Belize Times March 27, 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

SUNDAY March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

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Issue No. 4737

The Gloves Are Off PUP fights back!

Belize City, March 23rd, 2011 There must come a time when enough is enough, and for the People’s United Party, that time is here.

The nation faces the worst economic times, the highest poverty rate, the greatest levels of crime, corruption and unemployment, a housing market collapse compounded by pummelling interest rates, and the most heartless UDP Government ever. The People’s United Party is prepared to fight back and has called out on its supporters to travel to Belmopan on Thursday morning to protest the Barrow Administration.

Events over the last two weeks have shown the callousness of the UDP while in office, and it has triggered the

on page 2 PUP womenContinued break the cycle of UDP discrimination and abuse against women

BOOTS

THE BARBARIAN

Shipwreck!

3 Cubans still missing after barge sunk in Belizean sea

Opposition to rebel. The first is the presentation of the Budget, in which Prime Minister Dean Barrow offered no solutions to rescue the nation from the economic collapse. Twelve days after the Budget was introduced, Belizeans are still wondering what is in the budget for them. There are no solutions for the excruciatingly high cost of living, none for the spate of violent killings, none for the broken economy.

While Prime Minister Barrow complained about the Super Bond, he introduced over $80m in loans. In three years alone, he has borrowed an additional $450m. While Barrow criticised the Super Bond, he defended the payment of millions of dollars to his ex-wife Continued on page 4

Bread prices

going up!

See page 35

Naked

Corruption & Official Prostitution See page 33

Coast Guard conducts 5th day of rescue mission for missing Cubans

See page 6

Gilroy Usher Sr. READY FOR BATTLE IN PORT LOYOLA See page 15

Belize City, March 23, 2011 The price of the much-consumed 16 ounce pack of bread could soon increase by as much as $0.50.

The Belize Bakery Association met today, Wednesday March 23rd, in Belize City to discuss how recent exorbitant increases in the cost of production have negatively affected the bakery industry.

President of the Association, Andre Perez, told us that bakeries have been battered by increases in the cost of fuel, butane, and even shortening, but have had to absorb those costs instead of passing it to consumers. But it has become unsustainable, said Perez, and the industry which hires about 500 employees across Belize is under threat

See page 33

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Opposition Leader Calls for Equity in the House of Rep. PUP Women tell National Women’s

Commission: “Defend Us!” March 22, 2011 Ms. Ann Marie Williams Executive Director National Women’s Commission Hutson Street Belize City Dear Ms. Williams In a press release dated Thursday March 17, 2011, the women of the People’s United Party condemns the Guardian Newspaper for the publication of a photograph of a Belizean Woman on the front page captioned “PUP Role Model” We denounce the vile usage of an image that not only invaded the privacy of a Belizean woman and degraded her dignity, but recognized it for what it is, a distasteful act that can only be attributed to raw political malice and venom.

We call upon the Council of Churches and all NGO’s, including the National Women’s Commission, who advocate on behalf of women and who advertise in the Guardian newspaper, to denounce this contemptible act.

However, we are most concerned and very disappointed that your organization as the lead agency in Belize actively promoting women’s inclusion in political life, has been silent on this publication, particularly since you have been instrumental in encouraging and

The Party is nothing but the vanguard of the people, the active organ of the people, working at all times in the service of the people.”

recruiting women to offer themselves for political leadership positions through the Women in Politics Project (WIP).

The fact that the National Women’s Commission falls under the umbrella of the Ministry of Social Transformation, one of the implementing entity for UN conventions, and that Belize is a signatory to the Convention to Eliminate Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) of which the Ministry is the implementing entity, and that the Guardian Newspaper is an organ of the ruling party of the government makes it even more abhorrent.

In fact, your organization should have been the first to condemn such a publication, which would send a signal to ALL Belizean Women, that the National Women’s Commission and the WIP Project will not condone such a despicable act, and that you are prepared to stand up for them, not only in a month where women are being celebrated and celebrating, but at all times.

This letter therefore serves as a direct request to your organization to join us in the condemnation of this publication, and to ensure that this act of malice directed on our women is never repeated. .

Please note and be advised that this letter is copied to the Caribbean Institute for Women in Leadership Project (CIWIL), the United Nations Fund for the Development of Women (UNIFEM) and UNWOMEN, organizations that support the WIP Project, and the local and international media to make them aware of our request and in order that they may add their voice to our own.

Regards Carolyn Trench-Sandiford Deputy Leader People’s United Party

Hon Emil Arguelles Speaker of the House of Representatives Independence Hill Belize 23 March 2011 Mr. Speaker: Traditionally supporters of any political party with representation in the House of Representatives are offered space in the galleries on an equal opportunity basis. By custom the gallery facing government benches are taken by the supporters of the Government and supporters of the opposition occupies the gallery facing the Opposition. I wish to register, on behalf of the Opposition, our objection to the breach of this time honoured convention that occurred at the last sitting of the House of Representatives

on 11th March 2011.

As you are well aware, the supporters of the Government (United Democratic Party) were allowed to occupy the seats usually reserved for both the Government and the Opposition, to the exclusion of our supporters or anyone else.

I am certain that you do not intend that this inherently undemocratic procedure be allowed to take root in the inner sanctum of Independence Hill.

To that end I request that equal space be made available to our supporters in the galleries of the National Assembly at all meetings of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

Sincerely, Hon. John Briceño Leader of the Opposition

Gilroy Usher Sr. says thank you to supporters Dear residents of Port Loyola I, Gilroy Usher Sr., the new PUP Standard Bearer for the Port Loyola Division takes this opportunity to express sincere thank you to all the members of my campaign team, residents of Port Loyola and members of the business community in Belize City who assisted with my campaign. Our combined effort and hard work is what enabled me to become the new Standard Bearer for the division and for that I am very grateful.

Sincere thanks are also extended to the other candidates namely: Englebert Perrera, Gerry Martinez and Sydney Fuller and their campaign teams for participating in the convention. Through the efforts and hard work of all the candidates, the residents of Port Loyola saw tremendous proof that the Peoples’ United Party is serious about upliftment in the division.

As the new Standard Bearer for Port Loyola, I, Gilroy Usher Sr., will continue to work tirelessly day in and day out for upliftment for all the residents of the division. I therefore invite the other candidates and their supporters to join my campaign team as we work to secure a

Send your letters to: editortimes@yahoo.com

PUP victory in Port Loyola and the country in the next general elections.

Sincerely, Gilroy Usher Sr.

THE BELIZE TIMES EDITOR

Alberto Vellos OFFICE MANAGER

Fay Castillo McKay PRINTING/PERSONNEL SUPERVISOR

Doreth Bevans LAYOUT/GRAPHIC ARTIST

Chris Williams STAFF REPORTER

Carla Bradley TYPIST

Rachel Arana OFFICE ASSISTANT

Roberto Peyrefitte Printed & Published By The Belize Times Ltd. #3 Queen Street P.O. BOX 506 Belize City, Belize Tel: 671-8385 Email: belizetimesad@yahoo.com editortimes@yahoo.com

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Barrow lied to Belizeans

Premium gas fell by 11 cents on March 11th, but increased by $1.12 on March 21st Belize City, March 23, 2011

By Carla Bradley Prime Minister Dean Barrow has broken yet another promise to Belizeans, this time is was that the price of premium, diesel and regular gas would go down from its then rate for at least an entire month.

Barrow was speaking on the occasion of the Budget presentation on March 11th, and he introduced new measures including the removal of GST and replacement with an increased import duty, which he promised would lower fuel prices. On that same day a fuel price increase was to take effect, and to save his Government the embarrassment of increasing prices to past $11.00, Barrow announced that he would withhold charging GOB’s import duty which meant fuel prices would be scotch free of both GST and import duty for the very first time. The move dropped fuel prices by 11 cents for premium, 6 cents for Regular and 24 for Diesel, and Barrow promised the small assistance would last at least until the end of the month.

But on Monday, March 21st, just ten days after the Prime Minister’s promise, and ten days to the month’s end, the Barrow Administration introduced a hammering hike in fuel prices.

The new prices effective March

21st took Premium gas from $10.39 to $11.51, a difference of $1.12; Regular gasoline went from $10.13 to $11.24, a difference of $1.11 and Diesel shot up from $9.85 to $10.60, a difference of $0.99 per gallon.

How much more suffering and hard times do the people of Belize have to endure under the UDP government?

High fuel prices means • An increase in transportation cost for Children, workers and daily commuters, who use public transportation every day.

• Cost of living will also increase, our food prices will increase, our restaurant prices on food will increase, our light bill will increase • The already high price of butane will increase • The bread we so much depend on to feed our kids, will also increase Among other lies presented in this empty budget, Barrow had the audacity to stand up and state a bold face lie as a promise to the people of Belize just shows the extremity to which he would go to trick our people.

He told a bold face lie as a way of trying to make his budget more appealing, or hide the fact that it’s full of nothing! It seems that this is a growing trend in the UDP….LIES! LIES! AND MORE LIES!!!

The Gloves Are Off

Continued from page 1

Lois Young Barrow. Today that total payment is 4.8m, or 20% of the Super Bond.

While the Prime Minister boasted that he had the solution to high fuel prices, he avoided sincerity, and failed to say his plan was absolute nonsense.

Ten days later, fuel prices would jump to historically high levels, and the productive sectors and industries are now feeling the pinch.

The PUP will not accept Barrow’s budget. It is merely an empty shell, with false promises for the people of Belize. While Barrow exalts his propoor agenda, the budget is really about keeping more Belizeans poor.

The second is the utter contempt with which our Belizean women have been treated by the UDP. As Buju Banton says, “Woman is di greatest thing God ever put pon di land”, but not to the UDP. Instead, they enjoy the abuse

of women as they did last week to a highly respected PUP woman in the Barrow-owned, UDP party organ.

While the act is vile and cruel, it has helped to re-unite women with a common purpose. It spurred them to share radical thoughts which formulated the rebellious letter, demanding that the public-funded agency, National Women’s Commission defends them.

Their silence, along with the Women’s Department, and Women’s Issued Network Belize is unacceptable, and too surrendering.

The People’s United Party cannot choose to stay silent in the face of such a distasteful attack. The PUP’s legacy is about uplifting and empowering women, and giving men space along their side.

The political landscape in Belize is about to change. Tomorrow is the dawn of a new, and with that new day will come renewed hope.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

PUP Condemns Guardian and the UDP The Women of the People’s United Party, Deputy Party Leader Carolyn Trench-Sandiford, the United Women’s Group and the Women Candidates of the People’s United Party condemn The/El Guardian newspaper for the publication of a photograph on the front page captioned “PUP Role Model”.

We denounce the vile usage by The/El Guardian of an image that is intended to invade the privacy and degrade the dignity of a Belizean woman. Such a distasteful act can only be attributed to raw political malice and venom.

We call upon the National Women’s Commission, the Women in Politics Project, as well as the Council of Churches and NGOs who advocate on behalf of women; and those who advertise in The/El Guardian newspaper to denounce this contemptible act.

Belizean women are celebrating and being celebrated this March all over the Jewel during Women’s Month. The/ El Guardian has chosen, in its March 20, 2011 edition, not to uplift Belizean women, but to slander and degrade one of our sisters. This cowardly act shames all who are associated with it, including the United Democratic Party.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

BelizeANS FIRST “Belize for Belizeans” was imprinted on the cancellation stamp of the General Post Office in 1980. By law the cancellation stamp was proudly pressed on to all letters that were mailed both domestically and internationally. This was a warning to the world and a promise to Belizeans.

It was a proud and reaffirming declaration of the sense of pride and patrimony that was soon to be bestowed on our people. The faithful Peoples United Party under the unwavering vision of the soon to be Father of the Nation, Rt. Hon. George Cadle Price, prepared to boldly face nationhood. This was the lyrics of war song: “Belize for Belizeans”.

This goal is the Belize Mr. Price sacrificed for. This goal is the Belize, the PUP built, a Belize for Belizeans.

This slogan was carved into the hearts of the peaceful revolution soldiers of our jewel, but was also reflected in the Annual National Day parades and the banners that would hang from the lampposts across our streets: “Belize for Belizeans”.

History tells that after a shameful UDP term which oversaw the wholesale marketing and peddling of Belizean passports and acres upon acres of prime Belizean land, the Peoples United Party challenged and patriotically won the 1989 General Elections with the mandate and slogan: “Belizeans First”.

Belizeans First is an affirmation of self-love, nationalism and loyalty to our eight thousand eight hundred and eighty six square miles, the sweat of our people and their birthright.

There have been a series of events that we have been monitoring at BELIZE TIMES and has caused us to realize that the UDP policy that Belize is for everyone other than Belizeans is still that political party’s rule of thumb.

The latest proof is the BGYEA saga, where the Government is lying to the Belizeans. The grass roots Belizean organization has forced the UDP Government to choose between squatting Central American immigrants and Belizeans.

Well, you would think that illegal squatters would be told to give way to the locals. NOPE not under the UDP, squatting immigrants first, while they hold their breath hoping Belizeans get frustrated and give up!

When choosing between the poor Belizeans that were earning an honest living on Mahogany Street and a set of wires that the foreign owned Belize Electricity Limited put up, the UDP sided with the foreigners and have said they will displace Belizeans for the squatting wires.

Then there is the Chief Magistrate controversy, where Magistrates are considering a “sick out/strike” in response to a foreigner being stuffed on to the bench in disrespect to the laws of Belize, Public Service Regulations and long service of Belizeans. You would think a qualified Belizean would be a forerunner! NOPE not under the UDP, foreigners flood in!

But should not at least the Chief Justice of Belize be a Belizean? NOPE not under the UDP, we still have an acting Chief Justice from half way around the world. How about the Solicitor General? NOPE not under the UDP he is also a foreigner! Well the Director of the Public Prosecutions Office must be Belizean, NOPE not under the UDP, she is Trinidadian.

The UDP Minister of Police was insulting Belizean Police officers around town, calling them “fat” and was looking to bring in a “team of foreigners” to manage the Police Force. Do not imagine it, it is real.

