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Sunday, June 20, 2010 THE BELIZE TIMES 1

SUNDAY JUNE 20, 2010 Issue No. 4698 $1.00 www.belizetimes.bz www.pup.org.bz

Bar Association Blasts Barrow!

(Continued on page 35)

Leave The Judiciary Alone!

It may have taken an inordinate amount of time and an exceptional display of ‘unseemly’ behavior by the head of government, but the Bar Association came to life this week with a fairly withering list of resolutions aimed at Mr. Barrow and stemming from his blatant move to remove the Chief Justice from the bench, as has been declared by the

More Security Barrow!

(Continued on page 35)

Everyone wil l tel l you that in Belize City there is no sense of security, whether from crime or from interference in the independence of the Judiciary. It was all well and good to turn a blind eye to the gunshots when they rang out far away from the steps of Treasury Lane. But on Thursday, 10th June, 2010, the bullets impacted only feet away from the courtroom of the Chief Magistrate and the Chief Justice.

Two brazen gunmen succeeded in a broad daylight execution right in front of the same place that they would have

to return to face charges. That was not smart no matter how much they were being paid or who was paying them. But what is equally not smart is that the authorities have done absolutely nothing to beef up the security at the courts.

In Belize City, three of the four courts are on the same street and two of those courts share the very same building. But you would cringe to know

leader of the nation, not a day after his 65th birthday. The intent of the Prime Minister had been evident for some weeks now, but that word was given flesh, so to speak, at a recent meeting between Mr. Barrow and Chief Justice Conteh.

In a letter to the Gove r nor-Gene ra l

Bar Assn. Pres. Jackie Marshalleck CJ Abdulai Conteh PM Dean Barrow

2 THE BELIZE TIMES Sunday, June 20, 2010

MENACING THE COURTS There are instances in the exercise of Executive authority where discretion is the

better part of power. Prime Minister Barrow and his UDP Cabinet took a decision not to extend the contract beyond the age of retirement for the current Chief Justice of Belize. This decision is indeed consistent with the exercise of Executive power within our Constitution. Although many stakeholders would disagree that retiring the CJ was a prudent verdict, given the progressive quality of his tenure, what has triggered a hailstorm of protest is the impudent manner in which the PM has so publicly been pressing for the CJ’s early departure. In his rush to shove the CJ off the bench, Mr. Barrow is inflicting another bash to the already battered image of the Judiciary.

For some time now, this government has been rushing headfirst down the perilous, unconstitutional path to outright control by the Executive of the Judiciary. It is not just that the Prime Minister chose to appoint his brother to the Court of Appeal, where that conflict of interest has forced the brother to withdraw himself from the court’s deliberations; or that by using legislative stealth, the UDP government has instituted one year contracts for Court of Appeal judges, effectively putting them under the heel of the ruling politicians; or that the PM has now appointed a withering, unelected Attorney General. It is not only that the Solicitor General, no doubt acting on political instructions, had clumsily attempted to throw out the CJ by way of early retirement leave, as if the Chief Justice was no more than a useless clerk.

No, the case against the UDP is more compact than these unsettling instances. The UDP wolf first snarled at the Judiciary when the then Attorney General Wilfred Elrington chose the ceremonial opening of the Court Session to attack the CJ, Judges and Magistrates. Un-tempered by his own stint on the bench or by the absence of any UDP plan to alleviate the adverse conditions in the court system, Elrington’s bombast was, in retrospect, a portent of the coming assault on the courts. What has followed has been a ceaseless campaign to bend the judiciary, at all levels, to the will of the UDP politicians.

The bedrock principle of our Constitution is that the judiciary must be accorded its independence. When the last PUP government sought to fill the vacancy of Chief Justice, the process was sterilized of any partisan politics. Working with the Commonwealth Secretariat, the PUP advertised the post internationally, actively seeking out a judge that would possess the breadth of experience and reputation that would restore confidence in our justice system. This is one of the PUP’s proudest achievements. And the PUP changed the rules to guarantee judicial independence: judges would now have tenure rather than contracts, so that their rulings would not be made under the shadow of threats from any politicians or Prime Minister. Moreover, as a matter of policy, the PUP government sought consensus on all major court appointments with the relevant stakeholders including the Bar Association.

Not so with this UDP government. This week, the Bar Association in an unusually explicit press release, castigated the conduct of the government vis-a-vis the Chief Justice and demanded that as stakeholders, the Bar be consulted on key judicial appointments. Said the release, “We express our disapproval of the unseemly manner in which the tenure of the Chief Justice has been treated by the Government of Belize.” The release continues, “The Bar Association of Belize asserts that it be accorded a meaningful role and input in the appointment of the Chief Justice, Judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of Belize.”

This rebuke of the UDP government by the Bar association should not be taken lightly by the people of Belize. It is the equivalent of the harbor pilot warning the ship’s captain and crew that the vessel is about to run upon a rocky reef. Like the harbor pilots, the lawyers know the looming dangers of this government’s interference with the courts.

For the business community, whose final refuge for relief is the courtroom, this UDP assault upon our courts will be truly alarming. If the government is allowed to pull the strings of puppet judges, there is no investor or entrepreneur that can sleep soundly at night. Tampering with the courts can only drive away already scant foreign investors and worsen our persistent economic recession, a downturn triggered in the first place by the ineptitude of the same UDP.

For the ordinary citizens, who in too many cases simply cannot afford the cost of lady justice or await her tardy delivery, the UDP meddling with the courts will strip this administration of any remaining credibility in the fight to roll back the tides of crime and violence. When lawyers- turned-politicians pursue professional grudges against those on the bench, public confidence in the state wanes. Can this government credibly restore Belize with one hand and molest the judiciary with the other?

This newspaper as the voice of the Opposition People’s United Party registers its outrage at the Prime Minister’s conduct toward the Chief Justice. Moreover, we summon every citizen, every NGO and every businessperson to become attuned to the shameless campaign to manipulate the courts spearheaded by this UDP government. This sinister plot must be exposed and defeated.

ditorialEn EspañolAMENAZANDO A

LAS CORTES Hay casos en el ejercicio de la autoridad ejecutiva donde la discreción es la

mejor parte del poder. El Primer Ministro y su gabinete del UDP tomaron una decisión para no extender el contrato más allá de la edad del retiro para la Principal Justicia actual de Belice. Esta decisión es de hecho constante con el ejercicio del poder ejecutivo dentro de nuestra constitución. Aunque muchos estarían de acuerdo que el retiro del Chief Justice es un veredicto prudente, dado la calidad progresiva de su arrendamiento, lo qué ha accionado una tormenta de protestas es la manera impudente en la cual el P.M. ha estado presionando públicamente para la salida temprana del CJ. En sus acometidas para empujar el CJ del banco, el Sr. Barrow está infligiendo otro golpe a la imagen ya estropeada de la judicatura.

Desde hace un tiempo para acá este gobierno ha estado acometiendo la trayectoria peligrosa inconstitucional francamente para controlar el ejecutivo de la judicatura. No es justo que el Primer Ministro eligió designar a su hermano al tribunal de apelación, donde el conflicto del interés ha forzado al hermano a retirarse de las deliberaciones de la corte; o utilizando el stealth legislativo, el gobierno del UDP ha instituido los contratos de un año para Jueces del tribunal de apelación, poniéndolos con eficacia debajo del talón de los políticos predominantes; o que el P.M. ahora ha nominado un Procurador General que no ha sido elegido adecuadamente. No es solo que el Procurador General sin duda alguna actuando con instrucciones políticas, había procurado torpemente lanzar hacia fuera el CJ por licencia de la jubilación anticipada, como si la Principal Justicia no fuera más que un vendedor inútil.

No, el caso en contra del UDP es más compacto que estos casos inquietantes. El lobo del UDP primero gruño en la judicatura cuando el entonces Procurador General Wilfred Elrington eligió la abertura ceremonial de la sesión de la corte para atacar al CJ, a los jueces y a los magistrados. Sin temor por su propia restricción en el banco o por la ausencia de cualquier plan del UDP para aliviar las condiciones adversas en el sistema judicial, Elrington era, en la retrospección, un portento del asalto se venia dando en las cortes. Lo que ha seguido ha sido una campaña incesante para doblegar la judicatura, en todos los niveles, a la voluntad de los políticos del UDP.

La roca en donde se fundo nuestra constitución es que la judicatura debe ser acordada su independencia. Cuando el gobierno pasado del PUP intentó llenar la vacante de la Principal Justicia, el proceso fue esterilizado de cualquier política partisana. Trabajando con la secretaría de la Commonwealth, el PUP anunció el puesto internacionalmente, activamente buscando a un juez que poseería la anchura de la experiencia y la reputación que restauraría confianza en nuestro sistema de la justicia. Éste es uno de los logros más orgullosos del PUP. También no esta demás recordarles que fue el PUP quien cambió las reglas para garantizar independencia judicial: los jueces ahora tendrían arrendamiento más bien que contratos, de modo que sus actos no fueran hechos debajo de la sombra de amenazas de ningunos políticos o Primer Ministro. Por otra parte, como cuestión de política, el gobierno del PUP buscó consenso en todas las citas importantes de la corte con los tenedores de apuestas relevantes incluyendo la Asociación de la Barra.

Esta semana, la Asociación de la Barra en un lanzamiento de prensa inusualmente explícito, castigó la conducta del gobierno en relación a la Principal Justicia y exigió que como tenedores de apuestas, la Barra esté consultada sobre las citas judiciales dominantes. Dijo el lanzamiento, “expresamos nuestra desaprobación de la manera en la cual el arrendamiento de la Principal Justicia ha sido tratada por el gobierno de Belice.” El lanzamiento continúa, “la Asociación de la Barra de Belice afirma que esté acordado un papel y una entrada significativa en la cita de la Principal Justicia, de jueces del Tribunal Supremo y del tribunal de apelación de Belice.”

Esta reprimenda al gobierno del UDP por la Asociación de la Barra no se debe tomar ligeramente por la gente de Belice. Es el equivalente del piloto del puerto que advierte al capitán y al equipo de la nave que el recipiente esté a punto de funcionar sobre un filón rocoso. Como los pilotos del puerto, los Abogados saben los peligros que asoman la interferencia de este gobierno con las Cortes.

Para la comunidad negociante, el refugio final para la relevación es la sala de tribunal, este asalto del UDP sobre nuestras Cortes es verdaderamente alarmante. Si el gobierno se permite tirar de las cadenas de jueces marionetas, no hay inversionista o empresario que pueden dormir tranquilos en la noche. Interferir con las Cortes puede conducir solamente a alejar inversionistas extranjeros ya escasos y empeorar nuestra recesión económica persistente, un descenso accionado en primer lugar por la ineptitud del mismo UDP.

Para los ciudadanos ordinarios, que en muchos casos no pueden permitirse simplemente el costo de justicia o aguardar su entrega tardía, la intromisión del UDP con las cortes terminara con la credibilidad restante de esta Administración en la lucha por combatir las mareas del crimen y la violencia. Cuando los abogados convertidos en políticos tienen esa envidia profesional contra ésos en el banco, la confianza pública en el Estado disminuye. ¿Puede este gobierno restaurar a Belice con una mano y molestar a la judicatura con la otra?

Este periódico como la voz de la Oposicion del Partido Unido del Pueblo vocifera su enojo en la conducta del Primer Ministro hacia la Principal Justicia. Por otra parte, convocamos a cada ciudadano, cada NGO y cada negociante adaptarse a la campaña desvergonzada para manipular las Cortes encabezada por este gobierno del UDP. Este complot siniestro debe ser expuesto y derrotado!


call he’s been making enquiries about space under the big blue tent. Give it up, Creamy! I went out and took measurements myself and there ain’t no space under there for you. Better try getting that speed-dial problem resolved…If Da Noh Soh!

ACB breaking up…Well to nobody’s really

great surprise, the Association Concerned about Barrow (ACB) is breaking up. See, back then before elections the ACB wasn’t such a bad place to be cause everybody was looking to baldy as the black Moses leading the

masses out of the wilderness. But what this Moses did is lead the masses out of the wilderness and off the edge of a cliff into rough seas filled with giant man-eating sharks. So now everybody in the ACB is jumping ship at a time when the country most needs a real true true ACB. We predicted it a long time ago. It has now come to pass. If Da Noh Soh!

BTL Chancey…Another thing we’ve been

predicting for some time is mutiny within the ranks at the Barrow Telemedia Limited and trust me, that’s coming sooner rather than later. Lots of not so nice things happening in there like the under-

qualified relative of a Minister in the Accounts Department being elevated to a senior post. Then there’s the fact that junior employees in the BESL section who are known UDP cronies getting huge raises. Oh yeah, then there’s the firing of a valued employee in Corozal just because he attended a PUP rally. Yup, things are going to blow soon, and you’ll be able to say you read it here first…If Da Noh Soh!

wasn’t the church participation you had in mind but you’re gonna have to deal with this situation in Cayo South sooner rather than later…If Da Noh Soh!

Hummer Bummer…Last week I was asking about

mi bally the Mayor of Belize City who’s been strangely isolated from the media lately. Where is my buddy, I wondered. Oh where oh where can she be? Well, somebody called me last week and gave me a clue where she could be found. Looks like after hours

the hubby drags the tarp off the yellow Hummer, backs it out the garage where it stays hidden and he, Z and little half-a-dalla go circling around the city in the H3 with loud music blasting from the speakers? No, said I. Can’t be! The last time the Mayor was accused of owning a Hummer she said oh no, her bottom had never touched ground in a Hummer. We wonder what she would say if asked the question today…oh yeah, she’d probably say in her best third person manner…well, you know how Zenaida no mek wah move without God guidance…yeah right Z, God told you to go buy a Hummer. Jeez. If Da Noh Soh!

Hell No!We’d like to take this

opportunity to send a message to the Mayor without a cause or a color – don’t bother to come back. The doors of Independence Hall will always be closed to you. Stop sending messages…stop sending emissaries – NO MEANS NO!

No Brief Tiefs wanted…The same message goes

out to the convicted brief tief…hear since his speed-dial malfunctioned recently and none of his red buddies answered the

that one up) recently went on a trip to Panama. My barefoot buddy was sent to sit by himself in the economy seats at the back of the plane while the CMLSO

reclined in plush comfort in First Class. No lie…can you imagine that? People were cracking up because ‘sin zapatos’ spent the entire flight craning his neck to see what was being served in first class. Word is that by the time he got his little buzz on he was loudly protesting every time the CMLSO was served champagne and snacks, telling everyone who would listen that he is really the minister. Hahahaha…of course nobody believed that. Ayyy these people kill me…If Da Noh Soh!

Church petition…Word has it that lately the bald

one has been advising his motley crew that they have to get more involved in the churches in their areas (a serious case of do as baldy says and not as baldy does). Anyway, the big cheese reportedly told his boys that they have to be on the forefront of every conversation in church…that they have to be the biggest topics of conversation. Of course, the hairless one meant that they

should get involved in a good way but the damned dimWitz misunderstood the whole thing. But it worked. Sure nuff dim Witz is the topic of conversation in church and sure nuff everybody’s talking about him. Hell (excuse my blasphemy), last week the pastor at a church spent his entire sermon ranting and raving about how dimWitz is involved in the sale of a green area in Belmopan. The pastor even circulated a petition asking churchgoers to sign up against the corruption at ReconDev. Yeah baldy I know this

Oh no mini-Mugabe…Late word to this columnist

is that mini-Mugabe had to be sedated when he saw the release from the Bar Association basically confirming what we’ve been saying so long – you’re a damned dictator and despot and an untrustworthy fellow, big man (well that’s my translation of the

release and I’m sticking to it). Hear baldy called for the first wife second lady to attend the Bar Association meeting to speak up for him, but Loisy said oh hell no. See, apparently she’d already gotten word that every lawyer at the meeting was going to sign on to the release and she didn’t plan on looking like the odd one out, not even for the bald bubby-holder. So Lois didn’t show up and Michael Young abstained and every other attorney who was there gave the bukut to mini-Mugabe. Signs of things to come, my arrogant friend…signs of things to come!

Guilty feelings…Tell you the truth sometimes

I feel kinda bad to have so much fun at the expense of the idiots on the other side…like last week I felt guilty for almost a minute

for poking fun at my confused ‘bally’ from the Guardian, even more so when I received a call telling me that he had burst into tears when he read the piece on him in the Belize Times…sobbed like a baby, they said. That made me sad, because I never meant to make him cry…LOL! What a big baby. If Da Noh Soh!

First class dunce…And since we’re on the subject

of idiots…you’ve gotta be kidding me. I just got word that the barefoot minister and his CMLSO (Chief Money-Laundering Suspect Officer – yup I just made


Fighting Crime Requires REAL Effort!

Many Belizeans were of the impression that the problem with crime and violence was not so much a Belize City problem as a south side issue confined to the south side.

While it is unfortunate that a well know athlete and educator Aubrey Lopez was murdered and Rodwell Williams, a prominent Belizean attorney is clinging to life after being shot, these incidents bring home the fact that violence can strike each and every one of us without warning. These incidents bring home the fact that for a long time now, crime has moved away from being an issue stemming from and affecting only residents of the so-called south side.

From the beginning for the UDP’s term in office, different sectors of society have been complaining that crime was getting out of control. We in the Peoples’ United Party, as early as August 2008, brought this issue into prominence and called for a bi-partisan approach to fighting crime, which we believe is not a partisan political issue.

Crime affects everyone, from the young men killing each other to children left behind and their grieving mothers and loved ones who cry out for justice. Crime also has an effect on business people, and it affects the ordinary citizen who has to spend more money on personal security.

Unfortunately, it took the Prime Minister almost two and a half years to finally recognize that crime was a “national crisis” and he promised to personally lead the crusade against crime, make necessary adjustments to his Cabinet and present a National Crime Policy to the nation.

Before the announcement of a Cabinet reshuffle, many people were aware that the Minister of National Security would be replaced. When the reshuffle was finally announced, the Prime split the ministry in two and appointed Senator Douglas Singh as the new Minister for the Police. Minister Perdomo remained as Minster of Defense and Immigration.

Douglas Singh, a well-known businessman, is not known for having any special knowledge or experience in law enforcement; as such many question his appointment as Minster for the Police. While Singh has some managerial skills that could be used in the execution of his duties, his resume is limited when it comes to issues of law and order. We certainly wish him success and will support his efforts whenever and wherever they constitute a serious, committed and credible plan to rid our country of the scourge of crime.

On June 2nd, 2010, one day after the Cabinet reshuffle, the Prime Minister finally unveiled his plan: Operation Restore Belize. It is a multi-layer approach to fighting crime.

