THE REPORTER
Volume 52, No. 28
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
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Price: $1.00
BOMBED BY THE F.T.C. PM Barrow Says ‘It Wasn’t Me!’
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rime Minister Dean Barrow called an unusual last minute press conference on Wednesday at the Princess Ramada Hotel, a venue seldom used, and unleashed an almost two hour tirade vigorously refuting claims made by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) about his alleged involvement with the Sanctuary Bay real estate scam, which defrauded consumers of approximately US $100 million and is under investigation in a US court. He stopped short of calling the FTC outright liars but he stressed that the FTC's report was grossly untrue and inaccurate. A visibly frustrated Barrow told the media that he had planned to call a press conference and handle the matter less civilly, however, after speaking with the US Charge D' Affairs he decided not to respond in such an abrasive manner. He jokingly noted that in any case, the FTC is not the kind of agency one looks to get
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Police Say Social Worker Was Mother Murdered… Stabbed Human Smuggling ‘Organizer’ Pg.Child 4
Pg. 3
Salazar: FTC Got it Wrong Pg. 37
PM Says BTL Does Not Owe GST Confirms Ongoing Audit
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his floating seaweed thingsargassum - has become a major headache for countries like Belize which depend on tourism and fisheries for their economic well-being. The problem was first noticed in 2013 when the first waves of unwanted seaweed began to pile up on once-pristine beaches of the eastern seaboard and the Caribbean. Today there is a floating mass of seaweed stretching from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico. It has become the biggest seaweed bloom in the world. It is a big, big nuisance, and marine biologists are of the view that it will not go away, because there has been a sea change in the weather. As of June 2018 the sargassum belt extended some 5,500 miles across, and represents about 20 million tons of biomass which becomes very unpleasant when it starts to decay. Its impact on marine life has not yet been determined, but such a massive invasion of the ocean by this rogue seaweed cannot bode well for the future. The experts have determined that the seaweed bloom is not directly due to warmer weather, but may be caused by a leaching of fertilizer into the ocean. It coincides with another phenomenon we face, the super-abundance of throw-away plastic, but there seems to be no correlation between these two behemoths. Experts are now convinced that the sargassum has its origins in the Gulf of Mexico and from there it surges out into the Caribbean and the Atlantic. The Pacific Ocean has not been invaded in this way, so it seems that any scientific inquiry must begin with the Gulf. Has somebody been dumping noxious waste material in the Gulf? Will the United States and Mexico agree on a joint venture to investigate this extraordinary proliferation of wild sea grass? Certainly the country which has done so much on the exploration of the Planet Mars can spare some of its resources to investigate the marine problem which threatens to overwhelm the Atlantic!
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
Clarification by the SSB
Dear Editor:
Thank you for allowing us some space in your newspaper to respond to one of your readers who wrote to The Reporter last week - M. Brown. Since its inception in 1981, all SSB benefits are calculated based on the amount of total contributions paid into Social Security by both the employer and employee. A weekly contribution to SSB is a payment made on a monthly basis to Social Security that has always been divided between the employee and the employer - the latter pays the greater portion. Benefit calculations are prescribed by law and are standard for everyone, therefore both the employers’ and employees’ portion is taken into consideration for benefits calculations at all times. As a matter of information, there are approximately 12,453 active businesses registered with SSB, nowhere close to the 50,000 alleged in the letter. Secondly, the minimum qualifying condition for awarding a retirement pension is 500 contributions over a person’s lifetime which is equivalent to just under 10 years. If a person does not meet the required 500 contributions for a pension, but has between 24 to 499 contributions paid over his/ her lifetime, he/she may qualify for a retirement grant which is a lump sum payable once. We invite
Mr/Ms Brown to visit the nearest SSB office to determine if his aunt and uncle meet these basic conditions. To address the false claim that few people will reach 65 years of age, the author is merely speculating as his comments are not factual. A cursory look at the life expectancy statistics from the Statistical Institute of Belize would readily dismiss his claims. The average life expectancy for all Belizeans is 74 years old. Lastly, we invite Mr/Ms Brown and any member of the public to choose his/her channel of choice to contact us for more detailed explanations and information. We are available in-person at our 9 branch offices, by telephone, through our website, by email (info@socialsecurity.org.bz) and via Facebook and Facebook messenger to provide information to any member of the public. Sincerely, C. Cansino General Manager Corporate Customer Relations Services Social Security Board
BOMBED BY THE F.T.C... Cont’d from pg. 1
even with, calling the idea a fool's errand. "I will not look to tangle with the FTC. Frame it under the heading of taking one for the team," he said. Barrow said he wouldn't even know where to begin in challenging such a powerful US agency. He announced that just a half-hour before the start of his press conference, that the FTC had filed a court motion for a stay of proceedings against AIBL, which "would resolve all matters in dispute amongst the FTC and [AIBL]". Barrow further elaborated that the liquidation process would continue to be carried out by the appointed liquidator, Julian Murillo, per the terms of the settlement and that an official communication would be issued following approval of the settlement by the FTC's five commissioners. "The government of Belize, including Prime Minister Dean Barrow and the Central Bank of Belize provided substantial assistance in helping achieve this agreement in principle," the latest
FTC filing said. The report which caused waves, however, was filed on June 10 in a Florida court, a week before Barrow announced the AIBL settlement at a House Sitting, in opposition to an application from AIBL for Chapter 15 bankruptcy recognition. It claimed among other things that in 2014 Barrow had met with Sanctuary Bay principals, including Andris Pukke, who has been accused of orchestrating and running the scam from an American prison. The FTC filing further said Pukke and his associates presented a "wish list" of help they wanted from the PM. The FTC also claimed that a white paper relaying the significance of the development was presented to the PM; however, Barrow refuted all allegations saying he never met with Pukke or anyone concerning Sanctuary Belize. The FTC also claimed that Pukke and his associates Luke Chadwick and AIBL CEO Ricardo Pelayo discussed Barrow owing them a great deal of positive sentiment for the economic growth
attributed to Sanctuary Bay's 'Buy Belize' ad campaign, noting that Barrow would be likely to help. Barrow also made light of the fact that the FTC's intelligence relied partially on statements from Chadwick, one of the very accused defendants in the FTC investigation. He added that even if a meeting had taken place, that allegation does not constitute any wrongdoing or involvement on his part. The FTC further claimed that in a draft of a marketing communication, Sanctuary Bay intended to
relay to US consumers that the Prime Minister owned a lot at Sanctuary Belize. "Although Barrow's name does not appear on lot lists, he may have rights through another person or entity," the FTC filing said. Barrow, in responding, said he has never even visited the Sanctuary Bay estate much less own any land there. "Now how do you deal with something like that? You say that somebody said that somebody said that I own a lot. You go and check and I own Cont’d on pg. 3
THE REPORTER
Phones: 501- 227-2503 / 227-1767 Fax 501-227- 8278 P.O. Box 707 e-mail: reporternewspaper@gmail.com editoreporter@gmail.com website: http://www.reporter.bz Publisher Harry Lawrence Editor Mike Rudon Jr. Assistant Editor Marion V. Ali Financial Controller Rosa Maria Lawrence General Manager Lithographer Journalists Video Producer Desktop Publisher/ Graphic Designer Accounts/ Advertising Chief Printer Office Assistant
Lisbeth Ayuso Rodolfo Castro Michelle Sutherland Alexis Milan Jackie Fuller Rodolfo Castro Leroy Bood Misael Muñoz
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
BOMBED BY THE F.T.C...
Cont’d from pg. 2
no lot but you don't leave it there, you say but maybe somebody might 'di front fi ah', how does one deal with that? Absolutely outrageous!" Barrow chided. Continuing in response to each of the FTC's numerous claims, Barrow also rebutted an assertion by the agency that the Sanctuary Bay matter received special consideration over a financial issue as high as Cabinet level. According to the Prime Minister, Sanctuary Bay has never been brought up at any Cabinet meeting he has chaired, adding that he has chaired them all with the exception of one. He also picked apart claims that another defendant, Frank Constanzo, communicated with Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber, questioning the implication and asserting Faber's position that he never met or communicated
with anyone regarding Sanctuary Bay. One glaring inaccuracy Barrow pointed to in the FTC's report was the apparent mix-up by the agency in identifying one of Sanctuary Bay's developers named Erwin Contreras, which the FTC identified as Barrow's colleague and former minister of Economic Development, which it was not. "This one is the worst of all," he said, continuing dismiss the FTC's claims. He also dismissed a suggestion from the FTC that the Central Bank should have played a more influential role saying the regulatory body's mandate does not include real estate matters like the Sanctuary Bay matter, despite the fact that the scam was facilitated by AIBL (now defunct), one of several offshore financial institutions in the country. "This is not hear say, this da 'yerisoh'," Barrow remarked snidely at the FTC's official court filing. The agen-
cy has spent the last few months building a case of fraud on a massive scale, duping unwitting consumers out of millions on millions of dollars and had described AIBL as playing a crucial role in helping Sanctuary Bay carry out its fraudulent operations. It provided testimony, written correspondences and admissions from numerous defendants that officials from the highest levels of the institutions knew that Sanctuary Bay was a scam and still facilitated its business. The bank has already gone out of business in the wake of the scandal, injuring an already fractured offshore banking sector and casting further doubt on Belize's offshore financial sector in the eyes of international institutions. Barrow said he now hopes this announcement brings the matter to a close and joked that he will be happy if he never has to hear the term FTC again.
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Police Say Social Worker Was Human Smuggling ‘Organizer’
By Michelle Sutherland
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he Ministry of Human Development through the Human Services Department is charged with the protection of victims of human trafficking and smuggling, but this week that department has come under scrutiny after one of its social workers was busted, allegedly at the helm of a human smuggling operation on Tuesday. Government employee Sergio Adrian Guerra, 35, along with cab driver Edwin Naj, 40 were both arraigned on Wednesday in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on a joint charge of facilitating the commission of an offense by transporting illegal immigrants. Guerra and Naj both pleaded not guilty to the charge and they were both offered bail of $3,000 plus one surety of the same amount. The men also attained the service of attorney Hurl Hamilton to represent them in the matter.
Thursday, July 11, 2019 It is alleged that protecting the vulnersometime on Tuesday able, not participating in evening authorities were their exploitation." doing a stakeout on the Alpuche informed Crooked Tree Road that her department will where they intercepted a deal with the matter taxi with Benque license head on because if the plates and a grey Ford allegations are true then Escort which contained she is very concerned, four Honduran nation- and disappointed due to als - two adults and two the intolerable breach of minors. trust, ethics, and morals At the time of his ap- on the part of Guerra. prehension, Guerra was As to whether Guerra wearing his uniform might have been using which had the Gov- government resources ernment logo on his and intelligence to run chest, and when the the operation, she stated media spoke to Judith that, "this is a concern Alpuche, CEO in the and it is something that Ministry of Human we are looking into in Development, Social terms of looking beTransformation and yond just this one case Poverty Alleviation she to see if we can work was visibly disturbed with the Police to see by the reports that one how these things hapof her employees was pen. We are looking at allegedly busted in the cases and what have human smuggling ring. you to see if there are A c c o r d i n g t o any signs because it is Alpuche, "From our a concern. With a case perspective if the facts like this, we have to be bear out…it would be a very precise because gross and an egregious there is no room for violation of his ethics. error. We have to look As social workers we beyond this case to see are being charged with if it is a pattern of bethe responsibility of havior."
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Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
Mother Murdered‌Child Stabbed Thursday, July 11, 2019
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By Michelle Sutherland
he murder of Yanira Novelo, 24 and the stabbing of her four-year-old-son continue to baffle investigators in Orange Walk who are working around the clock in pursuing several leads that they have turned up so far. Late Thursday evening Police confirmed that they have one person detained for questioning and are seeking one more individual. One of the main leads that Police are pursuing is tracking down a vehicle which is believed to have transported the young woman and her son to the deserted area on the San Lorenzo Road where she was later discovered dead. Police could not confirm whether Novelo was killed elsewhere and her body dumped at the location, or whether she was killed by more than one person. Novelo's body was discovered around 11:05 a.m. on Tuesday, July 9th by a search party, in a cane field about 4 miles into the dirt road. Sources say that Novelo was found lying face up about 500 feet inside a dirt path. On Wednesday a post mortem examination revealed that Novelo died from manual strangulation. Other Police sources say that five stab wounds were also observed on her chest. The search effort was launched on Monday evening after a concerned resident showed up at the Orange Walk Police Station with Novelo's 4-year-old son. The man explained to Police that he found the little boy wandering on the dirt road with a stab wound to his abdomen area as well as other injuries to the body. The man went on to state that when he questioned the child about what he was doing on the road the child told him that his mother was being held hostage by some men on a farm located on the said road and that he had managed to escape. The child was then rushed to the Northern Regional Hospital where he was admitted for treatment. Following the child's discovery authorities then launched an investigation for the child's relative which later led to an all-out manhunt for his missing mother. NCIB Head, ACP Joseph Myvett said that even though authorities executed searches in the area where Novelo's son was found they did not find her until the following day. At the commencement of the murder investigation, it was suspected that the young mother was killed due to reports that she had journeyed into Orange Walk Town on Monday to collect some money from a financial agent. The plot thickened on Thursday when Myvett confirmed that while Novelo did visit a financial institution she did not collect any money that day. Myvett further disclosed that an investigation into the woman's visit at the institution revealed that a Police mobile was in the area when Novelo left. According to Myvett, the officers reported that while they saw Novelo, accompanied by her son they did not see anybody following her, or paying undue attention to her. Myvett disclosed that after departing from the financial agent Novelo visited several other locations in town and while Police gathered statements from multiple persons who came into contact with Novelo that day, they were unable to make significant headway. Myvett said that Police have even spoken to Novelo’s son - "The Police have spoken to him in the presence of his grandmother and other family members but I can say that some information was had and taking into consideration his age there is going to definitely be some supporting or other evidence, hence the reason we have not been able to make a determination as to the motive." Family members disclosed that around 10:00 a.m. on Monday Novelo, accompanied by her son who was celebrating his birthday, departed from their home in San Jose on board a passenger bus. She had told family members that she was going to collect some money so that she could have a birthday party for her son this coming weekend. The last time anyone heard from Novelo was around 1:45 p.m. when she placed an order for a piùata.
The callous murder of the young woman and even the sickening attack against the child is no doubt a level of cold-heartedness that if not addressed can create long-lasting trauma on the surviving child. Judith Alpuche, CEO in the Ministry of Human Development, termed the act "horrendous, heartbreaking and frightening case." Alpuche explained what her Department will be doing to aid the child in his recovery - "Our role, in that case, would be to support the family, to support this child in whatever way is needed. Counseling if that is needed, I know there needs to be an assessment. The first thing would be looking at how the child heals physically from it. Whatever support that the family needs, but right now what that child needs is to be supported by people who love him and our role then is to
support those people that love him to ensure that he can heal both physically and psychologically." Novelo was buried on Thursday in San Jose Village amid a peaceful protest calling for justice to be served on her behalf.
