Months before the just now released declaration of non-payment of the super bond, fellow blogger Cayo Buay wrote an article outlining what could happen based on what has already happened in Greece. It’s a quick read. What do you think?
Aria Lightfoot
NEWSFLASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mal Pagossssssssssss!!!!
I wish they had said something about what kind of effects this will have if any on our economy???
Daily Dingleberry 08-13-12 Is Anything Really Going to Happen to the Banana Industry?
Now that the news is sinking in about John Zabaneh and the potential negative consequences of being blacklisted by OFAC, people are coming to his defense saying that he has done so much for his community and Belize as a whole by creating jobs and providing community support. It is a consideration…maybe. What is the cost of these jobs and money generated by his portion of the banana industry? Can we honestly say it’s worth it to be a part of a world wide drug war to have a couple hundred jobs? Do we care that many families are affected by drug trafficking in ways we can’t begin to fathom just so we can have a few jobs that people are saying is mostly worked by illegal aliens anyway? What are the real life consequences we can expect or is it much ado about nothing and we will see business as usual in a hotttt minute?
School’s IN! Pull Di Dallahs OUT!!!! by Fayemarie Anderson Carter
Adopt A Student!!!!!!
Last month Aria brought a wonderful project to our attention and so now as the new school year approaches, I want to reiterate. Did you realize that just about 50% of all Belizean children are NOT getting an education? Half of our boys and girls are being prepared for a very difficult future ahead of them. Lack of education makes our children extremely vulnerable to crime and victimization.
In response to this alarming reality, Restore Belize has launched a program “Adopt A Student”. Restore Belize is appealing specifically to Belizeans abroad to provide the funding for this endeavor. There are different levels of sponsorship starting at $250 US per student per year. There are about 15,000 students in need so we have got a ways to go BUT I know we can do it! You can sponsor individually OR you can get together with your friends and family to sponsor a child. Americans are always asking if there are programs like this in Belize when they find out where I am from and before, I really couldn’t give a good answer. Now I can and you can too.
Right now, it seems the schools that have been identified are high schools focused in the city. Hopefully, with our help, Restore Belize will be able to extend this project to include the districts as well as elementary schools. Join Aria and myself in literally changing the future of a child in need. We have decided to sponsor a girl at Sarteneja High School. Please read more by clicking on the link: https://twocanview.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/restorebelizeadoptastudent.pdf
Daily Dingleberry 08-09-12 Zetas vs Sinaloas: Should We Be Concerned?
Our Future?
Ok so the Sinaloa Cartel is reputed to be Mexico‘s oldest and most powerful criminal organization while the Zetas are newer, decidedly more vicious and determined to take over the territory once comfortably held by the Sinaloas. The Zetas once served as the muscle for another cartel, the Gulf but they broke off because they wanted a bigger piece of the pie…what pie you ask? Oh just that area along the Gulfcoast of Mexico which extends into CENTRAL AMERICA…or what just happens to be our country of Belize. The irony is that many of the members of the Zetas are ex military once charged with protecting the people they now terrorize. Members include deserters of Mexico’s elite airborne special services and Guatemala‘s Kaibiles, a special unit trained by the US. Yes, I said the US. The other members come from the Sinaloa Cartel itself, former members of the Beltran Leyvas, an affiliate of the Sinaloa Cartel. These members believed that Guzman, Sinaloan head honcho, ratted out their top commander Alfredo Beltran Leyvas and his successor Arturo Beltran Leyvas.
Greeeeaat.
Now we have the perfect recipe for extreme cruelty and mayhem: military training, desire and greed for more territory and an intense need for revenge. Before the Zetas entered the picture, the Sinaloa Cartel kept things calm. They had a place in society and were reluctant to stir things up as it were. They were unwilling to attract attention to their criminal activity. The Zetas? They don’t care so much. They make grand statements of intent making their presence firmly felt with very aggressive acts such as beheadings and multiple massacres, often piling up the bodies in central plazas. Since they have entered the drug business, murders have quadrupled. Yes, that’s 4x more than before. And the problem is they don’t care who they kill. Often, innocent people are caught up in the fracas. Anyone who is suspected to be of the Sinaloa Cartel or if you happen to be related to one of its associates, you are fair game for attack in this bid for control of territory, which brings me to my point: Now that these business men, John Zabaneh, Dion Zabaneh and Daniel Moreno have been identified by the US as associates of Sinaloa Cartel, have they been marked with a big bulls eye on their backs? What about their families? Will the Zetas see a point of weakness and attempt to infiltrate and make this territory theirs? One of their favourite tactics used to announce their presence is kidnapping. Who wants to live with that constant fear that you will just be scooped up and used as a pawn in someone else’s game? And these days? They done gone hi-tech. The threats are often sent via email. Wow.
