Edition 120 Vol.3 week 15 December 12th , 2010

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Castro, Resign or be Recalled!

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Money Laundering dooming CFZBelize City; Thurs. Dec. 9 At press time tonight a crisis con-tinues to loom in the Corozal Free Zone because the Central Bank of Belize cannot convert American dollars taken in by businesses there, to Belizean dollars and businesses are having problems making the transfers to pay for the goods they re-sell. Almost three weeks ago the Na-tional Perspective broke the story that businesses in the Free Zone were complaining because the two banks there was charging 1% of the total amount of all foreign currency transactions and was taking days to make the conversion because the Central bank of Belize had lost its correspondent US dollar account with HSBC bank. Following a meeting between Ministry of Finance offi cials, act-ing Prime Minister Patrick Faber, Central Bank and Free Zone offi -cials, Faber confi rmed to Channel Seven News that it was the suspi-cion of money laundering activities

that had scared off HSBC, at the direction of the United States Gov-ernment. Faber told News 7: “This problem has to do with of course the pressures coming from the United

States government in terms of insist-ing on money laundering activities not happening and in that regard, we are absolutely certain that a change in the way that business is operating

in the free zone needs to happen and I believe the businessmen are aware of that.” Our reports are that the activities

Castro, Resign or be Recalled!

Disgraced UDP Junior Minister Edmund Castro Belize City, Thurs. Dec. 9 A village council chairman, a vice chairman, a former chairman and a resident from four different Belize Rural North constituency

villages called a press conference yesterday afternoon to call for the resignation or removal of area representative Edmund “Clear the Land” Castro.

They join the Opposition Peoples United Party (PUP), the Peoples National Party (PNP), and the Vi-sion Inspired by the People (VIP) who have all called for full dis-closure and a criminal investi-gation into the incident that led to the stripping of Belize Rural North area representative Edmund “Clear The Land” Castro, Minister of State in the Ministry of Works portfolio by Prime Minister Dean Barrow. Although Dean Barrow has re-fused to elaborate further, several media reports have confi rmed the National Perspective headline sto-ry recounting of the incident that led to the Cabinet dismissal. Broadcast allegations are that Castro may have defrauded Al-thea Grant, a Belizean American, who is a family friend of Prime Minister Dean Barrow, and who told him during a trip to Los An-geles earlier this year that she had paid Castro almost $50,000 for

ten acres of land, She has report-edly been assured by the Prime Minister that that she will receive a parcel of land, but it is not prime property like the one she viewed. In one interview with a local newspaper Castro has sought to lay the blame for his failure on the Lands Department but has offered no evidence to support his defence. In an interview with a radio sta-tion this week Castro said that he would not resign and blamed the village councils, saying that they were nearly all malfunctioning and incompetent. Our reports are that Ms. Grant has not ruled out instituting legal action to recover her money and has given the Prime Minister a deadline for restitution. Yesterday Avalee Casanova, the Vice Chairlady of the Burrell Boom Village Council, accused Castro of collecting monies for

Barrow attacks Ch5, see page 5

December 12th , 2010Page 2

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On December 5th, 2010 the United Democratic Party (UDP) voters in Caribbean Shores had a difficult decision to make. There was no right decision to make that blessed Sunday. They had to choose between a bungling, in-competent alcoholic and a pam-pered neophyte that thought he was brilliant. The UDP convention for the Caribbean Shores Division was expected to be a close race but the results reflected differently. The incumbent Carlos Perdomo won by three hundred plus votes over Roger Espejo. Both candi-dates had nothing to offer the peo-ple of Caribbean Shores. On one hand Carlos Perdomo, a disgraced Minister who was fired as Minis-ter of National Security and was offered a watered down ministry. He was replaced by an even more incompetent UDP, Douglas Singh. Recently, Carlos Perdomo has been embroiled an immigra-tion scandal that saw plane loads of Asian landing at the Interna-tional Airport. These Asians were hustled off to the Northern Border and allegedly smuggled into the United States of America. Per-domo has admitted on national television that he has been a target of briberies in the form of bottles of alcohol to issue illegal visas. We believe bribery to be criminal and wonder why the Minister has not reported these people to the Police. He also admitted that his relatives were used as liaison to convince him to comply with the bribery request. Overall the entire episodes appear questionable, and again it highlights that Carlos Per-domo if not involved has been fast asleep at the wheel. However, the UDP of Caribbean Shores seems to prefer a sleeper over youth. It must not go unmentioned that no less than the Prime Minis-ter of Belize has been accused of covering up what appears to be a crime of extortion by Minister Ed-mond “clear the land” Castro. The question is, why hasn’t the Police brought in to investigate the al-legation of a private citizen? We believe that the Prime Minister has handled this situation badly as there is no transparency and ac-countability with this situation. Roger Espejo burst on to the scene as a City Councilor as a Zenaida Moya loyalist. He quickly was given every opportunity to get on the national news cast for every small event ala Councilor Philip (Super Silloby) Willoughby. So Espejo thought he was hotsh_t and believed that he could unseat the representative from Caribbean Shores, the one that worships at

Caribbean Shores’ Disgracethe “Shrine of Bacchus”. His big-gest mistake was to be tricked by the UDP and Perdomo into agree-ing to run a “clean” campaign, be-cause Perdomo has so much bag-gage whom he was an easy target. Espejo bite the bait much to the disappointment of his true Campaign Manager “Creamy” Berges who has a beef with Carlos Perdomo regards to the revoking of a liquor license for #48 Baymen Avenue, a Berges establishment. That story has been told. Creamy made every attempt to turn the campaign into a dog fight but Roger Espejo and Orlando Quan resisted as they wanted to be in good grace with Dean Barrow that was supporting Perdomo. To his detriment Espejo went on national radio (Love FM) and pretended that the Belize City Council was doing a great job in Belize City. Everyone knew this to be a lie. Roger Espejo was very evasive during the interview which showed that he was not pre-pared for the hard questions. Or-lando Quan, his Campaign Man-ager was not helpful either. The short story is that their interview was a failure. Carlos Perdomo, on the other hand, stayed put in the divi-sion and did not make any public statement other than the ones via impromptu interviews. Perdomo realized that he suffered from “foot in mouth” disease the same disease he suffered in his inter-view with Jules Vasquez (Channel 7), an interview which he impli-cated himself. Overall the people of Ca-ribbean Shores had very little choice, so they choose the lesser of two evils. Carlos Perdomo has been a failure as a minister and there is nothing that makes the people of Caribbean Shores feel any comfort until 2013. However, in 2013 (if that long) the real people of Caribbean Shores will speak on Election Day and certainly the UDP will be in the same shoe Roger Espejo is at this time, a loser. However, the People’s United Party has to attack the in-competence of the UDP and en-sure that the people of Belize un-derstand how detrimental Dean Barrow and his forty thieves have been to Belize in only three short years. The UDP has hustled and plundered the resources of Belize with one scandal after the other. So much so that the Dean Barrow is tired of scandals busting out, such as the newest immigration scan-

dal involving Nigerian citizens on aired on Channel 5. Therefore, Barrow decreed that he will sever a relationship with the said Chan-nel 5. That decision is to the UDP detriment because when the Op-position will be firing against the government on both national tele-visions the UDP will only be able

to use one, Channel 7. So the PUP should be ec-static because the government has handicapped themselves because of their vindictive nature. On the other hand, the Belizean people will definitely punish the UDP for their apartheid actions. Time will tell as this decision is terrible for Belize’s democracy. OPEN YOUR EYES THE PEOPLE

Money Laundering dooming CFZContinued from page 1

that Faber is referred to is the large scale sale of cigarettes by a zone company re-putedly connected with Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar “Gapi” Vega, which brought in a very large amount of US currency, raising the suspicions of the US Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alco-hol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Just a few years ago the ATF linked cigarette smuggling with money laun-dering and terrorism. In an article in the Washington Post the Bureau said that smugglers with ties to terrorist groups were acquiring millions of dollars from illegal cigarette sales and funneling the cash to organizations such as al Queda and Hezbollah. The lucrative trafficking of cigarettes, known as cigarette diversion, is a simple scheme but difficult to stop. The traffick-ers purchase a large volume of cigarettes, in Belize’s case usually counterfeit ones in nations such as China, and transship them through Mexico to high tax states such as New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and selling them at a dis-count. In 2005 William Billingslea, a senior ATF intelligence analyst who has stud-ied the issue extensively, was quoted as saying that illicit cigarette trafficking had begun to rival drug trafficking as an ac-tivity of choice. What was more worri-some is that it had also become a funding

preference for funding terrorist groups due to its huge profits and its low penal-ties for arrest and conviction. Our sources are saying that a Septem-ber 15, 2010 joint investigation by the New York State Department of Taxation and Finance and the Bronx District At-torney which resulted in the indictment of 18 New York and New Jersey men for trafficking of more than 130,000 cartons of untaxed cigarettes, purchased for more than US$5 million may have been traced back to the Corozal Free Zone. The men were also charged with evad-ing more than $6 million in taxes owed to New York City and New York State. Friday Faber told Channel 7 news that the way business was being done in the Free Zone is the problem, and the large volume of American greenbacks coming in is the problem. Perhaps it is the combination of that and the recent discovery of an international human trafficking ring operating with the alleged connivance at highest levels of the Ministry of Immigration that may have spooked the ATF and the American government to move so suddenly against Belize. We may never know the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth but it is obvious that Belize’s reputation for being a law abiding nation is in tatters, and the United States government is not waiting around anymore.

December 12th , 2010 Page 3

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Drug plane police-cartel remanded again until next yearBelize City, Thurs. Dec. 9

The 5 police offi cers and one customs offi cer accused of ille-gally being in possession of a pis-tol and a single slug were today marched into Magistrate’s Court #1 under the heaviest of police and BDF security escort purport-edly to hear new charges, but were simply told they would have to re-turn from their jail cells on Febru-ary 27th, 2011 because the case fi le had not yet been forwarded to the prosecution from the DPP’s offi ce. The charge of gun and am-munition possession is what the prosecution and investigatory authorities are calling a “holding charge” so they can keep the men imprisoned while they complete their investigations. The men are suspected of facilitating a drug transshipment through Belize that went awry when the plane they are accused of re-fueling, clipped a tree and couldn’t take off after landing in the early morning hours of November 14th, on the Southern Highway.This morning’s security opera-tion was personally supervised by

Assistant Commissioner of Po-lice David Henderson who barred the press from taking pictures of Corporals Renel Grant, (Be-lize City Traffi c Branch), Nelson Middleton, (Governor General driver),Vidal Cajun and Sergeants Lawrence Humes (Belmopan Po-lice Station) and Jacinto Roches, (Internal Affairs) along with Har-old Usher, (a Customs Department boatman stationed in Corozal Town who is also a former anti-drug unit offi cer), as they were led to and from court. Henderson claimed that the men had not yet been part of a identifi cation parade or police lineup and so published or broadcast pictures could preju-dice their cases.

Five of the men were found in a van intercepted at a checkpoint on the highway by a special BDF unit the day of the landing, and because of their equipment, wet clothes and the fact that they were out of bounds, they came under suspicion and scrutiny. Despite the heavy security pres-ence, the day’s events were anti-climactic. The prosecution asked for an adjournment and that was granted. The hearing was held in Belize City because there was no magistrate available in Dangri-ga. The men were taken back to the Belize Central Prison at Hat-tieville. It is not known if they will apply for bail through the Su-preme Court, or if their case may

yet evaporate into thin air, the way it is rumored at least one plane did that night last month, or up in smoke the way the $100,000,000, 1,200 kilo cocaine shipment was vaporized on November 22nd, 2010. Even though some of the specu-lation about what role they may have played has now died down in the media, or have been overtaken by subsequent events, there is still rampant speculation among the ranks of the police force. It seems every day there is a new rumor about what other offi cers may be involved, and the increasing role of the United States Drug Enforce-ment Agency in the investigation. There are reports that despite several raids on homes, so far the investigators have turned up any additional evidence. There are re-ports that there have been and will be attempts by their cartel accom-plices to free the men, but that at this point they may feel safer in-carcerated behind the walls and guns of the prison. Although they are all eligible to apply for bail, none have.

December 12th , 2010Page 4

REID BETWEEN THE LINES REID BETWEEN THE LINES REID BETWEEN THE LINES

G. Michael ReidThe Government of Belize this past Tuesday sent out a press re-lease informing the general public that they were “suspending normal relations with Channel 5”. Chan-nel Five is Belize’s premier televi-sion station and is watched by a large percentage of the citizens of this nation. Belize City, with the largest con-centration of residents of the coun-try, has one other major television station. That station, Channel Seven was founded by a prominent UDP family and still is, without a doubt, UDP owned and controlled. Both Love FM and Kremandala have television licenses but are light-years away from presenting any serious competition or from even being considered as legiti-mate television stations. There are a few smaller stations around the country but for the most part, the nation gets its news and views from either Channel Five or Chan-nel Seven.Channel Five was owned for a long time by veteran newsman now turned real estate broker Stu-art Krohn. It was purchased a few years ago by an Ashcroft affi liated group which has carried on the es-tablished tradition of attempting to seem neutral. I say “attempting to seem” because given the political climate in Belize, no media house can ever really be considered as being truly neutral. Some, like Kremandala, are shameless in their prostituting policies and readily jump ship depending on where the big money is. The big money for Kremandala right now is with the Dean Bar-row government. BTL and Social Security have been used as cash-cows in Barrow’s compensation for spin with lucrative advertis-ing deals. In Tuesday’s editorial, Evan Hyde stated quite unasham-edly that it would be silly for him to criticize the Dean Barrow gov-ernment at this point. There was a time when he said the same about the Said Musa government; that is of course, until the bubby start-ed running dry. Keep it fl owing Dean, keep it fl owing or “hell will hath no fury…” I have often been critical of Chan-nel Five because I felt that with just two television stations, if one is to be so far and extreme to one side, then the other should lean to the other side in order to provide balance. Channel Five’s response has been that because they are a

Barrow muzzles the mediamember of the Caribbean Broad-casting Network (CBN), that they are beholden to a more regional audience and that they are there-fore held to a higher standard of ethics. On almost a weekly basis, news stories from News Five are broadcast throughout the Caribbe-an and even CNN has carried their stories. Most international news bureaus rely primarily upon Chan-nel Five for news from Belize. Channel Five has won a sleuth of international awards and garnered as many as four this year alone. To say the least folks, this organi-zation has notable credentials and credibility. Government’s decision to ostracize and blacklist Channel Five did not exactly come as a surprise. Fol-lowing a Cabinet meeting a couple of weeks ago, Mr. Barrow revealed that he had declared an “embargo” against Channel Five and that none of his Ministers would have any-thing to do with them. These are interesting choice of words, “em-bargo” and “suspending of normal relations”. Is Mr. Barrow refer-ring to a television station here or a hostile enemy nation?For those who have been follow-ing the news, it is quite obvious why the Prime Minister has taken this action. Channel Five has been doing a yeoman’s job of investigat-ing the recent Immigration scandal that has seen planes landing after dark loaded with mysterious pas-sengers. Channel Five has been relentless in its pursuit of this story and has revealed that while our government tried to pass the pas-sengers off as Chinese, evidence uncovered shows that many come from Sri Lanka, Nigeria and even Somalia. In following up the story, Channel Five’s Jose Sanchez, has earned the respect and admiration of many viewers by digging up facts and uncovering evidence. Sanchez cornered the Prime Minister fol-lowing a recent Cabinet Meeting and asked him what he planned to do in the face of all the evidence. The Prime Minister responded that he had not seen any evidence, in spite of the fact that passports and visas were plastered on the news every night. Apparently the PM does not watch the news. Jose Sanchez then informed the PM that he Sanchez, had the evi-dence and would willingly share them if the PM so desired. Mr. Barrow then, on public television, promised to set up an appointment and meet with Sanchez to review the evidence. Mr. Barrow then promised, publicly again, that after seeing the evidence he would act immediately. Now, with this new policy howev-er, “Houston, we have a problem!”.

