National Perspective

THE NATIONAL

PERSPECTIVE www.nationalperspectivebz.org

Edition 126 Vol.3 week 21

The true voice of the silent majority

Alleged Burlar killed see page 5

23th of January , 2011

Tender Operators hopes dicipates

Belize City, Thurs. Jan. 20

There’s a showdown looming in the fast consolidating Belize cruise tourism industry, and while no one is sure of the day or the hour, nearly everyone is sure that that day and that hour is soon.

And even though PM Barrow told the nation that he successfully negociated a ‘stay of execution’ and that local tender operators had until October to upgrade thier vessels to meet the criteria of the new policy of the cruise lines, the fast forwarding invents are sugesting that things are not looking favorable for our locals.

At news time today reports are that Belize’s tender operator may have worked for one more day when three cruise ships hoved to in the early morning hours, and the tender operations that ferried their passengers from ship to shore and back were parceled out and conducted without a hitch.

But an air of gloom soon prevailed when it was accepted that for third straight day one of the large ships of the world’s largest cruise line, Carnival Cruise Line, the Carnival

al corporation is used to getting what it wants. It brings 60% of the visitors who cruise to Belize, and while one of its smaller ships dropped anchor today, the behemoth floating hotels and vacation paradises slip south, passing us by, yet within sight of our World Natural Heritage Barrier Reef and mystic rainforest covered Maya Mountains.

The word today is that Carnival is now in an alliance with one of its competitors, the Norwegian Cruise Line, who also want lower tender operations cost. Norwegian, it is now turning out, had intended to lower its cost through the introduction of two large tenders imported from no longer needed operations in Hawaii, and which were to be sold to industry Legend, had bypassed Belize.

Carnival is demanding a steep insider but an alien to Belize, Rick reduction in the cost it pays for O Shay. The boats are still dry local tender operations and the docked at the Port in Big Creek, Continued on page 13 multi-billion dollar transnation-

Will Barrow Continue to toe the IMF Line?

Dan Silva Resigns!

Belize City, Thurs. Jan. 20

Belizean economists, businessmen, politicians and media are analyzing the 2010 report on the annual International Monetary Fund (IMF) consultation with Belize which was published late last week, reportedly after an unprecedented delay of almost four months due to challenges from the Barrow administration.

Those challenges reportedly also necessitated IMF officials to widen their consultation with Opposition politicians as well as several prominent Belizean businessmen, some of whom were flown to Washington for meetings.

The preliminary report recommendation is as asking the Barrow administration “…to restrain current spending, prioritize investment, place the pension system on a strong and sustainable footing, and improve tax and customs administration.”

The report summarized its recommendations by saying: “Staff recommended a gradual increase in the primary surplus to 4½ per-

...as PUP Deputy Party Leader

cent of GDP, mainly through wage and pension reforms, to place the public debt on a firm downward path and reduce external financing needs. It also recommended continued actions to strengthen the financial system and welcomed improvements in the monetary policy framework. The authorities broadly agreed with the recommenda-

Continued on page 3

Dan Silva Seen second from left Belize City, Thurs. Jan. 20

The PUP’s National Executive Committee met in an emergency session yesterday in an effort to put out a raging controversy that had reached the flashpoint of eight members threatening to resign and thought they had succeeded in dousing the flame. But the word at press time this afternoon is that

PUP Deputy Leader Dan Silva, long considered a fire-brand or a loose-cannon depending on perspective, has told the media that he would be formally resigning his party post next Monday.

Silva has been lobbying support from those in the party he believes may be disenchanted with Johnny Briceño’s leadership, which he accuses of being undemocratic. It is rumored that he will be joined by Hugh O’Brian, the Liaison for Civil Society & Social Partners.

Silva has stressed that he will not be resigning from the Party, just from his post on the executive. He has been active member

Continued on page 11

BIAS TOWARDS NONE !!!

Page 2

23th of January , 2011

UDP CLOWNS IN CABINET

It appears that nothing Carnival Cruise Lines says can be trusted. In the same light, whatever the Prime Minister of Belize says cannot be trusted because he knew from the time he exited the Carnival Cruise Lines office in Miami, that he had been punked. By Monday at his press conference Dean Barrow knew that he had made a mistake to have visited with these middle level executives who took him for a ride.

During the press conference, it was a subdued Dean Barrow that attempted to beat his chest but realized that if he played it up too much he would be disgraced by Tuesday morning. Lo and behold, by morning the Belizean people realized he was a fraud, because the news broke that Carnival Cruise Lines only wanted to work with Rick O’Shea who they consider their partner. By Friday of last week the small tender operators recognized that the hand-picked blue eyed boy of Dean Barrow, Stanley Longsworth, was double dealing.

As a result Stanley Longsworth resigned in disgrace from his position as the leader of the tenders association.

The word coming from the small tenders was that Stanley Longsworth was not interested in them because he already managed and controlled several large tenders and was the one most poised to benefit from the demise of the small tender owners.

We captioned the above to make the point that the present United Democratic Party government continues to display how incompetent they are. The entire Cabinet is being referred to as a full circus and the Prime Minister the main attraction. He is the main clown.

Even the tender operators agree that only a clown would leave his cushy office in Belmopan and go and meet with Carnival’s middle level helpers and have these helpers tell him, the Prime Minister, turn around and let us give you the greaseless Carnival “bukut.” Dean Barrow took the “bukut” like a man without grunting. He came back to Belize on Monday sore from the “bukut” probing and that was why he appeared in pain during the press conference.

Belizeans were shocked to learn Dean Barrow is the laughing stock of the Caribbean. Every single leader of the Caribbean is giving jokes about how the Prime Minister representing one of the leading members of Caricom got a ramming from Carnival helpers. It is pathetic when a country has a leader, who does not have the “cojones” to display to his people that he is in command. We believe Zenaida Moya was on to something when she stated

that “somebody does not have any balls”. The UDPs close to Moya disclosed it was the Prime Minister she was talking about.

To make matters worse, Dean Barrow claimed on Friday that Carnival had stated they will extend the stay of execution and give the Barrow government until October 21, 2011 to get all the large tenders boats needed to service Carnival ships. By Monday Carnival announced that that is not true and because the large tenders are not in place they will boycott Belize on Tuesday. By Tuesday morning the reality struck, no Carnival ship was in the Belize Harbor. Thousands of Belizeans went hungry on Tuesday.

There were tremendous losses incurred by food vendors and tour operators who had invested in food preparations and fuel used for their buses and driving miles to the Fort Street Tourism Village (FSTV) to meet the incoming guests respectively. When these vendors and operators got to the FSTV on Tuesday one can only imagine their disenchantment. Sadly, many of them went home without a peep and broke.

On Thursday two Carnival ships were expected to call on Belize but only the Carnival Valor came and it is said that only the larger tenders were used. The tenders for Martha Williams, who is the shipping agent, and who is being accused of withholding the vital information about the policy change by Carnival. The change from the small tenders to larger tenders exclusively will have only their tenders working. Again the tour operators, taxi drivers, hair braiders, etc. are directly affected by the reduction in the ships’ arrivals.

We think that these tour operators, taxi drivers, hair braiders, etc. have displayed tremendous tolerance because while the UDP government and the Prime Minister specifically, are blundering, they are now faced with the reality of being unable to feed their children and take care of their obligations. Ordinarily sane people would be demonstrating in protest against the government because of their inability to do something positive to benefit the people, one way or the other.

This situation will not be rectified, and the fear is that the Carnival Cruise Lines will be forced to stay away from Belize for a period of time, which should be what Belizeans operating in the tourism industry should start preparing for. Once that occurs the other fear is that the two other major cruise lines (Royal Caribbean and Norwegian) will decide to join in the boycott of Belize, thus sending many Belizeans into bankruptcy.

Presently, the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize (FECTAB) has been quiet and

obviously monitoring the situation because FECTAB members are directly affected by ships boycotting Belize. FECTAB was the first to bring to the public forum that Carnival is choosing foreigners to do their tours, therefore, displacing all the investment made by local investors.

What is lost in all this hoopla is the accusation that the ship agent and the CEO of the Ministry of Tourism knew months in advance that this new policy of Carnival Cruise Lines had been laid out, and they did not disclose such information to the public. So when Carnival implemented this new policy it came as a shock to all in the tourism industry. At this publication, we advise the BTB officials to investigate this allegation

by Carnival executives and if found to be true, they should ban the ship agent from participating in the tourism industry and terminate the CEO that Carnival fingered. Such actions in considered treasonous regardless of the reasons why the information was withheld.

The People’s United Party should be up in arms about this situation. However, the PUP leadership remains true to form, lame and lazy.

One cannot expect any fireworks from them when it comes to attacking the misguided policies of this UDP government. However, they can pick up a head of steam when they want to attack and undermined other members of their own party. The PUP has no testicular dysfunction to bad-mouth their own. We urge John Briceño to locate his “cohunes” and focus on the many blunders of the Bald Head.

The Belize Chamber of Commerce hosted the President of the Be-

lize Tourism and Industry Associations on their talk show this week but offered no solution. Every one knows that this show is considered nothing but a talk shop group that has done nothing for the betterment of Tourism Industry other than to use their executive positions at the BTIA as a stepping stone. The last President of the BTIA landed a cushy job with (BTL) Dean Barrow Telephone Company.

The BTIA, like the Chamber of Commerce, is impotent in solving the problems of their members because the Prime Minister has not paid attention to any of these weak organizations and is always quick to chastise them if they dare to challenge his government in any shape or form. If the Prime Minister can chide and disrespect the Bar Association, probably the wealthiest association in Belize, then the BTIA and BCCI are seen by Barrow as a complete waste of time.

These associations exist only to give free junkets and other perks to wealthy, undeserving persons that pretend that they care about their respective areas.

It is tiring when week after week we have been addressing the same type of topic over and over and the one common denominator noted is an incompetent and corrupt UDP government. Therefore there is no hope for Belize. This is further highlighted by the latest report from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) which states that all is not well with the Belizean economy. You can, of course, be sure the Prime Minister will say otherwise, but the Belizean will know the truth as they will see the Prime Minister’s nose growing.

OPEN YOUR EYES THE PEOPLE ARE AWAKE!!!

THE

NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE Published & Edited by

OMAR SILVA

Registered Address 25 Nanche Street, BELMOPAN Assistant Editor : Saida Silva Web: www.nationalperspectivebz.org E-mail Address

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23th of January , 2011

Page 3

Will Barrow Continue to toe the IMF Line?

Continued from page 1

foreign reserves low, which limited the policy capacity to respond to shocks.”

The IMF is obviously happy with a Barrow administration that has so far toed its line: “The present government, which took office in early 2008, sought to ease vulnerabilities and strengthen growth. In the context of the 2008 and 2009 Article IV consultations, the authorities endorsed a strategy to reduce public debt over time, through revenue and spending actions; strengthen foreign reserves to deal with near-term risks; reform the framework for monetary policy; and improve governance.”

tions, particularly to strengthen the banking system. They planned to seek consensus on needed fiscal reforms, but noted that, in the near term, social conditions strictly constrained the scope for fiscal consolidation.”

Two weeks ago Prime Minister Barrow said that he would not increase taxes in FY2011/12. The IMF is recommending that Belize raise the General Sales Tax to what it calls “the regional rate of 15%.” This is now an almost standard annual “request” by the IMF. Last year the Barrow administration increased the GST to 12.5%, and a slew of other taxes in an effort to close its financing deficit.

Preliminary reports are that they may have failed to make progress on that front.

The IMF excused Belize’s poor “macroeconomic performance” as being “constrained by structural weaknesses” and point outs that “Belize has been vulnerable to adverse shocks mainly because of a weak external position, policy rigidities, and reduced access to external financing. Since 2006, growth has remained lackluster, with sources limited mostly to petroleum extraction and tourismrelated construction, while the export base has remained relatively narrow. In 2007, debt restructuring eased external debt service, but public debt stayed high and

Even though it now appears that the Barrow administration has failed to live up to its end of the bargain or the prescriptions haven’t led to success, (“Despite some progress under the authorities’ strategy, deviations have emerged, largely as a result of external shocks”), the IMF is insistent that more of their medicine is needed to achieve the “desired fiscal adjustment.”

The IMF postulates that unless the Barrow administration is much more adherent to their prescriptions Belize will continue to grow very slowly, will need to continue to borrow more and will continue to be vulnerable.

Their recommendations would raise growth to 3.5% over the medium-term and lower external financing needs. But as they point out, “It is based on sustaining a primary surplus of 4½ percent of GDP starting in 2011, an assumed reallocation of spending toward capital and social priorities, and increased private investment that would result from improved confidence.”To achieve the first the Barrow administration would have to restrain spending on its cronies, or as the IMF puts it “limiting growth in non-priority spending areas and streamlining

generous benefits.” The problem there is that the IMF’s and the Barrow administration’s priority spending areas, especially in the run up to national elections, are two different things.

And how it would increase investor confidence short of demitting office is a good question.

And the IMF recommends that “consideration could be given to raising the GST rate closer to regional levels (15 percent) or phasing out fully the 2008 reduction in the fuel excise tax.” It further recommends that the Government phase out their pension scheme, and reduce social security benefits.

It is a classic recipe for more unemployment and continued lowering of the standard of living for most Belizeans. It would do nothing to improve productivity at the level where Belizeans will benefit.

It only improves the figures so people like the IMF can pat Barrow on the head and say “Good boy.”

The UDP Government has a historical record of following the prescribed recommendations of the IMF but with this level of chaos that Barrow himself has created, Belizeans better pray Barrow rejects the IMF this time around.

Education is the key to the future!

23th of January , 2011

Page 4

REID BETWEEN THE LINES

G. Michael Reid This past Saturday, January 15th, the father of our nation, the Right Honorable George Price celebrated his 92nd birthday but with little fanfare or pomposity; that has never been his style. I remember last year, attending a party thrown by friends and supporters for his 91st birthday. Mr. Price was visibly uncomfortable with all the attention though as usual, courteous and accommodating to all guests. Mr. Price was never given to “bling-bling” nor the extreme extravagance that is the custom of our current Prime Minister. No Gucci watches, no Armani suits and definitely no expensive high end SUV. It was not a matter of whether he could afford them or not but a matter of realizing that many of the people he represented were poor and could never dream of affording such luxuries. Mr. Price was a humble person who lived with and for the people, not above them.