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
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Belizean Fugitive Joseph Budna Apprehended! By Marion Ali
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elizean fugitive Joseph Budna, 38, is in Police custody after he was apprehended in Camalote Village, Cayo sometime around 9:00 Thursday morning. All Police said at their press briefing was that Budna was apprehended near a premises during a special Police operation. They would not say, however, if he resisted arrest or who was offering him food, clothing and shelter, or what the next course of action will be. Following the briefing, we learned that Budna was walking on a feeder road near to the George Price Highway when Police nabbed him. Back when Budna escaped and was thought to be heading to Belize, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams had said that while Belize and Guatemala share no extradition treaty, "necessary protocols" could be arranged through our two countries' Foreign Affairs Ministries to get Budna back in Guatemalan Police custody. Budna, who was serving a 30-year sentence in a Guatemalan prison after he was found guilty
Thursday, July 11th, 2019
Joseph Budna, apprehended in Camalote, Cayo of kidnapping and escape, see if he could serve the escaped a second time remainder of his sentence on May 27 while he was in Belize. Budna escaped the first receiving treatment at a time in 2014, while in a medical facility in San hospital in Zacapa. He Benito, Guatemala. Budna had called the has been accused of being Reporter soon after this the mastermind of one last time he escaped to ap- of the region's most nopeal to Belizean authori- torious criminal rings. ties, complaining that he Before his criminal was being abused at the track record, Budna prison and seeking some worked in Belize as a kind of intervention to freelance journalist.
Two Men Charged for Robbery in Corozal
By Michelle Sutherland
Tuesday, July 9th, 2019
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olice have arrested and charged two teens for the robbery of Tang's Supermarket in Corozal on Sunday. Michael Franklin, 18 and Alberto Perez, 18, both of Skeleton Town in Corozal were charged Tuesday for the crime of Robbery. Just after 8:00 p.m., on Sunday Corozal Police were dispatched to the store located in the Santa Rita area of Corozal Town after they received reports of a robbery in progress. Upon their arrival at the address, cops say that they learned that shortly before 8:00 p.m., two men - one described as "darkskinned" and wearing a hooded jacket along with another individual described as "lightskinned" and wearing a peak cap entered the store.
Alberto Perez Police say that the dark complexioned male person held up a customer inside the store and demanded that he walk back to the counter. A surveillance video showed as the customer, who appears to be a child, was held in a tight chokehold while the assailant pointed what appears to be a firearm at someone behind the counter. Police additionally noted that while that assailant was busy holding his hostage the other suspect scaled
Michael Franklin the counter and helped himself to an undisclosed amount of cash. Witnesses claim that in their haste to abscond, the men ran away on foot leaving their bicycles behind on the scene. Following the robbery, authorities executed a search in an area near the supermarket where they discovered clothing and items believed to be the property of the two assailants. Authorities confirmed that during the hold-up the assailants fired several shots, however, no one was injured.
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Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
Want A US Visa? Watch What You Post Online!
Thursday, July 11th, 2019 regulation says, "NaBy Marion Ali tional security is our f you are thinking top priority when adabout applying judicating visa apfor a US Visa to tour, plications, and every shop or study in that prospective traveler country, you might want to be careful of what you post on your social media accounts. That is because as of the end of May, this year, the US State Department regulations required that US Visa applicants submit their social media names and five years' worth of email addresses and phone numbers. And if you are found to and immigrant to the be lying or omitting United States undersome of the required goes extensive secuinformation, you can rity screening. We are face immigration con- constantly working to sequences too, once find mechanisms to you are allowed in the improve our screening US and that informa- processes to protect tion comes to light! U.S. citizens, while The State Depart- supporting legitimate ment advises US visa travel to the United applicants to com- States." plete the application The State Departas fully and honestly ment says that it alas possible to avoid ready requests certain any delays in the pro- contact information, cessing of their ap- travel history, famplication and states ily member informathat failure to provide tion, and previous accurate and truthful addresses from all information may re- visa applicants and sult in their visa being that collecting this denied. additional informaThe only people tion will strengthen who the new require- its process for vetment does not apply ting these applicants to are certain diplo- and confirming their matic and official visa identity. applicants, but it is With the new reestimated that some quirement, the State 14.7 million people Department has upwill have to comply d a t e d i t s n o n - i m by the new regulation migrant visa online each year. application form In announcing the (DS-160), the paper new requirement, the back-up version of US State Department the non-immigrant said, "We are con- visa application (DSstantly working to 156), and the online find mechanisms to immigrant visa appliimprove our screen- cation form (DS-260). i n g p r o c e s s e s t o These updated forms protect US citizens, collect social media while supporting le- identifiers, which are gitimate travel to the names people use on United States." social media platT h e R e p o r t e r forms including, but sought information not limited to, Facefrom the US Embassy book, Twitter, and Inand learned that the stagram. The updated new regulation is the visa application forms result of US Presi- list the specific social dent, Donald Trump’s media platforms for March 6, 2017, Mem- which identifiers are orandum on Imple- being requested. menting Heightened While the update Screening and Vetting only applies to new of Applications for visa applications, visa Visas and other Im- applicants are conmigration benefits. tinuously screened, The US State De- even after their appartment's document plications have been which speaks of the submitted, in order
I
to ensure they remain eligible to travel to the United States. Prior to now, only applicants who needed additional vetting, such as people who had been to terrorist-
controlled parts of the world, needed to provide this information, but now even ordi-
nary applicants must give up their account names on the various social media platforms listed and otherwise. The new measure has not come without its share of criticisms, even in the US. Human rights groups have argued that the regulation violates people's right to privacy. But the State Department maintains that the same safeguards and confidentiality provisions that already protect a visa applicant’s personal information also apply to social media identifiers and all other newly collected information
related to a visa application. It assures that Consular officers will not request user passwords nor will they have any ability to modify privacy controls applicants may have implemented on these platforms. Whatever information is given, however, may be shared with partner agencies in the US government to safeguard against threats to US security, and to ensure that consular officers can review all relevant information about applicants' eligibility for a US visa. The State Departent says that its Consular officers cannot deny visas based on ap-
plicants’ race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, political views, gender, or sexual orientation, and that Consular officers will not request user passwords nor will they be able to modify privacy controls the applicants may have implemented on these platforms. While the new rule has just come into effect, it is not the first time that it has surfaced. From the days of past US President, Barack Obama, those who applied for US Visas were asked to volunteer their social media particulars; then in March 2018, the rule was first proposed as a requirement.
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
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SSB Loans Medical Council $600,000 for Multi-Purpose Complex
Thursday, July 11th, 2019 and still others offer By Marion Ali none. he Social Se"The better the inc u r i t y B o a r d vestment performs, ( S S B ) i s l e n d i n g it decreases the need the Belize Medical to go back to conCouncil $600,000 to tributors, who are build a multi-purpose both employers and complex, to be repaid e m p l o y e e s , " D r . over 11 years at an Yo u n g e x p l a i n e d . interest rate of 7%. "If it wasn't for the The loan is part performance of the of an aggressive ap- investment portfoproach that SSB is lio, we would have embarking on to lend h a d t o g o b a c k t o money for projects contributors a long that would enable it t i m e a g o , b e c a u s e to collect far greater from 2014 the Board interest rates than the was running a deficit banks are currently as it relates to the offering, SSB CEO, revenue we get from D r. C o l i n Yo u n g contributors versus told the Reporter on the expenses. What Thursday. He said essentially gave us that some banks of- that amount of time fer only 2.5% inter- was because the inest rate, while oth- vestment portfolio ers offer only 1.25% was performing and
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we were able to rely on the income earned from investments to, in a sense, delay the increase." Before these loans are given out, SSB has to ensure that all the borrowers are able to repay the facility and that any loa n tha t SSB a pproves has to have adequate collateral, Dr. Young assured. The Belize Medical Council registers all dentists, medical practitioners and opticians in Belize, which includes registration and license fees. But there is a lot more that the Council entails that the public may not k n o w, D r. Yo u n g shared. "They have all these professional,
development courses, and ongoing training with doctors as part of what they do and space is always a challenge for them to find for the doctors and when they can find space it's relatively expensive and the number of places in Belize City that can meet that [demand]", Dr. Young shared, adding that the facility will also afford the Council to collect revenues from renting its space. The multi-purpose complex will be located on the Ministry of Health's property near the Nursing School compound at Corner St. Joseph and St. Thomas Streets and will include an
Colin Young, SSB CEO auditorium capable of holding 300 persons, as well as of-
fices for the Medical Council and the Belize Medical and Dental Association.
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Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
Page 9
Beautifully Belizean
Eight Belizean Beauties‌One Title P
By Michelle Sutherland
lans to get the 2019 Miss Universe Belize Pageant underway have already commenced and last Friday the organizers introduced the eight Belizean beauties that are vying for the prestigious title on September 6th. The contestants are Destiny Wagner, 23 who hails from Punta Gorda; Vivian Noralez, 20, from San Pedro; Destinee Arnold, 26, from Roaring Creek Village, along with Belize City residents Aarti Sooknandan, 24, Ryeann Smith, 19, Tianney Lamb, 21, Markeisha Young, 19 and Josselyn Cerin, 25. This year the pageant is spearheaded by the national director for the Miss Universe Belize Organization, Romeo Escobar. Escobar explained that the chosen contestants all met the requirements set forth by the Miss Universe Organization which stipulates that contestants must be between the age of 1828, must hold a Belizean passport, have never been married or given birth, and have never committed a crime or served any jail time. Escobar told the Reporter that the eight females were chosen as the best from out of the group that auditioned. He explained that one of the challenges faced by the committee when choosing contestants is the contestant's lack of self-confidence which is rooted in their belief that because of their lack of experience in pageantry they would not be taken seriously on the international stage. Nevertheless, Escobar said that the organization is doing its best to ensure that the country has good representation on the international platform which is beneficial both to the country and the individual. The organization is also trying to change the perception that some Belizeans have about beauty pageants, something Escobar says has an effect on the final outcome abroad. "It is very important that the entire country supports our winner, regardless of who she is or whether she is your favorite or not. Because that is the only way that the Miss Universe Organization will pay attention to us. If they see a lot of negative response, and if they see a lot of hate towards our queen they will dismiss us and will not pay us any mind. The only way that we will be successful at the pageant is if all of Belize gets together and supports our queen regardless of who she is. Miss Universe wants to work with countries that support their queen,"
Romeo Escobar along with the eight contestants Escobar told this newspaper. Another challenge the Miss Universe Belize Organization faces is the lack of funding. Escobar said that having a contestant participate in the pageant is a very pricey venture and although there are some sponsors the organization can use additional support from any other interested parties. "Most of our resources in funding a pageant like this comes from our sponsors or even from my own pocket, but it’s something that I am passionate about and so I do it. I would hope that we would have more support from sponsors and also from the Government. People might ask why it is important that we follow the tradition. Well I will say to them that the Miss Universe pageant is one of the biggest platforms that any country has to promote tourism. The yearly event is broadcast around the world and is seen by over a billion people and so it doesn't get bigger than that," he said. Escobar says that training for beauty contestants is lacking in Belize since many other countries have the resources to train and prepare young contestants from the onset. Escobar says that while that will take a lot
of time and resources to get done in Belize he hopes that the country can someday have an institution dedicated to the training and grooming of young beauty delegates from an early age. The national director told the Reporter that the next Miss Universe Belize delegate will get as much international press exposure and training as needed. She will also meet with influential people from the Miss Universe Headquarters and meet with the committee members prior to the pageant to familiarize herself with the relevant personnel. Last year, according to Escobar, reigning Miss Belize Jenelle Frazier trained with two previous Miss USAs, she had a meet and greet session with pageant host Steve Harvey and even met with the committee at the Miss Universe Headquarters as well as other influential people abroad. The Miss Universe Belize Pageant will start at 8:30pm, on September 6th at the Belize Civic Center. Tickets are currently on sale at all Pink Boutiques countrywide as well as the Belize Civic Center booth. General admission is $25, reserved is $50 and VIP tickets are $75.
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Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
Tensions Brew Over Belama Phase 4 House Lots Wednesday, July 10, 2019
By Marion Ali
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ension is brewing again between some 22 households in the Belama Phase 4 area and Chinese businessman Alex Chang, who claims to have legal rights (Power of Attorney) to the land the families live on. The ongoing saga first came to light in January, when Chang informed the residents that he had legal rights to the six-acre plot of land that their houses sit on. Initially, he had proposed that the residents lease the lots, which some of them have been occupying for as many as eight years. The residents were advised to not sign the lease contract which was presented to them and Chang took the matter to Court. A ruling has not yet been made, but last Friday, Chang, accompanied by a man with a chainsaw and a Policeman, went to the area and proceeded to cut down a coconut tree on one of the house lots. The occupant of the house lot videotaped the incident, and asked Chang why he was doing that when the matter is before the Court. There was no confrontation, but the matter drew attention on Facebook. Freetown Area Representative, Francis Fonseca, in whose division the families reside and who is also representing them in Court, lamented to the Reporter that the Court has not ordered the families to vacate the lots, yet
action is being taken against them. "This matter is in court and we are defending the legal interests of the residents. They are acting before getting any order from the court," Fonseca told the Reporter. Fonseca's constituency post stated that this is a wealthy Chinese businessman, apparently with strong political connections and police protection, entering (without a Court Order) the yards of the poor residents
(most of whom are Belizeans with Belizean children) in an attempt to frighten and intimidate them. Fonseca also says he feels that the Power of Attorney document which the businessman has provided is "fraudulent" and he will seek to prove that in Court. "This...so called power of attorney they are relying on...we believe it to be fraudulent and will try to establish that in court. [That is] not the signature of the "landowner", pointing
Last month, Police broke up a protest which the residents staged in front of Fen Lan Company Limited, owned by Alex Chang, who had served the residents with Notices of Eviction and had given them one month to dismantle their wooden houses and to leave. He has also erected a barbed wire fence around the property. The Reporter has tried to reach Chang, but our efforts so far have not been successful.
