“boredom ends here” -...

Sunday, November 25, 2007 - STAR Tel:- 667-7827 & 626-3788 - Email: [email protected] -

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No. 137 Sunday, November 25, 2007 Price $1.00

SAN IGNACIO TOWN, CayoDistrict, Wednesday, November21, 2007: A San Ignacio youth was todaysentenced to spend the next threeyears in jail after he pleaded guilty incourt on two counts of burglary. San Ignacio police reports that onAugust 11, 2007, Jose MiguelPinelo, Belizean Park Ranger incharge of the Cahal Pech Museum,visited the station and reported thatsometime between the hours of 6:00p.m., on Friday, August 10 and 6:00a.m., on Saturday, August 11, 2007,someone broke into the museummaking off with 2,765 Belize dollarsin cash along with three checksvalued at 650 Belize dollars, all for atotal value of 3,415 dollars.

“BOREDOM ENDS HERE”Yes,Life HAARD but Cocopele Bar

still has LOW prices, FREE internetwith drinking, FREE Entrance FREEpool, FREE darts and FREE fussball.COCOPELE is still off limits for allpersons under 18, they know so!!

Police investigations led to thearrest of Abraham BernardGuerra, 17, Belizean unemployed ofa Hummingbird Street address inSan Ignacio Town, Cayo. Park Ranger Pinelo informed thatimmediately after the first incident theaccounting system at the museum waschanged with absolutely no moneybeing left inside the building at closingtime and with other precautionarymeasures instituted to secure otherproperty of value housed inside thebuilding. Pinelo additionally informed thatone week after the burglary, anotherattempt was made to break intothe building. The attempt wasunsuccessful however as those tryingto pull it off were unable to pry open

the back windowlocated right next tothe one that wasforced open on thefirst occasion. Whenhe first appeared inMagistrate’s Courton Friday, October21, the accusedAbraham Guerrapleaded not guilty tothe charge. However, when hereappeared in court,one month later,on Wednesday,November 21, herequested that theplea be changedto guilty. Healso took the

charged with the Monday, October17, burglary of the home of hisnext door neighbor, MabiliaCastellanos, Belizean businesswoman of #17 Hummingbird Street,Cahal Pech Area, San Ignacio. Police reports indicate thatsometime during the night of Monday,October 17, Mabilia Castellanos’home was broken into and theproperty stolen therefrom were listedas: two gold rings valued at $700,two gold bracelets - $1,000, threegold chains - $700, one gold watch -$1,300, two pairs of tennis shoes -$250, one male watch - $150, oneTimex watch - $150, one CD Playerwith two speakers - $150, all for atotal value of $4,400. Reports reaching us indicate that atthe time of the incident MabiliaCastellanos was house sitting for hermother-in-law on Thornley Street inSan Ignacio when at around 7:00

Abraham Bernard Guerra, 17

BELIZE CITY, Monday, Nov., 26,2007: A report from the Police PressOffice today informed that at about9:45 p.m., on Saturday, November24, Police officers at the 4 milesVehicle Check Point (VCP) on theWestern Highway stopped a greenChevrolet Jimmy with Belize Citylicense plates C- 28427 as itapproached the VCP. The vehicle was found to be drivenby Taejon Bennett, 27, who isremanded at the Belize Central Prisonin Hattieville for the double murder ofthe Brannon brothers. In the front passenger seat was theowner of the vehicle in the person ofDeputy Chief Prison Officer OscarPuga, 32.

Further inspection of the vehicleturned up two other passengersbeing Harry Trapp, 32, who isserving a 25 year sentence formanslaughter and Joseph Kee, 29,who is also remanded for the murder

of the Brannon brothers. All persons and the vehicle weretaken to the Queen Street PoliceStation where they are presentlydetained. The Commissioner of Police hasdirected that a full investigation beconducted into how these personswere out of the prison at the time. The police investigation is headedby Officer Commanding CrimesInvestigation Branch, Supt. AaronGuzman. Consultations will also bedone with the Director of PublicProsecutions prior to any chargesbeing levied. Shortly after being takento the Queen Street Police Station,Attorney- At- Law MichaelPeyrefitte arrived and indicated thathe is representing all four men.