Many in Mr. Barrow’s Cabinet have begun to emulate his lifestyle and one wonders if thick gold chains, fancy garb and expensive designer sunglasses will not hereafter be the requisite for future political aspirants. Television came late in Mr. Price’s career but there are still many tapes with interviews to local and foreign press people and never is he seen hiding behind sunshades; (anywhere else in the world, this is a no-no for politicians but in Belize, it is the norm). Mr. Price was a true statesman, a rare type of politician and is a very special human being.

Modern day politicians can learn a lot from Mr. Price but pride will prevent them from doing so. In a time when local air travel was as yet unheard of and when present highways were hardly passable picados, Mr. Price traveled the length and breadth of Belize to meet people and address their concerns. In an interview given last year, Mr. Barrow admitted that he had never been to a 19th celebration in Dangriga and in fact, had rarely ever visited that part of the country. He is intimately familiar with Savannah and Miami however and must be why the Kendall Bridge has seemed so unimportant to his government.

Belize attained Independence in 1981 after years of struggle and despite much objection even at home. The People’s United Party (PUP) was in office at the time and in fact, had not lost an elec-

tion to that point. They had done all the arduous legwork leading up to that big moment. This government, which is currently enjoying the fruits of those labors, was then in opposition and vehemently opposed to the concept of Independence. There were many demonstrations and one can still remember Shubbu Brown marching each year proudly waving the Union Jack. Many predicted economic doom as a result of Independence or even an invasion by Guatemala. A full three decades later, we are still going strong and with all territories and sovereignty intact. May it always remain that way!

In preparing to accept Independence, the country had to choose a flag and an anthem. It was decided that the popular and familiar “Land of the Gods” would be kept but with a title changed to “Land of the Free”. I was never in favor of the change but was only one voice among many. As for the flag, the government decided to also go with the one which had been in use and which was adopted in 1950 at the start of the revolution against colonialism. Mr. Price, in his wisdom, recognized that a divided country would not do and in consideration of Belize’s other major political party, added two red borders to the flag.

Just this past week, I was watching footage of our national football team playing against Nicaragua. The team was all decked out in their national team uniform which was, get this, a bold red and white. Now, since when did Belize’s national colors become red and white? In a good showing by our Belizean national basketball team last year in Cancun, the very same situation arose. The colors worn by the team was red and white as if they represented only the UDP side of Belize. This is divisive and not good for any nation, in particular one as small as ours.

The UDP must realize that while their election victory gave them a commanding majority in the House, the overall common vote was not that far apart. A solid 47 percent of Belizeans voted for the PUP and must also be considered relevant and worthy of representations.

This political tribalism and partisan governing must stop. This is the UDP’s third stint in government and each time, it has been their undoing. The practice is not only pronounced in sports but in education, health care and every other facet of our government.

Whenever there are goods and services to be provided to the people, partisan politics rears its ugly head and those perceived as being blue are usually boxed out of the picture. Whenever disaster strikes and there is aid to be handed out, the same policy is implemented.

You’re either red or you might as well be dead.

It is time that the Belizean people stand up and demand better and ourselves desist from this harmful paradigm. If the UDP as a political party wishes to sponsor a team, then by all means, red and white from toenail to hair color. To have a team representing the entire country however, and funded by tax money contributed by both UDP and PUP members, then it has to representative of all our people. Would it really hurt to throw a little blue in there somewhere?

Belize is too small to remain so divided and the practice runs the gamut of sublime to ridiculous.

From the bar association to hospitals, to supermarkets and even to barber shops, the divide is wide and pronouced. Healthcare Partners is considered blue while Medical Associates is considered red. Brodies is considered blue and Save U is considered red.

Neries is considered blue while Chon Saan is considered red. It is an absolutely ridiculous situation but very much a reality. This government in particular, has done much to promulgate and promote this practice. It has to stop at some point but for the next two years, it promises to only get worse. May GOD save Belize!

www.nationalperspectivebz.org

Woman Accuses ACP Leal of Sexual Assualt

A female clerk employed at the Police Ministry in Belmopan on Monday lodged an official complaint with the police department claiming that she was sexually assaulted by Police Head of Special Branch, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Noel Leal who is third in the Police High Command with 26 years of dedicated service top the department. The woman alleges that on Friday she went out on a lunch- date with the high-ranking officer and on their way back from lunch and

Latest

returning to her work station, Leal pulled over on a deserted area of George Price Boulevard where he began fumbling her to the point where her brassiere was torn in the process.

Although the incident purportedly took place on Friday, it wasn’t until Monday that the woman came forth with the allegation. Woman Superintendent of police, Sandra Bodden who is to head the IA of the Police has been tasked with an investigation regarding this accusation. Sources within the department claim that the report is a set-up against ACP Leal claiming the complaint has no merits nonetheless the accusation is serious and the ministry has ordered an investigation. The NP understands that ACP Leal has given a deposition and which concluded the investigation. The case is on its way to the DPP who will review and make a decision which will either clear ACP Leal from any wrong doing or indict him.

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23th of January , 2011

Alleged Burglar Killed

San Ignacio Police have not provided any update on their investigations regarding the fatal-shooting incident at a Supermarket in the village of Unitedville located in the outskirts of the twin towns of Santa Elena and San Ignacio sometime before dawn last Sunday morning, which claimed the life of 24 year old Paul Benjamin.

A Police report reveals that the proprietor of Three Flags Supermarket located at 69 on the Western highway in the said village, Ulrick Willoughby, who also owns Mile 69 Superstore stated that he had received a call around 3:15 am the morning of Sunday, indicating to him that his store was being burglarized, and his presence was needed.

Upon his arrival at his business place, Willoughby told police, he came under attack by Paul Benjamin, who was apparently had a shiny object looked like a machete and purportedly was the lookout guy while other two persons were inside his store.

Willoughby told police that he reacted by taking out his licensed handgun and fired several shots in the direction of Benjamin and during this time while Benjamin fell to the ground the other two cat-burglars exited his store and made good their escape.

Willoughby also revealed that he had called the police around 3:00 am before his arrival at his store but police did not respond until around 5:00 am or an hour and forty-five minutes later. By the time police arrived on the scene, they found Benjamin lying on the ground face up in a pool of blood, and a machete by his side.

Commander for the San Ignacio Police Formation, Senior Superintendent of Police Chester Williams confirmed that Benjamin had sustained six gun-shot wounds to his body and was transported to the San Ignacio Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. An investigation into the allegations of a burglary was confirmed by the police commander saying that there is no question of a burglary at the store or the complicity of Benjamin. However, Willoughby was taken into custody and detained for questioning throughout Sunday and Monday. Unconfirmed sources say that Willoughby has since been released on the advice of the DPP. Police say they are looking for the other persons involved, and it is just a matter of time before they are taken into custody.

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Page 5

BY ORDER OF CHARGEE NOTICE OF INTENTION TO SELL HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED a statutory body formed and registered under the Credit Union Act, Chapter 314 of the Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000, and whose registered office is situated at No. 1 Hyde’s Lane, Belize City, Belize District hereby gives notice of its intention to exercise its power of sale as Chargee under and by virtue of a Charge registered at the Land Registry between those hereinafter named and the said Holy Redeemer Credit Union Limited.

HRCU will at the expiration of two months from the date of the first publication of this notice sell the property described in the Schedule below.

ALL offers to purchase the said property must be made in writing to HOLY REDEEMER CREDIT UNION LIMITED from whom full particulars and conditions of sale my be obtained.

SCHEDULE ALL THAT parcel of land being Block 16, Parcel 2618 situate in Caribbean Shores/Belize Registration Section, TOGETHER with all buildings and erections standing and being thereon, the freehold property of RUTH GLORIA and HECTOR GLORIA (JOINTLY).

KREMANDALA $ELLOUT Bought and paid for...

Silent on issues affecting black South-side Belizeans while pretending to be their guardian Wilfully ignores the Corrupt Practices of Barrow and the UDP

Can’t be TRUSTED!!!

“X” CAN’T CRITICIZE BARROW & THE UDP A PAID AD

23th of January , 2011

Page 6

Venezuela Embassy Objects to NP Cartoon

...says Chavez aint no dictator! friendship the Government and people

Belmopan, 4th January, 2011

Pay Back or Karma?

Carnival Cruise Holds Belize to Ransom By: Rhenae Nunez If the stakes were not so high the recent and ongoing wrangling/negotiations between Carnival Cruise Lines and the local tender operators would be amusing, but millions of dollars invested and many livelihoods at stake is no laughing matter.

PM Barrow’s curt response about seeking further assistance to fight our importunate violent crime crisis rubbed me the wrong way because I thought at the time that the leader of a country with such great issues should not be carrying on like some spoiled rich kid. Barrow’s comment at the time was that he was not going to go “hat in hand to beg for any assistance”. I thought what the ....up with this guy? For real!

Anyway, fast forward to today - I will give the PM some points for exhibiting some humility on behalf of his people. I know how tough that must be.

At a time when crime is unrelenting and unemployment is at an all-time high, poverty is skyrocketing to very high and the cost of living has soared to a record high - the Prime Minister of Belize has had to eat humble pie and go hat in hand. It is not entirely his fault that he is now having to fly to Miami (that part I don’t think he minds) to talk with Carnival Cruise Line. He needs to one keep them interested in Belize and two; dissuade them from their new arrangements to transport tourists to the mainland.

In August of last year a robust group called FECTAB, the Federation of Cruise Tourism Association of Belize, started banging on the doors of Government of Belize yelling that they were being run over by Chukka Caribbean’s Belizean operation called Baka-Bush Tours. Tour operators and tour guides alike wanted Chukka/Baka Bush to leave Belize. Chukka and its subsidiary were hired by Royal Caribbean Cruise Line.

As tour operators and guides presented their case, a cheeky little Michael Singh, then the CEO in the Ministry of Tourism, referred to the operators and guides saying that their “noise” was because of “hungry belly”. To add insult to injury, Singh was in a strategic position to facilitate the sale of the parcel of land that is to be the site for the embattled Royal Caribbean cruise port facility in Placencia. Whether that had anything to do with the changes that occurred in the top levels of the Ministry - I don’t know. Those are all Barrow and his government’s is-

sues to sort out.

In September I chronicled the saga of the Carnival cruise dock at the Port of Belize. The project was launched in much fanfare and the promises were great - only it never came to fruition. Carnival ultimately parted ways with developer Luke Espat after a series of events which include government’s intervention that I guess - grew Carnival’s patience thin.

One such event was whatever happened between then Minister of Tourism, Mark Espat and the Carnival people. Luke Espat’s contract with Carnival was reviewed and reconstructed before the project could move on only for Carnival to abruptly leave after things appeared to have been moving along.

I guess we will never know unless someone writes a novel. Whatever happened there was what put an end to the Carnival cruise dock project at the Port of Belize and therefore why I feel that this current saga is not entirely Barrow’s doing. Of course we know how things are in Belize - they can promise you transparency - ain’t nobody who can make them deliver it.

We may never know what Carnival wants exactly. Years ago there were heavy stipulations that Belize provide proper docking facility by 2009 or run the risk of not ever seeing a cruise ship in our port. 2009 has come and gone and the cruise ships are still coming to Belize the number of visitors may not be growing as fast as it used to but they are still coming. Their game, however, has changed. Royal Caribbean hopes to build a port in Placencia and Carnival wants larger tenders for their guests.

When Royal Caribbean wanted in on the tour guiding portion of the business they brought in their own people to operate that for them.

Carnival wants bigger tenders to transport their guests. I am unsure of what is Carnival’s agenda but I get the distinct notion that they have a chip on their shoulder and the folks caught in the middle are the tender operators who have invested their life possessions for the promise of the industry. I am just saying that since Carnival did not get to complete their cruise ship dock, they might be treating the desperate situation of the Belizean tender operators as collateral damage.

It begs the question: why after PM Barrow accompanied by his so called Fantastic four dream team traveled to Miami and supposedly

Mr. Omar Silva Editor The National Perspective Belmopan, Cayo District, Belize I am pleased to address you in the most cordial way to make reference to the cartoon published in your newspaper, The National Perspective, in its 26th December, 2010 issue, on page 3, which portrays the Right Honorable Prime Minister Dean Barrow, along with His Excellency President of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, making a comment, expressing he would like to be a dictator “like Hugo Chavez”.

It is with great concern and apprehension that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, through its Diplomatic Mission accredited to Belize, fells obliged to convey to yourself and to the weekly newspaper of national circulation which you are responsible for, the expression of its surprise and perplexity with the aforementioned caricature, which uses elements to discredit the President of a country in which the Government and people of Belize have traditionally had a relationship of high standard and quality, since before its independence – during the “internationalization” of the “Question of Belize” in the United Nations (1975-1980), a process which was pivotal for the conquest of full sovereignty of Belize – full support and solidarity in the political and diplomatic levels; and, more recently, especially in the last decade, a substantial level of expressive, selfless, cooperation, for the benefit of the Government and people of Belize.

Motivated by no other desire than establishing the reality of the facts, we must inform you that among other actions, the cooperation of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in favour of Belize has resulted in efforts such as: the Petrocaribe initiative (by means of the supply of 4,000 Barrels of Petrol per Day - BPDs at preferential prices, much below the values of the international market), the Miracle Mission (“Misión Milagro” – thanks to which 400 people have been successfully operated to cure cataract, Pterigium and other related eye illnesses, and many more are awaiting to undergo the same surgery), the Program of Housing Construction for low income families and Repair of the Belize City Track Field (thanks to a donation of US$ 20 million), among others. Although these are modest efforts, still much below the political goodwill and friendship which encourages the Government and people of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to foster its ties of

of Belize, they reveal the excellent relationship which exist both countries.

It should be noted that in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela there is full respect for the freedom of press and the freedom of expression, rights which are clearly enshrined in our Constitution.

For this reason, we consider highly offensive the use of the expression “dictator” in the cartoon published in The National Perspective to refer to President Hugo Chavez – who has been elected and reelected by the free vote of the majority of the Venezuelan people.

Thanks to an initiative by President Hugo Chávez, approved by the National Assembly (Parliament), the Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela now includes a provision which admits the possibility of a “recall referendum” for popular-elected mandates, a practice observed only in very few advanced democratic countries around the world.

Our country has held, since the first election of President Hugo Chavez in 1998, more than ten (10) electoral processes, both for legislative and presidential elections, all supervised by recognized international Organizations, such as the OAS, the European Union and the Carter Center, among others, which have confirmed, beyond any doubt, the transparency, orderliness and rightfulness in which the Venezuelan people have exerted their constitutional right to vote.