We, as a nation, have been playing with fire for over 30 years. Is it time that we collectively get burned? I better start seeing an increased US military presence in that case ’cause ahm…they kinda got us into this mess………alright, alright! People like the Zabanehs did but the US revealing their names to world and most importantly, the Zeta/Sinaloa world, made our tiny, under-defended, under- prepared nation a giant berry ripe for the pickin’.
Daily Dingleberry 08-08-12 Do We Really Want to Get Rid of Corruption and Crime?
Who Gwein?
In light of the US blacklisting three Belizean business men, John Zabaneh, Dion Zabaneh and Daniel Moreno, I just have to ask this question: Are we really ready for a sweep? We all say we are tired of the crime and dead bodies piling up. We are afraid to sleep easy lest someone breaks into our houses and harms our children. We bemoan the sad fact that it has become common place for bullets to graze our heads in drive bys or in our case, “bicycle bys”. It is very clear that the cartels are setting up shop in our tiny, very strategically placed country. Many of our friends and neighbours have gone from living in wooden shacks to owning concrete monstrosities cause hey, let’s face it, just cause you have money don’t mean you got style. (smirk) But sarcasm aside, we congratulate them, perhaps even envy their good luck and admire their ability to evade justice. We, as a society, have accepted this lifestyle and even appear to condone it as we turn a blind eye and point to them as examples of success. We wash their blood money clean as we take their generous donations in our churches and schools “for the children”.
Here’s the thing. This drug culture has infiltrated every facet our existence. It’s the obvious hustler on the street, the walking dead strung out on crack…but they aren’t the real problem are they? The problem is the customs officer who looks the other way, pocketing a few hundred dollars. It is the police “losing evidence”. It is the minister shaking hands over business deals to launder millions. It is the mother practically selling her daughter for bags of groceries and jobs for her sons. What are we going to do when all this is revealed and our “benefactors” are faced with a list of criminal charges as long as the Litany? Are we strong enough to turn from temptation of material wealth, new found prestige and status in order to clean up our communities? Who is going to step up to change the future of our country from being known as the “asshole of the world”?
Given that so many of us have our hands in the cookie jar, I don’t think the queue will be very long. But then again….maybe we wont get a choice. Big Brother is waving his big stick….and we about tah get a smack down.
Daily Dingleberry 08-07-2012 Well Well Well…What The Hell?
So, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control is declaring that NO American can do business with five companies under the control of John Zabaneh and two of his associates, Dion Zabaneh (his nephew) and Daniel Moreno. These companies include: Mayan King Ltd.; Mid-South Investments Ltd.; Crown Paradise Enterprises Ltd.; Belize Chemicals Ltd.; and D’s Supermarket Company Ltd. Why? Because the DEA finally after hmmmmm 30 years got their shit together enough to prove that John Zabaneh is a prominent drug trafficker in Central America, especially Belize, with ties to Colombian and Mexican drug cartels namely the Sinaloa Cartel. The Sinaloa Cartel has been declared by the US Intelligence Community as THE most powerful drug organization in the world, making an estimated $3 billion a year in revenue and partly responsible for the 50,000 drug related deaths in Mexico since 2006.
So what now????? What does that mean for Belize? Our government? Who’s next on the list?????
Read the full story here: http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1674.aspx
For more on the Sinaloa Cartel, read: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/17/magazine/how-a-mexican-drug-cartel-makes-its-billions.html?pagewanted=all
Special Rapporteur defends Caleb Orozco and demands action from GOB
Excellency,
We have the honour to address you in our capacity as Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression and Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders pursuant to General Assembly resolution 60/251 and to Human Rights Council resolutions 16/4 and 16/5.
In this connection, we would like to bring to your Excellency’s Government’s attention information we have received concerning the alleged attack against Mr. Caleb Orozco. Mr. Orozco is the President of the United Belize Advocacy Movement (UNIBAM), an organisation which works on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGTB) rights in Belize.
According to the information received:
On the afternoon of 8 February 2012, Mr. Caleb Orozco was attacked on George Street, Belize City. Allegedly, Mr. Orozco was first threatened by unidentified men shouting anti-gay slurs. According to reports, one of the men then threw a beer bottle at him, hitting him in the face. It is reported that Mr. Orozco suffered damaged teeth and bruising to the face as a result of the attack.
According to the information received, Mr. Orozco has filed a police report; however, it is reported that the police have not identified the perpetrators.
According to the information received, Mr. Orozco has frequently appeared in national media in relation to UNIBAM’s advocacy work to remove a provision of the Criminal Code that allegedly criminalizes same-sex sexual activity. Furthermore, it is reported that he has been portrayed in an extremely negative light in the media by individuals and organizations who oppose his work.