Deputy Chief, Oscar Puga, 32

opportunity to plea guilty to anotherburglary charge. In the second incident he was

Please Turn To Page 12

- STAR Tel:- 667-7827 & 626-3788 -Email: [email protected] - Sunday, November 25, 2007

Over the past seven years inthis business, we have neverfailed to realize that thosereaders who spend their $1.00every week to buy and read theSTAR Newspaper are intelligentpeople. There should thereforebe no doubt in readers’ mindsthat we are advocating for achange of government. We are encouraged in thisendeavor as we listen to thevoices of the people in theirhomes, in their work places, inthe banks, on the street corners,on the taxi stands and everywhereelse in between, as they continueto speak intelligently on theissues. This heightened sense ofawareness stems from twoprimary sources; firstly, it comesfrom the realization that thepeople are feeling the effects inthe area where it hurts themmost – in their pockets, andsecondly, the level of intelligentdiscussions is derived fromthe increased instant access toinformation and by extension,knowledge. Of course there still exists asmall number of hard-core, “QueViva” PUP’s of the George Priceera, those who will tell you thatthey will vote for the PUP evenif the PUP sells the clothes theyhave on their backs and privatizethe slippers they are wearing ontheir feet. Then there are those personswho are known supporters of thePUP who make no secret thatthey are ready for a change. It is difficult for us to supportan administration that has beenthe subject of so many blatantacts of corruption whilethey continue to shamelessly passoff their corrupt activities as“mistakes.” And they have thegall to tell us that “The moremistakes we make, the harderthe (foolish) Belizean peoplewill work to get us out oftrouble.” These are the words ofthe man believed by many to bethe architect of the financial messthat this nation is currently in. Do they not realize that their“mistakes” are costing thetaxpayers of Belize hundreds ofmillions of dollars? Some of these “mistakes”include the mega-million dollarfailed Intelco project – the $30million failed transportationdeal – the $400 million bankruptDFC – the $35 million Univer-

sal Health Services deal – themillions of dollars that wentdown the drain on the MahoganyHeights deal among many others. How on earth can we eversupport an administration thatcontinues to disregard the outcryof the people for its rightfulshare of the revenue derivedfrom the nation’s new found oilindustry? How can we support anadministration that takes us forfools at every availableopportunity? We can still recallthe announcement of the 100%increase in the cost of our10-year passports, from $30 to$60. The people said that theywould have none of that. Thenthe minister with responsibilityfor immigration “revoked” thestatutory instrument andinformed that the cost of thepassport would remain at $30with the only change being thatthe life of the passport would bereduced from 10 to 5 years. Andthere were some who clapped andsaid “Thank you minister.”When in actual fact, 10 yearsworth of passport will still end upcosting us $60. It becomes evenmore expensive and senselesswhen the US Embassy issues anon-transferable 10 year visa ina passport that has a life span ofonly 5 years. How can we support anadministration that tried to raisethe environmental tax by 200% -from 1 to 3% - and when thepeople vented their oppositionby marching upon the seat ofgovernment in Belmopan inviolent protest only for thegovernment to tell the nation thatthey made a mistake and thatthey will be “reducing” the taxto 2%. Then there were thosewho clapped and said “Thank youfor reducing the tax” when inreal terms the tax was notreduced but rather increased by afull 100%. Then there was theannouncement that funds fromthe environmental tax would beused for solid waste managementpurposes while very single UDPcity and town councils are stillwaiting for a single cent toaddress their garbage collectionand disposal needs. How can we support anadministration that the peopletold, again by way of a violentprotest, that their taxes shouldnot be used to repay the privatedebt of Universal Health

Services, only to find out thattheir money is still beingchanneled to Universal HealthServices under the disguise ofpaying for medical services forneedy citizens? How can we support anadministration that has presidedover the sale, for ten dollars, ofa prime piece of property,parcel #788, at the northernborder station in Santa Elena,Corozal to Florencio Marin’sCorozal Free Zone ManagementAgency, then less than 48 hourslater the same ManagementAgency turns around and sellsthat very same $10 parcel of landto Monte Carlo InvestmentsLimited for a whopping ONEMILLION DOLLARS. Whydid the government not sell theland directly to Monte Carlothereby allowing the one milliondollars to go into the nationaltreasury where it rightfullybelongs? Who was the middleman in this deal? How can we support anadministration that gave away amillion dollars in less than 48hours while they preside over aFire Service that is forced toorganize Bar-B-Que sales andother fund raising activities tocome up with the five thousanddollars needed to put a smallextension onto the fire station inorder to enhance their workingenvironment. A Fire Departmentthat had to sell Bar-B-Q in orderto raise money needed to fundtheir trip to participate in the FireDepartment Annual Olympiad. They gave away a milliondollars in less than 48 hourswhile our police departmentmust regularly stand in themiddle of the streets and at checkpoints with a bucket in their handson one of those now frequent“dollar days” as they continueto solicit funds to build a boothor to buy uniforms for the cadetcorp. They gave away a milliondollars in less than 48 hourswhile the police in thegeographically largest district inthe nation must perform theirdemanding role with only ONEvehicle. They gave away a milliondollars in less than 48 hourswhile their NEMO officials, likethe police, are also taking to thecheck points, buckets in hand,soliciting money to fund theirworkshops and other activities. They gave away a milliondollars in less than 48 hourswhile a senior public officer, like