Alex Chang in front of house minutes before tree was cut out that the witness who signed the document in the capacity of Commissioner of the Supreme Court
Screenshot from amateur video of man cutting down coconut tree in yard at Belama Phase 4 and Senior Justice of the Peace is disgraced former UDP City Councilor, Eric Chang.
to staff in January 2019 she had openly expressed to them that they were pensionable and so the staff was not expecting the latest announcement. The Union expressed that any new and contradicting information in regards to pensionable benefits which may have caused grey areas were never communicated to the staff and any further "clarification" must have been made only at the administration level. Secondly, the Union scolded the CEO for failing to honor commitments made back in June 2019 in which it was agreed upon that both entities would approach the Court for guidance on pension matters instead of arriving at a decision on their own. Lastly, the Union raised concerns about whether they are pensionable by virtue of the KHMHA Act
KHMH CEO, Michelle Hoare through the provisions off so that they could of the Pensions Act. It meet with the Union was additionally noted and discuss the matter. that the KHMHA Act This week Union does not provide for President Lidia Blake a replacement of the confirmed with the ReGovernment pension porter that those meetscheme with the cur- ings with the staff were rent Provident Fund set for Thursday and but rather that the Friday of this week and KHMHA Act provides following the meetings for a pension plan to she would be better supplement the fund. equipped to comment The Union’s letter on the developing noted that any actions issue. Calls to CEO contrary to the above Hoare were unsuccessprovisions would be ful but the Reporter an infringement of the will keep following the employees' rights. The developments as they Union requested that unfold. KHMH grant staff time
KHMH and KHMHA Workers Union Battle Wednesday, July 10, 2019
By Michelle Sutherland
T
he Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority Workers Union is meeting with members and lawyers this week to discuss the contents of a memo related to non-payment of pension benefits to employees and to chart the way forward in addressing the situation at hand. The internal memo dated June 28th and sent to all KHMH employees reads, “the Authority hereby advises that pension payments, pursuant to the Pension Act, are only payable by the Government of Belize. Such pension is paid to ‘public' officers on retirement from the public service or officers 'transferred from' the said public service. Persons hired independently by the Authority would not fall within the persons entitled
to pensions pursuant to the Pensions Act. The Authority cannot legally pay Pension other than as is provided by the law." The memo went on to say that as such, employee retirement benefits are only payable by the Authority pursuant to the Karl Heusner Memorial Provident Fund Trust Rules dated August 1st, 2017. The announcement created tensions among some KHMH staff who were of the view that they were working as public officers and would be entitled to pension benefits upon their retirement. Those employees are not backing down without a fight and they have sought the assistance of their Workers Union to address the matter. The Union wrote to KHMH CEO Michelle Hoare last week Monday reminding her that when she spoke
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
Page 11
Bold Armed Robber Caught By Unarmed Ex-Soldier
Thursday, July 11, 2019 Station on ConstituBy Marion Ali tion Drive in Belmob r a z e n t h i e f , pan, pointing a gun w i e l d i n g a at the cashier and gun , car r i e d o u t a a t t e n d a n t s a r o u n d bold broad-daylight 1:00 Sunday afterrobbery on Sunday noon, demanding the afternoon in the na- cash they had. Est i o n ' s c a p i t a l , b u t carpeta was captured h e e n c o u n t e r e d a on video footage as brave, unarmed gas he entered the ofattendant - who just fice, placed an order happened to be one and pulled out a gun of Belize's trained from his waist as the former elite soldiers store clerk went to from no less than the get his order. He B S A G u n i t - w h o pounced on her and decided to confront demanded the money a n d s t o p t h e t h i e f from the cash register who was shooting at a n d w e n t o u t s i d e , people. where he robbed one The incident un- of the attendants and folded when known d r a g g e d h i m o v e r criminal, James Es- to another and decarpeta, 34, walked manded the cash he i n t o B u c a S e r v i c e had as well.
A
Altogether, he had around $1,200 in stolen loot, but his audacity was far from exhausted. Upon fleeing the scene, Escarpeta attempted to force two motorists on the compound to drive away with him, but when he jumped in their vehicle they
got out, and he became more desperate to flee at this point, running to the middle of the road to try to force another to stop. When that also failed, he shot at a burgundy Mahindra truck that was passing by, but its driver managed to drive past unhurt.
Escarpeta decided to make a dash down another road to flee, but little did he know that his actions had so angered one of the gas attendants robbed, the trained ex-soldier, that he had now become the target. That ex-soldier told the Reporter on Tuesday that from the time Escarpeta dragged his colleague over to him and demanded the money he had, he wanted to disarm and restrain him, which he said he could have done, but he said he thought that if Escarpeta decided to fire the weapon, the bullet could have hit the fuel pump or his colleague, so he decided he would confront him when he escaped. He told us that after Eascarpeta was trying to force drivers to take him in their vehicle, he recalled he left his car keys in the ignition and ran for his vehicle, got in it and set chase. By this time, Escarpeta had already ran down Garbutt Creek Street and that’s where he caught up with him, drove right into him, knocking the thief onto the car’s windshield, breaking it. He said Escarpeta then fell to the ground, and he decided to take his baton, which was in his car, to confront Escarpeta. But the thief was getting up just then and pointed the gun at him. They struggled, during which the weapon discharged several times. That is when Police believe Esc a r p e t a s u ff e r e d a bullet wound below his right elbow. The ex-soldier said that during the struggle, Escarpeta also bit him on his arm, but he never flinched and overpowered the
thief, took away the gun and hit him in the head with it and restrained him until the Police and ambulance arrived. Police say they recovered only a portion of the $1,200 that was stolen and are keeping guard over Escarpeta at the Western Regional Hospital. They have also recovered the gun, which Police have not yet confirmed was a stolen weapon. In his conversation with the Reporter, the ex-soldier said that he was a member of the Belize Defense Force's BSAG (Belize Special Assignment Group), whose members are specially trained to undertake high-risk operations and encounters. He said that when he was in the unit, he was shot at several times while on special assignment with the Police. He said that he knew he was ready to take on the criminal and promised his boss upon his employment that he would protect his colleagues and the business if they ever came under attack. The employee shared with us that his ambition is to become a member of the Belize Police Department and that he knows that he has the training necessary to stop criminals in the act, just like h e d id o n Su n d a y. He is married with four children, and just celebrated his 30th birthday on June 30th. James Escarpeta, on the other hand, is originally from Hattieville. He walked off a murder charge in 2009 when the two main witnesses in the case could not testify against him. One forgot what they had witnessed and the other was shot the same day she was supposed to testify. Escarpeta was on trial for the murder of Kevin Parks and the attempted murder of Charles Moss, both of whom were shot in broad daylight in front of a house on Euphrates Avenue in 2006.
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Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
Detentions but No Arrests for Felix Brothers' Murder Thursday, July 11, 2019
By Marion Ali
P
olice have made lots of detentions and done a lot of questioning for last Wednesday evening's double murder of Maurice, 34, and Emory Felix, 33, but none has resulted in an arrest. Head of Eastern Division Crimes Investigations Branch, Assistant Superintendent of Police, Alejandro Cowo told the media on Monday that since the weekend and even after, Police had detained several persons, some of whom were still being questioned but that there was no prime
suspect. Upon our inquiry, ASP Cowo said that the two gunmen who targeted the brothers wore no masks to shield their identity. The brothers were playing a game of pool in Sky Deck on the upper flat of a two-storey building on Baymen Avenue in Belize City when they came under fire. Maurice collapsed and died right were where he was struck near the pool table, while Emory managed to run but he was caught on the street and also killed there. They had been out on Supreme Court b a i l s i n c e J a n u a r y, after being on remand
Maurice Felix for some years for the murder of Mark Vernon and the attempted murder of his mother, Pame-
la Cumberbatch in 2015. Their mother, Janet Felix has told the media that her sons did not engage
Emory Felix other from they were in selling drugs and children and always when they wanted moved together. They food or money, she gave it to them. She had been keeping out said that the brothers of trouble since they were close to each met bail, she said.
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
Page 13
DigiLearn ICT Prepares Youth for Tomorrow F
Belize, July 4th, 2019
irst form students at nine high schools around Belize have been equipped with tablet computers and light-speed super broadband to surf the Internet to a brighter future, thanks to the new DigiLearn initiative launched by Belize Telecommunications Ltd. at the Belize Best Western Biltmore Plaza Hotel last Thursday evening, July 4. As the United States celebrated Independence Day, the Ministry of Education joined Digi in celebrating the new intellectual and learning independence granted to the students who participated in the initial, pilot phase of the project. Digi’s outgoing chief executive officer Rochus Schreiber explained how his latest brainchild will help to transform Belize. Digi has partnered with Microsoft to establish the learning platform, by which the students will use Microsoft Office and One Note to receive lesson notes from their teachers, submit homework assignments, quizzes, tests and exams, for a totally paperless learning experience. He highlighted that it is an idea which will give the children a hands-on experience of the latest information and communications technology to give them the skills for jobs which may not even exist today, but which will be created in tomorrow’s world as both industry and commerce sectors move forward toward computerized, digital and automated processes and transactions, and the manufacturing and transportation industries which are shifting towards robotics. The DigiLearn platform helps to overcome many of the present day challenges of textbook costs, teacher availability, schools transportation costs, and will facilitate distance learning. DigiLearn invites Belizean students to enjoy their learning experience as they explore the vast world of knowledge available on the Internet. Schreiber acknowledged that this would not have been possible without the input of Pallotti High School principal Sister Clara and the Belize Association of Secondary Schools Principals (BAPSS) and other schools principals who helped make the idea become a reality, as well as the spiritual guidance of Maria Zabaneh who helped make it happen. He also thanked the BTL Board of Directors for approving the finances to make this investment possible, and the Ministry of Education, which helped to bring Microsoft on board. Kudos went out to all the Digi technicians on the ground who helped install the hardware and the
Digi’s CEO, Rochus Schreiber software, and provided tech support; it was a team effort, Schreiber said. If this sounds like former Prime Minister Said Musa’s 2007 campaign promise to place a laptop in the hands of each of 30,000 primary school children, this is no promise; this already happened! The students of one first form class, at each of nine high schools, have been participating in the pilot phase for the past semester. Over 400 students were each equipped with a laptop and internet access, entirely paid for by Digi. Digi’s deputy chief marketing officer Janine Salazar outlined how the project has provided each school with 500 Megabytes per second Internet, which will be extended to ALL the first and second form students at these nine high schools, over 3,000 children, in the coming academic year, starting September 2019-20. Digi will be investing further to provide more laptops and 500 Mbps Internet to the first and second form students at 25 more high schools, yet to be selected. Minister of Education Hon. Patrick could not b present as he was representing Belize at the 43rd session of the World Heritage committee in Azerbaijan, but via a video recorded speech, he said he expected to offer DigiLearn to over 16,000 students at 34 high schools in the academic year September 2020-21. Beyond these first phases, the Ministry of Educa-
S U D O K U Medium Puzzle
Sudok u rules are extremely easy: Fill all empty squares so that the numbers 1 to 9 appear once in each row, column and 3x3 box. Tip. Use a soft erasable pencil. Start with the easy puzzles, then move on to the harder ones. Make small pencilmarks to show which numbers are allowed in empty squares. This will come handy when analyzing techniques are used. Never guess! Only make moves based on logical deductions.
Pallotti High School principal, Sister Clara tion will be exploring its options for how to finance a nationwide rollout of the program to over 28,000 students at all 43 high schools in the DigiNet area, Chief Education Officer Carol Babb explained. The first nine schools already in the pilot are the Anglican Cathedral College, Belize High School, St. Catherine Academy, Pallotti High, Corozal Community College, Edward P. Yorke High, Ladyville Technical High, Muffles College in Orange Walk and San Pedro High School. One unexpected benefit is that it has reduced truancy, enthused Ladyville Tech principal Diane Westby, noting that delinquent students who formerly used to cut class, suddenly changed to daily attendance, becoming punctual and attentive to class, as they embraced the new technology, which had made learning fun! Sr. Clara was happy to note that paperless lessons and exams, also helped save the trees, and was in harmony with the environment.
Answer to Puzzle
The Fourth Estate
Page 14
T
his week a media house was banned from the Police media chat for reporting inaccurate news. While it is true that some media entities cast long, dark shadows on others by virtue of their views and choices, the Reporter maintains that punitive censoring cripples democracy and undermines journalistic principles. Every media house should be governed by good sense and ethical journalism and its goal should be to serve the truth. In Belize, these lines have become blurred. Inaccurate news and news that doesn’t serve the truth but instead serves political or personal agendas are common. But facts matter as they connect us to reality. When something happens in our country and facts are needed, the media rightfully turns to officials for answers - the Police Department being one of them. This week's ban brings into focus a most disturbing trend, which seems to be spiraling into the extreme. It begs the question - when did the Belize Police Department take ownership of the media, and assume authority over what is disseminated? And who bestowed the authority on them to determine what people need to know or not know? The trend
of Police dispensing punitive measures on the media seems to indicate that journalists have collectively bent over and given the Police a paddle. It has become evident that when it comes to the hard news stories, the crime, the gore, the bloodshed, the violence – we must play by Police-established rules. Luckily it hasn’t reached the point where if a media entity publishes a story which offends the Commissioner of Police, that entity is suspended from the media chat, limiting its access to official police information. Oh wait - that has happened. Luckily, w e h a v e n ’t g o t t e n to a point where if a media house posts a picture on its official media FB page w h i c h o ff e n d s t h e top brass, that media house is temporarily suspended from the official police chat. Wait - that has also happened. In that i n s t a n c e , i t d i d n ’t matter that the picture was within the guidelines of decency, morality, and journalism ethics. The Police didn’t like it, so this media house was suspended from the chat. Imagine that as the media, we are n o l o n g e r a n s w e rable to journalistic standards, or to the people of Belize. We are answerable to the Police. When the Police become
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
‘watchers’ and ‘sentinels’ to ensure that disseminated news has been sanitized and presented in preapproved formats, it undermines democracy. The department does Belizeans no favors by covering the ears of the public. It keeps the ignorant ignorant, encourages personal agendas and limits the media's right to freedom of expression. Recently, the Police decided that the discovery of a drug plane was not significant news. Between writing the Police Situation Report and it being delivered to the media, that bit of information was removed. "Discretionary" authority e x t e n d s e v e n f u rther. The Police now decides in its media savvy manner what is a major incident and what is not. The media has been forced to instinctively know what the Police has determined as a minor incident when consistent queries in the chat group regarding those incidents are simply ignored. Add all the evidence together and it amounts to censorship of the media. Plain and simple. Spin it or angle it, the current Police rules censor the very institution designed to r e c or d, inve sti-
gate, interpret and publish facts. The Police and every other department of authority in a democracy owe the media the opportunity to give a voice
THE REPORTER
to those less heard, explore where others turn away and challenge those in power. The relationship between the Police and media has the potential to be an
amazing one which benefits both entities. But that balance is threatened, very much so, by a department which seems to lean towards censorship. Say it ain’t so!
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
Page 15
Woman Shot in Her Home
Flesh wound caused by bullet; pictures courtesy: News 5 Tuesday, July 9th, 2019
K
By Marion V. Ali
anchi Casey, 31, who is five months pregnant, has moved from the place she called home at #108 Neal's Pen Road in Belize City after a bullet ripped through the plywood house and struck her in the back last week Friday night. Casey was asleep inside the 11 by 11-foot plywood house when the gunshot blast sounded and
The spot where the bullet entered the house the bullet tore through the wall and a piece of furniture before it hit Casey's shoulder. She realized that she had been shot when she felt a sting on her back. Lucky for her, the injury was just a flesh wound. Police have not established whether a previous dispute between Casey's relatives and neighbours outside the small house was linked to the shooting, but they do not believe that she was the intended target. Casey's common-law husband, who was
Victim was asleep inside this house when she was shot inside the house, had reportedly received threats. Fearful over what has happened and what could have happened had she been positioned differently when she was shot, potentially causing serious injury, the pregnant woman decided to move to another location. Police have detained two suspects pending investigations.