In this connection, it should be mentioned that there are also other legal initiatives, such as the “Community Council Law”, focused on giving more power to the people by means of a direct allocation of funds to communities in order to enable the execution of projects of social interest for the communities. Similarly, the implementation of missions of social services has allowed Venezuelans lower-income families to have access to health services and education, among others that until the Administration of President Hugo Chávez were intended only for a minority of the population of the country, due to their high costs.

Initiatives such as Petrocaribe, which Belize is part of, the SUCRE (RECOMSIS Regional Compensation Single System in English: name of the common accounting unit, agreed by the member countries of the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our Americas (ALBA), that seeks to replace U.S. dollar in an intraregional trade that exists between the eight countries) and the “ Bolivarian Alliance for the Americas” – ALBA, have created mechanisms for the integration of the peoples of America

Continued on page 17

www.nationalperspectivebz.org secured a commitment from Carnival it appears that there is none on Carnival’s part after-all? Be reminded that Barrow, while he was still a practicing attorney, represented Royal Caribbean in their fight over the fence at the village.

It is no irony to me that Carnival is behaving in this manner and is now holding us to ransom - and the operators caught in the middle are just what - “Collateral damage?” Check the stats.

23th of January , 2011

Page 7

CARIBBEAN NEWS Haiti moves toward corruption trial for Duvalier PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – A judge will decide whether former Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier will be tried on charges that include corruption and embezzlement for allegedly pilfering the treasury before his 1986 ouster, a lawyer for the ex-strongman said Tuesday.

A judge questioned the former dictator known as “Baby Doc” in an hourslong, closed-door court session, defense attorney Gervais Charles said. The decision to move toward a trial makes clear that whatever Duvalier’s reasons were for returning to Haiti on Sunday, the government is poised to take the opportunity to seek justice for his 15-year regime, widely regarded as brutal and corrupt.

Charles said the case is now in the hands of a judge of instruction who will decide whether there is enough evidence to go to trial, a process that can take up to three months. Several hundred Duvalier supporters gathered outside the court, burning tires, chanting slogans and calling for the arrest of President Rene Preval, then cheering as Duvalier left the courthouse and headed to his hotel under police escort. Earlier, some supporters had tried to block streets with overturned trash bins and rocks to keep police from taking Duvalier from his hotel to the courthouse.

There are no signs of widespread support for Duvalier, however. Demonstrations on his behalf have been relatively small by Haiti standards.

More than half the nation’s people are too young to have lived through his government. Haiti’s system allows for pretrial detention, but Duvalier was allowed to remain free, though he cannot leave the country. His longtime companion Veronica Roy had said Monday that Duvalier expected his trip from France, where he has lived in exile, would last three days.

“If he has to leave (the country), he will ask and he will leave,” Charles said. “As of now, he doesn’t even have a passport.”

Duvalier has been accused in the past in Haiti of stealing hundreds of millions of dollars in public money and overseeing the torture and killing of political enemies. He was not in handcuffs as he arrived at the courthouse Tuesday with Roy, nor was he handcuffed when he left. His arrival Sunday was a surprise for a longimpoverished country, and comes as Haiti struggles to work through a dire political crisis following the problematic Nov. 28 first-round presidential election, as well as a cholera epidem-

ic and a troubled recovery from the devastating earthquake of a year ago.

Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and others have urged the Haitian government to arrest Duvalier for widespread abuses. Amnesty International issued a statement praising what it called “the arrest” of Duvalier but said it was just a start.

“If true justice is to be done in Haiti, the Haitian authorities need to open a criminal investigation into Duvalier’s responsibility for the multitude of human rights abuses that were committed under his rule including torture, arbitrary detentions, rape, enforced disappearances and extrajudicial executions,” the group said.

Bobby Duval, a former soccer star who was starved and tortured during the 17 months he was held without charge by Duvalier in the notorious Fort Dimanche, was outraged that Haitian authorities didn’t immediately arrest the former dictator. He recalls seeing people beaten, tortured and executed by being clubbed in the back of the neck. “He is a murderer and a thief,” said Duval, who now runs an athletic training school for children.

“A country that has no memory will repeat its same mistakes. I thought we were past that but I guess not since he hasn’t been arrested yet.”

Fifty-six-year-old Chal Christen, waved a flag of Duvalier’s political party — one he said he’d had stored away since the one-time “president for life” was deposed in a popular uprising and forced into exile nearly 25 years ago. “We don’t have food, our houses collapsed, our children can’t go to school. It’s Preval that is the dictator,” Christen said. “We want Duvalier for president. Under him we ate well, we were safe.”

Fenel Alexi, a 31-year-old mechanic, watched the scene and denounced both Duvalier and Preval, a former anti-Duvalier activist. “The citizens of this country have endured so much crime,” Alexi said. “We haven’t had a president who hasn’t committed crimes.” Duvalier was removed from the hotel Tuesday after meeting in private with senior Haitian judicial officials inside his hotel room amid calls by human rights groups and others

for his arrest. The country’s top prosecutor and a judge were among those who met with the former leader in the high-end hotel where he had been ensconced returning to Haiti. Dozens of Haitian National Police officers were posted inside and around the hotel, some of them in riot gear or guarding the stairwells. A police vehicle for transporting prisoners was parked in front of the hotel’s main door and all non-police traffic was halted at the driveway.

Henry Robert Sterlin, a former ambassador under Duvalier who has said in recent days that he was speaking as a spokesman for the former dictator, told reporters at the scene he was shocked by the developments. “Let’s see if they put him in prison,” he said.

Duvalier assumed power in 1971 at age 19 following the death of his father, Francois “Papa Doc” Duvalier.

The father and son presided over one of the most brutal chapters in Haitian history, a period when a secret police force known as the Tonton Macoute tortured and killed opponents. The private militia of sunglasses-wearing thugs enforced the Duvalier dynasty’s absolute power and lived off extortion.

At Fort Dimanche, a fortress prison, Haitians were executed or died of malnutrition during the 1957-1986 Duvalier dictatorships. Ripples of pain and violence stemming from the Duvalier family’s dictatorship over 29 years still deeply scar many Haitians, including those who were forced into exile abroad. Duvalier has

also been accused of pilfering millions of dollars from public funds and spiriting them out of the country to Swiss banks, though he denies stealing from Haiti.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights spokesman Rupert Colville said Tuesday that Duvalier’s return increases the chance that he could be charged with atrocities committed during his 15-year rule because it will be easier to bring charges in the country where the crimes occurred. He cautioned, though, that Haiti’s fragile judicial system may be in no position to mount a case.

Duvalier and his family spent years living in luxury on the French Riviera, driving fancy sports cars and staying in exclusive villas. Following financial difficulties, Duvalier moved to the Paris region in 1993.

He allegedly lost a large part of his fortune when he was separated from his free-spending wife. The Duvalier clan has waged a long-running battle to retrieve at least $4.6 million frozen in a Swiss bank.

For most of his exile, the ex-despot was quiet. But in September 2007, Duvalier took to Haitian radio from abroad to apologize for “wrongs” committed under his rule and urged supporters to rally around his fringe political party. A handful of loyalists campaigned to bring Duvalier home from exile, launching a foundation to improve the dictatorship’s image and reviving his political party in the hope that he could one day return to power democratically.

23th of January , 2011

Page 8

Brazil’s President Rousseff reviews Airforce Jets tender BRASILIA – New Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff has decided to delay awarding a multi-billion dollar Air Force jet contract and reevaluate the finalists’ bids, in a move that could signal a realignment of Brazil’s strategic and defense alliances.

The surprise decision is a blow to France’s Dassault, which as recently as last month looked like a lock to quickly win the deal, and puts its U.S.-based rival Boeing back in with a chance.

Rousseff’s predecessor, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, had while in office repeatedly expressed his preference for Dassault’s bid to build at least 36 Rafale jets at a cost of more than $4 billion as part of a long-running effort to modernize the Brazilian Air Force fleet.

The other finalists for the contract were the Gripen NG, produced by Sweden’s Saab, and Boeing’s F-18.

Lula left office on January 1 with-

out resolving the issue, although many observers believed the final decision in favor of Dassault was a mere formality since Rousseff was Lula’s chief of staff and she has retained many of his Cabinet members, including the defense minister.

ITAIPAVA, Brazil (AFP) – The death toll from catastrophic mudslides in Brazil last week rose Thursday to 702 as more bodies were recovered from the devastated mountainous Serrana region near Rio de Janeiro.

Rio’s state health and civil defense service, which gave the tally, also said around 14,000 people were homeless or unable to return to unstable areas.

The disaster, which struck Wednesday last week, is the worst of its type in Brazil’s history.

The toll was likely to rise further in the days ahead as emergency crews backed by 700 military personnel used helicopters and four-wheel drives to access areas that have been cut off for days. “I’m never going back there to live. Death will always be in that place,” said Roberto Fabiano Augusto, a survivor rescued from the isolated village of Vale de Cuiaba.

More than 50 people died in his village, he said. His family managed to escape, but his neighbors did not. “A lot of my childhood friends died. I don’t want to go back there to live,” he told AFP after a helicopter brought him to the nearby town of Itaipava.

The commander in charge of air res-

cues, Commander Luis Antonio Pinto Machado, said “there are still at least 10 areas cut off, which have populations from 500 to several thousand.”

The government has pledged $450 million in aid, $60 million of which have been released immediately.

Brazilian media called it the worst mudslide disaster in the country’s history, surpassing mudslides in a coastal town that killed 437 people in 1967.

Seasonal rains, normally heavy anyway, suddenly intensified unimaginably last week because of a cold front that dumped a month’s worth of water in a few hours.

As the water slipped under the soil on the region’s steep granite hillsides, the surface gave way, sending avalanches of mud, trees and big boulders crashing down into valley communities, wiping some of them out entirely and killing hundreds. Houses illegally built on the hillsides -- many of them by poor people occupying public land -- were immediately destroyed, and added to the deadly mass speeding downhill. Many wealthy properties were also swallowed up. The towns of Nova Friburgo, Teresopolis and Petropolis -- tourist destinations that used to be aristocratic getaways for

Instead, Rousseff has opted to “start over” in her evaluation process with no clear preference for any of the finalists, a senior government source said. “This is her decision now ... and she wants to look carefully at the details,” the source said on con-

dition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the talks.

In a sign that Boeing is still in the running, Rousseff personally asked U.S. senators visiting Brasilia last week for additional technology transfer guarantees from the U.S. Congress to bolster the Boeing bid, sources with knowledge of the conversation said.

The deal is the centerpiece of Brazil’s efforts to bolster its defense capabilities at a time when its clout in global affairs is growing in tandem with its economy. The government is also demanding generous transfers of proprietary technology, hoping to bolster its own growing defense industry.

Each of the offers has strengths and weaknesses. Dassault’s bid offers good technology transfers but carries a high price tag, officials have said.

Brazil mudslide deaths Chilean Government inover 700 and rising vokes State Security law

SANTIAGO – The Chilean government has invoked a state security law in the hope of quelling unrest sparked by its decision to raise gas prices. The Internal Security Law allows authorities to use the military to maintain public order as well as to triple judicial sanctions against those detained under the statute.

“The government has decided to take legal action using the Internal Security Law,” Interior Minister Rodrigo Hinzpeter said in a statement. “Our government is in favor of dialog,” he added. “But our duty is also to warn and to maintain public order.”

Two women were killed and 34 people were arrested in a violent protest in the southern city of Punta Arenas over a planned hike in natural gas prices last week. The women were killed late Tuesday when a pickup 19th century Brazilian nobility -were the worst hit.

Outlying villages were cut off as more than a dozen roads crumbled away or were covered with debris.

For the past few days, military heli-

truck slammed into a barricade that had been erected by protesters. Protests continued Wednesday in Punta Arenas, a city of 140,000 people some 3,000 kilometers (1,860 miles) south of Santiago. Natural gas prices are heavily subsidized in the country’s far south, which is cold most of the year.

Local union leaders had called a general strike in protest against the price hikes.

Starting February 1, the price of natural gas is supposed to rise 17 percent. But even with the planned hike, the local subsidized rate is eight times less than consumers pay in the rest of Chile. Demonstrators have blocked the city’s port and kept people from getting off cruise ships and other boats that make port calls on the way to Antarctica or around the Strait of Magellan. copters have been sent out to those isolated areas, rescuing injured survivors and delivering desperately needed food, water and medicine. Authorities have warned that epidemics are now a real danger.

23th of January , 2011

Page 9

OBAMA’s CHINA SUMMIT WOES Failure to compromise on tough economic and security issues this week will have dangerous consequences for the president and Hu Jintao. Leslie H. Gelb on why the trick is to fight off the hawks on both sides with concrete deals on critical issues.

The U.S.-China summit this week could rank among the most pivotal in history. Presidents Barack Obama and Hu Jintao can either find concrete common ground to work out increasing differences, or they can settle for friendly gasbag rhetoric that will bow to their mutual and mounting hawkish pressures.

The disagreements between the two global powers are significant enough, but are being dangerously exaggerated by the military-intellectual complexes in both countries.

If Obama and Hu fail to reach tangible and practical compromises on tough economic and security issues, the consequences will be most serious: The two nations that are shaping the world to come will move from a period of modest cooperation and mutual testing to a very testy era. No one is talking about wars or anything like that. But they are talking about a level of political and economic conflict that will block cooperation and heighten international tensions.

Just days before the leaders meet in Washington, it looks like the “compromises” will be more rhetorical than substantive. On the plus side, officials say the leaders will announce tens of billions of dollars in new contracts for Beijing to purchase U.S. goods, especially civilian aircraft. On the minus side, there might be some unpleasantness on human rights, with Obama hardening his stance, and Hu telling him to mind his own business. If that is the result of the summit, hawks on both sides will rejoice.

Thus far, Obama administration officials have been trying much harder than the Hu team to find solid common ground in the danger zones, precisely to head off increasing right-wing influence on policy.

U.S. officials see what hawks on both sides are doing—exaggerating threats and differences, driving those differences to sword’s point.

Contrary to what U.S. hawks say, Obama officials are far from oblivious to the new Chinese tendency to muscle neighbors and others, and they are troubled by it. The White House knows well its need to demonstrate toughness. Thus, the Obama team has been walking the tricky line between pressing for needed deals with Beijing in the mutual interest and, at the same time, not looking weak.

US President Barack Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao The problem is that Chinese officials don’t seem nearly as concerned about the looming pitfalls or much disposed toward genuine compromises. On Sunday, Hu told American reporters that he wanted to seek “common ground” and build “mutual trust.” But from this side of the Pacific, their stance looks otherwise: Overall, they’re trying to sound congenial, along the lines Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping originally set for relations with Washington decades ago. Thus, the

Chinese say they don’t want confrontations or bad relations with Washington, they want cooperation on economic matters. They still see the U.S. as the world’s leading economic and military power; indeed, they’re quite happy to see Washington continue to play the role of the world’s policeman.