Within these four layers, there are six sub-committees that will do the actual work, according to the Prime Minister; addressing Police Department reform, Human Development, Legislative and Judicial Reform, Establishment of Safe Zones, Municipal Government and Infrastructure, and Communications. Members from the different sectors of our society, including the Opposition, will be invited to participate, or so we have been told by the Prime Minister.

We in the PUP have been very clear that we will support any credible and serious government initiative to fight crime. But at the same time we will be making recommendations and we will continue to work on our policy position.

Fighting crime requires an attack on all fronts and the sacrosanct role of the Judiciary will be integral. Over the past few weeks we have been hearing reports from the media of the strained relationship between the government and the Office of the Chief Justice.

Under the constitution a Chief Justice or a Judge who reaches retirement is allowed to finish all cases that they have started even if they have to stay beyond their retirement age. It seems that the governments has a different interpretation and has given a deadline for the Chief Justice to demit office whether he concludes his cases or not. This has forced the Chief Justice to stop all cases he has been hearing and reassign them to other judges. This will cause untold delays and unnecessary cost to Belizeans who are trying to get their cases heard.

It does not auger well for our democracy to have the executive branch and the judiciary embroiled in controversy, especially at a time when crime continues to wreak havoc on our national development. More so, if Operation Restore Belize is to succeed it will require long term planning, a lot of resources and it will require a meaningful relationship with the judicial branch of government.

What's Happening at the Mountain Pine Ridge?

10 June 2010

Dear Editor,As students about to graduate and enter the professional world of

natural resources management (NRM), we are troubled by the devastation we have recently seen in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve (MPRFR).

In February 2010, we spent two weeks at the MPRFR on a Forest Ecology & Management f i e ld course tha t i s part of our Bachelor in NRM prog ram at UB. During this course we saw firsthand the i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e MPRFR in protecting our country’s precious water resources and u n d e r s t o o d w h y

appropriately managing the pine savanna ecosystem at the MPRFR is critical for sustaining these. But the pine savanna ecosystem is fragile as we saw from the bark beetle infestation in 2000 that left only a few areas of the reserve unaffected.

We just re-visited the MPRFR today and were shocked by the unsustainable logging practices being used in one of the few areas unaffected by the bark beetle. In this area “good” trees or “seed” trees that are necessary for producing a new generation of vigorous seedlings to rehabilitate the forest overtime had survived. But now trees are being logged in this area with little apparent intent to leave “seed” trees behind. Trees have been taken right along the creeks, loggers have left behind waste debris causing blockage to the waterways and we saw skidder tracks going right over creeks. Logging along slopes opposite to the Five Sister’s Lodge, near the Privacion area that has waters flowing directly into the Macal River, is worrying. The manner in which the entire logging operation is being carried out will increase erosion of soil into the water, decrease the beauty of the scenery for tourists, cause waste debris to accumulate as fuel for fires and ultimately deplete “good” seed stock. It is unsustainable!

We know that the Forest Department (FD) is aware of the logging because what we saw is clearly not an illegal concession. But what are the terms of this license and how often does FD make onsite monitoring visits? Could it be that FD approved the use of unsustainable logging practices through a short-term license that lends to a “creaming of the crop” approach rather than a management approach that ensures that there will always be pine in the MPRFR to log? We hope not since we think that one of the accomplishments of the FD is their move to a system of long-term sustainable logging licenses. Who has the license been granted to and are there any hidden interests that would allow such blatant unsustainable logging? Is politics more important than sound management? As up-and-coming natural resource managers, will there be any resources left for us to manage? In closing, we would really appreciate hearing from our Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment with respect to what is happening in the Mountain Pine Ridge.

Sincerely,Lynelle Martinez and Celeshia GuyUniversity of Belize


Finally…Thank you Jesus…Praise the good

Lord! The Bar Association has just woken up from a long Rip van Winkle like slumber and has come out swinging at Mr. Barrow and his administration. The release from the Association is big, make no mistake about that. It should have come a long time ago, that’s for sure, but it’s big. In barely veiled condemnation and criticism couched

in only the thinnest veneer of respect and diplomacy, the Bar Association accuses Mr. Barrow of railroading the Chief Justice out of office for no good reason. It goes farther to accuse Mr. Barrow of interfering in the Judiciary which should be a sacrosanct body. And it goes even farther to let Mr. Barrow know that he is not trusted so it demands input in any new appointments to the Supreme Court or the Court of Appeals. I told you this was big. This is a body of about 150 learned attorneys telling Mr. Barrow that he is behaving like a damned dictator and trying to manipulate the Judiciary and they just won’t stand for it anymore. They are telling Mr. Barrow that his judgment and integrity are suspect and they don’t believe he can do the right thing in the matter of appointments to the bench. This isn’t big, this is huge. This is the leader of the nation being accused of improper behavior. This is the leader of the nation being accused of tampering in the Judiciary. Big props go out to the Bar Association for finally coming out in a matter which threatens the very democracy of the nation.

A typical response…Mr. Barrow’s response to the

accusations by the Bar Association was typical…typical of the dictator and despot, that is. He refutes the allegations (of course) – see, everybody is wrong and Mr. Barrow is a man of sterling character who would never do anything unseemly, claims the release. According to the release, despite what everybody in the nation is seeing and seeing, Mr. Barrow would never do something as dastardly as attempt to force the Chief

Justice off the Bench. What a crock. Oh, and as to the request for input in further appointments to the Bench, Mr. Barrow’s release politely tells the Bar Association to take a long walk off a short pier. When the Unions wanted input in how the government managed the money from the Venezuela Grant, Mr. Barrow told them to step off – we don’t need you. Now Mr. Barrow is telling the Bar Association the same thing. I seem to remember Mr. Barrow’s manifesto promising consultations with all pertinent bodies on every issue critical to the nation. Like most of Mr. Barrow’s promises, those commitments have not come to fruition. To borrow a phrase from a colleague in the media, Mr. Barrow is bogus. We knew it a long time ago. The word is now spreading.

Subverting the Judiciary…It is positively uncanny the way Mr.

Barrow can so eloquently speak out of both sides of his mouth. If leadership ability was all about saying one thing eloquently and doing the other thing without losing a step or feeling a twinge of remorse, Mr. Barrow would stand a great chance of being elected leader in perpetuity. Hell, what am I saying? The way things are going, Mr. Barrow may very well come up with a new law

making him leader in perpetuity. This CJ move is a very bad thing. This has gone way past the point of Belizeans believing that the PM is interfering in the Judiciary. His actions, especially as regard Chief Justice Conteh, are so blatant and arrogant that they defy rationality. Mr. Barrow does not have a hope in hell of convincing Belizeans that he is serious about crime when his very actions say the opposite. The Prime Minister should take notice that bodies which are traditionally silent are blasting his actions in the open. That’s a very bad sign for Mr. Barrow. The leader of the nation should back off his obvious vendetta against the Chief Justice. He should leave the Judiciary alone.

ReconDev & Ramon…The driver of UDP Area Representative and Chairman of ReconDev

Ramon Witz has been arrested for his part in a corrupt land deal. The arrest comes days after a group calling itself the People’s Committee broke the news about the sale of a parcel of land to a Chinese man in Belmopan. That land wasn’t owned by ReconDev and wasn’t theirs to sell, but an opportunity to hustle was seen and taken. Money changed hands and apparently when this Chinese businessman went to register this piece of land he found out the bad

UDP Politics as usualnews. The Police situation report released to the public fingers only this small fry, the driver of the UDP Area Representative. But the release by the People’s Committee points out that the bogus sale from ReconDev was done with the proper documents with the proper seal which can’t be accessed by just anybody. The People’s Committee calls names including Mr. Witz and other big UDP players and claims that this is far from the first land hustle involving the crew. I hear that the driver

who is in Police custody is talking and he is also calling some big names. The next few days will be very, very interesting for Mr. Witz and his UDP colleagues in Cayo South.

The connection…It was a matter of interest for the people in Cayo South when Mr. Ramon

Witz was passed over in the recent Cabinet reshuffle/expansion. See, Mr. Witz had already been promised the portfolios of NEMO and Transportation. His people in ReconDev had already received their letters informing them that they would be transferred to NEMO. It was a done deal. Then suddenly, things changed overnight – Ramon was slapped back and Melvin was brought in from political asylum. Ramon wasn’t talking and everybody else seemed mum. Now with this latest ReconDev revelation people are speculating that Mr. Barrow got wind of the corruption in that body and knew it was going to break. That sounds eminently reasonable. What Mr. Barrow now needs to do is launch an immediate investigation into the affairs of ReconDev and his Cayo South Area Representative to find out the depth and breadth of that corruption. How much do you want to bet that this will never happen? Mr. Barrow has shown an amazing penchant for ignoring the stench of corruption within his own administration.

Mr. NEMO…As I write this, a weather

system is forming and we are reminded of the warnings that this will be a very active hurricane season. That’s not good news for Belizeans, especially since a great aspect of their security and safety in the event of a natural disaster rests in the hands of Mr. NEMO Melvin Hulse. Our Prime Minister claims that there could be no safer hands than

those of Mr. NEMO, but leaves out the part where he had already decided to wrest NEMO from those same hands and then was forced to change his decision at the last moment. This is no time to be playing political games, Mr. Barrow. The reality is that even the hint of heavy rains is revealing very serious inadequacies in our roads and bridges and emergency preparations. Mr. NEMO has no idea how to deal with his portfolio, a fact which is patently evident. Almost a month into the hurricane season, and Mr. NEMO is still absent. In the event of a serious disaster, the damage and loss of human life could be catastrophic. Any such loss will be the fault of Mr. Barrow who seems unable to make good decisions and is instead to gloss over serious flaws and incompetence with a light coat of makeup.

This oil thing…Mr. Barrow needs to come

down out of his ivory tower and get the sense that the oil thing isn’t going away anytime soon. Last reports from US Government sources indicate that close to 60,000 barrels of oil are spewing out into the Gulf of Mexico every day. The best efforts of the billionaire oil company BP combined with US Government resources have

resulted in the containment of less than half of that daily. More than 1/3 of the federal fishing area in the Gulf is out of business. Analysts and the brightest minds are having difficulties encompassing the scope of the disaster and where it will all end. More than 25 companies in Belize most of them stakeholders in the environment and tourism, have come out to call for a moratorium on offshore drilling in Belize. The situation seems clear enough – a spill a fraction of the size of the Gulf of Mexico spill would destroy our fishing and our tourism and our reef. We simply cannot take that chance, not for all the money in the world. Mr. Barrow seems insistent on protecting the development agenda and the big money, but he needs to start thinking about the nation. We won’t allow offshore drilling, Mr. Prime Minister – you don’t want to buck us on this one.


PARTY PAGEPUP Star

Shines Again THE BLUE MACHINE

We Are The PUP


The 2010 Village Council elections have been concluded and for the first time, there are a number of challenges to the results of these elections.

On 19th December 2009, the Chairman of the Election and Boundaries Commission, Alberto August signed Statuary Instrument number 134 of 2009 and in so doing effectively moved the management of the Village Council Elections from the Ministry responsible for Rural Development to the Election and Boundaries Commission. What this meant was that for the first time the Election and Boundaries Department was in charge of the process.

During the Village Council Elections, 190 villages held elections; some villages were as small as consisting of 13 registered voters and some as large as 2000 registered voters. No matter the size of the village, the procedure was the same, making it challenging for those public officers who were appointed as clerks for the larger villages.

Over the course of the elections, a number of flaws and election irregularities occurred. Some issues were not significant enough to have an effect on the results of the elections; however there were some irregularities that resulted in a challenge to the results of the elections. Among

these challenges were 3 from the People’s United Party.

According to SI 134 of 209, challenges to the results of an election were to be made in writing to the Election and Boundaries Commission and had to be done within a week of the date of the election. The PUP submitted 3 challenges, one to the validity of the results of the election for Chairman of Independence Village, a second challenging the validity of the results of the election of the Chairman for Billy White Village in Cayo and one challenging the procedures followed during the elections in Mullins River, Stann Creek District.

In the Independence Challenge, the PUP Candidate for Chairman lost by a margin of 6 votes in an election where the Election Clerk failed to reconcile and as such was unable to account for 5 ballots. In addition there were 41 ballots declared spoilt and no recount was done even though a recount was requested. After presenting her case before the Commission, the PUP candidate for Chairman is waiting for a response from the Commission to decide whether to take this matter to court.

In the case of Billy White Village, the PUP candidate for chairman lost the election by 1 vote. The challenge came as a result of the fact that although

the Election Clerk declared that 170 persons had voted in the election, 178 ballots were counted. There were also 7 ballots declared spoilt which should not have been declared spoilt.

The fact that in both instances the clerk could not account for each ballot paper is a serious issue. The law is clear that every ballot paper issued in any election has to be accounted for and that no voter should be disenfranchised.

The right to vote is considered sacred in any society and as such the Election and

Boundaries Department is required, by law, to ensure that no Belizean is denied that right and the elections be conducted in an open and fair manner. To do otherwise would be to put the very democracy of the nation at risk.

Our Democracy at Risk

PUP Think TankingSessions Every

Thursday, Independence Hall at 7:30pm

It’s been 741 days since the Kendall Bridge was washed away. How much longer must we

wait for a new bridge, Mr. Prime Minister?


Gordon Smith is saying in his weekly verbal diarrhoea that “the PUP is in its worst shape ever of its political existence because the shrewd fighting spirit of the PUP seems to have been snuffed out”. Here at the Belize Times and those who were out there in the villages along with the Party Leader…those that were really fighting and not hiding at home…we can attest to the true fighting spirit of the true PUPs. We witnessed how the PUPs were on the front lines fight-ing and delighted to see a Leader who was willing to fight the fight and lead many of the villagers to victory. Where were the people from the Per-spective? Where was Gordon Smith, the Spot Checker, Jeremy Robinson et al? They should have been in San Joaquin when the Party Leader was so warmly received by a tent-full of party faithful.

Gordy is also calling for the en-ergizing of the bases and he is call-ing for a national march. Come on Gordy…I challenge you. Let the Old Guard call for a march and let’s see how many people you can put out there. Perhaps you will be able to gar-ner a few more than the Spot Checker, Jeremy Robinson and a couple oth-ers who believe that they owned this Party and that it’s been stolen from them. And to tell you that indeed you can get people to rally for a cause, I guess you all saw that in 2005….what a rally it was eh Gordy? But I can tell you Gordy, that your cause will cer-tainly not rally the Belizean people, not even the bases. Wasn’t that evi-dent in Belmopan at the courts? Oh by the way, let me remind you that indeed all Members of the House of Representatives are paid by taxpayers to have an office and to work for their constituents. However, not all past area representatives had the luxury of acquiring government and SSB land to build big offices and then put it in the names of their relatives. Perhaps that building should be given back to the people because that indeed is the property of us Belizeans.

If you were a PUP at heart Gordy, and you were not upset because you and yours are now not at the helm of the Party, and you would stop the bitching and work, then we would all be doing a better job in ensuring that the UDP is exposed in their incompe-tence and their inability to govern in a transparent and accountable manner. As to the Old Guard as you mention, those who support Said Musa, where are they? Why don’t you take to the streets if you are the thousands that you claim? Are you afraid that be-cause of the “shortfalls’ and “errors committed” …the very same mistakes that not even our own PUPs can for-get or forgive…you won’t be able to get not even a couple hundred people. And please do not open the Pando-ra’s Box…don’t go to housing…not there…you can’t afford to go there. This has certainly not passed like wah lee breeze.

We talk about the Party Assets because it’s the truth. What is it that you want said about the Party Assets? We have only been stating the bare facts. We at the Belize Times TRULY subscribe to our tag line “The truth shall make you free”. You know about that Gordy. Once upon a time, long, long ago, you also believed in that. Que Paso? You forgot all about that? We maligning your so called colum-nists? Please….can’t malign what

already is in an advanced state of decomposition, already fetid. As to the demonizing of the Musa govern-ment….we don’t and did not have to do that….you understand what hap-pened February 2008.

So what must the PUPs under-stand of the badgering every week that takes place at the Perspective against the Party Leader and his lead-ership? So now we talk about good intentions…..thought I heard that one before. Wasn’t all the errors and shortfalls of the past just filled with all the good intentions my bwoy? So the Yassers et al were never to be changed? Even those that have pub-licly chastised and disrespected the Party Leader, and continue to do so, should be welcomed under the Big Blue Tent? Is it that we are now just learning that we have a Constitution by which we should abide? Where was the Constitution since 1996? Where was it when the offspring was appointed to the Sec-Gen post with-out even going to the National Party Council? Again, please let’s not go there. And as to National Conven-tions, National Executive Meetings and National Party Council Meet-ings…we can give account as to how much of these were held during the term 1996-2008 and we can compare to what has happened these past two years. Talk about upholding the Con-stitution….well maybe we should set the records straight…but then again we can only go by memory cause the Secretariat was left with not even a filing cabinet, much less files of min-utes and $284.00 in the bank account.

Going down the road of calling a fair and square election evil is re-ally the limit to which these people will stoop. I am now convinced that either Gordy has selective amnesia or he is bi-polar. Where are the thou-sands who have left the Party since the Convention in March of 2008? The thousands left us long before, they made it very clear in February of 2008 and they were scalded so badly that they cannot yet find the comfort to come back to the PUP. They are afraid and they do recognize what a vindictive and incompetent govern-ment this UDP is. However, when they read the weekly verbiage spouted by the various columnists of the Per-spective, they fear that the Old Guard will try to usurp the leadership of the PUP. After all, they believe we stole the Party from them. What a sense of entitlement? We thought that was done…but as you can appreciate…it lingers on.

Talking about worst leaderships, Gordy? How about worst govern-ment in modern history or worst Prime Minister? How is that for a legacy? Well you all caused that and now you must live with that. The Be-lizean people are not about to give your leader a chance to redeem him-self. Let us remind ourselves who was the one who led us to the worst de-feat ever in the history of the PUP?

To the real PUPs we say: if the Old Guard believes that they own this Party...then let’s bring out our fighting spirit and let’s go to battle. Whenever the Party Leader decides the conven-tion date, be it now or in November, bring it on! The people will decide! Those that have eyes…have seen, those that have ears have heard and those that have understanding of all that led us to our demise in 2008…they will be the ones to decide!

BRING IT ON...!


