LOO Explains Objection to Support Belize-Taiwan Celebration

During a break for House Committee matters, the media got an opportunity to speak with Barrow and asked him to explain his refusal to support the thirty-fifth anniversary of Belize-Taiwan relations. He said, as he had blurted out in the House, that Taiwan has basically meddled in Belize’s politics and has assisted P.U.P. family members with funding for projects that are outside of diplomatic relations.

 

Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“Those of you who have paid attention in the House have, I’m sure you’ve picked up on things that I’ve said to the Prime Minister, maybe off the mic as relates to Taiwan. I have to tell you that one of the reasons I did not get up is because as a party, the United Democratic Party, we have not discussed the matter in totality. But there are definitely many members of the executive that have a serious issue with the interference that Taiwan has been doing in the political affairs of Belize, which is very anti-democratic. I know for a fact that the Taiwanese gave three million dollars, there abouts to the sister of the Prime Minister in an NGO and the FIU was investigating that and senior executives in the FIU were terminated because of that investigation. And that type of money is being given to that NGO and then dispersed to members of the government is a direct interference in our democracy, whereas the Opposition has NGOs and we don’t get any such assistance from the Taiwanese. There are also other matters, for instance, with the three million dollar grant that was given to Oscar Mira or given for housing in Belmopan, a three million dollar grant that was given literally sixty days before the municipal elections and other electioneering that we took offense to. And we have registered that offense with the Taiwanese and there has been no resolution put forth but out of respect for my colleagues because there are colleagues in the party that do appreciate the contributions that Taiwan has made historically but I am of the view that this type of interference in our democracy that when the government has all the resources at its disposal and the opposition is always at a disadvantage to compound equality, to compound the viability of the Opposition finding its way to be able to be competitive to me is very anti-democratic and I take issue with it.”