Politics

Disenfranchisement in Belize-Suppressed Right to Vote in a Duplicitous Democracy by: Jessica Habet

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Jessica Habet

Jessica Habet

Canadians who lived abroad for more than five years were once unable to vote in federal elections. A recent Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) decision explained why the law disenfranchising these Canadians was unconstitutional. This post is to add to the discussion regarding Belizeans abroad and their ability to vote in the upcoming referendum on whether we should take the Belize-Guatemala dispute to the International Court of Justice (“ICJ referendum”).

Belizeans who would like to vote in the ICJ referendum must reside in Belize for at least two months. This residency requirement disqualifies many in the diaspora who would like to participate in the referendum.

The right to vote is a core and fundamental feature of any democracy. The right of citizens to take part in the government of their country is so important, it is included in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

In deciding that the residency requirement was unconstitutional, Canada’s Chief Justice shared the story of Canada’s progressive enfranchisement. The right to vote was once restricted to property-owning men aged 21 or older. Women, racial minorities, individuals formerly described as having a “mental disease”, penitentiary inmates, Canadians abroad in service of Canada’s armed forces and public administration were all once excluded but now have the right to vote. Civic participation, he explained, is fundamentally important to the health of a free and democratic society.

“Residency” was the last restriction on the right to vote. The SCC analyzed the role of residence in Canada’s electoral system. The residency requirement emerged when citizens were generally unable to travel as easily and extensively as they do today and tended to spend their lives in one community. At that time, the right to vote was linked to the ownership of land, and only male property owners could vote. The requirement was designed, in part, to prevent “plural voting” where a person who owned property in several electoral divisions could cast a vote in each of them.

Cue globalization and feminism. Today, the right to vote is no longer limited to male property owners. And as the Chief Justice wrote, “…citizenship, not residency, defines our political community and underpins the right to vote.”

Historically, Belizeans who “go da farin” continue to support their families at home. They move for more economic opportunity and often contribute to the economy of Belize. This trend is not isolated to Belizeans. In fact, migrants from Latin America and the Caribbean sent records amount of money to their home countries in 2016, when remittance flows around the world decreased. The contribution of the Belizean diaspora to the Belizean economy is not to be dismissed.

The government via the Attorney General of Canada argued that it would be unfair to allow non-residents to vote – it would be unfair if those who are largely unaffected (non-residents) participated in decisions that would affect others (residents). But the SCC found that the evidence provided showed that such an impact would likely be negligible. When you seek to limit a fundamental human right, the basis for doing so must be reasonably justified, rational and no more than is necessary to accomplish the objective.

What evidence does the Government of Belize have before it to suggest that allowing the Belizean diaspora to vote would result in unfairness to resident voters in the upcoming referendum?

Civic participation is crucial to any democracy. GOB is asking its citizens to partake in direct democracy in the ICJ referendum while at the same time imposing arbitrary barriers upon its citizens living abroad. That is a duplicitous democracy.

Frank v Canada, 2019 SCC 1, available online at:  https://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-
csc/en/item/17446/index.do 

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/23/migrants-from-latin-america-and-the-caribbean-sent-a-record-amount-of-money-to-their-home-countries-in-2016/

 

Editor’s Note : 

Voting from abroad is now possible for Diaspora communities from 115 home countries. Of these, 28 come from home countries in Africa; 16 in the Americas; 20 in Asia; 41 in Western, Central and Eastern Europe; and 10 in the Pacific. Provisions for voting by Diaspora communities have been adopted by five additional countries, but rules and voting methods have not yet been decided. 

Countries use five different methods of voting for their Diaspora members today.
Voting in Person: Diaspora members from 79 countries can vote in person.
Voting by Post: Diaspora members from 47 countries can vote by postal ballot.
Voting by Proxy: Diaspora members from 16 countries can vote by proxy.
Voting by Fax: Diaspora members from 2 countries (Australia and New Zealand) can vote by fax. Voting by the Internet: Diaspora members from 2 countries (Estonia and the Netherlands) have been able to vote by the Internet so far. (Note: American Diaspora members of Democrats Abroad were also able to vote in the 2008 overseas primary election by Internet and 48% of the total DA primary votes were cast this way).

https://www.overseasvotefoundation.org/files/The_History_and_Politics_of_Diaspora_Voting.pdf

 

THE REFERENDUM – LET ALL THE BELIZEANS VOTE by: Eamon Courtenay SC

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Article first appeared in the Amandala August 3, 2018 and reprinted with the permission of Eamon Courtenay SC. 

THE REFERENDUM – LET ALL THE BELIZEANS VOTE

Eamon-H-Courtenay

Eamon Courtenay SC

 

The Government has set 10 April 2019 as the date on which Belizeans, in referendum, will decide whether to submit the claim by Guatemala to Belizean territory to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). According to the media, the much heralded education campaign that must precede the referendum was “launched” at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 5th July 2018. The Government of the United States of America donated US$250,000 to the education campaign through the United Nations Development Fund. We now wait to see the details of the education campaign.

On 1st July, the long-delayed re-registration exercise started. By this process all Belizeans eighteen years and older, will be eligible to register in the constituency where they have resided for at least two months. The primary purpose of this exercise is to cleanse the voters list. It is designed to ensure that only those Belizeans who actually reside in a constituency or municipality vote to elect members of the House of Representatives, and mayors and councilors in municipalities. Re-registration should also give an accurate representation of where voters are living. The result will inform any re-districting that needs to take place so that each constituency “shall have as nearly as may be an equal number of persons eligible to vote”. That is what the Constitution requires, and that is what should be done.

There is the very serious issue regarding the Guatemalans who currently purport to hold Belizean nationality, who are apparently being allowed to participate in the reregistration exercise. They should not be registered, but I do not intend to discuss that issue now. Suffice it to say that a new register of electors populated with unqualified persons is likely to vitiate referenda and elections that are based on such an impaired register.

Once the re-registration is completed, the new register of electors will be promulgated. It will be used for the referendum to decide whether to submit the claim by Guatemala to the ICJ. According to the Referendum Act, only persons who are eligible to vote in general elections will be entitled to vote in the ICJ referendum. Importantly, this will include non-Belizean Commonwealth citizens who are on the new register. However, Belizeans who do not reside in Belize are not eligible to register, or re-register because they will not be able to prove residence in any constituency for two months.

So, Guatemalans who have not formally renounced their Guatemalan nationality, but who have obtained Belizean nationality, and Commonwealth citizens on the register will all be allowed to vote in the referendum. But Belizeans living abroad (even with a valid Belizean passport) will not be able to vote in the referendum because they do not qualify for registration. This is fundamentally wrong. It is unfair.

I believe that all Belizeans eighteen years and older, wherever resident, should be allowed to vote in the ICJ referendum. The question whether or not to submit the Guatemalan Claim to the ICJ is the single most important decision we face, collectively, since the decision to go to independence in 1981. Regardless of the ultimate decision taken in this historic referendum, all Belizeans will have to live with the result. So all Belizean adults should have a say by their vote.