Then there is the Government telling the Mayans in their case before the Court of Appeal that they are NOT indigenous Belizeans!! Imagine that. These people are the most Belizeans of Belizeans, as a country we should celebrate them as we collect the millions of tourist dollars from the history of these Belizeans. NOPE not under the UDP, they appeal and protest against the Mayan’s Belizean-ness, so they can sell out oil concessions to foreigners.

The granddaddy of them all is that the government is trying to sneak in 20,000 immigrants in an “amnesty program”.

They cannot find money for small things like fixing streets but if you look into the 2011/2012 they have diverted monies to pay for the Amnesty Program despite widespread protest from Belizeans. You would think that right before a possible referendum for our national integrity a hare brained UDP government would not legitimized almost 7% of the national population with illegal immigrants.

“UDP Belize” is not for Belizeans. Not even our ambassadors are Belizeans. Barrow gave that post to another criminal with the last name Barrow, who may be more Israeli/Jewish than Belizean. UDPs give preference to Russians too. Mexicans come across the border with guns and Barrow sends the invading foreigners back to Chetumal with souvenirs, while Belizeans suffered in Mexican jails for lawfully pursuing Mexican bandits.

Belize is not for Belizeans under the UDP. Barrow did warn us of when the leader of this Belize went to a foreign country to get married!

Under the UDP Belize is NOT for you, the Belizeans. Being Belizean is an annoying inconvenience to this government.

For us, at BELIZE TIMES and the Peoples United Party, we will shout from Victoria Peak: “BELIZEANS FIRST.”

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THE BELIZE TIMES

101 Reasons against Barrow’s Budget 12. Zero in last year’s Budget, zero in this year’s budget for Hurricane Preparedness.

13. Zero dollars for Public Service capacity building and training of our public officers.

14. Over 30,000 school leavers are locked out of the school system and there is nothing in this Budget to turn them away from a life of crime and violence.

15. Nothing for the upgrading of the Bureau of Standards or to increase their staff in a time when everybody is under pressure to survive.

Hasn’t the butane industry taught us anything?

16. Where is the 500 jobs promised in tourism? In fact, where is the 200 jobs created in Tourism?

17. If 43% is declared under the poverty line, how is it that only $10,000 was supported on the Food Priority Program? The question begins – will this be the same for this Budget?

18. Budgeted was 1 million for an apprenticeship program, but only $10,800 was spent. What a shame! Is that what this budget spells for our youth this year?

19. 300,000 last year for Restore Belize, 300,000 for Restore Belize this year. What can this really do to combat crime and violence for the whole country of Belize? Answer: Nothing.

20. The budget does not address the need for Belize to drill for more oil, saying nothing on BNE’s exploitation of the Never Delay and More Tomorrow.

21. This budget reflects no clear planning or long term strategy according to the Barnett report. It lacks vision and depth of thought and reflects no real planning or coordination by the Economic Department, according to the statistics and business community.

22. Imagine in a time of high crime and violence, the Police gave back $3 million dollars to the Government that they could not spend.

Imagine that.

MORE TO COME NEXT WEEK

GET WELL SOON

MR. ANTHONY SYLVESTRE SR.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Shipwreck!

Caye Caulker, March 21st, 2011 The fate of three Cuban nationals who have been missing at sea since Saturday night is getting grimmer by the hour. The men were part of a crew travelling on a barge transporting salt from Mexico to Honduras, when the vessel shipwrecked about four miles east from Caye Caulker.

The Belize National Coast Guard was alerted of the tragedy around 11:00pm on Saturday. Authorities say the distress call was sounded on its Channel 16. The call indicated that the vessel, a barge flying the Panama flag named Helga, had been battered by rough waves and was sinking on Belizean waters. The Coast Guard launched an immediate search and rescue mission.

Four hours later, the team of Coast Guard, Belize Defense Force, and Police officials found four Cubans on a raft. The men were quickly

taken for medical treatment. The search continued and around 8am another group of four Cubans were discovered, hanging on to a damaged raft.

The rescued men informed authorities that while they were able to make it on the ship before it sunk, three others couldn’t. The good news was that the men were wearing life jackets, which meant they had some support, but their location and health condition is unknown.

After an entire day of searching, coast guard officials put on hold the search late this evening. It will resume on Tuesday.

The rescued men are 47 year old Iraelio Mengana Garcia, 47 year old Armando Garnado Martinez, 37 year old Antonio Perez Sadez, 49 year old Humberto Iglesias Hernandez, 43 year old Alfredo Porta Martinez, 46 year old Jose Consta Nalia, 38 year old George Herrera Aldana, and 39 year Joaquin Ruiz De Zarate Arribas.

courtesy Jorge Aldana

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Captain Arturo Edreira Cuza

The missing men include the boat captain, Edreira Cuza, and crew members, Nelson Perez Ardao and Alexis Gonzalez Cuñe.

The vessel is a 74 meters in length by 11 meters in width barge. The Belize channel is not an unfamiliar one for the crew, who are in the business of trading salt, but the strong water currents and rough waves were not. It is believed the barge drifted away from its course before it turned over and sunk.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

Excerpts from Opposition Leader

Hon. John Briceno’s Speech at Budget Debate March 24, 2011

Mr. Speaker: Sadly, this budget will be known for all time as the “Empty Pot” budget. It offers nothing to Belizeans by way of hope and has no plan for lifting our nation out of crisis. This time the PM does not even bother to boast about his “stimulus package” Last year’s empty motto of “Recovery today, Prosperity tomorrow” seems more like an insult to the struggling overburdened taxpayers of Belize.

We are, all of us, weary, and gravely concerned about the hard times we suffer because of this Government’s utter failure to cope at all. We are in crisis – more in “freefall”, and much less than “free to fly”.

The PM‘s wings are like those of mythical Icarus, taking his hubris riddled form, much too close to the heat of the sun. The problem is that he is responsible not only for himself, but for the state of Belize. WE MUST NOT FALL – we cannot afford the terrible cost of further failure.

Mr. Speaker we need bold leadership.

In time of great challenge, only great resolve and bold courage will do. We need an administration that can lead by securing our nation, ameliorating our economic pain, ensuring our safety and stimulating real economic growth.

The annual presentation of the General Appropriation Bill is a concrete manifestation of the true grit, the political will and the fortitude of the Government of the day. This budget is a moral compact with the people of Belize. It is a document that provides a real indication of the morality of this Barrow Administration and of the UDP Government, of its values and principles, of its work ethic.

In this context, Belizeans must ask themselves if this government‘s ethics are manifest in the fact that none of the real promises they made have been realized.

Belizeans must ask themselves how many of the 21 pledges made by the UDP in 2008 have been accomplished, or have even impacted their lives.

If the Prime Minister and his UDP representatives on the other side are truly honest with the Belizean people, if their moral conscience was like Caesar’s wife, above reproach, then they would have to admit that Belizeans today are not better off than they were three years ago.

Indeed except for those few choice UDP supporters, friends and family, Belizeans are worse off than they have been in the last generation.

Across the Jewel, Belizeans are saying that they have been deceived by a Prime Minster and an Administration that have made promise after promise and has utterly failed to fulfill any.

The UDP promised to create 5000 new jobs, where are these new jobs? Mr. Speaker between 2008 and 2010 unemployment almost doubled.

The UDP promised to produce 6 percent GDP growth annually, and yet today, the Prime Minister is happy to finally say that after three years, he is “satisfied with a modest growth of 2.4 percent.”

The UDP promised cheaper utilities, today not only are utility costs much higher, but thanks to the rise in GST, taxpayers in Belize now pay even more to the government in taxes collected on utilities than ever before.

The UDP promised a school feeding programme for our children and today more of our children are hungry at home AND hungry at school.

We were told the UDP had a 360 degree approach to crime that would see an end to violence and crime and yet today Belize, and especially Belize City, is one of the most violent places in the world.

So Mr. Speaker, when we ask Belizeans about this budget; when we ask Belizeans to point out how many of the promises made to them in 2008 were accomplished last year and how many they believe will be accomplished this year, they say with one united voice: NONE! The Prime Minster is only campaigning in poetry when he talks about “Celebrating Growth and Restoring Sustainability”. Too bad for us he is governing in raw, ugly, uninspired prose.

When Belizeans look at this year’s budget Mr. Speaker, what they see is the same tired laundry lists of old initiatives regurgitated for new consumption, unaccomplished promises, lame excuses and deluded decisions that will do nothing to directly ease the pain that we have endured over the past three years.

I want to address the issue of the Super Bond. Belizeans all agree that the Prime Minister’s favourite scapegoat is the “Super bond”. The Prime Minster talks about the burden caused by such borrowing. I want to remind the Prime Minister that he lamented the cost of recovery from a category one storm, Hurricane Richard and how much it set back his recovery agenda. Perhaps the Prime Minister’s selective memory will not allow him to recall Hurricanes Mitch Keith, Iris, Chantal, and of course the worst ever, Hurricane Dean – (no pun intended) alI major hurricanes that occurred during the PUP administration. And yet we still managed to grow the economy and leave money in the public coffers when we demitted office. Now the PM is attempting, like the ugly stepsister, to force his foot into our shoes.

Despite the beating administered by Mother Nature, during our time in office the PUP invested a billion dollars in education. It was the PUP that built the CET buildings in every district. It was the PUP that started the NHI Programme, it was the PUP that started the text book programme, it was the PUP that spent 400 million dollars in roads and bridges. It was the PUP that expanded water systems to 90 percent of our population. It was the PUP that expanded hundreds of miles of electricity to most of our communities. And it was the PUP that put land in the hands of over 65,000 Beliz-

7 eans.

THAT is what WE did with our borrowing. Mr. Speaker, how many schools have they built? How many new roads have they constructed? How many new industries have been created as a result of their “stimulus package”? How has their borrowing helped Belizeans to find jobs? Who has benefitted other than their friends and family?

We know they are borrowing, and at a much faster pace than the previous administration did, in fact just last week the Prime Minister came to this house with $83 million dollars in new loan initiatives.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Local Onion Industry Faces Collapse March 22, 2011 Orange Walk District

By Carmelita Perez Local onion producers in the north say they are facing the worse economic times ever. The losses suffered, they say, are in the millions and they cast the blame on the poor decisions of the Belize Marketing Board.

Last month, the Marketing Board imported some 195,000lbs of onions from Holland. The situation has caused an oversupply of onions in the local market, which has translated into enormous losses for local farmers.

This year local production is estimated at 1.5 million pounds. The Corozal Onion Producers Association had

Accused burglar shot twice that the bag contained his Nike tennis shoes, his Pony tennis shoes, boots and sweat suits.

Bevans has 9 convictions and three of them are for burglary.

Joseph Bevans Jr.

BELIZE CITY. Wed. March 23, 2011

By Roy Davis Three-time convicted burglar, Joseph Bevans Jr., 48, who allegedly broke into a house at Western Paradise, pleaded not guilty to burglary yesterday after he hobbled into the #8 Magistrate’s Court supported by a piece of PVC pipe.

The reason for the limp was that Bevans had been shot twice, reportedly at the scene of the burglary.

Magistrate Emmerson Banner offered Bevans bail of $5,000 and adjourned his case until April 21.

But Bevans was unable to meet bail so he was remanded into custody at Belize Central Prison.

The incident occurred around 1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 18. Kevin Graham, 27, reported that he received a telephone call of a burglary in progress at his house and when he arrived he saw Bevans coming out of his yard with a bag in his hand.

Graham said he saw Bevans running into the bushes. He waited until Bevans came out of the bushes and that was when one of Graham’s neighbors drew his licensed firearm and fired two shots.

Bevans was shot twice in his left leg. One of the bullets exited while the other remained lodged in Bevans’ left buttocks.

A high ranking police officer who was passing at the same time took Bevans in his vehicle to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he was admitted to ward.

Graham reported to the police

sent a letter to the Marketing Board on January 3rd spelling out how much onion was expected to be harvested this year by over 70 onion producers and at what price it would be sold. That; however, did not stop the Marketing Board from importing imported onions which arrived on February 12th. Today the wholesale price per a pound of onion stands at 40 cents. But even with such a low price, producers say it is not selling and millions of dollars are being lost. Local producers have also had to reduce the price of a sack of onion from $55.00 to $20.00, to compete with the Belize Marketing Board who is selling a sack of the imported onion for only $15.00.

The unjust competition, between locally produced and foreign onion, has led to a five million dollar loss to onion producers belonging to the Corozal Onion Producers Associa-

tion.

Raul Mai has been in onion production for 7 years and as far as he can recall this is the worst year ever. Mai strongly believes onion producers are not receiving the assistance they need from the authorities. And with approximately 100,000 pounds of onions now spoiling in the fields, producers hope their voices will be heard.

Onion producers are also affected because they have no adequate storage facility for onions. The one that was donated by the Taiwanese Government a few years ago was damaged

by Hurricane Dean. Despite receiving assurances from the Minister of Agriculture himself that the storage facility would be renovated, onion producers say it was more words than actions. If there was a proper storage facility, onion producers would be able to store up to 250,000 pounds of the produce.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Trio remanded for attempted

daylight burglary

BELIZE CITY, Wed. March 23, 2011

By Roy Davis Three men who allegedly tried to break into the house of Alicia Holland located in the Western Paradise community, located at Mile 8 on the Western Highway, were charged with attempted burglary on Monday, March 21.

They are Owen Parham, 32; Egbert Ferguson, 20; and Leon Castillo, 27. They were arraigned in the #8 Magistrate’s

Court, and pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Holland reported that while she was at work she received a telephone call from one of her neighbors who told her that three men were trying to break into her house. She said she informed the police in Hattieville that the trio were seen fleeing from area in a red Toyota Corolla taxi car which headed towards Hattieville.

The police intercepted the car. In

it were Parham, Ferguson and Castillo.

They were detained.

The police reported that when they visited the scene they found a red lock cutter in the yard. The lock cutter was labeled as exhibit.

In Court, Magistrate Emmerson Banner offered each of them a bail of $6,000 and adjourned their case until April 27. They were unable to meet bail so they were taken to prison.

Owen Parham

Leon Castillo

Mark Conorquie, found guilty of traffic fatality Conorquie also testified and said that Sedassey swerved into the path of his vehicle from about 100 yards away.