Cops Turn up Clues at Belmopan Home
Jermaine Baltazar Flores By Michelle Sutherland
I
nvestigations are ongoing in Belmopan as cops work to piece together the missing pieces in the puzzle of last week’s murder of Dangriga resident Jermaine Balthazar, 44, as a consequence of new evidence collected from a house in Belmopan. On Monday while investigators would not divulge details of the find, head of the National Crimes Investigation Branch ACP Joseph Myvett confirmed that on Saturday Police executed a search inside a house in Belmopan, ''where a number of items were found, which at this time we are not able to say whether or not those were connected to the crime scene." Additionally, the Reporter was informed that while the findings were relevant to the ongoing inves-
tigation it was not sufficient evidence to constitute charges against three suspects who were detained for questioning. At this point in the investigation, cops are still baffled as to whether Balthazar was executed on the Frank's Eddy Road or whether he was killed elsewhere and his body dumped at the location. According to Myvett, investigators are looking at both possibilities since evidence collected from the crime scene was not sufficient to offer an exact explanation. Balthazar's body, with a gunshot wound to his forehead, was found around 7:00 a.m., on July 4th about 300 feet from off the George Price Highway. The deceased was wrapped in a deflated air mattress and had both his hands and feet bound with duct tape and extension cords.
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Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
One Man Remanded for Attempted Murder
Tuesday, July 9th, 2019 Pitts-Anderson deattieville resi- nied Stevens bail and dent Tre Ste- remanded him into vens, 20, has been custody. On Thursday, Steremanded to the Bevens was detained as lize Central Prison until mid-September the primary suspect following his arraign- in Rhaburn's shooting ment on Monday for after he was reportedthe near-fatal shoot- ly found in the immeing of Ozen Rhaburn diate area. A firearm which occurred last was also retrieved near the scene of the week Thursday. Police say that on shooting and it was Saturday, investiga- taken into custody for tors charged Stevens processing. Rhaburn was shot with Attempted Murmultiple times to his der, Use of Deadly body while standing Means of Harm and inside a yard in the Dangerous Harm. Farmers Site area of Due to the nature of Hattieville. The victhe charges no plea w a s t a k e n . S e n i o r tim later told Police M a g i s t r a t e Tr i c i a that gunman walked up to the group of By Michelle Sutherland
H
Dispute Over Bicycle Results in Stabbing Tuesday, July 9th, 2019
Matthew Smith, recovering from stab wound By Marion V. Ali
M
atthew Smith, 27, is recuperating in the KHMH from a stab wound he suffered under his left armpit around 6:40 last week Thursday night during a dispute with another man over a bicycle. Smith, who resides on Plues Street, was on East Collet Canal near the Conch Shell Bay area when he got into an argument with another man over his bicycle that was stolen. The argument led to a fight, during which Smith was stabbed. The Reporter understands that Smith was walking on the street when he saw the other man and
asked him about his bicycle. The man reportedly grew upset and the two got into a heated dispute which led to the fight. A s s i s t a n t S u p e rintendent of Police, Alejandro Cowo told the media on Monday that investigators have detained the suspect and have made several attempts to get Smith to provide details of the incident, but he has refused to do so up to now. Without Smith's statement, Police cannot do much to bring a case against the suspect, however.
Ozen Rhaburn men and fired multiple shots at them before running away. A couple of days prior to that shooting, Rhaburn was de-
tained for questioning in relation to the murder of shopkeepe r, C a r l t o n Wa d e . While Rhaburn was not charged with any
Tre Stevens, charged with Attempted Murder offence, it is suspect- jandro Cowo could ed that his shooting not confirm the thewas in retaliation for ory that the shooting was in retaliation, but Wade's murder. At Monday's press noted that investigab r i e f i n g A S P A l e - tors are still exploring multiple motives.
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
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YOUR WEEKLY SPORTS UPDATE
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Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
Club Atleticos Wins 1st FFB Interdistrict Final C
Belmopan, July 6th, 2019
lub Atleticos triumphed 1-0 over Caesar Ridge FC in the first match of the national amateur Interdistrict first division championship finals organized by the Football Federation of Belize at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium on Saturday night, July 6. Tyriq “Hammer” Ciego and Charleston Gardiner led Atléticos’ offensive, supported by Yimmy Saquic and Carlos Gonzalez on the wings, and by Luis Arévalo and Allen Armstrong at midfield. The home eleven dominated possession and kept the play in the visitors’ half of the field for most of the first half, creating numerous scoring opportunities, but they failed to finish! The Caesar Ridge defenders Francis Arana, Ulysses Rodriguez and Kishane Swazo had their work cut out to help goalkeeper Denzil Lewis keep a clean slate up to intermission. Down at the other end, Keiron “Benny” Patnett and Orlando “Bredda” Velasquez led the Caesar Ridge attacks, supported by Naim “Nemo” Wilson and Dion Cacho on the wings, and by Russell Cassanova and Shawn Young. They made little impression on the Atléticos’ defenders Richard Gillett, Andrew Allen scored Atléticos’ winning goal Arnoldo de la Rosa, Andrew Allen and Jose Charleston Gardiner attacks Guy who held them scoreless the entire game, even though Atléticos were without their star goalkeeper Orlando Galdamez. Even when the visitors got off some shots at goal, they Belize City, July 5th, 2019 were wide of target or high over the crossbar. Curiously both Sydney “Buckit” Bradley and he DigiCell softball girls and topHarlan Cassanova sat out this match, and seeded Belize Bank Bulldogs both Michael Robinson was also missing in the enjoyed victories, when female softball playaction. Tyrell “Hulk” Rowley and Kishane Mag- offs organized by the Belize City Softball daleno came off the bench to reinforce the Association began at the Rogers Stadium last Friday, July 5. Caesar Ridge defense, while Atléticos’ reDigiCell hammered the second-ranked freshed their attack line-up with Julian Malseed, Beacon: 5-2, led by Lydia Cacho and donado and Victor Caliz replacing Gardiner Norecia Frazier, who each scored a run in the and Arevalo. Something had to give, and the top of the first inning. break came when goalkeeper Denzil Lewis DigiCell’s pitcher Jasany Westby struck rejected a hard shot on goal, but failed to hold out two batters and gave up three hits. The on to the ball after a corner kick. Andrew DigiCell diamond made no errors, forcing Allen connected to rebound with a bicicleta the Beacon girls to leave seven runners on kick that Lewis got a glove on, but he only base, and only Kristy Terry and Mertell Baisucceeded in deflecting it up into the back of ley tied the score at 2-2 in the bottom of the first inning. the net: 1-0 after 66 minutes of play. The DigiCell ladies collected 13 hits off Caesar Ridge reinforced their defense with Bruce Carillo, but the damage was done. Jose pitcher Lanisha Jones, who struck out three Galdamez came off the Atléticos’ bench to batters, but walked seven. The Beacon diahelp the Belmopan eleven remain on the at- mond forced DigiCell to leave nine runners on base, but also made five errors, allowing tack until the final whistle. Club Atléticos had qualified by Barrack Catherine Cobo to score in the top of the Road FC’s forfeit of the second final, which second inning. Barbara Cadle scored in the was called by the referee with three minutes top of the third and Darla Guerra scored in the seventh inning, and Westby conceded no of injury time left to play, after Atléticos runs in the bottom of the seventh to secure had been awarded a penalty. The FFB discithe 5-2 win. plinary committee ruled that the match must The Belize Bank Bulldogs won 15-3 by continue to complete those last three minutes mercy rule on the fourth inning, over the on Wednesday, July 3, with Atléticos kick- fourth-ranked seed: the Belmopan Bandits ing the penalty, and all players sanctioned in Friday’s nightcap, led by winning pitcher with red cards would not be allowed to play. Renisha Richards. Barrack Road failed to take the field for this The playoffs are a best of three series, but continuation, and the victory was awarded the second games of the series were rained to Atléticos. out on Sunday, July 7, and play resumes on Game 2 of the Finals is scheduled for the Friday, July 12. The winners advance to the DigiCell’s Jasany Westby pitched a 5-2 win finals. MCC Grounds on Sunday, July 14th. Sports 2 REPORTER July 14th, 2019
DigiCell & Bulldogs Win in City Softball T
YOUR WEEKLY SPORTS UPDATE
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
Page 19
Rising Stars, Sampson Academy & Elite FC Win in SMART Mundialito T
Belize City, July 6th, 2019
he Rising Stars of Ladyville are leading the 2019 SMART Mundialito Under-13 football tournament which is about to enter playoffs at the MCC Grounds in Belize City on Saturday, July 13. The Rising Stars enjoyed their ninth victory 2-0 over the Reality Youths in the second match of the final week of regular competition on Saturday, July 6, to lead with 28pts. Marvin Card scored the first winning goal, and Kenrick Gordon scored a second goal. Kevin McCauley scored a hat trick, as he led the Sampson Academy to a 4-0 win over Ladyville Warriors in the first match of the morning. Raymond Bowen scored a fourth goal. Kenyon Pratt scored the winning goal, to lead the FC Elite Juniors to a 1-0 win over the Warriors FC in the third match of the day. Heights FC held the City Boys to a scoreless draw in the fourth and final match of the afternoon. Kenrick Gordon scored Rising Stars’ 2nd goal
Marvin Card scored Rising Stars’ 1st goal
Belmopan & Orange Walk U-15 Girls Win
T
Belize City, June 29th, 2019
he Belmopan and Orange Walk Under-15 girls both enjoyed victories when the national Interdistrict youth tournament organized by the Football Federation of Belize continued at the Marion Jones Sports Complex in Belize City and at the Ricalde Stadium in Corozal on Saturday morning, July 6. The Garden City girls held football clinic: 9-0 over the Belize District U-15 girls at the Marion Jones stadium. Roshany Narvaez, Heidy Lopez and Alicia Coc led the visitors’ attacks, supported by Janelle Diaz, Bianca Hoare and Alliyah Tello at midfield. Angelean Paredes anchored the Belize defense with the help of Brooke Marin, Amani Humes and Yahira Melara, but a mere three minutes of play had elapsed, when Roshany Narvaez drilled home the first winning goal past a hapless Rosita Meighan in goal.
July 14th, 2019
Erin Sosa and Nigelee Gongora led the Belize counterattack, with the help of Detinee Lopez, Emaya Ku, Ruth Flores and Shakeisha Jones at midfield, but it was Narvaez who delivered a second goal for the visitors 13 minutes later. Heidy Lopez scored a third goal four minutes later, and Alicia Coc added a fourth goal two minutes after. Lopez struck home a fifth goal after half an hour of play and Bianca Hoare scored a sixth goal two minutes before intermission. Hoare struck again five minutes after the break, and Narvaez completed her hat trick with their eighth goal 11 minutes later. Narvaez struck home her fourth goal of the match six minutes before the long whistle to complete the 9-0 rout. The Orange Walk U-15 girls also enjoyed a 4-2 win over the Corozal girls at the Santiago Ricalde Stadium on Saturday. Nicole Hernandez scored Sugar City’s first win-
OW girls win 4-2 vs. Corozal
ning goal after nine minutes of action, and delivered a second goal two minutes later. Katherine Caal scored the visitors’ third goal two minutes after to lead 3-0, until Ayslin Humes scored Corozal’s first goal a minute before intermission. Shalina Tot scored the visitors’ fourth goal a minute after the break, but Ayslin Humes scored a second goal for Corozal 20 minutes before the final whistle: 4-2 final.
REPORTER
Sports 3
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Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
YOUR WEEKLY SPORTS UPDATE
Belmopan, Corozal & Stann Creek U-17 Girls Win Belize City, July 6th, 2019
lef t. Ashle y f ound the back of the net again three minutes later with a long lob from 25 yards that screamed in just under the crossbar, and Tillett had no chance: 9-1 final. At the Ricalde Stadium in Corozal Town, the Corozal U-17 girls enjoyed a 2-0 win over the Orange Walk girls, when Yasmin Diaz scored the first winning goal after 14 minutes of play, and Josalin Sho delivered a second goal 10 minutes after intermission. The Stann Creek girls continued to lead the Southern zone; as they enjoyed their second victory: 12-0 over the Benque U-17 girls at the Carl Ramos Stadium. A scant two minutes of play had passed when Shandra Casimiro scored the first goal and she added a second goal two minutes later. Taryn Arnold scored the third goal two minutes after, and added a fourth goal seven minutes later. Jaelin Cacho joined the goal derby two minutes later, and delivered
a sixth goal midway through the first period. Arnold completed her hat trick after 26 minutes of play: 7-0, and Cacho completed her hat trick with an eighth goal a minute
later. Shadette Lino scored a ninth goal two minutes after to lead 9-0 up to intermission. Cacho scored her fourth goal of the match 13 minutes af-
ter the break: 10-0, and added their 11th goal four minutes later. Carina Chavarria scored a 12th goal 16 minutes before the end of regulation: 12-0 final!