He is wanted by US law enforcement authorities to stand trial for 11 firearm offenses and since he was apprehended on February 9th of this year on a farm in Esperanza Village, Cayo District, Gary Seawell has been remanded until the finer details of his fate are worked out in the Court system. On Tuesday of this week, he was due in Court and appeared under heavy Police escort before Chief Magistrate, Margaret McKenzie. The U.S. government wants Seawell and he was given the option to either waive or fight the extradition request. He has acquired the legal services of attorney Arthur Saldivar to fight the request. Attorney from the Solicitor General’s office, Magali Perdomo, did not disclose the charges that Seawell faces but is expected to do so at the next Court sitting on July 7.

Seawell was wanted for close to three years and when Police received a tip that he, his common-law wife Tanisha Ayuso and their children were living on a farm outside San Ignacio, Police teamed up with elements of the Belize Defence Force to conduct a raid of the premises. There they discovered the couple and a number of high-powered weapons, including a hand grenade and assault rifles, along with a stash of marijuana.

Seawell’s brother, Mark, is also on the extradition list and they will both appear in Court on the same date. Mark has been remanded since February of 2007. A third brother, Duane, is spending 17 years in a US prison on drug trafficking and money laundering convictions.

When news broke early last week that Belize's Brukdong King, Wilfred "Mr. Pete" Peters had suffered a severe heart attack and was not doing well in the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, many prayers were sent up that his earthly pain and suffering would be short-lived. And those prayers were almost promptly answered. Mr. Pete did not recover from his medical ordeal - he passed away last Thursday at the age of 79.

But the man behind popular brukdong hits like "Solomon Gyaah", "Ileb'n Bocotora", "Chicken Paats", "Run Mr. Peters Run" and "Ramsey Mule Birthday", and "Dah Weh Mi Lovah Deh"

to name a few, was given a fitting send-off to that greater place up yonder. On Sunday night, fellow musicians and friends gathered at his humble dwelling on North Creek to celebrate his life with a concert. And on Monday, Mr. Pete was laid to rest following an official funeral service at Saint John's Anglican Church.

Students and citizens also played their part when they lined the funeral route to pay their respects for the last time to the man who had not only brought them good old brukdong entertainment, but

helped to restore the dying Kriol culture through his music.

Before the official funeral mass, Peters' very own Boom and Chime Band played inside the cathedral while his casket, draped with the Belizean flag, was rolled in on the gurney. Attendees hailed from high government offices to the common man on the street. Mr. Pete was awarded in 1997 with an M.B.E. by Queen Elizabeth II for his outstanding contribution to culture in Belize. With his passing, there will no doubt be a missing link in the brukdong circle in Belize.

Mr. Peters Gone but not Forgotten

Gary Seawell Faces

Extradition

Gary Seawell

Sunday, June 20, 2010 THE BELIZE TIMES 11 Sunday, June 20, 2010 THE BELIZE TIMES 11ontheWALLWritings

Jane says: June 16, 2010 at 9:44 amit is very very sad to see how family’s are griefing for the life taken of their loved ones but it is worst to know that our law here in Belize is very slack reckless how can we have murders walking freely ,how and where are the law makes judges is the money payed off will safe you life from those murders?PM ministers where are you were are losing our loved ones please its a shame police do you jobs be honest stop the corruption

Comments posted on Belize Times Facebook, www.belizetimes.bz, www.channel5belize.com, Party Leader John Briceño Facebook

crime free belize says: June 16, 2010 at 1:12 amBelize’s judicial system a big joke,so is the DPP,he or she should be fired,what a waste of our tax payer’s money.Does dean barrow need to pay the american’s thousand’s of dollars,to tell him our judicial system does’nt work?What will it take these idiot politician to get our country going in the right direction?

Gustav says: June 16, 2010 at 12:30 amThere’s no question the justice system is NOT working for the people of Belize. Police and prosecutors all need professional training. Laws need to be changed so that the slightest im-perfection in the DPP’s case doesn’t cause a case to be thrown out and killers set free — to kill again and again. Prison cannot be a “revolving door” for criminals — it needs to be the end of the line for them.

Truly, only a very small number of career criminals are ruining this beautiful country and the lives of 300,000 GOOD Belizeans. Let’s get rid of that tiny cancer before it kills the whole body.

belize says: June 16, 2010 at 12:56 amDam! it’s so hard to believe,that a judge with his best discretion,gave the minimum jail term,for spomeone that just minutes after,shot another person,and was later found with a weapon,that was probably use in the attempted murder of someone else,what?even the judges,are incom-petent.So what about the attempted murder charge?Dean Barrow,need’s to get his head out of his a**,and see what’s realy going on in judicial system,or if it is too hot in the kitchen,then he should just get the hell out.rod says: June 12, 2010 at 4:59 pmcome on belizeans time to open your eyes and take the cotton out of your ears march on this gov. march by the thousands bring back the hanging penalty for any one commiting murder 20yrs for anyone caught with an illegal gun 20yrs ofr anyone that is a gang member and when you hang them tha bridgefoot make sure you have vendors there the sell panades and hops so we could enjoy the occation if you keep going with this gov you will all get murdered and or one of your friends or family members might be next no the listen to the us about rights crimi-nals have no rights and those in jail put them to cut grass in the bush put them to fix roads and so on please please wake up belizeans .

EF says: June 14, 2010 at 2:24 pmxcellency could not be living here in Belize City. That is the most disgraceful Mayor any town or city has ever had in their history. I hold no sympathy because she is a woman. Remeber we all have equal rights. If the UDP dont want her then they no why! Maybe we are not being told the entire truth because you cannot depend on the Audit Report cause it never will come and when it comes it will say there is no wrong doing just like the KHMH Medical Case.My personal advice to Mayor Moya: move on and stop wasting the peoples time fighting your Ex-Party members.Tough love huh!


Sunday morning in San Ignacio was not a regular one for folks whose sleep was interrupted by the sound of a barrage of bullets in the wee hours. Marlon Rivera, 26, and Dean Dougal, 41, were shot sometime after 3:00 that morning on Burns Avenue in San Ignacio. The bloodshed claimed the life of Rivera, while Dougal has been hospitalized for gunshot wounds to his back, neck and other parts of the body.

The brazen attack also happened with police presence right in the general area, and witnesses who saw the gunman say he appeared intent to carry out his mission because police officers who were nearby did not deter him. Apparently the gunman walked right up to the two men, shot one three times and then the other two times.

Partygoers had just exited the Fiyah Wata night spot when their attention was drawn to a commotion not far from them. Police quickly detained two men, Trevor Lamb and Adrian Arzu on charges of abetment to commit murder and abetment to commit attempted murder. Police believe they were the ones who provided the gun for the shooting. But their main suspect, Dionicio Salazar, the man who reports say threw the silver gun under a white taxi before

Murder in Cayo

running up Hudson Street, is still on the run and may have jumped the border. He is not a stranger to this type of violence either.

According to the editor of the Star Newspaper, Alberto August, who is also Dougal's brother, the same man, Salazar, was the man who reportedly wielded a machete in 2002 and killed his oldest son. But while Salazar was convicted of the crime, he was never jailed because he won the case on appeal. August said he showed Dougal a picture of Salazar, and because of his bullet wounds, on a piece of paper Dougal indicated that he was the same man who shot him and Rivera.

The irate family of a man who was viciously attacked and killed by two pitbull dogs are calling on authorities to put the animals down because of what they did and because they pose a threat to other people. The victim, Edmund Spain, 65, was the caretaker of a property at Tropical Park com-munity in Hattieville who was merely going home to take care of his rela-tives' house when he was attacked on May 31. Spain was passing in front of a neighbor’s yard when the two dogs gained exit from their yard through a small hole in the fence and pounced on him. The dogs' owners are said to have recently moved to the area and they normally kept the dogs on leashes inside the fenced yard. But this news-paper understands that they had set the dogs loose when a few days before thieves tried to break into their home.

The matter has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for

review before a decision is made on what will happen to the dogs or wheth-er their owners will be charged. What is clear is that their savage attack on Spain did not give him a chance to de-fend himself or to run away. He was pinned down and bitten on both arms, face and neck. When help finally ar-rived, the dogs were still biting Spain on the ground. He died a few days later while receiving treatment for the injuries. A post mortem is still sched-uled to determine which of the wounds caused his death.

Marlon Rivera

Family of deceased caretaker calls for death sentence for

dogs that killed him

Edmund Spain - Deceased


We Belizeans should be rightly angry at the Prime Minister the Honorable Dean Barrow for his utter inability so far to replace the Kendal Bridge that was washed away by the flood waters that were generated by Tropical Storm Arthur when it deluged the country at the start of the 2008 hurricane season. Clearly, it was well within his power to have done so expeditiously. But truth be told, his failure to do so only proves that he does not have his priorities right in regards to governing the country. In the meantime, the rains and the hurricane season are here once again.

The washing away of the bridge severed one of the country’s most vital commercial arteries, the Southern Highway, cutting off the region from the rest of the country and forcing people to make the dangerous crossing in rickety dories. Tragically, two Nigerians drowned when the dory they were in capsized in the raging waters. While a low earth and wood causeway was constructed nearby as a temporary fix, allowing for vehicular traffic, it can suddenly become impassable as the Sittee River that it spans is prone to flooding whenever it rains heavily in the area. To make matters worse, it is also vulnerable to being heavily damaged or being washed away completely.

Therefore, it is hard to believe that more than two years later, we are still waiting on Mr. Barrow to procure a replacement bridge. Perhaps he does not realize that whenever the causeway is impassable, aside from isolating the people of the southern Stann Creek and Toledo districts, it has adverse effects on the country’s economy because neither the crude oil nor the citrus that is highly perishable can be transported to the Big Creek Port for export, while the incoming cargo is held up in storage. Moreover, the distribution of consumer goods and services, particularly the

public transportation system in the area, are severely disrupted, resulting in the tourists being unable to make their way to the Placencia Peninsula and the Toledo District’s hotels. Sorry to say, every person’s bottom line that is heavily dependent on tourist revenues takes a hit.

There is no doubt that procuring a replacement bridge for the Kendal crossing should be at the top of Mr. Barrow’s to do list. And it certainly should not have taken this long for the country, particularly those people who are dependent on the Southern Highway for their livelihood, to be without a new bridge, much less not knowing when they will get one. Yet, each day that goes by shows us how much he and his governing ministers and his area representatives care for the people who are inconvenienced and suffer every time that the causeway is impassable. Clearly, they are not the ones who are stranded in their vehicles on the highway, waiting on the waters to recede, or they are not the ones who are risking their lives, making the crossing in a rickety dory, or they are not the ones whose bottom line takes a hit as a result of unoccupied hotel rooms.

Meanwhile, it is inexcusable that Mr. Barrow’s failure to procure a replacement

We’re Still Waiting…Mr. Barrow!

bridge has not produced any reaction from his ministers and his area representatives. We have to wonder how it is that none of them appears to harbor even a tinge of concern, embarrassment, or unease, let alone displays any exasperation over this fiasco. It seems that nothing offends them any longer. Or perhaps it is that they do not want to be in his doghouse, losing their privileges that it seems that they cannot live without in these hard times. Let us hope that it is not because the Kendal crossing is so far away from Belize City’s media spotlight that he and his band of merry men have been dragging their feet over the replacement bridge. If that were so, it would be unforgiveable.

But the time has come for both the Hon. Anthony Martinez and the Hon. Melvin Hulse to earn their keep. As the Works Minister, Mr. Martinez needs to impress on Mr. Barrow that procuring a replacement bridge is vital to our national development. Regrettably, it seems that he has no idea of what it takes to be responsible for the country’s infrastructure. We can only wonder what it is he is truly doing with the expertise, the materials, and the money available to him. As for the Stann Creek West representative Mr. Hulse, he who is always running off his foul mouth has

been uncharacteristically mum regarding his constituents’ plight. Yet, there is no reason why he should be, given that as the National Emergency Management Organization Minister, he is fully aware of the Southern Highway’s importance to the area’s hurricane evacuation plan.

While we ourselves know that the economy is in recession and that the Treasury is cash strapped, Mr. Barrow cannot use those facts as the pretexts for his failure to procure a replacement bridge. Not when he has squandered millions of the taxpayers’ dollars on the expenses such as the staff and the outfitting of offices associated with bringing in two non elected persons as ministers into his Cabinet, on his ministers and their wives jet setting to faraway lands like Taiwan, on the fully maintained sport utility vehicles such as a Lexus for his ministers, on the enriching of the First Wife Emeritus Lois Young, and on the obscene remuneration packages and perks for his cronies. And that is just listing a handful of his government’s extravagances. At the same time, he should spare us the dribble that it is the Caribbean Development Bank’s fault for not approving the loan.

It is clear that Mr. Barrow and his ministers and his area representatives need to do a lot more to show us that they are not “all glitter and no substance,” and that they are working in the people’s best interest. To us, it seems that they have forgotten that they were elected to office to serve the people, and not to be nepotistic, bestowing largesse only on their family members and their close personal friends, while only giving us bitter memories. For that alone, we have every reason to be rightly furious at them. Besides, we know for sure that they have shamelessly forsaken the accountability and the transparency spiel that they babbled ad nauseam on their campaign trail.


‘Miniman’ Takes Gun Rap And 2 Year Sentence

BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 16, 2010 Two persons, ex BDF soldier

Alton Roches, 29 and Nicoli Rhys, 19 were charged with the murder of reputed Southside gang leader Andre Trapp, 24, when they appeared in the #1 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, June 14. No plea was taken from them because the offence is indictable. Nor could the Court offer them bail. Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie remanded them into custody until August 12.

Trapp was shot and killed at around 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, June 10, in what is considered the most daring killing because it happened just outside of the Magistrate’s Court building. Trapp went to the #2 Magistrate’s Court for a case in which he was charged with possession of 25 grams of cannabis, an incident which occurred from March 29. Apparently his assailants learned that he was at Court and they waited for him in the parking lot next to the Magistrate Court where his Suburban vehicle was parked.

Trapp was shot in the left side of his chest and the left side of his back. He ran from the parking lot and

BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 16, 2010 Ralph Sherlock Martinez Sr.,

37, a.k.a. “Miniman”, charged with 3 members of his family and a family friend for keeping a firearm without a gun license, pled guilty to the charge when he was arraigned in the #1 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, June 14. Because he had no previous conviction for firearm and ammunition offences, Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie gave him the minimum sentence of 2 years. The charge against the others was withdrawn. The other defendants were Martinez’s common-law wife Juanita Uter, 41; his daughter, Nashanti, 18; his 15 year old son and Nashanti’s friend, Tashey Torres, 21.

The incident occurred at around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 13. The Police were on mobile patrol when they responded to shots being fired on Vernon Street near to the Police booth. They reported that when they arrived at the scene they saw two persons suffering from gunshot wounds and they were told that Martinez was the culprit.

The Police went to Martinez’s house, located at 5B Sibun Street. They searched the house and they did not

find anything. But when they searched the yard they found a black bag near to a Soursop tree which contained one .22 revolver with 4 expended shells. At the time all five defendants were at the premises. They were taken into custody and charged.

The gun and ammunition were labeled as exhibits.

Nicoli Rhys

Ralph Sherlock Martinez Sr.

Two Men Charged for Andre Trapp’s Murder

collapsed face down on the pavement in front of the Court building on Regent Street. He was put in the back of a pick-up truck and taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Pol ice apprehended Rhys shortly after the incident. Flores was apprehended the following day, Friday, June 11.


Watch how our green/buffer was sold…watch the dates and the total paid.

The Reconstruction and Development Corporation along with the Ministry of Natural Resources never before facilitated a buyer (?) to process their land documents so swiftly that it leaves us questioning the reason and the process.

On the 6 day of July, 2009 a Company by the name of ARQITEKTON was registered at the Company Registry in Belmopan by Subscribers Oscar Montero Sr. and Oscar Montero Jr.

WATCH THE PRICE PAIDOn the 15.4.10 the

Company ARQITEKTON paid RECONDEV ONE THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED Belize dollars ($1,200.00) for green/buffer parcel # 5525 which is at the junction of Salvapan entrance and East Ring Road beside the property of the Church of Christ.

WATCH THE DATEOn the 20.4.10 the Company

ARQITEKTON, TRANSFER OF LAND DOCUMENTS was signed in RECONDEV by the General Manager and Administrative Officer Rurico Alvarado. It normally would take RECONDEV one month to process transfer documents giving them sufficient time to carry out due diligence.

But to process TRANFER OF LAND DOCUMENTS one would need to have paid the total price stipulated in the transfer documents. In this case ARQITEKTON only paid 10% of the transfer of land documents price, that of $12,000.00 Belize.dollars. Isn’t this outright CORRUPTION and STEALING? You be the judge - no one in their right senses would process transfer of land documents if the land was not paid in full.

The Transfer of Land documents were picked up by Oscar Montero Sr. and lodged at the Lands Registry in the Ministry of Natural Resources on the 23.4.10

Land Title Certificate for green/buffer parcel #5525 was prepared in record breaking time at the Registry Section in the Lands Department - this process took less than a month. Mr. Oscar Montero Sr. received land title certificate before 22.5.2010. Normally land title documents would take three months to twelve months to process.

Conclusion:The actual price Mr. Montero

Sr. paid RECONDEV on 15.4.2010 was $1,200.00 Belize Dollars instead of total sale price which is recorded on TRANSFER OF LAND documents that of $12,000.00 Belize Dollars; RECONDEV receipt # 6504 substantiates this. We ask

the question - who is the big loser here? Isn’t it us, the residents of Belmopan? Firstly in this CORRUPT deal we lost our green/buffer for use by us, by our children, by our grand children and great grand children; secondly we got robbed with our eyes wide open as ARQITEKTON only paid 10% of the value on price RECONDEV set on this parcel. But remember when greens/buffers are sold they are gone forever reducing the total acreage the city has to ensure we have a green city.

Just for the record the Church of Christ years ago requested to purchase this parcel # 5525 but was denied and informed that this parcel is a green/buffer and could not be sold, instead they were offered and they bought the parcel on the Eastern side of their property.

We call on RECONDEV to

TELL US, WHAT IS THIS?retract the sale of our green/buffer and return it to its rightful owner the residents of Belmopan, and request that Mayor Lopez be the guardian he was elected to be for our city and to maintain the stop order (building)in force.

What do you call this? Isn’t this deceitful? Isn’t this outright stealing? Isn’t this outright CORRUPTION in its highest fashion?

It took Mr. Montero Sr. and his company little over a month to do a land transaction between himself, RECONDEV and Lands Department when it takes any ordinary Belizean, or Realtor to effect such Land transaction of this nature anytime between three to twelve months at least.