Mark Conorquie

BELIZE CITY, Wed. March 23, 2011

By Roy Davis Mark Conorquie, 40, a resident of Carmelita Village who was charged with causing death by careless conduct, was found guilty today by a jury of 5 men and 4 women. The jury deliberated for about 4 hours before it arrived at its verdict, which was unanimous.

The trial judge, Justice Herbert Lord, has deferred sentencing until Wednesday, March 30, in order to give Conorquie, who was not represented by an attorney, time to prepare a plea for mitigation.

The incident occurred around 1 p.m. on July 27, 2009, between mile 19 and 20 on the Northern Highway.

The deceased, Maurice Sedassey, 59, was riding a white beach cruiser bicycle; coming from his home at mile 20 and going to a Chinese shop at mile 19 to sell bottles. At the same time, a green Dodge Ram pick-up truck driven by Conorquie, travelling from Carmelita to Belize City, struck Sedassey on the left side and knocked him off his bicycle. Sedassey received injuries to his body and broke his neck.

He died on the spot.

One eye witness, Bridgette Moody, testified for the prosecution.

Visit Us Online at: www.belizetimes.bz

When the case first came to trial Conorquie pleaded guilty, but he changed his plea when he was to be sentenced.

Egbert Ferguson

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

PARTY PAGE

11

OPERATION REBUILDING

PUP Northern Caucus discusses economic restoration in San Joaquin meeting

San Joaquin Village, Corozal District, March 14, 2011 The economic restoration of the northern districts was the main topic of discussion at a meeting of the Northern Caucus held on Saturday March 12th in San Joaquin Village.

Under the Chairmanship of Mr. Valdemar Castillo, all nine constituencies that make up the PUP Northern Caucus- Corozal North, Corozal Bay, Corozal South East, Corozal South West, Orange Walk North, Orange Walk East, Orange Walk South, Orange Walk Central and Belize Rural South attended the meeting.

In discussing the current economic state of Corozal and Orange Walk, the officials discussed the Sugar Industry troubles and the Commercial Free Zone’s inability to boost the northern economy.

“We are very concerned about what is going on in the sugar industry and our people are suffering. We need

to reactivate the Corozal Commercial Free Zone. We need to promote the zone into the interior of Mexico. We need to commence the process of diversification into other services. And we need to come up with something new for the northern region of the country, and that something new I believe is tourism, but we need to work hard and join hands with our friends from the south of Mexico and come up with a joint package in tourism,” explained Chairman Castillo to CTV-3 News after the meeting.

The PUP northern bloc agreed that to rescue the north from the mess the UDP has it in, and to create economic activity, new plans and ideas must be sought.

The officials said the next step will be to formulate a strategic plan of economic development for the north. That plan will include aid for cane farmers.

The Northern Caucus also discussed the Party’s preparation for the upcoming municipal elections.

BETTER WITH THE PUP

FLORENCIO MARIN JR. COROZAL SOUTH EAST

Party Leader Hon. John Briceño addresses Northern Caucus meeting

JULIUS ESPAT CAYO SOUTH

ARTHUR SALDIVAR BELIZE RURAL NORTH

Rodwell Ferguson Stann Creek West

GREGORIO “PAPAS” GARCIA COROZAL BAY

CAROLYN TRENCH-SANDIFORD COLLET

RAMIRO RAMIREZ COROZAL SOUTH WEST

IVAN RAMOS Dangriga

Valdemar castilllo Corozal North

mike espat toledo east

oscar requeña toledo west

joseph mahmud cayo north

gilroy usher sr. port loyola

12

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, March 27, 2011

BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

Belize City, March 20, 2011 The Rising Stars are the Belize Telemedia under-15 basketball Belize District champions after winning the two games of the finals series against the Belama Hittaz at the Belize City Center on Friday March 18 and Sunday March 20.

In Game 1 on Friday night, Adrian Cardona led the Rising Stars’ attack with 13 points and five rebounds in a hard-hitting play that went right down to the wire.

Zach Usher added 10 points and snatched 22 rebounds. Justin Marin hit a long trey as he led the Hitt-

taz with 11 points.

Hittaz’ Raheem Staine scored 10 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, while Keyvon Evans’ 8 points and 5 rebounds, and Frederick Williams shot 6 points to give the Stars the 42-34 lead in the 3rd quarter. The Stars’ kept the lead up to the final buzzer for the 53-51 win.

In game 2 on Sunday, the Rising Stars outlasted the Belama Hittaz once more, 51-49. Usher

Rising Stars are champs

once more led with 18 points and 24 rebounds.

The champions now advance to the national tournament to take on the best of the south, north and west. The nationals have been tentatively scheduled for the weekend of April 15 to 17.

Rising Stars’ Adrian Cardona tries a lay up

s e c n a v d a s r a t S Rising s l a n o i t a n 5 1 to BTL U

Top awards: Most Valuable Player

Zachary Usher

Most Rebounds

Raheem Staine

Most Assists

Auburn Rivero

Most Points award

Blazin Blazzaz’ Rodney Morris

Belize

wins it all!

National Cricket Team sweeps ICC Americas & prepares for 2012

Belize City, March 20, 2011 Team Belize was invincible, winning all five matches to take the championship at the International Cricket Confederation (ICC) Division 3 tournament held at the Los Reyes Polo Club in San Jose, Costa Rica last week.

The victorious team returned to Belize on Sunday, and paraded in a victory motorcade from the Phillip Goldson International Airport all the way to the village of Double Head Cabbage after which they returned to Bermudian Landing for a victory celebration on the cricket pitch.

The undefeated Belize cricketers won their 5th and final match 90-85 against Chile on Friday. The Man of the Match was Mykelt Anthony who batted 2 sixes and 2 fours to score 34 runs, his second six gave them the win. He had also won another Man of the Match award earlier in the tournament. MVP Conway Young batted 23 runs, while

John Fecci led the Chilean batting with 21 runs.

Conway Young was the tournament’s Most Valuable Player and Best Wicketkeeper.

Keve Flowers was the tournament’s Best Bowler and he also won two Man of the Match awards. Howell Gillett also won one Man of the Match award.

Belize is now promoted to the ICC Americas Division 2 Tournament and will compete in this division on April 9, 2011 in Suriname.

The six-team tournament will serve as a qualification event for the ICC World 2012. The winner of the tournament will get promoted to Division 2 in April to join Bahamas, Brazil, Panama, Suriname and Turks and Caicos Islands.

How they won: Game 1

Belize beat Peru 65 runs with 4 wickets to spare

Game 2

Belize defeated the Falkland Islands by the score 182 runs to 50 runs

Game 3

Belize stomped Mexico 106 runs to 87

Game 4

Belize held down Costa Rica 40 runs to 39 runs

Kevin Flowers was awarded Best Bowler,

Team Belize promoted to ICC Americas Division 2

Percy Flowers batter 30 runs against Falkland

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

13

BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

Kruzzars

wins BTL U-17 basketball finals Belize City, March 20, 2011 The Kruzzars won the Belize Telemedia under-17 basketball Belize District championship by winning the two games of the finals series against the ACC Deacons at the Belize City Center on Friday and Sunday, March 18 and 20.

In Game 1, Kruzzars’ Devin Daly scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a 76-49 romp over the ACC Deacons. ACC’s Terique Gabb was hot, hitting 19 points and catching two rebounds, but the Kruzzars were up 19-8 in the 1st quarter. Kruzzars’ Tariq Middleton scored 17 points and caught seven rebounds as Kruzzars led 39-21 at the half. At the end of the 3rd, Kruzzars had opened up a 54-36 point-lead and that commandeering continued until the end of the game.

In Game 2 on Sunday, the Kruzzars won 91-80 to clinch the championship.

This Kruzzars now advance to the national tournament which will tentatively be held from April 15 to 17.

How they won: Game 1 Burrell Boom Methodist vs. Pancotto Primary School

4

0

Burrell Boom

Pancotto

Winning pitcher Sabrina Campus

Game 2

Crooked Tree Government School vs.

Lucky Strike Government School

8

Crooked Tree

1

Lucky Strike

Winning pitcher Elma Wade, MVP

Game 3

St. Isabella Primary School vs. Our Lady of Sorrows

5

4

St. Isabella

Our Lady

Winning pitcher Doreen Moody

Game 4

Biscayne Government vs. St. Agnes Government School

6

Biscayne

3

St. Agnes

Winning pitcher Angilee Bradley

Game 5

St. Thomas Anglican School vs. Hattieville Government School

8

Biscayne

1

St. Agnes

Winning pitcher Caithlyn McFadzean

Kruzzars will now prepare for the U-17 nationals

Top Awards: Most Valuable Player

Devin Daly

Most Points

Alejandro Baptist

Most rebounds

Alejandro Baptist

Most Assists

Kruzzars’ Lincey Lopez

Kyle Midleton goes for two points

ACC’s Gabriel Taylor on the defense Kruzzars’ Brian White has ball control

Holy Redeemer

enjoys consecutive wins in softball Belize City, March 21, 2011 The Holy Redeemer RC School girls posted their 3rd win in the Belize City primary schools softball competition at the home of softball at the Roger’s Stadium on Monday.

Winning pitcher Shanice Neal led the Holy Redeemer girls to a 7-3 win over the Wesley Upper School girls.

The champions from the city will face the Belize rural champions, the Crooked Tree government school girls, who are also the two-time defending national champions, who won the rural championship at the Ladyville field last Thursday.

How they won:

Holy Redeemer team

Game 6 (2nd round) Burrell Boom girls vs. St. Isabella Primary girls

14

Burrell Boom

0

St. Isabella

Winning pitcher Sabrina Campus

Game 7

Crooked Tree vs. Biscayne girls

5

Crooked Tree

1

Biscayne

Winning pitcher Elma Wade, MVP

Game 8 (3rd round)

Crooked Tree vs. St. Thomas Anglican

4

Crooked Tree

0

St. Thomas

Winning pitcher Elma Wade

Game 9 (Championship final) Crooked Tree vs. Burrell Boom girls

4

Crooked Tree

0

Burrell Boom

Winning pitcher Elma Wade

St. Johns’ Ianna Wagner pitches

14

THE BELIZE TIMES

Other games: Game 1 St. Thomas Anglican School vs. Double Head Cabbage

14

St. Thomas

2

Double Head

Winning pitcher Shaquille Theus

Game 2

Lucky Strike Government School vs. St. Isabella Primary

4

Lucky Strike

0

St. Isabella

Winning pitcher Rashid Bethran

Game 3

Burrell Boom Methodist vs. Our Lady of the Way RC School

5

3

Burrell Boom

Our Lady

Winning pitcher Russhane Flowers

Game 4

Biscayne Government School vs. Hattieville Government School

7

Biscayne

0

St. Agnes

Winning pitcher Barrington Wade

Game 5

St. Luke’s Anglican School vs. St. Agnes Government School

9

Biscayne

0

St. Agnes

Winning pitcher Andrew Banner

Game 6

Our Lady of Sorrows vs. Guadalupe RC School

4

0

Our Lady

Guadalupe

Winning pitcher Mathew Martinez

Game 7

Crooked Tree vs. St. Stephen’s Anglican School

8

Crooked Tree

0

St. Stephen’s

Winning pitcher Gershom Gillett

Game 8 (2nd round)

Rancho boys vs. Lemonal boys

5

3

Rancho

Lemonal

Winning pitcher Mathew Martinez

Game 9

Burrell Boom Methodist School vs. Lucky Strike

3

Burrell Boom

0

Lucky Strike

Winning pitcher Russhane Flowers

Game 10

Crooked Tree boys vs. Biscayne boys

1

Crooked Tree

0

Biscayne

Winning pitcher Gershom Gillett

Game 11 (3rd round)

Crooked Tree vs. Double Head Cabbage boys

14

Crooked Tree

0

Double Head

Winning pitcher Gershom Gillett

Game 12

Burrell Boom Methodist vs. Rancho Dolores

6

Burrell Boom

0

Rancho

Winning pitcher Russhane Flowers

Game 13 (Championship final) Crooked Tree vs. Burrell Boom

10

Crooked Tree

2

Burrell Boom

Winning pitcher Gershom Gillett

Wesley Upper & Salvation Army taste victory in softball Belize City, March 21, 2011 The Wesley Upper School boys posted their 3rd win in the Belize City primary schools softball competition at the home of softball at the Roger’s Stadium on Monday.

Winning pitcher Tray Bowden led the Wesley boys to a 9-6 win over the Holy Redeemer School boys.

Pitcher Luis Acosta also led the Salvation Army School boys to their third win 27-0 over the St John’s Anglican Primary School boys last Wednesday.

The champions and subchampions from the city will advance to the Belize district finals, where they will face the rural champions, the Crooked Tree Government School boys, who won the rural championship at the Ladyville field last Thursday.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

BELIZE'S #1 SPORTS PAGE

Salvation Army boys

Wesley Upper team

Cancarras Garage vs.

Elite Promos in Finals Youth Recreational Center basketball races to finish line Orange Walk, March 23rd 2011 The Youth Recreational Center basketball tournament organised by Coach of the Year Laddrick “Mad Bull” Shepherd is reaching its boiling point. Six teams, two Junior and six seniors, are racing for the top honours. In the Juniors, Cancarras Garage (they defeated CGI on Friday March 18th) and Elite Promos are already in the finals, while in the Seniors Lord Bank Bullets is facing King Ballers and Top Shattaz is trying to shake off San Pedro Tuff E Nuff to advance to the finals.

The best of 3-game-series for the Seniors semi-finals and Junior Divisions Finals were played over the weekend and here are the results:

Friday Games: Juniors, SEMI-FINALS GAME 2 Cancarras Garage vs. CGI – 57-56 Top Scorers: Tyrone Baptist & Raheem Cummings, 17 points; Craig Cooper, 16 points Cancarras advances to finals

Salvation Army’s Roberto Villanueva

Seniors, SEMI-FINALS GAME 2 Top Shattaz vs. San Pedro Tuff E Nuff – 88-61 Top Scorers: Jamal Kelly, 20 points; Densmore Edwards, 19 points Game 3 is set for Friday night, March 25th at 9:30pm Saturday Games: Juniors, FINALS Game 1 Cancarras Garage vs. Elite Promos – 75-68 Top Scorers: Leonard Jones, 23 points; Javier Guttierez, 22 points Game 2 is set for Saturday March 26th 2011 at 7:30pm Seniors, Game 2 Lord’s Bank Bullets vs. King Ballers 94-90 Top Scorers: Darwin Leslie, 41 points; Randy Usher, 50 points Series tied 1-1, and Game 3 will be played on Friday, March 25. The Finals will be played on Saturday March 26th.

