football

Belize City, January 27, 2016 The defending champs St Catherine Academy girls are undefeated and leading the Central Secondary Schools Sports Association (CSSSA) girls’ football tournament, entering the playoffs with 15pts from 5 wins at the MCC Garden last Friday.

Last Monday, the Ladyville Tech girls posted their 3rd win: 2-0 against the Pallotti girls when Mary Davis scored 2 goals in the 1st half. On Tuesday, the SCA girls posted their 4th win: 10-0 against Wesley College, with Charlize Hunter and Gabriela Mendoza scoring 4 goals apiece!

Jodi Pott and Jayda Myvett scored a goal apiece to complete the 10-0 win.

SCA's Charlize Hunter scored 4 goals vs Wesley

On Wednesday, the Ladyville girls drew nil-zip with the Gwen Lizarraga High School girls. The Ladyville girls are thus the No.2 seed entering the playoffs with 10pts from 3 wins and a draw. They face a rematch with the No.3 seed Gwen Liz in the semi-finals on Wednesday, February 1.

On Thursday, the Maud Williams High

Wesley & SJC Boys Win in CSSSA Football Playoffs Belize City, January 30, 2016 The St. John’s College and Wesley College boys both posted big wins in the Central Secondary Schools Sports Association (CSSSA) football playoffs at the MCC Garden on Monday evening.

SJC was the No.1 seed from their group, entering the playoffs against the No.4 seed from the other group: the Edward P. Yorke High School boys. Kevin Najera scored first for E.P. Yorke, but Eric Rodriguez equalized 1-1 before the half. Carlos Guerra scored SJC’s 2nd goal for the 2-1 win.

Wesley Boys In Game 2, the Wesley boys were the No.1 seed from their group entering the playoffs against the

by Akeem Sutherland and Herman Card, after Jason No.4 seed from the other group: the Crawford and Sergio AnSadie Vernon Technical High School drade had given E.P. Yorke a boys. Kermit Sutherland scored the 1st 2-0 lead at the half. goal and sent in the 2nd goal with a header to put the finish on a cross from On Thursday, the Gwen Lizarraga boys stomped Daniel Hemmans. Godwin Neal scored Excelsior High: 8-0 with Ora 3rd goal from the edge of the box for lando Velasquez, Kieron PatWesley to lead 3-0 at the half. Bernard nett and Jadon “Cheetes” Bailey scored a 4th goal after the break and Jaylyn Thomas scored the 5th goal Macgregor scoring 2 goals apiece, while Michael for the 5-0 win Deshield and Jurel Westby Last Monday, the Ladyville Technical scored 1 goal apiece. boys posted their 3rd win: 2-1 against On Friday, the Sadie Nazarene High, with goals by Malcolm Vernon boys qualified to the Leslie and Eli Gonzalez, after Austin playoffs by a 4-1 win against Dawson equalized 1-1 for Nazarene before the half.

Maud Williams High, with Stephan “Chinch” Bowen Last Tuesday, SJC and Sadie Vernon scoring 2 goals, and Cion drew 2-2, with Nigel Matus and Dion Augustine and Christian Cacho scoring for SJC and Jevon Logan Gladden added a goal apiece and Michael Bowen scored for Sadie for Sadie Vernon. Only EgVernon. bert Myers scored for Maud Last Wednesday the defending champs, the Anglican Cathedral College Williams.

On Saturday morning in boys drew 2-1 with E.P. Yorke, with goals

SJC Boys

Game 1, the Wesley boys relegated the Gwen Liz boys to No.2 seed in their group by a 1-0 win when Jalen Babb scored the winning goal.

In game 2, the Ladyville Technical boys picked up their 3rd win: 3-0, by the Belize High School boys’ forfeit.

In Game 3, SJC posted their 4th win: 6-1 against Nazarene High with goals

by Shamar Gabourel, Eric Rodriguez, Carlos Pineda, Dion Cacho, Chris Herrera and Claishaun Lewis, in that order.

Only Austin Dawson scored a consolation goal for Nazarene.

In Game 4, the ACC boys drilled Excelsior High: 4-0 with 2 goals from Shaquile Matute, and Akeem “Bib” Sutherland and Darrel Flowers scored a goal apiece.

School girls eliminated the Wesley College girls by a nil-zip draw, to enter the playoffs as the No.4 seed with 5pts from a win and 2 draws. They take on No.1 SCA in the semi-finals.

On Friday, the SCA girls got the easy bye to their 5th win by the Pallotti girls' forfeit of their scheduled match.

BDFA Interoffice Football Heats Up for Playoffs Belize City, January 19, 2016 The final week of regular season games in the Belize District Football Association’s Inter-office football competition at the MCC Garden have become crucial to determine who makes the final cut to the playoffs; with 10 teams fighting for 8 spots.

Last Wednesday, the No.3 ranked Latinos FC drew 1-1 with No.10 ranked SMART when Latinos’ Heber Reyes scored the 1st goal in the 8th minute and Rashim Pitts equalized 1-1 for SMART in the 24th minute.

Last Thursday, Belize Water Services – ranked at No.9 upset Belize Telemedia 4-1 with goals by Alroy Martin in the 13th minute, Ashton Lewis in the 15th minute, Delroy McCord in the 48th minute, and Ashley Hemsley in the 53rd minute. Rasheed Pollard scored BTL’s only goal in the 65th minute.

In Game 2 Thursday night, National Aggregates and RF&G Insurance drew 2-2. National Aggregates’ Wendell Esquiliano scored from a set piece in the 7th minute, and Wendell converted a penalty in the 50th minute. RF&G’s Kendice “Suba” Williams and Douglas Bowen scored a penalty apiece to equalize 2-2.

Upcoming games on Wednesday: Telemedia vs. Belize City Council KHMH vs. Latino’s FC On Thursday night they take on SMART vs. Tourist Village FC BWS vs. Belize Bank, ranked No.3

RFG's Kursha Pollard attacks

MAY 31 85JAN JUL 12 JUN 14 19 AUG FEB JUN 29 JAN

2016 2017 2016 2017

THE BELIZE TIMES

09 11 11

PUBLIC AUCTION SALE: PROPERTY Ambergris Caye, Belize District

BY ORDER of the Receiver, Sueno Del Mar Limited, Licensed Auctioneer Kevin A. Castillo will sell the following property ON SITE [13 Miles north of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, Belize District] on Monday 13th February 2017 at 11:00 am: SUENO DEL MAR RESORT - 13 MILES NORTH OF SAN PEDRO TOWN, AMBERGRIS CAYE

REGISTRATION SECTION BLOCK San Pedro 7

PARCEL 8843

(Being Sueno Del Mar Resort situate 13 Miles north of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye and includes: Palapa Bar & Grill; Two Swimming Pools; Direct TV Satellite System; Isotropic Satellite Internet System; Electrical System provided by Belize Electricity Ltd.; Resort Electricity back-up Generator; 45,0000 gallon resort water storage; Laundry Facility; Guest Storage; Staff Housing; Resort Maintenance Storage; 32 ft. Boat with 2 - 200 HP Yamaha Outboard Motors; 9 Resort Villa Buildings (36 villas are partially furnished and 3 villas unfurnished) (32 two bedroom villas) (6 one bedroom villas) (1 three bedroom villa); on 9.6 acres of land with 506 feet of frontage on the Caribbean Sea in the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve, Ambergris Caye, Belize District, the freehold property of Messrs. Sueno Del Mar Limited

TERMS: STRICTLY CASH KEVIN A. CASTILLO TELEPHONE: 224 4473 Email: kevinacas@yahoo.com

49 12

THE BELIZE TIMES

5 FEB

2017

5 FEB

2017

18 JAN

THE BELIZE TIMES 2015

13

NATIONAL PARTY COUNCIL MEETING

14

5 FEB

THE BELIZE TIMES

2017

THINK ABOUT IT GUATEMALA CHANGED OUR LAW The Guatemalan government has succeeded in changing the Referendum law of Belize. They did so with a bit of help from their friends - the British and the UDP government. Easy as Sunday morning, the UDP flunkies in the House of Representatives changed the law. It was just over two years ago that Prime Minister Dean Barrow publicly stated that no one will even change the referendum acts of Belize. Guess who did it?

It was another act of appeasement by our government. But when our own government can pass a Sarstoon Statutory law to prevent Belizeans from going to their own territory in the Sarstoon, and make it a criminal offence to visit our own river, you know something is terribly wrong.

How could we have gone off track so badly? Our own government is saying and doing things to break our will, to sap our strength, to cause us to become docile and follow the protocol.

Irony of ironies, it is a UDP government that has ceded Sarstoon to Guatemala. It is a UDP government that is pushing a reluctant people to some strange place called I.C.J. pushing and shoving us against our will.