Belizeans living in the United States of America should be allowed to file their requests for registration at the Embassy in Washington DC, the Mission in New York or consulates around the United States. Similarly, the High Commission in London, and all other Belizean embassies should receive applications for registration from Belizeans living abroad. Additionally, there should be a website that enables Belizeans living abroad to file electronic applications for registration. Every effort should be made to encourage and facilitate registration by Belizeans in the diaspora so that they can participate in this momentous decision. Unless this is done the upcoming road-show by two Ambassadors will be rather insulting.

As to voting, Belizeans abroad should be permitted to vote electronically or by attendance at embassies and consulates. Belize has the capacity to enable transparent, secret and verifiable electronic voting. I feel confident that there are patriotic Belizeans who would volunteer their expertise and resources to make this happen, if required. But the fact is, it is the sacred duty of the Government to make this a reality.

Details of the education campaign have not yet been made public. Those designing it should include a component that caters to Belizeans abroad, to inform and educate them on all aspects of the issue before the referendum. Perhaps the US$250,000 donated by the USA can be used to put in place the arrangements necessary to achieve this objective and to support a far reaching and multi-faceted education campaign for ALL Belizeans.

To be clear, I am not proposing that Belizeans living abroad should be allowed to register to vote in general or municipal elections. That is a wholly different issue that requires different considerations. Those Belizeans who reside abroad should not appear as electors on the new register of electors.

I do strongly propose however, that the Referendum Act and the Representation of People Act should be amended to create a Register for Referenda, which will exist alongside the Register of Electors used for general and municipal elections. The former register would be used for the ICJ Referendum and would include all Belizeans regardless of where they are resident and would be used in national referenda such as the ICJ referendum.

Time is not our enemy. If arrangements required for a truly Belizean referendum to be held, cannot be put in place expeditiously, then referendum day – 10 April 2019 – should be vacated. There is no magic to that date. It is more important to get this right.

The ICJ referendum is a national issue, not a political issue. It is an existential issue that will define our existence as a nation state, and affect our relations with our neighbor Guatemala. All Belizeans should have a say in that singular decision

We Got Net (W.G.N.) written by: Jose Sanchez

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 A thoughtful, historical and analytical piece examining Belize’s cultural evolution and media.  Aria Lightfoot