Salvation Army’s Lyndon St. Claire

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

15

Gilroy Usher wins

Port Loyola Sydney Fuller, Gerry Martinez, Englebert Perrera & Gilroy Usher Sr. remain united for Port Loyola

Usher, a successful business, former teacher and mentor, will fight for residents of Port Loyola

Gilroy Usher Sr. is hoisted by supporters in celebration of their victory

Despite the UDP’s tactics to intimidate, residents turned out by the hundreds to support the PUP

16

THE BELIZE TIMES

BEL wants Mahogany Street vendors gone!

BELIZE CITY, Wed. March 16, 2011 More than 25 vendors/micro entrepreneurs who have their businesses on Mahogany Street from its junction with Central American Boulevard to the Complex Building, have received letters from Belize Electrcity Limited which inform that they have to move by January 2012, because the high tension wires in the area are hazarduous and cancerous.

The vendors, who were hoping the Belize City Council, would stand in their defense or provide mediation were stunned when Councilor Philip Willoughby agreed that they have to go.

The news has discomforting for the Belizeans who have been making ends meet with the little business they have in the area. They feel the notice to vacate is irrational.

The vendors pay trade license to the City Council, who approved the location several years ago. They also have electricity meters, which means that at one point BEL inspected the area and also approved the location.

Alfred Richards, 45, a.k.a. “Wiley”, who owns a barber shop and sells second hand tools, said he has had the business for about 5 years and has no intention of moving because he has no where else to go. “I leased this piece of land from Belize City Council and I have been paying $365 every year for it”, said Wiley. That’s a dollar a day for its use.

Wiley said he gave the BEL emissary back the letter and informed that he is not going to move.

Prudence Wade, 46, who has had a take out food shop for over

13 years, was one of the recipients of the letter. “I was told that I have to move because my shop is close to the high tension wires and it is dangerous”, said Ms. Wade.

She added that at her age it will be difficult for her to relocate. “I have been my own boss for a long time now and I don’t know how I will be able to find work”, she explained.

Julian Leslie, 52, the owner of M and J Fast Food said she has had the business for about 3 years and she does not know what she will do if she has to move.

Just like her, Aretha Danderson, 31, the owner of Foreign Touch beauty Salon, was also stunned by the content in the BEL letter. She said she don’t know what to do because she has no where else to go.

Stephanie Davis, the owner of Country Kitchen, said she has been at the location from September last year and it will be difficult for her to find another location.

Reports are that BEL officials have already decided to cease their electrical service for several businesses, urging them to move from the area as quickly as possible.

“They said they can’t continue to give us electricity because of the danger due to the high tension wires”, said Ms. Davis.

She explained that moving some where else will cause her to lose her customers.

“I have two children to feed and I don’t know how I am going to take care of them especially since my son is going to high school this year”, she said. Ms. Davis sells bread and bun. She also prepares breakfast and lunch.

While the wanring letters were sent out a week ago, there has been no public notice or explanation for BEL’s latest move.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

Typhoid Fever scare in San Pedro San Pedro, March 14, 2011 It has been well over a month since the nation’s number one tourist destination registered a number of confirmed cases of typhoid fever and up to now the Ministry of Health has not given any type of advisory or precautions to the residents.

The first cases were reported in the early part of February and a number of individuals who took tests at the San Pedro Lab Center, on the advice of a doctor, found out they had typhoid fever.

To give credence to the claims that there is a growing problem of typhoid in San Pedro, Tamara Sniffin, the Editor of the San Pedro Sun newspaper, has gone public to give her personal account of the virus and what she went through for over a week in order to recover.

Typhoid is caused through food, drink or water that has been contaminated by faeces. Its effects are severe diarrhoea, vomiting, chills, extremely high temperature, headache and griping. If left untreated, the patient takes a long while to recover, possibly longer than two weeks. Other cases are not as severe. Co-owner of the San Pedro Lab Centre, Dr. Daniel Gonzalez, also went public to say that his lab has conducted tests on blood samples of patients who went to their doctors after experiencing the symptoms. Those tests came back positive

and there were more people showing up for typhoid tests after their physicians on the island recommended they take the test.

Representatives of the government’s Central Lab have denied that there is a presence of typhoid in San Pedro. Their stance taken is that typhoid can only be confirmed through stool tests and not through a blood test. Their claim, however, is sharply discarded by private lab technicians who say that once stool is placed in a cooler before it is handled for any kind of testing, the cool temperature kills the bacteria that cause typhoid.

It is also quite possible, as explained by another doctor, that typhoid can or cannot be detected at certain stages, based on titers.

“I have treated (patients) for typhoid fever. It’s confirmed through with all tests which check for titers of immunological tests...(they) were confirmed by my lab here in San Pedro. I’m sure because of the symptoms of my patient and confirmed by the test which in most of these cases have been very high titers,” said Dr Gonzalez.

Typhoid is passed on through dirty hands that have had contact with faeces. Food handlers are particularly encouraged to wash their hands regularly and keep their food covered in order to prevent spreading the disease.

Crisis in Carmelita Village Council Orange Walk, March 17, 2011 On February 7th 2011, a serious rift within the Carmelita UDP Village Council was exposed when one of the Councilors, Mirtha Gillett, resigned from her post. Gillett said decided to abandoning the Council because it had failed to carry out the mandate of the people.

The BELIZE TIMES has learnt that two other councilors have also tendered their resignation from the Village Council for the same reasons. In separate letters dated February 28th 2011, Elva Forbes and Sara Pech inform the Chairman of the Carmelita Village Council, Randy Jones, about their resignation as councilors.

The letters state, and I quote “The direction of the council, group in which I work and the methods of accomplishing our re-

sponsibility toward our villagers are making it increasingly difficult for me to feel that I’m indeed working for what I was elected. I have decided to move on and continue assisting the people of my village on a personal basis”.

The resignations expose a serious leadership problem within the Carmelita Village Council. The Council has been infiltrated by new UDP Standard Bearer Landy Burns, who has been using the group for his own agenda.

There are also indications that the Vice Chairman of the Village Council, Israel Rodas, also intends to resign from his post. Should that take place, the Council would have lost a majority of its membership, which would force the Ministry of Rural Development to hold a Bi-election in the community.

17

18

THE BELIZE TIMES

Farrakhan

warns Obama on Libya policy

CHICAGO (FinalCall.com) - The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan blasted President Obama and Secretary Clinton for their arrogance in meddling in another sovereign nation’s affairs and publicly recommending regime change.

Minister Farrakhan instructed Americans to look beneath the surface to see who stands to benefit from the unrest, and warned President Obama to be careful of the words coming from advisors lobbying him to move in with military forces to depose Col. Gadhafi.

“You must remember, dear people of America, that whenever government wants you to think and act in a certain way that would bring justification to an action that they are already planning to make, they must make the person that they hate a ‘boogey man,’ “ he said. Col. Gadhafi, who led a bloodless coup against a U.S. ally over 40 years ago, has seen constant negative publicity and was once called the “Mad Dog of the Middle East” by American leaders and analysts.

People unhappy with government are not solely in Libya, he pointed out.

Many are unhappy with Mr. Obama, he said.

The U.S. government has a long history of deposing leaders of other nations in order to get natural resources, more specifically-oil, he continued, saying the imperialistic forces are not interested in saving those being killed, it is just a “noble motive to hide your (the U.S. government’s) wicked agenda!”

“Is it that you’re (U.S. officials) so concerned over the blood that is being shed in Libya, when you looked the other way when the Israeli Defense Force was bombing the innocent people of Gaza, unarmed men, women and children? ... You looked the other way when the Israeli Defense Force went into Lebanon thinking that they were going to have an easy victory, then you had to come out with your tail between your legs?”

Inside America members of the Branch Davidian religious sect were killed in 1993 in Waco, Texas, by federal law enforcement, while men,

women and children of the MOVE organization were killed when police bombed their home during a 1985 standoff in Philadelphia, he said. Current American outrage is nothing but hypocrisy, the Minister said.

To President Obama, Minister Farrakhan delivered a pointed warning: “Don’t let these wicked demons move you in a direction that will absolutely ruin your future with your people in Africa and throughout the world. They don’t like the way you handled (former Egyptian President Hosni) Mubarak! They don’t like the way you’re handling the situation in the Arab world! So I would advise you to be careful-and move with wisdom and skill.”

And then, Minister Farrakhan offered President Obama some divine advice.

“Why don’t you organize a group of respected Americans, and ask for a meeting with Gadhafi? You can’t order him to step down, and get out-who the hell do you think you are, that you can talk to a man that built a country over 42 years, and ask him step down and get out? Can anybody ask you? Well, well there’s a lot, now, [that are] going to ask you to step out of the White House, because they don’t want a Black face in the White House,” said Minister Farrakhan.

“Be careful, brother, how you handle this situation because it is coming to America! It has already started. Look in Wisconsin! Look in Ohio! Look at what’s going on in your country! And remember your words because the American people are rising against their own government: It’s not Muslims; it’s not Black people! It’s White militias that are angry with their government, and they are well armed. Are you going to tell them’Put your arms down, and let’s talk it over peacefully?’ I hope so. But if not, America will be bathed in blood, not because Farrakhan said so, but because the dissatisfaction in America has reached the boiling point. Be careful how you manipulate the dissatisfaction in Libya and other parts of the Muslim world,” he warned.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

19

20

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, March 27, 2011

barley blair Submitted on 2011/03/18 at 6:09pm The Dean Barrow administration has been the worse Belize has ever seen. In three years they have accomplished nothing except the destruction of the economy, the highest unemployment in history, a crime crisis that is only getting worse and the wholesale give away of our national patrimony to foreigners and UDP cronies. Now he stands before the nation and reads a budget that is cut and paste from last year’s and 2009. There are no new projects, no new initiatives to create jobs or alleviate poverty. It is the same rehash potash that Barrow is famous for. Call the elections for God’s sake and let us start fresh Ricky Malthus Submitted on 2011/03/19 at 6:00am Barrow has always been a charlatan and psuedo-intellectual given to grandiloquence which masks his personal psychological deficiences culturally and politically. This is evident in the waste , theft, personal aggrandidement, and the legal, financial fiascoes he has administered only in the past three years. And he is the best in his party!!! Ha Ha! The people want the oil money, $3 a gallon fuel, 7% loan from the banks, free education from primary school to university using oil profits to pay.

All those willing to work must be put to work in meaningful jobs( reduce unemployment), reduce all taxes by 50% to spur economic growth via new increased investment and consumption. But Barrow can’t do because he is too enamoured with old thinking , the colonial way . Maybe he hates Ashcroft because he wants to be Ashcroft who made him . Now he bites that hand that fed him. Just be careful Barrow for the traps you set because you and your family will fall into them. We know you are the author of the gun law not Perdomo. You see what happenned to your very own because of gun, you see what happenned to your own when you black listed others by threatening solid investors not to hire them. you see what is happenning as we write to oil deal and Ashcroft. What goes around, comes around!!

Junito says: March 22, 2011 at 10:12 am Lybia, war Blah blah blah. We should already be receiving royalty payments from the windfall tax since crude is trading above $90.00 a barrell for over a month now. Why not subsidize the tax hike with the money GOB recieves from the royalties and windfall tax????? Barrow is a plain theif. So where are the funds of the windfall tax going?? Only he knows yagalove says: March 22, 2011 at 8:41 am wow. I know it is hard over in US with the fuel increase but I feel sorry for my fellow Belizeans. The governement should be doing more to help out as much as possible but since they dont have to pay for gas out of their pockets they cant feel the crunch like the rest of the country.

Concerned citizen says: March 18, 2011 at 11:31 am Isn’t BWS under the management of the Government of Belize? Minister Faber should be the first to jump into this opportunity for the provision to the school!

Government of Belize SHOULD wave the installation fee! Education is the key. The children are our future. Lets invest in our future. Lets get the water installed at the school so the children can a healthy learning environment. rod says: March 22, 2011 at 7:14 am what a joke we belizeans had to bring in an american to tell us what to do about our own country heheheheheheehehe you have to laugh at this incompetent gov. from all aspects well let me tell you people you bring ships to our beaches in placencia and they will mess up everyones life with thir garbage and you will not be able to swim in the waters after the waste from thousands of people daily is let go into the waters of our beautiful country greed is a b so just say no no nono to cruise ships.

Posts are from www.belizetimes.bz, Belize Times Facebook Account and www.channel5belize.com

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

Strictly Personal Barrow is bogus

By glenntillett@yahoo.com Belize has been a much more violent place since Dean Barrow announced on April 17th, 2005 that they would embark on a campaign of sustained civil disobedience. Barrow and the UDP were already engaged in promoting incivility and disrespect through their morning talk show on their party’s radio station, WAVE Radio, and so

No party has ever divided Belizeans that way this current Dean Barrowled UDP has. I would argue that that most of all, will be his legacy. I would argue that that is what will define Dean Oliver Barrow.” much so that the announcement seemed a formality to many.

I am not a politician, and my record of calculating politically is a dismal one. Principle tends to trump political pragmatism where I am concerned, and that is only endearing in dead statesmen. At the time I miscalculated the growing sense of alienation and marginalization some Belizeans were feeling, from the process of development and transformation that had swept Belize under the PUP expansionary economic policies.

By the time Dean Barrow made his “announcement”, formally at a press conference, WAVE Radio morning programs had already began to preach anarchy through Kenny Morgan’s early show and Joe

and Juliet following talk show.

Another administration might have called Morgan to task for calling for violence against government officials, both elected and unelected, and for a violent overthrow of the government. But Said Musa was and still is, a champion of free speech, and he demanded that no one infringe on Kenny’s, Joe’s, Juliet’s, WAVE’s and the entire UDP’s right to say whatever they wanted.

Morgan would set the tone by accusing the PUP administration of being so corrupt, and that the nation was in such dire straits, that their removal “by any means necessary” was justified. A charismatic entertainer, Morgan was a “firebrand” whose skillful use of language and theatrics was combined to deadly effect.