Concern is expressed that the alleged attack against Mr. Orozco may be directly related to his legitimate human rights work and his legitimate exercise of his right to freedom of expression, particularly his advocacy for LGBTI rights in Belize. Further concern is expressed for the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Orozco, particularly in light of the negative portrayals of Mr. Orozco which have allegedly appeared in the media.
While we do not wish to prejudge the accuracy of these allegations, we wish to remind your Excellency’s Government that Belize, as a State party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), has a duty to guarantee equal protection before the law and to prohibit discrimination on any ground. The words “or any other grounds” in article 26 of the ICCPR have been interpreted to include sexual orientation. Furthermore, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has found in numerous cases that discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation is not permitted under international human rights law.
We would like to refer your Excellency’s Government to the fundamental principles set forth in the Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, and in particular articles 1 and 2 which state that “everyone has the right individually or in association with others, to promote and to strive for the protection and realization of human rights and fundamental freedoms at the national and international levels” and that “each State has a prime responsibility and duty to protect, promote and implement all human rights and fundamental freedoms, inter alia, by adopting such steps as may be necessary to create all conditions necessary in the social, economic, political and other fields, as well as the legal guarantees required to ensure that all persons under its jurisdiction, individually and in association with others, are able to enjoy all those rights and freedoms in practice”.
With regard to article 7 of the Declaration on human rights defenders, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders has stated that the right to develop and discuss new human rights ideas is enshrined in the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders as an important provision for the ongoing development of human rights. This includes the right to discuss and advocate for human rights ideas and principles that are not necessarily new but that, in some contexts, may be perceived as new or unpopular because they address issues that might challenge tradition and culture. In this connection, the Special Rapporteur has encouraged States to do the necessary to guarantee the principle of pluralism and recognize the right of defenders to promote and advocate for new human rights ideas or ideas that are perceived as new. She has further encouraged States to take additional measures to ensure the protection of defenders who are at greater risk of facing certain forms of violence and discrimination because they are perceived as challenging accepted sociocultural norms, traditions, perceptions and stereotypes, including about sexual orientation and gender identity.
We would also like to recall resolution 17/19 of the Human Rights Council, where the Council expressed grave concern at acts of violence and discrimination, in all regions of the world, committed against individuals because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.
Furthermore, article 12 paras 2 and 3 of the Declaration which provide that the State shall take all necessary measures to ensure the protection by the competent authorities of everyone, individually and in association with others, against any violence, threats, retaliation, de facto or de jure adverse discrimination, pressure or any other arbitrary action as a consequence of his or her legitimate exercise of the rights referred to in the Declaration. In this connection, everyone is entitled, individually and in association with others, to be protected effectively under national law in reacting against or opposing, through peaceful means, activities and acts, including those by omission, attributable to States that result in violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as acts of violence perpetrated by groups or individuals that affect the enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms. In this regard, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) has granted precautionary measures for LGBTI human rights defenders in cases where they are faced with substantial threats to their physical and psychological integrity, as provided for under article 25 of the rules of procedure of the IACHR.
We would also like to appeal to your Excellency’s Government to take all necessary steps to secure the right to freedom of opinion and expression in accordance with fundamental principles as set forth in article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which provides that “Everyone shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of his choice.”
In addition, we would like to call the attention of your Excellency’s Government to General Comment no. 34 of the Human Rights Committee, which urges States to “put in place effective measures to protect against attacks aimed at silencing those exercising their right to freedom of expression”; stresses that under no circumstance “can an attack on a person, because of the exercise of his or her freedom of opinion or expression, including such forms of attack as arbitrary arrest, torture, threats to life and killing, be compatible with article 19” of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; and affirms that “[a]ll such attacks should be vigorously investigated in a timely fashion, and the perpetrators prosecuted, and the victims, or, in the case of killings, their representatives, be in receipt of appropriate forms of redress”.
We urge your Excellency’s Government to take all necessary measures to guarantee that the rights and freedoms of the above mentioned person are respected and, in the event that your investigations support or suggest the above allegations to be correct, the accountability of any person responsible of the alleged violations should be ensured. We also request that your Excellency’s Government adopt effective measures to prevent the recurrence of these acts.
In view of the urgency of the matter, we would appreciate a response on the initial steps taken by your Excellency’s Government to safeguard the rights of the abovementioned person in compliance with the above international instruments.