a magistrate, does not haveaccess to an unrestricted tele-phone on the desk in the office. How can we support anadministration whose leaderpromised the nation that hewould tackle corruption at itsroot and that he would takeaction against even the smell ofcorruption only to surface asbeing unable or incompetent intaking decisive action against atleast one instance of corruption. In the absence of outcastformer PUP ministers MarkEspat and Cordel Hyde,stepping forward to form aformidable third party, exceptprobably for veteran publicofficer Hipolito Bautista, noneof those in leadership of any ofthe third parties have any testedtrack record in public life. A thirdparty, at least, at this time, is nota viable option. The nation is therefore hingingits collective hope squarely uponthe leadership of Dean Barrowand the United Democratic Party. As Belize’s undisputed bestconstitutional attorney, formerDeputy Prime Minister and oneof the most respected ForeignMinisters in the region, DeanBarrow, is the best hope that thenation currently has to right thepath of the national ship. With the nation in the worstfinancial crisis ever, Barrow andthe new UDP government willhave the unique opportunity to godown in history as the party thatrescued the nation from the brinkof total collapse. Like a SENIOR PUP officialrecently said “Dean Barrow hasthe oil revenue to bring back theeconomy. Our party is unable touse this natural resource becausetheir hands are too deep in sidethe cookie jar.” Let there be no doubt also, that thereare those, even within the UDP, whofear a Dean Barrow leadership for thesole reason that he is not one tocondone corruption as the nation iswitnessing under the PUP. Thosewithin the UDP who are in it withintent to get rich quick have everyreason to fear a Dean Barrowleadership. The future of the nation thereforerests squarely on the shoulders of theHon. Dean Oliver Barrow when he iselected as the new prime minister ofBelize. Will he continue to maintainthat same hard-line policy againstofficial corruption or will he allow hiscolleagues in government and theircronies to replace the outgoing onesthereby continuing the cycle? If thisshould be the case then all we can dois to pray for the Lord have mercy onBelize.


Dear Editor, If there is any indication thatgeneral elections might be calledearlier than the due date, then theactivities of the PUP are hinting tothat possibility. With BEL announcing that they donot want political signs nailed totheir light poles, it looks like a newphenomenon is taking place with thebirth of the painting of politicalmessages on BEL poles and the PUPhave started in San Ignacio. For me it does not matter whatkind of blue signs the PUP paint. Theycan paint the light poles. They canpaint the streets. They can paint thetrees. They can paint the garbagedrums. They can even paint the straydogs blue. If it is their desire, theycan even erect a sign reaching to themoon and paint it BLUE. To me itDOES NOT MATER. The more I see their blue, the moreit reminds me of their corruption. The more I see their blue, the moreit reminds me of the suffering that theyhave brought upon all of us living inBelize. The more I see their blue, themore it reminds me how theirburdensome new taxes has driventhe cost of every food item to the sky. The more I see their blue, the moreit reminds me of the high cost oflight, water and telephone. The more I see their blue, the moreit reminds me of the revenue from thesale of our oil that is going straight into

chosen few. The more I see their blue, the moreit reminds me of the sale and giveaway of ALL our national assets tothemselves, their relatives, their friendsand their cronies. The more I see their blue, the moreit reminds me of their raping of ourDevelopment Finance Corporation. The more I see their blue, the moreit reminds me of the abuse that theycontinue to perpetuate against oursocial security funds. The more I see their blue, the moreit reminds me of the 100% increasein environmental tax which continuesto drive the cost of living through theroof. The more I see their blue, the moreit reminds me of their 100% increasein the cost for us to get a passport. The more I see their blue, the moreit reminds me that they continue to paythe private Universal Health Servicedebt to the Belize Bank while thepeople have made it abundantly clearthat they should not use our money topay this private debt. Come Election Day, whenever theycall it, I am going to the polls and Iam going to vote RED, the true colorof my heart and the life blood that runsthrough my veins. I will vote red for the love of mycountry. I will vote red for the love ofmy children. I will vote red for the love of mychildren’s children and the Belizeangeneration yet unborn.B.F Lopez, San Ignaciotheir pockets and the pockets of their