Joe Bradley and Juliet Thimbrel perfected the art of using scurrilous personal attacks on the persons they chose as their “enemies.”

It was not just character assassination by innuendo, or guilt by association, it was instead the wholesale slaughter of their “enemies’” characters by both imputations and allegations of the worst kinds of immorality and criminality.

At first when I listened in I did not think that Belizeans would fall victim to this type of demagoguery.

In fact I was convinced that they could not, if only because we were for the most part a decent, fairminded people who knew to sift the kernels of truth from the chaff of lies and exaggerations. I was wrong.

In the years since the PUP had won the 1998 General Elections, an entire new generation of voters had come, and were coming of age, while an entire generation or two were passing on, either to emigration or to the fate from which none can escape. These were really the first grand wave of voters who had lived their lives in the age of modern mass-media in Belize, and had for the most part been educated by the electronic mass media.

They took for granted what were still wondrous inventions to the old folks like me. And they took for gospel what was said or broadcast, if only because it was broadcast. It is one of the immutable conditions of youth that they lack the experience to be discerning in some matters.

It is to my sorrow that none of the “decent” people raised a word of protest against the extremism of the UDP propaganda, particularly the propaganda that spewed forth

from WAVE Radio and from their podiums. It is because they were left unchecked, unchastised, uncensored and uncastigated for their perfidy that The Guardian’s current editor believes it was okay to run a purloined picture of a woman with the intent to degrade her, on the UDP newspaper’s front page.

The editor is a panelist on the WAVE morning talk show.

No party has ever divided Belizeans that way this current Dean Barrow-led UDP has. I would argue that that most of all, will be his legacy. I would argue that that is what will define Dean Oliver Barrow.

Under Dean Barrow opponents

21 became “enemies” because he said so. And because they were “enemies” anything could be said about them without apology.

Although he is now and has been the leader of a nation, Dean Barrow hasn’t changed. He will be at it again in the House of Representatives, in the National Assembly, before the nation’s largest audience and on its greatest bully pulpit, calling his opponents names because they are his “enemies”, and dividing the nation.

When I consider these things and my gorge rises and threatens to choke my good sense I want to say that that is bulls—t.

Barrow is bogus.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

No more UDP lies

and deception in San Pedro

By Milo Paz, Chairman, PUP Belize Rural South Executive Committee Today as I write, it is the most worried I have been for our Belizean people since the UDP took over government 3 years ago, with promises that everything was going to be better NO MATTA WHAT! The election on the Island of San Pedro was centred on national issues and the people were tricked into voting for the UDP, under the premise that it would be great for development. It was mentioned over and over again that San Pedro is one of the government’s biggest contributors to the public coffers and we should get a bigger piece of the pie

to develop this town, but three years after Heredia and the UDP have not delivered anything to this Island of ours.

Not only have we not gotten any assistance, but today islanders will pay $12.00BZ per gallon of fuel, which was unheard off when the PUP was in office, a time when the international price of crude oil was at $150.00US a barrel. Imagine the possibilities, the UDP claimed.

As a PUP town council in waiting, we have concrete solutions to help our island citizens. Hopefully the UDP are reading this so they can start helping before it’s too late for us.

1) We all know that the Boca Del Rio Bridge has been paid off. As the next PUP Town Council, we will lower the cost of the crossing, so we can alleviate some of the burdens that have been placed by this UDP Government that promised that everything would come down (GST is up by 25%, water increased by 11% and we on the Island pay the highest in the whole country).

2) Today we are finding out that the Property Tax is being revised, pending an increase. But no one at the Town Council has mentioned or explained to the people of San Pedro

how much they will raise taxes. Ladies and gentlemen before we kill the real estate business and have foreclosures all over town, we have to come up with a level playing field for everyone on this Island because if we go with the new rates, we better say good bye to the island and our future.

We all know that the first thing the UDP did was to raise taxes on us even when they campaigned and promised that they could have run

Sunday, March 27, 2011

the island with the existing system that was in place. We also know that they have sold all the assets which the PUP had in place for the building of streets which includes over 500 acres of land, and the Escalante subdivision, to their cronies.

March 7 is fast approaching and the PUP has excellent leadership and concrete solutions for the betterment of our Island. When the UDP is trying to get political mileage from a few cobblestones that will be placed after Victoria House, as their press release reads, it tells me that this bunch of lying UDP will never change and will continue to try to deceive you just like when they promised the Boca del Rio road for political mileage.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

The Letter- A Symbol of Resistance

By Carolyn Trench-Sandiford – Deputy Leader People’s United Party - Belize

T

oday, March 23, 2011, will be remembered as an important milestone in the fight to end the injustices perpetuated against women in Belize. It will go down in the history book of the women of the People’s United Party, as a day when the women of the PUP said NO MORE, a day when a Letter became a timely symbol of resistance to the subjugation of our people, particularly our women.

Today, we, the women of the PUP knew talking was over. We knew we must walk the walk. We also knew that intimidation had no place if we are to fulfill our destiny, and follow in the footsteps of our predecessors.

To be side tracked was not an option.

We are tired of Press Releases. One was issued last week, and yielded no result. Something must give. We understood clearly, that if it happens to one of us, it can happen to any of us, or all of us. We must act, and act now.

Yes, today, we were resolute in our intent, the Letter must be delivered.

It was already drafted. It was already printed. It was already signed. Delivery was all that remained. However, in our minds, this was an important letter, as it calls upon the National Women’s Commission of Belize to lend their voice in condemning the vile usage and publication of an image of a woman in last week’s edition of the Guardian Newspaper. For us, there was a sense of urgency. This was our cause. Therefore, hand delivery became the choice of options, for we had to make sure it was received, and received today.

So we all gathered at Independence Hall, women candidates aspiring for political office, women members of the national executive of the party and members of the national executive of the United Women’s Group of the Party and others, with one purpose, to deliver the Letter and let our voice be heard.

We walked as one to the office of the National Women’s Commission, inspired and encouraged by

the show of support from so many, men and women, along the way. Yet, upon reaching the office, was told that our Letter must be delivered to the Security. How insulting. We rejected that instruction, and acting as a single entity, proceeded past the reception to the third floor and the office of the Commission. Nothing was to stop us. The Letter must be delivered, and it must be delivered today.

Again we were refused entry to the office of the Commission, and were told to deliver the Letter in the corridor. We said no. The National Women’s Commission is a publicly funded office, paid for by tax payers, and as such, we are entitled entry by law. Furthermore, our Letter was important, and will not be delivered in a corridor, but it will be delivered today.

Finally, acting on the advisement of the Special Branch Police Officer sent to monitor us, I was able to enter the office and deliver the Letter.

The opportunity was also used to convey to the person who received the Letter, our disappointment in the blatant attempts by the National Women’s Commission to deter us from delivering the Letter, the absence of the Executive Director from her office at the time we were delivering the Letter and the trivial way in which our Letter was been treated. But we succeeded. We delivered our Letter today.

A copy of our Letter is published in its entirety on page 2 of the BELIZE TIMES. Today, as one, the women of the PUP stood resolute and firm in our conviction that no other woman will ever have to be subjected to the malicious and venomous attacks as one of our own has. Our Letter says it STOPS NOW. We are therefore asking all Belizeans to join with the People’s United Party on a journey to break the cycle of perpetual subjection of our people, particularly our women, to allow the Letter to be the symbol of resistance to persecution, to let it be a constant reminder that only if women are treated with respect, can we contribute to the growth and development of this country, and only so can we be partners with our men, in creating a new political, economic and social order, for Phase II of the revolution, and only so will a NEW BELIZE be born, which will bring to all Belizeans a better life and a just share of the national wealth.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

www.belizeandiaries.com

n a small society such as Belize’s, we are faced with many social issues that determine how we react within and outside our environment. Many times our lives are built around the expectations of society and although these expectations change as years go by, women and men still find themselves forced to wear masks that don’t seem to reflect the reality of their emotions, sexuality, opinions and character.

Without these masks we fear that we will not fit in or that we will be judged harshly. It is because of these masks that we allow people to come into our lives and cause pain and turmoil, or we end up walking away from characters that may just be our complement.

Take a look at the various social networks available on the internet.

There is Facebook, Hi5, Joosk and the list goes on. What these sites actually do is encourage us to put even more glimmer on our masks so we can boast to the world how happy we are, how fulfilled our lives are while in truth that may not be the case.

On these sites we put our names, email addresses, hobbies and the likes and we upload our best photos for the world to see...then, with much care and thought we post up comments about our lives or that of others seen on the news and then share our opinions back and forth. Through all this, the masks remain intact and the naked truths are hidden behind the smiley faces.

Is it that we are so scared to share the raw truth about how we are feeling at that present moment as the computer screen stares at us? Is it that we would come across as being too revealing if we would say exactly what’s on our minds?

Or that we would be looked down on and judged harshly by our families and peers? Who decides what is too revealing? If you post your exact thought or emotion does that automatically take you out of the category of ‘normal’ people?

In this day and age with all the rapes, killings, corruption, infidelity and the pressures of wanting to fit in why do we still carry these masks everywhere we go. What is wrong with coming out and saying “I’m an alcoholic”, “I am addicted to cheating”, “I’m a victim of rape or domestic violence”?

There are many departments and organisations catering to women and children with an objective of protecting them and improving their lives.

Unfortunately our country is so small that by the time an abused wife leaves the DVU office – so does the story of

her tragedy.

In order for a woman or man to have optimal functionality as a parent, spouse or employee there needs to be a forum where people can tap into and be heard. If not, all the unexpressed frustrations of meeting the rent, utility bills, and school fees will eventually cause him to leave his home, thus leaving the woman a single mother and the children fatherless. In most cases, it goes downhill from there.

While the politicians and activists may be doing their utmost best in trying to minimise the breakdown of families and homes, such a job has proven to be an enormous task that all neighbours and citizens need to pitch in and do their part.

As a woman with many emotions I have had to wear masks because I too have fears of getting the disapproving looks and sneers – not all of us have the confidence to say how we truly feel or what we are enduring behind the smiles and humour. After much thought it dawned on me that there may be others like myself who ponder things but are afraid to ask, who never know how to say no and mean it or who would just like a sound board now and again.

In 2009 I began a column in the BELIZE TIMES, entitled, “One Woman’s Perspective”, and though for some it was taboo to bare such truths in a national paper, now, not only is the column back in the TIMES but is accompanied by its own website. This website www.belizeandiaries.com will cater to the men and women living in our small communities and will allow them to speak out, be themselves and reveal the naked truths with no risk of being identified or harshly judged.

It will be a platform where individuals can express what they’re going through at home, in the workplace and environment and in the process will gain new perspectives and assurances from other users who will prove that we are not alone in the dilemmas we face.

So my fellow Belizeans, next time you think of going on any of the social networks why not log on to www. belizeandiaries.com and see how you can play a part in a fellow Belizean’s life.

The website will be launched on March 25, 2011. Be sure to log on and see where you can render some positive advice and words of encouragement to others who may not have it as easy as you do. After all, you too can let others know how you ended up where you are today!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

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Write to us at: editortimes@yahoo.com

A Youth Agenda Part II – How can we get there?

Put It Down

By Roy Davis, Unpublished, 2008 All you black youths Living in the ghetto What hope is there For a better tomorrow?

‘Cause the fat and greedy Full of inequity Have designed it For their benefit So that you with guns and drugs Must fight for the crumbs They leave on the table.

So you end up in the street Where hustling sometimes Can be no easy feat ‘Cause jackers sometimes Get jacked And whackers sometimes Get whacked So you have to be sharp To survive And lucky sometimes To stay alive Pickney hungry Nothing fe eat Baby need pampers No money fi buy it So Tom gets his firearm And rob the gas station While John goes for his gun And stick up the Chiney man.

Bam, Bam, Bam Bam Bam Goes the sound of the gun In another part of town One more youth is gunned down Victim of some senseless killing Shot, perhaps, because He said the wrong thing That’s how many Go to the cemetery Before they reach twenty-five And many to Kolbe Where they cannot thrive.

Cool it son Put down the gun Don’t shoot your brother Stop killing each other For life is precious To all of us And it can be a joy For you and for I.

By: Jose Rodriguez - BYM Vice President Two weeks ago the President of the Belize Youth Movement started the conversation on the Youth Agenda, where he pointed out key initiatives such as adopting a National Youth Development Policy. He also discussed how we can develop our young people in terms of education, and finally he wrote about boosting employment. These are just some of the broad areas that we in the BYM believe Government should keep in focus and address head on. Being a great leader of our youth movement, and one that listens and shares ideas among its membership, he has given me the opportunity to continue the discussion on the Youth Agenda.

Therefore, in this week’s article I will discuss two other very important areas which we feel can and should be implemented by our Government and leaders of this country.

Young people have become increasingly skeptical about getting involved in or even participating in the discussion of political issues because we have been neglected and forgotten far too many times. Therefore, I believe that all government should find ways to ensure that our young people are Stakeholders of Economic Growth. In order for this to happen, our legislators and Government Leaders need to further grow the economic basket by supporting Youth Entrepreneurship. This can be done by formulating a “Youth in Business” Policy that will help facilitate an environment conducive for young entrepreneurs, through provision of low-interest loans, training and incentives to businesses (especially SMEs) owned and managed by young people. Government should remove import and other duty taxes, trade license fees, etc. for businesses started, owned and managed by young people.

As a country, we should provide support to organizations such as the Youth Business Trust Belize and Youth For the Future who make available financing for young entrepreneurs. We should also support the establishment of a CSME Youth Unit which should be responsible for the education and advocacy of the opportunities through the CSME in Belize.

Crime is everybody’s business and there should be Zero

Tolerance. The Government of Belize has been unable to really tackle the issue of crime. To tackle this cancer called crime that is affecting mostly our young people, Government should review the Get a Life program that was introduced by the previous PUP Administration, and re-introduce it to ensure greater success and national participation.

We should provide greater support to the YFF’s programs geared towards young people living in challenging environments; target youth involved in gangs for reform through opportunities from YFF’s Job Placement Program, Job Creation and Enterprise Unit programs.