Moreover, it is our responsibility under the mandates provided to us by the Human Rights Council, to seek to clarify all cases brought to our attention. Since we are expected to report on these cases to the Human Rights Council, we would be grateful for your cooperation and your observations on the following matters, when relevant to the case under consideration:
1. Are the facts alleged in the summary of the case accurate?
2. Has a complaint been lodged by or on behalf of the alleged victim?
3. Please provide the details, and where available the results, of any investigation, and judicial or other inquiries carried out in relation to this case. If no inquiries have taken place, or if they have been inconclusive, please explain why.
4. Please provide the full details of any prosecutions which have been undertaken. Have penal, disciplinary or administrative sanctions been imposed on the alleged perpetrators?
5. Please indicate what protective measures have been or will be taken to protect the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Caleb Orozco, in order to ensure that he can exercise his legitimate activities in defence of human rights.
We undertake to ensure that your Excellency’s Government’s response to each of these questions is accurately reflected in the report we will submit to the Human Rights Council for its consideration.
Please accept, Excellency, the assurances of our highest consideration.
Frank La Rue
Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression
Margaret Sekaggya
Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders
Daily Dingleberry 08-03-12 Define Normal Please!!!!!!!!!!
Dis-Honourable. Gaspar Vega
Taken from the transcript of 7 News Belize 08-02-12
Jules Vasquez
“Would you accept the characterization that – this is what the PUP said; normal people have to wait in line, have to jump through hoops for years to get a piece of land.”
Hon. Gaspar Vega
“Jules I am not a normal person in Belize. I work much harder than a lot of other people.”
So uhm what exactly does this mean? That you think you’re above the law now because you are a Minister? Look pendejo! You’re right. You are NOT normal. You are put in a place of authority and responsibility. That means Mr. Vega, that unlike everybody else, YOU CAN’T THIEF! You, of all people, are expected to be a model citizen, one who knows, understands AND upholds the law.
Your lone attitude and casual words show how corrupt and therefore undeserving you are of your position. I call for your resignation, effective immediately and that you are dealt with swiftly in every accordance of the laws of our country.
So, Mr. Dean Barrow, what you gonna do with this thieving son of a bitch?
For full transcript of interview, click here: http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=23103
Another Fallen Angel: Susana Romero 07-22-12
Fallen Angels
Unfortunately, our children continue to be victimized despite continued public outrage and increased police scrutiny and presence. The following was written by Basilio Mes and posted on the Belize Missing Child Emergency Response page. It provides a clear idea of what happened in Susana’s case. Please read and let our voices be heard. Susana needs us to stand up for her and all other victims.
It has been eleven (11) days since Susana Romero of Bella Vista went missing, six (6) days since her body was found about 100 feet away from the Southern Highway and eight (8) days since police have arrested a white man from independence she was last seen with, entering his red pickup truck. So far, police have not charge this man in connection with the murder of Susana Romero. To me there are enough evidences in connection to charge this man with murder.
On the night when Susana went missing, several people in Bella Vista saw this white man driving around the village drinking. One of his stop was at a Bar called “MI AMOR” who tried to seduce the female owner of the bar to go with him that night. She refused. He left behind a Carib Beer Pint at the bar. Second he went to La Mafia Bar where he finally found his victim; Susana Romero. There he left two more Carib Beer Pints at the establishment. Two people at the bar saw when Susana entered the truck with him and drove off. Another witness from a nearby store who is a watchman saw the same as the people at the bar.
What happened thereafter is just everyone’s guess. But what is known is that, Susana’s body was found 5 days later. Her body was already decomposing and to make it more insulting was that the forensic pathologist, Mario Estradabran couldn’t make it on that day to the area. He came 24 hours later. He concluded that because the body was so decomposed he cannot tell what caused her death. Was that because this man doesn’t know what he is doing or was he paid to do so? She was found half nude. She only had her bra and blouse on and were both rolled up. Her breasts were exposed and her lower body was nude, (meaning to say, she had no panty or her pants on). At the crime scene, police found a Carib Beer pint similar to the beer he was seen drinking that night. There were also visible tire at the scene. Police managed to lift up the tire tracks and according to my understanding, it matched one of the front tire of truck that the white man was driving. I also understood that police found some jewelry that she was wearing in his truck.
Isn’t this sufficient evidence to charge him for the murder of this young woman? I also understood that some wealthy people in the area are after the police not to charge him and to release him as this was just another ALIEN. Well let me tell them, it is because these ALIENS that they are wealthy now. They are ones who take advantage of them and underpay them. Shame on them, they should be asking for justice for this young woman.
We the citizens of Independence, Bella Vista and surrounding villages are asking the police to do the right thing. Charge this white man for murder. Do the proper investigation and build up a strong case. We want justice, we want to live in a community where our kids can walk free, can go to school without fear. WE WANT JUSTICE FOR SUSANA ROMERO.
Twocanview LLC 