Category: Breaking News

NEMO representatives and Area Representative Oscar Requena were also asked about growing concerns over the use of slash and burn practices by farmers. One reporter questioned what will be done by authorities to penalize farmers who act with a degree of negligence. NEMO says its priority is to first put out fires and provide aid for those affected. Requena says, it is time for farmers to revisit the issue of burning.

Reporter

“Not to point fingers at anybody but the reality in Toledo is that some of these fires are caused by humans, negligence, is the organization doing anything to find out who are these individuals and what will be done to avoid this from happening again?”

Kenton Parham, Toledo Coordinator, NEMO

“At this stage our priority is trying to contain and suppress the fire and look at the impact to farmers. If an agency wants to pick that up later on they might. I don’t know if that is something that might be very difficult to pinpoint on who but our focus is on suppressing the fires and getting aid to the affected population as quickly as possible after the assessments are done.”

Oscar Requena, Area Representative, Toledo West

“I am aware that there have been instances where it is actually people going in and lighting. What has to be done, and I agree with Mr. Parham, at this point the focus is on trying to contain the fires, trying to be as supportive to the community out there but we cannot overlook that side of the equation in that as community members we have to be more responsible in how we deal with fires. There are clear regulations in terms of what farmers must do when they go and light a fire. They have to create a fire pass. They have to ensure they inform the Ministry of Agriculture. They have to pick certain time to light the fire. They have to make sure they have enough help in order to contain the fire in the event it escapes. But really what has happened, to be honest, we have not seen enforcement of the regulations. I think the time has come for us as farmers, I am a farmer myself and I don’t burn, for years, I have over fifteen years of not burning and I think it is time for us as farmers to revisit the whole issue of burning.”

The National Commission for Families and Children have spoken out to condemn the beating and abuse of children. In a statement released earlier today, the commission said quote, child abuse, in any form, is unacceptable and violates the fundamental rights of children to grow up in a safe and nurturing environment. As advocates for the rights and welfare of children, we continue to prioritize the protection of children and take decisive steps to prevent and address child abuse, end quote. The commission further went on to urge the public to raise awareness regarding child abuse, offer support to victims and hold perpetrators accountable.

In his capacity as First Vice President of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police, Chester Williams says the proliferation of guns has been plaguing every country in the Caribbean. During last week’s A.C.C.P. conference held in Belize, ComPol Williams called out the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobago, Firearms and Explosives over the increased number of firearms coming into the region from the U.S. ComPol Williams says that he has been advocating for stronger legislation to crack down on the importation of illegal firearms at commercial ports.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I almost got into trouble with ATF because I am saying to them that the same way how the U.S. blacklisted us when drugs passed into our country and go into the U.S., even though they know we are doing our best to prevent it from occurring then who blacklist the U.S. when their guns are coming in from the U.S. into our countries and these guns are being used to kill our people? It is a fair comparison. But, I give them credit for the fact that I know that they are doing what they can, but I believe they can do more. One of the issues for me is that when we had the intersectional meeting in Maya last year we had the opportunity to visit the port in Miami and we were given a briefing in terms of what the port expects from persons who are sending packages abroad and there is little to nothing. I can go to the port today and send a package in a name, go back this afternoon use another name and go back this evening and use another name. So there is nothing there to ensure that the persons who are sending these packages are real people. What I am saying to them is they need to have some law within the U.S to regulate these things to ensure that persons cannot use fictious names to send packages abroad. Since the U.S is reluctant to do that we will have to do something in Belize and the Prime Minister has said to us that the Comptroller and I need to sit down to see how we can come up with some draft legislation in terms of how we can address this issue. Even in Belize we had this same issue. We have the candies that came in. Recently we have barrels that came in with guns.”

There is also the issue of gangs in the Caribbean, a plague to most CARICOM nations. In an interview with the President of the A.C.C.P., Atlee Rodney, he stated that there is a direct correlation between music that promotes violence and the establishment of criminal organizations. ComPol Williams says that he agrees with President Rodney’s analysis. Taking it further, the commissioner of police proposed that certain musicians be banned from performing in Belize.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“We can find that more in Jamaica and Trinidad. I think those are the two main areas we are seeing occurring. It is not far away from reaching our shores. We are lucky we don’t have that volume of musicians that Jamaica and Trinidad do have. But when we look at for example, Trinibad, even though Trinibad is not an artist, they are a group of DJs that goes around the Caribbean and perform, but when you look at the type of music they promote, they promote violence. And, in many instances when they do in or through the music, they promote say something, it happens. And I was shocked to see that we brought Trinibad to Belize during the Agric Show. While I do understand that promoters want to make money, there are other ways to make money without putting our country at risk. When you bring those type of people to our shores it is just to influence our young people to do certain things that we don’t want them to do. Here we are trying to say to our young people that there is a need to walk certain lines, to be law abiding, but yet we are going to bring people into the country who are going to be influential to influence them to be negative.”

Sabreena Daly

“What can we do about that though?”

Chester Williams

“We need to do what some for the countries in the Caribbean do, there are certain artists that can’t perform in the Caribbean. They are banned because of the type of music they promote.”