Jose Sanchez 

We Got Net (W.G.N.) by: Jose Sanchez 
Reprinted with the permission of Jose Sanchez 
A young man from British Honduras, Ludwig Lightburn walked into Madison Square Garden and stood up to a goliath in the boxing world, the number 2 lightweight contender Ralph Dupas. While the Garden felt each solid blow, and the fight was one of the first televised, they could only be heard by a few radios in the Central American nation. Neighbors gathered around and listened as Lightburn punched his way to victory. It was 1955, almost 3 decades later video would kill the radio stars and television would reach British Honduras.
 Just like your fathers the Baymen, valiant and bold, Arthur and Marie Hoare had no idea that their business idea would change the landscape forever. They weren’t looking for timber, but the rooftop antennas connected to the tube would not only bring entertainment, but their Channel 9 would provide a compass for thousands to follow and would change lives and culture for Belizeans to this day. The television signal stretched all the way to Wrigley field, all the way to that box where Harry Carey sang “take me out to the ball game…” for the Cubs. Initially, Chicago’s WGN would be the only station we would be able to see and not only did we watch them lose because of the curse of the goat, we would love these losers as if we were residents of Chicago too. You could always know when the cubs were playing, you would hear people sing the song of camaraderie; you would hear the groans of a loss. The Cub games which were family events, no national events for Belize, would be the penultimate reason much like a blacksmith’s steel, which would heat, knock and forge a bond like no other seen before. Yes, there were other staples on WGN, in the mornings, kids could watch the lovable Bozo the Clown, who actually has a striking resemblance to Stephen King’s IT; “’they float, Georgie, and when you’re down here with me, you’ll float, too!”
 And like Georgie, we floated with the CUBS, not Da Bears. We did not need a Cambridge Analytica to decipher our society. We recently gained independence and would not replace British subjugation with Guatemala’s. Our goal was to remain sovereign and our window to the world was WGN, so shaping our opinions had an easy delivery system that was as direct as an injection to the bloodstream. Some smart people realized the power of the tube and antenna and invited a Cubby to Belize. Not just any cubby, but the Sarge, outfielder Gary Matthews. “I had never heard of that place, what is it called? Belize?” Cub manager Jim Frey said on February 28, 1985, when Matthews was scheduled to fly to Belize. While we consumed a diet of dollar chicken and Polar Pak Orange Juice with our cubbies, they had no clue they were the biggest phenomenon in Belize since Dutch cheese.
“They’ve got me scheduled to go out on something called Taca Airlines. I have a policy of never going on an airlines that I can’t spell,” Matthews said. “All I know is that I started to worry when they asked me to wear a bullet-proof vest in the parade. Don’t start the season without me. If I’m not back by April, you guys come and get me…When (general manager) Dallas (Green) was talking to me about this idea the other day and asked me about Belize, I thought he was talking about another player he wanted to trade for. I said to Dallas: “I don`t believe I know this guy. What position does he play?”
The Sarge would be traded, but in 1987, and Matthews’ junior would follow in his father’s footsteps and play for the Cubs from 200-2001. But by that time the antenna signal would be replaced by cable television, dial up internet would be a thing, and the movie Colors would usher in a definitive sign that Belize had gained influence from the US. I could give you 13 reasons why but just accept that the gang culture was exported to Belize as the movie, which was scripted for Chicago but shot in Los Angeles, highlighted the Crip and Blood gangs as they took root in Belize. We had more television than Americans, and only for a fraction of the price. But regulation could have occurred from the 80s or the 90s. The excuse everyone had bought into was “the market is too small” and the cost/benefit would be negligible. There was no big stick, no need for dollar diplomacy, America had not only replaced England, it colonized the minds and shaped opinions of Belizeans by simply letting Americana’s rivers flood the homes of Belizeans. That was when I realized how truly important it is to get different source materials before making judgments.
Today we can tell a lot of the opinion by which free stations we watch. If your neighbor watches Fox News regularly, you can assume they are either Republican or a Trumpster who wants to make America great again. It isn’t a coincidence that Chicago is a major hub for the diaspora.But there just isn’t enough hours in the day, you could watch whatever you wanted. The internet would change communications forever. At first the government attempted to block any voice related apps and websites to keep a revenue stream for the telecommunications company. The internet has provided more options. Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Firestick, Apple TV, Youtube and others that are competing with Network Televisions’ NBC, ABC, and CBS. The people of the world have become the pirates of the Caribbean. You can find phone apps and websites (coolkecktv, putlocker, couchtuner) that provide the same premium content made for those platforms but for free. Stranger Things have happened but the cable companies in Belize are entering the upside down while forging ahead with rates moving up from $45 to $60 monthly cable fees but with less channels. And though it will be many channels, people are already complaining that they don’t watch many of the channels because the content may not be to taste. I had to unfollow and Ghost some FB friends who did not have the Power to refrain from posting spoilers. But eventually I too made the call and bent the knee when someone in India posted GOT episodes before the HBO world premiere.
But when it comes the sports, there isn’t just baseball, there’s basketball and football and just about any sport you desire. And there are many teams. Belizeans have now laid claim to America’s basketball teams across the North American continent just as they once did with the cubs. It is all about Lebron James, right now and if he loses, there are more players and teams to choose from, right bro? Having options leads to developing taste. Belize’s primary goal, to remain sovereign did not consider the identity of the Belizean, which is why it was so easy for America to replace England. The country claims American athletes in the diaspora, though they wave the US flag. They can’t represent us at the National level in politics and they can’t vote in our ICJ referendum. But then again, that is why the internet has brought us options of enjoyment and knowledge. We need distraction from the politics, from the corruption, from the daily shit that has repeated itself in some form of the Matrix many times before. How many years have gone by since Sir Colville Young wrote about “Jonas Parker, the silver tongue talker”, the politician who wondered about how people could live in poverty in his division. It doesn’t matter which party won, don’t we always hear about the pot holed streets, and that Orange Street in Belize had a flood after a rain and whomever is in power is to blame? We are all in the sunken place with Kanye West. Get out!
That’s why Netflix exists, that’s why data is more important to Belizeans than a phone bill or a cable bill. You watch your content at the time you want on a daily basis or on the weekend in bulk if its binge worthy. We want internet and the power to decide who we will call, if and when we want to see them while we talk or send a voice message or type and decide which app we want to use. Will it be in an Instagram story? Snapchat story? FB message? Whatsapp? Heck you can put on virtual deer ears and nose to match your mannerisms in a video chat. The local television is divided into 3 categories: 1 news; 2 talk shows; and 3 entertainment. You can hear talk shows on the radio or watch them on TV live or on repeat, you can see the news live on FB or Youtube. The entertainment section is broken down into sports, karaoke, and limited programs which are seasonal typically by 10 episodes. Tastes are changing. Everyone is online, which is why the news industry has shifted online; newspapers have a webpage, FB page and are looking for opportunities to adapt. The internet has killed many printed newspapers around the world. Why read paper, when you can either watch online, or read online? Interactive stories such as the New York Times Snowfall, show how storytelling and technology can merge. Narrative writing and social marketing (not to be confused with social media marketing) have changed how content is absorbed. You can get an education online on YouTube. You can take courses, learn, and there is a feast of information suitable for every palate and at any time. In the age of Youtubers, you can speak to and communicate with a live expert on their channel. Classes can now be taken online.
Rain Drops? Drop top? Fishermen can check an app for the weather. The weather service is only bad and boujie during hurricane season. We can check an app or go online to see if weather conditions permit to go fishing at sea or to plant crops. You can use the internet and data from social media sites like Instagram and Facebook to target a specific age, sex, or region of a country. We are in an age where there is excess as well as excellent delivery systems to the brain.
Companies use influencers and experts to shape opinion prior to the release of a product in order to generate a buzz and content from trusted sources. Check out Sony Kando or Kando 2.0, as an example. However, during the last General Elections I met university students who were hired as influences and opinion shapers for youth of voting age. They did this mostly online, they met in WhatsApp group to receive their talking points and these popular people, some of whom were more noticed for their selfies and duck faces suddenly became political. They got paid and that’s an excellent illustration of technology’s use. I received a notice from Facebook that someone on my friend’s list completed the survey that would eventually send millions of data including mine to Cambridge Analytica and the data would be used to determine weaknesses or biases that would help to steer an opinion. If you liked an article about better border control, then you would have received more content on your news feed about Mexicans taking American jobs, or America needs walls. Strange that for the past few years, no one has used the power to help shape an argument of whether or not we should go to the ICJ? My bad, Guatemala did it, I saw their videos and their posts from every level. Data is not all about memes, shade and selfies, but is it Laurel or Yanny bro?
The beauty of the dilemma is that while Belizeans are being shaped, they are now in the driver’s seat to decide which content they will consume and what platform they will receive it. The Belizean identity is always in flux and how it will continue to shape is anyone’s guess. The phone companies as well as internet only companies are selling data and in some cases data with Netflix to the public. The future for cable providers can simply be in selling data or by providing original content that is not available on streaming services. To survive, they will need to hire content creators to be leaders, not followers. Everyone’s doing karaoke, radio and TV but only one can lead in that. It is possible that cable companies will be cannibalized in order for that industry to survive.
In the past, the play book meant, supporting Bowen as a Belizean entity when Caribbean and beers threatened the niche market. When Telemedia became nationalized, it too became the battle cry, “support Belizean businesses.” It worked for a while. When Albert Street started seeing loss to Chetumal and Melchor, “support Belizean businesses” once again became the anthem. The truth is there are many people employed and many families supported by jobs in this industry that did not pay content providers. Data alone wipes out the need for the two cell phone companies and all cable companies. Perhaps that is why they are all selling internet now, and of course that is why the Government is taxing it, just as fuel is being taxed. Eventually residents at our border towns will buy data from Mexico or Guatemala just as they do now with fuel. If there is a limit to salaries in this economy of the working poor, more taxes simply means people will learn to do without. The cable industry needs to create content and become competitive.
So looking back at the lesson learned from using the Cubs to unify our people, why hasn’t any budding politrician invited him to Belize yet? Does the cost of an international call or text matter to you? Does it matter if you missed the news at 6:30 pm? Does it matter that something happened Friday night and you have to wait for Monday morning talk show for an update? No. Why? W.G.N. We Gah Net.

No Justice No Peace by: Aria Lightfoot

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Aria

Aria Lightfoot

I have not written about Belize for almost a year because it was getting frustrating to see the problems and being helpless in bridging solutions. It is disheartening to know that our little Belize has no value for human life.

Murder or attempted murder is now a daily pastime in Belize. I joined a Belize WhatsApp news group and it is scary to think that people are being gunned down or stabbed daily.  Murder is so rampant that the media and police can no longer dedicate more than a few days and only to the most sensational ones. Life is meaningless that there is no pause, reflection or anger except for the meaningless condolences messages that do not translate into effective advocacy or motivate any action, not even from the victims’ families.

I feel like Belizeans are a bunch of sheep waiting and expecting to be slaughtered.  Belizeans have no concept of justice, accountability, right nor wrong. We are shallow, consumer driven with no moral compass.  God in Belize is used for present-day judgment, social tea parties, inaction and after life reward.  Belizeans seems to have lost their instinct for self-preservation, community and generational survival.