What do you call this? Doesn’t this have the smell of

CORRUPTION in RECONDEV and the Lands Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources?

We call on the Prime Minster Hon. D. O. Barrow to ensure that this practice does not go without its equal punishment - this is a criminal act. This action really exposes the CORRUPT deals that are being practiced daily in RECONDEV and the Lands Department and gives the Prime Minister more reason to pass over RECONDEV to the Belmopan City Council immediately. During the transition period sale of land and land transfer documents must and we say MUST be signed by the Mayor and this must be adhered to by the Lands Department by a directive from the Prime Minister himself.

ONLY BY EXPOSING CORRUPTION CAN WE STOP CORRUPTION…

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Jury Finds 32 Year Old Man Guilty Of Manslaughter

BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 16, 2010 Kenneth Garcia, 32, charged

with the murder of his uncle, Sergio Garcia, 54, was found not guilty of murder but guilty of manslaughter by a jury of 8 women and 4 men today in the court of Justice Troadio Gonzalez. The jury deliberated for almost 4 hours before it arrived at its verdict, which was unanimous.

Ju s t i c e G o n z a l e z h a s deferred sentencing until Friday, June 18 in order to give Garcia’s attorney, Leo Bradley Jr., time to prepare a plea for mitigation. The

incident occurred between 8:00pm and 9:00 p.m. on September 22, 2006, at the house of Garcia’s father, located in Bullet Tree Falls Village.

The prosecution, represented b y S e n i o r C r o w n C o u n s e l Yohhanhseh Cave, tendered into evidence a caution statement by the accused in which he admitted that he struck his uncle on the head with a piece of metal pipe because his uncle was throwing stones at him. Sergio Garcia was taken to the Western Regional Hospital where he died the following day, September 23, 2006, from massive bleeding of the brain due to head trauma. Garcia gave a statement from the dock in which he admitted that he struck his uncle with something but he said that it was by accident.

He sa id h i s unc le was throwing stones at him and he tried to block a rock that was thrown at him and by doing so he accidentally struck his uncle on the head. But the jury did not believe it was an accident or that it was a case of self defense and he was found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

BELIZE CITY, Wed. June 16, 2010 Boat captain and car dealer

A lwyn Gonza lez , 30 , who was remanded to prison after he was charged with drug and ammunition offences in two incidents, was released on bail of $20,000 on Monday, June 14. His attorney Dickie Bradley was

Alwyn Gonzalez Released On $20,000 Bail

successful in his application for bail because tests on two of the drugs turned up negative.

Gonzalez and a secretary, Tiffara Bradley, 24, were charged with 3 counts of drug trafficking, possession of 35 rounds of unlicensed ammunition and possession of a pipe using for smoking a controlled drug. The drugs included 6.1 grams of heroin, 359 grams of cannabis and 24.7 grams of crack cocaine.

Gonzalez and Bradley were charged when the Police searched an apartment on Guadalupe Street on Saturday, May 22 and found the alleged drugs, ammunition and pipe. Gonzalez was also charged jointly with his baby’s mother, Tasha Herrera, 26, for 2.4 kilograms of cocaine.

The Police reported that on Wednesday, May 19, they went to an address on K Street and when they searched the house they did not find anything incriminating. But according to the Police, when they searched the yard they found a bag containing two parcels and each parcel contained 1.2 kilograms of cocaine. Only Herrera was at the house at the time. But the Police charged Gonzalez because they reportedly found documents belonging to Gonzalez.

Alwyn Gonzalez

Kenneth Garcia

at www.belizetimes.bz

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ROSEHALL, St James — With the Caribbean region still in the throes of "weathering the storm" of last year's financial crisis and two major earthquakes, there is concern for "what lies ahead" for the insur-ance industry. Foremost among those concerns is the catastrophe of a BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

President of the Insurance As-sociation of the Caribbean, Des-mond Camacho raised a red flag at Sunday's opening ceremony of the 30th annual Caribbean Insurance Conference noting, "we still don't know what that will mean for all of us in this region and certainly all of those along the coast affected."

In keeping with the theme of the conference-- 'What Lies Ahead' -- Camacho said, "at this time also, from an insurance industry and fi-

nancial perspective, when we look even into the immediate future, we are faced with a 'Solven C2' being introduced in Europe, which we be-lieve will have serious ramifications for the insurance industry, and by ex-tension from all those who purchase products that will be so affected."

According to Camacho, there is also a move to modernise and up-grade regulation in the Caribbean region.

"As a consequence of the events of the past we are seeing that the tone of the regulation has become far more strict, far less tolerant and far more demanding of us of proper governance and proper structures to carry us forward and to ensure that some of the debacles of the past, particularly in the financial arena, are mitigated against," he said.

LONDON, England (AP) — For-mer Jamaica midfielder Robbie Earle has been fired as a World Cup commen-

tator for British TV station ITV after violating FIFA's ticket regulations at the tournament in South Africa.

According to the broadcaster, tick-ets allocated to Earle for Monday's game between Denmark and the Netherlands were used for "unauthorised purposes" and were passed on to third parties.

ITV said yesterday that "a substan-tial number of tickets allocated to Rob-bie Earle for family and friends have been passed to a third party in breach of FIFA rules," and that Earle's contract "has been terminated with immediate ef-fect".

Earle, who is also an ambassador for England's 2018 World Cup bid, said: "Call me naive but I didn't think I was doing anything wrong."

Former Reggae Boy fired over WC ticket probe

BP oil spill concerns Carib Insurance confab

POLICE are offering a reward of US$20,000 (J$1.7 million) for the capture of Christopher ‘Dudus’ Coke, the former strongman of Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston.

The Police would like to find Coke to execute a warrant of arrest issued by the Courts of Jamaica for him to face extradition proceedings. Coke is wanted by United States law enforcement agencies for drugs and gun running.

Persons knowing the whereabouts of Christopher 'Dudus' Coke can contact Operation Kingfish at 811, Crime Stop at 311 and Police Control at 119.

US$20,000 bounty placed on Dudus' head

CONTROVERSY reared its ugly head yesterday as Barbados celebrated the achievements of pop star Rihanna with an Opposition MP querying Gov-ernment’s choice of the exclusive, upscale Apes Hill, rather than any of the other new developments, like Bushy Park, to gift her a house spot.

But St George North MP Gline Clarke was told his question showed he had a “snobbish attitude”.

Minister of Housing and Lands Mi-chael Lashley, who introduced the resolu-tion in the House of Assembly to vest 2 635 square metres of land at Apes Hill, St James in the name of the international star – Robyn Rihanna Fenty – also chid-ed Clarke for his “audacity” and asked whether the exclusive community was “too good” for her.

Lashley noted that Clarke’s query was “suggesting to me, indirectly, that Apes Hill is too good for this young Bar-badian”.

“To me, it was one downside in this debate that a Member . . . could be questioning why we are looking at land in Apes Hill for Rihanna, and why not Westbury.”

He also recalled Clarke saying some-one had asked why Government was pay-ing millions of dollars for land for some-one who was making millions of dollars in the entertainment industry.

“The . . . member sat in a Cabinet that wasted taxpayers’ money on things that were promised that never came to fruition, and [there] was no protest,” he said.

“But here we [are] now supporting a young Barbadian that actually was able to penetrate the American music indus-try – and it is not easy to penetrate the American music industry – paving the way forward for other young aspiring en-tertainers, and a member in this House had the audacity to get up and question a Government that is making a contribu-tion and rewarding a young Barbadian for his or her efforts; he has the audacity to get up and question why this Govern-ment is doing that.”

Clarke interrupted to say he had asked a simple, legitimate question: Whose idea it was for the land and whether it was Government’s or Sir Charles Williams’, and why Apes Hill and not Bushy Park or St Lucy?

“Is Apes Hill too good for Robyn Rihanna Fenty?” Lashley asked.

Clarke said he had never said Apes Hill was too good for anybody, but Gov-ernment had to say why it chose Apes Hill.

Lashley said Cabinet took the Apes Hill decision in February 2008, but he had brought the Bushy Park matter to Parliament only two weeks ago.(AB)

Controversy over gift of land to Rihanna

Jamaica should brace itself for a wave of deportees from the United States as the number of locals in Uncle Sam's jails has swelled. Clifford Chambers, security attaché at the Jamaican Embassy in Wash-ington, told The Gleaner that more than 6,000 Jamaicans were now in US custody facing deportation proceedings.

Chambers, however, said he could not estimate how many of this number would eventually be sent back as each case would be considered on merit.

"In recent times, we are faced with an influx of Jamaicans in US custody who are facing deportation, and that has to do with the beefing up of staff in the immi-gration and customs sections by the US

authorities," Chambers said.He added: "The majority of them are

not really felony charges. The majority of them are people who come here legally and have overstayed their visas."

Between 2002 and 2009, more than 13,000 Jamaicans were deported from the US, the Jamaican Embassy says. Last year, the US showed the red card to more than 1,400 persons.

Chambers said many persons fighting deportation were tasting success.

"In recent times, we find that a lot of these persons are being allowed to stay because of the reasons and circumstances behind their applications," Chambers said.

Time for dual citizenship

Mindful of the situation, Jamaica's ambassador to Washington, Audrey Marks, said it was an issue of great concern.

She urged Jamaicans living in the US, and who were eligible to become citizens there, to pursue that process.

Marks said she aimed to work with expatriate Jamaicans to help restructure diaspora organisations to give more sup-port to the island's development agenda.

"We have to get very involved in per-suading people to become citizens of the US, as they can have more political influ-ence," Marks said.

The ambassador argued that citi-zenship would be a shield for Jamaicans against deportation.

"There is so much protection in the system that people are not using out of ig-norance," Marks said.

She told The Gleaner that some per-sons virtually spend their entire lives in the US without obtaining citizenship and get booted back to Jamaica because of traffic violations.

"We have to get into some strong ne-gotiations in looking at the way people are separated from their families," Marks said.

She added that it was "amazing that the families of non-felons are disrupted" because of violations such as traffic of-fences and has pledged to work towards ironing out agreements on how to proceed with such deportation matters.

Deportee alarm - More than 6,000 Jamaicans in danger of being booted from US

Sunday, June 20, 2010 THE BELIZE TIMES A Insert A

WHY DOESMR. BARROWWANT TO GET

RID OF THECHIEF JUSTICE?

B THE BELIZE TIMES Sunday, June 20, 2010Insert B

Sunday, June 20, 2010 THE BELIZE TIMES C Insert C

servido el champán y los bocados, diciendo a cada uno que escuchara que él era en realidad el Ministro. Hahahaha… por supuesto nadie creyó eso. ¡Ayyy esta gente me mata… If Da Noh Soh!…...

Petición de la Iglesia… Dicen por allí que últimamente

el Calvo ha estado aconsejando a su equipo motley que tienen que participar mas en las iglesias de sus áreas (un caso serio de haz lo que baldy dice y no lo que baldy hace). Por supuesto, el Calvito quiso decir que deben implicarse de una buena manera pero el dimWitz baboso entendió mal la cosa, la semana pasada el Pastor en una iglesia pasó su sermón entero rabiando sobre cómo el dimWitz está implicado en la venta de un área verde en Belmopán. El Pastor incluso circuló una petición que pedía que los feligreses firmen contra la corrupción en RECONDEV. ¡Sí baldy, sé que ésta no era la participación de la iglesia que usted tenía en mente pero usted va a tener que ocuparse de esta situación en Cayo sur lo más pronto posible… If Da Noh Soh!

Bummer de HummerLa semana pasada preguntaba

acerca de la Srta alcalde de la ciudad de Belice que se ha aislado de los medios últimamente. Donde está mi amiga, me preguntaba. ¿Oh dónde oh en donde puede ella estar? Bien, alguien me llamó la semana pasada y me dio una pista donde ella podría ser hallada. ¿al parecer después de horarios saca a pasear al Hummer

color amarillo de su lugar oculto.. ¡No puede ser! La última vez que acusaron a la Alcaldesa de poseer un Hummer ella dijo no, su honorable trasero nunca había tocado una silla de un Hummer. Nos preguntamos lo que ella diría si se le hiciera las misma pregunta hoy … oh, ella diría probablemente en su manera de hablar en tercera persona… “usted sabe que Zenaida no hace ningún movimiento sin la dirección de Dios, claro! Dios le dijo ir a comprarse un Hummer. Jeez. ¡If Da Noh Soh!

Diablos, claro que No!Quisiéramos tomar esta oportunidad

de enviar un mensaje a la Alcalde sin una causa o color - no se moleste en volver. Las puertas del Pasillo de la Independencia estarán cerradas para usted. No envié mas mensajes… y no envié mas emisarios – ¡NO ES NO!

ACB se disuelve… Bien, a nadie le sorprende en

realidad. La asociación de apoyo a Barrow (ACB) se está disolviendo. Vea usted, antes de las elecciones el ACB no era un lugar tan malo para estar porque todos miraban a baldy como el Moses negro que conducía las masas fuera del yermo. Pero lo que hizo este Moses es dirigir a las masas fuera del yermo y al borde de un acantilado en los mares agitados llenó de tiburones gigantes.

Oh NO! Mini-MugabeLa última palabra a este columnista

es que mini-Mugabe tuvo que ser dado un sedativo cuando él vio el lanzamiento de la Asociación de la Barra que confirmaba básicamente lo que hemos estado diciendo, básicamente quiere

decir- usted es un dictador y un déspota y un mal compañero, bueno ese es mi traducción personal del lanzamiento de prensa. Hubiese usted escuchado a Baldy llamar para que la primera esposa segunda Dama de la Nación asista en su lugar a la reunión de la Asociación de la Barra para hablar por él, pero Lois dijo un rotundo NO! Mire usted, ella había obtenido al parecer ya la palabra que cada abogado en la reunión fuera a firmar el lanzamiento y ella no planeó en parecer el impar, ni siquiera por el calvito. Ni Lois, ni Michael Young estuvieron, todos los demás abogados le dieron la espalda al Sr Primer Ministro. ¡Muestras de cosas por venir mi arrogante amigo… muestra de cosas por venir!

Sensaciones culpables… Para decir verdad me siento a veces

un poco mal por divertirme a costas tener de los idiotas del otro lado… la semana pasada casi me sentí culpable por un minuto por la forma como me divertí con mi `confuso bally' del guarda,

aun más cuando recibí una llamada que me decía que que él había estallado en llanto cuando leyó la edición del Belize Times¡Eso me puso triste, porque mi intención no fue hacerlo llorar … LOL! Gran bebe!. ¡If Da Noh Soh!

El burro del primer grado…….Y puesto que estamos hablando de

idiotas… usted tiene que estar bromeando conmigo. Acabo de enterarme que el ministro de los pies descalzos y su CMLSO (oficial sospechoso de lavado de dinero – yup! Ese titulo yo lo invente! fueron recientemente a un viaje a Panamá. Mi amigo de los pies descalzos viajo en la sección de economía, mientras que el oficial sospechoso de lavado de dinero viajo en primera clase. Mi pobre amigo el descalzo se la paso durante todo el viaje estirando el cuello para poder ver lo que servían de botanas en la primera clase. ¿Ninguna mentira… puede usted imaginar eso? Lo que se sabe es que mi pobre amigo el Ministro protestaba en alta voz cada vez que el oficial era

esta el caso de un empleado valorado en Corozal que fue despedido porque atendió un rally del PUP. ¡Yup, Esto va a estallar pronto! y usted podrá decir que usted lo leo aquí primero… If Da Noh Soh!

Tan solo ahora todos en el ACB están saltando la nave en un momento en que el país necesita un ACB verdadero. Lo predijimos hace un tiempo. Ahora esta sucediendo. ¡If Da Noh Soh!

BTL Oportunista…..Otra cosa que hemos estado

prediciendo por un cierto tiempo es un motín dentro de las filas en la Tele media limitado de Barrow. Y créanme eso esta por suceder pronto. Porciones de cosas no tan agradables que están sucediendo como el pariente no calificado de un Ministro en el departamento de cuentas que fue elevado a posición mayor. También esta el hecho de los empleados con mas bajas posiciones pero que son compinches del UDP y que han logrado obtener aumentos enormes. También

D THE BELIZE TIMES Sunday, June 20, 2010Insert D

nunca sucederá? El Sr. Barrow se hará de “la vista gorda” al ignorar la corrupción dentro de su propia administración.

Sr. NEMO……

Al escribir esto un sistema climático se esta formando y recordamos que posiblemente este sea una fecha activa de huracanes. Malas noticias para los Beliceños porque la triste verdad es que para la mayoría de residentes su bienestar y seguridad en caso de un huracán o desastre natural se encuentra en las manos del Sr. Melvin Hulse. Nuestro Primer Ministro asegura que no podría haber mejores manos para salvaguardar las vidas de nuestros residentes.Ya se

le olvido que estuvo a punto de quitarle ese cargo al mismo Melvin Hulse para luego cambiar de idea en el último momento. Mire Sr. Ministro, no es tiempo para juegos políticos. Por si no se ha percatado solamente un poco de lluvias seria desastrosas para nuestras carreteras, puentes y preparaciones de emergencia. Este caballero no tiene ni idea como lidiar con este portafolio. El primer mes desde que inicio la etapa de huracanes casi termino y el Sr. Hulse brilla por su ausencia. En el evento de un desastre natural los danos serian irreparables y la perdida de vidas humanas catastrófica! Obviamente el culpable seria el Sr. Deán Barrow que parece incapaz de hacer decisiones sensatas y que toma a la ligera actos de incompetencia.

Finalmente………..Alabado sea mi Padre Celestial! La

Asociación de Abogados acaba de despertar de un profundo sueno y tiene algo que decirle al Sr. Barrow y a su Administración. Las palabras de condenación de la Asociación es interesante, no cabe duda al respecto, es algo que tiempo atrás se hubiera hecho. Una crítica apenas cubierta con una capa fina de respeto y diplomacia, la Asociación de Abogados acusa al Sr. Barrow de haber sacado a la Justicia Principal (Chief Justice) por sus siglas en Ingles, de oficio sin razón alguna. Continúan

diciendo que el Sr. Barrow es culpable de haber interferido en el sistema de justicia que debe ser un cuerpo intocable. También le informan a nuestro Señor Primer Ministro que al no ser de confianza demandan contribución en cualquier nombramiento a la Corte Suprema o Corte de Apelación. Esta Asociación es un cuerpo compuesto de 150 abogados diciéndole al Señor Barrow que su comportamiento es deplorable y su forma de proceder es el de un dictador al tratar de manipular al Sistema Judicial y ellos no están dispuestos a tolerar semejante barbaridad! Le han informado al Sr. Barrow que su juicio y integridad dejan mucho que desear y no creen que el haría lo correcto cuando se trate de nombramientos. A esto hay que ponerle importancia, recuerden que se trata de nuestro Líder de la Nación quien se le acusa de comportamiento impropio y sin ninguna ética profesional. Le aplaudimos a la Asociación de Abogados por finalmente tratar de manera tan adecuada un tema que amenaza la Democracia de nuestro País.