Dear Editor, Please allow me the opportunity tojoin the STAR Newspaper incongratulating the San Ignacio Policefor aggressively enforcing the law asit pertains to the closing ofrestaurants in my neighborhood atthe legally stipulated time. This situation has brought peaceand quiet to our neighborhood. Thisis a condition that we have notexperienced in quite a long time. We are also getting the feeling likethe crime situation and late nightdrunken lawlessness in the area hasbeen reduced and for this we thankthe police. We have also noted a visibledecrease in the number of thosebicycle riding boys on the streetsafter midnight and the number of thoseones who once assembled outside

these establishments begging for adollar, a beer or for something to eat. We sincerely hope that the policewill maintain the situation in itspresent form.R. Castillo, Santa Elena, Cayo.

Ed Note: We are likewise gettingthe feeling, at least over the pastseveral weeks, that crimes in theSanta Elena area has beenreduced. During the period, we havespecifically been asking the policeto provide us with information inthis regard. On every occasionthey tell us that there is nothingto report. In the absence ofinformation to the contrary, weare only hoping that the policeare not misleading us, only timewill tell.

Ed Note: To those students whosent us the letter this week aboutthe condition on the campus atSacred Heart College, please beinformed that your letter wasshared with Principal ChristopherAird. Principal Aird informed that thecondition is being addressed bythe competent authority. At Mr.Aird’s request we will be holdingoff publishing the letter in light of

the fact that publishing theconcern is secondary to gettingthe situation addressed. At the STAR Newspaper,positive actions alwayssupercedes publicity and as such,we will be holding back theletter in order to afford unimpededrectification of this condition whichwe believe is the primaryobjective of those who took timeout to send the letter to us.

Dear Editor; Betty, the lady who owns andoperates the local general store inHillview, says Coca Cola trucks havenot been delivering it products in thearea for several weeks. This situation is causing Coca colaaddicts to go beserk. Local speculation has it that the

Coca Cola delivery trucks are toobig and top heavy and driversare afraid of turning over, intrying to enter the village, becauseall the major corners to navigateare impassable due to deep washoutsin the area.R. Auxillou, Hillview, SantaElena


PRESS RELEASEContact: Miguel Hernandez,Marketing Administrator

San Ignacio, Cayo District, 20Nov, 2007: The Lodge at Chaa Creek has wonthe Condé Nast Traveler Readers’Choice 2007 Award as the bestresort in Central and South Americaand has been rated by NationalGeographic Adventure Magazine asone of the “Best Adventure TravelCompanies on Earth.” Chaa Creek was rated first byConde Nast Travel Readers during asurvey of ten destinations, whichincluded Belize, Chile, Uruguay,Argentina and Costa Rica amongothers. Every year since 1988, a selectsample of Conde Nast Travelerreaders have taken the Readers’

Choice Survey. In 2007, thequestionnaires were made availableto all readers enclosed with theirApril or May issue of the CondeNast Magazine or through a secureweb site that contained the completequestionnaire. The final tabulations of28,104 responses were done byMediamark Research Inc, of NewYork City. The questionnairescontained a list of candidates(individual cities, hotels etc) andspace was allowed for write-ins.Only candidates that received arequired minimum number ofresponses were deemed eligible foran award. Each candidate was rated, criterionby criterion, as excellent, very good,good, fair or poor. Criterion scores,which represent the percentage ofrespondents rating a candidateexcellent or very good, were averaged

CHAA CREEK WINS TWO PRESTIGIOUSINTERNATIONAL AWARDS

to determine the final score. TheLodge at Chaa Creek scored 93.0 %. Meanwhile, last week Chaa CreekInland Expeditions was rated byNational Geographic AdventureMagazine as one of the “BestAdventure Travel Companies onEarth” in what the magazine calledthe world’s first large-scale rating ofadventure tour operators. With the assistance from theAdventure Council, Adventures inTravel Expo, the Adventure TravelTrade Association, and other tourismorganizations, National Geographicreached out to hundreds of tourcompanies around the world. Theoutfitters were asked to complete acomprehensive survey and werescored from 1 to 100 on the

The Lodge at Chaa Creek nestled in 365 acres ofprivate reserve. It’s the place that puts visitors in

harmony with nature at its best. Truly an experience ofa lifetime

following criteria: education,sustainability, quality of service, andspirit of adventure. Chaa Creekscored 88.3%. The Lodge at Chaa Creek is theleading destination for naturalhistory travel in Belize since 1981 andis Belize’s premier destination fora wide range of adventures. Chaa Creek’s 365- acre privatereserve has provided a unique andunforgettable experience forthousands of guests while maintainingan unspoiled ambience and is verygrateful to them for having rated itas the number one resort in Centraland South America. Likewise, it isproud to be voted by NationalGeographic as one of the World’sBest Travel companies.