And now…a new propaganda! They have started saying when the people voted in 2012 for UDP and again in 2015, they were voting to go to the I.C.J. There is a poem written by a Belizean. It is called “The Riot Next Time.”

I will try to locate it for you.

MARITIME AREAS LAW In 1990 and 1991 a strange creature came out of the sea. It was called a maritime areas law. It originally had the support of the two major political parties, the puss and dog of Belizean politics.

Specifically, Manuel Esquivel and Dean Barrow of the UDP fully supported passing such a law which limited Belizean claim to its waters off Toledo, ceding/giving to Guatemala miles of Belizean seas and economic zone.

The law was to be a temporary one to show Guatemala Belize’s good faith so Guatemala could continue to negotiate a solution to their unfounded claim to parts of Belize. It was a lie, told to us in our naïve state of mind.

It was a lie, smooth and shy.

Here comes another lie - that Belize will repeal the Maritime Areas Act. A tale told by a deceiver, full of impression and deception, signifying nothing.

Belize cannot control or patrol its own half of the Sarstoon which it used to do from 1859 to 2015. The Belizean government can’t even use the words Guatemala unfounded claim. Government must say the Guatemala differendum.

We can’t speak of our western borders. We must say adjacency zone.

Who really believes that Guatemala will allow Belize to take back miles and miles of sea in front of P.G.?

Imagine, Guatemala telling the Belize Coast Guard to get off the Sarstoon Island, and the Belizean government laps its tail between its legs and abandons Belizean territory to the very bully who has been saying it is theirs.

Incredible!

Who would like to bet that Belize will go ahead and hold a referendum to vote to go to the I.C.J. and Guatemala will not have such a referendum?

We are ‘effed’ or as the British would say, we are royally screwed.

And by the way, why would Guatemala go to the I.C.J. when they can get and are getting our territory little by little. And they haven’t approached their good friend, Donald Trump as yet.

Royally screwed!

NO REFERENDUM IF NO RE-REGISTRATION Now that the referendum law has been changed to appease Guatemala and make it easier for the UDP to get a yes vote from its supporters who make up 49 percent based on the last voters list, here’s the thing.

We now know the UDP stole the 2012 general elections using a voters list riddled with fraud and suspect new voters. Hon. Johnny Briceño exposed the major fraud that went on with the 2012 voters list.

Over two thousand “new” voters have been added to the voters’ list just before the 2012 general elections. For the 2012 general elections the UDP won by a mere 812 voters overall. UDP got 62,641 the PUP got 61,829 votes. Do the maths.

Check this out. In Belmopan, the UDP won by 218 votes. How much of this was “new” voters and bogus voters?

In Corozal Bay, the UDP stole the election by 148 votes.

For Pickstock, Sedi could only scrape by with 82 votes.

In Cayo Central, even with all the thieving that went on, the UDP won by a mere 44 votes!

In Cayo North East, with all the bribery and “new” voters put on the list, the UDP won by a handful, only 17 votes.

Of the 108,753 voters who voted in the 7th March 2012 general elections the result was that the UDP won 17 seats and the PUP won 14 seats. The UDP became government by only three seats. Look at the above five seats which show how close the results were and consider the over 2,000 “new” voters sneaked onto the voters’ list just before the elections.

All the above is to point out that there is no way a free and fair referendum voting can take place with the fraudulent voters’ list that is in existence. There MUST be a re-registration to clean up the voters list before there can be a referendum on losing our country to Guatemala.

GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE MINISTRY OF WORKS AIRPORT LINK ROAD PROJECT

GENERAL PROCUREMENT NOTICE

CONSTRUCTION OF 8.0 KILOMETERS OF PAVED ROAD AND A BRIDGE CROSSING The Government of Belize (GOB) has secured a loan from OFID (OPEC Fund for International Development), (herein referred to as OPEC), towards the cost of the Airport Link Road Project, and intends to apply a portion of the proceeds of this loan to eligible payments under the contract for which this Notice is issued. The Project consists of the construction of 8.0 kilometers of new road and the construction of a new high level bridge structure spanning 81m across the Belize River.

Provided all phases of this process suffer no delays, construction is expected to start within the next (4) four months. The Ministry of Works hereby invites interested contractors in the civil works to be part of this bidding process.

The Project is being implemented by the Ministry of Works (MOW), Project Execution Unit (PEU). A Project Coordinator within the PEU will be responsible for the day-to-day management of project activities.

Engineering Consultants will be retained by MOW to assist with the implementation.

The Scope of Works refers to: • • • • •

Major Earthworks Drainage Pavement & Surfacing New Bridge Construction Roadmarking, Furniture & Miscellaneous Works

Consideration will be given to local & international firms or joint ventures of firms which are legally incorporated, and have qualified extensive experience in bridge and road construction of a similar size and complexity.

Effective immediately, Bidding Documents are available at a cost of Bz.$2,000.00 per set from the Project Execution Unit (PEU), Ministry of Works, Power Lane, Belmopan, Tel: 828-5220, Fax: 822-0563.

All Bidding Documents properly completed should reach the office of the Project Execution Unit, Ministry of Works, Power Lane, Belmopan on Friday 7 April 2017 at 2:00 pm. The Ministry shall not be bound to assign any reason for not post-qualifying any contractor and shall not accept responsibility for any cost incurred by the applicants.

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THINKING OUT LOUD BY: KEVIN BERNARD

It was with pride that I watched Rebecca Rath grace that stage in Manila with her presence on Sunday. She was exceptional, poised, beautiful – radiant even. Not only on Sunday, but in the lead up to the pageant, “Bex” had a presence, a shine.

Our country got big-time representation from this young Belizean who transformed herself into a world-class contender in a matter of months. Like the many thousands who supported Bex in every possible way, I wanted her to wear that crown. To me, no matter how that pageant ended, she still wears that crown.

I posted it on Sunday and I’ll use this forum to say it again. Rebecca Rath, a home-grown Belizean did us proud. She deserves our appreciation and respect, but in a very real way, she also deserves the official acknowledgement and official respect of those in power. The Belize Tourism Board, for example, within hours of US Olympian Simone Biles going gold, had already claimed her, offering an all-expenses paid vacation trip to Simone and her fellow Olympians. Simone Biles is an exceptional athlete – no doubt of that. But Bex is OURS. The BTB/GOB or whoever is in authority to make these decisions needs to get moving and needs to make this young star understand that we are grateful for what she has done for us.

It was clear that even the cameras and organizers loved her. Sitting here at home watching we were privileged and proud to see Bex from every angle strutting her stuff for Belize.

Even in the run-up to the pageant it was clear that she was one of the favourites, cited by various international media entities for her demeanour and sparkle. Her scarlet macaw ensemble wowed the media in the US and in the Philippines. Before the pageant, a television crew travelled to Belize where they did a feature on Bex, but it was really a feature on Belize. We have gotten much from these few weeks in the spotlight. Even as Bex shone, the nation shone, and I am hopeful that that gratitude will be manifested very soon, upon her return to Belize.

Watching the journey of Ms. Rath also made me realize some things. Suppose our Miss Belize had won that crown, had stood

in that tier of three finalists and heard her name called at the very end? It is the Miss Universe tradition that the host country of the winner will host the following pageant. Can you imagine that? In a country thirty-six years past our Independence, we have no facilities in which we could even consider hosting a pageant of this size and splendour. But it goes further. We have nothing close to the peripheral infrastructure needed to support such a pageant.

Could it be that something like that maybe factored into the decision? I guess it’s very possible. Organizers need to look at all possible scenarios and certainly from the film crew’s visit to Belize they would have realized that our small jewel could not possibly have fit the bill as a host country. It gives me no pleasure to say it. It gives me no pleasure to say that the state of our national infrastructure is a crying shame.

In Orange Walk Town, certainly, we are doing what we can and I am proud to say that we have been able to pave 35 streets. But there are so many more!

In the old capital, the business hub, there are literally more potholes and ruts than there are paved streets. Lately even cruise ship passengers have begun to avoid the city. There is nothing to welcome them. Our streets in Belize City are filthy.

This isn’t about meaningless political criticism. Our government needs to look at these things and take action. I watched Bex on that stage and she held her own. In fact, I am prepared to say that all things equal, she would be wearing that crown today. We have so much to offer in this jewel. If nothing else, we saw that on Sunday.

But we need the government to do the right thing. We need our government to stop giving bloated contracts to cronies who do sub-par work, and to attend to proper infrastructure. We need our government to address the real issue of development in our country, and address it in a serious, non-political way. We need the government to support where support is needed, to recognize talent in our people and allocate resources where necessary. Our government needs to start taking care of our own. I hope they start with Bex, our Miss Universe.