There is also a need to provide expanded rehabilitative and counseling services for youth involved in crime so as to reduce recidivism and facilitate re-entry into the society after spending time incarcerated.

Instead of giving deportees the free ride to become Ambassadors of Music, the Government should establish a well-rounded rehabilitation program for deportees to assist in their positive re-introduction into society.

There should also be the need to increase the rate of apprehension of youth involved in deviant acts and crime to provide a safer environment for both the community and other youth; and also provide a safer environment for both the community to redirect deviant youth to a more productive and peaceful lifestyle.

The Government should review and strengthen the laws governing the sale of illegal substances, liquor and tobacco to minors; and introduce stiffer penalties for repeat offenders.

In conclusion, we must further develop recreational and sporting facilities and programs in every town, village, and city to provide viable alternatives for at-risk youth involved in substance abuse. If we as a country can do this, only so can we take Belize forward. This is currently lacking in our current Government Leaders and we must hope and pray that the next PUP Government can bring these meaningful changes to make Belize a better place for all our Young People.

The Epiphany of Life

By Lucia Moguel It is interesting to recognize and note the perplexity of a human being.

Although my years on earth are just a few, I have seen my fair share of the crude reality of life and the complexity of a person. Being a human is no easy task, this is why dogs can’t solve problems; they can only be trained. I have seen and experienced collapses, disappointments, hardships, rejection and even failed love affairs. Indeed these are common problems and there are some that are more serious than others, but problems are problems.

Problems are included when we purchase life; the sad part is that we cannot get refunded. However these necessary pesky obstacles will always be present. However, not all is lost; they serve one sole purpose which is to give us strength, wisdom and comprehension.

Throughout our lives, we decease and resuscitate. We perish when all the stress of our problems accumulates and our emotions collapse; the end of the dark tunnel is unseen and the walk seems eternal. We revive when we finally see the light at the end of that tunnel and we rejoice for all our problems have gone. Our bodies feel lighter and we feel invincible, all is bliss, even the potholes on our streets seem pretty.

Nonetheless, we must consider the transition between these two points. It is not easy to reach the end of the tunnel especially if one’s judgment is clouded by deceitful emotions and vague mirages.

During our quest into the dark tunnel of our problems we encounter difficulties. These hardships should be annihilated on our own yet a helping hand should not be rejected; no man is an island. It is innate in us to be social beings. I

have seen people trying to solve their problems on their own, a few succeed, but others just fall.

This is when solidarity and compassion are added in the equation. There is always someone there that will lend you a helping hand. A show of kindness is well appreciated in the midst of our dilemma. However, one cannot depend fully on others. What would happen if the person fails? We don’t need to depend on anyone else to be happy. Happiness and inner peace comes from within; it comes from our interior light.

When our problems diminish we can achieve personal growth. Growing up is painful. It encompasses a vast amount of trial and error, equivocation, regrets and repentance. It is painful to know the truth, but only the truth will save us and free us from the chains of bitterness. When the blindfold is removed, the solution to our problems appears.

There are things that require profound thought in order to be able to make wise decisions.

Problems allow us to remain in unison. They strengthen bonds between families, friends and couples; between religious organizations, communities, political parties and even the little things in life such as insects. Problems are necessary evils but we shouldn’t concentrate on them or they shall be our demise.

Life would be better if people would spend five minutes to take a rest and look up into the sky and around them, just to notice how beautiful our world is. Five minutes just to notice how blessed we are and the greatness of life.

It is said that the thought of light is much more beautiful in the darkest of nights. As we all know, night is not eternal and neither are our problems.

Where there is will there is a road…

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, March 27, 2011

BELIZE TIMES WEEKLY

SCIENCE & TECH R

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Selected By Chris Williams

Sperm grown in laboratory, raising hopes of male infertility treatments Ian Sample, science correspondent, guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 23 March 2011 Scientists have grown sperm in the laboratory in a landmark study that could help preserve the fertility of cancer patients and shed fresh light on male reproductive problems.

Fertility experts called the work a “crucial experimental advance” towards the use of lab-grown sperm in the clinic and a stepping stone to the routine creation of human sperm for men who cannot make the cells normally.

Though the procedure would be illegal in Britain under current legislation, sperm grown in the laboratory, if proven safe, could be used to help infertile men have children through standard IVF treatments.

The procedure could also benefit boys with cancer who are too young to produce sperm but are at risk of being made infertile by radio- or chemotherapy.

While men can have their sperm frozen before cancer treatment, the latest research suggests boys could have testicular tissue removed and kept in cold storage for use in later life.

A human egg surrounded by sperm. The new technique could one day create sperm for men who can’t make them normally. Photograph: Rich Frishman/Getty

Japanese researchers cultivated small pieces of tissue from the testes of baby mice on a gel bathed in nutrients. After several weeks they collected viable sperm from the tissue.

The sperm appeared to be completely healthy and were used in IVF treatments to produce 12 live mouse pups that went on to have young of their own. Seven of the mice were born after sperm heads were trans-

America Movil makes three-country

agreement with Digicel

By Paul Kiernan, Dow Jones Newswires Monday 14 March 2011 Mexican telco to buy Digicel’s Honduras, El Salvador arms.

Mexican wireless giant America Movil SAB said Friday it has reached an agreement to acquire 100% of the operations in Honduras and El Salvador of Jamaica-based Digicel Group Ltd. “As part of this transaction, America Movil will sell its operations in Jamaica to Digicel,” the Mexican company said in a filing with the local stock exchange. No figures were provided.

America Movil’s Claro subsidiary currently competes with Digicel in Honduras and El Salvador. Claro has a

33% market share in Central America and a 43% market share in the Caribbean.

Digicel, a privately held wireless firm with 11 million customers mostly in the Caribbean and Central America, launched in El Salvador in April 2007 and started operating in Honduras in November 2008, according to the company’s website.

“The close of the transaction is subject to government and regulatory authorizations in Honduras, El Salvador and Jamaica, and the parties expect to close during the second quarter,” America Movil said.

America Movil’s L shares traded on the Mexican bourse closed up 0.7% at 32.85 pesos ($2.76).

ferred into 23 eggs using a technique called round spermatid injection, and another five were born after 35 eggs were fertilised using intracytoplasmic sperm injection (Icsi), a common IVF procedure.

Importantly, the scientists retrieved healthy sperm from tissue that was cultivated after being frozen for up to 25 days, suggesting that cold storage did not harm the cells. The work, reported in the journal, Nature, is the most successful attempt yet to grow mammalian sperm from testicular tissue in the laboratory.

“One of the problems I face, as a urologist, is that we do not have any effective ways to treat patients suffering from male infertility due to defective or insufficient sperm production,” said Takehiko Ogawa, who led the study at Yokohama City Universi-

ty Graduate School of Medicine. “Most of these problems are for unknown reasons.”

Using the technique, he said, scientists will be able to study the process of sperm production in detail and help elucidate the glitches that cause infertility.

In an accompanying article, Marco Seandel and Shahin Rafii at the Weil Cornell Medical College in New York said the work was “a crucial experimental advance along the thorny path to the clinical use of sperm” grown in the lab. They warn, however, that the fertility of mouse pups born from the lab-grown sperm was a “crude indicator” of their health, and that subtle genetic changes in the sperm “could be pivotal for the wellbeing of subsequent generations”.

Allan Pacey, a senior lecturer in andrology at Sheffield University, said: “It is not totally clear how sperm are formed and why in some men it doesn’t work properly. This could help discover new drugs or treatments to stimulate infertile men to produce more or better sperm. It also may help preserve the fertility of some males.”

The study, he said, was “a small but important step in understanding how sperm are formed which may, in time, lead to us being able to routinely grow human sperm in the laboratory.”

“It is clearly important to make sure that any sperm produced are safe and give rise to healthy offspring when used, and that they in turn have healthy offspring.

We need to be cautious with this kind of work,” he added.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

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When Women Lead…

M

Around the World…

Current Female Leaders…

y parents were talking with me about women in leadership positions and how important it is that girls dream about being leaders in their communities and countries.

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hey gave me examples of female leaders in the world today and asked me what I thought about seeing so few female leaders in Belize.

Mary McAleese President of Ireland, 1997-

I I

never really thought about it before our talk but it did get me thinking.

see women all around me doing so many things. They are good mothers and hard workers but my parents are right there are not many women taking the lead in our country.

W M

hat would it be like to have a female Prime Minister?

ommy and I were watching a TV programme and it said that women make better leaders.

S

o cool! Why are we not dreaming of being leaders?

Elected president in 1997, McAleese was unopposed for a second seven-year term in 2004. Born in Belfast, she is the first President to come from Northern Ireland. A lawyer and former Professor of Law, McAleese has been married for more than 30 years and is the mother of three children.

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf President of Liberia, 2006-

Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is Africa’s first elected female head of state. Liberia, Africa’s oldest republic, founded

Kakuro Puzzles 1

by freed American slaves in 1847, has suffered 14 years of civil war, firing squads, purges, corruption, inequality and poverty. Sirleaf has had a political history as troubling as her country’s history. Twice she was forced into exile; she spent a year under house arrest and four years in prison. The 67 year old divorced mother of four and grandmother of six is fondly called the “Iron Lady” by supporters. She has a Harvard Master’s degree, has held senior jobs at Citibank, the U.N. and the World Bank.

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Pratibha Patil President of India 2007-

Aung San Suu Kyi (Myanmar/Burma)

Adding up to 10

Fill in the blank squares with numbers from 1 to 9, so that the numbers add up to the total required both horizontally and vertically. Each number can only be used once in each row or column. You will need to use both your adding and logic skills!

1.

to care for her ill mother and while she was there, a popular uprising against the country’s dictator erupted. Inspired

by Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi, she organized non-violent rallies, calling for peaceful democratic reform and free elections. But the demonstrations were brutally suppressed by the army, who seized power and placed Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest.

In 1990, the military government called national elections. Her National League for Democracy won overwhelmingly, but the junta refused to hand over control, and has remained in power ever since.

In 1991, still detained, she was awarded the Nobel Peace prize. She remains the rightful leader of her country and an international symbol of heroic and peaceful resistance in the face of oppression.

Her father commanded the Burma Independence Army, her mother was a senior nurse of Rangoon General Hospital and Aung San Suu Kyi was their third child. Sent abroad to study, she met scholar Michael Aris, her future husband, at Oxford University. For a while, she settled into being the wife of an academic, raising their children and writing. In 1988, she returned to Burma

Pratibha Devisingh Patil is the 12th and current President of the Republic of India and first woman to hold the office. Her election was seen as a step forward for hundreds of millions of Indian women and girls who face bitter discrimination. As many as 40 percent of Indian women are unable to read or write, the result of boys being given priority in education. She is a lawyer by training and since taking office, this grandmother of eight has surprised many by seriously championing women’s advancement and modernity.

KAKURO TIME! 4.

www.ActivityVillage.co.uk - Keeping Kids Busy

Kakuro are similar to crosswords in that there are black cells and white cells.

In some of the black cells you will find little numbers which refer to the “run” of cells adjacent to them, either across or down.

These little numbers are your clues and are the total to which the numbers you will put into each “run” should add up to.

You must fill each run with numbers from 1 to 9, using each number no more than once in each run.

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Where Are The Men Pt 2 This week I would like to take a little risk and drive the topic out further. My desire is not to be politically correct or even charming. I hope to flood the mind with the truth according to scriptures!

As the most basic unit of any material is the atom, so is the family to the human race. If there is cancer in the family, that cancer can spread to the whole body as well as through subsequent generations! The most basic unit of the family is the husband and wife. These are two people who have made a covenant divinely, legally and physically. This covenant or contract is signed legally on pen and paper, consummated physically by the highest available type of covenant (The Blood Covenant), and most importantly the union is joined ‘spiritually’ by God (Mark 10:9).

The family then is like an atom. When this configuration is altered, the result is a nuclear reaction causing explosion and destruction! This is what we are experiencing all over our world, families separating causing imminent nuclear explosions.

There are very strong organizations doing their best to support and help women who are being over worked and over stressed. While this is a great attempt, the real issue is that the “machinery” constructed of absentee fathers, abusive husbands, and uncommitted common-law relationships, keeps spewing out more problems than these organizations can address!

You know I was asked the question if the bible is sexist! The answer to this question holds one of the key ingredients to correct the downward spiral the world is on. Depending on the angle one might look at it there may be many answers to this question! I would prefer to defer from a direct answer, and approach this question from a position of purpose and responsibility.

In Genesis 3:16-19, God is issuing out the discipline and corrective measures caused by man’s action, and a clear distinctive position is made as it relates to the responsibility and function of man versus the woman. It says in verse 19(a) “In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread”, making it very clear that the role and responsibility of the man is to provide for his woman (family)! This he said after cursing the ground!

The first responsibility God gave to man after he fell was the responsibility of taking care of his family by working (The sweat of his brow)!

Moving on to this next verse is very sobering for me. I have always wondered why women stay in domestic violence situations having gruesome things being done to them by their husbands! I have heard of unborn babies being kicked out the womb, teeth being knocked out, all sort of atrocities being done to our precious women. I believe this verse answers the question in my mind to some great extent, and for that matter I will put the whole verse and seek to explain it!

Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

First God says to the woman “I know it’s a little hard to bring forth children but I will make it much, much harder for you!” This is an undeniable fact as we all know the miracle but great risk and pain involved in child birth. Secondly he tells her you will always be stretching out after your husband; there will always be a longing to please, to satisfy.

Finally God says to her in the area of ranking I have put your husband in the higher place of responsibility and headship.

Now I understand why women tolerate things that to me are appalling. After reading this I can understand for myself why things that no male would tolerate, women seem to accept from these very males and live with them for years in misery and low self esteem!!

Why am I going through all this you may ask, what sense does it make or what is the reason for this?

Well firstly, if this scripture still holds, it would be of great importance for a woman to be super skeptical, and extremely clear with what to look for in a man.

Reason being, that once you get stuck or attached to him if you’ve made a careless choice “woe be unto your soul!”

For example, it is not natural for a man to stay home while the woman goes to work essentially taking care of him! Stop it women, this should be the first thing you look for in choosing a man. Don’t ‘mind him’ because he’s charming or because you like his good looks! If you have the power to choose the person that will “rule over you”, or whom your “desire will be to please”, it is in your best interest to be very thorough about what to look for!