Respuesta típica………..La respuesta del Sr. Barrow a las

acusaciones hechas por la Asociación de Abogados es típica de un dictador y déspota. El disputa las alegaciones, claro esta, porque vea usted, todo mundo esta equivocado menos el Sr. Barrow que es un hombre de carácter intachable y quien es incapaz de cometer cualquier error, según la declaración, de acuerdo a la misma, a pesar de lo obvio de la situación y que toda la nación esta enterada, pero según el declarado de prensa, el Sr. Barrow no haría algo tan insensato como obligar al Nuestra Justicia Principal a

desalojar su cargo. Oh; y en referencia a la demanda de la Asociación hacia el Sr. Barrow a contribuyentes en cuanto al nombramiento de Elementos a la Corte de Justicia y Corte de Apelación, el Sr. Barrow atraves de su declaración les pide sutilmente que se vayan al diablo! Cuando la Unión pidió lo mismo con el dinero obtenido de Venezuela el Sr. Barrow les informo que no eran indispensables, ahora Nuestro Primer Ministro le dice lo mismo a la Asociación de Abogados. Recuerdo las promesas hechas en el Manifestó del UDP en donde el Sr. Barrow promete consultar con cuerpos pertinentes en cuanto a temas que afectan a la Nación. Como la mayoría de las promesas hechas por el Sr. Barrow, fueron promesas vanas, palabras que se llevo el viento. Con el permiso de un colega del medio, utilizare una frase que el suele usar “El Sr. Barrow es Bogus” Hace tiempo lo sabemos pero ahora lo constatamos.

En cuanto a lo Judicial…….Es increíble como el Sr. Barrow habla tan elocuentemente. Si la palabra habilidad en

Liderazgo significara decir una cosa y hacer otra sin una gota de remordimiento, el Sr. Barrow seria un buen candidato para ser elegido como líder de lo perpetuo. ¿Pero que rayos estoy diciendo? A como están las cosas El Sr. Barrow bien podría hacer una nueva enmienda en donde se elegiría como Líder en Perpetuidad. El tema de nuestra Justicia Principal, el Sr. Conteh, es un tema bastante delicado. Ahora nosotros los ciudadanos Beliceños estamos pensando que el Primer Ministro ha interferido con nuestro sistema Judicial. Su comportamiento en cuanto al Sr. Conteh es irracional. No hay manera posible que El Sr. Barrow convenza al público Beliceño que habla en serio cuando se trata del tema del crimen, si sus acciones dicen todo lo contrario. El Sr. Barrow debería tomar en cuenta que Cuerpos que usualmente se mantienen callados ahora lo lo critican abiertamente. Debería usted retractarse de sus acciones contra el Sr. Conteh, Sr. Primer Ministro. Deje en paz al Sistema Judicial.

RECONDEV y Ramón……..El chofer del Representante UDP del Área y presidente de RECONDEV el Sr.

Ramón Witz, ha sido arrestado por su complicidad en un trato corrupto sobre unas tierras. El arresto se llevo acabo días después que un grupo por nombre de “People’s Committee” informo sobre una parcela que fue vendida a un Chino en Belmopán. No era propiedad de RECONDEV y ciertamente no se puede vender lo ajeno. Aparentemente cuando el negociante Chino fue a registrar la parcela se encontró con la mala noticia. El reporte policiaco solamente menciona al chofer del Representante UDP como involucrado, pero la declaración de People’s Committee especifica que esta venta corrupta fue hecha con los documentos apropiados y el sello apropiado que no cualquiera tiene acceso a ello. Este Committee nombra al Sr. Witz entre otros elementos del UDP y dice que no es el primer caso corrupto de estas personas. Los siguientes días serán muy interesantes para el Sr. Witz y sus colegas del UDP en Cayo Sur.

La Conexión……..Fue un asunto de bastante interés para los residentes del Cayo Sur cuando el Sr.

Ramón Witz fue ignorado en la reciente nominación de nuevos elementos del Gabinete. Según parece, al Sr. Witz se le había prometido los portafolios de NEMO y Transporte. Su gente de RECONDEV inclusive había recibido ya sus cartas informándoles que serian transferidos a NEMO. Era un hecho. De repente las cosas cambiaron drásticamente, y fue Melvin quien fue traído de nuevo del asilo político en que se encontraba. Con esta ultima revelación las personas suponen que lo que pasa es que el Sr. Barrow se entero de la corrupción del susodicho y no le pareció conveniente elegirlo. Eso suena bastante razonable y bien hecho, ahora lo que el Sr. Primer Ministro necesita hacer es lanzar una investigación inmediata en los asuntos de RECONDEV y el Representante del Cayo Sur y encontrar lo ancho y lo largo de esta corrupción. ¿Cuanto apostaría usted que eso

Políticas UDP, como siempre


El acuerdo provisional con la Casa Blanca se alcanzó este miércoles.

El fondo se usará para compensar a los afectados por el vertido en el Golfo de México.

Así lo informaron este miércoles medios estadounidenses. El fondo será gestionado por el despacho de abogados 'Kenneth Feinberg', que se encargó también de forma independiente del que se creó para compensar a las víctimas de los atentados del 11 de septiembre del 2001 contra Washington y Nueva York, informó el diario 'The New York Times'.

Según los términos del acuerdo, BP tendría varios años para depositar el total en el fondo de forma que pueda mantener su viabilidad financiera y no preocupar a los inversores, destaca el medio estadounidense.

Se espera que el presidente de los Estados Unidos, Barack Obama, dé a conocer el acuerdo de forma oficial en unas declaraciones a la prensa este miércoles desde la Rosaleda de la Casa Blanca, donde recibió a los máximos ejecutivos de BP.

Ocho miembros de la multinacional petrolera, incluido el presidente de la compañía, Carl-Henric Svanberg; el

consejero delegado, Tony Hayward, y el responsable de BP America, Lamar McKay, participaron en el encuentro.

Obama dijo el martes en un discurso que obligaría a BP a pagar por su "imprudencia", que provocó el mayor desastre ecológico en la historia del país.

BP pone en marcha segundo sistema de contención de petróleo en Golfo México

British Petroleum (BP) informó este miércoles que puso en marcha un segundo sistema para capturar el petróleo que fluye al mar en el Golfo de México y que, según los últimos datos oficiales, ronda

Washington, 14 jun (PL) El presi-dente estadounidense, Barack Obama, realizó hoy su cuarta visita a la región del Golfo de México, impactada por un derrame petrolero que se ha exten-dido por 56 días.

Obama arribó a la pequeña ciu-dad costera de Gulfport, en Misisipi, en lo que constituye la primera etapa de un periplo de 48 horas no sólo por esa zona sureña, sino también por los estados de Alabama y Florida, más al este.

El gobernante planificó una serie de reuniones con los encargados de las operaciones que intentan detener el flujo de crudo de un pozo ubicado a 1,5 kilómetros por debajo del nivel del mar.

Obama visitó la costa del Golfo el 2 y 28 de mayo, así como el 4 de junio, donde defendió la respuesta de su ad-ministración ante la mayor catástrofe ambiental que ha sufrido el territorio nacional.

Hasta el momento, las críticas y presiones a la Casa Blanca están bas-adas en el reclamo de medidas más enérgicas para enfrentar la tragedia, causante, además, de la muerte de 11 trabajadores.

Mientras, la víspera venció el plazo dado por las autoridades esta-dounidenses a la British Petroleum (BP) para aplicar métodos más eficaces en la contención del fluido y la limp-ieza de una extensa área contaminada.

En una entrevista concedida al si-tio digital Politico, Obama calificó la actual situación de 11 de septiembre ecológico.

De la misma forma que los aten-tados al World Trade Center modifica-ron la visión de Estados Unidos sobre sus vulnerabilidades, lo ocurrido ahora cambiará la visión "sobre el ambiente y la energía", dijo.

Por su parte, David Axelrod, con-sejero de la mansión ejecutiva, afirmó ayer en declaraciones al programa Meet the Press, que el mandatario pre-sentará durante una alocución al país, el plan de su gobierno para enfrentar la catástrofe.

El boquete ha provocado el vertimiento de entre 20 mil y 40 mil barriles diarios (de 3,2 a 6,3 millones de litros) de hidrocarburo a las aguas del Golfo, desde que el 20 de abril explotó y se hundió la plataforma de perforación Deepwater Horizon, de la BP.

BP acepta aportar 20.000 millones de dólares a fondo compensación por derrame de petróleo

Cuarta visita de Obama a región del Golfo de México

entre 35.000 y 60.000 barriles diarios. El Gobierno, que actualizó el martes sus previsiones, había dicho anteriormente que la fuga oscilaba entre los 20.000 y 40.000 barriles diarios.

La multinacional petrolera que operaba la plataforma que estalló el pasado 20 de abril y desató la actual fuga en el Golfo dijo que la caja que instaló el 3 de junio para capturar crudo en el fondo marino capturó 10.440 barriles el martes.

La cifra es inferior a los más de 15.000 barriles de los días previos debido al pequeño incendio registrado el martes en el barco que almacena el petróleo

en la superficie a través de una tubería conectada a la caja recolectora.En total, el sistema ha capturado 160.400 barriles desde su instalación, según BP.

El segundo sistema de recolección comenzó a funcionar a las 6:00 de la mañana del miércoles, informó BP en un comunicado, y busca incrementar la capacidad total de captura hasta los 28.000 barriles diarios.

La empresa señaló en un documento enviado el domingo a la Guardia Costera de EE. UU. que su objetivo es incrementar su capacidad de recolección hasta los 80.000 barriles diarios a mediados del próximo mes. El petróleo capturado a través del segundo sistema se canalizará a un barco en la superficie y será incinerado porque la embarcación no tiene capacidad de almacenamiento o procesado.

El derrame de petróleo ocurrió cuando la compañía operaba la plataforma petrolífera en el Golfo de México que explotó el 20 de abril, en un accidente que cobró la vida de once trabajadores.

Desde entonces, han salido a la luz documentos que indican que BP tomó decisiones arriesgadas en el diseño del pozo y no prestó atención a las señales que alertaban de problemas en el mismo.

QUITO (AFP) – Ecuador pro-hibió la venta de bebidas alcohólicas los domingos, en el marco de un plan para restringir este tipo de consumo debido a su vinculación con casos de asesinatos, informó el martes el min-istro de Gobierno (Interior), Gustavo Jalkh.

“El 10% de los asesinatos cometi-dos tienen relación con el consumo de alcohol, solamente estas cifras justifi-can que vayamos hacia una regulación”, dijo el funcionario a la prensa.

“Las sanciones implican la clau-

sura del local que irrespete estas dis-posiciones”, añadió Jalkh.

La medida también establece que de lunes a jueves está permitida la venta de bebidas de este tipo hasta las 22H00 locales (03H00 GMT), a ex-cepción de discotecas y bares, donde se podrá comercializar licores hasta las 00H00 (05H00 GMT) y los viernes y sábados hasta las 02H00 (07H00 GMT).

Asimismo, prohíbe la venta de licores en las estaciones de dis-tribución de gasolina.

Gobierno de Ecuador prohíbe venta de bebidas alcohólicas los domingos

El periodista hondureño Luis Ar-turo Mondragón fue asesinado por dos desconocidos en la oriental ciudad de Danlí, con lo que suman ocho los comu-nicadores y un locutor muertos violenta-mente en lo que va de 2010, informó el portavoz de la Policía, Leonel Sauceda.

El informante indicó a periodistas que el crimen se registró la noche del lunes, lu-ego de que el comunicador salió del Canal 19 de la televisión, donde trabajaba.

En lo que va de 2010 en Honduras han sido asesinados ocho periodistas y un locutor de una radio musical, sin que hasta ahora los crímenes hayan sido esclareci-dos.

Sobre el caso de Mondragón, el por-tavoz policial dijo que informaciones pre-liminares que tiene la Policía, dos hombres armados estaban esperando al periodista a la salida de las instalaciones del canal de televisión.

Agregó que Mondragón recibió cuatro impactos de bala, y que según ver-siones de algunos familiares del periodista, su muerte puede estar ligada a problemas personales con algunas personas de la zona, no identificadas.

Por su parte, el ministro de Seguridad, Óscar Álvarez, dijo a periodistas que la

policía inició las investigaciones del hecho y que contra Mondragón "hay denuncias sobre hurto de ganado y violación".

Añadió que un hermano de Mon-dragón también ha informado que ya tienen "identificado al autor intelectual" del hecho criminal.

Sobre la muerte de los ocho peri-odistas y el locutor, el portavoz Sauceda dijo que sobre dos comunicadores ya hay bastantes elementos de prueba sobre las causas por las que fueron asesinados, y que en uno de los casos hay orden de cap-tura contra cuatro personas, pero no pre-cisó detalles.

Según el ministro de Seguridad, la muerte de periodistas no se puede atribuir a una acción premeditada para amedrentar o silenciar a la prensa hondureña.

Gobierno de Ecuador prohíbe venta de bebidas alcohólicas los domingos


“Easy-Peasy Puzzles” SCRAMBLED

KDNYOE _________________________________

APTIR _________________________________

REDE _________________________________

RAAAKVRD _________________________________

TUGINB _________________________________

UCNATO _________________________________

ONORCA _________________________________

Across2. A cute animal from Australia that eats eucalyptus leaves.4. A fairy tale character that is very tall.6. Plants that are good to eat and good for you.7. A large body of water surrounded on all sides by land.8. If you've got to get to something far out of your reach you may need this tool to help you climb up and down.Down1. These are now in season and you can find many varieties all over, such as Blackie and No. 11.3. What happens when you tie a rope or string together? It forms a...5. The place where people live that is smaller than a town.

One Minute Crossword Puzzle

BREAK THE CODE!Do the math problems. Then look at the

code below. Write the letter that matches your answer on the line below your an-

swer to break the code

536 425 888 332 985 123+443 - 213 - 333 + 421 - 261 + 456

Letters: ____ ____ ____ ____ ____ ____

410 424 157 +343 - 212 + 422

Letters: ____ ____ ____

Unscramblethe Animals below.

Across: 2 Koala 4 Giant 6 Vegetables 7 Lake 8 Ladder - Down: 1 Mangoes 3 Knot 5 VillageScrambled Solution: (1) Donkey (2) Tapir (3) Deer (4) Aardvark (5) Gibnut (6) Toucan (7) RacoonCode: Hungry Guy


As you look at all the bills that are coming at you and start to worry. It is sometimes difficult for us to know that we will have enough pennies to cover that water bill, light bill or school fees. If we look at the dollars and cents of this world we will be forever stressed. But as believers in God we have an assurance.

“But my God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Phillipians 4:19 So if we believe that the Bible is true and that God’s love for us is constant, we have nothing to worry about. God will provide for us.

In fact in his holy word the Lord speaks to us warning that if we become so focused on money then we doubt God’s love. We must be wary not to be preoccupied with money: “24You cannot be a slave of two masters; you will hate one and love the other; you will be loyal to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money. 25This is why I tell you: do not be worried about the food and drink you need in order to stay alive, or about clothes for your body. After all, isn't life worth more than food? And isn't the body worth more than clothes? 26Look at the birds: they do not plant seeds, gather a harvest and put it in barns; yet your Father in heaven takes care of them! Aren't you worth much more than birds?“ Matthew 6:24-34

Even the comforting hymn by Civilla D. Martin, inspired back 1905, reminds us: “Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear, And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears; Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me; His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.”

As we sing that song in our mind, let’s remember that God’s provision for us is not anything small or partial. If you live by his commandments and in obedience to his word God promises to even leave you with excess. In Luke 6:38 God challenges us to do something radical, the Prophet invites us to part with the little we have to help others and in that way by God’s law we receive more: “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again. ”

Why do we need to worry about the loans we have at the Credit Union, or about BEL or BWS cutting out our utilities when God has said if you obey His commandments He will make sure that it is dealt with. We recite the famous 23rd Psalm often and do not embrace what it says in the very first verse: “The Lord is my Shepard I shall not want.” Psalms 23:1

So don’t spend your time stressing about money: “5Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never leave you; I will never abandon you.” 6Let us be bold, then, and say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” Hebrew 13:1-25

Trust God that He has a plan for your troubles and bills. The Credit Union, Loan sharks, Pawn shops or banks are not the answer. Jesus is the only way. He is the truth and He is your guarantee. Try God!!!!!!! It is free…

AmazinGraceThe Secret to Paying Bills


girls qualified to the playoffs as the No. 2 seed by a 2-0 win over the Belize Elementary School with strikes by Dayna Miguel and Maureen Rhaburn.

In last Thursday’s playoffs, the St. Martin’s girls qualified to the Belize City championship finals when they won 1-0 over the No.4 seed Belize Elementary School, on a strike by Kedidra Tunn.

In the other playoff match, the St. John’s Primary girls also qualified

The St. Martin de Porres RC School g i r l s won the honor of representing the Belize district at the national primary schools football championships to be held by the National Sports Council at the M.C.C. grounds on Friday, June 18, by winning the Belize District primary schools football championship, blowing away the St. John’s Anglican Primary School 4-2 in a penalty shootout at the MCC garden on Monday, June 14.

Last Wednesday, the St. John’s

to the city finals by blowing away the Wesley Upper School girls 3-1 in penalty shootout, when regulation time ended with the game tied 0-0. Dayna Miguel, Maureen Rhaburn and Ashley Bailey converted their penalties for St. John’s Primary, while only Elisha Bernardez converted for Wesley Upper.

In the Belize City championship finals on Friday, the St. Martin de Porres RC girls won 2-0 over the St. John’s girls when Shanicka Augustine scored the 1st winning goal and Vivian Noralez iced the win with a 2nd goal.

In the Belize district finals on Monday, the St. Martin’s girls won again, this time blasting the island schools champions, the San Pedro AC RC School girls, 3-1 in a penalty shootout , when regulat ion t ime ended with the score tied 0-0. Janell Grinage, Gilda Moguel and Shanicka Augustine converted their penalties for St. Martin’s while only Jennifer Kuylen converted for San Pedro AC RC School.