If anything, Chinese officials are sending off signals that they think they are completely in the right about every matter in dispute, and that Washington is totally in

the wrong on every count.

But scratch that surface with a few tough questions about new Chinese assertiveness and muscularity, and they can get quite emotional, even heated. If anything, Chinese officials are sending off signals that they think they are completely in the right about every matter in dispute, and that Washington is totally in the wrong on every count. In sum, many Chinese leaders, businessmen and youth are feeling their oats.

They note that the U.S. is still far ahead of them, but they feel equal, if not superior, already. They’re supersensitive to what they see as being pushed around by an America used to Chinese inferiority. It’s not just that they feel a chip on their shoulders; it’s that they feel it’s their turn to lead—albeit without being willing to step forward and take responsibility for leadership. Leadership is costly. Real leaders not only assert their interests vigorously, but make compromises and sacrifices in order to lead successfully and without the costs of conflict. Chinese leaders today just appear content or determined to continue growing economically and not making any sacrifices. They are not inclined to do much by way of getting tough with North Korea or Iran, potential nuclear problems, if it requires economic or other sacrifices.

Obama, Jintao Hu seek common ground

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama is lavishing the grandest of White House welcomes on Chinese President Hu Jintao as the leaders of the world’s two top powers try to find common ground on economic and security issues without alienating their domestic audiences.

With many Americans blaming China at least in part for the high U.S. unemployment rate, both presidents will be looking to build trust in a relationship grounded in mutual interest but troubled by intractable disputes.

It follows an up and down two years in which an assertive China initially cold-shouldered the U.S. on climate change, did little to reel in its unpredictable ally North Korea and responded limply to U.S. pleas to mitigate trade imbalances. For its part, the U.S. riled China by selling arms to Taiwan and inviting Tibet’s spiritual

leader, the Dalai Lama, to the White House. Both sides are now setting a more positive tone.

Hu was welcomed on arrival Tuesday at Andrews Air Force Base by Vice President Joe Biden and then attended the first of two dinners Obama is hosting for him during his four-day U.S. stay. After talks Wednesday, the two leaders will hold a joint news conference — just four questions allowed. They are expected to announce an agreement to establish a jointly financed nuclear security center in China.

A full state dinner at the White House in the evening will be the ceremonial highlight.

While the agenda is packed with weighty issues, expectations remain modest.“Overcoming the sense of mistrust is probably the most important thing,” said Charles Freeman, a China expert at the Center for the Strategic and International Studies, a Washington-based think tank.

Hu’s visit comes as the political trajectory has shifted for both nations.

China’s success in weathering the global economic crisis coincided with an increasing confidence — critics would say brashness — on the world stage and worries among its neigh-

bors in Asia over its growing military clout. Ultimately, that distrust has benefited the U.S., as nations such as Japan, South Korea and even Vietnam have looked to cement stronger ties with the U.S. as a regional power.

The U.S. economy has shown signs of recovery and Obama also has rebounded from his own political problems, notably the loss of one house of Congress to the Republican Party in November midterm elections. A nuclear arms reduction treaty he orchestrated with Russia was approved, and he has been lauded for a touchstone speech in the aftermath of the shooting massacre in Arizona. His previously stellar poll ratings have begun to recover after months in the doldrums.

That shift in fortunes is unlikely to translate into major concessions from Hu, but Obama may encounter a more amenable Chinese leader, who will be looking to burnish China’s image in the U.S. and his own standing before he steps down in 2012.

Stiff and media-averse, Hu, 67, has been in power since 2002. While lacking the charisma of predecessors Jiang Zemin and Deng Xiaoping, he has presided over a remarkable rise in China’s economy.

23th of January , 2011

Page 10

Barrow’s No Sense of Urgency

...To Restore Belize

By: Nuri Muhammad

Last week Restore Belize sponsored a workshop of government and NGO representatives to gather information that will be included in a final document on the way forward in implementing the Restore Belize’s plan of action, sometime at the end of February. That will mean, eight months after Restore Belize was first announced to the public as the government’s flag ship in dealing with the critical crime problem there is still no urgency to Restore Belize.

Imagine that, after an elaborate pronouncement by the prime minister that Restore Belize would form the government’s response to a crime problem out of control; the program is still holding workshops to formulate its plan of action.

When this plan is finally ready, Restore Belize will apparently begin to do what it was originally proposed to do in June of last year: reduce crime.

Anyone who has read the preliminary documents that accompanied the launching of Restore Belize would have to agree that its goals were lofty and its efforts, ambitious, but its results, after eight months, have been disappointing. In fact, if their future actions are anything like its past there is not much to be expected from the high-profile hyperbole that characterized its introduction. “Where’s the beef?” the Americans would ask. Besides a popular song, “I am Belize”, Restore Belize has not made the slightest difference in the crime situation affecting the country of Belize; not in the city or anywhere else.

From the very beginning one had to wonder if government was serious when it chose a director to Restore Belize who didn’t have a clue of the enormity of the problem she was dealing with on the ground, despite the fact that for years she lived only 2 blocks from hard-core George Street. From day one it was clear to practitioners experienced in the crime problem that the PM had selected the wrong person for the job; not only did she lack the practical experience but she clearly didn’t have the ‘vibes’ necessary to deal with the epicenter of the problem of street crimes. In fact, the only credentials the PM announced, when introducing Ms. Vasquez, was that she was a qualified proposal writer who knew how to draw funding from abroad. Was that what it was all about: funding?

I’m not even sure if its director knew exactly what the goal was in government introducing such an initiative in the first place; if she did, she must have realized that she didn’t need eight months to re-invent the wheel of what to do about the crime problem. Are we to believe

that this is the first time that Ms. Vasquez is “aware of the root causes of crime …. to identify the source and corrective measures to prevent a social phenomenon from maturing into physical acts of violence…”? It truly sounds disingenuous for Ms. Vasquez to talk about crime and its causes as if this is something new to Belize and the region; maybe all this is new to her but the cause of crime is certainly not new and we didn’t just find out about the “social phenomenon” since Dr. Gayle did his research; in fact, there is nothing new in Gayle’s Report.

Was this all a game? Why are we spending scarce resources to hire expensive consultants with “decades of experience in social planning, social policy development and social research in Belize” to write an elaborate project document to tell us what we already knew? All these consultants have to do, (and probably will do), is dust off the previous reports they have done over the last twenty years, for both governments, and do some creative ‘cut n paste’ and present an exhaustive document saying what we already knew; then collect wan big money on top of it.

Shouldn’t they be ashamed of themselves in this process; especially when they realize that it was because of the critical nature of the crime situation that was affecting us last year; with grenades exploding in the city and a public hue and cry that eventually pressured the government to make a grand announcement at a special meeting at the Fort George Hotel in June, that they had a two prong plan to combat crime; one exotically called Operation Jaguar and the other, metaphorically named Restore Belize? Now, after eight months we have seen the muted results of the jaguar operation, but we are still being told that we have to wait for sometime in the future to see Belize restored. Again I ask, was this all a game? One has to wonder.

Now, it’s only two week into the new year, and already we have eight homicides and counting. Where is Restore Belize? Eight months after that big announcement by the prime minister they are is still coasting along, slowly, having the luxury to do strategic planning meetings to come up with a plan which they plan to launch sometime at the end of February; a lot of planning but little execution on the ground. Clearly there is no urgency here; and it’s exactly that lack of a sense of urgency that will continue to unravel the public confidence in the director and her staff of Restore Belize. Maybe it’s when the government recognizes its inability to contain the ensuing bloodbath that will follow the slaying of Raymond ‘Killa” Gentle that it will wake up to the impotency of its crime fighting strategy. (Comments welcomed at nuribze@gmail.com).

Education is the key to the future!

PRICE OF BUTANE AND GASOLINE UP!

As of mid-night last Friday 14th January 2011, the price of fuel and butane went up again. The price of Regular-gasoline went up by eight cents from $10.04 to $10.12. Premium-gasoline went up16 cents from $10.29 to $10.45. Diesel went up by eighteen cents from $9.14 to $9.32.

Kerosene was hiked up by seventeen cents from $7.52 to what is now $7.69.

The price of Butane gas also went and housewives will have to find an additional four dollars per hundred pound cylinder. In Belize City and Corozal the retail price per hundred pound cylinder of butane now stands at $126 dollars and in Belmopan and San Ignacio the price is now $128 dollars. In Orange Walk Town the price stands at $126 while in Benque Viejo del Carmen the price rose to $129. In the southern districts housewives will pay$130 in Dangriga and $131 dollars in Punta Gorda. The previous hike in the price of butane was last month on December 3rd 2010 when the price increased by eight dollars.

WADE FOUND GUILTY OF SLUSHER’S MURDER

In the Belize Supreme Court this past Monday, a jury of eight women and four men returned a verdict of guilty in the murder trial of 32-year-old Orlando Wade. The jury deliberated for about three and a half hours before returning a unanimous guilty verdict.

Wade was charged with the murder of 45-year-old Dorla Pitterson Slusher which occurred on June 24th of 2008 in the village of Sand-

hill. Slusher’s body, nude from the waist down was found in an abandoned latrine behind Sylvia’s Cool Spot Bar. Barry Rosales, the chief witness testified that he passed by the latrine hours before he saw Wade on top of Slusher beating her. Rosales said when he saw Wade the next day he asked him about the incident and Wade said he killed the woman and if he, Rosales did not believe he could look in the latrine. Rosales told the court that he did go to the latrine and was met with the gruesome reality where he saw Slusher with a rope tied around her neck.

A post mortem examination done

by Dr. Mario Estradabran revealed that she died from asphyxia due to strangulation. In a statement from the dock Wade denied having committed the crime. The trial judge Justice Adolph Lucas has deferred sentencing until Friday, January 27 in order to give Wade’s attorney, Kevin Arthurs time to prepare a plea for mitigation. Senior Crown Counsel Yohhanseh Cave represented the prosecution.

MAN CHARGED FOR FRAUDENTLY COLLECTING DONATIONS January 17, 2011

A man from Santa Elena, Cayo has been arrested and charged for fraudulently gathering alms. According to Police the vice chairperson of the Belize Red Cross Belmopan Branch, Alan Moore reported that he was informed on Saturday afternoon that there was a man at the Texaco gas station at the corner of the Hummingbird Highway and Forest Drive soliciting money on behalf of the Belize Red Cross. Moore said he went to the gas station along with the police where they saw the man in a Red Cross hat and shirt with a money box collecting donations on behalf of the Belize Red Cross. Moore said the man identified as 48-year-old Bryan Welch was collecting donations without the approval of the Belize Red Cross. As a result Welch was arrested and charged for the offence of fraudulently gathering alms.

Page 11

23th of January , 2011

Belize City Council to inaugu- Dan Silva Resigns! rate Eternal Garden Memorial ...as PUP Deputy Party Leader ...with hefty new fees Continued from page 1

Belize City, Thurs, Jan. 20 The new public cemetery at Mile 13 on the Western Highway is to be inaugurated tomorrow Friday, January 21st, with a ceremony hosted by the Belize City Council (BCC) and the Belize Evangelical Association, in partnership with the Council of Churches, starting at 10:00 a.m., and in the midst of raging controversy. The new cemetery’s name, “Eternal Garden Memorial” will also be unveiled then.

On Tuesday well known Belize City resident Charles Moss made history when he became the first person to be laid to rest at the new burial ground.

The Council in a release earlier this week said that they had run out of space for earthen graves at The Lord’s Ridge Cemetery, which has served since it opened on March 1st, 1886. Some undertakers, however, dispute that assertion, suggesting that a number of spaces are being hoarded for the well-to-do and politically connected.

The BCC said that burials will still be allowed at The Lord’s Ridge Cemetery for grave spaces which previously purchased and for the opening of old graves according to the following stipulations: 5-7 years to re-open ground spaces and 19 years to reopen vaults and tombs spaces. They stipulate that ground spaces built at “international standard” must wait 15 years before they can be re-used

and similarly vaults and tombs built at “international standard” must wait 23-25 years before they can be used.

But controversy erupted when Belize’s undertakers learned that fees at both The Lord’s Ridge Cemetery and the new Eternal Garden Memorial are being hiked by what one undertaker calculated is 566%. They are also particularly outraged that the proposed fees are being imposed without consultation, and without being passed into law.

One undertaker publicly described the Wayne Usher, the councilor responsible for the cemeteries, as “The councilor has two faces and it is which one of the faces speaking.”

In its release to the media this week the BCC had boasted that “this new burial ground is comprised of 20.7 acres of solid land sitting 19-24 feet above sea level” and the plans call for elaborate landscaping and non-denominational chapel. It burbles that “It provides the perfect setting, where our loved ones can rest in peace as they await the return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”

It is clear that the long embattled Belize City Council had been hoping that the issue of grave spaces would become a dead issue with the opening of the Eternal Garden Memorial, and that at least one of their many troubles could have been laid to rest there. Sadly it would seem that this is not to be.

APPLICATIONS FOR LIQUOR LICENSES Notice is hereby given that Lawrence Noralez is applying for a Publican Special

LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Culture V, Dangriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Ysela Julissa Contreras is applying for a Publican Special LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Bucana Bar, San Juan Village, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Qiong Xian Chen is applying for a Malt & Cider LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Yummy Yummy Food, Dangriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Simon Chen is applying for a Restaurant LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Rainbow Restaurant, Dangriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.

and supporter of the Party since 1988.

Silva’s disenchantment, however, may have more to do with his perception that Briceño has forged and is strengthening an alliance with the so-called “Old Guard” faction of the Party, an alliance that ensured that he, Briceño, was not challenged for leadership at the party’s just past national convention.

Just this week Briceño had countenance the wresting of the control of the Party’s media assets, Vibes Radio and The Belize Times newspaper, from Communications Director Narda Garcia and those being placed under the management of Party Treasurer Julius Espat and Chairman Henry Charles respectively. The move has been widely seen as an “ousting” of Garcia from Briceño’s inner coterie of advisors which also include Chief of Staff Stuart Leslie, brother Jaime Briceño, cousin Renan Briceño, and Treasurer Julius Espat.