TREADING ON DANGEROUS GROUND By: Eduardo Santos

Ethics and morality form central positions in the functioning of the government. Under normal circumstances, it is the role of the government to ensure a just society where order and harmony exist. As a result the government has to establish and enforce ethical and moral standards so as to ensure that the society functions well. Decision-making is the government's chief role. Therefore it must make ethical and moral considerations in order to make decisions that are in line with the welfare of the society.

Morality goes deeper than ethics in defining human behavior and conduct. Ethics refer to the standards that make the society a better place for all while morality provides for deeper considerations that amount to religion and spirituality. In order for the government to ensure that ethical standards are adhered to, ethics and aspects of morality are entrenched into the law.

One of the central purposes of the government is to enforce the law. The law represents the will of the people who have their own cultural and ethical perceptions of reality. As a result the government enforces the ethical and moral values of the people it governs.

In other words it can be rightly said that the government serves to accomplish the people's perceptions of reality as represented in their ethical and moral values.

The law is the government's instrument of power. To perform its functions, the government relies majorly on the law. On the other hand the law is perceived as being representative of the ethical, cultural and moral values of the people. Therefore as much as the law might not be the perfect tool for enforcing ethical and moral values, it remains the governments' chief weapon against unprincipled practices and immorality.

Ethics and a society are inseparable, due to the fact that ethical standards are the adhesive of a healthy society. Therefore there can never be a society without standards that define behavior and conduct. A just society can only exist in line with a set of values that represent the ethical and moral values of the people. A society on the other hand is governed by a group of leaders through the institution of government. Therefore, it is obvious that it is the role of the government to ensure that the society is just and orderly. This is what is referred to as social obligations of the government. In essence the government is a tool of the society.

It is established by the society to gov-

ern it and enforce laws that are deemed to represent the wishes, values and convictions of the people.

The government's social obligations are nothing but the functions of ensuring that ethical and moral standards are adhered to accordingly. This involves the task of ensuring that the laws set represent the ethical and moral values of the people. Conversely, the government needs to go beyond the institutional role of enforcing laws to more welfare operations. This is in line with the fact that the law in itself is inefficient as far as ensuring the enforcement of ethical and moral obligations is concerned.

As far as the government’s role in achieving justice and order in society is concerned, a number of considerations are necessary. Caution must be exercised in the process of discharging the functions of the government. State officers ought to conduct their activities in manner that does not undermine ethical and moral values. To start with, it will be necessary to vet people before appointment to such positions. This will ensure that all those who get these positions are people of integrity. This will go a long way in ensuring that the role of the government in guaranteeing ethics and justice is not undermined by the quality of personnel in its ranks.

The government is the chief custodian of morality and ethical values in the society. It is the role of the government to ensure that moral and ethical standards are maintained in the society so as to assure order and justice. The political system gives government the sole responsibility of ensuring stability, harmony and conformity in the society. It is along this line that the government plays an immense role in guaranteeing ethical and moral values. This role can be performed in many ways. Most commonly the enforcement focuses on the enactment of laws that represent the cultural and ethical values of the people.

These laws are enforced so as to ensure conformity. Those who break the law are liable to punishment in accordance to the law. Through exercising the provisions of the law, the government achieves its objective of creating a just and orderly society. However, since ethics and morality are relative terms, not all aspects of ethics and morality can be entrenched into the law. As the body that should be setting the example for the citizens of Belize, our government has failed us miserably. In the end, our government will always amend the laws to justify their failures. This trend will eventually cause us to be ostracized from the international community.

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5 FEB

THE BELIZE TIMES

MY PERSPECTIVE

By Dolores Balderamos Garcia

MANNERS MAKETH THE MAN A picture does indeed paint a thousand words. I am sure many, many people were shaking their heads when they saw Donald Trump bound up the stairs of the White House on January 20, 2017, leaving his wife way behind as if she were the maid.

The scene was the front staircase of the White House in Washington DC, and the day was the one on which President Barack Obama demitted office and Donald Trump moved in to assume the Presidency of the United States of America. Mr. Obama and his wife Michelle were all style and grace. They stood at the top of the stairs waiting for Mr. Trump and his wife Melania to alight from their vehicle and come to greet them before entering the White House in what for the United States is an honored tradition in the seamless transfer of power from one president to the next.

The Obamas were all smiles. The black official car drew up the curb, and Mr. Trump came out.

Traditionally the Presidentelect will alight, wait for his wife to come out from the other side of the vehicle and come around the back thereof, and then the two together will climb the stairs and approach the outgoing President and First Lady to exchange cordial greetings. Then the four enter the White House. Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, two George Bushes, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama all waited for their wives before they went up the stairs to greet the outgoing first couple. Someone took the time to research the photograph archives, and the pictures clearly show the new first couples walking together to approach the outgoing President and First Lady.

It appears that Donald Trump is different. Millions of people saw very plainly as he came out of his vehicle and never paused or stopped. He walked right up the stairs and started greeting Michelle and Barack Obama. His poor wife, who alighted the left side of the car and walked around the rear carrying a light blue box (a

gift no doubt for Michelle Obama), had to walk up the staircase on her own. Mr. Trump did not even look around to see if she was alright, and when she arrived at the top of the stairs there was an awkward moment when Mrs. Obama did not know where to put the gift that Mrs. Trump had presented to her.

What manner of man is Mr. Trump? Obviously he seems to be a man who does not care about accompanying his wife. To him is she a mere appendage? I was completely incredulous on seeing the images unfold. When the traditional reception greeting by both couples was complete, Mr. Trump marched ahead of all three others into the White House!! It was clearly seen when Barack and Michelle Obama placed their arms around Mrs. Melania on either side of her back and gently steered her as they all trailed behind Mr. Trump to go inside the building.

You know, when I was growing up I had the excellent fortune of having a Dad who was the perfect gentleman. He and my Mom taught all of us good, sound manners. It is unheard of that a male should prance past his partner when they arrive together at any venue. If you are walking on the street, the boy must make sure that the girl is on the inside while he walks closer to the traffic.

If a boy is on a bicycle, he must get off and walk his bike alongside the young woman he is accompanying.

And when you drop off someone at his/her home you wait to see him/ her get inside before driving off.

Soon the manners become second nature. My husband and my three brothers always show these kinds of courtesies, and I believe all men should.

Once more, the world is lamenting that this individual is now firmly ensconced in the White House in the United States Capital. A hyper-narcissist, obsessed in his first week in office with losing the American popular vote and with worries that the numbers at his inauguration were paltry when compared to Barack Obama's.

To conclude this little missive what more can I say but Manners Maketh the Man?? !! Please go figure.

2017

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the below companies have been dissolved and struck off the International Business Companies Register with effect from the date indicated: PEGASUS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED – January 27th, 2017 HISPANIC MANAGEMENT CORPORATION - January 27th, 2017 ALEMAN, CORDERO, GALINDO & LEE TRUST (BELIZE) LIMITED

Registered Agent

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the below companies have been dissolved and struck off the International Business Companies Register with effect from the below respective date: SALFORD INVESTMENTS LTD. - January 27th, 2017 CORPLINE LIMITED – January 27th, 2017

Belize Corporate Services Limited Registered Agent

NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the below companies have been dissolved and struck off the International Business Companies Register with effect from the below respective date: Prusiana Corp. - January 26th, 2017 Arezzo Inc. - January 26th, 2017 Ibiza Corp. - January 26th, 2017 Sena Corp. - January 26th, 2017 Belize Corporate Services Limited Registered Agent

NOTICE MOONPICTURE CONSULTANTS LTD. # 151, 223

(“the Company”) Pursuant to Section 102 (8) of the International Business Companies Act, Chapter 270 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, notice is hereby given that MOONPICTURE CONSULTANTS LTD. has been dissolved as at 27th January, 2017 and has been struck off the Register of International Business Companies.

MACLACHLAN & DENNIN LIMITED Registered Agent

5 FEB

2017

DUPED!!

BUT WHO AND BY WHOM? By: Norris Hall THE long and costly battle of egos between the Prime Minister and a British billionaire continues to be played out at great cost to the people of Belize.

It is a drawn out saga like that of a soap opera, or more like a game of thrones with the backdrop being the national telephone company - Belize Telemedia Ltd. for which the British billionaire extracted more than a pound of flesh, when his investment was grabbed from him in a hostile nationalization move.

A sequel to this “Bollywood” type drama was recently played out in the law-making body of the Government.

The Legislature unanimously moved to support a bad Bill, probably by the time you read this a bad law, after the United States Supreme Court and the British billionaire yanked the Prime Minister’s chain. His government was forced to hemorrhage again with more money by scraping from the bottom of the national coffers to settle yet another loss by this government to the billionaire, in what appears to be never ending and costly litigation.