The Prime Minister will not be able to meet with Jose Sanchez because this decree will prevent him from doing so. Are we beginning to un-derstand what is happening here? Again, Prime Minister Barrow approaches every scenario as if it were a court case. He has created a technicality that will prohibit the exhibiting of evidence and result in a (drum roll please) ”nolle pro-sequi”. Mr. Perdomo, Mr. Singh..you are free to go!As justifi cation for his move, the Prime Minister quoted the Belize Broadcasting and Television Act “ “which require that a station’s “news programs shall be broad-cast in a professional, objective and impartial manner with a clear distinction between news reports on one hand and editorializing and commentaries on the other”In which country has the Prime Minister been living for the past fi fty years or so? When has this

ever been the case in Belize and by whom? Has Mr. Barrow ever watched Channel Seven News, or any other newscast for that matter? Has this man completely lost his mind?What the Prime Minister has done is to set a dangerous precedent. Given the UDP’s history and their dismal performance thus far, they are a one-term government! What happens then? Mr. Barrow needs to bear in mind, the age old prov-erb, “same knife that stick sheep, stick goat.”What Mr. Barrow is doing is noth-ing short of despotic and tyranni-cal. It is an attempt to stifl e free-dom of speech and to intimidate not only Channel Five, but every other media outlet into singing nothing but high praises to “em-peror” It is time that we invoke the spirit of our national anthem and demand that this tyrant not lin-ger and that this despot must fl ee! Wake up Belize, while there is still time to preserve our rights!

Dear Editor, Kindly allow me a space in your publication to express my con-cern in the following letter addressed to our Prime Minister Dean Barrow and titled: ‘SUGAR DADDY’?As you know, Belize has been inden-tifi ed internationally (and nationally) as having an escalating problem with human traffi cking. The United States has us on the Tier 2 list, which means that while we may talk the talk we are certainly not walking the walk in our efforts to halt human traffi cking and abuse.There are many types of such traffi ck-ing, but the one I would like to ad-dress here is the activity classifi ed as the ‘Sugar Daddy’ phenomenon. For those of you who may not realize it, this ‘phenomenon’ has been identi-fi ed by numerous international agen-cies as being a real problem in Belize. We all know what it is, and some may even smirk at it, but to the young girls who are forced into sexual relations with older men it is no laughing mat-ter. The sad thing is that these young girls are not just preyed upon by older men, but their families offer them up like lambs to the slaughter, with a sort of ‘take one for the team’ attitude. So these young girls are responsible for turning sexual favours into food for the family, school fees, scholarships, gifts, as well as pregnancies, physical and psychological trauma and possi-bly HIV.This brings me back to the reason I was addressing this to our PM and our elected leaders of our country, whom we have put our faith in to look out for all of our best interests, to uphold the laws of the country and to protect us. We all know there is corruption with-in public offi ce, it has been there for years, and I am not calling out names or colours here. What I am calling

out is the abuse of power that denies the basic human rights of our young girls – this is a kind of social violence that causes physical and psychologi-cal harm to a young girls. When it is suspected that our elected offi cials are committing such crimes it is a total contempt of the law not to investigate and turn these individuals in. And let’s not kid ourselves. We all know this is happening. Your elected of-fi cials know who you are and, Prime Minister you know who they are and you know exactly what they are doing. So I am calling on you Prime Minis-ter to show Belizeans that you value the youth, the future of our nation more than the few who have slimed their way to power. So you may lose a few, I know how the good ole’ boys network works; they will harass you and try to pressure you. But don’t you think enough is enough?Take the high road, Mr. Prime Min-ister. Lead by example. Show the country, especially our young girls that you really care about them. We have had enough lip service to last us a life time. What we need right now is action. Turn your ministers over to the courts. Set an example that you will not tolerate the abuse of our youth any more. Send a clear message that NO ONE is above the law.Stop turning a blind eye to Belize. This is a serious issue that is crippling our future. Take control of the situa-tion and your ministers and start earn-ing the respect you think you deserve. The next time you see a young girl, look her in the eyes and tell her you will protect her, and that you value and respect her. Can you do that? Can you do that without feeling any twinge of shame? If you can’t then maybe you should step down too.Respectfully,Anne Coppin, San Ignacio

December 12th , 2010

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Barrow attacks Channel 5

Belize City, Thurs. Dec. 9 Freetown Area Representative Hon. Francis Fonseca became the latest person to issue a press re-lease this afternoon, condemning the now expressed policy of “sus-pending normal relations” with Channel 6, (and the Belize Times and Vibes Radio) by the Barrow administration. It is expected that in the days ahead more personages as well as national, regional, and international organizations will also inveigh against what Fonseca calls a “misguided and dangerous precedent-setting decision.” The Peoples United Party was the fi rst to react yesterday to the late Tuesday afternoon release from the Barrow administration follow-ing its weekly Cabinet meeting, that accused Channel 5 of “willful-ly and systematically violated the terms and conditions of its license under the Belize Broadcasting and

Television Act;” of refusing to air a Government produced program, and claimed that: “The station has over the past two and a half years proceeded down a deliberate path to systematically undermine, not just the government, but the inter-est of the entire nation and its peo-ple. In the process, Channel 5 has willfully sacrifi ced the established principles of objectivity, fair-play and balance in its news and other current affair programs.” It offered no evidence to back up its assertions, but concluded although “no government repre-sentative of any ministry or de-partment will give any offi cial individual interview or make any individual appearance on Channel 5” it would still seek “an open and respectful relationship with all our local media, and stands ready to re-sume normal relations with Chan-nel 5 and Great Belize Productions as soon as the station demonstrates

a willingness to comply with the law and conform to the established standards and principles of fair and objective journalism and program-ming, as stipulated in the terms and conditions of its license under the Belize Broadcasting and Televi-sion Act.” The Opposition was swift to re-act, condemning the decision as a “as a viscous attempt to stifl e free-dom of the press,” and called on the public to view “this move by Government as a poorly masked attempt to suppress any criticism of Government’s action and in so doing monopolize and dictate fact based public opinion.” It maintained that “if there was any legitimacy to the accusations by the UDP Administration against Channel 5 and Great Belize Pro-ductions that the appropriate ac-

tion should have been to lodge these complaints with the Belize Broadcasting Authority.” The Vision Inspired by the Peo-ple (VIP) was next up advising the Barrow administration that it was” not at liberty to discriminate as to which citizen gets public infor-mation in a specifi ed manner and which does not. “The VIP views this move by government to be an extremely dangerous precedent that must be reversed immediately. Such a move is an affront to democratic principles. It is not in the spirit of our Freedom of Information Act and is certainly un-constitutional. This move is censorship; another step in the process of tyranny.” CTV-3 was the fi rst media house to issue a statement saying it viewed the decision “with distress and grave concern”, and that while they understood that “the Prime Minister, as Head of Government, may have the authority to compel or prohibit his employees from conducting media interviews, the attempt to censor or control a pri-vate and independent media house in any way is contemptible and cannot be supported nor tolerated.”Our reports are that several re-gional and international organiza-tions have been contacted or have expressed concerned about the Barrow administration’s decision, and will be making those concerns public in the coming days.

December 12th , 2010Page 6

Castro, Resign or be Recalled!Continued from page 1Continued from page 1

surveys of lands that had already been surveyed; “My concern,” she told the me-dia, “ is that Mr. Castro brought in a surveyor stating that he is sur-veying land but in Burrell Boom there is no land to be surveyed because the past government al-ready surveyed every area. He charged three hundred dollars, going around cancelling out land

belonging to Burrell Boom people and giving it out to other people for three hundred dollars. Now that is wrong. The village council does not collect any of that money and I don’t think the government collects any of that money. We want to know where that money goes and we want to know what he does with the money because doesn’t do anything in our vil-lage.” According to Victoria Wade, a resident of Sand Hill Village, “For the past three years he has made bogus remarks about paying out land, paid three hundred dollars there, paid three hundred dollars here. When people go for their receipts they cannot get their re-ceipts. It is not only something that he has done in Santa Anna and Maskall; it is something that he is also doing in Sandhill. It is a

trend that he has been keeping up in every area that he goes around trying to collect money from vari-ous people.” Former village council chairman and Lucky Strike resident Oscar Pollard, “Mr. Castro is using the village councils in many differ-ent villages. He has X amount of lots saying that he has to collect this money and pay it to a sur-veyor. I know of one village coun-cil that brought the people into the Lands Department last week with receipts issued by the vil-lage council, signed and stamped by the council chairperson but not the government revenue that the village council should use. These funds when collected are being paid to either Mr. Castro or the surveyor.” But perhaps Castro’s most persistent and credible critic is

George Guest, the chairman of the Crooked Tree Village Council, an independent who had supported Castro in the past. “Please Mr. Castro do the hon-orable thing and resign,” he said. “Give the Belize Rural North peo-ple a chance to redeem what you have put in place or stated when you were asking for us to vote for you. We voted for you, we put you there now you have disrespected the people of Belize Rural North so do the honorable thing and re-sign.” The speakers said that they will continue to seek ways to have Castro removed, and have not ruled out an effort to organize in his constituency with a view to having a recall election carried out under the just passed constitution-al amendment.

$100,000 lotto jackpot winner claims prizeBelize City, Tues. Dec. 7Sebastian Mucu, a 27 yr old worker at Texmar shrimp farm in the South Stann Creek District, is one of the happiest Belizeans alive today. Mucu a resident of Mango Creek is the winner of last Saturday’s, December 4th Lotto draw and the $107,500 big jackpot. Mucu says that he got his numbers from a dream that he had on the Friday prior to the drawing, and from which he bought his ticket. He was aware immediately but learned that his luck had taken a fantastic turn for the better Sunday morning. This father of three says that the money will be useful n paying some medical expenses incurred by the injury of one of his daughters. He pocketed a cheque for $91,375, the Government pocketing the differ-ence in taxes.

Gas prices now sky highBelize City, Mon. Dec. 6

Pump price shock hit many mo-torists when they pulled into gas stations today because the price of a gallon of fuel increased at mid-night last night.Drivers will now pay $9.69 per gallon for premium gasoline,$9.51 per gallon to tank up on regular gas, and the already overburden productive sector will be forced to absorb yet another increase on the price of diesel fuel which is now retailing in Belize City at $9.10 per gallon.The news broke this morning since there was no warning from

the Barrow administration, but it was expected that there would be a steep jump at the pumps to par-allel last week’s $8.00 increase in butane.The news is that there will more than likely be more increases in the near term since the price of oil on the world market cracked the benchmark $90 per barrel price on the world futures market this morning, and most analyst ex-pect that it will climb as high as $110 per barrel by the end of next month.

BSI clears waivers-payments due to begin soonBelize City, Tues. Dec. 8Reports are that the Belize Sugar Industries fi nally cleared waivers from its creditors and fi nancers today, and is set to accept the fi rst tranche of a $10 million bailout loan from the Government of Belize, and should within a matter of days be making third payments to cane farmers.The Belize Sugar Control Board has also indicated that it is just about ready to disburse a $1 million dollar grant to cane farmers to help them meet their immediate needs. The money will be disbursed on the basis of cane deliveries during the last harvest at 94 cents per ton.In a meeting between producers, processors and government industry offi cials it was agreed that this year’s crop will start on Wednesday, December 15th.

Butane Price goes UP!