The disagreement’s epicenter was the Belize Rural North constituency standard bearer convention scheduled for this Sunday, January 23rd, 2011 and whether or not it would be an endorsement of attorney Arthur Saldivar, or whether Jerome Wade would be allowed to challenge him and the candidate selected by election.

The NEC decided by a vote with only 3 nays, that the weekend decision of Party Chairman for an endorsement convention for Belize Rural North would stand because Wade had in effect withdrew his candidacy after signing an agreement to abide by the rules as had been agreed to.

Both Saldivar and Wade had applied to be the Party’s candidate but Wade application ran into a road block when the Order of Distinguished Service (ODS), after interviewing both men, recommended that Wade be disqualified, after questioning his character, and because they felt he had failed to show any evidence of support. Wade had also not applied through the constituency committee.

Wade appealed the recommendation, and won his appeal after Party Leader Johnny Briceño weighed in on his side and his proposed opponent yielded.

But at a meeting last weekend to prep for the convention, and after both candidates had signed an agreement, Wade backed out.

He complained that the list of eligible voters drawn up and presented by the constituency committee was too small, and was

comprised of nearly all Saldivar supporters.

Despite the fact that he had already agreed and signed to terms that included that it would be a closed convention, and only members of the PUP who are registered voters in Belize Rural North Constituency, as collated by the PUP Belize Rural North constituency committee executive, would be eligible, his advisors demanded that the entire process be re-opened.

He was backed in his demand by eight members of the National Executive, including and apparently led by Communications Director Narda Garcia, and Deputy Leader Dan Silva, National Campaign Manager Eamon Courtenay, the youth arm president Kevin Bernard, ngo coordinator Hugh O Brien, Deputy Campaign Manager Servulo Baeza and Deputy Communications Directors Jose Mai and Rachel Montejo, who reputedly all threatened to resign if Jerome Wade was not allowed to run.

The National Perspective has learned that Silva and O’Brien stormed out of yesterday meeting after the vote reaffirmed the Chairman’s decision that “there was only one candidate, and as such the convention will proceed as was approved, on Sunday 23 January 2011 to endorse Mr. Arthur Saldivar as the Party’s standard bearer for Belize Rural North.”

Narda Garcia did not attend the meeting but the other dissidents did and only Baeza voted against the decision.

In its release today the party said that it was changing the rules and is effectively banning “closed” conventions. The roll of eligible voters would be culled from the Elections & Boundaries list of registered voters by a vetting committee comprised of the candidates, the constituency chairpersons and the Party Chairman and only “known supporters of another political party” would be disqualified.

This decision will have to be ratified by National Party Council and the Party’s annual convention.

This weekend the PUP faithful will celebrate at endorsement conventions for Rodwell Ferguson in Stann Creek West, as well as Saldivar’s. Ferguson will be endorsed at Red Bank Village, South Stann Creek District, Saturday afternoon.

After that things could get dicey with several contested conventions scheduled in Corozal Bay, Toledo West, and Corozal Southwest coming up.

Page 12

23th of January , 2011

… that was fair comment, your honour!

By: Glenn Tilllett

I was struck by the tenor of Acting Chief Justice’s Samuel Awich’s address this week at the ceremonial opening of the Supreme Court for 2011, and not just because there wasn’t even a smidgen of an attempt at levity anywhere in it.

The first time I attended the ceremonial opening of the Supreme Court in 1979, I was struck by the exchange between the Attorney General and the Chief Justice. At that time both men sought to leaven their speeches with bon mots, pithy turns of phrases, and other witticisms, even resorting to Latin in their attempt to convey emotion and lighten what is otherwise very serious business.

Back then the Attorney General spoke first, and I suppose because we were under colonial rule, would use humour to blunt the sting of his criticisms, and sweeten any bitterness in his complaints. The Chief Justice would reply in vein, and would preface his reports about the courts’ activities and accomplishments, with his own ripostes and commentaries.

And yes, there were criticisms of the Bench by the Bar and complaints about the Bar by the Bench.

Even back then the Bar would find a way to gently, even jocularly complain about the timelines and quality of justice, while the Bench would criticize the deportment and posture of the Bar. I can’t recall who the President of the Bar Association was back then, but whosoever he was, and I am sure it was a “he”, he never spoke or was even referred to, not even in the breach. It was clear that the Attorney General spoke for the Bar, and the Chief Justice spoke for the Bench.

This week Acting Chief Justice Samuel Awich apparently spoke first. He was followed by the lady President of the Bar Association Mrs. Jacqueline Marshalleck, and Attorney General Bernard Quentin Augustus Pitts, SC. It was historic.

For purposes of this essay I won’t comment on Madam Marshalleck’s speech since I have yet to receive a copy of it, and would rather reserve my comments than risk mis-quoting her.

BQ, as the AG is affectionately known, had the line of the day when he said that ““The Honourable Prime Minister continues to maintain in high regard the independence of the judiciary.”

It bookended the Acting Chief Justice saying: “You may remember that some members of the Bar Association of Belize and some section of the press made much about the retirement of Chief Justice Conteh. Judges of the Supreme Court did not share their views.

Since we were not consulted in pri-

vate we maintained silence as is the tradition of judiciaries all around the World.

“The fact was that, it had been confirmed to Chief Justice Conteh about eleven months before his retirement date, that his tenure would not be extended beyond retirement age. There was nothing unconstitutional about that. Chief Justice Conteh himself informed the special sitting of this Court last year on 18.1.2010, seven months earlier that he would retire on his retirement date. He continued in office for two months after retirement date, but of those two months he took five weeks leave outside Belize. Earlier in March he had taken three weeks leave outside Belize, and much earlier in December 2009, he had taken three weeks leave outside Belize. It appears there was enough time to arrange work accordingly. About pending ten cases. I know well about eight of them. I suggest that those who complained had not seen those cases. Those who made much noise about the retirement of Chief Justice Conteh might have hurt his purpose rather than helped it.”

I opened up my comments about the Acting Chief Justice’s speech by saying I was struck by its tenor because of its contrast to the time when I started out covering the High Court. But I was also struck that the Acting Chief Justice’s speech sounded so much like he was reading a judgment.

I daresay, and with respect, that in the matter of former Chief Justice Dr. Abdulai Conteh demitting the Belizean bench, he missed the point of our consternation. Sure some lawyers, and in fact almost any learned person can and could and at times it seem did argue the constitutional merits or demerits of what transpired but we, the great unlearned that make up the body politic, were disturbed simply because Dr. Conteh was asked to leave.

Dr. Conteh brought stability and confidence to a judiciary that had been long viewed with skepticism, and had been shaken to its very foundations by a near constitutional crisis and the unprecedented defrocking of a judge.

He also spearheaded and surehandedly presided over the greatest physical, philosophical and institutional re-building, re-habilitation and expansion of our judicial system. The vast majority of Belizeans believe we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Acting Chief Justice Samuel Awich paid no tribute to his predecessor and I for one question that absence but, I hasten to say, impute no motive. And I hasten to say because he ended with a warning: “Finally, I take this opportunity to mention that last year some attorneys and some section of the press took to making

The Editor The National Perspective Newspaper Dear Editor, As Carnival Cruise line attempts to gobble up another area of cruise tourism in the county, specifically the ferrying of cruise ship tourists from their ship to the tourist-village with tender vessels, Belizeans should all unite especially those, who have invested heavily in the tender business, to prevent this latest attempt to deny hardworking and competent Belizeans a piece of the tourism pie.

Carnival already makes almost 95% of the money that its passengers spend on inland tours and sea trips from its sale of package tours on board a ship before it docks in Belize. Having identified keys persons in Belize and abroad to front for its takeover of the tender business in the country, Carnival made its move to do that two weeks ago. Aware that the carrying capacity of most Belizean tender boat is less than 150 persons, the cruise line announced that it would only do business with tenders that can carry a minimum of 150 passengers. When the local tenders came together to meet that condition, Carnival quickly moved the goal post saying that it would only do business with tenders than can carry a minimum of 200 passengers. In demonstrating that firm stand Carnival diverted its biggest cruise line from docking in Belize this week causing the country to lose thousands of dollars in revenue from cruise ship passengers.

Due to the fear of losing more cruise ship dollars if Carnival reduces the number of ships that dock in Belize to pressure the local tenders to allow it to gobble up the tender business for itself, some stakeholders in the industry have publicly suggested that we give the giant cruise line the entire tender business. Their reasoning is that in doing that the giant cruise line will leave us with the crumbs we are currently getting from other areas of cruise tourism.

What these people fail to realize is that Carnival cruise line wants to gobble up all the money making aspect of cruise tourism in Belize as it does in many other small caribbean countries where leaders, who are opportunists, allow it to have its own way.

If we allow this Cruise line to displace the local tender operators with its own people, it will only be a matter of time before it seeks to replace the tour operators inside and outside of the village with its own people as well. For that reason, it is crucial that this incompetent and uncaring government gets its act together and supports the local stakeholders in cruise tourism in letting Carnival Cruise line and the other cruise line understand that while they’re welcome to do business in Belize, they must work with the locals stakeholders in the industry so that the cruise line, the local stakeholders, and the country can get a fair share of the tourism pie.

Sincerely yours, Gilroy Usher, Sr.

www.nationalperspectivebz.org unbecoming statements about judgments of courts and about some judges and magistrates. It is nothing new to judges and magistrates that when some people lose cases they say unpleasant things about the judge or magistrate; and on the other hand when they win their cases they sing praises of the same judge or magistrate. But normally that is not done in an orchestrated manner. We do not expect that from attorneys though. Some of the things said bordered on contempt of court, that is, bringing court into disrepute. That judges and magistrates

have not taken action should not be interpreted to mean that courts will not cite authors of offensive publication for contempt of court. There will be personal risk.”

It is in that respect, and with respect, that I say that the Belizean media must with despatch, convene an all-parties meeting amongst ourselves, and humbly ask the new Acting Chief Justice to say to us what are his “Judges Rules” regarding the coverage of the Judiciary, less some one of us, ends up before the Bar of Justice, to be gaveled by the Bench.

Page 13

23th of January , 2011

Tender Operators hopes dicipates 6 murder trials on Supreme Court’s first session Continued from page 1

and now Norwegian is insisting that they begin plying Belize’s harbor.

Norwegian accounts for 17% of the human traffic of day trippers to our shores from North America.

Both companies want larger tenders and lower costs.

Royal Caribbean who already own and employ two large tenders at lower costs, has 11% of the market while a gaggle of smaller companies and ships, some almost itinerant in their visiting, account for the remaining 12% of the total amount of visitors to our shores.

Yesterday it was reported that the cruise lines want to pay only reportedly $5.00 US per passenger, while the newly formed Executive Tenders of Belize Association is standing firm at $7.00 per head.

Yesterday it was reported that the lines had coalesced behind being represented by Martha Williams and Eurocaribe, their shipping agent from the outset. It was reported yesterday that the tender operators had accepted a compro-

Latest

mise of $500 per trip, irrespective of passenger load, at least for the time being.

Channel 7 News reported that the Barrow administration was prepared yesterday to tell the cruise lines to hell with their demands – they didn’t have to come to Belize. None one else seems able to confirm that that was indeed the case.

A press conference was called for 12:30 p.m. at the House of Culture and then as abruptly cancelled.

There is uncertainty in the air, and a sense of rising anger at the cruise lines, the administration, the big operators from the mass of many “small” Belizean operators, tour guides, and the like who believe that they are being squeezed out or marginalized. Already one small tender operator told the newspaper that he is resigned to his fate. He had invested what for him is a prince’s ransom, and he just know that tomorrow he will be left holding onto an empty boat.

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Belize City, Tues. Jan 18 The ceremonial opening of the Belize Supreme Court 2011 session was held in all its pomp and ceremony today, but despite the spectacle of bright robes, wigs, shiny uniforms and grave speeches, the spectre of escalating crime continue to clog the court’s docket.

This first session’s calendar has 6 murder cases scheduled, 2 cases of causing death by careless conduct, and separate hearings for single charges of carnal knowledge, abetment to crime, uttering fake documents, aggravated burglary and manslaughter by negligence.

In his address on the state of the judiciary Acting Chief Justice Samuel Awich reported that in 2010 in the Court of Appeal, 21 criminal case appeals and 44 civil case appeals were registered. 25 criminal case appeals and 60 civil case appeals were concluded.

He said that in the Supreme Court in 2010, 1 156 criminal cases were registered: 45 were murder cases; 30 were attempted murder cases; 3 were manslaughter cases; 1 was

a robbery case; 38 were rape and carnal knowledge cases and 39 were other criminal cases.

He pointed out that the Court completed 191 trials. “Most were cases brought in previous years.

Completed cases in 2010 exceeded the number registered in the year by 35. On average a judge completed 48 criminal trials, a very high number indeed.”

He also reported that 13,655 criminal cases were filed in the general magistrates’ courts and 11,350 concluded. 245 criminal cases were also registered in the Family and Juvenile courts. All these are increases over the year before.

Belize’s increasingly litigious society filed 982 civil claims (789 concluded) in the Supreme Court and 6,114 civil cases (4,620 concluded) in the General Magistrates’ Courts.

There were also 299 divorce and adoption cases filed and 120 appeals from Magistrates Courts along with 1,841 maintenance cases, parental responsibility cases, protection and restraining order cases and related cases filed in the Family and Juvenile courts.

Passengers to pay $5.00 Tax on Domestic Flights

The Belize Airports Authority (BAA) announced its implementation of a new $5.00 tax on all passengers travelling on domestic flight effective Saturday 15th January, 2011. The new surcharge will be added on tickets purchased for local destinations.

According to BAA Managing Director Kenworth Tillett, Passengers are now obligated to pay an additional five dollar ($5.00) fee wherever local airline tick-

ets are purchased.“This small fee has become necessary as the Authority seeks to secure loans to expand several airports in the country of Belize, including and most urgently and immediately, the Belize Municipal Airport,” Tillett said.

A release from Tropic Air indicates that all tickets charged to Tropic Air accounts will automatically have this fee included as of January 24, 2011. Tropic

Air apologizes for the late notice of this fee to its customers since the company was only given the order on January 14, 2011.

Tropic Air further clarified that the $5 fee will be charged every time a ticket is purchased, so purchasing round-trip tickets will be cheaper for customers as opposed to buying one-way tickets separately.

The BAA manages and maintains all public aerodromes in Belize with no subvention or funding from any external source. Capital improvements for the good and safety of the industry must be made and therefore utilizing Statutory Instrument No. 44 of 2010, which states “Regulations

made by the Minister responsible for Civil Aviation in consultation with the Belize Airports Authority, in exercise of the powers conferred upon him by section 36 of the Belize Airports Authority Act, Chapter 238 of the Substantive Laws of Belize, Revised Edition 2000-2003,” the Rider Fee has officially been implemented, explained Mr. Tillett.