The knee-jerk reaction by the Prime Minister was made after an international tribunal ruled and a U.S. Supreme Court upheld a judgment that the Belize Government has to pay another $100 million to two of the British billionaire’s group of companies.

The Caribbean Court of Justice, which the Prime Minister said is the highest jurisprudence and judgement he was prepared to accept (in hindsight) commented that the government of Belize would have had a better chance if it were represented at the international tribunal. It was not.

When the judgment was handed down, the Prime Minister immediately declared that he “will not pay.” He then realized that at the time he had no choice and moved hastily to introduce two Bills in an attempt to protect the assets of the Central Bank of Belize.

At a hastily called “Special Sitting” of the House of Representatives last week, the House “debated” the two new bills introduced by the Prime Minister, to “immunize” the Central Bank of Belize from any such liability incurred by the Barrow Administration. The headline in the news that evening was “House meets to discuss a Strategy on Arbitration Awards” and to “debate” the two Bills. No “strategy” was discussed and no Bill was “debated”.

The Opposition certainly objected because they had received the two Bills only an hour before the House meeting. They “did not have the opportunity to be able to study them properly and to consult on the issues.” But they voted on the Bills anyway, “because”, as the Leader of the Opposition stated, “we will always stand up for Belize”.

Did the Prime Minister tug at his heartstrings when he urged support for the Bills aimed to protect national assets, by declaring that “this is not about the government this is about Be-

17

THE BELIZE TIMES

lize?” In that case the Prime Minister, in a reversal of his usual arrogance, played those heartstrings like a violin to charm the Opposition where patriotism was made to trump the reckless spending and his costly attempts at brinkmanship over his adversary.

Both Bills which since the “debate” by the Legislature have been rubberstamped by the Senate and the Governor General, are, with due respect to the legal elites of the Bar Association, bad laws. They have serious ramifications now and in the future, in the face of what is likely to be a failed third attempt to get an unprecedented third restructuring of the “super bond,” for Belize’s banking relationships with international Banks and the lack of investor confidence in the protection of their investments against a ghastly corrupt government.

There ought also to be concerns over the Prime Minister’s penchant to dabble with the existing laws of the land with his ad hoc approach to covering his ass and his bad decisions to repel legal judgments against his government.

Should Mr. Ashcroft be regarded as a national pariah? If so, shouldn’t this title be also bestowed on his principal nemesis in Government? It is obvious that Mr. Ashcroft has been playing the Prime Minister like a bone fish on a long nylon line on numerous fishing expeditions.

Or is Mr. Ashcroft simply a shrewd businessman, and not a politician, whose interest is to recover maximum returns as a result of bad political decisions? He need not have any concern about how his claims from these bad decisions would affect the country. That is the Prime Minister’s job and he is losing his battle of egos against Ashcroft. We have lost count of the score but it is obviously advantage Ashcroft.

Maybe Mr. Ashcroft is simply a master chess player whose main nemesis, the Prime Minister, was regarded (past tense) as the “Master of the Games.” But it is a complex game of three-way chess that includes major players, or would-be players in Mr. Ashcroft’s strategy – a strategy of investing in high priced attorneys, including the Prime Minister’s law firm, senior Attorneys of the Opposition as well as other well-connected attorneys who have benefitted from Mr. Ashcroft’s instincts to protect his assets.

In this high priced observer sport, it is the people of Belize who must pay. The Prime Minister and his government have lost much, much more than they have gained. Consequently, it is the people of Belize who have lost.

The Prime Minister and his wealthy colleagues are the people who have been enriched as a result of this Ashcroft saga.

The epiphany is that, aside from the legal elites and our political leaders, the people of Belize are nothing but pawns. But perhaps that is what they want.

Time to Take it To the Streets!

By Gilroy Usher Sr. Fighting for justice with people in the street is one of the most effective political tools. It creates public awareness of an injustice nationally and puts public pressure on the government to address the cries of the people. .

Two of the main reasons why more than half the population in Belize is getting poorer and poorer are the huge lack of jobs and a measly minimum wage of $3.30 per hr. In 2017 that is starvation minimum wage. As a result of those terrible conditions for the last eight years under successive UDP governments the majority of people in Belize are trapped in poverty, especially in Port Loyola, Lake-I, Collet and other Southside communities. When you travel around the country particularly on southside Belize City, there is no visible improvement in the lives of our people after almost a decade under Dean Barrow and the UDP. It is time that we take to the streets to demand needed jobs and a just minimum wage to enable us to offer our families a better life out of poverty.

With 12% unemployment, thousands of our people who are ready to work can’t find jobs to care for their families. With this double digit unemployment hundreds of persons who finish primary school, high school, sixth form and university can’t find jobs anywhere to improve their lives.

Today the minimum wage of $3.30 per hour is a sad joke for marginalized families. With the current minimum wage poor people only take home $145.00 per week after $3.15 is deducted for Social Security contributions. $145.00 per week is a starvation wage for the average family of six persons with only one breadwinner. Given the high cost of groceries, clothing, shelter, education, medical care, light and water today, no family can live a decent life

with $145.00 per week. That’s mission impossible and one of the chief reasons why many of our people are suffering with all sorts of problems in their homes.

When I examine the high cost of living in this country, I am convinced that the minimum wage which was last increased five years ago in 2012 needs to be at least $4.50 per hr. to give poor people a chance at a better life. At that new rate the average marginalized family would take home $199.00 weekly after social security deduction which can at least provide the most basic needs of the home.

This is total madness. We are tired of living in poverty while a number of Ministers, their close family members and their cronies have become overnight millionaires. While they live like kings and queens, our people are tired of eating noodles, dry bread with sugar and water tea, beans without pigtail and only two meals for the day because they can’t find work to care for their loved ones. We are tired of living in inadequate housing and we are tired of being unable to send our children to school because we either can’t find jobs or our weekly pay is a pittance.

In his New Year address PM Barrow said that 9 out of every 10 Belizeans are now enjoying a better life.

And last week Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington said things are very good in Belize because all those who want to work have jobs. That’s the mindset of the UDP government. They honestly believe those wrongheaded thoughts. They are far removed from the reality in our homes and communities and they don’t listen to talking.

That is why we need to hit the streets together as soon as possible and as often as necessary until the government takes the necessary steps to create needed jobs and introduces a just minimum wage to enable us to escape this cycle of poverty in which we have been trapped for almost a decade.

NOTICE Fellner Limited # 113, 362 (“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 Fellner Limited : a) Is in dissolution b) Commenced dissolution on the 24th day of January, 2017; and c) CILTrust International Inc. whose address is 35 Barrack Road, Third Floor, Belize City, Belize is the Liquidator of the Company.

CILTrust International Limited Registered Agent

18

THE BELIZE TIMES

5 FEB

2017

THE WONDERER AND BELIZEAN TRANSPARENT GOLD

I had to wonder back to the PM’s 2017 New Year’s speech where he boasted about several notable private sector developments that took place in 2016. He boasted about White Harvest Caye claiming that the people of Independence, Placencia, Monkey River and Toledo Villages are being guaranteed a stake… hope these villagers heard it! He also boasted about the PGIA expansion, Guatemala Santander Sugar factory, new hotel rooms and airlines. That made me wonder and wander the internet for the independent UNICEF report of the Belizeans’ quality of Life which he boasted about. I quote “Their survey showed that 96% of Belizean households had access to better drinking water, 92% to electricity supply and 87% to improved sanitation services.

Hence, more than 9 in 10 of citizens polled expressed a high level of life satisfaction; and fully three quarters of our young population aged 15 to 24 felt that their lives had improved over the past year”. He highlighted one issue of many. The other many are terrible statistics…..

I’ll wander only on the water sector for today. According to the Hydro-Met office Belize has been uniquely endowed with substantial surface and groundwater resources. However, increase in demands for freshwater resulting from increasing population, economic activity and agricultural expansion are threatening the quality and availability of freshwater. Coupled with this is the added stress on the resource induced by increasing climatic variability witnessed during the past decade or two. Belize has a total of 18 major river catchments with another 16 sub-catchments which drain the Maya Mountains and discharge into the Caribbean Sea. The total volume of freshwater available per capita in Belize in 1995 was 80,800 M3/Yr/person, the highest in Latin America (CCAD, 1998; Belize First National Communications COP/UNFCCC, 2000). In 2013 FAO reports that this had fallen to 65,458 M3/Yr/person. At this down rate we will be in trouble soon!