Christmas is approaching and it’s time for baking your delicious ham, tur-key, cake and other treats, well you’ll be thinking twice about doing all that baking because the price of the hundred pound cylinder of butane gas increased by a whopping eight dollars country wide. The Supplies Control Unit in the Ministry of Economic Development, Commerce, Industry and Consumer Protection is hereby informing the general public that effective December 3rd, 2010 the new controlled price per hundred pound cylinder of butane is as follows:District Existing Control Price New Con-trol PriceSan Pedro $122.00 $130.00 (Belmont Butane) Belize City $114.00 $122.00Belmopan $116.00 $124.00San Ignacio $116.00 $124.00Benque $117.00 $125.00Orange Walk $115.00 $123.00Corozal $114.00 $122.00Dangriga $118.00 $126.00Punta Gorda $119.00 $127.00

December 12th , 2010 Page 7

Caribbean news

Migrant boat capsizes, 30 Haitian aboardTORTOLA, British Virgin Islands – A motorboat overloaded with Hai-tian migrants slammed into a reef off the British Virgin Islands and capsized Monday as it tried to evade authorities. Five people were killed, including two infants. The 30-foot (9-meter) boat was carrying more than 30 people when it struck the reef off the southern coast of Tor-tola, said British Virgin Islands Cus-toms Comptroller Wade Smith.The exact number of passengers was unknown as authorities contin-ued searching for more victims or survivors, Smith said. Authorities in the British territory detained 28 sur-vivors as suspected illegal migrants, including six who were hospitalized with undisclosed injuries, said po-lice spokeswoman Dianne Drayton.The boat had apparently departed from Dutch St. Maarten and was try-ing to illegally enter British territory about midnight, Smith said. Most of the migrants were from Haiti but of-ficials have not established the na-

tionality of everyone on board, said Ricardo Castrodad, a spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard, which was as-sisting with the search.The British Virgin Islands is home to a relatively small community of Haitian migrants but they typically enter either by mistake — aban-doned by smugglers on one of the many islands that make up the chain — or as they try to reach the nearby U.S. Virgin Islands.A Dutch coast guard plane spotted the vessel and alerted other authori-ties in the region. The U.S. Coast Guard dispatched a Puerto Rico-based ship that was about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the migrants when their boat hit the reef, Cas-trodad said. The boat overturned in Paraquita Bay, which is notoriously tricky to navigate even in daylight because of the extensive network of reefs in the area, said Phil Aspi-nal, president of the Virgin Islands Search and Rescue, a volunteer group helping to find survivors.

Jamaica probe oil spill in Kingston harbourKINGSTON, Jamaica – Efforts are under way to clean up an oil spill in the harbor of Jamaica’s capital. The island’s emergency manage-ment agency says the slick in Kingston Harbor is located between an oil refinery and a power station. The agency said in a news release Sunday that police are investigating the origin of the spill, which was discovered Saturday.Officials say the oil contamination was being cleared up and had had no direct impact on the city itself. However, it was not immediately clear how much fuel had spilled into the water. Authorities are still investigating a Nov. 22 spill in the capital’s harbor, the seventh- larg-est natural harbor in the world.

Cuba mulls 2nd Salvadoran bomber death sentenceHAVANA – The Cuban Supreme Court on Monday began review-ing the death sentence of a Salva-doran man convicted of terrorism for a string of Havana hotel bomb-ings in 1997. State-run website Cubadebate announced the review of Otto Rene Rodriguez Llerena’s case, but did not provide details. Last week, the court commuted the death sentence of a second Salva-doran man convicted in the case, Ernesto Cruz Leon, giving him 30 years in prison instead.Rodriguez and Cruz Leon both confessed to the bombings, which killed an Italian tourist and wound-ed 11 other people including seven foreigners. They were found guilty in 1999. The plot was allegedly organized and financed by Cuban-Venezuelan Luis Posada Carriles — a former CIA operative and one of Cuba’s most-wanted men, who is also accused in the 1976 bomb-ing of a Cuban jetliner and in a se-ries of attempts to assassinate for-mer Cuban President Fidel Castro.Posada Carriles acknowledged in-

volvement in the hotel bombings — but later retracted it and denied playing any role. He was convict-ed in Venezuela of the attack on the airliner but escaped jail and fled the country. Today he lives in the United States, where he faces charges of lying to federal authori-ties in his 2005 bid to become a U.S. citizen. While capital pun-ishment is allowed under Cuba’s constitution, President Raul Cas-tro announced in 2008 that nearly all death sentences would be com-muted and the rest — a handful of capital cases involving terrorism — would be reviewed. Besides Rodriguez, the only prisoner re-maining on death row in Cuba today is Cuban-American Hum-berto Eladio Real, a member of an anti-Fidel Castro group who was convicted of killing a policeman in 1994 when he stormed ashore in Villa Clara armed with assault ri-fles and other weapons. There has been no word on whether a review is planned for his case.

Choosing Organic Shampoo for your hair type

Whether you’re a vegan or just don’t like the thought of putting harsh chemicals on your hair each day, organic shampoo can be just the solution you’ve been looking for. Typically, when the average consumer hears the word “or-ganic” they think of homegrown foods, fruits and vegetables. However, there are many organic household and beauty products on the market today. Organic sham-poo and other organic products allow consumers to feel comfort-able knowing there are no harmful ingredients in what they’re using at home. Here are some tips on choosing an organic shampoo for your hair type.Visit your local health food store or national organic product chain stores. Stores like Whole Foods Market or your local co-op will likely have a wide selection of organic products. Traditional grocery, general merchandise and drug stores will not offer organic shampoo options. If you don’t have a local co-op or organic market in your area, search online for organic sham-poo.If you are looking specifically for organic shampoo to fit your hair type, be sure to look closely at the bottle. Whether your hair is dry, oily, curly, frizzy or color en-riched, there will be a brand and organic shampoo formula for you. Read the ingredients and be sure

everything is natural. The hair care shampoo should be free from synthetic fragrances, preservatives (including diazolidinyl urea), car-cinogen precursors and artificial colors. Without these items, you can have hair and a scalp which shines with healthy sheen!Organic shampoo can be great if you have hair damage from chem-icals. Natural fragrances like lav-ender and jasmine are often used in these shampoos, which make the best choice for even a baby or someone who needs hypoal-lergenic products due to sensitive skin. Green tea ingredients often help those with dry hair, so look for it in the ingredients if you want more moisture in your hair. It’s also a great antioxidant. If you’re looking for a pesticide and chemical free way to treat dandruff, look for rosemary in the organic shampoo. White camellia oil and ginseng offer more mois-ture for dry hair, as well.If you really want to go to the lim-it, you can always make your own organic shampoo using a recipe. However, homemade shampoos can be difficult to make and are of-ten not as rich in vitamin power as those you can purchase from the shelves. Great companies like Avalon, Aveda and Burt’s Bees have or-ganic shampoo lines, so you can still use your favorite brands even though you’re going green!

APPLICATIONS FOR LIQUOR LICENSESNotice is hereby given that Vivian Petillo is applying for a SHOP LI-QUOR LICENSE to be operated at Petillo’s Mini Mart, Dangriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDI-NANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Zhon Qan Ruan is applying for a RESTAU-RANT LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Diamond Ruan Restau-rant, Dangriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Xion Yuan Cheng is applying for a SHOP/STORE LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Feng Store, DANGRIGA , Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.

December 12th , 2010Page 8

After Brazil, Argentina recognizes Palestinian State

A Palestinian fl ag painted on the face of a girl during a pro-test in the West Bank village of Bilin, …BUENOS AIRES (AFP) – Argen-tina said Monday it recognized a “free and independent” Palestin-ian state, days after Brazil drew sharp criticism from Israel and US lawmakers for taking the same step.Argentine President Cristina Kirchner wrote to Palestinian

leader Mahmud Abbas saying her country recognizes a Palestine de-fi ned by 1967 borders, offi cials said. “The Argentine government recognizes Palestine as a free and independent state within the bor-ders defi ned in 1967,” Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timer-man said, reading from the letter.

Israel has already reacted with “sadness and disappointment” to Brazil’s declaration on the issue, saying it breached a 1995 agree-ment it had with the Palestin-ian Authority that any Palestin-ian state should only come about through negotiations with it. US lawmakers have called Brazil’s decision “severely misguided” and “regrettable.” Western countries have agreed that any defi nition of a Palestinian state required Israeli approval. The United States has consistently protected Israel’s po-sition in the UN Security Council. Argentina’s move came after Bra-zil last Friday made public a letter it had sent also recognizing a Pal-estinian state including West Bank and Gaza, which Israel seized in the 1967 Six Day War and has oc-cupied since.Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who had sought a mediator role in the Israeli-Pal-estinian situation, made the deci-sion shortly before he is to stand down on January 1 next year. His protegee and former cabinet chief, Dilma Rousseff, has been elected

to take over from him on pledges to pursue his policies.Argentina said its recognition of a Palestinian state refl ected a gen-eral consensus in Mercosur, the South American trade bloc.Mercosur’s members are: Argenti-na, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay. Venezuela’s membership is pend-ing. Associate members are: Bo-livia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador Ecuador and Peru. The announce-ments by Brazil and Argentina come as peace talks between Is-rael and the Palestinians teeter on the brink of collapse following the end of a temporary ban on Jewish settlement building in the West Bank. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Monday he did “not see any reason” to ex-tend the settlement freeze.Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas has said he will not return to negotiations while Israel con-tinues to build on land the Pales-tinians want for their state. He has repeatedly said he would explore other options if the peace talks collapse -- including asking for UN recognition of a Palestinian state based on the 1967 borders.

Colombian landslide claims 23 deaths, so far

BELLO, Colombia – Rescue workers recovered 23 bodies but said more than 100 people remained missing and feared dead Monday following a land-slide that buried a poor Medel-lin suburb amid Colombia’s heaviest rains in decades. The rains that triggered Sunday’s landslide in the suburb of Bello have also driven thousands from their homes, damaged coffee and fl ower crops and snarled the two-lane highways that are moun-tainous Colombia’s commercial backbone. “Among the 23 bodies recovered are 11 children,” said John Rendon, disaster coordina-tor for Antioquia state, where

Bello is located. Local authori-ties said nine of the children were playing in a park when the land-slide struck. Claudia Patricia Mo-lina, 37, lost her home when the hillside came crashing down with a roar that sounded “as if some-one had placed a bomb.” She was about four blocks away, visiting friends, when the slide struck. “It shook powerfully and when we looked over we saw rocks fall-ing,” she said. A couple who lived next to Molina were buried alive with their 2-year-old daughter, she added.Thirty brick homes were buried by at least 1.7 million cubic feet (50,000 cubic meters) of earth,

Rendon said. “The weather was good yesterday, and also today, but the soil is saturated and it gave,” he told The As-sociated Press.Interior Minister German Var-gas told reporters that more than 100 people were missing as of Monday. That brought the death toll from fl oods and mudslides generated by this year’s rainfall to 199, said the director of Colombia’s na-tional disaster management offi ce, Luz Amanda Pulido. Last year, 110 people died in rainfall-related calamities, while 48 were killed in 2008,

Colombian Red Cross director of national relief operations Carlos Ivan Marquez told the AP recent-ly.This year’s rains — exacerbated by the La Nina weather phenom-enon — are the heaviest in the 42 years since the country’s weather service was created and started keeping records, agency direc-tor Ricardo Lozano said. They prompted President Juan Manuel Santos to announce on Saturday that he was canceling a planned trip to Cancun, Mexico to take part in global climate talks. Sci-entists believe that rising tem-

peratures caused by greenhouse gas emissions will lead to more extreme fl uctuations in climate.Venezuela has also been hit hard by fl ooding that has killed at least 34 people and left more than 5,000 people homeless. More than 100,000 people have taken refuge at hundreds of shelters, Venezue-lan Defense Minister Carlos Mata Figueroa said.Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said all military bases would be converted into refuges and on Sunday he ordered hotels in the coastal city of Higuerote to offer refuge to victims.Colombia’s government says 1.6 million people have either lost their homes or had homes suffer partial damage. About 70 percent to 80 percent live in inundated fl ood plains and have not aban-doned them “because they don’t want to leave their homes and be-longings for fear of losing every-thing,” Pulido said. In Antioquia, nearly fi ve out of six municipali-ties have declared emergencies due to the rains.Colombia has two rainy seasons. The fi rst extends from March through June. The second begins in September and normally ends in mid-December.

Education is the key to the future!

December 12th , 2010 Page 9

A stonger Iran returns to nuclear talks Istanbul, Turkey – Fourteen months after Iran last sat down for “urgent” nuclear talks with the United States and other world powers, negotia-tors are dusting off their dossiers for highly touted talks Monday.But some Iranian offi cials say their nuclear program (which has made substantial progress on nuclear en-richment, despite new sanctions) won’t even be on the agenda. And if it is, the political and technical landscape has changed so much in the past year – proof that US efforts have backfi red, say analysts – that Iran’s hand is stronger going into these talks.“While Iran is set on pursuing its independent uranium enrichment policy, and when the US is not in a position of starting a new war in the region, time is against Washing-ton,” says Kayhan Barzegar, an Iran specialist at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and Inter-national Affairs.“Perhaps the Obama administration is now willing to initiate the talks, but it has not reached a fi nal decision yet because it is waiting to see the impact of tough sanctions against Iran,” says Mr. Barzegar, contacted in Tehran, where he also serves as a director at the Center for Middle East Strategic Studies. “This is the wrong policy because sanctions will not change Iran’s nuclear policy.”RELATED Iran: We can make our own ‘yellowcake’ uranium nowThe October 2009 nuclear talks yielded a tentative agreement: Iran would export 1,200 kg (2,600 lbs.) of its homemade low-enriched ura-nium (LEU) – the bulk of its stock-pile at the time and theoretically enough to fabricate a single atomic bomb if enriched from 3.5 percent to more than 90 percent. In ex-change, it would receive 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel necessary for a small medical research reactor.Iran ultimately rejected the deal, calling it a ploy to deprive the Is-lamic Republic of its right to fuel under the Nuclear Non-Prolifer-ation Treaty. So in February, Iran announced it had boosted its own enrichment levels to 20 percent, and would make the fuel itself.In May, Brazil and Turkey got Iran to sign a virtual replica of the US-backed October 2009 deal. But neither deal required Iran to stop enriching uranium altogether, as demanded by UN Security Council resolutions.The US dismissed it immediately as not going far enough – considering that Iran had expanded enrichment – and orchestrated a fourth round of United Nations sanctions that passed the next month.

A stonger Iran returns to nuclear talks

reason to enrich to that level.RELATED Iran: We can make our own ‘yellowcake’ uranium now Iran denies that it is pursuing the bomb, and its top authorities state that Islam forbids nuclear weapons. Frequent inspections by the IAEA have not turned up diversion of any nuclear material, though the UN agency says Iran has not yet fully cooperated in clarifying past design issues. The new task for negotiators will be creating confi dence where little exists, and amid tense rhetoric. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R) of South

Carolina in November explicitly called for the military annihila-tion of Iran’s regime, while Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the West of “thinking as ag-gressors,” adding, “No embargoes can change the Iranian people.” Few analysts believe that sanctions, the default US policy toward Iran for decades, will change Tehran’s nuclear calculus. “If the US is serious [about] a dip-lomatic solution, it must recognize Iran’s right to enrich uranium on its soil and accept Iran’s indispens-ability for maintaining stability in the Persian Gulf,” wrote Barzegar in the latest issue of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. “Iran, in turn, will reciprocate by agreeing to more rigorous inspections by the IAEA to [demonstrate] the peaceful nature of its nuclear program.” In addition, he told the Monitor that Iran’s avowed willingness to stop 20 percent enrichment if the US shows goodwill underscores that nuclear talks need not be a zero-sum game in which only one country benefi ts. “The nature of Iran’s nuclear pro-gram is such that it directs Iran and the United States to either interact or engage in war,” he says. “In other words, it is either a win-win game or a lose-lose game, and not a win-lose game.”