for the visitors to lead he Belmopan, 2-1 at intermission. Hannah Tillett Corozal and S t a n n C r e e k U n - managed to stop the der-17 girls enjoyed next Belmopan atvictories when the tack, but when she national Interdistrict kicked out the ball, it youth tournament or- went directly to Jeili ganized by the Foot- Corado just outside ba l l F ed e r a t i o n o f the 18-yard box, and Belize continued in she booted it back Belize City, the Carl into the net: 3-1 six Ramos Stadium and m i n u t e s a f t e r t h e at the Ricalde Sta- break. The home eleven dium in Corozal on Saturday morning, found themselves reduced to nine, when July 6. T h e B e l m o p a n Saudy Rivera sufgirls romped to a 9-1 f e r e d a n a n k l e i n win over the Belize jury and could not District U-17 girls continue, and Alyssa at the Marion Jones Reyes began to sufS p o r t s C o m p l e x . fer heat stroke from O d d y A g u i l a r a n d dehydration and had Sherlene Gomez led to retire. Meanwhile the Garden City girls’ Belmopan refreshed a t t a c k s , s u p p o r t e d their attack line with by Yessica Galicia Aliane Twist, Nataand Jeili Corado on lie Logan and Kayt h e w i n g s , a n d b y lin Castro replacing Briah Ho and Ashley Xune Reneau, Gomez Rodriguez at mid- and Corado. Tillett managed to field. Saudy Rivera d e flect away Ashanchored the home girls’ defence along ley Rodriguez’s next with Davan Nelson- shot at goal, but on Rudon, Alyssa Reyes the resultant corner and Isabella Portillo k i c k , A s h l e y c o n to help goalkeeper nected with the cross Hannah Tillett keep to center to boot in a a clean slate for 19 left-foot shot to the minutes of play. Then back of the net: 4-1 they blundered into some 17 minutes after c o n c e d i n g a f r e e the break. Ashley Rodriguez scored 4 goals Jennifer Linarez kick, and from 30 yards near the left came off the bench to sideline, Briah Ho relieve Oddy Aguilar, launched a long lob and Briana Ho tried t h a t b o u n c e d o v e r a shot which Hannah Tillett’s gloves and Tillett stopped. But into the empty net: when Tillett kicked out the ball, Natalie 1-0! J a h l i a Wi l l i a m s Logan recovered posa n d A i l a n i “ C h i q - session and blasted uitin” Gonzalez led it home: 5-1 with 21 the Belize counterat- minutes remaining. tacks, with the help Ti l l e t t a g a i n f r u s of Karlene Tillett and trated Ashley RodriDeynia Blake on the guez’s next attack, w i n g s , a n d J i a n n a but Aliane Twist reUsher and Zakiyyah covered the rebound Sacasa at midfield. to drill home a sixth Nine minutes later goal 19 minutes beJianna Usher served a fore the long whistle. forward pass to Jahlia Two minutes later, Williams who outran B r i a h H o e s c a p e d the defenders to drill I s a b e l l a P o r t i l l o ’s home the equalizer marking to launch a past goalkeeper Ash- next shot into the net: l e y M a r t i n e z . B u t 7-1! Ashley Rodrifive minutes later, guez completed her Briah Ho scored Belmopan’s A s h l e y R o d r i g u e z hat trick with nine 1st & 7th goals returned the favour minutes of regulation Jahlia Williams equalized 1-1 vs. Belmopan Sports 4 REPORTER July 14th, 2019
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YOUR WEEKLY SPORTS UPDATE
Orange Walk Boys Lead FFB Interdistrict U-15 Football T
Belize City, July 6th, 2019
he Orange Walk Under-15 boys are leading the national Interdistrict youth tournament organized by the Football Federation of Belize as they enjoyed their fifth victory, while the Belize U-15 boys struggled to a 2-2 draw with the Belmopan U-15 at the Marion Jones Sports Complex in Belize City on Saturday afternoon, July 6. Keiffer “Beefy” Perteau and Brandon “Battery” Smith led the Belize offensive with the help of Steven Rivera and Chris Maskall on the wings, and by Ce-
topher Moro, Milton Landaverde and Genadi Castillo were caught flatfooted when Keiffer Perteau caught up to a forward pass, and outran them to drill the first goal past goalkeeper Jose Hernandez after a scant two minutes of play. Samuel Miranda and Robert Thomas led the Belmopan counterattacks, with the help of Deva Faber and Tayshaun Meighan on the wings and Allen Uaman and Naitan Pastrana at midfield. Oswald Young anchored the Belize defense, along with Dixon Gamboa,
Humes keep a clean slate almost up to intermission. The visitors won a free kick, and Christopher Moro’s execution from 40 yards sent the ball screaming in just under the crossbar to equalize 1-1 a minute before the break. Rony Stephens, Elmer Quintero and Angel Sanchez came off the visitors’ bench replacing Umana, Pastrana and Thomas, as they sought to seize the lead. Belize coach Lalo Coc introduced Enoch “Monster” Rhaburn, Kenroy Myvett, Marvin Card, Keyden Bowen and Ronald Salvador
Keiffer Perteau scored Belize district’s 1st goal U-15 boys struggled to a 1-1 draw with the Benque U-15 at the Carl Ramos Stadium in Dangriga on Saturday. Kayser Tut struck first for the visitors 11 minutes after intermission, but Clay Flores equalized for Stann Creek six minutes later. The tournament continues on Saturday, July 13, when the Bel-
Christopher Moro equalized 1-1 sar Garcia and Jalen Clother at midfield. The Belmopan defenders Orson Twist, Chris-
mopan boys host the Corozal U-15 boys at the FFB Stadium; while the Toledo U-15 boys will visit Benque at the Marshalleck Stadium. The Orange Walk boys sail to La Isla Bonita to take on the San Pedro U-15 at the Ambergris Stadium, and the Cayo boys host the MidSouth U-15 at the Norman Broaster Stadium.
Zamir Bonilla scored OW’s winning goal vs. Corozal
Jerwin Carcamo and Curtis August to help goalkeeper Edward
July 14th, 2019
to regain the initiative. Only five minutes of game time remained when Rhaburn struck a second goal for the home eleven, but Angel Sanchez equalized for Belmopan two minutes before the long whistle: 2-2 final. The Orange Walk boys enjoyed their fifth win: 1-0 over the Corozal U-15 boys when Zamir Bonilla scored the winning goal 11 minutes after the break. Elsewhere in the league, the Stann Creek
Steven Rivera attacks vs. Allen Umana
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YOUR WEEKLY SPORTS UPDATE
Belize & Belmopan Boys Draw 1-1
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Belize City, July 6th, 2019
he Belize District Under-17 boys held the Belmopan U-17 to a 1-1 draw when the national Interdistrict youth tournament organized by the Football Federation of Belize continued at the Marion Jones Sports Complex in Belize City on Saturday afternoon, July 6. Wilfredo Galvez and Joshawn Flowers led the Belmopan attack, supported by Nathan Galvez and Rafael Franklin on the wings, and Jahman Hope and Kelvin Gordon at midfield. Michael Bradley led the Belize defense, and with Kory Perteau, Jevon Theus and Nigel Matus, helped goalkeeper Keemar “Pooh” James keep them at bay to secure a scoreless draw up to intermission. Down at the other end Ajani Vaughn Eshaq King and Shemar “Sap” Gillett led a three-pronged assault on the visitors’ goal, with the help of Ken Galvez, Eldon “Tun-
cy” Reneau and Mikey Palacio at midfield. But they could not get past the staunch defense of Steven Tec, Elston Neal, Luis Linares and Dwight Brown who helped goalkeeper Isaac Castillo deny their attacks. Belize Coach Eu-
lalio Coc introduced Justin “Akon” Menzies to relieve an injured Theus, but Wilfredo Galvez got off a dangerous shot at goal that Keemar James managed to tip over the crossbar. Belmopan got nothing off the resultant corner kick, and Coc sent in Noel
“Buggy” Martinez to replace Reneau. Then Rafael Franklin found the back of the net to give the visitors a 1-0 lead, and the pressure was on the home eleven to equalize. Aaron Hendricks replaced Menzies, and the pressure of the Be-
lize attack forced the visitors to concede a penalty with 10 minutes of regulation left. This allowed goalkeeper Isaac Castillo to prove his mettle as he read Korey Perteau’s intention correctly and blocked the penalty! The Belize boys
won a corner kick and Castillo was caught off his line attempting to intercept the ball when Eshaq King recovered a rebound and his shot back into the melee of defenders deflected off Noel Martinez and bounced into the empty net: 1-1 final!
Rafael Franklin scored Belmopan’s 1st goal
Isaac Castillo stopped a penalty
BDF FC Wins Central TV Cup Football Marathon
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Belmopan, July 7th, 2019
he Belize Defence Force Football Club won the Central Television Cup football marathon, matching National Amateur League (NALC) teams against Premier League of Belize teams in an all-day single elimination format at the Football Federation of Belize Stadium in Belmopan on Sunday evening, July 7. The BDF outgunned Verdes FC of Benque Viejo: 6-5 in a penalty shootout in the championship final after a 2-2 draw in regulation to win the $2,000 first prize and trophy. BDF rookie goalkeeper Charles Gillett won the NexGen player award. The BDF had also triumphed 4-2 in a penalty shootout over the NALC finalists Cae-
sar Ridge FC, after a scoreless draw in 60 minutes of regular time in the rain, in the second match of the morning. Jesse “Beast” August converted the BDF’s first try, with a shot that the Caesar Ridge keep-
er got a glove on only to deflect it into the net. BDF’s Charles Tillett stopped Caesar Ridge’s first try, but Ryan Gill succeeded in converting Caesar Ridge’s second try. Camilo Sanchez and Osmar Duran scored the BDF’s next two tries, while Caesar Ridge’s third kicker
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missed the goal completely! Shawn Young kept Caesar Ridge’s hopes alive by scoring their fourth try, but it was all over when Raymond Ramos scored the BDF’s fourth penalty: 4-2. The Belmopan First Division team eliminated the NALC semi-
finalists Roaring Creek United: 3-0 in the opening match of the tournament, and Verdes FC had advanced to the semifinals by a 2-1 win over NALC finalists Club Atleticos. NALC quarterfinalists Progresso FC of Orange Walk eliminated the PLB champi-
ons, San Pedro Pirates, 4-2 in penalties in the fourth match of the day, as the rains continued into the afternoon. In the semifinals, Verdes FC eliminated the Bandits First Division 1-0; while the BDF advanced to the finals by a 3-2 win to eliminate Progresso FC.
BDF wins Central TV champions REPORTER
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Halfway Point; Power Struggle Continues Tuesday, July 9th, 2019
By Marion V. Ali
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ast week Sunday marked the halfway point for Village Council elections countrywide and this is the first time since the elections started that both major political parties seem to be in agreement with who won the majority of the seats in the areas where the elections were held. There were 301 seats total, including 258 councilor seats and 43 positions for chairman. This time, the UDP figures show that the PUP won the majority of the seats in last week's rural polls, but the two sides differ on how big that margin of victory was. The PUP claims it took 164 of those seats, while conceding 111 to the UDP and 26 to independent
candidates. But the UDP says the PUP only won 161 of those seats, while it took 123, and conceded 17 to independent candidates. Interestingly, for the first time since the elections
started, an independent slate won all six councilor seats and the chairmanship. That village was Maypen. Leader of the PUP, John Briceño told the Reporter on Monday that
his party has won much more over the past three weeks than the UDP has conceded overall. "We are winning the majority. And that’s the honest truth," Briceño said, attributing the PUP wins to UDP abandonment of the
rural areas, where he says the majority of Belizeans reside. The PUP leader also said that his party's margins of victory are far larger than its margins of losses to the UDP. UDP Chairman, Alberto August had in-
dicated some time ago to the Reporter that his party puts the best possible persons in the rural running and ensures that its area representatives in those areas work closely with the slates they put up to run.
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THE REPORTER
Fire in Griga Two Drownings in Popular Destroys Two Homes Tourist Locations Wednesday, July 10, 2019
By Marion V. Ali
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ine persons are displaced in Dangriga after a fire completely destroyed their home and partially scorched another last Friday morning. Station Officer with the National Fire Service, Orin Smith told the Reporter on Tuesday that the fire started from inside a room at #1519 - one of two wooden structures - on George Price Drive then spread to a cement house in the same yard. Smith told us that when firefighters arrived on the scene, they found the two wooden homes, which were not insured, already engulfed in flames and the blaze was spreading to the cement house, which was insured. We u n d e r s t a n d that Jason Cacho Sr., 42, was outside in his yard sometime around 7:00 that
morning when he noticed smoke coming from one of the rooms. Cacho tried to save his house and belongings but it was already too late. He and his wife Cynthia and their five children lost all their household belongings, worth $25,000 and Lawrence Higinio who occupied the second wooden structure, and his common-law wife, also lost everything. The cement house, owned by Albertha Flowers, only suffered scorching on the front and some water damage.
Tuesday, July 9th, 2019 the missing tourist but w o p e o p l e were unable to locate d r o w n e d t h i s her. Her body was repast weekend - one in covered by another Placencia and the other tour guide around 7:30 Saturday morning. A in San Pedro Town. A t t h e r e g u l a r post mortem examinaMonday Media/Po- tion has revealed Paylice briefing, Assis- barah died of asphyxia tant Commissioner of due to drowning. The tourist, from Police (ACP) Joseph San Francisco, CaliMyvett said that American tourist, Gemma fornia, in the United Paybarah, 46, had been States, was a realtor a part of a tour expedi- vacationing in Belize tion in southern Belize with her husband for when she went missing a few days. In another incident, last Friday. a man drowned in San "A boat captain visPedro on Saturday afited Placencia Police where he reported that ternoon and Police are earlier in the day he yet to identify him. Police got the alert took out eight toursometime around 3:00 ists to do snorkeling... Saturday afternoon when they were ready that the man was seen to leave he discovered f o a m i n g f r om the that a female tourist... was missing from the mouth and was taken group. When they to a clinic on the iscommenced the tour, land, where efforts she was accompanied to revive him were by her husband and six unsuccessful. Police investigaother tourists," Myvett tions have revealed shared, explaining that that the man, still unthe group searched for By Marion V. Ali
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Gemma Paybarah, drowned during snorkeling expedition identified, had report- unconscious and taken edly gone in the sea out of the water. The body has been around noon while under the influence of t r a n s f e r r e d t o t h e alcohol to dive for pint KHMH for a post morbottles. He reportedly tem examination while could not stay afloat Police try to establish and was later located who he is.
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Can social media really cause depression?
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he notion that social media has a negative impact on mental well-being is widespread. The researchers who conducted a new long-term study, however, say that this might not be the case. A new study examined the role of social media in depression. The supposed effects of social media on young people sound drastic enough to make anyone switch off their cell phone. Some studies have indicated that young people can develop an addiction to social media. Meanwhile, other studies have linked this with poor sleep, poor self-esteem, and potentially poor mental health. However, new research has now dispelled the belief that social media use can bring about depres-
sion. Previous studies have made this claim based on measurements from a single point in time, but this new study took a longterm approach. “You have to follow the same people over time in order to draw the conclusion that social media use predicts greater depressive symptoms,” says lead study author Taylor Heffer, of Brock University in St. Catharine’s, Canada. “By using two large longitudinal samples, we were able to empirically test that assumption.” The real effect on mental health The study focused on two separate groups of participants. One was made up of 594 adolescents in the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade in Ontario, Canada. The other com-
prised 1,132 undergraduate students. The team surveyed the younger group once per year for 2 years. They sur-
weekdays and weekends, as well as how much time they spent on activities such as watching TV, exercising, and doing home-
veyed the older students annually for a total of 6 years, starting in their first year of university. A recent study shows how social media use could affect the self-perceived body image of young women. The questions focused on how much time they spent on social media on
work. They also looked at symptoms of depression. For the undergraduate students, they measured such symptoms using the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale. They used a similar but more age-appropriate version for the younger participants.
Next, the researchers analyzed the data, separating it into age and sex. The findings — which now appear in the journal Clinical Psychological Science — revealed that social media use did not lead to depressive symptoms later on. This held true in both groups of participants. The scientists also found that in adolescent females, higher depression symptoms predicted later social media use. Heffer points out that females of this age “who are feeling down may turn to social media to try and make themselves feel better.” These findings suggest that overuse of social media does not lead to depression. More importantly, this may go some way toward dissuading public fear over the impacts of the technology.
As Heffer explains, “When parents read media headlines such as ‘Facebook Depression,’ there is an inherent assumption that social media use leads to depression. Policymakers also have recently been debating ways to tackle the effects of social media use on mental health.” It is likely that differences in factors such as personality play a part in how social media can impact mental well-being. For example, some young people might choose to use social media negatively as a comparison tool, while others may simply use it to stay in touch with friends. Scientists will now need to further examine motivations such as these to help authorities, medical experts, and parents figure out the best path forward. - Medical News Today
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Fun at the Belize Zoo!
THE REPORTER
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COOL BIRDS TO SEE AT THE TEC
Snake Packs?