Belize has seen over 4000 citizens brutally murdered with absolutely no closure, no prosecutions and no active investigations. A surplus of psychopathic killers is getting a thrill terrorizing and murdering the citizenry.  The cancer is spreading so fast that people now feel that the police are carrying out targeted murders.  Many of the officers who are there to serve and protect are power drunk making crucial decision over citizens’ lives, death and freedom with no regard for due process or justice.

We see a system that does not adjust to offset loophole laws that make criminals walk; we see attorneys making a mockery of the criminal legal system; criminals walk away from egregious acts based on trifling technicalities; we have a DPP with job security, in place now for over a decade; and piss poor job performance of 3-5% conviction rate.  We see no solutions from the guardians of our laws because -let’s face it – we have no value for life or love of our fellow Belizeans.   We are a cold, callous, soulless people in love with brand name everything,  we love partying, we hate rules therefore actively participating in our own genocide.

Do you recall the video of the emaciated polar bear? The gut wrenching viral picture of a helpless bear on the brink of death and no solutions to solve the immediate issues of Global Warming destroying his environment?  That picture is reminiscent of Justice in Belize. We see it dying, we know what is killing justice, but we are helpless with no will to solve it.

bear-3.jpg

 

it is hard to remain focus on anyone murder because the numbers are astronomical.  We are three days into the New year and there has already been three murders. We are in a state of paralysis.  Recently Caleb shared a list with me of 33 gay men who have been murdered in Belize.  The method of murder ranges from strangulation, multiple stab wounds, shooting and physically beaten to death. The list is reflective of the savagery that has befallen our society.  Even sadder and likely because of the overwhelming murder rate, people dismiss victims of murders due to their sexual orientation, domestic relationship and gang affiliated murders. Belizeans have convinced themselves that once they stay away from the categories listed above, they will remain safe.  Sadly, we seem clueless of the high incidence of murder by hire, robbery; burglary, being an unfortunate witness, drunk driving (yes, they are murderers too).

Today I listened to the father of Fareed Ahmad express anger by calling the accused “souwa” and some people were offended by his use of words to describe the accused murderer of his son;  rather than being offended by the murder itself; rather than being offended by the perception of police involvement, rather than being offended that a young productive young man is dead; rather than being offended that the victim leaves behind young children; rather than being offended by innocent death; rather than offended that the name of the victim is being tarnished to protect the guilty.

Belizeans get offended over blue Santa Claus, beauty queen contests, Facebook posts and political tomfoolery …but no demand for Justice and no expectation of Justice. Until we purse Justice and value the life of every citizen there will be absolutely No peace.  Every single Belizean life matter and every Belizean life is at stake.

Guatemala waits for us to  complete our self-destruction….

 

 

 

Open Letter to the Prime Minister of Belize and Leader of the Opposition

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OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER OF BELIZE

AND LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

 

June 16, 2017

 

The Rt. Honorable, Dean Barrow, Prime Minister

The Honorable, Johnny Briceno, Leader of the Opposition

Belmopan, Belize

 

Dear Sirs,

 

Belizean Citizens Abroad (BCA) is an organization committed to bringing together Belizeans living abroad in a non-partisan manner. Our goal is to empower and strengthen the democracy of Belize by working with ALL Belizeans at home as well as the Government of Belize on solutions and issues of concern to the community of Belizeans living overseas. As such, we are currently advocating for the equal rights of born Belizeans with dual citizenship.

We are asking for bi-partisan support for an amendment bill to remove the discriminatory provisions in our Constitution limiting the citizenship rights of born Belizeans who gain dual nationality and to reintroduce the same amendments as section 4 and 5 of the BELIZE CONSTITUTION (SEVENTH AMENDMENT) ACT, 2009 that purported to amend Sec 58(1) and 63(1) of the Belize Constitution. These discriminatory provisions in our Constitution limit the POLITICAL rights of born Belizeans and hamper our ability to solve many of the problems that Belize face in an ever-changing globalized world.

The Constitution of Belize contradicts the idealism of equal rights and equal protection under the law by establishing underclasses of citizenship.  Furthermore, the Constitution is in contravention of the very idea of human rights.  According to the United Nations Human Rights International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights Article 25 – every citizen shall have a right to take part in the conduct of public affairs and to vote and be elected in periodic elections.

It is a travesty that foreign-born individuals who become Belizean dual citizens have more rights than born Belizeans who gain an additional citizenship.  This literally means that born Belizeans are second-class citizens in our own country.  Currently, there are thousands of born Guatemalans who have acquired Belizean citizenship enjoying more rights than born Belizeans who have acquired dual nationality.  This is so even though our Constitution bars Belizean citizenship to members of any country that claims Belize.  How can it be that despite a clear constitutional prohibition, a born Guatemalan with dual Belizean citizenship status can become Prime Minister, set policies, hold national decision-making positions determining Belize’s future, but a born Belizean with “dual citizenship” cannot?

BCA is ready and willing to work with both the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition to table a historic, bi-partisan legislation to remove sections of the Constitution that limit rights for born Belizeans. We further ask that individuals originating from any country that claims any part of Belize be prohibited from attaining Belizean citizenship with only few, if any, exceptions. BCA strongly believes that the ministerial discretion granting citizenship to members of countries that claim Belize should be restricted with much clearer and narrower guidelines.

Finally, we urge Belizeans at home and in the diaspora to contact their respective Area Representatives and encourage them to support a national bi-partisan effort to amend the Constitution of Belize protecting the equal rights of ALL born Belizeans.

Respectfully,

Belizean Citizens Abroad
Email: belizeansabroad@gmail.com

 

President: Mario Lara

Vice President: Joseph Guerrero

Treasurer: Al Smith

Communication Director: Debbie Curling

Secretary: Aria Lightfoot

A Belizean Diaspora Perspective By: Debbie Curling

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FullSizeRender (1)

Debbie Curling 

Belizeans at home and abroad must begin to realize that despite the fact that time, space and location separates us, we have a shared identity and culture that makes us stronger together than separately. REMEMBERING is what heals: remembering our cultural traditions, our enthusiasm for sports, our passion for politics, our very good food, our Belizean music in all its varieties, our childhood proclivity for hopping fences to steal mangoes and craboo, riding our bikes to fetch buckets of water at the pipe stand, and many more. Oh yes! And playing bruk makachistah, bruk me bak!

Funnily enough bruk makachistah is full of symbolism and meaning as it applies to our Belizean cultural heritage, personalities, attitudes, and our strength in the face of adversity. With hands akimbo and chest pumping, the entire game, if you will, is premised on defiance and a dare; a challenge that if you think you can bruk my bak, try it! The words and imagery signify our spirited, Belizean assertiveness, unafraid to face down a bully because we’ll duke it out fistycuffs, your mother will come to my mother’s house, we’ll both get our rear ends belted, and eventually after our egos have settled down, we’ll move on to becoming friends again. Times have changed I know, but this is the Belize WE know, WE love, and WE share…immigrants will come and go, but WE know OUR identity and WE know OUR culture!