Belize’s water resources are vitally important for the economic development of the nation and the welfare of its people. The resource is finite and vulnerable to degradation. As in most places, water is considered a free resource and available for the benefit of all (Belize First National Comm. to the COP/UNFCCC, 2000). People use it with little consideration of the needs of others or of its sustainability. Water resources in shared watersheds are the property of co-basin countries, however, little consideration has been given to the proportional ownership and level of responsibility for its protection. Groundwater abstraction is unregulated as is the case with surface water, and the use of freshwater for irrigation keeps increasing for the cultivation of banana, rice and citrus, without any restriction.

4 UB students from the Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Belize, Belize, Central America conducted a Study of Water Quality in Rural Belize to analyze the water quality of creek waters used by villagers in the Cayo district of Belize. Three sites of water bodies that are used by the residents of St. Margaret village for various domestic purposes were chosen. Various physical, chemical and microbiological parameters were analyzed by using standard water quality measurements and compared for the wet and dry seasons.

The results indicate that the pH was high during the dry season, especially in the month of April. The phosphate levels were high during the wet season in almost all the sites studied. Dissolved oxygen levels were high during March and April, but were generally low during the wet season. The fecal coliform levels were alarmingly high during the month of October. Further analysis for the presence of other indicator organisms such as Salmonella and Shigella revealed that these enteric pathogens were generally present in the creek waters around the St. Margaret village. Have we Belizeans ever wondered why so much sick people around the hospitals are related to bad water quality due to contamination from various sources? If we all wander in all EIAs in the DOE webpage that are conducted around the country the water quality results are appalling and when a leader can boast about abundance of water showing he does not care about abundance of polluted waters we are consuming or swimming in, then may GOD bless us. A recent EIA study conducted for the dredging project that will take place at the Belize River mouth and Haulover Creek mouth shows high levels of Nitrates and phosphates and most deadly shows high levels of mercury, yes “MERCURY” way above any national or international standards. It does not seem that this is important to our government. How did mercury enter our famous Belize River? It can only be from the Mopan perhaps from Guatemala and perhaps from the Macal River Gold panning operations, Guatemala again! We must investigate…But maybe it’s not important…Ask Sedi? He will say “No Way”!

The “Vision” for sustainable water resources management in Belize will need to address these problems and misguided practices.

It will need to consider an integrated approach to water resources

management, which requires the participation of all stakeholders, communities and decision-makers. Belize, in general, has plenty of water resources of good quality. However, increases in demand due to expansion in the agricultural, industrial and tourism sectors along with a growing population and accompanying water pollution make proper management and use of the water resources necessary. In 2003, the government reactivated the National Pro-Tempore Water Commission (NPTWC), with a mandate to prepare recommendations for an integrated water resources management policy which was enacted in 2008.

It highlights the need to conduct a proper and comprehensive assessment of water resources and develop a baseline of water quality for the various uses of water (UNEP, 2011).

The Pro-tem Water Commission was designed to undertake proactive actions and strategies to change the public’s attitude toward sustainable water use and conservation, and submit binding and effective policy recommendations to the Government of Belize which should help formulate legislations for regulating the use of Belize’s freshwater, and safe-guard this vital resource for present and future generations of Belizean. In 2011, the government finally enacted the National Integrated Water Resources Act which provides for the management, controlled allocation and sustainable use and protection of the water resources of Belize. It also provides for the establishment of a National Integrated Water Resources Authority to coordinate and assist in regulating the water sector. Mr. Gapi, then famous and not normal passed this important legislation and to date it’s sitting in someone’s shelf because it has not been implemented. In order to protect our water resources for our generations to come we must activate this legislation. Mr. Barrow your advisers you are surrounded by are not interested in developing this nation in the best interest of Belizeans. Have you ever WONDERED, Mr. Barrow?

Of late the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) has iden-

tified that Belize is one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change due to: (i) its long, low-lying coastline; (ii) it’s over 1,060 small islands; (iii) its second-longest barrier reef in the world and 17,276 km2 of forest cover; (iv) the fact that it is very prone to natural disasters, especially hurricanes. We must protect our nation and by just extracting one issue from a UNICEF report is not being a good leader but far from being a nationalist. In the same report UNICEF also said: Basic rights such as adequate nutrition; access to clean water and proper sanitation; quality education and protection from violence and abuse are all major challenges. 49% of all children in Belize live below the poverty line – and even these national averages mask the socio-economic, ethnic and geographic disparities that exclude many children from life-saving and life-building services, particularly in Southern Belize. Belize has seen great progress in the reduction of Under 5 mortality rate to 14.4%, but has yet to reach full coverage in immunization against preventable diseases. The birth registration rate in Belize is at 95%. However, many poor and rural children, especially those of African and indigenous descent, remain unregistered. Poverty is also reflected in the nutritional status of children. If not urgently addressed, the national stunting rate of 19.3% will have serious and irreversible consequences to their mental and physical development. The country also has the highest rate of HIV incidence in Central America, at a rate of 2.5%. Estimates show that more than one in every ten children in Belize is affected and vulnerable as a result of exposure to HIV/AIDS. While Belize’s schools have become safer places to learn with new legislation banning corporal punishment, more than 70% of children report experiencing violent discipline methods at home.

Children are also highly vulnerable to sexual abuse, trafficking, and gang violence. Access to safe water and sanitation are severely compromised by poor infrastructure, making children vulnerable to the spread of life threatening waterborne diseases. A UNICEF study in 2011 indicated that the 27% of the examined schools had contaminated water. Although early childhood education (ECE) is being recognized more and more as one of the primary building blocks for performing well in life, only 27% of children aged two to four years are enrolled in ECE programmes.

Ay Mr. Barrow! We need good quality water! We need to protect our TRANSPARENT GOLD! THE WONDERER………thewondererbz@gmail.com

5 FEB

2017

THE BELIZE TIMES

19

EDITORIAL en Español

E

AGUAS TRAICIONERAS

l viernes, en la Cámara de Representantes, el bando Gubernamental encontró una fuente de gran hilaridad cuando la oposición fue maniobrada, realmente forzada, a apoyar 'un proyecto de ley para reafirmar, para mayor certeza, la inmunidad del Banco Central de Belice de procedimientos judiciales en otros Estados.' En resumen, lo que hace el proyecto de ley, es proteger los activos del Banco Central de Belice del embargo, que según el Sr. Barrow, es una jugada realizada por el grupo de Ashcroft para recuperar 100 millones de dólares adeudados a él por el gobierno de Belice como resultado de dos juicios separados ante la Corte Suprema de los EE.UU. El proyecto de ley, increíblemente, también criminaliza cualquier intento de recuperar aquel dinero maniobrando con las reservas del Banco Central de Belice. Lo que esto significa es que probablemente el Señor Ashcroft, que es Beliceño, y sus empresas registradas en Belice, se convertiría en blancos del Gobierno de Belice si accionan en pos de nuestros activos. Así mismo, parece ser que cualquier individuo o entidad en Belice que asista a dicho esfuerzo de alguna manera, desde el abogado, asesor, hasta el Secretario, también sería expuesto a encarcelamiento o una multa significativa.

La Oposición se encontró en el dilema de ‘mal si lo haces y mal si no lo haces’. Tan loco como el proyecto de ley parece ser a primera vista, que es de todo lo que tuvieron los Miembros de la Oposición al recibir documentos una hora antes de que empezara la sesión del parlamento, las reservas de divisas del país son sagradas y deben ser protegidas. La crisis económica ya está muy avanzada. Si se congelaran nuestras reservas, que Dios nos libre, sería catastrófico, un golpe de muerte a un país ya al borde. De no apoyar la nueva legislación espuria de Barrow hubiéramos parecido antipatriotas. Abstenerse habría parecido cobarde. Se convirtió en un caso del fin justificando los medios – protección de nuestros activos sin importar el costo, político u otra.

El Sr. Barrow sonrió de oreja a oreja cuando los miembros de la oposición apoyaron, apenas estuvo capaz de contener su alegría. Los miembros gubernamentales parecían incapaces de controlarse a sí mismos, aullando de risa. Qué ocasión tan alegre, una celebración, descórchese el champan y traigan a las bailarinas y hagamos una verdadera fiesta. Pero realmente, la ocasión no era para eso. Es como si no entendieran la gravedad de la situación que nos ha traído al punto donde nuestras reservas están en peligro de ser confiscadas como consecuencia de un fallo de la Corte Suprema de Justicia estadounidense.

Nunca antes en nuestra joven historia política hemos estado en este punto. ¡NUNCA! No hay de que reírse. ¡Nada por lo cual sonreír!

En el mejor de los casos la 'ley de Barrow' tendrá como resultado una prolongada ronda de litigios en la cual la sustancia del proyecto de ley se llevara a través de cada etapa judicial, de la Corte Suprema al Tribunal de Justicia del Caribe. Al mismo tiempo, sin duda, habrá movimientos paralelos para recuperar

los 100 millones de dólares que se le deben al Señor Ashcroft. ¡cuentas pendientes… pendientes estan!