By: K. Y. Fernandez, Santa ElenaCayo, Tuesday, November, 20,2007: I got some inspiration a few daysago so I decided to write this poem.I believe that many people todayshare this view about the crisis we arenow faced with. I hope you can include it in the nextedition of the STAR Newspaper.ENJOY!Thanks,K.Y. Fernandez

HAAD TIMES DI YAThings haad out ya!

Rice - gaan up,Bred - gaan upEgg - gaan upGas - gaan up

But wi salaries - no di go up!

Da whe di happen ina dis country?Piple di bawl caz dis da suffering!

Yu get yu digree, but yu can’t getwa good job

Caz di economi really bad!But Prime Minister Musa and hiscronies dem seh welcome to the

paatiDa whe kinda paati dis whe piple di

suffa?

Di pay noh even nuff fu buy we libred and buta!

Di youths dem di kill each addainstead a working fu mek wha lee

dolla.

Den we hear bout all dis govanmentcorruption

But wi no di get no satisfaction.

We need som justice ina dis landSo wi all hafu tek wa stand.

Things hafu changeWe must get togeda

And get rid a dis dictaeta.Wi fewcha look real grim

While Musa, pan TV, di grin

No more a dis ya suffering!Get up!

Weh haffu rise and shine!Wi can’t kip submissive no moe

Dis ya paati hafu go.

Dis ya election wi ALL wa mek wachange

Because - YU DUN SAY IT - digovament haffu change!

So mek sure yu exacise yu rightsAnd vote so wi can mek we future

real bright!Monday thru Friday

5 to 7 P.M

Monday: Draft Beer$2.50

Tuesday: Local Rum$3.00

Wednesday: Margaritas$9.95

Thursday: Piña Colada$9.95

Friday: Micheladas$4.00

Mexican & Belizean Menu

HAPPY HOUR


Orange Walk police reports thatat around 12:50 p.m. on Friday,November 23, they were called outto Camp 13 in the Mennonite

Dangriga police reports thatshortly after 4:00 p.m., on Friday,November, 23, whilst on mobilepatrol between miles 21 and 22 onthe Hummingbird Highway, they cameupon a male person acting in asuspicious manner and dressed in acamouflage outfit. The male person was detained anda search on his person led to thediscovery of a 9 mm Beretta brandpistol bearing serial numberBER247820 along with 73 live roundsof 9mm ammunition.

The person was later identified asElijah Samuel Gill, 30, US Nationalresiding at mile 21 ½ on theHummimbird Highway. He was transported to the DangrigaPolice Station where he is expectedto be arrested and formally chargedfor keeping unlicensed firearm and forkeeping unlicenced ammunition. He is expected to appear in thecourtroom of Dangriga’s MagistrateClive Lino, on Monday November26, where he will answer to thecharges against him.

A report coming out of OrangeWalk police informs that shortlyafter 6:00 p.m. on Friday, November23, they were summoned to themunicipality’s Northern RegionalHospital where they encounteredClinton Banner, 52, from the villageof Carmelita suffering from head andbody injuries. Initial investigation revealed that ataround 5:45 that evening, AnthonyLanza, 37, Belizean businessman alsofrom the village of Carmelita, was

driving his Toyota pickup truckbearing license plates OW-C-10295on Northern Highway headingtowards Orange Walk Town whenupon reaching between miles 48 and49 he collided into Banner who wasriding a bicycle in the same direction. Banner received head and bodyinjuries and later died whilst under-going treatment. Lanza is presently in police custodyat the Orange Walk station while theincident is being investigated.

community of Shipyard Village in theOrange Walk District where theycame upon the apparent lifelessbody Abram Enns, 38, Belizean

Mennonite, residing in the village,lying face up with multiple wounds. Initial investigation revealed at 12:10p.m. whilst he was welding the tankfrom a crude oil truck, it explodedcausing the injuries. At the time of the incident Enns’ 6and 4 year old sons who werearound emerged with burns tovarious parts of their bodies.