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idway between Belize City and Belmopan lies a bird watchers’ paradise; the Tropical Education Center. Also known as the Belize Zoo’s Lodge, the TEC boasts over 250 species of birds recorded, including a variety of resident and migratory birds. Both local birders and visitors are amazed and delighted to encounter our “feathered friends” at every turn, whether they’re out on the TEC trails, standing on the birding deck, or just relaxing in their rooms. Birds are always present in the wild
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habitat into which the TEC is nestled so neatly. Early morning alarms are the job of the plain chachalacas and endangered Yellowheaded parrots. At night, nightjars serenade, and have even been joined by the elusive Stygian owl! The TEC pond, always an oasis for turtles, birds, crocs and fish, has also become a “heron hotspot.” Boat-billed, Little Blue, and Bare-throated tiger herons regularly take up residence in the pond, and recently, we were amazed to discover a new visitor: the Agami heron! Arguably the rarest
heron in Belize, this shy and beautiful bird usually occupies clean and quiet waterways, barely moving an inch all day once it’s found a comfortable spot, and so is often overlooked. We have introduced countless TEC visitors to the wonders of nature through our “bird ambassadors.” Teachers, tour guides, and teenaged Summer campers have been immersed in the world of birds through education programs hosted at TEC. Equipped with binoculars and scopes, they learn fascinating
things about the lives of these important animals. Many birds are important seed dispersers and pollinators in our ecosystems. “Birding tourism” is also a rapidly growing field in Belize, attracting thousands of visitors, and providing income for tour guides and operators across the country. These visitors often arrive with their “bucket list of birds,” hoping to see a rare species that our country is home to. Some of them can be found right at the TEC, a highly recommended destination for all!
Like humans, pigs are omnivores, meaning they eat both plants and other animals. A pig’s snout is an important tool for finding food in the ground and sensing the world around them. Pigs have an excellent sense of smell. There are around 2 billion pigs in the world. Humans farm pigs for meat such as pork, bacon and ham. Some people like to keep pigs as pets. Wild pigs (boar) are often hunted in the wild. In some areas of the world, wild boars are the main source of food for tigers. Feral pigs that have been introduced into new areas can be a threat to the local ecosystem. Pigs can pass on a variety of diseases to humans. Relative to their body size, pigs have small lungs.
Slanted Trees!
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Sober Reflections
Life after Death
Mike Rudon Jr.
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remember this one time when I was drunk, and pissed off over something, and I picked up a baseball bat and beat my kids. Okay NO. That never happened. I’m pretty sure my nine readers read that line twice in shock. In all my years of drinking, I never put a hand on my kids, or on my ex-wife. I guess if there is something to give thanks for, it is that alcohol didn’t turn me into an abusive husband and father. At least physically abusive. But maybe it was even worse than that. I remember, vaguely, a few times at Christmas when I worked hard to
get money together to spend on things at home – gifts, food, sweets and all the usual stuff. And then I spent it all on liquor. Yeah, that did happen. I think the life of an alcoholic will, to some extent, always be about regrets. On my long, long list of things I regret, those Christmas times I will never forget. And that is what it comes down to. In the end. I may never have beaten my kids, even when I am sure they deserved it, but if you are an alcoholic in a family setting, the abuse is real. It may not be intentional. It may not be malicious. You may not even realize that it’s happening. But the abuse is very real. This is hard to write. And maybe if you are in the same boat I was, it is hard to read. I am telling you. Take it from me. If there was a prize for most loving father, I would have won. I was like this giant, cuddly teddy bear to my kids. I thought I was always
there for them. I thought it was enough that they knew I loved them and would kill or die for them. But if you are an alcoholic, and you are drinking in your home, or come home drunk, you are hurting your kids, terribly. There was a time when I thought I was juggling the kids and drinking well. I needed to spend time with them, right. But I needed to drink too. So let’s have a movie night at home - me, the kids, popcorn and rum. I thought it worked splendidly. What on earth was I thinking? The movie played on, but after an hour the only thing that I was focused on was finishing the drink and mixing another one. World-class dad. I also went through my BBQ phase, where every Saturday I’d bbq with the kids around me. Now that was a keeper. Quality family time. Me, the kids, BBQ and a litre of Caribbean rum. At one point I was inducted
into the Burnt Chicken Hall of Fame, because I was great at starting a BBQ, but after a few drinks I neglected those poor chickens. And I am ashamed. Those chickens deserved better. So did my kids. But at the time I thought it was a wonderful arrangement. I know a lot of you fathers, and even mothers out there know what I’m saying. You may not want to say it, or even think it out loud, but you recognize you in me. Just like I recognize me in you when I see you out socializing. I can’t take back the past. I am hoping that when my kids see me now, they will see a different person. It won’t happen overnight. But at some point, maybe when they think of me, it won’t be me with a drink in hand, or me sleeping off a drunk, or me puking up my guts in the bathroom, or fighting with their mom (I swear she beat me every time. I never lay
a hand on her). I want, and this may be just a foolish dream – but I want them to think of me as somebody who had the courage to stop drinking, and somebody who turned his life around and became a better person and a good father. A REAL father. I want to replace all the bad with good, even if it takes me the rest of my life – whatever is left of it. I want to leave you with something. Forty-five days ago I was looking at the ruin behind, and contemplating the ruin ahead. I didn’t have a clue where I’d be in a month, or six months, or a year – still drinking, screwing up everything, juggling between drinking and kids, sad all the time, getting a little love now and then but nothing to talk about, just living day by day, bottle by bottle. That’s no kinda life. I was a dead man walking. If you think I’m being dramatic you’d need to spend
an hour in my head. It would scare the crap out of you. I am 44 days sober today, Tuesday as I write this. I am rebuilding my relationship with my kids, and with my family. Can you imagine the relief of family members who are slowly realizing – slowly, slowly and still warily - that they don’t have to wonder if I’ll be drunk when I get back home, or worse, that they’ll get a call saying that I won’t be coming home – ever? My relationship with God is better than it has ever been. I am fixing, little by little, some of the mess I left in my wake. I have a rock solid group of friends supporting me. I have love – like real love. I am regaining my confidence, and even my self-respect. I am clear-headed. I am eating healthy, and even exercising a little. You know what it would take to destroy all that? ONE DRINK. That’s it. Think about that.
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THE REPORTER
DENGUE – Fight the Mosquito Bite By: Dr. Abigail Joseph
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ave you ever been somewhere and noticed lots of red marks on a person’s leg and automatically you told yourself that “they are not from around here.” As Belizeans we are under the impression that bugs and insects only bite people ‘weh smell different.’ Hence the reason why you can be in the same room or place as someone else and they would be the only ones being bitten by the sand fly, dakta fly, ‘batlass,’ and the mosquitos. It’s true that there are just some people that insects and mosquitos gravitate to. Being bitten by bugs in the tropics is viewed as part of the package and the welcoming wagon when visiting Belize. But even the locals have noticed that mosquitos have a preference for specific people. I don’t like the outdoors for the same reason, and if I do go out, best believe I will be indoor before night fall, because I attract mosquitos. So what’s the deal with being bitten more than other people? Studies show that mosquitos use various ways to detect humans and a combination of senses to decide their “prey.” Mosquitos may be viewed as silly insects but it is interesting to know how they know exactly where we are. Personally I find it very annoying to be in my bed in complete darkness only to hear the zing of a mosquito near my ear. I mean, they have the entire house! The entire yard! Why come zing near my ear? Annoying little buggers! First of all, there are colors that make you more attractive to mosquitos. Believe it or not, dark colors will make you the perfect target. You should use light colors and should generally avoid earth tones - black, dark blue, red and green - as these make you more attractive to the female mosquito. But while we generally focus on colors, it is not the main way mosquitos decide their target. They have senses that detect odor and body heat. One of the main ways they find their target is through carbon dioxide. Researchers have discovered that female mosquitos have nerve cells called cpA neurons that have receptors which detect carbon dioxide and skin odors. This is one of the main reasons they are able to zero in on us as a target from afar. Fun fact - mosquitos can detect carbon dioxide from over 150 ft. away. They then fly in a zigzag motion until they catch the origin of the stream. There is approximately 4% carbon dioxide in one breath, but each person may give off more carbon dioxide than others based on body type and activities. Apart from carbon dioxide, body odors are of importance as well. Mosquitos can smell odor even in the absence of carbon dioxide. They are attracted to alcoholics, blood type O and physically exerting yourself or sweating. Taking all this into account it may be easier now to understand why mosquitos follow you around or why you may feel that you attract them once you’ve arrived at your location. But mosquitos are more than just an annoyance. They transmit several diseases including Malaria, Dengue viruses and filarial worms. Presently we have reports of Dengue being a health concern, as there are people being admitted intra hospital due to low platelets from the virus as well as being confined to their homes so as to not spread the disease. Dengue is a mosquito-borne viral infection. It is found in Tropical and sub-tropical climates world-wide and is transmitted mainly by the female aedes aegypti mosquito and to a lesser extent by the aedes albopictus mosquito (the mosquito responsible for chikungunya, yellow fever and zika infection). There are 4 serotypes of the virus that causes dengue: DEN-1, DEN-2, DEN3 and DEN-4. When you get diagnosed with Dengue your lab test generally tells you which serotype you contracted. Once you get that serotype you have lifetime immunity for that specific type and temporary immunity the others, however in the case of secondary infection
with one of the other serotypes it increases your risk of developing severe dengue. Aedes aegypti lives mainly in urban habitats and breeds in clean containers. The mosquito is recognized as the primary vector (disease carrier) of Dengue. Asymptomatic and symptomatic humans are carriers of the disease and a source for non-infected mosquitos. Dengue presents itself with fever and flu-like symptoms. You should suspect fever if you are in the tropics, subtropics, was bitten by mosquitos and presents with high fever of 40 degrees Celsius, pain behind the eyes, headache, muscle, joint pain, nausea, vomiting, rash or swollen glands. Dengue seldom causes death, however severe dengue presents with complicated symptoms that are potentially deadly. This includes bleeding - fast breathing, abdominal pain, restlessness and fatigue. If you were diagnosed with Dengue and start with these symptoms then the next 24-48 hours are critical and you should go to the nearest health care facility for assistance to avoid complication and risk of death. At present the spread of Dengue is on the rise but there are things we care able to do to assist in prevention and control of this disease. We already understand how the mosquito chooses her victim and we can modify our behaviour to lower risk of being bitten. We should wear light colors, be conscious of our activities and the feeding time of mosquitos. We know that the female mos-
quito bites early morning and dusk. Exercising around those times of day makes you a target as you will be exhaling carbon dioxide at a higher rate, and the increase in body heat and body exertion are all attractive. Be mindful that repellents are effective for approximately 90 minutes. Use those that contain 15% DEET. The female mosquito that transmits dengue breeds in clean water, so it is imperative that you make the effort to not have empty containers that would collect rain water and if so it would be best to turn them over. Do not keep old tires and bottles lying around as they are reservoirs and breeding areas. If you are infected with Dengue, use proper protection to ensure that infection stops at you. Prevent mosquitos from biting you and passing it on to others. Use a net and stay hydrated. The Ministry of Health along with Vector Control provides what Belizeans consider an annoying truck that sprays an awful aerosol in the air. I am of the impression that the truck repels humans more than it does mosquitos for most Belizeans have a tendency to run indoors and lock up their houses. Quite the contrary people, this is a mechanism set in place by the government to repel mosquitos and for your protection. You should open your doors and windows and allow aerosol to pass through your house. Next time you hear the truck passing, stop protecting the mosquitos indoors and let them know it is time to leave! You can help make a difference.
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
Page 31
INSIGHTS
FARM-RAISED VOTERS
“In Jamaica a political garrison is an area where at least 90% of the eligible votes are cast for either the PNP or JLP. Those votes are usually secured by way of coercion, intimidaMajor Lloyd Jones tion (both implicit and explicit) or through (Ret’d) bribery. Another distinct characteristic of political garrisons is the refusal of many residents to pay utility bills. There is minimal investment in the area by the established private sector and whatever infrastructure is still standing is decayed and there is usually an absence of civic pride. “ -- www.jamaica.com, accessed July 6, 2019 The above description can, without exaggeration, be properly applied to the Queen Square, Mesopotamia and Fort George divisions in Belize City. The tenor of the political dominance by the Area Representative in these
divisions is slightly different but the outcome is exactly the same. The Queen Square, Mesopotamia and Fort George divisions have all voted for the same man to represent them for the better part of thirty years. If winning general elections is the sole measure of success then Messrs. Dean Barrow, Michael Finnegan and Said Musa are political titans. Mr. Barrow and Mr. Finnegan have both announced their departure from political life but Mr. Musa has not yet done so. He is having a much harder time in terms of succession than Mr. Barrow and Mr. Finnegan. Over the past thirty years politics in Belize has changed due to two significant and distinguishable phenomena, (1) the greater influence of money in politics and (2) the farming of voters. In 2019 as in 1998, politicians need money for their campaigns and for their Election Day machinery; without money the bestintentioned politician will lose. In Belizean politics there is no battle of ideas, just mudslinging and money; this is why, in 2019 it is money which plays the most important role in
electoral politics. It is money that props up the two major political parties. It is money that has blurred the philosophical lines between them such that they are now referred to as the PUDP. It is money that decides the governance agendas of these parties when they are in power because the one thing that money loves more than profit is predictability. It makes perfect sense therefore, from money’s point of view, for the governance agenda to remain the same no matter which party is in power. This provides predictability and with predictability money can make a profit! Money as you know is apolitical and so, in a great many cases, the people with money make “contributions” to both parties. It does not matter which party wins or which party loses; money always wins! The second phenomenon that has emerged in the Belizean political space over the last three decades is the farm raising of voters. A farmraised voter is one who, unbeknownst to them, has been the target of psychological operations to keep them in a state of dependency. In an increasing number of divisions politicians are selecting groups of vulnerable people to raise as a farmer raises livestock on his farm. Lest somebody try to interpret this to mean that I am calling the Belizean people animals, I am not! My point is that the farmer “takes care” of his livestock so that in the end he kills them and reaps a profit; the politician on the other hand, “takes care” of his “people” so that come election day they transfer their political power to him and that means a profit: ask Gapi, ask Penner, ask Flippin! The sole purpose of the practice of farmraising voters is to ensure that when elections are called, the politicians have a sufficient number of “sure votes” to propel them to victory. Just as a farmer provides everything for his livestock so too the politician provides everything for his farm-raised voter. He dutifully provides food, helps to pay rent and utility bills, he sends the children to school, he ensures there is a Christmas party and of course there has to be Mother’s Day cheer. Perhaps the worst part of the psychology of farming voters is that it is trans-generational. The children born to a farm-raised voter almost always become supporters of the politician they see “helping” their parents. The child grows up thinking that that kind of behavior is normal and soon enough he too becomes dependent on the politician and the cycle is repeated. There is a cruel and bitter irony in the practice of farming voters because a disproportionate number of farm-raised voters are “poor” people. The irony here, of course, is that the very politicians they love and adore have contributed to their wretched state of poverty. This is a classic strategy employed by our former colonizers: you create a state of misery then you show up to alleviate the very misery that you created. In the end you get to walk away with the political power of your victims. A fantastic endeavor, isn’t it? Absolutely fantastic! There is a common misconception that only the “poor” fall into this category and that is not so. Many people who are working class and middle class are also farm-raised. Their pieces of silver of course are not boost and pantry; theirs is different than the poor. Theirs is land, and government jobs and mortgage forgiveness! If you want to know if you are a victim of farm raising, answer this simple question. Why is your favorite politician a good politician? If you can’t answer without having to say “he gave me ….”, then you, beloved are a farmraised voter. Perhaps I have said too much!