Yes you have been doing it for years, but raring children on your own is not the original plan of God for a woman. Our men are strong physically but weak in the area of commitment, and non-existent, for the most part, in the area of fatherhood!

Too long have women been laced with the responsibility of teaching our boys how to be men, while providing for their families single handedly!

It’s time to raise competent, potent fathers, and ‘promise keepers’ who will stick to the covenant they made by blood, remaining faithful, and taking serious their responsibilities!

Again I must stop here but next week God spare life I hope to look at what a boy should become to be a relevant and purposeful man worthy of attention from prospective women!

Happy and Blessed Women’s Month, Belize and until next week God bless!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

31

Barrow le mintio a los Beliceños

La gasolina Premium se redujo por 11 centavos el 11 de Marzo, pero aumentó por $ 1,12 el 21 de Marzo Ciudad Belice, 23 de Marzo 2011 Por: Carla Bradley El primer ministro Dean Barrow ha roto otra promesa a los beliceños, esta vez se trataba que el precio de Premium, diesel y gasolina regular bajarían de su continuo precio por lo menos durante un mes entero.

Barrow estaba hablando con motivo de la presentación del presupuesto el 11 de marzo, y dijo que se aplicarian nuevas medidas, incluida la eliminación del IVA y su sustitución por un aumentó al impuesto de importación lo que nos prometió bajaría los precios del combustible.

Ese mismo día un aumento del precio del combustible debía entrar en vigor, y para salvar a su Gobierno la vergüenza de incrementar el precio mas alla de los $11.00 en los que se encontraban en aquel entonces, Barrow anunció que iba a retener la percepción del impuesto de importación que significaban que los precios del combustible estarian sin GST y impuesto de importación por primera vez.

La medida redujo los precios del combustible por 11 centavos de dólar por Premium, 6 centavos en lo que se refiere al combustible regular y 24 centavos por diesel, ademas prometió que esto duraría

UDP recurre a la intimidacion Ciudad de Belice, 21 de Marzo 2011 Por segunda semana consecutiva, el Partido Unido Democrático ha recurrido a tácticas de miedo y intimidación para frustrar al Partido Unido del Pueblo y al oleaje de apoyo que ha estado atrayendo en sus convenciones de abanderados.

Las acciones del UDP son francamente clanes y absolutamente peligrosos para la joven democracia de Belice. Ministros del Gabinete ahora recurren a actos de intimidación contra los partidarios del PUP. El pasado domingo, el bárbaro, Anthony “Boots” Martínez estaba actuando todo histérico, como si se hubiera tomado una sobredosis, de su “suplemento” diario, atreviendose a supervisar personalmente el convenio energético del PUP en Port Loyola.

Consciente de que el PUP tiene una lista de candidatos que fácilmente podrían darle una paliza en las próximas elecciones generales, Boots se presentó personalmente para tratar de sabotear el evento del PUP. Pero el no iba solo. Su grupo incluyo a James “the Chainsaw Man” y una serie de “fichitas” conocidos en las calles que consumían bebidas alcohólicas y tabaco. Durante las últimas semanas, varias personas que son empleados de Boots, debajo del Ministerio de Obras Públicas, pero se sabe que son sus colaboradores y socios de negocios, han muerto en una ola de crímenes violentos.

Con un cigarrillo encendido en su mano izquierda, Boots, y su banda de ebrios acamparon frente a la entrada del lugar gritando y amenazando a todos los votantes. Con este comportamiento vergonzoso, el Ministro incluso amenazó con quitarle puestos de trabajo a las personas “, porque afirmó que sabía donde estas personas trabajaban.

A pesar de la barbarie de Boots, el PUP atrajo a casi 900 votantes en la convención, que eligieron a Gilroy Usher Sr. como el abanderado. Usher es todo lo que Boots no lo es. Él es un exitoso hombre de negocios, un ex maestro y mentor, y se identifica con la difícil situación del pueblo de Port Loyola.

al menos hasta el final del mes.

Pero el lunes, 21 de Marzo, apenas diez días después de la promesa del Primer Ministro, y a diez días para finalizar el mes, la Administración de Barrow presentó una alza en los precios del combustible.

Los nuevos precios a partir del 21 de Marzo son de $ 10.39 a $ 11.51 por Premium, o sea una diferencia de $ 1,12; la gasolina regular pasó de $ 10.13 a $ 11.24, una diferencia de $ 1.11 y el diesel se disparo de $ 9.85 a $ 10.60, una diferencia de $ 0.99 por galón.

Cuantos mas tiempos dificiles y sufrimientos tiene que soportar el pueblo de Belice bajo el gobierno del UDP? Los altos precios del combustible significa • Un aumento en el costo de transporte para los niños, los trabajadores y viajeros diarios, que usan el transporte público todos los días.

• El costo de vida aumentará también, nuestros precios de los alimentos aumentará, nuestros precios en los restaurantes aumentarán, nuestra factura de la luz aumentará •El precio ya alto del butano se incrementará •El pan en el que tanto dependemos para alimentar a nuestros hijos, también aumentará Entre otras mentiras que Barrow presento en su presupuesto vacío, tambien tuvo la audacia de ponerse de pie y decir una mentira y disfrazarla como una promesa al pueblo de Belice, esto solo nos demuestra hasta que extremo el PM se atreve a llegar para engañar a nuestro pueblo.

Dijo una mentira descarada como manera de tratar de hacer su presupuesto más atractivo, o esconder el hecho de que está vacio! Parece que se trata de una tendencia creciente del UDP .... MENTIRAS! MENTIRAS! Y MÁS MENTIRAS!

Discurso del Lider de la

Oposicion Hon. John Briceño Señor Presidente, El viernes pasado el Primer Ministro nos presento, a nosotros los beliceños, dice que un presupuesto…que más bien es una olla sin frijoles. Cuando creíamos que las cosas andaban mal en el 2009…porque teníamos que comer solo tortilla con frijoles…Señor Presidente… en el 2010 nos dimos cuenta que con todo lo que habrían incrementado los precios…ya ni los frijolitos podíamos comprar. Hoy con este presupuesto del señor Primer Ministro…nos tenemos que conformar con comer las tortillas solo con sal ya que ni para la mantequita nos alcanza.

Señor Presidente Los beliceños hoy viven engañados, con hambre, sin empleos, descontentos e insatisfechos. En la radio día tras día se escucha los clamores y quejidos de

los beliceños que usan la radio para expresar su decepción con este gobierno. Por mucho tiempo se les ha tomado el pelo…por mucho tiempo han esperado en vano que se les cumple las promesas de este gobierno UDP. Los beliceños hoy exigen una mejor vida…exigen la oportunidad de empleo, la oportunidad de educar a sus hijos y de proveerles buena salud. Exigen que las 21 (veintiuna) promesas hechas por el UDP hace más de tres años se cumplan. Los beliceños hoy también reclaman que se les devuelva sus empleos, que se les devuelva sus tierras y que se les devuelva su dignidad como beliceño. ¡Y más que todo los beliceños exigen seguridad personal!

Señor Presidente llego la hora de la verdad. ¡El pueblo beliceño exige hechos no palabras!

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THE BELIZE TIMES

Barrow’s Budget – Just An Empty Shell!!

By: Councilor Kevin Bernard BYM President The disappointment I felt after listening to the Prime Minister’s budget speech this year, left me with no other choice but to react by picking up my pen and writing this article.

For three years now Mr. Barrow’s has been presenting budget after budget and each time as I listened for those initiatives that would help young people, there has been nothing innovative or even acceptable that we can find that caters to our needs. I feel that after three years, the young people of Belize had given the Prime Minister enough time and space to do something and yet any hope of a meaningful government plan to help our youth As a youth leader I felt obliged to write because sadly there was nothing in this budget for me or other young Belizeans. Of course anyone can complain, and while complaining may be an avenue to express our frustrations, it is no solution. So I will highlight three areas that a Government that cares about young people should take into consideration when formulating policies and legislations that would be of benefit to young Belizeans.

First of all, where in the budget is the Prime Minister putting aside monies for programs that will keep our young people from off the streets? Where are the educational opportunities for the youths of today? How will you boost employment so that our young graduates can find jobs? Where are the Youth Entrepreneurship opportunities for our young people? What are we doing to address the crime problem in Belize City and in our towns and villages?

Secondly, I notice with concern the fact that in Mr. Barrow’s budget presentation there was no mention of how his Government will work to develop and implement a National Youth Policy where youths

can become more involved in the development of our country. The Prime Minister did not mention how the Government plans to support our youths so they can really become stakeholders of Economic Growth in this country. I have to ask the Prime Minister, do you really care for young people?

Instead of the Prime Minister addressing how he will tackle crime that is plaguing our youths, he decides to pull out his magic wand and will deploy high level gang members in our rural communities. Doesn’t Mr. Barrow know that our young people in these areas are the most vulnerable, and if he does take up that ill-conceived initiative, it can further erode the little social fabric that our young people are clinging on in their own little communities? This can lead to the expansion of criminal activities in these areas.

What the Government needs to do is to find ways how to address the crime situation head on, and not come up with these nail polish fixes that can only create more problems. The Young people needs a Government that will work closely and provide more support to institutions like the Youth for the Future that make available financing for our young. Young people need to be able to feel protected in their job places, and in their communities.

This Barrow budget for 2011/2012 is empty, its Bogus and it is a total disrespect to our young people. Young people today deserve more than this, we need a Government that will seriously look into our needs. We need government to legislate a youth act that will set the foundation on youth development and one that will really give footing to a National Youth Policy.

Finally, there is the need to establish a Youth Fund with a proper management and accountability structure and legislate for the setup of funding sources (e.g. oil revenues, offshore banking, taxes from tobacco-products & liquor) and ensure an increase in funds to the Ministry of Youth and Youth for the Future specifically one that will carry out the goals and objects of the National Youth Policy.

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Government needs to establish a mechanism which allows young people to participate actively in the learning processes and decisionmaking structures affecting them and their environment. Mr. Barrow budget did not mention how he plans to support our marginalized youth, this should have been the hallmark of his presentation, as our young people are the future leaders of tomorrow. However, Mr. Barrow has given us another of his windfall tax promise that just flies in the air and take off with the wind, leaving everything else to fall to the ground.

It’s no wonder we are in this mess we are today.

I leave this message with Mr. Barrow and his UDP Government, that we the young people of this country are not happy with his budget, we reject his budget. It’s time for real change to take place, and this change can only come under the leadership of Hon. John Briceno and the People’s United Party.

Rise up Belizeans, enough is enough. It’s time to get the UDP out of Belmopan!!

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Naked

Corruption & Official Prostitution Belize City, March 22, 2011 A Russian ship, the M/V Faina, was high-jacked by Somali pirates. It is a Belize-flagged ship registered by the International Merchant Marine Registry of Belize (IMMARBE). The ship was carrying military hardware. This included tanks, antiaircraft guns, rocket propelled grenades, rocket launchers and ammunition. The shipment was destined for Mombasa, Kenya. The date was 25 September 2008.

The Russian government sent a secret memo to the United States State Department and the Belize government to exercise options to save the ship. The memo stated that the Russians wanted to prevent the highjackers from delivering the Faina’s cargo into Somalia.

THE RUSSIAN CONNECTION The ship was released in February 2009 after a ransom of US$3.2 million was paid. But there is some evidence implicating a member of the Cabinet of Belize’s Prime Minister Dean Barrow. It is alleged, from an impeccable source, that this highranking Cabinet Minister was paid more than BZE$2m. He has become the Russian connection.

RUSSIAN BLOOD MONEY Prime Minister, Dean Barrow, suddenly announces in his budget speech on March 11th 2011 that he has received a grant of $20 million from Russia. He did not specify if this was in US dollars or Belize currency, perhaps, with good reason.

This pronouncement came from outfield.

Matters like this including Grants are normally based on bi-lateral agreements. They are normally not a part of standard diplomatic agreements. We are not aware that Belize has had any such agreement with Russia, unless of course, these are unusual circumstances. If so, parliament should be told.

THE BELIZE TIMES

WILL THE PM MEET WITH HIS COUNTERPART OR WITH A PIMP? Mr. Barrow announced that he will travel to Russia in June to receive the money. He has not made public the terms of any agreement he made with Russia. He will be signing the agreement in Moscow. He has given no indication with whom he will be meeting. Will this be a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Mr. Vladimir Putin, other top government officials, or with a pimp? If the latter, we assume that he may have taken prostitution to a higher level the parliamentary level, as we are not aware of any agreement between the Russian government and Belize, unless it was made under the table where there is no sunlight, nor transparency. The whole $20 million deal, or bribe or payoff, whatever it is, is as opaque as Mr. Barrow’s shady government and blatantly corrupt ministers and administration.

In matters like these, opaqueness has become synonymous with outright greed, corruption and the manipulation of our judicial system.

BELIZE AND RUSSIAN CORRUPTION A recent report in the British press states: “Russian corruption is all over the world, in dozens of jurisdictions such as Belize, Luxembourg and Monaco, involving lots of front companies and dirty lawyers”. There have also been reports of “hidden business links and the fortunes of Russian government officials, top-level corruption or covert espionage operation.”

RUSSIAN BILLIONAIRE But a Russian billionaire newspaper magnate, Alexander Lebedev, has been collaborating with others to expose corruption in Russia and its link to Belize and other countries. The people of Belize have not been told why all this love is coming from Russia. Perhaps it was a love affair which began on the high seas off the coast of Somalia.

We expect Mr. Barrow to fully explain the Russian connection. If not, in time, we will. We want to see a bi-lateral agreement with Russia which has come out of the Kremlin to help save Mr. Barrow’s miserable failure in balancing the national budget.

This has the making of a national exposé-a national scandal!

Bread prices going up!

Continued from page 1

and financial pressure.

The last time the price of bread increased was in 2008 when bread prices went from $1.50 to $1.75, following a 24 cent increase in the price of a bag of flour. Since then fuel has jumped to almost $12.00 for Premium and Regular, and almost $11.00 for Diesel. A 100-cylinder of butane is today $126, and a case of shortening has soared from $40 to up to $90.