Belizeans share so many great experiences along with a strong and proud identity so why this division, this love/hate relationship, between us: based Belizeans vs. diaspora Belizeans? the Diaspora feel invisible, resented and unwanted to those at home and those at home feel abandoned, angry and resentful for being left behind “to suffah.” If we are to overcome this great divide that separates us, we must critically interrogate both perspectives to get a deeper understanding of the root causes. Understanding the psychology of abandonment is very important to the discourse if we are to heal our wounds and start fresh.

So what exactly is abandonment? According to J. Ray Rice, M.S.W., who has written several self-help books on the issue, “Abandonment is emotions, feelings, and acts that leave us with feelings, or experience of alienation, loss, betrayal, desertion, separation and segregation […]. These experiences or issues left unresolved affect our ability to reason, bond, trust, love, communicate, problem-solve […] respect the rights of all and live with our neighbors in peace.” http://blog.itsallaboutabandonment.com

Many Belizeans, particularly children, have experienced abandonment due to a parent(s) or spouse(s) making the tough decision to leave their loved ones behind in order to provide a better life for them at home, not realizing the traumatic impact such an event will have on those they love. Those left behind may experience the inability to feel safe due to threatening circumstances, feel emotional neglect, or might not have been provided adequate shelter which creates fear and a strong sense of insecurity. Unfortunately, victims of abandonment often live a lifetime of fear that abandonment will recur. Dr. Claudia Black, M.S.W., states, “Shame arises from the painful message implied in abandonment: ‘You are not important. You are not of value.’ This is the pain from which people need to heal.”

Based Belizeans feel a strong sense of betrayal toward its diaspora who they believe left them behind in search of “greener pastures,” and who might be prospering, while they at home continue to suffer. I would argue that these feelings of abandonment is the site of our contest. This deeply rooted grudge that manifests itself in a desire to somehow even the score even if it means shooting oneself in the foot. Belizeans at home often express a sense of entitlement to all things Belizean, attempt to shut us out of the political discourse by silencing our voices, our Constitution condones (or perhaps sets the standard for) this behavior by taking away our birthright, they criticize diaspora activists for being out of touch with the political reality on the ground whose politics is detached from the complexities of their lived reality, and the tension builds with accusations that the diaspora are cowards who ran away, or would run back to the States from the frontline of the struggle when things go wrong; the guilt-shaming list is long and harsh, but here is our perspective…

While the diaspora appreciate the validity of some of these arguments, the Belizean discourse reveals that, in a limited way, we are dealing with a reality that is more complex than the argument presented. As I write this I am conscious of how my criticism will be received, I am conscious of that oppressive chasm that exists between us, and the notion that “home” is not necessarily a comfortable, welcoming place for the diaspora. We hear the echo of your voices telling us, “why you no go bak da States,” or the mumbling voices that ridicule us when we speak English, “e fahget how fuh talk creole.” It is within this context that based Belizeans fail to bridge the gap and why the diaspora, paralyzed by these criticisms, may refuse to cross over to shake the hand of our brothers and sisters. For us it is clear, based Belizeans do not allow for the crossing and re-crossing of our borders and see it as an invasion rather than a re-connection.

It is partially true that to be from the diaspora implies a certain level of consumption and opportunity to achieve wealth and a good education, but it also implies responsibility and obligation to family and dependents at home. To be fair, Belizeans in the diaspora face three challenges when they go abroad: surviving in a new and hostile environment away from the support of family, struggling to taking care of themselves while taking care of their families at home. Basically, supporting two households! Their mission to send remittances, boxes of clothes and other necessities to their families in order to provide economic relief props up the Belizean economy, but some pay a very high price to achieve this goal. Attracted to the possibility of work and the opportunity to acquire a good education, diaspora Belizeans sacrifice a great deal when taking this leap of faith. For most, it’s a hard life and not all it is cracked up to be; therefore, YOUR perception at home is not necessarily OUR reality abroad.

Further, not everyone who takes the giant leap to seek better opportunities abroad end up living a grand lifestyle. Some of our people (particularly in the “States”) come here with limited education, some illegally, they end up working two or three jobs to send money home to feed their families, they live in some of the most violent and depressed neighborhoods, their kids are exposed to tough gangs in schools, and they spend most of their time scrambling to survive so they can keep their families at home afloat. There is only a very small percentage of Belizeans who by a stroke of luck, or by their own perseverance, can claim success and wealth that allow them to go to and fro.

To be honest, our struggle to survive in a hostile, foreign land would be made a lot easier if Belizeans at home would welcome us with gratitude and appreciation for our sacrifice, instead of resentful displays and hurtful words. We get that most Belizeans at home cannot afford to travel anywhere and are perhaps stuck in the boredom of their lives, so when they see us, they are reminded of that. But what they must realize is that WE are happy to be home, away from the rat race, and envy the simplicity of THEIR lives. It is exactly our inability to reconnect with each other that cause the distancing and misunderstandings.

The term “diaspora” clearly has elitist connotations. It conjures up an idea that builds on a fantasy that coming to America means affluence and easy riches. These perceptions are often reinforced by some members of the diaspora (not all) who do return home flaunting their newfound status with “states clothes,” an American accent, and that Yankee dollar; this is true. But for many who are faced with hardships, along with the shame that they might not be living up to your expectations, your criticisms and your resentments are undeserved and hurtful.

Yes, there are advantages but there are also limitations to living in the diaspora. When we arrive the diaspora is engaged in an ongoing process of negotiating our identity for our selves and our children. Understanding our displacement, the cultural challenges we face, surviving the politics of a new country, having to maneuver and negotiate our space in unfamiliar territory, or trying to blend into a new society that we sometimes do not fully understand, or cannot fully penetrate, can sometimes beat us down. So, yes, protracted exclusion is our daily reality (at home and abroad).

We regret that your echoing voices misnaming us, truncating our Belizean identity while simultaneously inscribing us with your language of exclusion and marginality, may never stop. But we hope the term BelAm will be subject to new analysis, new understandings, if we are to unlock a discourse that continues to inscribe the diaspora as outsiders. Why are these definitions being deployed against us? Your language of separation is mostly applied to Belizeans in America; the eye opener for us is that Belizeans living in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Africa have no such negative inscriptions. The term BelAm suggests a state of opposition or resistance when juxtaposed against Belizeans at home.