PRESS RELEASE HABINAHAN WANARAGUA/DANCE WANARAGUA

The public is informed of Habinahan Wanara-gua/Dance Wanaragua, an event scheduled to take place in Dangriga on 2nd January, 2011. Dance Wanaragua is a Wanaragua (Jankunu) Fes-tival and Competition aimed at improving the quality of the dance and utilizing it as a tool for economic and cultural development. To this end, the Dance Wanaragua Steering Committee, with participation from the National Garifuna Council,

the Dangriga Town Council and other entities, has been formed to plan and manage the event. This initiative also has the support of the Na-tional Institute of Culture and History.Wanaragua groups from all over the country and even further afi eld in the region are encouraged to work on improving their performance and to enter the event and avail themselves of the opportunity to win at-tractive prizes. Entry forms and details can be obtained from Mr. Peter Ciego, Curator of the Gulisi Museum, who can be contacted at the mu-seum, by writing to peterciego337@hotmail.com or calling telephone number 605 1272. Closing date for the submission of entry forms is 15th December, 2010.The Wanaragua Season traditionally begins on Christmas Eve so plans are underway to launch Habinahan Wanaragua and the season with a programme on 23rd December. More details of the event of 2nd January, 2011, will be released at that time and the public treated to Wanaragua related entertainment. All are invited to save both dates and not miss the chance to gain a new appreciation of our brand of a tradition that has enthralled the peoples of the Caribbean for centuries.

Habinahan Wanaragua Steering Committee

December 12th , 2010Page 10

STATEMENT ON GOVERNMENT’S “SUSPENSION OF NORMAL RELATIONS” WITH CHANNEL 5 AND GREAT BELIZE PRODUCTIONS By: FRANCIS W. FONSECAAREA REPRESENTATIVEFREETOWNBelize City Thursday December, 9th 2010 On Tuesday, December 7, 2010, the Government of Belize announced, following a meeting of the Cabinet, that it was “suspending normal relations with Channel 5 and Great Belize Productions”.The reasons advanced for this decision were “willful and systematic violation of the terms and conditions of its license “; a lack of “professionalism, objectivity and impartiality”; and two and a half years of “deliberately and systematically undermining... the government and national interest...”.And the consequence is that no Government representative of any Ministry or department, including those duly elected, will give any individual interview or make any appearance on Channel 5.The Government’s release closes by stating its willingness to resume normal relations with Channel 5 when that station “demonstrates a willingness to comply and conform....”As a Member of the House of Representatives for the Freetown Division, a practising Attorney-at-Law, and a citizen of Belize, I absolutely reject and condemn this misguided and dangerous precedent-setting decision taken by our Government.Freedom of the Press is a fundamental pillar of a healthy and robust democracy contributing to greater accountability, better governance, and economic development. Restrictions on the media are generally an indication of a Government’s willingness to undermine and intimidate other democratic institutions and in this case displays a shocking lack of confidence in the Belizean people by our Government.The Government may argue that Channel 5 is just as free today to report and broadcast what it wishes, as it was last week, but the reality is that its decision is likely to have a chilling effect on all Belizeans who interact and engage with Channel 5 whether as employees, advertisers, or guests.The Minister of Information is on record as describing Channel 5 as an “organ of the PUP”. The unwritten and unspoken message is that if you support Channel 5, advertise on Channel 5, and appear on Channel 5, you are supporting the PUP.This is a dangerous message and a perilous road for Belize to travel even as it exposes the hypocrisy of the very people who own and operate WAVE Radio and TV.I raise my voice on this issue, even as I too am unwelcomed at Channel 5 because of a perceived view of my less than full support for the Leader of the Opposition.But as John F. Kennedy famously said: “We are not afraid to entrust the...people with unpleasant facts, foreign ideas, alien philosophies and competitive values. For a nation that is afraid to let its people judge truth and falsehood in an open market is a nation that is afraid of its people.”It is not for any Government to solely determine what is objective and impartial and to require the media to conform and comply with standards for such self-determined objectivity and impartiality. Indeed with rights and privileges come responsibilities but we must jealously guard the freedom of the press. Perhaps, like on so many other important issues, it is time for us here in Belize to have an open and meaningful discussion on this issue. This is a matter that goes far beyond Channel 5.I urge our civic, business and religious leaders and indeed all Belizeans to let their voices be heard on this issue and to stand firmly on the side of Freedom of the Press.

POLICE BEATBelize City Police Want Two Men Who Allegedly had Sex with a Minor. By Rhenae NunezBelize City; Tues. Dec. 7th, 2010Belize City Police are looking for Everal Kenroy and Maxwell Wade after a thirteen year old girl reported to police that she engaged in sexual inter-course with the two men on two separate occasions. The report was made in the presence of the girl’s mother. The ages of the two men were not provided and there is no certainty that the names of the two suspects are correct. The girl told police that she went to the home of Everal Kenroy on Antelope Street Extension sometime between on Saturday and Sunday, December fourth and fifth where they had sex. She also told police that she had sex with Maxwell Wade at his home in Ladyville in April of this year. A medical examination has confirmed that the girl has been carnally known. Stories of carnal knowledge appear frequently in the news with little in-formation on what occurs after the reports were made. The Belize Police Department has long adopted the policy of shielding the identities of mi-nors who are victims of such crimes or who perpetrate a crime. The police reports do not indicate, through no fault of their own, whether any coun-seling is being offered to the girl and her mother. The National Committee for Families and Children and children rights advocates have not been vocal on these reports.

Arsonist Attempts to Torch a Vehicle in Belize CityBelize City; Sat. Dec. 4, 2010Police are investigating an alleged attempted arson of a vehicle in Be-lize City. Leroy Cassosola, 31, reported to police that he was awakened at 4:00am on Sunday morning by a loud noise. Upon his investigation he discovered that the front windshield of his 1995 Toyota Corolla, grey in color had been broken. Cassasola also reported that he found a piece of cloth stuck in the gas tank of his car was smoking as if someone was attempting to set the car on fire. The windshield is valued at $600.00 No word on why or who attempted to burn the car at the Corner of Evergreen and Morning Glory Streets.

Roommate Assaults Roommate and Robs Him.By Rhenae NunezBelize City; Sat. Dec. 4, 2010Belize City police have arrested and charged Maynor Rodriguez after he allegedly punched his roommate, Martin Xol and robbed him on Saturday night. Martin Xol, 22 told police that his roommate followed him after he left Ceasar’s Nightclub on Newtown Barracks around 3:00am on Saturday night. He said that when he reached a few hundred away in front of Pre-mium Wines and Spirits, Rodriguez punched him in the face and searched him. Xol was relieved of his Nokia flip cell phone, a gold chain, a thick silver chain. Xol estimated his total loss to be over $1,400.00Police have since arrested and charged Maynor Rodriguez, 27, unem-ployed of an East Canal address for Robbery. There is no report of the na-ture of the relationship between the men and so what may have motivated one man to so blatantly rob his roommate.

Robbers Pounce on Belize Healthcare Partners’ DriverBy Rhenae NunezBelize City; Mon. Dec. 6, 2010Tis the season for robberies and robbers are making their rounds all across Belize in pursuit of that coveted Christmas loot. John Frazer, 36 a driver for Belize Healthcare Partners Hospital was making the rounds along with Chief of Security for BHPH, Albert Elli.s to collect cash for deposit on Monday, December 6th around 5:20pm. The pair had just arrived at the south side facility at the corner of Curassow and Gibnut Streets in Belize City when robbers pounced. Frazer told police that shortly after Ellis exited the MPV van that they were traveling in to collect the deposit from the south side facility, a slim built, tall, black man approached him as he sat in the vehicle. The man demanded the envelope containing the monies from the north side facility on Blue Marlin Boulevard that was left in his care by the Albert Ellis. The man attempted to draw what appeared to be a weapon. Another man then opened the right passenger door and took the envelope and the two then escaped.

APPLICATIONS FOR LIQUOR LICENSESNotice is hereby given that Ann Ramirez is applying for a PUBLICAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Aba Isien Bar, Seine Bight Village, Stann Creek District, under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Elvis Jackson is applying for a PUBLICAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Coco Loco Bar , Bella Vista Village, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Muriel Slockhousen is applying for a PUB-LICAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Farmer’s Bar, Dangriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LI-CENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Arturo Bull is applying for a MALT & CI-DER LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Sue’s Beach Club, Dangriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.

December 12th , 2010 Page 11

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Chaa Creek recognized as a top Eco-lodge

One of the world’s foremost archi-tects and landscape planners, Hitesh Mehtas, has included The Lodge at Chaa Creek in his new book’s list of the world top ecolodges.Chaa Creek shares this distinction with only 16 other world class eco

resorts in Kenya, Australia, Moroc-co, India and other exotic locales in Mehta’s new book, Authentic Ecolodges, which publisher Harper Collins describes as “A must-have reference guide”. Chaa Creek owner and General

Manager, Lucy Fleming, said she was honored to have her family’s Belizean eco-resort included in the distinguished list.“It certainly is an honor to share company with such eminent, beau-tiful resorts from around the world. To be honest, Chaa Creek evolved into what it is over a period of time, so this is more a recognition of fi t-ting in with nature, rather than fol-lowing a strict building plan,” Mrs. Fleming said.Chaa Creek began life as a family farm started along the banks of Be-lize’s Macal River by Lucy and her husband Mick in the 1970’s.It has since grown into a private 365-acre nature reserve and re-sort with a natural history centre, medicinal plant trail, stables, pool and spa. With more than 70 Maya archaeological sites catalogued on

the property and located between the ancient cities of Caracol and Tikal, Chaa Creek is also a hub for Maya culture and research.Mr. Mehta’s new book is the result of 30 months of research travelling through 46 countries around the world. As a board member of the International Ecotourism Society, he also authored The International Ecolodge Guidelines, as well as other books, articles and papers. He is also a renowned speaker and photographer.In addition to its natural beauty, Chaa Creek is noted for its conser-vation programs, such as the Black Howler Monkey Re-introduction Project, its Maya sites and eco-adventure activities which include canoeing, trekking, jungle moun-tain biking, caving and Maya ex-ploration

CANADIAN WOM-AN RESCUED AND B R O U G H T T O SAFETY IN BELIZEDecember 06, 2010

A Canadian woman who wit-nessed her father’s murder last week was brought safely to Be-lize on Saturday. According to international media reports, twenty four year old Canadian Myda Elizabeth Egrmajer was visiting her father in Honduras. Her father, fi fty fi ve year old Mi-lan Egrmajer has been living on his boat for the past years, and both had been sailing from Utila, Honduras in the direction of Be-lize. On Thursday however, bad weather apparently forced them to dock at a remote lagoon called El Diamante. Reports indicate that a small boat arrived not long after at the lagoon. Details of what happened are unclear and author-ities found Egrmajer’s body in-side the boat on Friday. He had been shot four times to the chest and abdomen. How his daughter Myda survived remains a mys-tery to authorities investigating the incident. All they know is that she was rescued and brought to Belize. She arrived onboard the vessel, Tessa PG. Reports are that she was somewhat dehydrated, sun burned and shaken and was taken to Belize Medical Associ-ates for observation. She was ac-companied by the Canadian Hon-orary Council, Patrick Andrews. Myda Egrmajer left Belize yes-terday. She is reportedly headed to her mother’s home in northern Ontario, Canada.

December 12th , 2010Page 12

www.nationalperspectivebz.com

Last week I went into the archives and reviewed some writ-ings from earlier this year. These excerpts were to give a stage back-ground as to the proliferation of crime and demonstrate what has contributed to the root-causes in-cluding the when and where it has spiraled out of control. Just about every law-abiding citizen is being held hostage and frustrated as to the level of crime that have dominated this city and the country in a whole. Last week I made reference to the C.Y.D.P. The U.D.P. created the C.Y.D.P. in their 1993-1998 term of government. The C.Y.D.P. did not function as it was intended and in-stead, members of rival gangs were included within the program itself and this allowed them to settle their differences even though many of them ended up killing their rivals even while the program was being implemented. When the P.U.P. won the elections in 1998 they assist the C.Y.D. program and the thesis was that, that program was not getting the result that it was required to deliver, especially considering the exagger-ated budget that it was allotted. The government of former Prime Minis-ter Rt. Hon. Said Musa, took on the initiative to revisit the concept and objectives and the Youth for the Fu-ture was established. At that time Belize had a strong existing youth policy and was one of the pioneers in youth work in the region. The Youth for the Future initiative with its various sub-departments was ad-dressing some of the root cause of crimes among our nation’s youth. The National Youth Cadet Service Corp. and the National 4-H Youth Development Programs were reha-bilitating, educating and transform-ing young people in an unprecedent-ed way. Later towards the end of the P.U.P. term of government in 2007 and 2008, the Get a Life Program came on stream with a resounding success transforming the elements of youth from crime into positive engagement. Again, after the U.D.P. won the election in 2008 they quickly got rid of the Get a Life Program and also allowed the 4-H and Youth Cadet program to deteriorate and suffer in terms of the number of participants because of it overall programming aimed at the transformation of our youth. It became evident that the UDP government made a deliber-ate effort to undermine the Youth for the Future in order to bring back the C.Y.D.P. If the U.D.P. had done their due diligence they would have analyze and realize that the C.Y.D.P. did not work and is not working and that they were just wasting millions of dollars into the CYD program