The St. John’s Anglican girls won the 2nd game of the day 1-0 over the Belize Rural champions, the Burrell

St Martin’s girls win Belize District football champs

St John Vianney RC boys win Belize district football champs

T he S t . John V ianney RC School boys won the honor of representing the Belize district at the national primary schools football championships to be held by the National Sports Council at the M.C.C. grounds on Friday, June 18, by winning the Belize District primary schools football championship, 2-0 against the boys of St Mary’s Primary School at the MCC garden on Monday, June 14.

Last Wednesday, the St. John’s Anglican boys qualified to the playoffs by eliminating the Queen Square Pr imar y Schoo l boys on points, when they won 2-1 ove r the Be l i z e E l emen t a r y School boys on 2 goals by Ornell Williams. Only Bruno Bradley scored a consolation goal for Belize Elementary.

In last Thursday’s playoffs, the St. John Vianney RC School boys el iminated the Ebenezer Methodist School boys 1-0 on a strike by Shemar Moore to qualify to the city championship finals

In the other playoff match, the St. Mary’s Primary School boys eliminated the St. John’s Primary School boys: 2-1 on strikes by Naim Wilson and Shawn Young.

In the Belize City championship f inals on Friday, the St . John Vianney boys won 2-0 against the St Mary’s Primary School, wi th Brandon Flores scor ing the 1st winning goal, and Calvin “Bodies” Reneau iced the win with a 2nd goal.

In the Belize district finals on Monday, the St. Mary’s Primary School boys qua l i f i ed to the championship finals when they blew away the Belize rural champs, the Our Lady of Lourdes RC School boys from Maskall: 7-1. Naim Wilson and Sean Young scored 2 goals each, and Tyrel Roaches, Jordan Courtney and Steven Goff scored 1 goal each for St. Mary’s, while only Orlando Gonzales scored 1 goal for the Maskall boys.

The St . John Vianney boys advanced to the finals undefeated a s they ou t l a s t ed the i s l and schools champions, the San Pedro AC RC School boys: 3-2. Calvin Reneau scored the 1st goal for St. John Vianney, Luis Valdez equal ized 1-1, Shemar Moore gave Vianney a 2-1 lead with a 2nd goal, and again the San Pedro AC boys equalized when Josue Tomeza conver ted a pena l ty.

Calvin Reneau scored a 3rd goal for the 3-2 win.

I n t h e B e l i z e d i s t r i c t championship final, the St. John Vianney School boys won 2-0 against the St. Mary’s Primary boys, w i th s t r i kes by Ca lv in Reneau and Shemar Moore.

The Maskall boys had advanced to the district finals when they won the r ura l championsh ip when Kevin Choc scored the winning goal for a 1-0 win against the Lucky Strike Government School boys, in a tournament held in Burrell Boom village on

Boom Methodist School girls, with the winning goal scored by Jahnecia Marsden.

In the Belize district championship final, the St. Martin’s girls remained undefeated as they won 4-2 in a penalty shootout, when regulation time ended with the score tied 0-0. Janell Grinage, Kedidra Tunn, Shanicka Augustine and Gilda Moguel converted their penalties, while only Roslyn Smith and Maureen Rhaburn converted for St. John’s Anglican School, who were also awarded a trophy as the sub-champions

The Burrell Boom Methodist girls had advanced to the district finals when they won the rural championship 3-0 over the Ladyville Evangelical School girls in a tournament held in Burrell Boom village on Thursday, June 3. Sabrina Campus scored 2 goals and Rebecca Nicholson added another for the 3-0 win.

The Bur re l l Boom g i r l s had also won 2-0 over the Lucky Strike Government School girls in a penalty shootout, with Rebecca Nicholson and Sabrina Campus converting their penalties, while the Lucky Strike girls got shut out.

Thursday, June 3.The Maskall boys had also won

1-0 over the boys of Pancotto Pr imar y School of Sand Hi l l with Damian Castro scoring the winning goal.

The Maskall boy also took out the boys of Ladyville Evangelical School 4-1 in penalty shootout, when Orlando Gonzalez, Damian Cas t ro, Ba lmor y Amaya and Je r emiah Sanchez conver t ed their penalties, while only Dudley Erskine converted for Ladyville Evangelical.


Belize #1 Sports Page

Surpr ise C.C. of Lemonal secured their berth in the 2010 Smart Harrison Parks cricket championship finals when Wicked 11 forfeited Game 3 of the semifinal round in Bermudian Landing last Saturday.

Surprise won Game 1 in Lemonal but 3-times national champions Wicked 11 kept their dreams alive by tying the series at 1-1 when they won Game 2 119-59 in Flowers Bank on Saturday, June 5.

In Game 3, Wicked 11 entered to bat first, but Surprise bowler Mykel Anthony dismissed the opening batsman for zero runs, while national team hitter Conway Young swatted away every ball the Surprise bowlers could throw at him, hitting 7 balls over the boundary to score 76 runs.

The skies opened and showers of blessing fell on the field, sending the officials scrambling to cover the crease with a vinyl cover.

Surprise’s opening batsmen Denf ie ld Bul l and Llewel lyn Sutherland entered to bat, and Wicked 11 bowler Troy Rhaburn retired Bull for a miserly 4 runs.

Veteran L lewe l l yn “Luig i” Sutherland made a brave stand with Herbert Banner, to score 25 runs, while Herbert Banner hit 4 balls over the boundary, one went over the Community Center to score 32 runs.

The Wicked 11 bowlers were clearly rattled, bowling 37 wides; in all they gave up 51 extras, which proved a decisive factor in their loss. Their fielding was equally tentative, as they dropped 4 crucial catches!

Surprise enters 2010 Smart Harrison Parks cricket finals

Michael “Johnny-cake” Flowers batted 12 runs before he was caught, and national selection’s Winston Flowers entered to bat 23 runs before he was bowled out by Warren Anthony, who also took the next wicket for 3 runs.

Warren Anthony also bowled out Shelton Robinson who hit 2 balls over the boundary to score 11 runs. Orlando Banner bowled out Neville Flowers after he had hit one ball over the boundary to score 9 runs.

Surprise bowler Andrew Banner then took the next 2 wickets for three runs and Steve Robinson was given Leg Before Wicket after scoring only 5 runs. Andrew Banner took the last wicket for 1 run and Wicked 11 had scored only 150 runs, all out.

Surprise’s Sherman Banner hit 2 balls across the boundary line to score 11 runs before he was bowled out by Shelton Robinson. Cordell Robinson took the next wicket for only 1 run, and Andrew Banner batted 2 balls over the boundary to score 9 runs, remaining not out. Mykelt Anthony was stumped for zero runs, but Orlando Banner also remained not out scoring 6 runs before a frustrated Wicked 11 pulled up their wickets and stomped off the field, conceding the match to Surprise.

Defending champs Excellence of Double Head Cabbage also kept their dreams alive by tying the other semifinal series at 1-1, outlasting the 4x champs, Brilliant of Crooked Tree, 135 -134 in Game 2 Double Head Cabbage.

The Belize Basketball Federation (BBF) announced the launch of the men’s national team preparation programme for the upcoming

held in the Dominican Republic from July 5th to 12th, will be the penultimate qualifier on the road to the 2012 Olympics. A strong contingent of Central American and Caribbean nations such as Puerto Rico, Mexico, Cuba, Dominican Republic and Jamaica will participate. This tournament will represent the highest level of international competition Belize has ever faced in basketball and, arguably, in any other sporting discipline.

With these changes, the BBF feels the chances for success are very high and in an effort to field the best team possible, intense team workouts will commence from Wednesday, 17th

Belize Basketball Federation hires New National Team Coach

Centrobasket 2010 tournament with the arrival of their new head coach former All-Star, Mr. Marques Johnson, in Belize on Monday, June 14, 2010.

Mr. Johnson boasts a strong record of achievement and success both as a player and a coach at multiple levels of basketball in the US and internationally. Mr. Johnson’s strengths and focus have been on developing individual player skills and building effective team offensive and defensive schemes. He is currently an NBA analyst and commentator for FOX Sports in the US.

The tournament, which will be

June with a view to making a final selection of 12 players by 26th June, 2010. The following players have been called upon to attend workout sessions: Keith Acosta, Lennox Bowman, Charlie Burgess, Kurt “Chengo” Burgess, Alex Carcamo, Lennox Cayetano, Noel Felix, Marlon Garnett, Elsworth Itza, Jorett Jones, Keenan Jourdan, Darwin “Puppy” Lesl ie, Travis Lennan, Far ron Louriano, Leroy Louriano, Gene Myvett, Milton Palacio, Kenton Paulino, Winston Pratt, Greg Rudon, Kirk “Shabba” Smith, Richard Troyer, Sonny Watson, Stephen “Muerte” Williams and Matthew Young.



Barbara “Babsy” Cadle and Esther Middleton won the 1st stop of the Belize Volleybal l Assoc ia t ion’s nat iona l beach volleyball tour at the Old Belize Museum Beach on Sunday, June 13.

B a r b a r a C a d l e / E s t h e r Middleton cruised to the $300 first prize without losing a set. They won the championship match 21-15, 21-12. Second place winners Bobby-Dee Usher/

Shantel Arnold and Rushawn Mayen, who won the first set 21-12. The Solis girls recovered to win the 2nd set 21-17, and took the 3rd set 15-10.

In Game 3, Bobby Dee Usher and Tanesha Encalada won over the Solis sisters, Tisha and Tichelle, who won the 1st set 21-14, before Tanesha and Bobby Dee came back to take the 2nd set 21-14 and the 3rd set 15-10.

In Game 4 Cadle and Middleton

Babsy Cadle/Esther Middleton win 1st stop of BVA female beach volleyball

Tanesha Encalada, took home $150 when they overcame their f i r s t match loss to return to championship match but lost to Babsie & Esther. Third prize: $75 went to Shantell Arnold & Rushawn Mayen.

In Game 1, Babsy and Esther won over Bobby Dee Usher and Tanisha Encalada 21-12 and 21-14.

In Game 2, the Solis sisters, Tisha and Tichel le won over

dominated Shantel Arnold and Rushawn Mayen 21-12 and 21-14.

In Game 5, Tanisha and Bobby Dee Usher eliminated Anold and Mayen 21-13 and 21-19 to enter the finals.

Cadle and Middleton won the final over the team of Tanisha Encalada and Bobby Dee Usher 21-17 and 21-19.

The tour continues at Old Belize on Sunday, June 20

Arvid Arnold and Germaine Audinett lead the 1st stop of the Belize Volleyball Association men’s beach volleyball tour at the Old Belize Museum Beach on Sunday, June 13.

The male division had 9 teams and the competition was very tight with almost all matches going to the deciding 3rd set. Due to the delays because of rain the competition will need to be completed next Sunday afternoon at Old Belize. Still standing are Arvid Arnold/Jermain Audinett and Ernest Broaster/Raul Arnold in the winner's bracket and in the loser's bracket, Gillian Smith/Joseph Enriquez better known as Black & Blue, Radin Santos/Elton Moore of Belmopan.

champs, Tico Requena and Juan Marin of Caye Caulker dominated Bruce Bennett and Alberto August in 2 sets 21-19 and 21-13.

In Game 5, Arvid Arnold and Germaine Audinett won over Melvin Barrientos and Eliceo Bustamante in 3 sets, winning the 1st set 21-17. Barrientos and Bustamante recovered to tough it out in the 2nd set 22-20, before Arnold and Audinett took the 3rd set: 15-12.

In Game 6, Gillian Smith and Joseph Enriquez won over Bruce Bennett and Alberto August, who won the 1st set 21-19, before Smith and Enriquez took it away, winning the next 2 sets 21-17 and 15-10.

In Game 7, Raul Arnold and Ernest Broaster won over the defending sub-

Arnold/Audinett lead BVA men’s beach volleyball tour 1st stop

In Game 1, Melvin Barrientos and Eliceo Bustamante won over Gillian Smith and Joseph Enriquez in the best of 3 sets, taking the 1st set 21-14. Gillian and Joseph recovered to win the 2nd set 23-21, before Barrientos and Bustamante took the 3rd set 15-11

In Game 2, Robin Santos and Elton Moore outlasted Luis Requena and Ronny Sosa of Caye Caulker in the best of 3 sets. Santos and Moore won the 1st set 21-19; then Luis and Ronny won the 2nd set 21-19, before Santos and Moore took the 3rd set 15-10.

In Game 3, Raul Arnold and Ernest Broaster won over Sheldon Arnold and Shane Armstrong of Belmopan in 2 sets: 21-4 and 21-17.

In Game 4, the defending sub-

champs, Tico Requena and Juan Marin of Caye Caulker, who won the 1st set 21-19, then Arnold and Broaster recovered to win the next 2 sets 21-17 and 15-10.

In Game 8, Audinett and Arnold also dominated Robin Santos and Elton Moore in 2 sets 21-15 and 21-16

In Game 9, Luis Requena and Ronny Sosa of Caye Caulker won over Melvin Barrientos and Eliceo Bustamante in two sets 21-10 and 21-18.

In Game 10, and Luis Requena/Ronnie Sosa who pulled off the major upset of the day eliminating last year's sub-champion Tico Requena/Juan Marin, 21-18, 7-21, 15-13.



The Placencia Assassins are back in the driver’s seat in the 2010 Belize Bank Super League football competition after they outlasted San Felipe Barcelona 3-2 at the Placencia field on Sunday.

The Placencia squad drew first blood when Leonard Valdez blasted in the first goal in the 12th minute of play. Christopher Hendricks equalized for San Felipe Barcelona in the 31st minute to hold on to a shaky 1-1 draw at the half time break.

Garry Young regained their initiative for the Placencia squad when he scored a 2nd goal in the 52nd minute, and Leonard Valdez gave Placencia a 3-1 lead when he scored a 3rd goal in the 71st minute.

The visitors were not about to give up without a fight and Christopher Hendricks scored San Felipe’s 2nd goal in the 73rd minute but the Placencia defense anchored by Dalton Eiley and Jason Kelly locked up shop and the visitors failed to get a 3rd equalizing goal before the long whistle.

City Boys’ Jason Young tried to create a play for striker Dalton Cayetano, but Nizhee’s goalie Benito Moreira was quick off his mark to intervene. The pressure of Darnell Mossiah’s attack forced Mark Grant to give up an early penalty, and team captain Antonio Castillo blasted the ball past City boys’ goalie Charlie Slusher to give Nizhee a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute.

C i t y B oy s c o u n t e r a t t a cke d immediately with Jack Dawson looking for an opening, but Kenny “Chupacabra” Canul made the stop. The City Boys tried again from a free kick by Deon McCauley, but again Nizhee goalie Moreira was on top of the play and Nizhee continued to lead 1-0 at the half..

In the 2nd half Macaulay set table for Dalton Cayetano, but again Cayetano came up empty. The City Boys finally got on the scoreboard when Deon Macaulay blasted in the equalizer in the 70th minute. Nizhee’s

Placencia Assassins still No.1 in Belize Bank Super League football

Santa Elena Synergy F.C. struggled to a 2-2 draw when they hosted Hattieville F.C. at the Santa Elena field on Sunday. Calbert Neal scored first for Santa Elena in the 20th minute, but Jarret Davis soon equalized for Hattieville in the 34th minute. Emilio Escalante delivered a 2nd goal for Santa Elena in the 40th minute to take a 2-1 lead into the locker room at the half.

The Hattieville visitors would not be denied, and came out strong in the second half with Leon “Lem” Jones delivering the equalizer in the 49th minute. Both sides tried to regain the advantage, but in the end settled for the 2-2 draw.

Nizhee Corozal averted a loss but fell short of the win they sought when they hosted the City Boys United at the Santiago Ricalde Stadium on Sunday. Nizhee’s midfielder Edward Perez tried to get the 1st goal when he set table for Russel Casanova in the goal area, but Casanova’s header was denied by the crossbar.

Michael Whitaker tried for the game winner with a header that sailed over the crossbar, and Eduardo “Gigante” Perez beat a defender and unleashed a cannonball shot off his left foot, but City boys’ goalie Charlie Slusher came up with a big time save, and in the end both squads settled for a 1-1 draw at the long whistle.

No game was played in Belize City as Belize United F.C. picked up the 3 pts by default when Cayo South United informed them that they could not field a team for their scheduled game at the MCC garden.

The competition continues with Cayo South United hosting Santa Elena Synergy at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium on Saturday, while Hattieville F.C. will host the Placencia Assassins at the Hattieville Football Field on Sunday, Nizhee Corozal will host San Felipe Barcelona at the Ricalde Stadium, and it will be City Boys United going up against Belize United F.C at the M.C.C. garden.


By: Mike Rudon Jr.As long as I’ve been in this political

game I’ve believed that Mr. Barrow is a man who cannot be trusted. He has done nothing of recent to convince me that I am wrong and much in fact to convince me that maybe my criticism of him hasn’t been harsh enough. I have been an avid subscriber to our Prime Minister’s well-deserved ‘all glitter and no substance’ characterization, but on that front and after a performance last week I am forced to revisit my subscrip-tion. Don’t get me wrong – the ‘no sub-stance’ part holds as true as ever. But damned if some of Mr. Barrow’s glitters and flashy sequins haven’t fallen by the wayside!

The consummate actor paid a visit to the Leader of the Opposition last week in what was most certainly a care-fully crafted scene in Act 2 of his soap opera entitled – making people think that I am serious about crime. Hell, the fellow even made his way to the of-fices of the PUP Party Leader, a gesture to demonstrate his humility and largesse and commitment to a bipartisan ap-proach on crime – no room for protocol and prime ministerial arrogance when this crime issue is so big. Ha…what a crock! Realizing that I’m a cynic where Mr. Barrow is concerned I was deter-mined to try my best to give him the benefit of the doubt. That sure didn’t work. Boss, Dean Barrow is not serious about crime. Dean Barrow is not serious about working with any other body or organization to tackle crime. Dean Bar-row has no vision or plan when it comes to dealing with the crime situation. And finally, Dean Barrow is still wholly and completely convinced that he can twirl around this huge issue in a gossamer tutu, wave his magic wand and conjure it away with his golden tongue.

Don’t take my cynical word for it because I dislike the Prime Minister im-mensely and find it hard pressed to say anything good about him. Hours after his meeting with the PUP Leader last week, his UDP rag carried the most stu-pid headline ever (which is saying a lot). Just hours after he looked into the figu-rative eyes of the nation and spouted his spiel about bi-partisan cooperation and the like, the Guardian’s headline proved that it was nothing but a game created by a man who used to be known as the Master of the Game but who is now a sad parody of his former self. Follow the leader, my bottom. Any man who

would follow Dean Barrow blindly is a fool, and the PUP Leader definitely ain’t no fool!