Durante ocho años el Gobierno ha dependido del mismo rollo publicitario. Ashcroft es el diablo blanco y el acuerdo de acomodo odioso y secreto es la raíz de todo mal. En caso de sequía, culpen al acuerdo de acomodo. Si hay inundación, debe ser ese maldito acuerdo de acomodo. ¡Peste y plaga – el acuerdo de acomodo!

Lo de diablo blanco es incierto, ya que el despacho del Señor Barrow ha representado los intereses del mismo diablo blanco durante años y al parecer hasta ahora sigue haciéndolo.

De hecho, el Señor Barrow ha mantenido una más que cordial relación con el Lord, incluyendo, se nos dice, fiestas a bordo del yate de Ashcroft. Ni que hablar, tan acogedor. Toda la vehemencia y vitriolo y retórica en público del Primer Ministro ya no se tienen en pie cuando se consideran todas las relaciones Barrow/Ashcroft.

Por otro lado, esta lo siguiente. Si el odioso y censurable acuerdo de acomodo fue tan abominable y reprochable, por qué este gobierno amante de los litigios no desafío su validez ante un tribunal de justicia. De haber hecho eso y que hubieran mantenido esa única demanda hasta el final, no estaríamos donde estamos hoy. Esto es un hecho. En vez de eso, el Señor Barrow dejo el acuerdo de acomodo sin tocar, para ser utilizado únicamente para propaganda política y desafío toda malhadada cosa, perdiendo a cada paso.

Es un hecho de que si el acuerdo de acomodo de hace tanto tiempo hubiera sido impugnado y declarado nulo y sin valor, no hubiera una rémora de M$557 al cuello de la gente de Belice hoy día. Muchos otros millones que hemos perdido en litigios prolongados y lucrativos no habrían sucedido. No habría una deuda de M $100 que nos obliga a correr buscando cubrirnos, y con nuestras reservas de divisas en evidente peligro, aunque el Señor Barrow se hace el indiferente.

Estamos donde estamos debido a las decisiones desacertadas de Dean Oliver Barrow. El decidió nacionalizar BTL. Él decidió no continuar un desafío al acuerdo de acomodo. El decidió no pagar por la empresa. El decidió no pagar préstamos asumidas por BTL antes de la nacionalización. El decidió por litigios prolongados. Él decidió resolver, absolutamente de manera inesperada y misteriosa, con Lord Ashcroft tras siete años de litigio cargado de interés. El decidió darle al Lord Ashcroft un cheque en blanco. El firmó (y supuestamente elaboro) un acuerdo muy mal redactado que permitió a Ashcroft demandar el pago en dólares americanos, que agotaron nuestra reservas. El decidió que Belice no estaría representado en el arbitraje en el exterior, dando como resultado esta nueva deuda de M $100.

Es hora de que el Señor Barrow se suba los calzoncillos de niño grande y que tome alguna responsabilidad por sus propias acciones. Ha sido el maestro de su propio destino y del nuestro desde el año 2008. Sin embargo, él continúa culpando acciones de hace más de una década para justificar donde hoy nos encontramos.

La verdad es que estamos donde estamos debido a las acciones y la inacción, de Dean Barrow, y no debido a un Convenio redactado hace más de diez años.

La verdad nos hará libres.

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THE THEBELIZE BELIZETIMES TIMES

ESPAÑOL

Estas son las historias de las reinas de Miss Universo que no conocía 30 de Enero de 2017 Detrás de la imagen de mujeres perfectas, en rostro y cuerpo, hay historias que muestran a las reinas de bellezas como cualquier mortal.

En la gala de Miss Universo que se celebró el pasado domingo en Manila, Filipinas, salieron a la luz detalles de las candidatas que poco se conocían y mostraron al mundo su fragilidad y su lado humano, en una nueva etapa del certamen.

Una de esas historias fue la de Miss Perú, Valeria Piazza, quien en octubre del 2016 sufrió un accidente de tránsito que le ocasionó fuertes golpes. La reina de

2017 2017 belleza tuvo que ingresar a rehabilitación para poder cumplir su sueño de representar a su país en el certamen de belleza más importante del mundo. La joven quedó entre las 13 semifinalistas.

La candidata de Haití, Raquel Pélissier Neïland, primera finalista de Miss Universo, habló de la difícil situación que atravesó su gente en el fuerte sismo que asoló a su país en el 2010, cuando le pidieron que contara alguna situación de su vida en la que había fallado pero le ayudó a ser mejor.

Con lágrimas en los ojos dijo: "Hace 7 años fui sobreviviente del terremoto de Haití. Sentí que había fracasado conmigo misma porque vivía el día a día y no vivía mis sueños, pero cuando vi todo destrozado a mí alrededor decidí ser otra persona y aprender a sacar lo mejor de eso. Si es que estoy en este lugar el día de hoy es porque esa experiencia me llevó a seguir viviendo mis sueños".

Miss Canadá, Siera Bearchell, rompió los estereotipos de belleza y llegó al concurso luego de superar duras críticas por su aspecto físico. Ella no tiene la típica figura de una miss, su cuerpo es atlético, pues es corredora.

“Cuando me llaman floja, gorda o mediocre. ¿Qué es lo que le están diciendo a las mujeres del mundo?

Miss Universo es una organización construida en la inclusión y diversidad. No es más el concurso de belleza que solía ser”, ha dicho la joven que es estudiante de leyes y fue elegida entre las finalistas.

Trump saluda a Benjamin Netanyahu, en Nueva York

México pide que Israel se disculpe por palabras de Netanyahu sobre muro Ciudad de México 30 de Enero 2017 El canciller mexicano, Luis Videgaray, pidió este lunes a Israel que se disculpe y rectifique el mensaje difundido este fin de semana por el primer ministro, Benjamín Netanyahu, en el que expresó su apoyo a la construcción de un muro en la frontera entre ese país y Estados Unidos.

“Estamos esperando una rectificación, una disculpa sería algo apropiado”, dijo Videgaray en una entrevista con Televisa, en la que exigió al Gobierno israelí “sensibilidad” para “corregir” y “clarificar” este comentario.

Este sábado Netanyahu publicó en su Twitter un mensaje que causó rápidamente un choque diplomático: “El presidente Trump está en lo correcto. Yo construí un muro en la frontera sur de Israel. Paró toda la inmigración ilegal. Gran éxito. Gran idea” .

Posteriormente, el portavoz del Ministerio de Exteriores, Emanuel Nahshón, buscó rebajar la tensión, explicando que el primer ministro se refería a que la nación está dispuesta “a compartir con otras naciones nuestra particular experiencia en seguridad” , y negó que expresara su opinión en las relación entre México y Estados Unidos.

No obstante, el titular de la Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores (SRE) de México, dijo hoy que la oficina de Netanyahu está dando una explicación “poco aceptable” y mostró su “rechazo absoluto” a las palabras del primer ministro de Israel.

“Es absolutamente incomprensible que su primer ministro lleve a cabo una expresión de ese tipo, que la consideramos francamente una agresión” , respondió.

Asimismo, recordó que México es un “amigo entrañable” de Israel y que la nación latinoamericana “se enorgullece de tener una gran comunidad judía mexicana” .

“Hemos tenido muchos gestos de amistad con el pueblo israelita” , aseguró.

El mismo sábado, tras la publicación del tuit, México manifestó al Ministerio de Exteriores israelí “su profunda extrañeza,

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UN GRUPO DE WHATSAPP EN BELICE AYUDA A DIAGNOSTICAR COMPLICACIONES EN EL EMBARAZO By: Ignez Tristao “Veo unas ramificaciones en el lado izquierdo”, aprecia un doctor al ver en la pantalla la ecografía ultrasonido que se le está realizando a una mujer embarazada.

- “Sí. Yo creo que se trata de unas micro calcificaciones”, señala otro médico al ver la ecografía.

- “En efecto. Tiene múltiples calcificaciones. Podría ser una complicación”, sentencia un tercer galeno, que analiza con detalle los movimientos de feto a través del monitor.

Las imágenes de la ecografía alertan de que algo se está complicando en el embarazo de la mujer.