In collaboration with COCESNA and the Government of Belize, the BAA, to date, has upgraded and improved; Corozal’s Ranchito Airport, Dangriga’s Pelican Airport and is currently working on the San Pedro Airport, all at no cost to the flying public and people of Belize.

www.nationalperspectivebz.org

Page 14

23th of January , 2010

Wesley College boys win 2 in CSSSA football Belize City, January 18, 2011

The Wesley College lead the Central Secondary Schools Sports Association CSSSA football competition with 2 back-to-back wins, while Edward P. Yorke, Gwen Lizarraga High School, St John’s College and Ladyville Technical High School posted their first wins at the MCC grounds on Monday and Tuesday.

Defending CSSSA champs, the Wesley College boys outlasted the Excelsior High School boys on Monday. Alex Braoster had scored first for the Excelsior boys, but Michael Perera soon equalized for the Wesley boys with his 6th goal of the competition and Brian White scored the 2nd winning goalThe Wesley College boys had stomped the Maud Williams High School boys 18-0 last Saturday afternoon.

Calbert Jefferies scored the 1st goal, when his header put the finish on a corner kick by Michael Perera. Michael Perera scored a hat trick with the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th goals to lead 4-0 after about 20 minutes of the 1st half.Keynon Lopez scored the 5th goal from long range, and Junior Najera made it 6-0 with a shot from the edge of the goal area. Godwin Neal converted a penalty for the 7-0 lead at the half.In the 2nd half, Michael Perera scored his 4th goal to lead 8-0, and Calbert Jeffries scored his 2nd goal to make it 9-0. Other players joined the goal-shooting derby as Perera created a play for Keynon Lopez to drill home his 2nd goal and a 10-0 lead.Brian White headed in the 11th goal, and Perera added a 12th goal, then set table for Brandon Lopez to score a 13th goal. When set table for Junior Najera, Junior took too long and Brandon Lopez booted it into the back of the net for the 14th goal.

Next Perera found Kevin Higinio to the right of the goal area, and Higinio’s right away kick scored the 15th goal. Wesley sweeper Khambrel Blease blasted in the 16th goal, then goalie Mervin Mendez, now playing out of goal, scored the 17th goal. Elston Flowers blasted in an 18th goal for the 18-0 win.The Edward P. Yorke boys enjoyed a 3-0 win over the Anglican Cathedral College boys in their 2nd outing.

Dylan Smith razzle-dazzle his way had 2 defenders to score the first, winning goal to lead 1-0 at the half.

Midfielder Ceton Martinez outran the ACC defense for a 1-on1 with the ACC goalie, who did not even move as Ceton blasted the ball into the left corner of the net.

The ACC goalie w a s out-

lege blew out the Anglican Cathedral College boys 11-0 in the opening game on Friday night. Rasheed Pollard headed in the 1st winning goal and added a 2nd goal on a free kick. Adrian S e -

bastian added a 3rd goal, Harold Nava drilled in a 4th, and Devaughn Zuniga added a 5th, before Tariq James scored to make it 6-0 at the half.

In the 2nd half, Devaughan Zuniga passed to Avian Crawford who scored the 7th goal and Avian’s individual effort ended with an 8th goal. Rasheed Pollard blast-

ed a rebound into the net to complete his hat trick, score: 9-0. Milhelm Hernandez added a 10th goal and Devaughn Zuniga scored his 2nd goal for the 11-0 win.The Ladyville Technical high School boys enjoyed their fisrt win 4-0 over the Edward P. Yorke boys on Saturday afternoon. Eck Garcia scored the 1st goal for a 1-0 lead at the half.

In the 2nd half, substitute Wilson Franco scored a 2nd goal, and Joe Pandy added a 3rd with a long range missile the the EPYorke goalie just could not handle, he got his fingers on it, only to tip the ball into the back of the net, and Eck Garcia added a 4th for the 4-0 victory.

BES girls win 2 back-to-back in primary schools basketball Belize City, January 18, 2011 played a s h e came out t o m e e t an attack on the left flank, and he was beaten when the ball was crossed to Tyrel Rowley who smacked it into the back of the net for the 3-0 final scoreThe Gwen Lizarraga High School boys also ran over the Excelsior High School boys 13-0 last Saturday. Donovan Madrill scored the 1st goal when his shot deflected off the crossbar and the goalkeeper’s back before bouncing into the net. John Valerio added a 2nd goal and Raheem Flowers scored the 3rd, Othniel Falaise added a 4th and Akeem Jones nailed a 5th for a 5-0 lead 5-0 at the half.

The Excelsior boys tried to get an attack going, but were frustrated by Gwen Liz sweeper Alfred Garnett who said no way. Raheem Flowers scored a 6th goal, Akeem Jones added a 7th , and Edwin Mendezblasted in an 8th goal. Alfred Garnett drilled home a long range shot for the 9th goal, and Ralph Martinez made it 10-0.

The Belize Elementary School girls enjoyed their 2nd back to back win,

when t h e Belize City primary schools b a s ketball competition organized by the National Sports Council continued at the Belize City Center on Tuesday, January 17.The BES girls outlasted the St John’s Anglican girls 4-2 on Tuesday. Twinkle Bhojwani scored 2 free throws and Chelsea Williams added a bucket for the 4-2 win, while Ashley Bailey scored for the St John’s girls.The St Martin De Porres RC School girls got the easy by to their 1st win when the Central Christian School girls were a no show for their scheduled game on Tuesday afternoon.The undefeated Holy Redeemer girls posted their The Excelsior goalie’s defensive 3rd back-to-back win 12-67 over error allowed John Valerio to in- the St. Luke’s Methodist School tercept an errant pass and exact girls on Monday. Shanice Neal the maximum penalty with an 11th scored 6pts for the Holy Redeemer goal. Valeiro complete his hat trick girls while Jenelly Lamb scored plus one with 2 more goals for a 3pts for St. Luke’s.The Holy Re13-0 final score.The St John’s Col- deemer girls posted their 2nd win

over the Central Christian School girls last Thursday; as Kayla Arnold, Melanie Arzu and Alleyea Alford scored a bucket each for a 6-0 win. Kayla Arnold had also scored 8 pts as for Holy Redeemer’s 8-0 win over the Ephesus 7th Day Adventist School girls last Wednesday.The Queen Square Anglican Primary school posted their 2nd victory over the Ephesus 7th Day Adventist School girls on Monday; when Tyra Bradley scored s bucket for the 2-0 win.The Central Christian girls tasted success last Friday when Tricia Jefferies scored 12 pts as she led them in an 18-0 romp over the James Garbutt 7th Day Adventist School.

The St John’s Anglican Primary School posted their 2nd win 9-8 over the St. Luke’s Methodist School girls last Thursday. Ashley Bailey scored 5pts for St. John’s Primary School while Jenelly Lamb scored 5 pts for St. Luke’s Methodist School.

23th of January , 2010

Page 15

Wesley Upper & Grace Primary boys win 3 in primary schools basketball

liams scored 6pts each.

Belize City, January 18, 2011 The Wesley Upper School and Grace Primary School boys both posted their 3rd wins when the Belize City primary schools basketball competition organized by the National Sports Council continued at the Belize City Center on Tuesday, January 17. The undefeated Wesley Upper School posted their 3rd win 25-8 over the Ephesus 7th Day Adventist School boys on Tuesday. Fredrick Williams led the Wesley with 15 pts while Shaqille Thurton scored 8 pts for the Ephesus boys.The Wesley Upper boys posted their second win 34-26 over the St. John’s Anglican Primary School boys last Thursday.

Shaquille Crawford led the Wesley Upper boys with 13 points while Derrick Gentle scored 11 points for St. John’s Primary School.The Grace Primary School boys got the easy by to their 3rd win when the Central Christian School boys were a no show for their scheduled game on Tuesday afternoon. The Grace Primary boys had posted their 2nd win 27-14 over the James Garbutt 7th Day Adventist School boys on Monday. Rakeem Flowers scored 10pts for Grace Primary, while Kenyon Thurton scored 6pts for James Garbutt. The Grace Primary School boys had posted

posted their 2nd win in 4 outings 34-13 over the St. Luke’s boys on Monday. Jover Lopez led Holy Redeemer School with 11 pts, while Jamie Williams led St. Luke’s with 10pts.The St. Martin De Porres School boys posted their 2nd win 34—14 over the Holy Redeemer boys last Friday. Ashton Pitts led the St. Martin’s boys with 14 pts while Jover Lopez scored 9pts for Holy Redeemer.The St. Martin’s boys had posted their first The Caye Caulker School boys won win 39-15 over the Queen Square 15-11 over the St. Luke’s Method- Anglican boys last Wednesday. ist School boys on Tuesday. Car- Clency Lopez scored 12pts for los Jimenez scored 12 pts for Caye St. Martin’s while Ashton Pitts Caulker School while Trey Mck- added 7pts. Devin Parham led the enzie scored 3pts for St. Luke’s. Queen Square boys with 7 pts, and The Holy Redeemer School boys Jason Anderson and Travis Wiltheir first win 11-3 over the Stella Maris School boys. Aaron Grinage led Grace Primary with 4pts while was Adian Rosado tossed in a bucket for Stella Maris School.

The St. Ignatius RC School boys posted their 2nd win 45-34 over the Queen Square Anglican School boys on Tuesday. Sydney Bradley led the Nashus boys with 22 pts, while Jason Anderson scored 16 pts. for Queen Square.

The All Saints’ School boys posted their 4th back to back win 29-11 over the Stella Maris School boys on Monday. Keyvon Evans led All Saints’ School with 13 points while Glen Bowen scored seven points for Stella Maris. The All Saints’ boys had posted their third win 37-7 over Ephesus 7th Day Adventist School last Friday.

Keyvon Evans scored 22 pts for All Saints, while Antoine Palacio scored 4pts for Ephesus School.

All Saints boys’ had posted their 2nd win 28-11 over the James Garbutt 7th Day Adventist boys on Thursday. Keyvon Evans led All Saints’ School with 18 pts while Hubert Fraser scored 6pts for James Garbutt. Keyvon Evans also scored 19pts All Saints’ School in their 1st win 29-25 over the Central Christian School boys last Wednesday. Anfernee Brooks had led the Central Christian boys with 14 pts.The Central Christian School boys enjoyed their first victory when they triumphed 34-6 over the boys of James Garbutt School.

Marques Stamp led the Central Christian boys with 11 points while Christopher Zelaya scored 4pts for the James Garbutt boys.

Pallotti High School girls win 2 in CSSSA football Belize City, January 18, 2011 The Pallotti High schoolgirlslead the Central Secondary Schools Sports Association CSSSA football competition with 2 back-to-back wins, while the St Catherine’s Academy girls posted their first win at the MCC grounds on Monday.The Pallotti girls posted their 2nd win 1-0 over the Ladyville Technical High School girls on Tuesday evening.

Athnee Alford, Kedidra Tun and Latwanda Enriquez had led the Pallotti girls attacks supported by Shinelle Lord, Kerlin Garcia, and Vivian Noralez at midfield.Kristen Fuentes, Shenese Rhaburn and Ann Godoy led the Ladyville girls attacks, supported by Jennifer and Kenny Garcia and Jami-

ka Ferguson at midfield, but they could not get by the Pallotti defense anchored by Jinelle Pott, with the help of Gorlee Marin and Yanira Cayetano and they made no im-

pression on Pallotti’s goalie Kelsey Franklin.Jinelle Pott succeeded in evading the Ladyville defenders Shadieah Garcia, Shameka Franklin, Natalie Allen and Daisy Williams toscore the 1st winning goal before the half time break.

Khadejah Wilson came off the bench to refresh the Pallotti attacks in the 2nd half, and the Pallotti

girls held the Ladyville girls scoreless to secure the 1-0 win, which was marred only by the ejection of Gorlee Marin with a red card.Jinelle Pott had also scored the winning

goal in the 1st half in the pallotti girls’ 1-0 win over the Wesley college girls on S a t u rd a y

morning.The St Catherine’s Academy girls had handed the Wesley girls their 2nd loss by a 3-0 win on Monday evening.

Kursha Pollard had scored the 1st winning goal, Christiane Rodriguez added a 2nd goal and Khiana Gordon added a 3rd for the SCA girls’ 3-0 win The SCA girls had settled for scoreless draw with the Gwen Lizarraga High School girls last Friday. Leera Carr and Tatiana Habet had led the SCA attacks with the help of Kursha Pollard, Kathrine Maradiaga, Christiane Rodriguez and Leolyn Martinez at midfield, but made no impression on the Gwen Liz defenderes Faith Mejia, Justine Westby, Jasmine Joseph and Kristel Augustine.Keira Dawson and Jersha Estrada tried to get Gwen Liz on the scoreboard, supported by Deandra Coote, Jennifer and Jakeima Mieghan and Sheridiann Gillett, at midfield, but SCA’s sweeper Ashley Pelayo said no way!

Diedra Gill, Leanne Murray and Aaliyah Williams helped clear away the ball and goalie Ashley White took care of all other challenges.

The Anglican Cathedral College girls had also battled to a scoreless draw with the Ladyville Technical High School girls when the competition kicked off last Friday.

Page 16

23th of January , 2011

Zenaida Moya Flowers looks at National Politics

Last week in the last paragraph of impartial view I referred to the division within the United Democratic Party, which boils-down to a lack of foresight within the government. The far-reaching effects of that division have caused chaos in the delivery of goods and services and are gravely affecting the Belizean people while our national resources continue to be grossly mismanaged by those in government. This week I will try to compare the events happening within both the U.D.P. and the P.U.P. as the two parties carry out their conventions. However, I will not shy away and will continue to highlight the national issues that continue to plague this government. The hot political potato in Barrows hand right now continues to be Barrow’s inability to solve the controversy between Carnival Cruise Line and our local tender Operators. This particular issue seems to be a web that Prime Minister Barrow and his blue eye boy Mike Singh spun on their own and are now trapped in it. Barrow apparently miscalculated the political impact and the devastating effects on the tourist industry.

Where are the fantastic four, are these the effects of their negotiations? Where is the stay of execution? The Prime Minister came last Monday taking credit for the success, but it was nothing but a sham and since then Carnival has moved the goal post to their convenience and with each deadlock it is obvious that Barrow put his foot in his mouth.