With that said, Belizeans in the diaspora will continue its ongoing search to find language to articulate ourselves. We have no desire to negotiate the terms of our identities in ways other than “representing” OUR Belizeanness because anything else would contribute to our destruction. It is in this context of refusing to surrender OUR love for Belize, OUR Belizean identity and OUR culture…this forced construction, that we demand our seat at the table so OUR voices can be heard. Based Belizeans are not more entitled to all things Belizean than us. Concessions will have to be made and there is no need for an unnecessary war of words. Paula Giddings once wrote, “A nation is therefore a large-scale solidarity, constituted by the feeling of the sacrifices that one has made in the past and of those that one is prepared to make in the future.”

The Belizean diaspora is not going anywhere because we love our country too. We have been criticized for our inability to effectively organize ourselves so we can make a difference at home and that is a fair argument. The Belizean diaspora often bemoan our lack of unity, our failure to organize and mobilize in an effective way, how we often undermine ourselves by factionalism from different groups, how scattered and divided we are across regions, and how we have a tendency to compete for political space rather than cooperating with each other. We are distrustful of some of our fellow Belizeans who quickly change course when they see a better opportunity elsewhere, but some of us refuse to give up and where there is a will, there is a way.

Our determination and strong sense of responsibility to The Jewel is boosted enormously by new communication technologies that allow us to communicate, organize and spread the message through social media and the Internet. Facebook offers us the opportunity to communicate, argue amongst ourselves as Belizeans often do, it offers the cross-fertilization of ideas and the possibility of immediate exchange between us in all our scattered locations. The texts we create in our discourses have the ability to circulate in communities far and wide and have brought us closer together in more meaningful ways than we could ever imagine.

If Belizeans at home and abroad can draw on a shared cultural repertoire of ideas perhaps we can find some common ground. At the end of the day REMEMBERING…that we share the same love of country, the same cultural identity, the same political concerns for Belize’s political transformation, the same hope for Belize, then perhaps once we recognize that WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, we can start extending the hand of friendship, maintain some degree of civility towards each other that results in dignity and hope for ALL. We are on the same page folks! We are on the same page!

Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it. – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Debbie Curling was a member of the Belizean Diaspora and has recently returned home to Belize. 

The Chains of Colonialism : The Neal and Mora Secret Tapes by: Aria Lightfoot

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Eldred Neal and Marvin Mora are leaders within two of the most powerful  unions in Belize representing a diverse membership from all over the country of Belize.  Both men were secretly taped using racist terms and cultural stereotypes against the Garinagu people of Belize.

If you were raised in Belize, you are familiar with the sundry list of racial adjectives and stereotypes thrown at our diverse melting pot of cultures.  Many people think that such words are innocent, playful or even harmless and maybe even cultural jabbing. Some people will argue that Belize is a racial utopia and in the next breath utter cultural and racially insensitive stereotypes. When you speak to Belizeans who grew up dark skinned, darker,  short haired, wide nose,  Creole,  Maya, Garifuna, Mennonite, East Indian,  Mestizo, Arab,  White – the pain is evident in their stories and what we think  is cultural jabbing  is a form of racial bulling that undermines ones dignity, self esteem and individuality.

The racist and divisive expressions stem from a dark colonial history. Many cultures in Belize are victims of an orchestrated psychological form of racism producing self-hate, divide and servility.   We don’t question the status quo, we don’t challenge injustices, we don’t fight for each other.  We are a “docile people”  – mental slaves.  We have too many people who subscribe to a romantic notion of European ancestry even though their features, hair, skin color betray them;  many revere  European laws and order even though Europeans have committed the worst atrocities against our ancestors.

Belize is historically flawed because of  fairy tale books that pass off as history books and  the failure to introduce Maya and African history into the curriculum.  Neal and Mora are ignorant to their own subjugation.  They promulgate hate and devise a culture war against a race of people they share ancestry with.  Neal, in his rant, did point out a truthful yet sordid past about Belize; Belize practiced segregation.  In additional to segregation, there were extreme forms of  bullying.  The Garinagu were banned from living in Belize City and were only allowed to visit on allocated days.  The Garinagu that visited the city as  fishermen and vendors faced the scourge of rude children’s stones, teasing and disrespect.  Is this something that Neal should be celebrating?   Even within Creole culture, there were mulatto children who hid away their dark skinned parents or parents who treated their darker children or family members with disdain. There are even stories of abandonment due to complexion of children.

Colonialism was a systematic and power tool of control. Races were eradicated; histories and identities of ancestors were erased; subjects were confused with divisive tools, whipped into compliance, subjected to an acceptable form of  inequality, limited access and exclusion.

Belize City has the most powerful leaders; every Prime Minister in Belize’s short independent history  has originated from the City.  Belize City can be described as a predominantly black city, with some of the most educated people, the epicenter of Belize’s legal and financial centers,  and yet the city boasts the poorest divisions, worst living conditions, highest crime rates, and the most evidence of wealth inequality than any other part of the country of Belize.  Why?

Too many Belizeans in powerful positions prefer to transplant wealth and land to foreigners before they extend a hand to uplift the people they share a birthright, culture and citizenship with. Belizeans have accepted divisive labels such as  political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, ethnicity and citizenship unable to recognize the destructive forces of colonialism.

Think about the power of colonialism that even today, people are unable to break the chains.  We have highly educated and intelligent people still advocating stereotypes, distrusting and fearing people of their own citizenship.  We have people we have entrusted  to lead us, to fight for us – dividing us. Please let your voices be heard. Let your leaders know that we will break this mental chain, we will resist the culture wars, we will break the chains of colonialism and we demand that all citizens be treated equally without exception.

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery, none but ourselves can free our minds” (Bob Marley)

 

 

 

Dear Teenage Girls….by: Kiah Pastor

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Kiah Pastor

Dear Teenage Girls of Belize,

There are a couple tragedies currently in the media that has hit close to home therefore I’d like to speak on one. There was a situation that occurred where a 13 year old female sent nude photos to a man and he then threatened to expose them if she did not have sex with him. Well she ended up having sex with him twice.

We live in a Society where men glorify women and their bodies but there is a very fine line between being human and appreciating a woman’s natural physique and then just being out right disrespectful. In Belize, most cases it’s being disrespectful. But as a child having your body go through changes, you’re left some what confused. Why should I as a teenager not show off my newly developed breasts if they’re so many older and more developed women on social media also showing off their bodies and getting glorified by not only men but other females as well. Do you see my point? Nudity has become a part of pop culture. Nudity has become art. Nudity has been accepted in every case EXCEPT when it has been shared against your will. The amount of guys I’ve seen preaching about “having self respect” and telling girls to stop sending nudes to young boys are the same guys I recall have asked me to send them a nude when I was between the ages of 12-16.

Almost every male will vow they’ll never associate themselves with younger girls but they’re so many of them who love it! It’s the idea of being with a female who doesn’t have a set of boundaries mostly because they don’t know what the boundaries should be. The idea of not being with a female you need to break all sorts of walls to get through to because she hasn’t been scarred by other men in order to build those walls up in the first place. And lastly it’s the idea of having a body that hasn’t been touched. The inferior feeling of taking it all away. Men love dominance.