Hasta 12 médicos ginecólogos y generales analizan y discuten las imágenes en tiempo real. Sin embargo, ninguno de ellos está en la misma sala. Ni siquiera en el mismo hospital. Solo uno de los médicos está junto a la mujer realizándole

Un proyecto permite que médicos que se encuentren solos reciban apoyo de expertos en tiempo real un monitoreo mediante el uso del diagnóstico por ultrasonido. Conforme va obteniendo las imágenes de la prueba, las comparte a través de su teléfono inteligente con el resto de sus compañeros. Son un grupo de médicos conectados a través de un grupo de Whatsapp gestionado por el Ministerio de Salud de Belice, con el apoyo de la Iniciativa Salud Mesoamérica. Los médicos han sido capacitados para diagnosticar imágenes de ultrasonido a través de esta innovadora tecnología.

Durante los últimos meses de 2016, el grupo se estuvo entrenando para esta nueva metodología de diagnóstico de imágenes y recibió el apoyo de médicos ginecólogos especializados en Honduras. Ahora ha llegado el momento de comenzar a diagnosticar e interpretar imágenes en casos reales.

La doctora Natalia Beer, asesora técnica de Salud Materna e Infantil del Ministerio de Salud de Belice, muestra su optimismo por las implicaciones prácticas que puede aportar este proyecto. “Esta herramienta va a facilitar el acceso a especialistas a mujeres que viven en áreas rurales y desfavorecidas, donde hay complicaciones para acceder a médicos ginecólogos”, concluye la doctora Beer.

La doctora Stephanie Rivero, oficial médico del Hospital Comunitario de San Ignacio en Belice, reconoce que esta nueva técnica supone “un gran avance”

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18 JAN

5 FEB

THE THEBELIZE BELIZETIMES TIMES 2015

2017

ESPAÑOL

Magnate brasileño Eike Batista, detenido por caso Petrobras Río de Janeiro: 30 de Enero de 2017 El magnate Eike Batista, que llegó a ser el hombre más rico de Brasil, fue detenido este lunes al desembarcar en el aeropuerto de Río de Janeiro procedente de Nueva York en cumplimiento de una orden de prisión dictada la pasada semana por su implicación en un caso de corrupción.

Batista, declarado prófugo el jueves último, anunció anoche desde el aeropuerto de Nueva York que regresaría a Brasil para colaborar en la investigación, por lo que la Policía Federal ya lo esperaba en el aeropuerto internacional de la localidad brasileña.

El empresario, acusado del pago de comisiones ilegales por unos 16.5 millones de dólares al exgobernador de Río de Janeiro Sergio Cabral para adjudicarse contratos públicos, fue detenido inmediatamente después de bajar de la escalerilla del avión por agentes de la Policía Federal.

El millonario, cuyo vuelo aterrizó en Río de Janeiro hacia las 9.50 hora local (11.50 GMT) , fue conducido inicialmente a la sede del Instituto Médico Legal para los exámenes de rutina antes de ser trasladado a una prisión común.

Su detención fue ordenada por el juez séptimo penal de Río de Janeiro, Marcelo Bretas, en un proceso por el delito de corrupción activa vinculado al gigantesco escándalo por los desvíos en la petrolera estatal Petrobras.

“Estoy regresando para responder a la Justicia, como es mi deber... Llegó el

momento de dejar las cosas claras. Estoy regresando porque voy a mostrar cómo fueron las cosas” , afirmó el empresario en declaraciones que concedió a periodistas antes de embarcar en Nueva York.

El empresario, que tiene pasaporte alemán, negó que hubiese planeado huir hacia Alemania de donde difícilmente sería extraditado por su doble nacionalidad.

Según la Fiscalía, para pagar las comisiones ilegales, Batista usó un contrato “ficticio” que simuló la compra de una mina de oro a testaferros de Cabral, que está en prisión desde noviembre pasado.

El fiscal Leonardo Freitas, responsable por el caso, acusó a Cabral de crear “una organización criminal” en 2002, cuando era diputado regional en Río de Janeiro, que se expandió a partir de 2007, cuando fue elegido gobernador, cargo que ocupó hasta 2014.

De acuerdo con la Fiscalía, el exgobernador ocultaba en cuentas en el exterior cerca de 100 millones de dólares al parecer procedentes de sobornos pagados por empresarios para adjudicarse contratos.

Batista, de 60 años y que llegó a ser considerado hace unos años por la revista Forbes como el octavo hombre más rico del mundo, acumuló hasta 2010 una fortuna calculada en unos 30.000 millones de dólares, pero en los últimos años cayó en desgracia después de entrar en arriesgados negocios y se vio obligado a vender la mayoría de sus

México pide que Israel se disculpe por palabras de Netanyahu sobre muro

Eike Batista se entregó a la Policía de Río de Janeiro tras una orden de arresto. empresas y a declarar en quiebra otras.

Hijo de Eliezer Batista, un exministro de Energía y expresidente de la antigua estatal Vale do Río Doce, privatizada en 1998, el empresario acostumbraba a hacer ostentación de su riqueza y a exhibirse con la farándula y la cúpula del poder.

El año pasado rompió un prolongado silencio para colaborar con la Justicia en las investigaciones sobre los desvíos en Petrobras, el mayor escándalo de corrupción de la historia de Brasil.

Batista admitió que realizó “donaciones” sin declarar a campañas políticas con fondos procedentes de comisiones ilegales por la adjudicación de contratos con empresas públicas.

Según el Tribunal Superior Electoral, las “donaciones” de Batista beneficiaron a 13 partidos y alcanzaron los 12,6 millones de reales (unos US$3.8 millones) .

Entre los beneficiarios de sus donaciones, según la prensa, estaría la campaña electoral de la expresidenta Dilma Rousseff cuando se presentó a la reelección en el 2014 formando equipo con Michel Temer, hoy presidente de Brasil.

Expresidente salvadoreño Saca es enviado a cárcel común San Salvador 4 de Febrero 2017 El expresidente de El Salvador Antonio Saca, junto a otros seis procesados por el supuesto desvío de US$246 millones, fue trasladado a una hacinada cárcel de reos comunes, informó la policía.

La Policía Nacional Civil de El Salvador anuncio que el expresidente de Elsalvado, Antonio Saca, y otros seis colaboradores Elmer Charlaix, Francisco Rodríguez, Pablo Gómez, Jorge Herrera, César Funes (y) Julio Rank”, fueron trasladados a una cárcel común conocido como el penal de Mariona.

Mariona está ubicado en el municipio de Mejicanos, en la periferia norte de San Salvador, y tiene capacidad para mil 200 reos aunque alberga una población de cinco mil internos.

Por orden de un tribunal de San Salvador, el expresidente y sus colaboradores fueron evacuados la madrugada de este martes de las celdas de la División Antinarcóticos (DAN) en la capital.

El cambio de prisión se produjo luego que el pasado 9 de enero el fiscal general, Douglas Meléndez, pidió el traslado “con las medidas de protección que deben tener” .

Saca, quien gobernó el país entre el 2004 y el 2009, fue detenido el pasado 30 de octubre junto a su exsecretario privado Charlaix, el ex-

secretario de comunicaciones Rank y los otros imputados.

El exgobernante y sus colaboradores afrontan en prisión un proceso judicial por delitos de peculado, agrupaciones ilícitas y lavado de dinero por el supuesto desvío de US$246 millones.

Funes afronta juicio civil por corrupción El expresidente de El Salvador Mauricio Funes (2009-2014) afronta hoy el juicio civil en contra, con audiencia probatoria, por supuesto enriquecimiento ilícito al no poder justificar la procedencia de unos US$700 mil, en su etapa al frente del Gobierno.

El proceso civil, en el que no se espera la presencia del imputado debido a que se encuentra asilado en Nicaragua, afecta, además, a su exesposa Vanda Pignato, actual secretaria de Inclusión Social, quien deberá responder por la recepción de US$57 mil 60, cuya procedencia se desconoce y “con los que canceló seis cuentas” .

Además, Diego Roberto Funes Cañas, hijo del exmandatario, deberá hacer

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rechazo y decepción” por el comentario.

La oposición israelí calificó el gesto de “grave error” y Yair Lapid, líder del partido Yesh Atid, dijo que se trataba de “una declaración de guerra innecesaria a México y a los hispanos” .

Las palabras de Netanyahu fueron criticadas incluso desde su gabinete, pues el ministro israelí del Interior, Aryeh Deri, se sumó a las críticas e instó al jefe de Gobierno de Israel a “reconsiderar” sus palabras.

El embajador de Israel en México, Jonathan Peled, ha sido hoy “invitado” a la Cancillería mexicana a las 13.00 hora local (19.00 GMT) , previsiblemente para hablar de este encontronazo diplomático suscitado por las palabras de Netanyahu, informaron fuentes oficiales israelíes.

Sin embargo, Videgaray no se refirió este lunes al tema ni fuentes de la SRE consultadas por Efe confirmaron por ahora ese punto.