UDP and Crimesthat was not yielding positive re-turn. Not only did they revive the C.Y.D.P. but many of the police of-fi cers that were on the beat in Belize City prior to 1998 was brought back to Belize City almost immediately after the U.D.P. won the 2008 elec-tions. The point am making is that everything that did not work from 1993- 1998 as the U.D.P. initiative was immediately brought back after returning to power in 2008 aban-doning the more revitalized P.U.P. initiative that was working. The U.D.P. has demonstrated that together with the Youth for the Fu-ture they have also gotten rid of every other PUP initiative that was instituted under the PUP adminis-tration and have succeeded in tear-ing down just about all of our social and public institutions that stood out proudly prior to the 2008 general elections. Brothers if its not broken there is not need to fi x it. I don’t want to appear as if am looking in the rear view mirror, “that is a U.D.P. thing,” but do you remember in 2005-2006 when the now prime minister, then leader of the opposition, stated publicly that he is launching a sustain campaign of civil disobedience. Well, it is perceivable that that campaign is still on and he and his government are the main characters that are dragging Belize into a failed state status. Now maybe I am just a con-spiracy theorist but since the now prime minister have not recalled or denounce that campaign, maybe just maybe there are people out there who think that Barrow is indeed Be-lize’s Crime Minister. PM Barrow seemed proud to expose how fearless and lawless his party thugs could behave, disrespecting the law enforcement authorities and physically trying to destroy the in-frastructure at the National Assem-bly building during their violent protests. The UDP displayed what they were capable of by threatening to throw grenades in our National Assembly. On the U.D.P. radio they were encouraging people to pull P.U.P.s out of their vehicles. No other than the then leader of the op-position , Dean Barrow, expressed that he wanted to hang people off lamp posts. In Orange Walk U.D.P. operatives was physically assault-ing P.U.P.s. Maybe the U.D.P.s knew that there were numerous people carrying guns and ammuni-tions and grenades. Does it surprise you that recently most of the major crimes that are happening may be connected to people who live in the prime minister’s constituency? The prime minister even after a hundred and thirty plus murders have not made any effort to present a stern anti-crime statement and if you un-

derstand the U.D.P. the way I do, it could be interpreted that there are high offi cials encouraging these type of crimes. The U.D.P. philoso-phy is either you are with me or you are against me. So obviously these guys are not against the U.D.P. , so quite coincidentally all the criminal things that the U.D.P. advocated for, the grenade, the hanging, disobedi-ence are manifesting there selves today and Barrow is helpless. As I continue to refl ect on this startling declaration from Mr.

Barrow then he also states that he will stake his reputation on Mr. Perdomo even at a time when Per-domo’s integrity has been called into question because of a barrage of scandals and possible wrong do-ings. We have seen how he handled the Castro situation but maybe that is because he is now playing on the border of the people’s patience. Then we are obligated and forced to understand why there is such high level of crimes in this country. I wanted to make reference to Sec-tion 121 of the Belize Constitution sub-section 1 relating to members of the National Assembly and The Belize Criminal Code chapter 101 of the Laws of Belize section 153, but it is my understanding that there will be a press conference tomor-row, Wednesday 8th where details of this will be announced. Therefore, I hope to report on that, for now this my impartial view.

Dear Editor,

The Belize economy continues to spiral downward because the po-litical administration in government continues to execute and display malicious and diminishing policies to punish the opposition People’s United Party and by extension the total population of Belize. Mr Prime Minister still doesn›t see the forest for the trees. It is very ob-vious that this government under the leadership of Prime Minister Dean Barrow is hell-bent on totally destroying the native home grown businesses, creating greater unem-ployment and poverty amongst the populace, and annihilating the cre-ative minds and spirits of the people that’s been in development over the last 200 years. These politicians in government don›t understand how the economy of a country should function, they just cannot under-stand the serious damage they are infl icting on an already impover-ished population. For example, rather than stand by and see the foreclosures of all these local businesses the Prime Min-ister should act on an initiative to join forces with the PUP›s to fi nd a united way out of this economic chaos to save our national economy through what is called a «work-out» unless it is the latent decision to destroy all these local iconic businesses to cut the legs off of those businessmen whom the UDP now perceives to have benefi tted from the previous administration. What is happening here you see is the capitalistic democracy is threat-ened by all these ridiculous personal actions designed to grab power and the nation’s wealth to their ranks

now. But even when they believe they have acquired ultimate power, they merely demonstrate the level of their incompetence and the more they steal the people›s natural re-sources, the more incompetent they become because they have simply have proven that they have ran out of creative, innovative, ideas. It seem an easier solution to the UDP government to destroy our home grown businesses and our na-tional economy because they sim-ply refuse to submit to a «workout» solution with the business commu-nity (the bright boys from Trinidad/Caricom know what I am saying), we destroy tens of millions of dol-lars in additional production of goods and services, we waste tens of millions more by staying in this albatross called Caricom doomed to failure just as the European Eco-nomic Union is rethinking the ratio-nales for its existence in face of the mounting and ever increasing debt of Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain etc. and a slew of previous east-ern European nations. Economists will agree the rational and basis for forming Caricom were not well elu-cidated because fi fteen small coun-tries with no industries, weak cur-rencies and their refusal to become agrarian economies. As Caribbean peoples we should never believe that by wearing a necktie we will in concept compete with the world’s industrialized nations, instead we should fi nd innovative ways to com-plement them. We live in a changed world. If we cannot recognize this fact we are really doomed and this government is doing nothing to take us out of this mess.

JWB

December 12th , 2010 Page 13

By: Nuri Muhammad

Personality Disorder and the Criminal Justice System

When society makes an assumption about ‘order’ it is referring to those values and norms that are found in the inherited traditions of that society, referred to in the scriptures as, ‘what they found their fathers doing’. These norms/values, in the case of Belize, are both, universal as in the case of, ‘thou shall not kill,’ and local, as in the case of being considered strange to talk out loud to oneself in the middle of the Bel- China Bridge.

Just when you think the crime situation in Belize is bad it gets worst. This year has seen the killing of eight year olds, then the gruesome murders of attorney Richard Stuart and his wife, and now the cold-blooded murders of security guard, Edgar Ayala and businessman, David Longsworth. How much worst can it get? According to Dr. Herbert Gayle, anthropologist and lead researcher in the Report on Male Social Participation and Violence in Urban Belize, we have already passed the benchmark for civil war. In the latter part of 1997 and the early part of 1998 an attempt was made to compile a psychosocial profi le of over 100 youth who were housed in the then youth facility of the Department of Correction called Youth Enhancement Academy (YEA). For a number of reasons the result of this study was never published but I will share with my readers some aspect of what was observed at that time, nearly thirteen years ago, since it provided us an opportunity then to take a close up look at “our problem” of delinquent boys who are clogging up the criminal justice system. The results were not all that revealing in the sense that it confi rmed what was already known by many of us in the fi eld, i.e., that the majority of those in the system are from poverty, broken homes, victims of abuse, early school leavers, etc, etc, etc. The current study completed by Dr. Gayle and his team has put meat on the skeletal frame of this study. What was interesting about this study is that it gave us an opportunity to observe the extent of personality disorders affecting the youths that were passing through the criminal justice system. Perhaps the most frequent disorder displayed was ‘antisocial personality disorder’, however there were a number of other maladaptive behavior patterns using the DSM IV R (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder) defi nition of disorder.This overview looks at some of the most common personality disorder patterns displayed by youths in the Belize criminal justice system, especially those who are revolving through the system as repeat offenders. The majority of youth in prison do not display any form of real pathology. Most of their dysfunction and subsequent delinquency can be traced to a break down in the vital or sacred connections in their life, i.e. family,

religious, school. Their disorder is a refl ection of a social pathology, which goes under the disguise of ‘popular culture’ or ‘modern’, etc, rather than individual pathology. However, there are some youths who display clear symptoms of disorder in their perceptions of reality. First, what is personality disorder (PD)? According to the DSM IV, “PD are behavioral patterns that are typically

associated with severe disturbances in the individual usually involving several areas of the personality and are almost always associated with considerable personal and social disruption. This behavior can result in the individual adopting maladaptive coping skills, which may lead to personal problems that induce extreme anxiety, distress and depression. While most people can live pretty normal lives with mild personality disorders (or more simply, personality traits), during times of increased stress or external pressures (work, family, a new relationship, etc.), the symptoms of the personality disorder will gain strength and begin to seriously interfere with their emotional and psychological functioning”. When society makes an assumption about ‘order’ it is referring to those values and norms that are found in the inherited traditions of that society, referred to in the scriptures as, ‘what they found their fathers doing’. These norms/values, in the case of Belize, are both, universal as in the case of, ‘thou shall not kill,’ and local, as in the case of being considered strange to talk out loud to oneself in the middle of the Bel- China Bridge. Sometimes the ‘order’ in society changes. What may appear strange today or be assumed to be a manifestation of a personality disorder may appear to be normal decades from now because of society’s change in values. For example half naked styles for women today may have been considered “exhibitionist” in a pre 1960’s Belize. For the caregiver to be effective in treatment the question of disorder versus order in personality must be analyzed on a deeper level than relying only on the changing value system of the society. What is normal must be seen on the basis of the original or natural; the unchangeable characteristic of

the normal personality, with all its dualities, must be identifi ed fi rst, before the current infl uences on the personality, begin to assign labels on, or overpower the natural man. A few words about PD that should be taken into consideration: PDs are very diffi cult to treat because the patient has accepted that what he is, or how he sees himself and the world as normal. It’s diffi cult to treat someone who doesn’t recognize that

something is wrong with them. PD is recognizable as early as childhood but is not confi rmed until adolescence and can follow through out the life of the person. Any success at penetrating the defense mechanism and getting behind the cause for the behavior will usually cause anxiety and depression and will therefore be avoided by the patient.

Anti-social Personality Disorderis the most commonly seen disorder in youths confi ned in the Belize criminal justice system. This PD is characterized by continual antisocial and criminal acts but is not synonymous with criminality but rather the inability or refusal to conform to social norms and rules; in fact, an innate hatred for rules of order.

Paranoid Personality Disorderis the constant and pervasive interpretation of all actions of people as being deliberately demeaning or threatening. It is usually hard to detect as a problem since other aspects of the personality seems quite normal. It can be detected in those who have been victims of early trauma that was so drastic as to leave the impact of permanent cautiousness: “once bitten, twice shy.” They are always anticipating that all actions will end with them loosing. They are fearful without reason, always believing that there is a conspiracy against them. They question the loyalty and trustworthiness of friends and associates and read hidden or demeaning messages into remarks only they can sees. They bear grudges and are unforgiving of insults. They fear to confi de in others thinking that it may be used against them later.

Historic Personality Disorderis also known as hysterical personality. They display a high degree of attention seeking behavior; they exaggerate their thoughts and feeling and make things more important than they

really are. They display temper tantrum, tears, out burst, if they are not the center of attention. They are constantly seeking approval, always demanding reassurance. Also they have a tendency to be inappropriately sexually seductive in their appearance. They are full of exaggeration in their expression of emotions and are rapidly shifting emotions and their style of speech is usually impressionistic and superfi cial. Those with a Narcissistic Personality Disorder show a heightened and exaggerated sense of self importance and a grandiose feeling of being unsure in some way. They consider themselves special and are always anticipating special treatment; they handle criticism very poorly and may become enraged if criticized. They want their own way and can be quite ambitious at it. They are prone to depression because of their fragile self esteem and have very few associates because they must always be in charge; they frequently experience interpersonal confl icts with others over ego and are also very fl amboyant in appearance and focus. They tend to believe that their problems are special which only special people can understand and they are preoccupied with anticipating a grand success soon to come. These youth require constant attention and admiration, always fi shing for compliments and affi rmation. They have trouble empathizing with others unless within their own past experience and they are always preoccupied with feelings of envy. After a PD has been identifi ed there is no direct way open to changing that disorder. Its very diffi culty to show someone something about their behavior that they have come to accept as normal. What may be diagnosed as a PD may in fact be a dam to a river of raging emotions that could come bursting forward if you get rid of that defense line by trying to change it. So in most cases the person is left with their PD with the Prison rehabilitation only working on the criminal aspects of his problem but leaving the root dysfunction intact. There are many of our youth revolving through the criminal justice system with serious PDs and who return to their home base after their incarceration with those PDs intact.The most common PD, I repeat, is the Anti-Social Personality Disorder. This is the one that forms the seedbed of the social destructive forces that we are dealing with in the streets today; youths who are angry and in a state of rage and see nothing wrong with breaking the law at any turn. If we multiply that condition you get a glimpse of what Dr. Gayle means by “passing the benchmark of civil war” (Comments welcomed at nuribze@gmail.com).

December 12th , 2010Page 14

Belize City, December 3, 2010

The Sadie Vernon TechnicalHigh School boys upset the defending CSSSA champs, the Gwen Liz High School boys 81-69 in Game 1 of the Central Secondary Schools Sports Association (CSSSA) basketball championship fi nals at the Belize City Center on Monday.Sadie Ver-non’s Kaschief Thomas drained in 4 long treys as he top-scored with 42 points, 3 rebounds and 4 steals while Lincey Lopez added 11 points grabbed 3 rebounds and 2 steals as the Sadie Vernon boys led 20-10 in the 1st quarter Andrew Ortiz added 8 pts, grabbed 5 rebounds and 3 steals and Charles Armstrong added 7 pts, 10 rebounds and 3 steals as the Sa-die Vernon boys romped to a 45-26 lead at the half time break.London Reneau tossed 7 points, grabbed 6 rebounds and 3 steals and Peter McKoy added 4 pts and grabbed 4 rebounds and a steal to stay ahead 60-48 at the end of the 3rd quar-ter and Dennis Brown added 2 pts. Gwen Liz’s big post man Matthew Young led with 29 often scoring on the putback from a monster 29 rebounds also grabbing 3 steals. Akeem “Timmy” Trapp hit 3 long treys as he added 22 pts, snagged a rebound and 3 steals. Joseph Suther-land tossed in 7 pts and grabbed 6 re-bounds and 3 steals, whileRaheeem

Sadie Vernon boys win Game 1 of CSSSA basketball � nalsFlowers drained in a long trey as he added 6 pts, grabbed a rebound and 2 steals. Albert Longsworth added 3 pts and Mal-colm Robateau chippedin 2 pts, 2 reboundsThe Game 2 of the best-of-5 championship comes up on Wednesday, 8 December and Game 3 is set for Fri-day, Decem-ber 10.The Sadie Vernon boys qualifi ed to the fi nals by eliminating the Wesley Col-lege boys 50-43 in their rematch in game 2 of the play-offs last Saturday. Andrew Ortiz led Sadie Vernon with 17 pts, also grabbing 13 rebounds.Wesley’s Vince Young and Dylan Moguel both hit long treys, but they were down 10-14 in the 1st quarter, but Brian White and Vince Young scored several buckets to tie the score at 19-19 at the half.