Enns’ body was removed from thescene and transported to the OrangeWalk Hospital where it was officialypronounced dead. The two sonsremain hospitalize in stable conditionat the Northern Medical Plaza. The legally required post mortemexamination certified that Enns diedas a result of Craneo EncephalicTrauma produced by the explosion.

In the absence of an officialreport from the Police Press Officethis Sunday night, preliminaryinformation reaching us indicatethat at around 5:50 p.m. on SaturdayNovember 24, Punta Gorda policewere called out to the scene of atraffic accident on the San Antonio/Punta Gorda Town road. On arrival, the police came upon aBelize Electricity Limited whitetoyota Hilux pickup truck, withlicense plates BZ-C-28092, in themiddle of the road and with the bodyof a male person, who was lateridentified as Juan Choc,Guatemalan, on the ground in front ofthe vehicle near San Marcos Village. The vehicle, with extensivedamage to its front portion, wasreportedly travelling from SanAntonio Village towards the Dumpwhen the accident occurred. The apparent lifeless body of JuanChoc was transported to the local poly

clinic in Punta Gorda Town where itwas officially pronounced dead.

The driver of the BEL vehicle,identified as Henry Archer, 33, ofan Indianville address in Punta GordaTown, was detained pending theusual traffic related charges ofa) Manslaughter by negligence,b) Driving without due care andattention and c) Causing death bycareless conduct. Archer is slated to be transportedto the Magistrate court in Dangrigawhere he will be formally charged. In expressing “DeepestSympathies” to the bereavedfamily, a BEL press release issuedby the electricity company informedthat “an on-duty employee of theBelize Electricity CompanyLimited (BEL) was involved in atraffic accident which resulted inthe death of Jose Choc.” The BEL release additionallyinformed that “The Police Depart-ment is currently investigatingthis incident and BEL is alsocarrying out an investigation inline with its Safety Policy.”


Notice is hereby given that under theIntoxicating Liquor License OrdinanceChapter 150 of the laws of Belize,Revised Edition 2000, that GEOVANNIDAWSON is applying for the renewal ofhis PUBLICAN SPECIAL LIQUORLICENSE for the year 2008 to operateLA PASADITA BAR located on La LomaLuz Boulevard, Santa Elena Town in theCayo District.

Notice is hereby given that under theIntoxicating Liquor License OrdinanceChapter 150 of the laws of Belize, RevisedEdition 2000, that LEONARD FLOWERSis applying for the renewal of hisPUBLICAN SPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSEfor the year 2008 to operate TOUCH OFCLASS COMFORT INN located on PerezStreet, Santa Elena Town in the CayoDistrict.

Notice is hereby given that under theIntoxicating Liquor License OrdinanceChapter 150 of the laws of Belize, RevisedEdition 2000, that LUIS MARTINEZ isapplying for the renewal of hisMALT & CIDER LIQUOR LICENSE forthe year 2008 to operate TRY ITlocated in Esperanza Village in the CayoDistrict.

Notice is hereby given that under theIntoxicating Liquor License OrdinanceChapter 150 of the laws of Belize, RevisedEdition 2000, that FENG YING TANG isapplying for the renewal of hisCONVENIENT STORE LIQUORLICENSE for the year 2008 to operateTHREE FLAGS located on the WesternHighway in Santa Elena Town in the CayoDistrict.

Notice is hereby given that under theIntoxicating Liquor License OrdinanceChapter 150 of the laws of Belize, RevisedEdition 2000, that FRED ROTH applyingfor the renewal of his PUBLICANSPECIAL LIQUOR LICENSE for the year2008 to operate HAPPY’S RESTAURANT& BAR located at Mile 66 WesternHighway, Santa Elena Town in the CayoDistrict.

Notice is hereby given that under theIntoxicating Liquor License OrdinanceChapter 150 of the laws of Belize, RevisedEdition 2000, that SHAO BIAO LI isapplying for the renewal of hisRESTAURANT LIQUOR LICENSE forthe year 2008 to operate ALLAN’SRESTAURANT located on George PriceBoulevard, Benque Viejo Town in the CayoDistrict.

Notice is hereby given that under theIntoxicating Liquor License OrdinanceChapter 150 of the laws of Belize, RevisedEdition 2000, that ARMANDO CANTO isapplying for the renewal of hisMALT & CIDER LIQUOR LICENSE forthe year 2008 to operate MANDY’S STORElocated in at the Augustine ForestStation Mountain Pine Ridge Cayo District.