Meanwhile, bakers are preparing for an imminent increase in the price of flour next month, but they say, they can’t wait until then for an increase in the price of bread.

Perez pointed out that they are cognizant that consumers are also struggling with the cost of living, and because an increase in bread prices would only make things worse at this time, they plan to formulate proposals to the Government detailing alternative measures that could stave off an increase in prices.

The alternatives would look at reducing the cost of production for

bakeries. One suggestion would be for GOB to revisit its take in fuel. Perez said the recent adjustment on fuel taxes makes it worst for businesses.

Another proposal would be to allow the Association to import flour instead of buying from the local mill, ADM. Perez said ADM Mills’ price rate is not-sustainable and more expensive than imported flour. ADM sells a bag of flour at $76, but if imported from Mexico a bag would only cost $60 and that would include import duty and freight charges, illustrated Perez.

Perez said the Association will look at every possibility of avoiding an increase in bread prices, which will be forwarded to GOB. “GOB will then decide if they want to protect the industry and the over 500 employees, and if they have the consumers at heart,” said Perez.

The Association is planning to send out an official press release on the meeting’s resolutions, and says it plans to reach out to the Government immediately.

MEXICO’S PRESIDENT TELLS DNI CHIEF TO WATCH BELIZE Mexican President Felipe Calderon told a former U.S. Director of National Intelligence in President Obama’s administration, Dennis Blair, a few months before the DNI Director resigned, that he was not happy with Belize’s level of cooperation in dealing with drug trafficking. Calderon exhorted the former U.S. DNI Chief to watch Guatemala and Belize, since their internal weaknesses make them vulnerable. This comports with suggestions by Mexican security officials who say, off the record, that high profile politicians in Barrow’s government have become friends with known associates of the Northern Mexican cartels.

That may help to explain the recent increase in clandestine flights in rural north-

33

ern Belize.

CALDERON ADMONISHES BARROW Mr. Barrow’s trip to Mexico City last September, when he visited with the Mexican President Calderon, was not all the pomp and ceremony. But yes it was frank, cordial and fruitful talks. Mr. Barrow returned from that trip deflated. He was admonished by President Calderon for his failure to meet his end of a Mexico/Belize agreement on border security. We must now watch closely the relations between the two countries.

Mr. Calderon’s admonishment of Mr. Barrow is consistent with a U.S government report. The U.S. International Narcotics Control Strategy Report for this year

Continued on page 34

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THE BELIZE TIMES

THINK ABOUT IT LARGE UP JAMAICA Jamaica has made history in the region. On Tuesday 22 March the Jamaican House of Representatives passed a major amendment to its Constitution.

Jamaica’s Constitution, like the Belize Constitution, has a whole chapter devoted to Fundamental Rights and Freedoms.

Jamaica amended this chapter by replacing it with a new Charter of Rights which improves upon, strengthens and includes additional rights for all Jamaicans.

One of the salubrious sections states unequivocally that their National Assembly cannot pass any law which derogates, abridges or infringes the fundamental rights of citizens.

In Belize, the present government has been passing laws which have been eroding the rights of citizens’ liberties by imprisoning them before a trial. Also a citizen’s right to privacy has been under attack with eaves dropping and wire-tapping legislation.

Our Constitution was even amended to prevent us from going to the Supreme Court for justice when the Government confiscates our land if there is oil and other minerals in it. Chief Justice Abdulai Conteh struck down this amendment as it was unconstitutional.

Our Constitution was been amended to treat us like Jews in Nazi land – preventative detention was been brought down on our heads but this attack on our freedom was shelved due to public outcry.

The Jamaican politicians from both JLP and the opposition PNP all voted for the Charter of Rights.

IT’S NOT JUST BUTANE The television exposure of the rip-off of consumers by the butane industry was an appalling example of what Belize is becoming: greed by those in position who steal from all and sundry and a government so lax, and negligent that it is virtually non functional.

The focus by Channel 7 was on the criminal behavior of those to who sell the rest of us butane at wrong prices. But those who sell are under no moral obligation to be fair. This is where the elected government has a legal and moral duty to the rest of us to protect us from unscrupulous businesses.

The butane fiasco has shown the government to be a miserable failure. Look how they were scrambling to explain about getting out a statutory instrument in a few days. Excuse me! Where were they for the past THREE YEARS? And that was really low of the government to be blaming the Bureau of Standards which had no resources to even police the butane sellers.

Wish it were just butane, but…it is just about everything else the government is supposed to be monitoring and regulating.

Some examples – illegal fishing in Belizeans waters. Illegal logging. Illegal capture and sale of protected birds and animals. Three weeks ago a vehicle was rushing on the Northern road to reach airport for an outgoing flight. It’s cargo?

Thousands of small aquarium fishes that are exported out of Belize.

Then there is the ongoing hustle on the backs of our hard working farmers.

Sixty-five thousand pounds of onions were recently imported by a political crony while the onions grown by Belizeans are left to rotten where they grow. It’s not

just onions but a wide range of vegetables and food stuff. Who protects the hard working farmers?

The same rats who are stealing the cheese.

Let’s also focus on the insurance industry. Each year hundreds of Belizeans are injured and some lose their lives. Only a handful receives money from their insurance and that’s because they pay lawyers to represent them. The hundreds of others are cheated by the insurance companies.

In the cases of traffic accidents, damages, injuries and death Belizeans are forced by law to pay third party insurance on vehicles. But when the accident occurs the insurance does not pay the people.

There’s a Supervisor of Insurance in the Ministry of Finance. But just like Bureau of Standards and the butane scandal, that official is as good as useless to the many suffering citizens who cannot collect from the insurance companies.

And the beat goes on.

Imagine the possibilities if we had a government which really looked out for those who need to be helped.

We have heard of the case concerning the late wonderful Carrie Fairweather.

Bringing all her savings from the USA she invested in a small resort at Placencia. It was burnt in a fire over a year ago. Not a cent from the insurance company which collected her annual premiums and played Shylock with her.

Were she not so ill, the insurance would have her regretted the ill-treatment for she would have gone public on the matter. She, with her acting and dramatic skills and fierce warrior spirit.

The insurance company did wrong to Miss Carrie.

And part of the reason is the same as what happened to thousands of Belizeans with butane. No government regulatory and protection is taking place.

A WAKE UP CALL Some sixth form students were asked about their use of cell phones and text messaging. My gosh! Everyone admitted how addicted they had become to texting.

Was that 50 text a day the student said?

Did I hear the other student say 100? Was that 100 for the week?

Hey! As a child starting college my mother was in New York. When she telephoned it was to a neighbour’s phone. The neighbor shouted for my grandmother.

Then I recall running from our upstairs, unlock the gate running across the street.

Then bap, bap, bap, bap, going up the neighbour’s stairs. Then breathless on the phone.

Nowadays its waste and sense of no responsibility. Just enriching the phone companies as the wonders of technology engulf our consumer minds.

But check this out. The students were asked about the” benefactors”. Earlier this month was a strange holiday called National Heroes and Benefactors Day. Our students knew very little of it, other than it was a holiday and another day for text messaging.

Who was Philip Goldson? One sixth former said it was the man who owned or built the airport. Who was Gwendolyn Lizarraga? Is that the lady who owns the High School? Who was Cleopatra White?

One answer was the person connected with a clinic or so.

These are some of our sixth form

Sunday, March 27, 2011

students. They all looked bright and intelligent. The problem has to be our educational system and our society.

All these students know about Lady Gaga, Beyonce, red carpet, Jersey Shore, Basketball Wives etc. etc. and all the mindless bulls… on the mindless TV. It is we in the media and the society who are not ensuring that our young people also know more of our history and our own people. Supposed they were asked about Will and Sharper?

The media has been doing a good job of showing foreign movies, soap operas and all that stuff. Very, very little about Belize and Belizeans. Can Channel 22 and Channel 53 and Plus TV please make a special effort not to be like the others?

MEXICAN GUN MAN A Mexican national was recently charged in the Corozal Court for unlicensed firearm and for counterfeit US monies.

He pleaded guilty to the firearm charge and was sentenced to imprisonment for two years. He appealed this decision.

He pleaded guilty to the counterfeit monies but for yet unexplained reasons that charge was either withdrawn or dismissed.

What a heck of a turmoil resulted. Aspersions were cast on the Magistrate. The government decided they would change the law so that Magistrates cannot agree to release persons who appeal gun and drug sentences. (Another bad knee jerk law is coming).

The DPP jumped in or was instructed.

So the matter was appealed. A Supreme Court Judge ordered a retrial.

Can you all remember? Over a year ago Police stopped a Mexican national at a road block. He had a firearm. Police

didn’t even reach court. The Ministry in Belmopan sent out a weird and stupid press release. They had ordered that the Mexican be freed immediately because under the Geneva Conventions the Mexican was to be treated as a prisoner of war type. That under the Geneva Conventions treaty circumstances such as the foolishness that was bubbling inside some foolish politician head when he consulted with a similar type idiotic person such as a CEO they can inject their own interceptions and blah, blah, blah.

Back then when this nonsense about the Geneva Conventions being applicable came up, no new law was passed to say politicians or their flunkies cannot interfere in Police/Court work. No DPP appealed. No Supreme Court judge ordered any re-arrest or re-trial.

THAT SICK The publication of a photograph on the front page of the UDP newspaper showing a very private photo of a Belizean woman is sick.

Those responsible need to check themselves. If they get shot by some angry son or brother or daughter would the court call it justifiable homicide?

MAY POLE Wouldn’t it be pleasant to behold if the church groups can organize May pole festivities.

Vendors would bring their wares and the ladies and gents, boys and girls would plot the May pole.

Bet you this generation which only knows of Philip Goldson because of the name at the airport, don’t know anything about May Pole.

And then there were the songs “Dance Juebell, through the window, dance juebell ….then shakalaka, shakalaka… shakalaka Juebell… tra la la la la la la”.

Naked Corruption & Official Prostitution Continued from page 33 slammed a stinging rebuke on the Barrow government for facilitating the spiraling crime rate and for the increase in the drug trafficking and narcotics trade in Belize.

It did not mention, of course, the unrelated matter of the inbound contraband business, which impacts on the trade deficit and the negative tax returns but which contributes greatly the Mr. Barrow’s political coffers.

BELIZE NEW BEACHHEAD FOR DRUG SMUGGLERS The INCS Report says that “a lack of political will and corruption” in Mr. Barrow’s government are the main contributing factors for the increase in crime and the narco trade. Belize will most likely become a new beachhead for the shipment of drugs into the United States as the Barrow government has become so corrupt. Despite the U.S government’s huge investment in the National Coast Guard, the Barrow government is sleeping at the wheel. That may make many in Washington, D.C. weary, if not infuriated.

The next scathing report is anticipated from the International Organization on Migration. There has been an increase in the trafficking in persons over the past two years. The government appears not to be too keen to co-operate with the IOM. Apart from

a few look-good TV commercials against trafficking in persons, to appease the U.S. watchdog organizations and the IOM on this issue, there is little implementation on the ground to follow-up on the base format that was established by the PUP government to address this issue.

MORE CORRUPTION: We will continue to report on the rampant corruption in the government of Prime Minister Dean Barrow. These include the Prime Minister’s wheeling and dealing, the illegal land deals and concessions, contraband as a way of filling the UDP coffers, the creation of escrow accounts by certain businesses on behalf of Ministers and the outright grab and takeover of private businesses after trumpedup charges against legitimate local investors.

This is good enough reason why the Prime Minister pounces on the legitimate media that choose not to powder puff his pretty looks or play pat-a-cake with the government. There are also some in the local media who also stand guilty of complicity in this rampant and naked corruption.

The scandalous dishonesty of this administration is stifling this country’s growth and development. This is one of many reasons why Mr. Barrow has not been able to balance the National Budget.

This is why Belize’s status as a middle class country in the world is now being reduced to the indignity of a beggar nation.

Sunday, March 27, 2011

THE BELIZE TIMES

35

UDP resorts to intimidation Belize City, March 21st 2011 For the second consecutive week, the United Democratic Party has resorted to fear and intimidation tactics to frustrate the People’s United Party and the swell of support it has been attracting at its conventions for standard bearers.

The actions of the UDP are downright clannish and outright dangerous for Belize’s young democracy. Cabinet ministers are now resorting to acts of intimidation against PUP supporters. This past Sunday, the barbarian one, Anthony “Boots” Martinez was acting all hysterical and as if overdosed on his daily “supplement”, he personally monitored the PUP’s energetic convention in Port Loyola.

Aware that the PUP had a slate of candidates who could easily put a whipping on him in the upcoming general elections, Boots showed up himself to try

to sabotage the PUP event. He didn’t go alone. His motley crew included James “the Chainsaw Man” and a number of well-known street figures who were consuming alcoholic beverages and smoking away. Over the last few weeks, several persons who are employed by Boots under the Ministry of Works, but known otherwise as his associates and business partners, have been killed in the spate of violent crime.

With a lit cigarette on his left hand, Boots, and his inebriated gang camped out across from the entrance to the venue and screamed and threatened every voter. In shameful practice, the Minister even threatened to take away persons’ jobs because he claimed that he knew where the persons worked.

Despite Boots’ barbarism, the PUP still attracted almost 900 voters at the convention, which elected Gilroy Usher

Boots, booze and paid bullies outside PUP convention

Armed BDF storm convention. On whose order?

Sr. as the standard bearer. Usher is everything Boots is not. He is a successful businessman, a former teacher and mentor, and he empathizes with the plight of the people of Port Loyola.

Last week, at the Cayo North convention won by the formidable candidate Joseph Mahmud, UDP area representative Salvador Fernandez also did all he could to sabotage. He remained at a yard near the venue of the convention, and sat there, occasionally taking out a camera to

take photos of persons going to exercise their democratic right. A small group of his supporters shouted at the voters and threatened them by asking them if they remembered who was in power.

Fernandez also instructed BDF soldiers carrying M16 Rifles to enter the convention venue, and intimidate voters.

Those tactics did not succeed; however, as almost 1,300 voters went to the polls to signal their support for the PUP and ask for change in Cayo North.

Salva’s shameless spying at PUP convention in Cayo North

36

THE BELIZE TIMES

Sunday, March 27, 2011