Dennis Brown hit a 3-point-er as he added 10 points

for Sadie Vernon, grabbed a rebound and 4 steals. Lon-don Reneau scored 8pts and grabbed 9 rebounds and 2 steals as the Sa-die Vernon boys led 37-30 in the 3rd quarter.

Vince Young drained in a long trey in the 4th quarter to fi n-ish with 13pts, while Brian White scored 14 pts, grabbed 15 rebounds and

7 steals. Rahyme Sacasa added 5pts

and grabbed 3 re-bounds; Densfi eld

Christian tossed in 2 buckets and grabbed 4

rebounds, and Dylon Mo-guel chipped in 3 pts and grabbed 5 rebounds.Kachief Thomas was benched with an injury, but Lincey Lopez got away on fast breaks to score 6pts and grabbed 2 rebounds. Peter McKoy drove in to the rim

for 4pts and 8 rebounds. Charles Armstrong chipped in 3pts and grabbed 6 rebounds, and Calvin Tench added a bucket as the Sadie Vernon boys cruised to a 50-43 win.The Gwen Liz eliminated the Naza-rene High School 74-70 in Game 2 of the playoffs. Matthew Young scored a monster 39 pts an a mas-sive 30 rebounds and two steals. Akeem “Timmy” Trapp added 11 pts and grabbed 5 rebounds and 6 steals; while Raheem Flowers scored 9pts, grabbed 2 rebounds and 5 steals. Travis Gabourel added 8pts, Bryton Meighan chipped in 5pts and Malcolm Robateau scored one bucket.Alejandro Baptist led the Nazarene High School boys with 29 pts, grabbing 8 rebounds and 6 steals. Anthony Neal scored 16pts, while Avery Gordon added 14 pts, grabbed 13 rebounds and 4 steals. Benjamin Hyde chipped in 5pts and Tyrel Ramclam, Eric Vairez and Rasheed Reyes each scored a bucket. The Gwen Liz boys had also burnt the Nazarene High boys 89-64 in the fi rst play-off last Tuesday.The CSSSA champ will represent the Central division at the nationals to be hosted by Anglican Cathedral College at the Belize City Center on Friday and Saturday, December 17-18.

Belize City, December 5, 2010 Team Zamir’s Greg Lovell is the 3-peat winner of the annual Al-pheus Williams AIDS Day elite cycling classic from Belmopan to Belize City. He out-sprinted Team Benny’s Megabytes’ Byron Pope and Team Santino’s Leroy Cassa-sola in the fi nal 500 yards to the fi n-ish line in front of Leslie’s Imports on the Western Highway to win the 14th edition of the race on Sun-day, December 5.Lovell clocked 1:43:58 on the 50 mile ride from in front of the Belmopan Comprehen-sive School, around the Ring Road to the city win a $500 1st prize and a trophy.Kira Eiley won the wom-en’s race from La Democracia to the city, and Team Cayo High Road’s Daniel Choto won the ju-nior race.Byron Pope claimed the $300 2nd prize and trophy, while Team Western Spirits’ Kyne Gentle

Greg Lovell wins 14th annual Alpheus Williams Cycling Classic

took home the $200 3rd prize. Leroy Cassasola had begun the sprint but had to settle for the $100 4th prize, while young Juan Uma-na was won the $50 5th prize.Team Zamir’s Jose Choto was 6th, Sher-man Thomas fi nished 7th, Team Typhoon’s Nissan Arana of Orange Walk pulled in 8th, Ervin Middle-ton was 9th, and Hernan Ochaeta rounded out the top 10 for each to receive a $25 prize.Team Santino’s Ernest “Jawmeighan” Meighan

was 11th, Henry Moriera was 12th, Team C-Ray’s Ron Mcken-zie was 13th, and Arnidez Rivas fi nished 14th.Team Zamir’s Glen O’brien led the chase group, clock-ing 1:44:33 to place 15th, Team C-Ray’s Brandon Cattouse 16th and Team Clear di Land’s Deezan Spence fi nished 17th.Team Cayo High Road’s Daniel Choto won the race for category 3 riders, with his teammate Kyle Gentle taking 2nd place and Peter Dixon was 3rd.Dan-

iel Choto also won the junior category, with Team Twin Towns Cycling’s Roy Wiltshire took 2nd place and the Clear Di Land’s Wasani Castro took 3rd third place Team Cayo High Road’s Juan Umana won 1st prize in the youth category, while Team Twin Towns Cycling’s Deezan Spence was 2nd and Umana’s teammate Aiden Juan was 3rd. Kira Eiley won the $250 1st prize in the women’s race, a 30-mile ride from La Democra-cia village to the city, while Team Truckers Posse’s Anthea Suther-land won the $150 2nd prize and the reigning women’s road cham-pion, Shalini Zabaneh claimed the $100 3rd prize.Barney Brown won the Masters race from La Democ-racia village to the city, Santino “Chief” Castillo of Team Santino’s was 2nd and Team Tyhoon’s Albert Conorquie was 3rd.

December 12th , 2010 Page 15

Orange Walk, December 4, 2010

San Felipe Barcelona handed the Belize Defense Force their fi rst defeat in Week 11 of the 2010 Ca-ribbean Motors Cup football tour-nament organized by the Belize Premier Football League at the People’s Stadium last Saturday night.The Belize Defence Force, which has been No.1 in the BPFL with 26pts from 8 wins and 2 draws, took a tumble when San Fe-lipe’s Deris “Colombia” Benavides drilled home the 1st goal from long range in the 2nd minute of action.The BDF counterattack made no impression on the tenacious San Felipe defense who held on to their 1-0 lead up to the half time break. In the 2nd half, the BDF pulled out all the stops to get the equal-izer, but it did not come until the 84th minute when Orlando “Lichy” scored for the BDF. The BDF were still sighing with relief at avoid-ing a loss, when the pressure of the San Felipe offensive caused the BDF defense to goof by bringing down a player in the box in stop-page time. The referee ruled pen-alty and Deris Benavides converted the try for the San Felipe squad to savor the sweet taste of victory: 2-1 over the BDF.F.C. Belize is

still No 2 in the BPFL with 7 wins and 2 draws, after they suffered their 2nd defeat: 3-4 to the Toledo Ambassadors at the MCC grounds on Sunday. Toledo’s Elio Ramirez drilled in the Ambassadors’ 1st goal in the very 1st minute of play. FC Belize tied the ball game when David McCauley scored the city boys’ 1st goal in the 7th minute of play and Delroy “Thinman” An-drews gave FC Belize a 2-1 lead when he scored a 2nd goal in the 26th minute of play.The pressure of the Ambassadors attack caused the FC Belize defense to goof in giv-ing up a penalty, and Wilmer Garcia tied the score at 2-2 when he blasted in a shot in the 31st minute and it

San Felipe Barcelona drills BDF 2-1 in Caribbean Cup football

was a 2-2 ball game at the half.In the 2nd half, Kristian Perez gave the city boys a 3-2 lead when he scored FC Belize’s 3rd goal in the 74th minute, but the FC Belize de-fenders could not handle the Toledo offensive and the pressure of the Ambassadors attack caused the FC Belize defense to goof in giving up a penalty. The referee ruled penalty and Wilmer Garcia tied the score at 3-3 when he converted the kick in the 84th minute. Ashley Tor-res added a 4th goal for the To-ledo visitors in the 85th minute to seal the 4-3 win.Griga United is till No. 3 in the league as they posted their 5th win by burning Belmopan Blaze 1-0 at the Football Federa-

tion of Belize Football Institute in Belmopan. The Belmopan squad manged to contain the visitors’ at-tacks in the fi rst half, but the equal-ly tenacious Griga defense gaveno quarter.In the 2nd half, the pres-sure of the Griga offensive wore down the Belmopan defense until and Lisbey Castillo booted in the winning goal in the 80th minute.The competition continues with Hankook Verdes hosting Belmopan Blaze at the Marshalleck Stadium on Saturday night, while on Sun-day FC Belize faces the BDF at the MCC grounds on Sunday and the Toledo Ambassadors will host Gri-ga United at the Toledo Union fi eld.

Mike Sosa Completes Advanced Tennis Coaching Course

Belizean Tennis Trainer Mr. Mike Sosa recently returned from the island of Antigua after having successfully completed an Advanced Tennis Coaches’ Course (Level 2) administered by tennis experts from the International Tennis Federation. The goal of the 12 day, 74 hour course was to give participants the competences to teach tennis to intermediate and advanced players involved in competition. Mr. Sosa’s performance ranked 3rd highest among all participating trainers from the English Speaking Caribbean and he becomes the fi rst ever ITF Level 2 tennis trainer from Belize. As a full time tennis professional, he is a pioneer of tennis development in Belize. During the last seven years he has been actively involved in the development of tennis for children at primary school level and junior level. During his competitive career he has won several National Titles including the National Men’s Singles Title. He was awarded a grant by the ITF to participate in the course and also received assistance from the Belize Tennis Association and the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association. Mike is married to Sophie Sosa and they have one son, Stefan.

Belize City, December 5, 2010The BEL Powersockets, Nestle’s O’Henry Barber Shop and the Be-lize City Council all scored wins in the Belize City interoffi ce softball playoffs at the home of softball at the Rogers Stadium on Sunday, De-cember 5.In Game 1, the BEL Pow-ersockets shocked the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital staff 12-8. BEL led 3-0 when Miriam Dawson, Jamie Young and Greg Kerr came home in the 1st inning, but the KHMH med-ics soon tied the score at 3-3 when Carlos Siu, Dwayne Williams and Omar Martinez came home in the top of the 3rd.BEL regained the lead 5-3 when Jason Bennett and Adrian Gentle came home in the bottom of the 3rd, but KHMH’s Doyle Ifi eld and Ricardo Hermoso tied the game again at 5-5 when they rounded the bases in the top of the 4th. BEL ex-tended the lead when Adrian Torres and Denise Gillett came home in the bottom of the 4th.The KHMH med-ics tied the game again at 7-7 when Dwayne Williams and Doyle Ifi eld came home in the top of the 5th , but BEL proved invincible when Torres, Gillett, Bennett, Gentle and Kerr all came home in the bottom of the 5th to lead 12-7. KHMH’s Carlos Siu scored one more run in the 6th as Powersockets posted a 12-8 big win.In Game 2, the Nes-tle’s O’Henry Barber Shop crew clipped the SJC Alumni 21-11 in the second game of the day. The

BEL Powersockets, O’Henry Barber Shop & BCC win in Intero� ce softball playo� s

SJC alumni led 4-0 when Kiri Liza-ma, Roman McCulloch, and Cojac Smith came home when Ryan Ben-nett homered in the 1st inning, but the Barber Shop soon took over the lead 6-4 when Kevin Siroki, Jason Jenkins, Joseph Alvarez, Tommy Shaw, Ally Flowers and Joseph Meighan rounded the bases in the top of the 2nd , and they extended their lead to 10-4 as Alvarez, Sherae Mcfadzean, Shantel Flowers and Ally fl owers scored in the top of the 3rd.SJC stayed in the game as Shane Williams, Bennett and Mc-Culloch came home in the 3rd but they were down 7-10 when Barber Shop crew scored 11 more runs in the top of the 4th. The game ended in the application of the mercy rule, when only SJC’s Williams, Bennett and McCulloch came home in the bottom of the 4th. In Game 3, the Belize City Council dialed a 13-12 win over Telemedia Digicell. Otis Clother and Lupito Acosta led the Telemedia attack with 2 runs in the top of the 1st, but BCC soon led 4-2 when Reynaldo Duran, Enid Dak-

ers, and Godsden Ferguson came home when Darmine Myles homered in the bottom of the 1st.BTL’s Shanti Roches, Emily Audinett and Clother came home in the top of the 2nd to lead 5-4, but BCC led 6-5 when Die-dra Jones and Duran came home in the bottom of the 2nd. Nelson Tillett tied the score at 6-6 in the 3rd, and Clother and Kimani Williams scored 2 runs to led 8-6 in the top of the 4th .BCC regained the lead 10-8 when Enid Dakers, Norman Middleton, Darmine Myles and Cynthia Bernard came home in the bottom of the 4th. BTL took over the lead 12-10 when Roches, Clother, Acosta and Bernard Pitts scored in the 5th, but BCC took it away when Myles and Bernard scored in the bottom of the 6th.