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Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
Page 33
One Woman’s Perspective
A STRONG MAN
B
ecoming un-single is a challenge. It’s not that it is the most important thing there is to achieve in life, but it is perhaps on the list of the top five things humans aim for. In the process of finding a partner, we encounter more challenges than we would hope. In my perspective, an insecure partner is the worst. Insecurity is known to bring out the worst in people and is not limited to just the not so attractive or the not so smart person. I have seen brilliant men and women act on insecurities and it never really ends well. I choose to write on this topic this week because I too am insecure in more ways than not. I have a job I love, a decent family and I’m almost financially okay. AND while I’m not short on compliments of my
wit, beauty, loyalty and talent – to me, I’m just the opposite. Maybe it’s because my peers convinced me from a tender age that beauty is equated to body size and I’ve always been on the heavy side. I spend a lot of time reading on these issues because I want to fix me for me; because I see how it turns people off when your insecurity manifests itself and because I see how my two marriages failed primarily due to insecurities. My first husband saw no one but me; he reminded me every day of how much he loved me but my insecurities didn’t allow me to believe or trust that the love he had for me could help fix me. So I left. Stupid right? I was young and I have forgiven myself for that mistake. My second husband, however, was a mess. He had his
own insecurities and he was better at taking them out on me than the other way around. So, there I was taking his insults telling me how unattractive and fat I was and how no other man would tolerate me or want me if he leaves …..and I believed him. The sad thing about insecurity is that we are quick to believe the negatives thrown at us. The other day I came across this website, Thought Catalog that aims at self-empowerment, positive thinking and all those remedies to fix broken souls. I came across this article that had in bold letters, “Truth is, being insecure does not make someone a terrible girlfriend, it does not make her ‘exhausting’or ‘unfixable’ or ‘too much hard work.’ It makes her human, it makes her a product of her environment and experiences and makes her want to be the best that she can be.” I could relate to this statement because I’m not unfixable and exhausting (perhaps a handful) but I can be a good catch for
any man who I choose to be with (minus the insecurities). The truth of the matter is that an insecure human needs a strong partner. One who will know how to cope and handle the bouts of insecurity and render reassurances and not fight or throw in the towel. From my perspective, men’s stamina when it comes to putting in the work for a good, solid relationship has diluted. The last few generations are just not as strong at handling the ugly realities. Perhaps that is why many young women are opting for far older men and the younger men go for the older women. But that is a discussion for another time. Insecure women, according to Thought Catalog, exist because “before you, someone made her doubt herself and her worth. Someone failed to compliment her on the days she needed it most and pushed her fears to one side. Someone failed to stand up and be the man she needed, the man she
deserved.” Dear Sir, you need to recognize that an insecure woman is not a monster; she could be a good soul, caged under the all the walls and defense mechanism she had to put in place all in the name of self-preservation. Helping her tear down those walls and dismantle that defence will take consistency, reassurances and some hard work. It is not a job for the faint hearted but one for a strong man. A man who has the patience and understanding to recognize the bouts of insecurity and taper it with simple acts of kindness. I know this because this is what I need and because many women don’t verbalize it because that would mean becoming vulnerable and showing signs of weakness. Thought Catalog actually gives advice on how to be that strong man and what not to do to a woman who has been damaged and mistreated. Take a read and you might salvage the relationship you truly don’t want to leave.
As for the ladies, while having reason to be guarded and insecure, it should not be something you carry through your entire life. There is life out here, there are good men who will show you what love feels like and what a solid relationship is. Don’t dwell so much on the scars and let the chance for happiness escape. Think positive and the next time you feel that bout of inadequacy rearing its ugly head, remember what you are working towards and tell that monster to go back to bed. I leave you with last quote from Thought Catalog: “Insecure women know how to love because they would never want anyone to feel the way they do. They would never want to chip away at a person. So love them back, love them for all of their beauty, their fearlessness, their courage. Love them, even when they cannot love themselves, even when they push you away, even when it means serious conversations late into the night.” (www. thoughtcatalog.com )
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Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
Racing Thoughts
You’re a Father, Own it! L
Contributed by Monique P.
ast month, we had the opportunity to celebrate Father’s Day in mid-June. As always, no observance or celebration can go without its share of drama. Once again, as per every year, men argued that there wasn’t enough emphasis on Father’s Day as there is on Mother’s Day, that women were being recognized as fathers on Father’s Day when they already had a Mother’s Day, and the list goes on. If we looked at it objectively, we would realize that we are mothers and fathers every day and one single day shouldn’t define how appreciated we are. We live in a society where fathers and father figures are not always present. Many fathers abscond from their responsibility of having contributed to creating a life to come into the world. As the daughter of an absent father, I often ask myself, what is more important? That the father makes endless monetary contributions without involving themselves in their child’s life, or that he partakes in the child’s life? I’ve come across many situations where women are fighting at court to be given the monthly child support from men who could care less. I understand that it is very difficult to be a single mother and the money is needed, but it may be my sense of pride that would never see me fighting for anything coming from someone who does not acknowledge any type of responsibility. Growing up, I thought I had a dad. I often met him, I often visited him at his workplace. In me, there was a sense of pride and joy, that I had this person who was my father. I always heard my mom arguing about the child support money not coming to time, but that didn’t stop her from trying to encourage me to seek him. In retrospect, I don’t know if she was forcing me to look for him to have him pay his dues or just so he could try to develop a relationship with me. The idea of a father became confusing as I got older. Yes, I had a “father.” He gave me one or two things for my birthday but was never present. He never filled a seat at the important events in my life. My graduation invitations were basically wasted. He never came to a birthday. There was no longer a relationship with my mother, in fact, I don’t think there ever was a serious one, but I ended up being collateral damage. In retrospect, I think about the many times I visited him at work, and never would he present me as his daughter. It feels ridiculous now that I think about it. Aging does make you wiser and, in my wisdom, I decided that it didn’t make sense for him to be a part of my life, or for me to try to be a part of his. Various family members I’ve come across don’t seem to have an issue acknowledging me, but he does. The last straw for me was one day when I saw him walking on the street, heading in my direction. He was with his other children. I was almost directly in front of him and he only gave me a vague nod, like we were mere acquaintances. One of his children however, who knew exactly who I was, stopped to greet me, even sharing a hug. Is this forgivable? I think not. I won’t lie and say it didn’t or doesn’t affect me. It does. I am witness to many other situations that involve complicated relationships where men still find the time to acknowledge all their children. Hell, I know men that have children by 5 different women, and they play a role in each of their children’s lives. Then I became a stepmother and found the relationship of my husband with his daughter to be of utmost importance. I have tried to show him that sometimes material things aren’t as important as being present in our children’s lives. Being a part of making sure this relationship works fills most of the void from my absent father. Basically, what I’m trying to say through the sharing of my sad story, is that there should be no excuse for a man to walk away from involvement with his child. Even if that man has moved on with someone else, it is his responsibility to let his spouse
know the importance of the child in his life, so that it’s clear from the beginning that there is a certain priority when it comes to his child. A responsible man will try to assist monetarily because although his job in the making was not much, it did result in the miracle of life, a human being. To women making it on your own: I am not experiencing what you are so my words may just be ridiculous rambling to you, but what sense does it make for you to try to force a child into someone’s life who doesn’t acknowledge them? Does it make sense to continue pursuing child support from someone who doesn’t even care for the child? There are always ways. I’ve seen it from other single mothers. They battle it on their own. Just think of them as dead and move on. On another note, don’t be selfish. If a man wants to have a relationship with their child, do not stop him. Some mothers use their children as bait to try to get the fathers back into a relationship and in doing so, harm the children more than the father. Remember, although you would want a relationship with the man, the bond of a child and father is sacred. Don’t try to break it. Allow them the opportunity to build a
relationship. If it’s not worth it, they will come to realize it in time, like I did in my situation. Then you won’t have to live with the blame of making the wrong decision. Stepmothers, some of you get into a relationship with a man, knowing he had previous children. Don’t try to interfere with a father’s relationship with his child. You may not like the ex-wife but that has nothing to do with your now husband being a responsible man. That should also show you the type of person you are getting into a relationship with. Think of it, would you rather a man that runs away from his responsibility or one who deals with it head on? Love your stepchildren as your own. Circumstances and situations may vary on how your relationship with your stepchildren turns out but try your best to be inclusive. Our children are lacking fathers and it’s the responsibility of everyone to play a role. Many of us contribute directly or indirectly to that sacred relationship. Let’s try to be a village again and steer our future fathers in the right direction. Allow our current fathers to contribute through their presence more than monetarily and as hard as it may be, let’s try to encourage harmony for the strengthening of families.
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
Page 35
All about The People
Response to your correspondence Neri Briceno
A
llow me to express my heartfelt thanks for your reply to my various articles about the nationalization of Belize’s utility companies in your letter, ‘Long Distance Advisors Commentary’ in this
newspaper dated Sunday, July 7th, 2019. Your response gives me great joy in knowing that after writing for this newspaper for all these years, I can now confidently say that I have at least one reader and that someone is actually reading my message. I will start off by making one point absolutely clear and that is that I have not and will never be a rabid supporter of any political party within or outside Belize because I consider myself an independent thinker. The die-hard supporters of
the ruling administration and the opposition are for the most part what have caused the two-party system in the nation to survive at the detriment of this country’s real development. I will never be partisan in my approach to any issue in Belize because both parties are equally to blame for the squalid conditions and abject poverty that some of our fellow citizens live in. I absolutely love how you started out your letter and I quote, ‘Why are there still Belizeans who do not believe in the ability to compete on an equal
footing with the white establishment?’ My big question here is when was race/colour ever a factor in the nationalization debate? But I must admit, nicely played. The best way to detract someone from the core important issue is to pull the ‘colour card.’ Maybe a more apt question would have been - why did the government have no confidence in the abilities of its own Belizeans and instead turned to a foreigner to run its largest state owned company in the form of BTL? Since June 2011
when I first started writing about the nationalization campaign that this government was undertaking, I have never advocated that our utilities should be held in foreign corporate hands because as Belizeans I know that we can. Every day, there are thousands of Belizean owned companies that toil in a difficult and sometime hostile business environment and still manage to survive. The mechanism and investment opportunity for the utilities companies to be completely owned by Belizeans but in a private sector capacity and not by the state does exist and that should be the goal. The problem with BTL was that its previous private ownership was in the wrong hands and their political connections were too wide and deep. It’s impossible for any administration to create a monster, feed from it in the form of campaign financing and then expect to restrain it. GOB’s job was to create enough checks and balances, legislation and policies so that companies under its jurisdiction are compliant with the law and are paying their fair and equitable share of taxes. Nationalization has brought no tangible improvement to the ordinary man and if you cannot see the corruption and nepotism at BTL then we must be looking at two separate companies. Just as a refresher; whose son was the past CEO? Which minister of government’s company sells credits to the entire armed forces and the police? How many government appointees and supporters have been injected into the company? Should I go on? Capitalist democracy 101; the job of government is not to directly employ, but to create the avenue for employment; big difference. And that is because the power and influence of the state over people grows exponentially when it has direct employ-
ment control over its citizens. That is one of the core fundamental principles that separates democracies from regimes. Your concluding remarks, an attempt to paint me as some type of foreigner who has no idea about Belize, are disappointing at every level. I advise you that before you make such underhanded misrepresentation - do your homework, because I am as Belizean as you are - a landowner, a taxpayer who makes regular visits to my home Belize and is involved in philanthropy and activism. But your mindset represents that fringe set of Belizeans that view us who reside outside the national borders of our nation, (borders not Adjacency Zone) as people who do not contribute to Belize, when the mere remittances that we send feed mouths, contribute to local businesses including restaurants and in itself is a contribution to the national GDP. I challenge you to research the amount of remittances sent by the diaspora versus the amount of income tax paid by citizens living within the country and you would be amazed at just how much we are actually carrying the country. I have always maintained that I live in Belize, but work oversees and make no apologies for it. However, it will take the collective talent of Belizeans living within and outside our beloved nation to change the status quo because anyone with eyes can see that it is not working. As per your parting shots that ‘The air is 100% pure and you can still get 8 oranges and 10 bananas for UD$.50’ what you have opted not to mention is that price is rising and the people of Chan Pine Ridge in Orange Walk living next to ASR factory will surely disagree with you about air purity. It’s all about the people!!!!