Now let me redirect my energy. It’s not solely the men of our society’s fault but also the women. We should work hard as women to be advocates of true self confidence and self love. We should be more willing to reach out to the younger girls around us and be a big sister figure to them and be there to advise them so they don’t need to figure it all out on their own. This is very hard because there’s a lot of adult women themselves who don’t have self respect nor show true value of themselves as women but that’s okay! You don’t need to be in that space forever! You don’t need to be vulnerable to these men. You don’t need to use sex to feel powerful and you don’t need to showcase your body to get attention. You do what you’re confident with not what you feel is pleasing to others. Where do you think promiscuous women are stemmed from? Sexual acts that occur in early stages of life. Let’s make an effort to be the best examples to younger girls and to show them how they should react when put in compromising positions! You’re not alone!

From a young woman building herself back up,
Kiah Lisani Pastor 💓

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BNTU- More Passion Less Reason by: Aria Lightfoot

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“To promote and advance the highest levels of professional service in the teaching profession, and to represent and advance the just cause of teachers and their collective views of Government and Educational authorities at all levels within Belize and abroad, in order to promote and achieve the best possible standards of education and quality of life for all of our people.” BNTU’s mission statement 

my way or highway

Teaching remains one of the most respected and noble professions in Belize and let’s face it, teachers possess a great deal of influence over our children and spend a great deal of time educating and molding our children and the future of Belize. If the average teacher has twenty children, spending an average of eight hours a day, it means that a teacher is working with about 160 hours of children time per day or 3200 hours per month of children time. If teachers make an average of $1500.00 a month, teachers are being paid about 46 cents an hour per child. When you break down a teacher’s salary, you get a clearer picture of how truly underpaid these professionals are.

While children are an investment for the future of Belize, public schools are not self sustaining because they do not generate real income especially in parts of Belize where families struggle to make ends meet; they struggle to pay school fees and struggle to buy the necessary uniforms, books and equipment. The state uses redistributive taxes from income tax and taxes from products and services to provide income for teachers,  administrators,  build and maintain schools,  pay electricity, water and other bills. Studies show that the more affluent a neighborhood, the better the kids from those schools will perform because parents are then able to subsidize deficiencies that the state is unable to provide.

Belize does not have zoning laws that forces children to be educated in their school districts nor property tax laws that forces neighborhoods to pay for their schools. As it relates to education, Belize has maintained a church-state relationship that has been essentially abused by the churches. The church-state schools pack their schools with their congregations’ children and a few other kids who are able to improve their school standings. Church schools are able to attract the brightest and best teachers and students with alluring scholarships for students and better working conditions for teachers. This current system prevents other schools from developing by leaving behind children with less resources and access. The state has always allowed the churches to create these exclusionary policies, so church schools (mostly Catholic) outperform other schools. Isn’t this a corruptive system of education? At the church’s and congregation’s expense these exclusionary policies would be okay, but every tax payer contributes to this system but not every tax payer is afforded equal access to these schools. This brings me to examine the Belize National Teachers Union.

The Belize National Teachers Union also known as BNTU is a powerful union of teachers with a vision statement that highlights their purpose: To promote and maintain a professional organization of workers in education in Belize. This organization will aspire towards the highest and best in educational standards, services and conditions of work for the development of Belize.

The BNTU mission statement states: To promote and advance the highest levels of professional service in the teaching profession, and to represent and advance the just cause of teachers and their collective views of Government and Educational authorities at all levels within Belize and abroad, in order to promote and achieve the best possible standards of education and quality of life for all of our people.

The BNTU is currently in a labor dispute of sorts with the government of Belize. The teachers are demanding a 3% raise from the government except that when they actually sat at the negotiation table with the government they argued that corruption in Belize contributes to an environment that forces the government to have to break promises to give raises. So instead of demanding anything within their vision or mission statement, the BNTU decided they will take on a broad issue of corruption arguing that the International Labor Organization, a UN agency dealing with international labor standards world wide,  of which Belize is a member state, gives BNTU this authority to take on corruption because it affects their social and economic well being. The BNTU presented the government of Belize with eight demands that they want the government to address forthwith or face a strike.

  1. Urgent Action by GOB to sign the UN Convention Against Corruption.
  2. Take Corrected Measures to improve and ensure compliance with the requirements of our Unjust Enrichment and Integrity in Government Laws
  1. Take Urgent corrective measures including Legislative Action to have and make our Public Accounts Committee work and be effective.
  2. Take immediate and necessary Action to appoint a Special Senate Select Committee to make a full and proper Investigation/Inquiry into the recent Auditor General’s Audit Report into the Immigration and Nationality Departments for the 2011-2013 Period; including recommended, Corrective and Punitive action.
  1. Take immediate and appropriate measures to enact the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Bill and to formulate a Just and Fair Minimum Living Wage Legislation and Policy.
  2. Take serious and immediate action to restore (Education Rules) and to discuss and implement the unfinished section of our BNTU Special Proposal 22, to ensure the just Right and employment status/tenure and Service Benefits of the Non-teaching Staff of our Secondary and Tertiary Levels Educational Institutions.
  3. Take immediate and long over-due Legislative Measures to reform and update our Social Security Laws and Benefits to expand and broaden the protection and coverage of the workers (Contributors) including the section on to and from work. 1

Transparency International defines corruption as the abuse of entrusted power. That abuse can be via manipulation of policy, rules, procedures and allocation of resources to enhance personal wealth, status and power.

These demands from BNTU are definitely what Belize needs, but it is not aligned with BNTU’s vision and mission statement. In fact, the demands are so broad and unlikely to be created and implemented in such a small window that one must reason that the BNTU motives are not transparent and their strike is to destabilize the government of Belize.   Some people argue that the present government had eight years to create these changes and failed to, but why is that argument even being made during the BNTU/GOB discussion? Is this election time? Election was held in November of 2015 and all these arguments were made and the people of Belize reelected the government of Belize. I agree that Belizeans must hold our government accountable as a people and nation of Belize, but BNTU’s unilateral action reeks of abuse.

Corruption is not one thing AND it is not only a government problem, it is a systematic practice that involves everyone. To argue that you want the government to solve corruption is like arguing you want world peace or else. The parameters were created to fail.

Belize is a small developing nation where politics and family are deeply intertwined. Belize is facing increasing international scrutiny because of different acts of corruption and there are urgent issues that the nation and people of Belize must tackle. Those in power must understand they have a responsibility for the positions they hold and they owe their memberships and supporters accountability. Belize laws have not yet evolved to address the ever-present issues that manifest almost daily. Historically, Belize has existed in some form for about 400 years in what use to be a mostly homogeneous society in an extremely small colony (prior to mass emigration to the US and immigration from neighboring countries and most recently US and UK)  . The laws of the colony were there to maintain order and maintain the status quo. Belize has only been independent for 35 years and while George Price may have had an idealistic vision for the future of Belize, he could not foreseen globalization, parasitic investors, tax havens, brutal drug trades, illegal transshipment points with billions of dollars at stake, international criminals and fugitives, terrorism, sex tourism, Internet, porous borders, international interest in developing and moving to Belize. The colonial laws of Belize that were designed to maintain status quo, are not equipped for the tsunami of events that have unfolded since Independence.

