Sunday, February 13, 2011
Barrow disses COLA By C.P. Mathers Last week Tuesday, February 2nd, COLA along with members of the BGYEA, Belizeans for Justice, Commoners and other groups held a 24-hour camp out in front of the Prime Minister’s office in the City of Belmopan to show their opposition for offshore oil exploration and drilling in national parks The action was meant to show the Prime Minister that the group was dead-set on halting offshore oil exploration and drilling in national parks. On the night of the camp-out, COLA’s VicePresident Geovanni Brackett was informed that Cabinet had decided to place a temporary moratorium on 1.14 million acres of offshore area that had been abandoned by the Taiwanese stateowned petroleum company, OPIC.
COLA considered the decision a victory for them, but this morning Prime Minister Dean Barrow laughed at COLA for claiming victory. The PM said he wasn’t going “to burst their little bubble” and set the record on why the decision was made. According to the PM, it was not COLA who triggered the decision, but a letter that had been sent by Oceana. Referring to COLA, PM Barrow said, “no one wants to burst their bubble. If they want to claim victory, then so be it”. The Prime Minister also indicated that while Cabinet agreed on a moratorium, it will only exist for three months, which is the same period given to Cola and others to gather a required 18,000 signatures for a referendum.
THE BELIZE TIMES
PM says “drill on” U.S. Capital By: C.P. Mathers In the Prime Minister’s first press conference held for the Year 2011, the topics were many from missing planes to the important topic of oil exploration/drilling. In response to a question asked by Channel 7’s News Director in reference to his nephew’s oil concession that includes 14 national parks, P.M. Barrow’s only response was that he had “no idea”. When asked about his opinion about the controversial oil explorations inside National Parks, he stated that the Government has no intention of stopping them. The PM singled out the SarstoonTemash National Park, in which U.S. Capital Energy has been conducting exploration. Prime Minister Dean Barrow revealed that the company is just 9 months away from beginning the drilling process, and when the time comes, he will not stop it from happening. When asked about the Bladen Reserve, the Prime Minister classified the area as a “sub-species of a national park” so, in his view, the exploration may also continue there. So far the only positive thing this government has done in response to oil drilling and exploration was to freeze the OPIC concession but the PM revealed that the moratorium is only for a period of 3 months.
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‘Pesero’ shot four times, clings to life at Medical Associates Corozal District, February 8th 2011 A money exchanger from the village of San Joaquin, who was four times Monday night while at his home, is tonight admitted at the Belize Medical Associates in a serious condition. 34 year old money exchanger, Jaime Headman, was inside his home along with his wife and two children last night around 7:30 when someone called out his name. His wife, Elba, was the first one to respond to the call and when she looked out from the verandah she saw what she described to the Police as a short Hispanic decent male person standing at the gate which was locked at the time. She called for her husband, and when he went out to see who was there, multiple shots rang out. By the time Elba went to see what had transpired, she found her husband lying on the verandah, covered in blood. At that time police were in the village of San Joaquin dealing with a traffic accident, and little did they know they would be receiving a desperate call from Headman’s family. Witnesses have told the BELIZE TIMES that they heard five gunshots and a short while after, they saw two persons speeding off in red Nissan-type vehicle. Corozal Police are seeking two suspects, believed to be a Belizean and a Mexican. At the scene of the incident police recovered five 9 millimeter shells and while no bullet holes were found on the walls surrounding the verandah, cops strongly suspect that Headman was shot at close range. When we spoke to family members this afternoon they told us that doctors have indicated that Headman is under stable condition. We understand that Headman received shots on the right hand and face.