December 12th , 2010Page 16

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Going all in … and off the deep end Administer true justice, show

mercy and compassion to one an-other, do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. Do not plot evil against each other. - Zechariah 7:10 We media practitioners are all now preoccupied after being am-bushed by the Barrow administra-tion’s unprecedented new “suspen-sion of normal relations” public policy that emanated from Belmo-pan following last Tuesday’s Cabi-net meeting. As I write this early Thursday morning, except for a bumbling attempt by the new “Minister of Information” John Saldivar osten-sibly to clarify its ramifi cations and possible consequences for public offi cers, the administration is sitting pat, presumably enjoying the fi restorm of criticism both at home and abroad the decision has sparked. The orgy of speculation as to what this means and will mean for the media industry in Belize and its re-lationship with the Government of Belize going forward is reaching a fever pitch if only because of the suddenness and the sheer illogic of the decision. This seems an emo-tional decision, and not one con-sistent with Mr. Barrow’s record of good gamesmanship. It seems one made out of frustration and exas-peration, or at least it seems so on the face of it. Why so blunt a tool so hastily employed I wonder? The answer won’t come in interviews with the Barrow Administration electronic media accomplices Channel 7, Love and Kremandala, and it can’t come from its “enemies” Vibes Ra-dio and now Channel 5, because, according to Saldivar, Channel 5 is an offi cial organ of the Opposi-tion Peoples United Party, and so it must be offi cially excluded. I had taken it as a fact of our po-litical process that Vibes Radio and the Belize Times are the victims of the Barrow administration political tribalistic apartheid policies, but it was still shocking, nevertheless, to hear it so starkly said by Saldivar. That a sitting government can so matter of factly say that they prac-tice victimization and tribalism as offi cial policy and there is little or no reaction from the folks who are suppose to be the greatest of “dem-ocrats,” well it must by that they support this injustice. In an already inequitable soci-ety, it is disheartening to watch previous victims of similar injus-

tice stand by with arms folded and seem to enjoy the same being done to others. The fact is that the UDP has al-ways practiced discrimination against and the victimization of media outlets it considers to be in opposition to them. Former enemy now turned ally KREMANDALA, for example, during the 1993-1998 Esquivel administration had to endure an announced boycott, the withholding of their license, and an attempt to bring down their transmission tower, presumably by partisans. The war declared by Kremanda-la and Dean Barrow against Lord Michael Ashcroft is destroying Belize. It is not a proxy war and the nation of Belize is suffering real collateral damage, politically, economically and socially. Both Evan Hyde and Dean Bar-row have made it clear that if you are not their ally then you are their enemy, and that justifi es anything they choose to do to you. All is fair, their words and deeds now say, in their war, and there is no room for fence sitting and by standing. If you are not with me, then you are against me, and if you are against me I am justifi ed in anything that is done to you in the name of trying to defeat my enemy. For them defeating Ashcroft is far more important than eradicat-ing traffi cking, under-develop-ment, poverty, pestilence, crime and violence, marginalization, and our psychotic mindset, or preserv-ing our heretofore cherished dem-ocratic traditions and processes. Instinctually, to use one of Jules’ words, I think this latest declara-tion of yet another front in the war tells me that Barrow is preparing to go all in, that he is prepared to put it all on the table, perhaps because so far Ashcroft has just absorbed it all, and like an opponent skilled a judo, turned it back on him. It is clear to me at least, that Bar-row’s attempts to ruin Ashcroft economically in Belize, is being used to ruin Belize economically. His attempts to damage Ashcroft diplomatically and politically, is damaging Barrow/Belize instead. Even his legal machinations are back-fi ring. Every time he closes Belize’s jurisdiction to Ashcroft, he moves Belize one step closer to pariah status in other jurisdictions. There’s only the violence card left, and to play that Barrow has to shut down those parts of the media that may oppose or get the word out. There will be hell to pay.

APPLICATIONS FOR LIQUOR LICENSESNotice is hereby given that Paulino Villalobo is applying for a PUBLI-CAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at BAR Villalobo, Cow Pen, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LI-CENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Marva Martinez is applying for a RESTAU-RANT LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Innies Restaurant, Hopkins Village, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LI-CENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Victoriano Shal is applying for a PUBLICAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Indio BAR, Santa Rosa Village, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LI-CENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Consuelo Guzman is applying for a PUBLI-CAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Whispering Pines Restaurant & Bar, Silk Grass Village, Stann Creek District under the IN-TOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Yong Ging Chan is applying for a SHOP LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Yong Ging Chan Chinese Store, Dangriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LI-CENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Siu Pan Cheng is applying for a SHOP LI-QUOR LICENSE to be operated at S.P Cheng Store, Dandriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDI-NANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Wen Jia Huang is applying for a SHOP LI-QUOR LICENSE to be operated at KALIN STORE, Dangriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDI-NANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Guo An Cheng is applying for a MALT & CIDER LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at UNCLE WILL”s Fast Food, Dangriga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LI-CENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Victor Enriquez is applying for a MALT & CIDER LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Ana-Vic Kitchen, Dangriga Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Alfredo Quib is applying for a PUBLICAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Aldana’s BAR, Trio Vil-lage, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENS-ING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Genovevo Peck is applying for a RESTAU-RANT & BAR LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Tzimin Cha-ac Res-taurant & Bar, Silk Grass Village, Stann Creek District under the INTOXI-CATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Angel M. Sabal is applying for a PUBLICAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Sabal Liquor Store, Dan-groga, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LI-CENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Maria de Jesus Garcia is applying for a PUB-LICAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Las Vegas Bar, Middlesex Village, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LI-QUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Siomara Jaquelin is applying for a RESTAU-RANT LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Siomara’s Restaurant, Hop-kins, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENS-ING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Hermelinda Canti is applying for a MALT & CIDER IQUOR LICENSE to be operated at TUCILNA Cool Spot, San Roman Village, DANGRIGA, Stann Creek District under the INTOXI-CATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Javier Bejerano is applying for a CLUB LI-QUOR LICENSE to be operated at Di Gala Nite Club, Cow Pen Village, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.Notice is hereby given that Teresita Valentine is applying for a PUB-LICAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Pelican Beach Resort, Scotchman Town, DANGRIGA, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edi-tion 1980.Notice is hereby given that Teresita Valentine is applying for a PUBLI-CAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE to be operated at Pelican Beach Re-sort, South Water Caye, Stann Creek District under the INTOXICATING LIQUOR LICENSING ORDINANCE, Revised Edition 1980.

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December 12th , 2010 Page 17

Government Administered Like a Petty ShopBy Rhenae NunezIt is appalling to me that no one else seems to have taken issue with the shoddy way that the Barrow adminis-tration has been conducting the peo-ple’s business. For weeks I have been frequenting the web sites of the Cen-tral Bank of Belize and the Statisti-cal Institute of Belize only to fi nd the same old outdated reports. It’s as if the economy of Belize suddenly stopped and we are frozen in time and space - neither of these two institutions has been keeping the people abreast of what is happening. Ironically the same Barrow administration is taking issue with Channel 5 and Great Be-lize Productions for similar reasons - but that is a circus that I will deal with at another time. I am sure one of my colleagues in the National Perspec-tive will take that one up.Is it any wonder then that government is dysfunctional and therefore unable to fulfi ll their constitutional duties to the people Belize? I am not sure when we slackened off on keeping proper records and reporting to the people on a timely basis. One thing I do know is that government cannot and should not be run this manner, especially in this day and age. The former Musa administration developed websites for vital ministries and departments so the people could have access to information - the UDP has either ig-nored some of those sites or shut them down or replaced them with their own propaganda. It has been nine months since the 2010 census was launched in Febru-ary and seven months since Census Day in May - it begs the question: why hasn’t the census been completed and the results disseminated to the general population? I have contacted my col-leagues in the media to get them to probe into this matter and bring it to light but alas - there hasn’t been an iota of interest to do so because they would be exposing or embarrassing their beloved government or it did not suit their agenda.On a political level this works for the Barrow administration which is good at propagandizing just about ev-erything. But this is not politics or at least, it should not be. The availability of proper reliable information is vital to our economy and should be to the government but obviously this does not matter to the Barrow administra-tion. Needless to mention, it fl ies in the face of what Barrow and the UDP promised during their campaign - that they will deliver good governance and accountability. We are yet to see some semblance of that implemented. I am perturbed by the government’s negligence and the fact that no one cares. There is a lot riding on govern-ment’s inability or unwillingness to keep records and report to the people. First it is a departure from what the UDP promised in their unctuous cam-paign. We now know that that was only what makes green grass grow in Texas. We have allowed Barrow to bullshit us for too long. This is not how busi-ness should be conducted, with infor-

mation being disseminated to a cho-sen few of their stooges in the media and kept on the esoteric plane away from the people or certain media be-ing targeted as enemies of the admin-istration and sanctioned for it. What the hell? Having had enough practice, Barrow rattles about the state of the American economy and on the implications for Belize. Barrow has not come up with one strategy to grow the Belizean economy that will provide opportu-nities for all Belizeans instead he is dependent on the performance of the American economy and remittances. Ironically Barrow relied on data for his Independence Day speech. He went out of his way to say in is usual snide manner that he did not know “where some people get their infor-mation from”. What a treat our Prime Minister is. He reminds me of George Bush Jr. LOL!Barrow said that, “The data shows that we have been remarkably resil-ient in the circumstances. The Statis-tical Institute of Belize (SIB) recently confi rmed that for the fi rst half of 2010 our economy grew by 2.4%. Tourism, in particular, is up, with ho-tel revenue for April to August 2010 increasing by 8.39% over the same period last year. Bananas and citrus are doing well, and construction, en-ergy generation and petroleum pro-duction are all robust.” The SIB said, “The tourism indus-try, weakened in same period last year by the global downturn, con-tinued to recover during the period. While tourist arrivals registered a marginal decline of 0.8%, cruise ship passengers increased by 8.8% to 152,344. This coupled with a 5.7% hike in hotel room revenue led to an overall increase of 4.2% in the Hotels and Restaurant sector.”Whether it was a genuine mistake or the PM’s penchant to exaggerate is anyone’s guess. I believe the latter. The report which I believe the PM referred to was the Latest Gross Do-mestic Product statistics which was posted by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) on September 9, 2010. The SIB also claimed that there was a 16.1% increase (GDP) recorded in the second quarter of this year and that it was “the highest in ten years.” This was attributed “mainly to the 2010 Population and Housing Census and other government related activi-ties.” The very census that is yet to be completed! On my last visit to the website which was this morning, I found only the same “Press Release” announcing the launch of the Census in February, a speech by John Saldivar, Census job applications and Census job descrip-tions, all posted in February of this year. No Census report! Shame! As for Barrow’s claims on Indepen-dence Day on the performance of other sectors of the economy - I don’t know where he got his information from. “Even aquaculture is on the rebound,” he declared, “and non-traditional exports are experiencing their own great leap forward: Black

eye peas were shipped, mostly to Caricom, in the amount of almost 6 million pounds during the fi rst half of this year; Rk beans production is es-timated at 16 million pounds; papaya exports had already earned 13.6 mil-lion dollars from 35 million pounds in July; yellow corn to Guatemala will total around 50 million pounds for the year; and corn meal now represents a new export commodity for Belize with 500 thousand pounds having al-ready been sent to Jamaica. “This begins a process that should see us reach 20 million pounds over the next twelve months. Perhaps most important of all, I am pleased to an-nounce that Mexico has now cleared the way for the export of Belizean cattle to begin, with an initial 3 thou-sand head destined almost immedi-ately to go overland to our neighbour and friend.

“The thesis I am trying to propound, ladies and gentlemen, is that these advances of ours despite the global crisis, came as a result not so much of luck as of pluck. Pluck involving a creative and resourceful productive sector; and a government determined to enable the economy by increased investment spending, plus conces-sions, incentives and access to credit for the national drivers of growth and development.”This, I humbly submit, is a bunch of piffl e. It goes back to my issue this week - none of what the PM claimed is refl ected anywhere in our national database therefore I can only treat it as propaganda and neither you, me or any potential investors can invest hard-earned money on that. We need information and it is time Barrow and company stopped playing with it.

Where is ‘Belize’s Economy’ heading?By: Anony,ous II

This is a very simple question but no answer will refl ect whether the people are ready for the dynamics of enlightened development by rationale, criti-cal thinking devoted to execution of well thought out economic plans; or whether they will continue to accept the status-quo of obfuscating rehashed, inept, dead-end, manipulative policies or lack thereof since obtaining Inde-pendence thirty years ago. For example, what have elected representatives of the past governments respectively, inclusive of the present, have accomplished to protect the Be-lizean population from economic, religious, political and judicial preda-tors? What have the successive governments done in their constitutional duty and function, inasmuch as the people pay a heavy taxation for this, to improve the quantities and qualitative degree of life, or the true, effective per capita income and aesthetics of life for them? In-depth of scientifi c, economic analysis of data gathered and analysed show that the people continue to be oppressed, their human civil rights diminished, and all kinds of economic and business opportunities have denied them so that they cannot compete neither on the domestic nor the global markets because this government has failed to provide the required necessary ambience obviating the need for government bail-outs such as the recent BTL and BSI bail-outs.Belize has such a tiny economy and any consistent lack of foresight or incompetence by any government could lead to adverse political unproduc-tive penetration of the economy because these so-called politicians will expect their “marker” to be paid back by the next election season.But how about the local Caribbean banks who are in the business of lending money to our local home grown businesses? They are too scared of govern-ment dictated policies to make available the necessary funds for true, mean-ingful development especially since they will be competing against those dictates of hidden agendas. Secondly, those banks qualifying criteria is so insidiously high that no one can honestly qualify for their unacceptable high interest rates and their piranha like appetite for more collaterals and additional guarantors as opposed to making loans based on the effi cient market. This does not mean for Central Bank to make additional restrictive rules and procedures because we already have a surfeit of this. The time has come to implement economic programs to improve, grow, and expand the local economy. This could be achieved by: 1.) Getting rid of government redundancy, 2.) Reduce or eliminate taxes such as Customs duties, fuel taxes, prohibition of government tax and fi scal exemptions for both foreign and domestic business ventures. Economically, if businesses are not viable from the get –go, then those entrepreneurs must not waste their money and government should not encourage nor propagate a culture of waste of limited resources, 3.) Reduce Income Tax based on the concept of progressive taxation as opposed to the ridiculous $26,000 ceiling being glorifi ed like manna by the economic ignoramus gurus because there are only a few making that sum and even those making $26,000 per year are still in poverty because 95% of their wages goes to Social Security, indirect taxes such as General Sales Tax and Value Added Tax , Property Taxes and Gross Revenue Taxes passed on by businesses et al. So I wish those idiots espousing this nonsen-sical idea think they can fool us. 4.) Start collecting a bigger more equitable share of the oil revenues to off-set all taxes and provide paid up education from infant to university lev-els. 5.) Before I forget, taxes on gross revenues are stupid and undermine your self-government, your intelligence and rationality, your acceptance of capitalistic democracy and the generally accepted accounting, fi nancing and auditing principals as well. Next week I will explain how Caricom has failed, The European Union is looking for ways to re-invent itself to face dissolution.