As the nations cries for changes these are some to the things that BNTU should consider:

  1. Instead of taking a ‘my way or the highway’ approach, why not partner with the government, businesses and social partners to work on a development plan for Belize? The government has in good faith agreed to your demands but you do not speak for the electorate and therefore holding the government ransom for what is not your mandate is a form of abuse and manipulation of rules.
  2. The current PM, Hon. Dean Barrow,  is the only sitting PM that has consistently agreed to work on improving the system while in power. Belize has seen its share of oppositions make promises to change the system only to ignore the changes while in power however only Mr. Barrow has disciplined misbehaving ministers, allowed audit reports to reveal corruption  and have removed  or diminished some of the most infamous personalities of corruption within his ranks. The current PM may be a shrewd negotiator, as some describe him, but he realizes that the people power is real and has been working to address these issues.
  3. Change can only happen with a sitting government who must create the policy (hopefully in full partnership with stakeholders), present it to the House, and vet it through the Senate. We must work within our system to change our system. Placards and marches bring the necessary attention and pressure, but changes happen with a sitting government. Destabilizing a duly elected government on a unilateral mandate is not for the betterment of teachers.
  4. Work on improving the education system because there is much corruption in the state/church relationship that requires urgent attention. The recent unilateral letter of support by Catholic Public Schools signed by Maria Zabaneh only to be dispelled a day later by Sister Barbara Flores is evidence of how unilateral crusades undermine credibility and leadership
  5. Ask the government to create a property tax system to benefit schools. Do you know that some communities are paying $5.00 a year in property taxes? We must create a comprehensive tax system that does not overburden one sector of society and allows equitable distribution and access.

We will never achieve change with egos. We will achieve change by understanding how the system functions and what creates the opportunities for abuse. Partnering and holding everyone accountable for their positions are the only true way to achieve change. The reality is that all Belizeans will need to get use to the idea of accountability including the BNTU and we should not let our passions overrule our ability to reason.

A storm is brewing …. by: Aria Lightfoot

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Storm-Brewing-

Belize is facing an approaching tropical storm, possibly a small hurricane, and one cannot ignore the cosmic correlation of recent events involving Mason. Mason was introduced to the Belizean public as an expert or specialist offering services to aid the National Emergency Management Organization. Two weeks after the murder of Llewelyn Lucas, there have been a plethora of fallouts, accusations, restructuring, investigations with even more pending. In some poetic sense, Belize system is definitely under National Emergency Management Re-Organization of government – courtesy of William Mason.

Mason’s identity is still unknown. He has a Belize birth certificate with the name William Mason and Guyanese passport with the name Ramesh Oulette. My Guyanese friend informs me that Oulette is not a traditional Guyanese last name. A little bit of research on the name Oulette indicates that the name is French Canadian in origin. It is possible his mother could have been French Canadian but Mason’s true identity is essential in getting to the bottom of this mystery.

william mason

Danny Mason’s true identity is extremely important because he may be linked to other crimes in Belize and worldwide. The aliases circulating are Danny Mason, Thomas Tharakan, Jagdeep Chahal (picture does not look like him), Raj Oulette, Ted Oulette, Danny Ferguson, Danny Oulette, Ramesh Oulette and Ramesh Singh. As I browsed RipOff Report online comments, I found it interesting that several people in Belize, as early as 2014, were reporting his presence in Belize. There are reports of Mason in South Africa, Thailand and South America scamming people, using similar tactics he did in Belize, befriending unsuspecting victims and stealing their money. A friend confided that Mason, known to her as Danny Oulette, attempted to extort her aunt. Her aunt had to get the police involved and remove “Danny” from her land. She claims this was a few years ago and they thought he had left Belize and headed back to Canada.

This case has exposed a dangerous weakness in Belize’s identification system (maybe Guyana and Canada too) and a flagrant loophole indicating a lack of necessary checks and balances. Mason operated unfettered because he flashed money, made sizeable donations, was able to obtain fraudulent identity documents, gun licenses, property, status and access. All this with the admitted knowledge of the then Minister of Police and key police officers. The aftershock of this has yet to quantified. Mason’s operations have called every Belizean identity into question. He exposed Belize as a place that facilitates international criminals for the right price and with the knowledge of relevant authorities. The case highlights the ease to wash illicit funds through donations and investments; a revelation that could have dire consequences for Belize. Belize could face international repercussions such as de-risking and heightened security for all Belizean citizens worldwide. Whether or not the P.M. realizes this, there will be keen international monitoring of this case especially since Mason littered the world with victims. Mason could be wanted for serious crimes worldwide, even other murders. How Belize proceeds handling this will be vital.

The Prime Minister has done the necessary initial steps to cure some of the problems but there are so much more to be done. The PM must create the necessary legal checks and balances to ensure this level of abuse never again occurs. Mason may be the most sensational case, but criminals have entered and abused Belize’s lax system too many times. The PM has elevated credible people in the right places, but I urge him to also formulate a bipartisan team to assist those new leaders to correct the deficiencies in the system.

The P.M. must recognize that he represents the last vestiges of politicians whose personal service and reputation is the key to their political life. The new breed of politicians enters public life for personal and financial enrichment. They lack service and empathy for their country and people, they lack purpose and they lack a moral compass. The laws in Belize that originated from the days when handshakes sealed deals, does not align with this new era of politicians and criminals.

Currently, the Belizean people turn to Hon. Dean Barrow to solve problems, to hold his cabinet accountable and to fight on behalf of the nation of Belize. That is a difficult task to ask any one person to do. The current system does not create perpetuity and it is not conducive to promote proper development and not responsive to identify, analyze and eradicate corruption. I have heard many people echo that their support of UDP begins and ends with the current Prime Minister. What will happen to Belize when he retires? Belize system seemed to be designed for strong and principled leadership. A leadership game of Russian Roulette.Write-off

The electorate has grown in sophistication and knowledge due to the unprecedented access to information. People are understanding that leadership defines their identity, success, and generation’s future and they are growing weary of abuse. To forge a prosperous future for our children and children’s children, the laws and constitution must reflect a system of limits and accountability.

And Belize this is not over yet. It has been reported that a prominent CEO of the Government of Belize and former Director of immigration was denied access to the United States and her visa cancelled. Countries battling terrorism are likely very concerned about their own vulnerability when criminals can mask their identities in countries like Belize, Canada and Guyana. A red flag has been raised warning of a storm brewing.