Barrow came out telling the nation that he had arranged a ‘stay of execution ‘ until October 2011, which will be the start of the 2012 tourist season, only to find out Carnival struck that down and are demanding quite the opposite. The question on the minds of Belizeans: Who is lying, Carnival or Prime Minister Barrow? Was this a pre arranged agreement between government and Carnival and now that its effect is hitting home Barrow is trying to deceive us? Anyway, as far as I am concerned the question of what negotiations and decisions were held and made with Carnival and why it was not communicated to the Tender Operators? To my mind, the responsibility has to be placed squarely in the hands of the former CEO in Ministry of Tourism, Mike Singh and the government of PM Barrow. I cannot understand why Prime Minister Barrow is risking the little that left of his integrity as Head of State to protect Mike Singh. It is

perceived that there is more to this duplicity than just friendship. Nothing should be greater than protecting the interest of the local tender operators and keeping our dollars at home.

Obviously, this callous government could care less about the rights of Belizeans to earn a living in their own country. On Tuesday and Thursday Carnival Cruise Line put the squeeze on the tourism sector and refused to make its schedule calls on Belize and PM Barrow seem either unwilling or helpless to push back Carnival into a viable solution. That is the difference between a Said Musa and Dean Barrow.

The Tender Operators are preparing to go to Miami to meet with representatives of the cruise lines but what can they achieve if the Prime Minister in his last attempt proved to be a wimp? Impartial view hopes that meeting open a window of hope and dialogue for the local investors.

There are two major other issues that we have to keep burning. The first being the political interference in the Election and Boundaries Registering Office in Corozal, that is a very serious situation it can have impacting effect on our democracy, and it questions the integrity of the electoral process which is ultimately the caretaker of our democracy. The other issue happens to be the incompetence our gross mismanagement of the resources relating to law enforcement. In this case am talking about the closure of the police station in Belama, the direct result of that is a significant increase in crimes in that neighborhood that became highlighted Monday night when an intruder did not only rob the Chinese grocery store that is located about 50 yards from the closed police station that resulted in a major cross fire with the intruder and police. It is as simple as this, if the police station was operating it would have been a deterrent from such an action, and everything else would have been avoided.

Earlier I promised I wanted to look at the U.D.P. and P.U.P. now that they are in their convention season as well as look at the double standard where the media in this country are concerned and the double standard that they practice. The U.D.P. in their constituency convention campaign is spending ridiculous amount of money on ads. They are openly using money at these conventions, which is categorized as a bribe and is a crime in Belize. The situation clearly exposes the fact that the media are silent on all the bull that the U.D.P. has been doing and continues to do. On the other hand, the P.U.P. has been trying to keep their process low key but the interference into the internal P.U.P. politics is so fueled by the media that it becomes such a blatant appearance of wrong for the U.D.P. if they use due process to arrive at endorsement conventions for some of their candidates. Perhaps because it is the P.U.P.

The National Perspective has learnt from reliable sources that once UDP poster girl, current Mayor of Belize City that was kicked out of the UDP has entered her name as a candidate for standard bearer in both the Fort George and Albert Division pending review. Moya Flowers has been the subject of several scandals at City Hall during her administration since 2006

but even though she was expelled from her party, she believes that she will be reinstated into the party before 2013 because of her wielding popularity.

Many political pundits believed that her special relationship with Minister Michael Finnegan would have resulted in an endorsement

by Finnegan for her to run in the Mesopotamia Division but all indications is that Finnegan is holding on believing that he can make another try and win in that division. Moya must be dreaming if she believes she stand a chance in either the Albert or Fort George Division but rather it may be political suicide or a fixed political death if the UDP reinstate her back into the party so she can hang herself by contesting either of the two mentioned divisions.

San Pedro Police has confirmed the death of San Pedro businessman Karen Sue Brown, owner of Isla Bonita Gallery and Frame Shop which is located at the Fairdale Plaza on Coconut Drive.

Brown’s dead body was discovered inside her business establishment sometime after mid-day on Monday. Initial police investigations reveal that they have rule

out fowl-play and believe that her death is a suicide because police say they found a suicide note next to the body. Friends and associates close to the businesswoman told the NP that Ms Brown business was very slow and she seem to be in a state of despair complaining that the economic hardships that was severely impacting on her Frame-Shop business.

San Pedro businesswoman found dead

www.nationalperspectivebz.org APPLICATIONS FOR LIQUOR LICENSES

Notice is hereby given that Anhel Sho is applying for a Malt & Cider LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Fermina’s Bar, Independence, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Iris Magdaleno is applying for Restaurant LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Iris Place, Hopkins Village, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Lawrence Noralez is applying for a Publican Special LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Culture V, Dangriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980. it gets tremendous publicity. The media have opened itself and allowed callers to their talk shows to attack the process simply because it is the P.U.P. while the U.D.P. continues to use election fraud, use bribery, mismanage the resources of the country, destroy the economy, turn the country into one big airport for drug traffickers and human smugglers, abuse their public authority, and allow crime to rocket up to civil war status and the independent media seems to be at a loss to come out and speak against those issues. The situation on the ground all across the country is that the more and more people have already de-

cided that the U.D.P. simply cannot govern, they have taxed the people to the bone. The media need to realize that with the economy shrinking at the rate that it is, it is only a matter of time before the government cut the subsidies that they are getting, and we all know what will happen when that subvention is cut, but you can save yourself from looking like the ultimate hypocrite. You need to be fair, treat the P.U.P. the same way you treat the U.D.P., be the guardian of our democracy that you are expected to be.

Take the money from the tax suckers but represent the taxpayers. Just my impartial view.

23th of January , 2011

Page 17

Three lives lost to suicide ...already in 2011 Births Zharen Aryon to derrick David and Cherry Lorraine Perera nee Berry Kareem Kishane to Fitzroy Gerald and Dorva Dorita Myles nee Andrewin Sylvianne Alexanda to Silvino Alexander and Sharon Leona Moya nee Wade Anthony Daniel to Anibal Antonio and Eva Diaz nee Monroy

Marriages Rudolph Franciso Orio to Melba Damiria Ocampo both of Belmopan, Cayo Jesus Martin Gomez to Dunia Maribel Pec both of Corozal Town, Corozal Manuel Jeronimo Pavon to Adrien Elizabeth Stern both of Missouri, USA Jamie Jones to Jerdi Guerrero both of Cristo Rey, Corozal Fernando Popper to Alieda Rivera both of Santa Familia, Cayo Alvaro Quiterio to Doris Palacios both of Duck Run III, Cayo Christopher Alexander Roca to Lily Melanie Jones both of Cristo Rey, Corozal Edgar Alonzo Seravia to Sandra Jamileth Tatum Correa both of Belmopan, Cayo Edwin Geovanny Chavez Ponce to Naysa Guadalupe Garcia Shish both of Benque Viej Del Carmen, Cayo Marco Tulio Ramirez to myra Chun both of Belmopan, Cayo Franklyn Geovanny Abrego Gonzalez to Soila Esperanza Diaz both of Belmopan, Cayo Arsenio Chuc to Susana Cuz both of Midway, Toledo Mauro Tut of Bullet Tree Falls, Cayo to Consuelo Isabel Cowo of Cool Shade, Cayo Pedro Umberto Valdez to Mariela Santos both of San Ignacio, Cayo Pablo Leonel Gallego to maria Vallecillo both of Carmelita, Orange Walk Irvin Amir Aragon to Geicy Leticia Chi both of Orange Walk Town, Orange Walk Renato Bol to Baigail Sam both of Bella Vista, Toledo Julio Choc to Rosa Chen both of San Felipe, Toledo Marcos Choc Jr. of San Felipe, Toledo to Clarinda Pop of Jacintoville, Toledo Federico Cho to Modesta Ixim both of Midway, Toledo Douglas John McKay to Donna Mae Hartley both of British Columbia, Canada Edgar Alvarez to Linni Aguirre both of Santa Cruz, Stann Creek Juan Garcia to bartola Diaz both of Independence, Stann Creek Solmin Sandres to Gloria Duarte both of Independence, Stann Creek Axel Ramos to Heidi Flores both of Bella Vista, Toledo Eden Castaneda to Irene Escalante both of Independence, Stann Creek Stanley Woelke to Denise Darlene Martinez both of Belmopan, Cayo Hugo Rolando Hernandez to Claudia Marleny Galicia both of El Progresso, Cayo Selvin Nehemias Cassasola to Jenny Marisela Tot Lopez both of San Ignacio, Cayo Esdras Gonzalez to Shaniece Skeen both of Belmopan, Cayo Margarito Pop to Jenene Kimberly Tesecum both of St. Matthew’s, Cayo Hugo Ramiro Reyes to Heidi Elizabeth Catalan both of Santa Familia, Cayo

Deaths Delvin Davis, 37 Findlay Norman Kelly, 70 Marilyn Lorette Belisle, 53 George Edward Taibo, 83 Urick Bernard Broaster, 57

Belize City, Thurs. Jan. 20

Today’s police report informs that a post mortem examination was conducted between the hours of 2:00pm and 4:13pm on the 19th January, 2011 by Dr. Hugh Sanchez, on Karen Sue Brown, 52 years US National, “where at the conclusion he certified the cause of death as Pulmonary Broncho Aspiration due to Cerebral Contusion.” Our reports are that she may have made the fatal decision to end her life after a long bout with clinical depression.

Ms. Brown became 2011’s third suicide when her body was found by a friend, San Pedro Sun newspaper editor Tamara Sniffen sitting on the verandah of her business Isla Bonita Gallery and Frame Shop just after midnight on Tuesday, January 18th.

Police say Sniffen had visited her earlier in the evening and had become alarmed by an email from Brown’s sister. Police sources say

she left a will/suicide note.

Just two days before on Sunday, January 16th, Elba Kerr of Hope Creek Village, Stann Creek District reported that about 10:20am, she returned home from church and found her grandson Christopher, 17, hanging from an extension cord attached to a beam in his room. Christopher was pronounced dead on arrival at the Southern Regional Hospital.

Police have concluded that he killed himself after becoming despondent over a failed romance.

On January 10th, a post mortem examination determined that Nathaniel Bolon, 18, of Maya Center Village, Stann Creek District, had died as a result of hepatic failure due to renal failure as a consequence of the toxic effect of ingesting Gramaxone.

Bolon was discovered by his brother Orlando on New Year’s Day vomiting. Nataniel had told him that had drunk the deadly herbicide because his girlfriend had left him.

ESCAPED PRISONER RECAPTURED Monday January 17, 2011

A prisoner who escaped from the Belize Central Prison on Sunday has been recaptured. Adan Meza also known as Alejandro was on farm duties at the prison on Sunday morning when he escaped. Police recaptured Meza on Monday morning near the Boom Bridge. Meza, a resident of the Corozal District was convicted of robbery in October 2008 and is serving a five year sentence. According to officials Meza would have been eligible for parole in March of this year.

Venezuela Embassy Objects to NP Cartoon

...says Chavez aint no dictator Continues from page 6

by means of instruments based upon the concepts of mutually advantageous economic exchanges and solidarity.

In this connection, it should be noted that the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela makes no judgment of any kind about the political or ideological views of The National Perspective, even though we do not agree with them.

While we respect the freedom of speech and the freedom of press, we believe that there are limits to address or speak about peoples and Nations, its Heads of State and Governments, particularly about those which have been good and faithful friends of Belize. Any kind of criticism is acceptable, provided that it is done in a courteous manner.

It is for this reason that the Venezuelan Embassy has decided to send this letter with the sole purpose of establishing the truth of the facts, under the principle of respect that should always

exist between peoples, authorities, and brother Nations, with a view to build a more integrated world, under the aegis of social justice and solidarity.

The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela will be ready to provide both The National Perspective and its readers with any further clarifications on any of the issues mentioned above.

The Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in Belize calls upon The National Perspective to seek information by means of reliable sources, especially the official Venezuelans channels, in order to fulfill its duty to inform truthfully its readers about the facts and therefore avoid misrepresenting a process of change that takes place a sovereign, democratic and free country, striving to be faithful to the principles and thoughts of Simon Bolivar, which are none other than the union of the peoples of Latin America and the Caribbean.

APPLICATIONS FOR LIQUOR LICENSES

Notice is hereby given that Anhel Sho is applying for a Malt & Cider LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Fermina’s Bar, Independence, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.

Notice is hereby given that Iris Magdaleno is applying for Restaurant LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Iris Place, Hopkins Village, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.

23th of January , 2011

Page 18

Aries- Take a deep breath, relax your shoulders and explain what’s going on to someone who cares. That’s all you need to do to relieve this crazy tension you feel. You may hear from someone (possibly a family member) who brings a whole new level of tension into your week. Just repeat the breathing and relaxing again. You won’t have to remind yourself of this stuff. Oh, glorious weekend, by Sunday, shower all your attention on one person.

Taurus- You can’t figure out what gear to be in on Monday. Do you want to fly down the highway? Do you want to go slowly enough to appreciate the wildflowers along the way? On Tuesday, your indecision translates to the commercial realm: Do you want to buy such and such or do you want to shop around? Decisions! Wednesday and Thursday you barely have to make any decisions whatsoever -- charisma and magnetism decide everything. Friday is defined by a lack of both charisma and magnetism. This week is a roller coaster!

Gemini- Maybe what you need to do is draw up a list of some sort.

Get organized. Create a budget. This is what you’re feeling on Monday and Tuesday, and as tedious as spreadsheets and the like sound, putting things in order may relax you. Wednesday and Thursday are charged days -- you and your friends are happy, garrulous, funny and driven -- but Friday is a bit dull. Communicating with family will be hard. Keeping up with all the email in your inbox will be hard. Heck, figuring out where to eat lunch will be hard.

Cancer- You feel like two people at the week’s outset. One of you has a lot of energy and is set on tackling problems that have absolutely nothing to do with you; the other is deeply interested in your own interior life, like your goals and feelings. Finding some balance is necessary. A big purchase defines the middle of the week -- it’s funny how striving for balance sometimes brings about extravagance. Toward the end of the week, you catch up with friends.

Leo- You’re sensitive on Monday and Tuesday, but you’re also remarkably productive. Even good friends won’t be able to tell what’s going on under your exterior of extreme efficiency. If you want them to know how you feel, you’ll have to tell them. And no time would be better than Wednesday or Thursday to do so, since warmth and radiance will figure prominently. In the friendship realm, things will be at their best. Your heart will be placed at the center of your life this week. You will have to deal with money issues Virgo- You have everyone’s email addresses, and you have the social capital to make things happen. You’re the one to organize this gettogether, which likely involves a combination of friends and family.