Look at the facts. After more than two years of trying to convince Beliz-eans that crime was way down and we were living in a good country, Mr. Bar-row finally, finally was forced to admit

that crime and violence had risen to cri-sis proportions. Trust me he didn’t want to admit it. If he could have continued to hoodwink the people he would have. For months Belizeans clamoured for the removal of the Minister of National Se-curity Carlos Perdomo…months. Dean Barrow ignored every cry, every plea, every demand. Long after the evidence was clear that Perdomo was a complete failure, Mr. Barrow couldn’t have given less of a damn. Does this seem like the manner of a man who is serious about dealing with crime?

When it became clear that to con-tinue to play deaf, dumb and blind could mean his own demise, Mr. Barrow pre-tended to reshuffle his Cabinet. Ain’t nobody stupid enough to believe that what Mr. Barrow did is going to solve anything. In one move he rewarded ministers for non-performance by giv-ing them less work for the same pay. In that same move he expanded his Cabi-net which means that we taxpayers will now need to find hundreds of thou-sands of dollars more to pay two more UDP cronies at a time when we simply

don’t have the money. And of course, in that same move he rewarded two UDP cronies with critical jobs for which they possess no qualification. Now does this seem like the actions of a man who is serious about crime?

Let me state this very clearly for those not getting sense. Dean Barrow is playing games. He is not serious about dealing with crime. Yeah we can jump up and shout hurray for any initiative which does anything at all because we haven’t been getting much of anything from this government…any sign of life is welcome. The PUP Leader has a constitutional obligation to offer his support and the support of his Party in resolving any of the critical issues which affect all of us. That doesn’t mean that he’s shouting ‘glory hallelujah’ from the rafters. Far from it! Mr. Barrow needs to come a lot better than this. When Mr. Barrow is serious about crime, hell yeah we’ll be there to lend support. Un-til then, boss, save your antics for the fools in your camp who scamper at your every word. You won’t find any like that over here.

Little glitter...no substance!


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www.belizetimes.bz

Are we better off now than we were before the 2008 and directly after the elections? Yes we are, whether a few backbiters/backstabbers chooses to accept it or not. We have gained major ground in just 2 ½ years. There is a certain newspaper (let me just say the NP) that dedicates themselves in lashing out weekly at two persons, Even X Hyde and Party Leader Johnny Briceno. While I can share and understand the reason to lash out at Hyde, I don’t understand why any PUP would want to see their party destroyed. We had agreed not to write against the NP, but they have not lived to the real “MEN” agreement. For the most part, The NP takes pleasure in mocking and disrespecting the leadership of the PUP. In lashing out at the Leader of our party, the NP is also directly attacking and disrespecting us PUPs (the real PUPs) who have chosen to remain faithful to our Party despite the challenges we faced. The NP argues that Johnny is not a good leader because he has not been able to pool everyone under the “big tent.” I am tempted to say that not only has Johnny been around working hard to restore confidence in us, but I will go as far as to say that everyone who wants to be under the big tent is there. We have chosen to remain under the “blue tent” storming the UDP weather even after some of our own PUP members took us to the gallows in 2008.

There is enough room under the big PUP blue tent, but the main reason some people don’t find themselves under the tent is that they have chosen not to. As Party Leader, Johnny has done everything possible to include as many people as possible in the rebuilding process of our Party. But I honestly believe that some elements want more than just a “special invitation”; they want direct control of the PUP. The just don’t want to be under the big tent, they want to run things under the big tent. I have been a witness to Briceno’s willingness to include as much people in the PUP, but there are those who simply want to see the PUP fail. These same backstabbers are hoping for a leadership challenge at the next Party Convention. They are tainting the current leader as incapable of uniting the party loyalists. Even in San Joaquin, traditionally Lencho’s turf, Briceno was welcomed into the homes of those real PUPs that want to see the party move on.

Then the NP argues that Briceno should be blamed for having the party where it is. May I say that if they are speaking of actual time then we are on the way up to victory, and yes, it is Johnny’s hard work that is paying off. But if they are referring to the past results of the 2008 fall, then I wonder in which world Silva and his NP staff are living. The fall of the PUP in 2008 falls squarely on the feet of the then

leadership of the party. I have no doubt that Said Musa was and continues to be a good man, but he had elements around him that made him look bad. Those same people, because of their greed and corruption, contributed to Musa’s leadership defeat at the polls. Some of them are the same ones currently penning the NP. In the same way that I

What’s up with the NP?

believe in Musa’s innocence, I strongly believe that some PUPs enjoyed Musa being Prime Minister. In many instances, those people placed in key positions in order to execute the Party’s philosophy turned around and executed their own philosophies, allowing our party to fail. Those actions were not only noticed by our PUP voters but the wider voting population, hence our defeat. Now, because those individuals cannot do as they will in the Party, they see the Leader as a threat.

Knowing our Party Leader well enough, I am tempted to say that Johnny would never kick out anyone from the PUP. Those that feel that they have been kicked out of the Party are because Briceno has taken a stance against corruption. No queremos oportunistas - punto y fin! No party is perfect; every party has challenges, take a look at the UDP and you will see. Of course there will be character problems, but it is time to look at real issues. There comes a time when whether we like something or not we just simply have to keep moving

forward in the interest of our country. Or are we willing to see our Party and its members punish at the mercy of the UDP simply because some people cannot see eye to eye or because an elite crowd want to control the PUP?

So then I beg the question; what is the NP’s real agenda? Is it that those paying the mercenaries to write for the NP are fighting to control the PUP even if it means attacking Briceno’s leadership? Where was the NP when we were taking a licking when Said Musa was our Leader? We are still paying for the faults and misdeeds of the past administration, but did we tear down our party? Sixty years after it was formed, our Party is at a similar cross road, but at the same time our leader is concentrated and focused on garnering public support as we see the rebirth and rebuilding of the Big Blue Machine. It doesn’t matter how you want to turn it; it doesn’t matter how you look at things; and it doesn’t matter whether you like it or not; Hon. Johnny Briceno is our leader and we are moving forward.


This side of the Kinel

010101010100101010101010101010101010101001010101010100101010101010101010101010101001010101010100101010101010101010101010101001010101010100101010101010101010101010101001THE PATRIOT

Graduation season has coincided with the open season for Jaguars. Yap, right on cue like acne break outs at the starting line of pubescent anxiety, the reckless juvenile energies of excess, re-lief and rebellion are already revving their under-aged engines.

Proudly accommodating parents who have been tickled to ecstasy by having a child who has not ended up as a statistic on the pink slip of the new Minister of Police or a six thousand dol-lar employment opportunity for Coye or Leiva let their kids unwind without supervision. The absence of supervi-sion is after all justified because most of these children have held on to some measure of discipline in the academic plantation of secondary school. They got a couple of things right, so it is safe to assume that our luck with their choic-es will continue - at least on the average.

The suspension of our smothering tendencies as parents is compounded by the fact that the once ankle biting rug rats are only months away from finally taking on their own heartaches, jobs and stresses. High school, Sixth forms and Universities, to some degree, are spitting out these bright-eyed and un-inhibited gangs of youngsters. For the youngsters, it is the bewitching spirit of Prom which overdoses the present af-ter its long struggle with the scholastic rehabilitation of the past so much that it entrances them into total indifference for the fragility of the future.

Yeah, let’s get it started!!!! The defi-ant swarm of graduates with all the ten-sion of a stretched slingshot and fully armed with the untested ignorance of teenage perspective, infest the shoreline of Belize City. It is a high. Unadulter-ated bliss!

North side kids confident they will get away with it, hijack their parents SUVs, 9mms and ATM cards. Most times, they are off to score a point with some unconquered love interest or to monopolize the leading role in some drunken misadventure of delinquency.

The sense of freedom and the de-tachment from responsibility is packed into their movements and choices. Mo-torcades of fancy vehicles fueled with warm pituitary gland juice, twelve year old scotch, and grey gooses race up and down Marine Parade only to take brief pit stops in front of Battlefield Park to belch out speaker boxes full of Lady Gaga and Justin Bierber. (Yeah trust me on this one. Those are the names of popular teen idols on this side of the kinel.)

But lurking in the concrete jungle of the city are hungry, envious and overworked jaguars which are prowling in the shadows. They growl and boil as they know that the insulting immunity that these spoilt brats wield is more than their pay scale can handle. They know that without a doubt the least prepared of the lot has in their wallet more for this one night than the constable will take home for the month – in honest above the table earnings. And it irks them but that is the law on this side of the kinel.

They stare, casting a slave eye on the masters’ children, and prepare to pounce on any profitable situation which is so far beyond excuse that it can be justified to a superior officer or earn them some “extortable” hush money.

Most of these kids barely scrape dog through the final year of classes despite having bought all their books brand new; paying some speaky spok-ey tutor for five forty dollar sessions a week; and sleeping in orthopedic beds while covering from the air conditioner. But tonight in plain sight the under-age drinking, reckless driving and public nuisances will be tolerated, even ex-cused - at least on this side of the kinel.

Drinking in public and urinating in public is not punishable on this side of the kinel if the trousers which are un-buckled are two hundred dollar skinny jeans and the drink is not pronounced the way it is spelt.

But downwind of the kinel, the aggravated jaguars want to release steam too. They want to explode. Tired, sticky, frustrated and underpaid. Downwind from the kinel, only one of the boys who managed to enroll in high school finally will graduate. He will graduate in spite of only having some of the re-quired texts and being “demeritted” for not being able to afford it. He will grad-uate after being strong willed enough to sit and study amid the loud cursing of his frustrated single mother and inhal-ing the stale second hand whiffs of his brother’s hydro.

So tonight is the one night where he plans to get on his step-brother’s beach cruiser and take a drink of shake up or two dollars wine from his primary school friends whose sister has gradu-ated from high school too.

Dress up no puss back foot. After pretending to walk out, his discounted jeans are forty nine ninety five from the Turks on Albert Street and his double XL shirt has 2Pac barely peeping out over his hundred and ten pound frame. Yeah, he has been called a “pussy” not in the feline way, and been told that he is a “soft pops” by the neighborhood hus-tlers, for as many times as he has been be ridiculed for his high water pants in school. But tonight is going to be a good night because he survived every-thing.

Now, a drink, then back home, to sleep because as a bag boy on Saturday mornings you have to be sharp.

Turning into Boots Crescent, on his way to the party, Jaguar Paw is all over some of his cousins who were buy-ing Guiness at the Chiney. He smirked and shook his head as “di man dey” bax up the whole set like pickney and throw their bikes into the pan of the pick-up. Yap, that entire set will lick down “wah faughty eight fi C. P.!!!!

He continues his ride to no-tice that a girl he had gone to primary school with was on her step without her two year old baby, so he throws down his bike and decides to “halla” at her. The plywood house is all abuzz because the girl’s brother just “let off ” wah pack and so Guiness and weed deh bout. This is not his scene but the girl is. As he takes his seat on the upside down pig tail bucket beside her, she smiles just before he asks about her baby but there is no time for a response as jaguar paw raids the yard.

The first thing that comes from the officer in full black, after the nozzle of his eager gun of course, is “weh part di res a di ting deh deh?” He had been properly tipped off and knows full well that for every one pack that reaches

the station, two will not. It is either the right hook or the butt of the soldier’s M16 that sends the boy in one direction and the bucket in the other, revealing the rusty duct-taped thirty eight special. Everyone in the yard including the half dressed grandmother is off to the piss-house.

At the same time on the other side of the kinel the group of SUVs decides that the stretch of road between the massive SCA construction site and the roundabout is the best place to spark off some rounds of their father’s fire-arm that they lifted from his safe. Af-ter the ratta-ta-ta, they speed off to the parking lot of Princess where despite not even having a license to drive as yet, they will waltz into the discotheque to blow a public servant’s salary.

But this is Operation Restore. Let us not fool wi self, operation restore is a joke. At its most flattering, Operation Restore is only as successful as Opera-tion Jaguar is a failure. And Operation Jaguar is simply another way to keep the southside slaves in check. Cold like that. I no wah hope nor I no wa imagine just because things bad. Operation Restore

= Operation Jaguar and Operation Jag-uar is designed to criminalize more peo-ple on this side of the kinel.

Have you seen the piece of crap that is written and called Operation Re-store. If you ask me, in practice Opera-tion Restore is a discriminatory and sta-tus quo protecting program. Operation Restore Belize is Dean Barrow’s house slave response to the have it alls. It is his oreo cookie pretentiousness to the have nots that this “operation” includes them.

The poor in Belize will have to take all the failures and abuses of “operation restore “ on the chin while some UDP crony gets pool table money. For most of us we will be confused by the chaos that the UDP and Barrow are trying to throw around as being every body’s fault. No it is not, the PUP doesn’t control the police or appointment of Compol or Ministers of Police or budget cuts or dis-criminatory operations that target and kill the future of black youths. Only the poor people and their families are being extorted, shackled beaten and abused by the Police who have been give a full li-cense to act with extreme prejudice. Well at least on this side of the kinel.


Belize TimesThe En EspañolNosotros los Beliceños debemos

estar enojados con el Primer Ministro el honorable Barrow por su completa inhabilidad en substituir hasta ahora el puente de Kendal que fue destruido por las aguas de la inundación que fueron generadas por la tormenta tropical Arturo cuando inundó el país al principio de la estación 2008 de huracanes. Claramente pudo haberlo hecho de una manera expeditiva en su momento. Pero a decir verdad, esta falta sencillamente comprueba que este Señor no tiene sus prioridades bien hechas en respeto a gobernar el país. Mientras tanto, las lluvias y la estación de los huracanes están aquí de nuevo.

La destrucción del puente separó una de las arterias comerciales más vitales del país, la carretera meridional, separando la región del resto del país y forzando a las personas hacer la travesía peligrosa en dories raquíticos. Trágicamente dos nigerianos se ahogaron cuando su dory fue volcado en las aguas revueltas. Mientras que una calzada de madera fue construida como un arreglo temporal, teniendo en cuenta el tráfico de vehículos, él puede llegar a ser repentinamente infranqueable cuando el río de Sittee que atraviesa que es propensa a inundarse siempre que llueva pesadamente en el área. Para hacer peor la la situación, se encuentra también vulnerable a ser destruido.

Por lo tanto, es difícil creer que en más de dos años todavía estamos esperando que el Sr. Barrow construya un puente de reemplazo. Quizás él no realiza que siempre que la calzada sea infranqueable, aparte de aislar a la gente de los distritos meridionales del sur de Stann Creek y distritos de

Toledo, también tiene efectos nocivos en la economía del país porque ni el petróleo crudo ni la fruta cítrica que es altamente perecedera se puede transportar al puerto de Big Creek para la exportación, mientras que el cargo entrante se mantiene en almacenaje. Por otra parte, la distribución de los bienes de consumo y de los servicios, particularmente el sistema público del transporte en el área, se interrumpe seriamente, dando por resultado los turistas que no pueden hacer sus travesías a la península de Placencia y a los hoteles del distrito de Toledo. Lamentablemente, personas o empresarios que dependen en réditos turísticos se encuentran afectados.

No hay duda que el reemplazo del Kendal debe ser numero uno en la lista de prioridades de nuestro Primer Ministro. Y no debe haber tomado ciertamente tanto tiempo para que el país sea reemplazado con un puente nuevo, particularmente para esas personas que dependen de la carretera meridional para su sustento, y mucho menos cuando no saben cuando obtendrán otro. Claramente podemos darnos cuenta cuánto él y sus ministros que gobiernan y sus representantes del área cuidan de su gente que se incomoda y que sufren cada vez que la calzada es infranqueable. Claramente, no son los que se quedan varados en sus vehículos en la carretera, esperando que las aguas retrocedan, o no son los que están arriesgando sus vidas, haciendo la travesía en un dory raquítico, o no son los afectados como resultado de cuartos vacantes de sus hoteles.

Mientras tanto, es imperdonable que la falta del Sr. Barrow en procurar un puente de reemplazo no haya producido

Continuamos esperando… ninguna reacción de sus ministros y de sus representantes del área. Tenemos que preguntarnos cómo es que ningunos de ellos parece abrigar incluso un tinte preocupación, de vergüenza, o de inquietud, aún menos exhibir cualquier exasperación sobre este fiasco. Pareciera que nada los ofende. O quizás es que no desean estar sin su cabina de sintonización, perdiendo sus privilegios, pues parece que no pueden vivir épocas difíciles. Esperemos que no sea porqué el puente Kendal se encuentra tan lejana del proyector de los medios de la ciudad de Belice que él y su manada de felices hombres han estado dejando a su suerte el reemplazo del puente. Si fuera así, sería imperdonable.

Pero el tiempo ha llegado para ambos el Hon. Anthony Martinez y el Hon. Melvin Hulse ganarse su subsistencia. Como Ministro de Trabajo, el Sr. Martinez necesita presionar al Señor Deán Barrow y hacerle llegar el mensaje que procurar un puente de reemplazo es vital a nuestro desarrollo nacional. Es deplorable pues pareciera que no tiene idea alguna de lo que se requiere para ser responsable de la infraestructura del país. Deberíamos preguntarnos en verdad que ha hecho o que esta haciendo con la maestría, los materiales, y el dinero disponible. En cuanto al Sr. representante del Sur oeste, el Señor Hulse, que siempre se la pasa hablando necedades y tonterías ha estado característicamente callado con respecto al apuro de sus constituyentes. Pero no debería ser así, dado que El como Ministro de la Organización de Emergencia Nacional, está completamente enterado de la importancia de la carretera meridional al plan de evacuación en caso de huracanes.

Mientras que sabemos que la economía está en recesión y que los fondos del departamento de Hacienda se encuentran atados, El Sr. Barrow no puede utilizar esos hechos como pretextos para su falta de procurar un puente de reemplazo. No cuando él ha malgastado millones de dólares de los contribuyentes en costos tales como el personal y el equipar de las oficinas asociadas a traer a dos personas no elegidas como ministros a su gabinete, en sus ministros y viajes de las esposas a tierras lejanas como Taiwán, en los vehículos deportivos Lexus para sus ministros, el enriquecer las bolsas de Lois, su primera esposa, y en los paquetes de remuneración obscenas para sus compinches. Y este es solamente un pequeño listado a las extravagancias de su gobierno. Al mismo tiempo, él debe ahorrarse la excusa patética que el Banco del desarrollo del Caribe no ha querido aprobar el préstamo.