Netanyahu niega que el tuit de apoyo al muro de Trump se refiera a México El primer ministro de Israel, Benjamín Netanyahu, negó este lunes que el polémico tuit de apoyo al presidente estadounidense, Donald Trump, por la construcción de un muro fronterizo se refiriera a México.

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frente al mismo proceso, ya que, según la Fiscalía General de la República (FGR) , “adquirió unos vehículos por un valor de 118.600 dólares, que no ha podido justificar” .

El proceso civil se realizará por decisión que la Corte Suprema de Justicia (CSJ), que el 9 de febrero de 2016 ordenó efectuar una audiencia probatoria en la que los imputados y sus representantes legales tengan la oportunidad de brindar documentación de la legalidad del dinero investigado.

En caso de no poder justificar la procedencia de los montos por los que afrontan el proceso, deberán devolverlo en su totalidad, más la sanción que decida el juzgado correspondiente.

Funes está siendo investigado, además, por otros casos de corrupción; no obstante, el proceso que inicia este martes no contempla otros señalamientos que no sean el de enriquecimiento ilícito.

El pasado 6 de septiembre, el Gobierno de Nicaragua concedió asilo a Funes, a su compañera Ada Michell Guzmán Sig enza, y sus hijos Carlos Mauricio Funes Velasco, de 34 años, Diego Roberto Funes Cañas, de 25 años y Mauricio Alejandro Funes Guzmán, de 2 años.

para su trabajo diario. “El diagnóstico de imágenes de ultrasonido de embarazos a través de grupos de Whatsapp va a permitir que mejoremos la calidad y la rapidez de los diagnósticos de las complicaciones en el embarazo.

Es una herramienta de gran utilidad para ocasiones en las que un médico se encuentra solo y tiene dudas sobre el estado de una paciente. Esta innovación tecnológica va a permitir que, de manera colectiva y en tiempo real, se apoye a ese médico mediante la interpretación colectiva de las imágenes. Es realmente rápido”, indica la doctora Rivero.

Esta médico asegura que esta nueva metodología va a ser “muy eficaz” para diagnosticar con rapidez complicaciones como placentas previas, sufrimiento fetal, incluso lesiones producidas por traumas. “Estoy convencido de que este sistema va a ayudar a salvar vidas.

Por ejemplo, un diagnóstico temprano y acertado de una placenta previa puede salvar la vida de una madre. Y este sistema va a permitir hacerlo”, concluye la médico.

En los últimos cinco años, el Ministerio de Salud de Belice, con el apoyo de la Iniciativa Salud Mesoamérica, ha puesto en marcha importantes medidas enfocadas a mejorar la calidad de los servicios de salud que se presentan a mujeres y niños. Los resultados durante este periodo han demostrado que el país ha logrado importantes avances en esta materia. Uno de los datos más destacados es el hecho de que en los últimos cinco años se ha incrementado en más de 70 puntos porcentuales el manejo adecuado de las complicaciones obstétricas.

Ignez Tristao es especialista de salud del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID).

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5 FEB

THE BELIZE TIMES

PUP NOTICE

2017

PUP NOTICE

The People’s United Party informs all supporters in the Mesopotamia Constituency that nominations are now being accepted for positions on the Constituency Executive Committee.

Positions for which nominations are being accepted ARE: 1. Chairperson 2. Deputy-Chairperson 3. Secretary 4. Treasurer 5. Assistant Treasurer 6. Campaign Manager 7. Deputy Campaign Manager 8. Communications Director 9. Logistics Coordinator

The People’s United Party informs all supporters in the Queen Square Division that nominations are now being accepted for positions on the Constituency Executive Committee.

Positions for which nominations are being accepted ARE: 1. Chairperson 2. Deputy-Chairperson 3. Secretary 4. Treasurer 5. Assistant Treasurer 6. Campaign Manager 7. Deputy Campaign Manager 8. Communications Director 9. Logistics Coordinator

The Closing Date for nominations for those interested in any position on the Mesopotamia Executive Committee is February 10, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.

The Closing Date for nominations for those interested in any position on the Queen Square Division Executive Committee is February 10, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.

PUP NOTICE

PUP NOTICE

The People’s United Party informs all supporters in the Collet Constituency that nominations are now being accepted for positions on the Constituency Executive Committee.

Positions for which nominations are being accepted ARE: 1. Chairperson 2. Deputy-Chairperson 3. Secretary 4. Treasurer 5. Assistant Treasurer 6. Campaign Manager 7. Deputy Campaign Manager 8. Communications Director 9. Logistics Coordinator

The People’s United Party informs all supporters in the Fort George Division that nominations are now being accepted for positions on the Constituency Executive Committee.

Positions for which nominations are being accepted ARE: 1. Chairperson 2. Deputy-Chairperson 3. Secretary 4. Treasurer 5. Assistant Treasurer 6. Campaign Manager 7. Deputy Campaign Manager 8. Communications Director 9. Logistics Coordinator

The Closing Date for nominations for those interested in any position on the Collet Executive Committee is February 10, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.

The Closing Date for nominations for those interested in any position on the Fort George Division Executive Committee is February 10, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.

PUP NOTICE

PUP NOTICE

The People’s United Party informs all supporters in the Orange Walk North Constituency that nominations are now being accepted for positions on the Constituency Executive Committee.

Positions for which nominations are being accepted ARE: 1. Chairperson 2. Deputy-Chairperson 3. Secretary 4. Treasurer 5. Assistant Treasurer 6. Campaign Manager 7. Deputy Campaign Manager 8. Communications Director 9. Logistics Coordinator

The People’s United Party informs all supporters in the Caribbean Shores Division that nominations are now being accepted for positions on the Constituency Executive Committee.

Positions for which nominations are being accepted ARE: 1. Chairperson 2. Deputy-Chairperson 3. Secretary 4. Treasurer 5. Assistant Treasurer 6. Campaign Manager 7. Deputy Campaign Manager 8. Communications Director 9. Logistics Coordinator

The Closing Date for nominations for those interested in any position on the Orange Walk North Executive Committee is February 10, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.

The Closing Date for nominations for those interested in any position on the Caribbean Shores Division Executive Committee is February 10, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.

5 FEB

2017

LIQUOR LICENSE NOTICES Notice is hereby given that Juan Eliseo Jax is applying for a renewal of a Beer Liquor License to be operated at “Lilian’s Store”, 25 Water Lane, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Juan Eliseo Jax is applying for a Beer Liquor License to be operated at “Quiche’s Shop” , # 11 Water Lane, Belize City, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Merlyn Moreira is applying for a renewal of a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Bayview Oasis” 4.5 Mls. Philip Goldson Highway, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Notice is hereby given that Zi Qing Su is applying for a renewal of a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Island Vibes”, Caye Caulker, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

PROPERTY FOR SALE For Sale Meridian Beach Resort, located in San Pedro Town 6 miles North Ambergris Caye, property consist of two concrete buildings with an outdoor bar & grill area, a finish 15’x23’pool, and a boat docking pier, property consist of approximately 2.054 acres of land total. Call 636-6245 or email gflreceivership@gmail.com for more information.

Notice is hereby given that Jie Hua Su is applying for a renewal of a Convenience Store Liquor License to be operated at “Enjoy Supermarket”, Caye Caulker, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Arturo Hernandez is applying for a renewal of a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “G Mart”, San Estevan Village, Orange Walk District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Cristina Solis is applying for a renewal of a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “Double Deuce” Maskall Village, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that John Urbina is applying for a renewal of a Shop Liquor License to be operated at “Como Dice El Dicho”, Trial Farm Village, Orange Walk District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Maria Yolanda Enriquez is applying for a renewal of a Publican Special Liquor License to be operated at “La Savoy”, San Hill Village, Belize District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Nigeria Moir is applying for a renewal of a Malt & Cider Liquor License to be operated at “Pinky Cool Spot”, Carmelita Village, Orange Walk District under the Intoxicating Liquor License Ordinance Revised Edition 1980.

FORT GEORGE, FREETOWN AND CARIBBEAN SHORES DIVISIONS

will be holding a joint endorsement convention to elect New Executives on Wednesday 15 February, 2017 at Independence Hall at 7:00 p.m. sharp.

PUP NOTICE The People’s United Party informs all supporters in the Freetown Division that nominations are now being accepted for positions on the Constituency Executive Committee.

Positions for which nominations are being accepted ARE: 1. Chairperson 2. Deputy-Chairperson 3. Secretary 4. Treasurer 5. Assistant Treasurer 6. Campaign Manager 7. Deputy Campaign Manager 8. Communications Director 9. Logistics Coordinator The Closing Date for nominations for those interested in any position on the Freetown Division Executive Committee is February 10, 2017 at 4:00 p.m.

24

THE BELIZE TIMES

5 FEB

2017