With the stress of the week, you might find yourself taking a walk to clear your head and release some of the pressure on your shoulders, but by Friday, people are going to be thanking you for all you’ve done.

Being the center of the social orbit is not easy, although it can be fun.

Libra- You’re a driven person, and sometimes, when things don’t progress as quickly as you’d like them to, you get frustrated. That’s totally understandable, but also totally unnecessary. Give yourself -- and others -- a break. There are good things on the horizon; let the world deliver them to you when it’s ready. Friends crowd every room you’re in on Wednesday and Thursday. On Friday, most of the voices you hear are in your own head. You just can’t rest! Your tirelessness is an amazing quality, but let yourself sleep in.

Scorpio- Your intuition is as good as any compass on Monday. You can tell where you’re heading, but you wouldn’t be able to articulate it to anyone else. On Tuesday you draw on your intuition again to connect with someone on a deep level, but Wednesday and Thursday are superficial and frustrating. The boss is being crazy. Other than keeping your head down, what can you do? Great things await you on Friday and Saturday -- and you will do something that makes someone display the most beautiful smile you’ve ever seen.

Sagittarius- It’s no one’s fault. Your energies are just mismatched.

You proceed through the world with a certain personality, a distinct style, and the clash you experience on Monday and Tuesday is just a minor -- and perhaps fleeting -- incompatibility with someone. Under other circumstances, you might even take to this person. Wednesday and Thursday are incredible days -- luck, travel and cheerfulness are all in the stars. Friday returns you to the same sort of struggles that defined the beginning of the week.

Capricorn- If you could be anywhere else on Monday and Tuesday, you would be, but you can’t. And since you’re here, you might as well face the music. The situation is not nearly as fraught as you might think, and you may actually have fun dealing with things -in the sense that it’s a challenge. Wednesday and Thursday are not piece-of-cake days either, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. On Friday, placing a phone call to someone you miss terribly is a great idea.

Aquarius- Get things done: Cross them off the list and move on.

Such is Monday and Tuesday. This productivity likely comes from you ignoring some deeper emotional question, but when you’re being so efficient, you almost don’t care where it comes from. Toward the middle of the week, you have plenty of time to duly consider your feelings. A discovery -- probably personal -- awaits you on Thursday, and Friday and Saturday conspire to make you feel more grounded.

Pisces- Entertaining friends is a great way to see them. Make some dinner (or grab some takeout), find out what’s on TV (or get a board game out of the closet) and try to have as much fun as possible.

Heck, just sit around and chat if you like. The chatting midweek may take a prescriptive note -- friends telling friends what they should do about such and such -- and if you can avoid that, all the better.

Leg Slimming Exercises: Toning Thighs, Hips & Calves.

Everyone wants great legs! However, toning legs with leg exercises is often overlooked by even fit women. Most women forget the thighs, hips and calves need special attention and would rather focus on the arms and abs areas of the body. However, unless you want leg flab to keep you away from the pool this summer, it’s important to learn how to tone your legs with a great leg exercises workout.

To get strong legs, you will likely want to do several strengthening leg exercises, which can easily be attained during yoga or Pilates classes at your local gym. Getting a great cardio workout in is the easiest and most effective way to burn fat. However, if you want sexy legs you may need to put in a little training with free weights or these easy moves. They can give you cellulite reduction and hot legs for warm weather styles! Believe it or not, there are also exercises you can do at home for toning leg muscles.

Squeeze Those Quads!

Sit on your bedroom floor with your back straight. Put your hands on the floor at your sides. Extend your right leg out in front of you and bed your left leg at the knee (placing your left foot flat against the floor).

While exhaling, tighten you quadriceps (top of the thigh) and press the back of the leg onto the floor. Hold this for 10 seconds, and then relax.

Repeat with the other leg. Work on this until you can do 10 reps on each leg. This will tone your quadriceps and leave you with firmer thighs, inner and outer.

Sculpt Those Thighs!

If you want to work on your thigh areas, this is the fitness move for you. Sit on the floor with your back straight, putting your hands at your sides once more. Extend your right leg in front of you and bend your left knee (putting the left foot flat on the floor). Exhale and flex the right foot while tightening your right quadriceps. Raise your straightened leg off of the ground (about 4-6 inches). Hold the leg in the air for about 10 seconds and then lower it. Repeat with the opposite leg and work on this move until you can do 10 reps per leg.

Kick Out Those Hamstring Muscles!

To work on your hamstrings, giving you an overall slimming look, try this move. Sit in a chair, spine straight and your feet on the floor. Grip the sides of your chair, near the hip area. Exhale and straighten your right leg, flexing your foot at the same time. Raise the foot until the leg is parallel to the floor. Keep the leg in this position for 10 seconds and then lower. Repeat with the opposite leg. Work on this move until you can do 15 per leg, without problems. Another way to work hamstrings in this manner is to do a simple squat movement, which is often easier for beginners.

Tone the “Butt Bridge” (aka Glutes)!

This move is meant to work the buttocks (glutes) and is often called the butt bridge. No, you don’t need to join Curves or use Nautilus to get a great rear end. You can do it at home! Just sit on the edge of a chair and rest your hands on the chair (near the hips). Put your feet on the floor and bed your knees. Exhale and lift your hips, using your hands and feet for support. Imagine someone pulling your hips toward the ceiling in this move. Arch your back until you can make the shape of a bridge.

Hold the position for 20 seconds and release slowly until you are sitting as you began the move. Work on this until you can hold the bridge position for up to 60 seconds.

HEAlTHY LIVING Page 19

23th of January , 2011

What is anorexia nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa, commonly referred to simply as anorexia, is one type of eating disorder. More importantly, it is also a psychological disorder. Anorexia is a condition that goes beyond out-of-control dieting. A person with anorexia often initially begins dieting to lose weight. Over time, the weight loss becomes a sign of mastery and control. The drive to become thinner is actually secondary to concerns about control and/or fears relating to one’s body. The individual continues the endless cycle of restrictive eating, often accompanied by other behaviors such as excessive exercising or the overuse of diet pills, diuretics, laxatives, and/or enemas in order to reduce body weight, often to a point close to starvation in order to feel a sense of control over his or her body. This cycle becomes an obsession and, in this way, is similar to any type of addiction.

Who is at risk for anorexia?

Approximately 95% of those affected by anorexia are female, but males can develop the disorder as well. While anorexia typically begins to manifest itself during early adolescence, it is also seen in young children and adults. In the U.S. and other countries with high economic status, it is estimated that about one out of every 100 adolescent girls has the disorder.

Caucasians are more often affected than people of other racial backgrounds, and anorexia is more common in middle and upper socioeconomic groups. According to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an estimated 0.5%-3.7% of women will suffer from this disorder at some point in their lives.

Many experts consider people for whom thinness is especially desirable, or a professional requirement (such as athletes, models, dancers, and actors), to be at risk for eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. What causes anorexia?

At this time, no definite cause of anorexia nervosa has been determined. However, research within the medical and psychological fields continues to explore possible causes. Studies suggest that a genetic (inherited) component may play a more significant role in determining a person’s susceptibility to anorexia than was previously thought. Researchers are currently attempting to identify the particular gene or genes that might affect a person’s tendency to develop this disorder, and preliminary studies suggest that a gene located at chromosome 1p seems to be involved in determining a person’ s susceptibility to anorexia nervosa.

Other evidence had pinpointed a dysfunction in the part of the brain, the hypothalamus (which regulates certain metabolic processes), as contributing to the development of anorexia. Other studies have suggested that imbalances in neurotransmitter (brain chemicals involves in signaling and regulatory processes) levels in the brain may occur in people suffering from anorexia. Feeding problems as an infant, a general history of undereating, and maternal depressive symptoms tend to be risk factors for developing anorexia. Other personal characteristics that can predispose an individual to the development of anorexia include a high level of negative feelings and perfectionism. For many individuals with anorexia, the destructive cycle begins with the pressure to be thin and attractive. A poor self-image compounds the problem. People who suffer from any eating disorder are more likely to have been the victim of childhood abuse.

While some professionals remain of the

Anorexia Nervosa Overview

opinion that family discord and high demands from parents can put a person at risk for developing this disorder, the increasing evidence against the idea that families cause anorexia has mounted such that professional mental-health organizations no longer ascribe to that theory. Possible factors that protect against the development of anorexia include high maternal body mass index as well as personal high self-esteem.

How is anorexia diagnosed?

Anorexia nervosa can be a difficult disorder to diagnose, since individuals with anorexia often attempt to hide the disorder. Denial and secrecy frequently accompany other symptoms. It is unusual for an individual with anorexia to seek professional help because the individual typically does not accept that she or he has a problem (denial). In many cases, the actual diagnosis is not made until medical complications have developed.

The individual is often brought to the attention of a professional by family members only after marked weight loss has occurred. When anorexics finally come to the attention of the health-care professional, they often lack insight into their problem despite being severely malnourished and may be unreliable in terms of providing accurate information.

Therefore, it is often necessary to obtain information from parents or other family members in order to evaluate the degree of weight loss and extent of the disorder.

Health professionals will sometimes administer questionnaires for anorexia as part of screening for the disorder.

There are four basic criteria for the diagnosis of anorexia nervosa that are characteristic: The refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height. Maintaining a body weight less than 85% of the expected weight.An intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though the person is underweight. Self-perception that is grossly distorted, excessive emphasis on body weight in self-assessment, and weight loss that is either minimized or not acknowledged completely.

In women who have already begun their menstrual cycle, at least three consecutive periods are missed (amenorrhea), or menstrual periods occur only after a hormone is administered. The DSM-IV-TR further identifies two subtypes of anorexia nervosa. In the binge-eating/purging type, the individual regularly engages in binge eating or purging behavior which involves self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas during the current episode of anorexia.

In the restricting type, the individual severely restricts food intake but does not regularly engage in the behaviors seen in the binge-eating type.

What are anorexia symptoms and signs (psychological and behavioral)?

Anorexia can have dangerous psychological and behavioral effects on all aspects of an individual’s life and can affect other family members as well. The individual can become seriously underweight, which can lead to depression and social withdrawal. The individual can become irritable and easily upset and have difficulty interacting with others. Sleep can become disrupted and lead to fatigue during the day. Attention and concentration can decrease. Most individuals with anorexia become obsessed with food and thoughts of food. They think about it constantly and become compulsive about eating rituals. They may collect recipes, cut their food into tiny pieces, prepare elaborate calorie-laden meals for other people, or hoard food. Additionally, they may exhibit other obsessions and/or compulsions related to food, weight, or body shape that meet the diagnostic criteria for an obsessive compulsive disorder.

Other psychiatric problems are also common in people with anorexia nervosa, including affective (mood) disorders, anxiety disorders, and personality disorders.

Generally, individuals with anorexia are compliant in every other aspect of their life except for their relationship with food. Sometimes, they are overly compliant, to the extent that they lack adequate self-perception. They are eager to please and strive for perfection. They usually do well in school and may often overextend themselves in a variety of activities. The families of anorexics often appear to be “perfect.” Physical appearances are important to them. Performance in other areas is stressed as well, and they are often high achievers. While control and perfection are critical issues for individuals with anorexia, aspects of their life other than their eating habits are often found to be out of control as well. Many have, or have had at some point in their lives, addictions to alcohol, drugs, or gambling.

Compulsions involving sex, exercising, housework, and shopping are not uncommon. In particular, people with anorexia often exercise compulsively to speed the weight-loss process. All of these features can negatively affect one’s daily activities. Diminished interest in previously preferred activities can result. Some individuals also have symptoms that meet the diagnostic criteria for a major depressive disorder.

What are anorexia symptoms and signs (physical)?

Most of the medical complications of anorexia nervosa result from starvation.

Few organs are spared the progressive deterioration brought about by anorexia.

Heart and circulatory system: Although not life-threatening, an abnormally slow

heart rate (bradycardia) and unusually low blood pressure (hypotension) are frequent manifestations of starvation and are commonly associated with anorexia.

Of greater significance are disturbances in the heart rhythm (arrhythmia). A reduction in the work capacity of the heart is associated with severe weight loss and starvation.

Gastrointestinal complications are also associated with anorexia. Constipation and abdominal pain are the most common symptoms. The rate at which food is absorbed into the body is slowed down.

Starvation and overuse of laxatives can seriously disrupt the body’s normal functions involved in the elimination process.

While liver function is generally found to be normal, there is evidence of changes in enzyme levels and overall damage to the liver.

The glandular (endocrine) system in the body is profoundly affected by anorexia. The complex physical and chemical processes involved in the maintenance of life can be disrupted, with serious consequences. Disturbances in the menstrual cycle are frequent, and secondary amenorrhea (absence of menstrual periods) affects about 90% of adolescent girls with anorexia. Menstrual periods typically return with weight gain and successful treatment. Hormonal imbalances are found in men with anorexia as well. Continual restrictive eating can trick the thyroid into thinking that the body is starving, causing it to slow down in an attempt to preserve calories.

Kidney (renal) function may appear normal. However, there are significant changes in kidney function in many people with anorexia, resulting in increased or decreased urination or potentially fatal potassium deficiency.

Bone density loss (osteopenia or thinning of the bones) is a significant complication of anorexia, since women acquire 40%-60% of their bone mass during adolescence. Studies have shown that bone loss can occur fairly rapidly in girls with anorexia. While some studies have shown that bone density may be restored if overall health improves and anorexia is successfully treated, other studies suggest that an increased risk for fracture may persist later in life. Anorexics who use a large quantity of laxatives or who frequently vomit are at great risk for electrolyte imbalance, which can have lifethreatening consequences. Anemia is frequently found in anorexic patients. In addition to having fewer red blood cells, people with anorexia tend to have lower numbers of white blood cells, which play a major role in protecting the body from developing infections. Suppressed immunity and a high risk for infection are suspected but not clinically proven.

Physical symptoms, other than the obvious loss of weight, can be seen. Anorexia can cause a lower body temperature as well as dry, flaky skin that takes on a yellow tinge. Fine, downy hair grows on the face, back, arms, and legs. Despite this new hair growth, loss of hair on the head is not uncommon. Nails can become brittle. Frequent vomiting can erode dental enamel and eventually lead to tooth loss.

How is anorexia treated?

Anorexia may be treated in an outpatient setting or hospitalization may be necessary. For an individual with severe weight loss that has impaired organ function, hospital treatment must initially focus on correction of malnutrition, and intravenous feeding or tube feeding that goes past the mouth may be required.

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23th of January , 2011

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