Notice is hereby given that under theIntoxicating Liquor License OrdinanceChapter 150 of the laws of Belize, RevisedEdition 2000, that DELMY RAMIREZ isapplying for the renewal of herRESTAURANT LIQUOR LICENSE forthe year 2008 to operate DELMY’SRESTAURATN located in the KontikiArea, San Ignacio Town in the CayoDistrict.

I enjoyed the Amandala hugesection on nation state evolvement ofBelize and the alternatives. How wecame about and are changing. It wasa huge section. It didn't come to anyconclusions or suggest anything, butit was thought provoking. One of the port town items I havethought about was the mention thatnobody in the port town cooks withfirewood anymore and cannot evenbuy it. Yet out here in Cayo Westtowns, firewood is still the majoritycooking method. At least with thepeople I know? Who earn between$300 and $600 Bz per month. Themodernization of life style in Belize isthought provoking. We have gone toa cash economy and no longer use

plantations to support the family. Therich today are the same as in colonialdays. The civil servants andmerchants. These are our middleclass, or upper middle class. Thereare more producers today though inrural areas who are seasonal middleclass at least. When it comes topoverty, the inability to cook withfirewood by the port town citydwellers only indicates the changeswe have in how we live. Today just calculating basic utilitiesand necessities for a 400 sq. ft house,butane, electricity, telephone, runningwater, flush toilet, you need $1400 Bza month just to break even with yourliving costs for a family of five. I wouldsay this is break even poverty level.Below that is poverty, below $600 Bza month is extra deep poverty andbelow $300 Bz a month is superpoverty. There are many, many, manyrural families living on a lot less cashflow than that, who use firewood tocook, hole in the ground outhouse andmight have access to water, or rainbarrels. Plantations no longer are practicalfor most people for many differentreasons, but thieving of their produceis the most common reason. In that sense, the Amandala articlepointed out how the PUP had evolvedinto a Capitalist political party, forself enrichment mostly of electedrepresentatives. I do hope a lot of electoral divisions

By: Ray Auxillou, HillviewCommunity, Santa Elena,Cayo, Saturday, November24, 2007:

have the sense to elect a third partycandidate to break the monopoly onpolitical power from the two mainparties and make them at least sharethe future and perhaps return todealing with the majority of peoplewho are actually poor by localstandards and certainly by foreignindustrial standards. The changes have also broadenedthe middle class in this country. Mostof which are still civil servants, butthat cannot go much further foranother 15 years until the PUP debtis reconciled. The upper strata of middle class arevery comfortable though. Thereseems to be more wealth today. Thepoor are managing by jamming two

and three families in a smallhouse. You don't see communitygroups erecting palmeto housesanymore and thatching same. Mosthouses are wood or cement andare usually owned by a bank, or theDFC. Families have fragmented like NorthAmerica. The nuclear family iscommon. This is more seen byethnic lines. The Creoles from thecoast would more likely be in adog-eat-dog /on-your-own, survivalbasis, than say the white BelizeanMennonite groups or the true Mayans.The Mestizos are still workingtogether as families, but not so muchin community relationships of self helpthough.

#6 Hudson Street, San Ignacio, CayoTelephone: 824-2101

Notice is hereby given that under theIntoxicating Liquor License OrdinanceChapter 150 of the laws of Belize,Revised Edition 2000, that YOLDAROSADO is applying for the renewalof her PUBLICAN SPECIAL LIQUORLICENSE for the year 2008 to operateSANKAR BAR located on JospehAndrews Drive, San Ignacio Town in theCayo District.

Notice is hereby given that under theIntoxicating Liquor License OrdinanceChapter 150 of the laws of Belize,Revised Edition 2000, that RONG KUNLIANG is applying for the renewalof his CONVENIENT STORE LIQUORLICENSE for the year 2008 to operateTAI SAN STORE located on BurnsAvenue, San Ignacio Town in the CayoDistrict.