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Sunday, July 14th, 2019
THE REPORTER
THE REPORTER
Sunday, July 14th, 2019
INTENT TO (A) DECLARE A NEW PROTECTED AREA AND (B) ALTER AND RECLASSIFY EXISTING PROTECTED AREAS: • DECLARATION OF THE NORTH-EASTERN BIOLOGICAL CORRIDOR
In accordance with Section 19 (2) of the National Protected Areas System Act No. 17 of 2015 (NPAS Act), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development, and Immigration (MAFFESDI) hereby informs the general public of the intention to declare the area described below and shown in Map A as a Special Management Area, being a category of Protected Area listed under Section 8 (1) of the NPAS Act, for the purpose of serving as a Terrestrial Biological Corridor in accordance with Section 24 of the NPAS Act. Description of the Special Management Area to be declared a Terrestrial Biological Corridor:All that undeveloped land comprising 13,630 hectares in the north-eastern part of Belize, consisting of 6,951 hectares of private land held by the Corozal Sustainable Future Initiative in trust in perpetuity on behalf of the people of Belize, 5,665 hectares of private land belonging to Corozal Timber Company Limited, and 1,014 hectares of private land belonging to Neuland Reinlander Mennonite Church, both to be similarly entered into trust. The area consists of approximately 7,100 hectares of lowland broadleaf forest, 2,050 hectares of mangroves and littoral forest, 765 hectares of freshwater lagoons, and 3,310 hectares of wetlands. Upon declaration as a protected area, the area will become formally known as the Northeastern Biological Corridor. It is being established for the purposes of: (i) protection of biological connectivity between primary forest nodes with the National Protected Areas System (namely, Freshwater Creek Forest Reserve, Honey Camp National Park and Shipstern Nature Reserve); (ii) protecting hydro-ecological systems as riparian corridors; and (iii) fulfilling Belize’s regional commitment in maintaining forest connectivity as part of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor, and its international commitment as a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity. The area will be zoned and used for multiple land-uses consistent with the purpose for designation as outlined in (i) to (iii) above, including preservation of biodiversity and sustainable production of goods and services. The declaration of this Special Management Area is a collaborative effort among the MAFFESDI and its partner agencies and organizations in the conservation NGO and research communities, academia, and the private sector. The MAFFESDI hereby invites members of the public and all affected persons to submit to the Minister written representations on or objections to the proposed declaration within sixty (60) calendar days from the date of this publication. Submissions should be mailed or emailed to: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration, Old Lands Building, Market Square, Belmopan. Email: ceo.sec@environment.gov.bz • ALTERATION AND RECLASSIFICATION OF FRESHWATER CREEK FOREST RESERVE AND HONEY CAMP NATIONAL PARK In accordance with Section 19 (2) of the National Protected Areas System Act No. 17 of 2015 (NPAS Act), the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development, and Immigration (MAFFESDI) hereby informs the general public of the intention to alter the boundaries of the Freshwater Creek Forest Reserve (FWCFR) and to reclassify the Freshwater Creek Forest Reserve and the Honey Camp National Park into a single Special Management Area, being a category of Protected Area listed under Section 8 (1) of the NPAS Act, for the purpose of amalgamation with the proposed North-eastern Biological Corridor to form one contiguous Protected Area. The area to be affected by the alteration of the boundaries of the FWCFR is shown in Map B and labeled ‘Affected Area’. The area to be reclassified is la beled ‘Area to be reclassified’. The MAFFESDI hereby invites members of the public and all affected persons to submit to the Minister written representations on or objections to the proposed alteration/ reclassification within sixty (60) calendar days from the date of this publication. Submissions should be mailed or emailed to: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment, Sustainable Development and Immigration, Old Lands Building, Market Square, Belmopan. Email: ceo.sec@environment.gov.bz
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Salazar: FTC Got it Wrong
S
enator Aldo Salazar, following the Prime Minister's press conference regarding the Sanctuary Bay real estate scam, spoke with the Reporter on Thursday and also denied having any direct involvement with or knowledge of the Sanctuary Bay scam though he acknowledged providing services to key principals of the development. Salazar said bluntly that the FTC's facts were inaccurate and denied facilitating fraud of any kind. "Facilitate the fraud, what does that mean? If what the intent is, that there was knowledge of the fraud and that I did it with knowledge to perpetrate that…that is not correct. There is no documentation or communication in which I had any discussion with [Pukke] or anyone that there was anything abnormal with this development," he said. "Absolutely not!" he responded when we asked him point blank whether or not he profited or benefited in any way from the proceeds of fraud. According to Salazar, he never met or had any correspondence with Andris Pukke, the American national who allegedly orchestrated and carried out the scam from prison in the US. Salazar, responding to claims that he visited Pukke's California telemarketing headquarters where Atlantic International Bank Limited conducted training sessions for Sanctuary Bay's telemarketers to pitch AIBL's services, confirmed that he did visit the California office but said he was not aware of Pukke's existence or his role. According to Salazar, the purpose for his visit
Thursday, July 11, 2019 was totally unrelated letters sent out to SBE to the Sanctuary Bay lot owners from one project. of Salazar ’s firms, He said he visited Professional Advisothe office in his ca- ry Services Limited. pacity as AIBL's at- “It’s not just the fact torney and met with that these letters are Luke Chadwick, one of coming out from an the defendants named entity that’s associin the FTC's Sanctu- ated with Mr. Pelayo. ary investigation, but You have the fact that was not aware of who Mr. Pelayo’s accountPukke was. He also ing firm, also with Mr. dismissed a claim that Salazar, is operating or Chadwick had told him has a relationship with about Pukke and di- the Sanctuary Belize vulged that Pukke was Homeowners Assoin control on the en- ciation,” the documents tire operation. "Chad- had noted. wick and I have never "I did write some had any conversation demand letters as an about Pukke because I attorney, as a profesdon't know the man, I sional in discharge of don't know the person," my professional duSalazar stated. ties, however, it is not The FTC had also true to suggest that I made light of the fact knew Pukke controlled that Salazar had sent that entity [Sittee Rivout numerous foreclo- er Wildlife Reserve] sure letters on behalf at that time," Salazar of one of the entities told us, adding that controlled by Pukke Pukke's name never in commission of the came up. Furthermore, scam. he added, even if he did According to court know about Pukke, at documents, the FTC the time there was no has sought to establish widespread reports or that with the totality knowledge that there of evidence gathered was anything wrong at knowledge was im- the development. "The puted across entities, error is the suggesincluding AIBL and tion that it was widely firms co-owned by the known in Belize that bank’s Chief Execu- this thing was a fraud. tive Officer, Ricardo That is inaccurate bePelayo and Salazar. “… cause a lot of upstandMr. Pelayo…he under- ing Belizeans rendered stood that the reason services to this develthat they…appeared on opment. I am not the these tours 126 times is only lawyer who did because having a bank work for Sanctuary representative there Bay," he said. made it likely for SBE Salazar said he asto be able to sell lots. sumed his association That’s substantial as- with politics played sistance. There simply a role in his involveis no doubt about the ment being magnifact that that is some- fied as much as it has thing that substantially been, however, Salazar assisted the SBE enter- shares a partnership in prise,” previous FTC two businesses with court documents said. former AIBL CEO, Elsewhere in the Pelayo, who the FTC FTC documents it ref- claims also had suberenced foreclosure stantial knowledge that Sanctuary Belize was indeed carrying out a fraudulent operation. The FTC had argued “HOUSE FOR RENT”: 3 bedroom house for in previous court docurent in Residential area, 2 bathrooms,living/dining ments that, “…without area, kitchen, laundry room, office space, parking, institutions like Atlanburglar bars, fully fenced, Contact: rentit2007@ tic International Bank yahoo.com”. Limited providing the NOTICE OD DISOLUTION: Be it known assistance that they that ARIAN DEVELOPMENTS LTD., Belize International Business Company, is now dissolved provide, the situation wouldn’t be what it is.” and has been struck off the IBC Register. Global Formations and Management There had also been reports that Salazar Ltd. Be it known that WORLD MANAGEMENT had been stopped and INC., Belize International Business Company, is questioned in the US now dissolved and has been struck off the IBC in relation to the matter on his way back from Register. Global Formations and Management a diplomatic visit to Taiwan. Ltd.
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PM Says BTL
Does Not Owe GST
P
Thursday, July 11, 2019
rime Minister Dean Barrow, on Wednesday, finally responded to reports circulating over the last two weeks purporting that Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) owes upward of $50 million in outstanding taxes and fees to the General Sales Tax (GST) Department over a period of time from 20122017, asserting that the company does not owe any outstanding taxes but confirmed that an audit is ongoing. "I thought that this matter had been spoken to by the Financial Secretary. He had said that BTL owes no taxes, BTL files and pays its GST," Barrow said. For context, however, the comments Barrow references comes from an interview the Reporter did with Financial Secretary Joseph Waight when the news first broke and Waight did not say that BTL does not owe GST. In fact, Waight told this newspaper that there was indeed an audit of BTL's finances ongoing and said that he did not agree with the value of the figure reported by the media. At no point did Waight say outrightly that BTL did not owe a sum to the GST Department, in fact, he even spoke of a proposed meeting between the relevant parties to discuss and settle the issue. Unfortunately the media was not granted an opportunity to follow up with questions on this issue as it was the sole question allowed on the BTL matter at the very end of Wednesday's two-hour press conference pertaining to the Sanctuary Bay real estate scandal. "Now obviously, some issue has arisen as to whether there is any GST liability pertaining to some intra or inter-company transactions. An audit is being conducted and at the end of that audit a determination will be made. Clearly the position of BTL is that there is no liability of taxes in that regard but we have to wait and see what the GST department will determine," Barrow said. The Reporter had also previously spoken to the former GST Commissioner and the current acting commissioner, who both confirmed that an audit into BTL's accounts with the department had been started and was underway. Interestingly, none of the officials we spoke with made any effort to dispel the reports that BTL was indebted to the department. BTL's Chairman, Nestor Vasquez, was the only person to state categorically to the Reporter that BTL did not owe a "single penny" to GST or any other institution or department. Furthermore, Vasquez said he had informed the Financial Secretary that he was wrong and that he lied when he said an audit was ongoing. Vasquez said an audit had been conducted and completed months ago, and no determination was made that BTL owed anything. The Prime Minister, the acting GST Commissioner, the former commissioner and the Financial Secretary, however, have all confirmed otherwise. Barrow was also asked about a letter purportedly sent from Vasquez to the Financial Secretary, Waight, requesting a waver or a write off of the outstanding taxes: "Were you the ones who said that? Because when I read it I was astounded. You know what I can say about who said that‌that I can't say about the FTC? That is an outrageous lie. How can the people ask for a waiver of taxes they say they don't owe? That is an absolute contemptible lie," he declared.
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Keeping Social Security Systems’ Sustainable by Design Part 1 Belize Chamber of Commerce
I
n 2017, a Guyana Chronicle article entitled “NIS to Increase Pensions Next Year” reported that the “National Insurance Scheme (NIS) from January 1 will be increasing the minimum rates for Old Age and Invalidity Pension, weekly and monthly insurable earnings ceilings and funeral benefits.” The same article would go on to explain that “the insurable earnings ceiling, which is the upper limit on earnings that attract NIS contributions, will be increased weekly and monthly. The monthly insurable earnings will be increased from G$220,000 to G$240,000 per month and G$46,154 per week to G$50,769 per week.” (See Table 1) With an exchange rate of about BZD $1 to G$104, in Belizean currency that 2017 change represented an increase in Guyana’s Social Security’s monthly insurable earnings ceiling (IE ceiling) from about BZD $2,127 to BZD$2,320 for a 9% increase. However, that change was not the final adjustment, as any visitor to the NIS website would notice an announcement which states that as of 1st February, 2019, the new monthly ceiling has increased to G$256,800 (BZD$2483). Actually, a visit to the “Contributions” page on www.NIS. org would reveal that the monthly ceiling, among other things, changes annually in Guyana. Consequently, between January 2000 and February 2019 there have been eighteen upward adjustments to IE ceiling. But this is not a phenomenon unique to Guyana.
In the United States, for instance, the equivalent of Guyana’s IE ceiling is known as
rate by 0.25% each year until it arrives at 7% in 2025 (currently the rate is 5%). Conversely, in
in most jurisdictions, including the United States. In a March 2018 USAFacts article,
countries like Panama there is no maximum
entitled “Is Social Security Sustainable”,
not taxed at all. We could either increase the tax or increase or remove the ceiling on taxable income; (iii) Change the retirement age again to delay when people can start collecting benefits; (iv) Reduce or eliminate benefits for wealthy retirees; [and/or] (v) Privatize the program and let workers invest their payroll taxes themselves.” Now, to be clear, the objective of this Business Perspective article is not to endorse any of those remedies or suggest that any of the mechanisms employed by other
it was concluded that the practical remedies included some of the following options: (i) “Reduce benefits to match income from payroll taxes; (ii) Increase payroll taxes in order to pay the current level of benefits or higher. Currently, income is taxed at 12.4%...and income above $128,900 is
jurisdiction is superior. The point that is being made here is fairly simple: by its inherent design, Social Security schemes struggle with the issue of sustainability. This fact consistently demands that there be some form of adjustment, as can be seen in the continuous debates in even the world’s
Table 1
the “Contribution and Benefit Base”, which is more commonly referred to as the “taxable maximum”. Similar to the IE ceiling in our Caribbean sister country, the United States’ taxable maximum earnings for Social Security changes annually. Therefore, for that same 20-year period the ceiling for our neighbor to the north has increased from US$76,200 in 2000 to US$132,900 in 2019 mostly due to an automatic adjustment mechanism enshrined in their Social Security Act. Another country that adjusts their scheme with a similar frequency is Canada where the maximum annual earnings are also adjusted yearly, with the most recent change seeing an increase from C$51,700 to C$53,100. Along with Canada’s IE ceiling adjustments, the rate is also gradually increasing from 4.95% to 5.95% over a fouryear period (2019 to 2023) for covered earnings of individuals who are between the ages of 18 and 64. The IE ceiling formula, however, is not the only design in use. In countries like Antigua and Barbuda the source of funds for their Social Security program involves incremental increases in the social insurance
Table 2
earnings threshold, but rather the social security tax rate is applied to the entire gross monthly earnings of the individual employee. (See Table 2). Regardless of the methodology employed, the fundamental principle revolves around the need to address an inherent dilemma of social security systems: the likelihood that costs derived from short-term to long-term benefits expenditures such as sickness and pension payments, respectively, shall eventually outstrip the contribution-based revenues. As a result, this question of sustainability emerges
largest economy that continues to look for the best formula. Therefore, in closing this first part of this discussion, it is important to note that Belize is not immune from this quandary. However, unlike other aforementioned jurisdictions, the debate on plausible remedies has been subdued by the politics of day, thereby, resulting in the Social Security Board (SSB) only making one adjustment in the last two decades. When compared to the frequency employed in countries like Guyana, Canada, and the USA that have all implemented far more frequent changes, there is little wonder as to why the current change by SSB is—in percentage terms— virtually three times Guyana’s 9%. As we move forward, the real conversation that should be filling the local public sphere is which mix of the five solutions (if any) noted above would best guarantee the sustainability of the program, which serves as a significant social protection safety net for hundreds of Belizean citizens. That is to say, that employers, employees and government must continue to dialogue on the best ways to design our social security system so as to keep it sustainable, while simultaneously weighing the larger macroeconomic contexts.
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Ministry of Health Says No Medication Shortage Thursday, July 11th, 2019
T
he Ministry of Health, this week, clarified that despite reports of a supposed shortage of certain types of medication, there is not a widespread shortage, and rather the instance reported by the media happens to be a specific case in which a scarcely prescribed medication has not been i m p o r t e d r e c e n t l y, making it hard for certain patients to access. According to Dr. Marvin Manzanero, Director of Health Services, after hearing the news he commissioned a report on the availability of
Labetalol, the medication in question. The reports started after a patient posted on Facebook about difficulties in finding Labetalol. Manzanero explained that Labetalol is categorized as a controlled drug and is not routinely used for blood pressure patients. Manzanero said that as an internist himself, he has never used Labetalol orally for treating patients outside of a hospital setting. Manzanero said he was surprised to hear that was the medication being used by the patient. He said the medica-
tion is more commonly used in IVs in hospitals. According to Manzanero, there are only two importers who ship Labetalol and the last permit for importation was granted in February. He added that it is not a matter of it being controlled by the ministry but rather a situation in which importers have simply run out and have not restocked the medication. Manzanero further noted that the ministry sources Labetalol but only in its intravenous form to be used in hospitals, not the oral tablets. Manzanero further added that the im-
porters in country have been bringing in generic versions of Labetalol, rather than official brand names. He said one importer has indicated that they will start tracking consumer patterns as currently there is no such data available to the private sector. Manzanero said for the most part the
importers are buying based on demand and said as a result, sometimes there may indeed be shortages in those instances. He added that the procurement process for the public sect o r i s d i ff e r e n t a s they are guided by consumer patterns and data regarding what medications are tr ad itio n ally u s ed .
Patien ts , h o w ev er, can request that their suppliers order the medication through a tedious process which involves getting a prescription from a doctor, and an invoice from the supplier to send to Ministry for approval. Manzanero said the process is normally completed within 48 hours.
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