Es obvio que el Sr. Barrow, sus ministros y sus representantes del área necesitan hacer mucho más para demostrarnos que no son “todo el brillo y ninguna sustancia,” y que están trabajando para el mejor interés de la gente. A nosotros, nos parece que se han olvidado de que los eligieron al poder para servir a la gente, y no ser déspotas, obsequiando concesiones solamente a los miembros de sus familia y sus amigos personales cercanos, mientras que solamente nos dan amargas memorias. Por eso solamente, tenemos toda la razón de estar furiosos con ellos. Además, sabemos por seguro que han abandonado desvergonzadamente la responsabilidad y el spiel de la transparencia que tanto fanfarronearon en su campaña.


Belize TimesThe En EspañolMire las fechas y el total que se

pago por ello……..La Corporación de Reconstrucción

y Desarrollo junto con el ministerio de Recursos Naturales nunca antes facilitó a un comprador (?) para procesar sus documentos de tierra tan rápidamente que nos deja cuestionándonos sobre la razón y el proceso. En el día 6 del julio de 2009 los Sres. suscriptores Oscar Montero Sr. y Oscar Montero Jr. colocaron a una compañía por el nombre de ARQITEKTON en el registro de compañías en Belmopán.

OBSERVE EL PRECIO QUE SE PAGO…….

El 15.4.10 la compañía ARQITEKTON pago a RECONDEV MIL DOSCIENTOS dólares Beliceños ($1.200.00) por parcela # 5525 que se encuentra en la entrada de Salvaran y del camino del East Ring Road al lado de la propiedad de la Iglesia de Cristo.

OBSERVE LA FECHA El 20.4.10 la compañía

ARQITEKTON, TRANSFERENCIA DE LOS DOCUMENTOS de TIERRA fue firmada en RECONDEV por director general y oficial administrativo Rurico Alvarado. Normalmente llevaría a RECONDEV un mes para que los documentos en proceso de transferencia se les de suficiente tiempo a realizar la diligencia debida. Pero para el proceso de TRANFERENCIA DE DOCUMENTOS DE TIERRAS SE necesitaría haberse pagado el precio total estipulado en los documentos de la transferencia. En este caso ARQITEKTON pagó solamente el 10% de la transferencia del precio de los documentos de la parcela, un monto de $12.000.00 dólares Beliceños. ¿No es esto CORRUPCIÓN absoluta y ROBO? Usted sea el juez - nadie en sus cinco sentidos procesaría la transferencia de los documentos de tierras si la parcela no fue pagada por completo. La transferencia de los documentos fue alojado en el registro de tierras en el ministerio de recursos naturales en el certificado del título de tierras el 23.4.10 para la parcela #5525- este proceso tomó menos que un mes. El Sr. Oscar Montero recibió el título de tierra antes del 22.5.2010. Los documentos de título de tierra llevarían normalmente tres meses a doce meses de proceso.

Conclusión: El precio real que el Sr Montero

pago a RECONDEV el 15.4.2010 fueron $1.200.00 dólares de Belice en vez del precio de venta total que se registra en la TRANSFERENCIA de los documentos de TIERRAS que supuestamente es de un monto de de $12.000.00 dólares Beliceños; El recibo # 6504 de RECONDEV verifica esto. ¿Hacemos la pregunta - quién es el gran perdedor aquí? ¿No somos nosotros, los residentes de Belmopán? En primer lugar en este reparto CORRUPTO perdimos nuestro patrimonio, por nuestros niños, para nuestros nietos y bisnietos; en segundo lugar nos robaron en nuestras propias caras con los ojos abiertos mientras que ARQITEKTON pagó solamente el 10% del valor en el precio que RECONDEV había fijado para estas tierras. Pero recuerde cuando los almacenadores verdes intermediarios son vendidos ellos se van por siempre y reducen el área cultivada. La ciudad tiene que asegurarse que tengamos una ciudad verde. Para futura referencia la iglesia de Cristo hace años solicito comprar

esta parcela # 5525 pero fue negada e informado que estas tierras son un verde/almacenador intermediario y no podría ser vendida, en lugar fueron ofrecidas y compraron la parcela en el lado del este de su propiedad. Invitamos a RECONDEV para contraer la venta de nuestro verde/almacenador intermediario y para volverla a su dueño legítimo, los residentes de Belmopán, y solicitamos al alcalde Lopez que sea el guardián pues lo eligieron para estar para nuestra ciudad y para mantener la orden.

¿Qué usted llama a esto? ¿No es esto engañoso? ¿Esto francamente no es un robo? ¿No es ésta CORRUPCIÓN y

¿DIGANOS, QUÉ ES ESTO?descaro absoluto? Tomó al Sr. Montero y su compañía un poco más que un mes para hacer una transacción de tierras entre, RECONDEV y el departamento de tierras cuando toma a cualquier Beliceño ordinario, o Re altor para efectuar tal transacción de tierra de esta naturaleza en cualquier momento entre tres a doce meses por lo menos.

¿Qué usted llama esto? ¿Esto no tiene el olor de la CORRUPCIÓN en RECONDEV y del departamento de las tierras del ministerio de recursos naturales? Invitamos al Primer Ministro Hon. D. O. Barrow para asegurarse de que esta práctica no vaya sin su castigo merecido- éste es un acto criminal. Esta

acción realmente expone los repartos CORRUPTOS que se están practicando diariamente en RECONDEV y el departamento de tierras y da al Primer Ministro más razones para trasladar a RECONDEV al consejo de la ciudad de Belmopán (City Council) por sus siglas en Ingles, inmediatamente. Durante la venta del período de transición de los documentos de tierras y de la transferencia de tierras deba ser firmados por el alcalde y esto se debe adherir por al departamento por una directiva del Primer Ministro.

SOLAMENTE EXPONIENDO LA CORRUPCIÓN PODEMOS PARAR LA CORRUPCIÓN…


By: Mike Rudon Jr.El tiempo que he pasado en este

juego político he llegado a la conclusión que el Sr. Barrow no es de confiar. Él no ha hecho nada recientemente para convencerme que mi opinión de el ha sido injusta y mucho para convencerme que mi crítica de él no haya sido quizá bastante áspera. He sido un suscriptor ávido a nuestro `bien-merecido Primer Ministro. Todo el brillo y caracterización de ninguna sustancia', pero basado en eso y después de una de sus payasadas la semana pasada me obligo a revisitar mi suscripción. No me mal comprenda por favor – la opinión de ninguna sustancia es tan cierta como siempre. Pero que me parta un rayo si alguno de los brillos y los sequins llamativos del Sr. Barrow no han caído por allí!

Este actor consumado le hizo una visita al líder de la oposición la semana pasada lo cual lo mas cierto es que era una escena cuidadosamente montada en el capitulo 2 de su Novela que lleva por nombre “Haciendo que la gente piense que estoy en serio sobre el tema del cri-men ‘’. Rayos!! El compañero incluso visito las oficinas del líder del partido del PUP, un gesto para demostrar su falsa humildad y largesse y su cometido a un acercamiento de dos partidos políticos en contra el crimen - ningún sitio para el protocolo y arrogancia ministerial cuan-do esta por encimo de todas prioridades el tema del crimen. ¡Ha… que payasada! Realizando que soy un cínico cuando me refiero al Sr. Deán Barrow me propuse darle el beneficio de la duda. Fue en vano. Vea usted, este caballero no esta en serio sobre combatir el crimen. Es mas, Barrow no esta en serio sobre tra-bajar de la mano con ningún otro cuerpo u organización para abordar el crimen. Barrow no tiene ninguna visión o plan cuando viene a ocuparse de la situación del crimen. Y finalmente, Barrow se en-cuentra enteramente y totalmente con-vencido de que él puede girar alrededor de este tema tan importante vestido con un tutu de seda, agitar su varita mágica y conjurar que se desaparezca con su lengüeta de oro.

No tome mi palabra en serio porque la verdad es que le tengo aversión al Primer Ministro y encuentro suma-mente difícil decir cualquier cosa a favor de él. Las horas después de su reunión con el líder del PUP la semana pasada, su periódico llevó el título más estúpido. Horas justo después de que él se mirara en los ojos de la nación y hablara sobre

la cooperación de dos partidos políticos y los similares, el título del Guarda pro-baron que no era nada mas que un juego creado por un hombre que era conocido como el amo del juego pero quién ahora es solamente una parodia triste de si mismo. ¡Cualquier hombre que siguiera a Barrow seria un reverendo tonto, y el líder del PUP definitivamente no lo es! Mire los hechos. Después de que más de dos años de intentar convencer a Belice-

Todo Brillo…..Nada de Sustancia

ños que el crimen estaba siendo com-batido y que vivíamos en un buen país, el Sr. Barrow finalmente, finalmente fue forzado a admitir que el crimen y la violencia habían aumentado a propor-ciones criticas. El no deseaba admitirlo. Si él hubiese podido, continuaría enga-ñando a la gente .Por meses Beliceños clamaron para el retiro del ministro Car-los Perdomo de la seguridad nacional…. Barrow no hizo caso de cada grito, cada súplica, cada demanda. Después de que la evidencia estuviera clara que Perdomo era un fiasco completo, al Sr. Barrow pareció no importarle la opinión de la gente. ¿Acaso este comportamiento es digno de un hombre que supuestamente dice estar en serio en combatir el cri-men?

Cuando le fue claro que continuar ju-gando sordo, mudo y oculto podría sig-nificar su propia destrucción, el Sr. Bar-row fingió modificar su gabinete. No es ya bastante estúpido creer que qué el Sr. Barrow va a solucionar cualquier cosa. En un movimiento él recompensó a ministros por su incumplimiento dán-doles menos trabajo por la misma paga. En ese mismo movimiento él amplió su gabinete que significa que los contribuy-entes ahora necesitaremos encontrar

centenares de millares de dólares más para pagar a dos más de los compinches del UDP en un momento en que sencil-lamente no contamos con ese dinero. Y por supuesto, en ese mismo movimien-to él recompensó a dos compinches del UDP con trabajos críticos para los cu-ales no se encuentran calificados. ¿Aho-ra esto parece como las acciones de un hombre que este en serio sobre el cri-men?

Déjenme enfatizar para aquellos que no terminan de comprender. Barrow está jugando. Él no esta en serio sobre ocuparse del crimen que afecta a nues-tra sociedad. Podemos gritar hurray por cualquier iniciativa que haga, como no hemos estado consiguiendo mucho de este gobierno… cualquier muestra de vida es agradable. El líder del PUP tiene una obligación constitucional de ofrecer su ayuda y la ayuda de su partido en la resolución de los temas críticos que nos afectan a todos nosotros. Cuando el Sr. Barrow este en serio sobre el crimen, claro que estaremos allí para asistirlos. Hasta entonces, jefe, deje sus payasa-das para los tontos, que se les calle la baba siempre que usted dice una sarta de mentiras. Aquí usted no encontrara eso…………


The 2015 Mesoamerican Health Initiative, inaugurated Monday in Mexico City, will increase access to health services for the region's poorest sectors.

The initiative will fund projects initiated by the health ministries of the seven Central American countries of Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama, as well as nine Mexican states in the southeast of that country, according to the project's website.

The program is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Carlos Slim Institute of Health and the Spanish government, each of which will contribute $50 million.

Mexico's National Public Health Institute coordinated the needs assessment for the project and drew up the master plan for the regional initiative based on data and input from each country, said Angel Francisco Betanzos, deputy director of the institute's Infectious Disease Research Center.

The initiative's four priority areas are infant and maternal health, nutrition, vaccinations, and dengue and malaria.

According to the initiative's website, “programs will be aimed at the poorest 20 percent of the population with special emphasis on women and children under the age of 5.” The initiative will fund projects that “work within the existing national and regional health policies and frameworks and will use a results-based focus to measure the impacts.”

The Costa Rican contact for the initiative, Dr. Nidia Amador of the Health Ministry's Technical Division for Health Leadership, said the priorities for Costa Rica were determined in four separate needs assessments conducted last year.

Amador said results in the area of nutrition showed that “the needs are not that critical and obesity is of more concern than malnutrition”; that Costa Rica is “very advanced” in terms of maternal health; that in the area of vaccines Costa Rica is “in the vanguard of the region and this year plans to incorporate pneumococcal vaccines and possibly rotavirus vaccines into its mandatory program”; and that in the fourth priority area of the Mesoamerican initiative, “dengue is an ongoing problem that has been reported on in the press.” She also said Costa Rica has played a leadership role in the region in the area of vaccinations. Amador added that funds from the Mesoamerican initiative are still not available and that “the amount designated for Costa Rica is not known yet.”

$150 million health initiative to help Central America's poor


advising of his demitting the Bench, the Chief Justice writes that while he will attain his 65th birthday on August 5th, there are provisions in the Constitution which provide for a continuance of service. These provisions have been utilized in the recent past, wrote the Chief Justice, principally because of the critical manpower situation on the Bench. That section of the Constitution, stated Conteh, provides for a Judge to “continue in office for so long after attaining that age as may be necessary to enable him to deliver judgments or to do any other thing in relation to proceedings that were commenced before him before he reached that age.”

But despite having 5 reserved judgments to conclude and deliver and ten part-heard cases, the Chief Justice was told that his staying on would not be agreeable to the Prime Minister since that fellow had promised and stated that the Chief Justice would vacate office on his birthday. With no option granted by

the head of government, the Chief Justice had no option but to reassign the cases before him, a situation which he writes will naturally “occasion inconvenience, delay and expense to the parties as they would have to be heard afresh before other judges.”

The unnecessary problems which will arise from the enforced departure of the Chief Justice and the indecent haste and urgency with which Mr. Barrow has approached the situation are what prompted the very strong release from the Bar Association. The Association starts out by reminding the Prime Minister, something which should not be necessary, that the “independence of the Judiciary is an indispensable pillar of the rule of law and of our democracy.”

Then the Association wades in swinging with a figurative baseball bat, expressing “disapproval of the unseemly manner in which the tenure of the Chief Justice has been treated by the Government of Belize.”

The Association supported the Chief Justice’s view that the

Bar Association Blasts Barrow(Continued from page 1)

Constitution provides for him to continue in office to enable him to deliver judgments and cases before him. For that reason, the resolution states, “the Bar Association expresses the firm view that the Chief Justice is entitled to continue in office, with all the plenitude of the powers of the office without any interference from the Executive until the office is demitted.”

The Association goes one very serious step further, and requests in the spirit of transparency and accountability, that it be accorded a “meaningful role and input in the appointment of the Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal of Belize, including all acting appointments.”

That the Bar Association felt compelled to issue the statement it did is a stunning indictment of Mr. Barrow. It has long been felt by Belizeans that the Prime Minister has exerted undue influence in the workings of the Judiciary. In its editorial this week, the People’s United Party makes its position clear – “For some time now, this government has been rushing headfirst down

the perilous, unconstitutional path to outright control by the Executive of the Judiciary. It is not just that the Prime Minister chose to appoint his brother to the Court of Appeal, where that conflict of interest has forced the brother to withdraw himself from the court’s deliberations; or that by using legislative stealth, the UDP government has instituted one year contracts for Court of Appeal judges, effectively putting them under the heel of the ruling politicians; or that the PM has now appointed a withered, unelected Attorney General. It is not only that the Solicitor General, no doubt acting on political instructions, had clumsily attempted to throw out the CJ by way of early retirement leave, as if the Chief Justice was no more than a useless clerk.”

The Prime Minister in trademark fashion issued a release in response to that of the Bar Association, discounting their allegations and their request for input in appointments to the Bench. The Belize Times is convinced that his usual disdain for real issues will not be tolerated in this instance.

that there is a sum total of maybe three armed police officers at both of those courts combined. As was explained to the Belize Times, most of the Police Officers are referred to as court orderlies. The bulk of the “security” personnel is made up of unarmed, maybe even untrained, security guards from Anchor Security. Those security guards are a ‘threatening’ total of around five strong. When we visited the area around the Courts they were less than ready to make themselves obvious. Who can blame them?

Some would want to argue that

More Security Barrow!this is really only the second shooting in or around the courts in Belize’s history. We here at the Belize Times say that “around and in” is relative. But the bottom line is that the level of violence under this UDP administration has escalated. The “would never happen” is ‘happening frequently’ under this government.

The buzz with the Magistrate Court and the Supreme Court Staff is that they don’t feel safe anymore. One employee told us that, “it is just downright distracting, it is worst than being employed at the Bank” she said “at least they have cameras and armed

security”. We are also reliably informed that

despite pleas from all parties, the level of security has not been increased. This was especially troubling as the Magistrate Court arraigned Nicoli Rhys and Alton Rocke, the alleged gun slingers in the Andre Trapp murder. That daring crime must mean that these men just do not care or have serious backing. Whatever it is, the question is how the security at the court has matched the threats to all the Public Servants, unarmed Police officers, reporters, Magistrates and Judges.

This is a daily threat as the day following that arraignment the court saw the extradition case of Gary

Seawell. The public remembers that defendant very well; he was the one that was found with the grenade and assault rifles in Cayo.

The previous AG made references to the Magistrate Court issuing more injustice than justice and the Prime Minister has evicted the best Chief Justice Belize has seen to date. But to pay no attention to the security at the Courts is no way to put added pressure on the Judiciary.

We at the Belize Times would like to plead on behalf of the public, the staff, employees, Magistrates and Judges of the Courts that the Government of Belize act immediately to do what is necessary for the safety of our citizens.

(Continued from page 1)

It is without a doubt that most of our Prime Ministers so far, have started their reign at the top job with the prospect of doing some good for this country. Well at least I would want to believe that it is so. They put all there effort into trying to get off on the right path, making use of all the intellectual resources of parliament, public officers, and advisers and assuring that Cabinet is selected to an almost logistic and political perfection.

And this is the way that it must be. Planning and management skills should be the true strength of a government with the willingness for change. But as time passes and for argument sake we will take two years into the administrations term, our leaders start developing a thirst. What is that thirst you may ask? It is the unquenchable thirst for political legacy.

Here then lies the problem. How far will our leaders go to secure their legacy? Really for some the sky is the limit. In our case we can say under the bedrock lies the key to securing a legacy. Yes, oil.

The problem is that we do not that understand the lucrative hydrocarbon that lies beneath our jewel. Just like with the tourism industry, there will be growing pains. Even now we suffer because of the inability to choose between eco tourism and the Cancun volume based model. Sustainable development is just a myth. It’s all or nothing.

So Mr. Prime Minister, will it be your legacy or the country’s wellbeing? I guess we will know soon enough. If you explore beyond the reef, you can imagine the possibilities. They can be good for that legacy you seek, but just as bad.

Legacy, Oil & Politics!

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