December 12th , 2010Page 18 December 12th , 2010

BirthsBreanne Janeth to Ariel Ismael and Osiris Yackeline Ysaguirre nee MurilloSunshine Sabina to Edwardo Frank and Geraldine Valerie Robinson nee KellyZamir Elias to Jean Fitzgerald and Christine Elizabeth Conserve nee FlowersDestiny La-Shaah to Leonel Lincoln and Tiffarah Robinson nee Beeks

MarriagesJimmy Braun to Elisabeth Wiebe both of Spanish Lookout, CayoAbram Thiessen to Justina Niekoley both of Spanish Lookout, CayoMarcotulio Eck to Rosa Marlenie Ramos both of Santa Familia, CayoAlex Adrian Burgos to Rixa Melani Juares both of San Pedro, Amber-gris CayeHubert Alexander Neal to Sheradale Corinth Ysaguirre both of Hat-tieville, BelizeAdam Joseph Courtney to Kristi Lynn Schulz both of Kansas, USASalvador Antonio Carcamo to Bruni Esmeralda Velis both of San Ignacio, CayoArcelito Manzanero to Maila Dina Gomez both of San Ignacio, CayoCarlos Moguel Carrillo to Calrita Sam both of San Ignacio, CayoJose Angel Clara to Loida Eunice Cifuentes both of San Ignacio, CayoElmer Canto to Alicia Tzib both of Bullet Tree Falls, CayoMario Cesar Graniel to Katherine Ann Moxley both of San Pedro, Ambergris CayeEleazar Antonio Dena to Rina Lizzeth Coto castro both of San Pedro, Ambergris CayeJustin Jeremy Goff of Double Head Cabbage, Belize to Sarah Victoria Schrock of Isabella Bank, BelizeAlbert Dionicio Nolberto to Rosalind Margaret Martinez both of Punta Gorda, ToledoMario Galvez to Kimberly Camella Semplis both of Ladyville, BelizeRobert Junior Henry to Mary Gabriela Saballos Bell both of Belize CityThomas Brack Honeycutt Jr. to Allison McKenzie Frasher both of Maryland, USACarnese Darrell Jackson to Rebecca Ann Rodkin both of Georgia, USAEdison Pop to Nancy Ramirez both of Silver Creek, ToledoGuido Hector Mar to Kelly Lissette Ortega Bonilla both of Santa Elena, CayoRicardo Mayen to Angelica Griselda Hernandez both of Guinea Grass, Orange WalkRobert Earl Nygard to Peri Rogers both of California, USABrian Joseph Schadhauser to Monique Dawn Chretien both of Mas-sachusetts, USAJimmy Nephtali Gongora to Carla Yolanda Lisbey both of Santa Elena, CayoIsak Acal to Delfi lia Dora Cal both of Valley of Peace, CayoChristopher Blane Bechard to heather Dawn Dominguez both of Colo-rado, USAFiliberto Che of Cristo Rey, Corozal to Irene Cobarubia of San Ro-man, CorozalSelvin Grijalva to Edalmi Belinda Romero both of Ontario, CayoJuan Carlos Gonzalez of San Ignacio, Cayo to Rae Elizabeth Jonae Young of Santa Elena, CayoDennis Rodney Tun to Cindy Teresita Cano both of Santa Familia, CayoJohn Anthony August of Santa Elena, Cayo to Josephine Maria Juan of San Lorenzo Farm, CayoOrlando Antonio Garcia to Maura Maritza Montepeque both of San Ignacio, CayoNorberto Garcia to Patricia Molina both of El Progresso, CayoGregorio Pop Coc to Susanna Acal both of Graham Creek, ToledoTheodore James Lennan to Josephine Fermina Segura both of Santa Elena, Cayo

DeathsGianni Marie Flores, 14Khalil Juwan Burgess, 14Denbigh Sanker, 56Russell Allan Anderson, 57Leroy Lawrence Franklin, 58John Lewis, 81

Aries-Monday morning may fi nd you raring to go, but beware: Your enthusiasm may cross a certain line at the beginning of the week. Yes, you want what you want, but don’t forget the golden rule when you’re going about getting it. Around Thursday and Friday, your vi-sion is clear, whether it’s work-related or personal -- putting together a plan for the future is a terrifi c idea. However, when the weekend comes, you may want to get a little rest and do some relaxing. Taurus- Have your agenda in order as the week begins, and take care of the little things effi ciently. Then you can apply some major brainpower to achieving a high level of understanding. Around Wednesday, you’re thinking long term, but another party may be rather short-sighted. Educate them about the pertinent issues rather than just pushing your point of view. Shared goals are good goals -- get on the same page and do some speed-reading. Sunday brings an opportunity to do some in-depth research. Gemini-Be ready for some extremes right off the bat this week. Think fast, and think in a different way -- by the afternoon and through the fi rst few days this week, you’ll have to push hard and try unique ways to gain understanding. Shedding light isn’t necessarily easy now, but it’s worth it; by Thursday and Friday, a whole new vista can open up to you, giving you all sorts of ideas about your life path. Resist the urge to tell all, at least for the moment. Remember: Timing is truly everything.

Cancer-Appearances count as the week begins. Looking extra spiffy and showing you’re on it with words and body language signals success to those around (and above) you. Around Wednes-day, rather than getting caught up in workplace drama, be the lev-el-headed, neutral one. Your energy’s up but your concentration may be only middling. Take frequent breaks, take a quick walk, meditate -or take time off. Keep prior experience and lessons of the past front-of-mind. Leo-Approach a new situation with humility as the week begins. Being ready to learn -- and being enthused about doing so -- is much better than trying to fake it. Around Wednesday, the fi rst way you try may not be the best way. Be ready to make refi nements to strategies or fi nd new ones altogether. Agility’s everything. Postpone fi nancial dealings if at all possible; if they must go through, get another set of eyes on them early and often. Sunday brings an interesting new theory your way.

Virgo-You’re likely in ‘hurry up and wait’ mode this week, and setting your alarm early won’t necessarily help. Throughout the week, some can-do en-ergy will come your way -- work’s likely fun now, and romance may even rev up. For best results, fl ex your creative muscle. Your willingness to try new things and test new ideas and attitudes shows the universe you’re ready for what it has to offer. Resist the urge to judge now and through the weekend -- there’s far more to what you see than initially meets the eye. Libra-You’re an ace with communication so get through that brimming inbox. By later in the afternoon and for the next day or two, you may be grappling with some old business, whether at work or personally. Get some help putting it to rest from a friend, mentor or whoever’s appropri-ate? You’ve got a knack for understanding others -- and generating heat, if you like! Big plans may hit snags this weekend, so tackle some smaller projects and enjoy the little things -- a talk with a friend, a walk, a nap. Scorpio-You can bring about a real meeting of the minds this week. Apply yourself to connecting the right people and you’ll move mountains. Be ready for a changeup in strategy or circumstances. If you can respond with agility, you can turn the shifting situation to your advantage. Fit in a brain-storming session when you’ve got the creative bandwidth to fi nd unusually elegant solutions and come up with innovative new concepts too. Sunday brings an opportunity to give back; take it, for your work karma’s sake. Sagittarius-Hop out of bed on the right side of the bed on Monday morn-ing, and let the cosmic energy kick-start your week. Your frankness earns you respect and appreciation. Look at things objectively for the best re-sults. You love fresh ideas, learning new skills and connecting with differ-ent people around Thursday and Friday, which is an excellent headspace for both your work and personal life. This weekend warn those around you that you may be a bit absentminded -- and try not to lose your keys. Capricorn-Monday morning may bring a mishap (or two), but keep your chin up and keep going -- by later in the day (and through the next couple of days), the energy shifts in your favour. What would you like to accomplish now -- at work, at home and in romance? Choose an objec-tive and take it by storm. Give your mind some space to explore, and you might just develop a fresh, innovative vision. Seek out something that inspires you, which might include some music or art this weekend. Aquarius-Your mind’s in a fruitful place on Monday morning; you might have several great ideas before you even brush your teeth. Take some notes, because by the afternoon and over the next day or so, you’re occupied with keeping up with your busy life. You’re a force to be reckoned with if the stars have their say. Smart, sexy and (of course) putting your own spin on every situation -- that’s you. Pisces-Monday morning may fi nd you prone to saying things you haven’t quite thought through, making for an interesting start to the week. But over the next couple of days, you’ll fi nd help when you need it -- and likewise, those around you can count on your care, compassion and excellent tim-ing. If you’ve been wishing for something different, it’s timely to focus .

December 12th , 2010 Page 19

HEAlTHY LIVINGWhat is Asthma?What Is Asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease of the airways that makes breathing diffi -cult. With asthma, there is infl am-mation of the air passages that re-sults in a temporary narrowing of the airways that carry oxygen to the lungs. This results in asthma symp-toms, including coughing, wheez-ing, shortness of breath, and chest tightness. Some people refer to asth-ma as “bronchial asthma.”Even though there are seemingly miraculous treatments for asthma symptoms, asthma is still a serious -- even dangerous -- disease that af-fects more than 22 million Ameri-cans and causes nearly 2 million emergency room visits ever year. With proper asthma treatment, you can live well with this condition. Yet inadequate asthma treatment limits the ability to exercise and be active. Poorly controlled asthma can lead to multiple visits to the emergency room and even hospital admission, which can affect your performance at home and work.In each of the following sections, there are in-depth articles that link to the topics. Be sure to read each health topic so you have a greater understanding of asthma and how it is diagnosed and treated. There are three major features of asthma:1. Airway obstruction. During nor-mal breathing, the bands of muscle that surround the airways are re-laxed, and air moves freely. But in people with asthma, allergy-causing substances and environmental trig-gers make the bands of muscle sur-rounding the airways tighten, and air cannot move freely. Less air causes a person to feel short of breath, and the air moving through the tightened airways causes a whistling sound known as wheezing.2. Infl ammation. People with asth-ma have red and swollen bronchial tubes. This infl ammation is thought to contribute greatly to the long-term damage that asthma can cause to the lungs. And, therefore, treating this infl ammation is key to manag-ing asthma in the long run.3. Airway irritability. The airways of people with asthma are extremely sensitive. The airways tend to over-react and narrow due to even the slightest triggers such as pollen, ani-mal dander, dust, or fumes.Adult-Onset AsthmaAsthma affects 22 million Ameri-cans. Asthma may occur at any age, although it’s more common in younger individuals (under age 40).People who have a family history of asthma have an increased risk of de-veloping the disease. Allergies and asthma often occur together. Smok-

ing with asthma, a dangerous com-bination, is still seen commonly.However, anyone can develop asthma at any time, and adult-onset asthma happens frequently. If you have symptoms of asthma, talk to your doctor. If you have adult-onset asthma, your doctor will instruct you in using the asthma inhalers and other asthma medications to prevent further breathing problems.Asthma in ChildrenAsthma is increasingly prevalent among children. Nearly one in 10 American children now has asthma, a sharp rise that still has scientists searching for a cause. An estimat-ed 6.5 million children under age 18 (8.9%) are now diagnosed with the disease. The rate of childhood asthma has more than doubled since 1980, according to the CDC. Asthma symptoms can vary from episode to episode in the same child. Signs and symptoms of asthma to look for in-clude: A) Frequent coughing spells, which may occur during play, at nighttime, or while laughing. It’s important to know that coughing with asthma may be the only symp-tom present. B) Less energy during play C) Rapid breathing D) Com-plaint of chest E) tightness or chest “hurting” F) Whistling sound when breathing in or out. This whistling sound is called wheezing. G) See-saw motions in the chest from la-

bored breathing. These motions are called retractions. H) Shortness of breath, loss of breath I) Tightened neck and chest muscles J) Feelings of weakness or tirednessAsthma Causes and TriggersPeople with asthma have very sen-sitive airways that react to many different things in the environment called “asthma triggers.” Contact with these triggers cause asthma symptoms to start or worsen. The following are common triggers for asthma: 1) Infections such as si-nusitis, colds, and fl u 2) Allergens such as pollens, mold spores, pet dander, and dust mites 3) Irritants such as strong odors from perfumes or cleaning solutions, and air pollu-tion 4) Tobacco smoke 5) Exercise, called exercise-induced asthma 6) Weather; changes in temperature and/or humidity, cold air 7) Strong emotions such as anxiety, laughter or crying, stress 8) Medications, such as aspirin-sensitive asthma.Asthma AttackAn asthma attack is a sudden wors-ening of symptoms. With an asthma attack, your airways tighten, swell up, or fi ll with mucus. Common symptoms include: A) Coughing, especially at night B) Wheezing (a high-pitched whistling sound when breathing out) C) Shortness of breath D) Chest tightness, pain, or pressure

Not every person with asthma has the same symptoms of an asthma at-tack. You may not have all of these symptoms, or you may have dif-ferent symptoms at different times. Your symptoms may also vary from one asthma attack to the next, being mild during one attack and severe during another. Status Asthmaticus (Severe Asth-ma Attacks)Prolonged asthma attacks that do not respond to treatment with bron-chodilators are a medical emergen-cy. Doctors call these severe attacks “status asthmaticus” and they re-quire immediate emergency care.Asthma Diagnosis and TreatmentIf you suspect that you have asthma, see your asthma specialist. He or she can examine you and run tests for asthma to determine if you have it.If an asthma diagnosis is made, there are many asthma treatments avail-able to make you feel better and im-prove the underlying problems that caused the asthma.Symptoms & TypesShare this: Can you recognize the many common -- and uncommon -- symptoms of asthma? Without a good understanding of the different asthma symptoms and the various types of asthma, it’s diffi cult to treat this condition with medications and breathe easier. Learn more and pre-vent asthma attacks. SymptomsDo you have to wheeze in order to have asthma? Not at all! Sometimes asthma symptoms in-clude sighing, fatigue, and rapid breathing, not coughing or wheez-ing. Learn more about unusual asth-ma symptoms so you know when to use treatment.Health Check: Assess Your Lung Health Are your symptoms asthma or potentially another lung condi-tion? Take the WebMD Lung Health Check.TypesDo you know about the different types of asthma? Allergic Asthma Do allergies make you cough, wheeze, and sneeze? Read more about allergic asthma, so you can prevent these symptoms.Exercise-Induced Asthma Exercise-induced asthma can make physical activity diffi cult, even frightening. Find out about pretreat-ment with exercise-induced asthma, and learn how you can be active again. Cough-Variant Asthma Do you suffer from frequent coughs? You may have asthma. Read about cough-variant asthma and how it is treated.

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