MONA CAMPUS, University ofThe West Indies, Jamaica,Monday, November 19, 2007: The Belize Students’ Association ofJamaica (BSAJ) has mounted alibrary display at the University of theWest Indies Main Library at theMona Campus in celebration ofGarifuna Settlement Day. The displayhighlights the history, dance, music,language and artifacts of the Garinagu.It also showcases several bookswritten by or about Garifuna people.The exhibit will remain on display untilMonday, November 26, 2007. The Association in collaborationwith the Vincentian Students’Association also conducted aGarifuna Cultural Expo on Saturday,November 17 at the Undercroft ofthe Senate Building on UWI MonaCampus. The expo highlightedvarious aspects of Garifuna cultureinclude the music, dances, and theGarifuna language. Guest speaker for the expo wasMiss Donna McFarlane, Director ofthe Liberty Hall and MarcusGarvey Multimedia Museum. MissMcFarlane focused her presentationon the findings of a research she

conducted on cassava-baking in theCaribbean including the Garifunacommunities of Belize. McFarlane gave insight into thepresence of Africans in this regionlong before Columbus and theintroduction of cassava to the Africandiet. She also shared the differencesand similarities in cassava-baking inBelize, Jamaica, Suriname and St.Vincent and the Grenadines. Theexpo ended with sampling of hudut,and Vincentian cassava-bread andsaltfish. The Belize and VincentianStudents Associations express muchappreciation and gratitude to theHistory Department, the Institute ofCaribbean Studies, the Literaturesin English Department, the GuildCouncil, the Office of the CampusRegistrar, and the Department ofLanguage, Linguistics and Philosophyfor supporting this event. The BSAJ extends warm wishes foran enjoyable Garifuna SettlementDay and the continued preservationof the Garifuna culture. For further information, you maycontact the BSAJ [email protected].


BY: El ValienteSanta Elena, Cayo, Thursday,November 22, 2007: The recent visit of the PrimeMinister to Cayo Central was theweakest show of support for theoutgoing, Said Musa led People’sUnited Party (PUP) government. What we saw was a case of thePUP continuing to abuse our schoolchildren for political gains on everyleg of the recently concluded tour. It seems that this is the only waythey are certain that they will be ableto secure an audience to listen to theirblatant lies and false promises as theyseek the almost impossible task ofremaining in the seat of government. One would have thought that afterforcing a set of mediocre and inferiorquality textbooks on our children,they would have given them somebreathing space.

During the tour, there was also thecase of the incompetent PUP CayoCentral area representative, MarioCastellanos. What was thischaracter thinking when he admittedto the media that nothing has beendone in Cayo Central for the pastseveral years? After all these years, has thisoutgoing character not realized thathe is the primary person who shouldmake things happen in Cayo Central? It therefore becomes obviousthat this character is not only ado-nothing- individual but it is nowapparent that he has been sleeping onthe job for all these years. There isnow hardly any doubt why hiscolleagues publicly refer to him as thenon-performing politician who doesnot even speak in the House ofRepresentatives on behalf of thepeople he is supposed to represent.

Over the past several monthsOver the past several monthsOver the past several monthsOver the past several monthsOver the past several monthswe have been hearing of anwe have been hearing of anwe have been hearing of anwe have been hearing of anwe have been hearing of anincreasing number of personsincreasing number of personsincreasing number of personsincreasing number of personsincreasing number of personssuffering from stroke and sosuffering from stroke and sosuffering from stroke and sosuffering from stroke and sosuffering from stroke and sowe decided to republish thiswe decided to republish thiswe decided to republish thiswe decided to republish thiswe decided to republish thisarticle submitted by Aminiarticle submitted by Aminiarticle submitted by Aminiarticle submitted by Aminiarticle submitted by AminiGalvez-Romero, Health CareGalvez-Romero, Health CareGalvez-Romero, Health CareGalvez-Romero, Health CareGalvez-Romero, Health CarePharmacy, San Ignacio, Cayo.Pharmacy, San Ignacio, Cayo.Pharmacy, San Ignacio, Cayo.Pharmacy, San Ignacio, Cayo.Pharmacy, San Ignacio, Cayo.I was first published 2 yearsI was first published 2 yearsI was first published 2 yearsI was first published 2 yearsI was first published 2 yearsago in the Sunday, Novemberago in the Sunday, Novemberago in the Sunday, Novemberago in the Sunday, Novemberago in the Sunday, November27, 2005, Edition #58 of the27, 2005, Edition #58 of the27, 2005, Edition #58 of the27, 2005, Edition #58 of the27, 2005, Edition #58 of theSTAR NewspaperSTAR NewspaperSTAR NewspaperSTAR NewspaperSTAR Newspaper During a Bar-B-Q party, a friendstumbled and took a little fall.Although they offered to take her tothe hospital, she assured everyone thatshe was just fine and that it was just alittle stumble cause primarily due toher new shoes. She go up, was brushed off andgiven a new plate of food - while sheappeared a bit shake up - Ingrid wentabout enjoying herself for the rest ofthe evening. Later that evening Ingrid’s husbandcalled to tell friends that she was takento the hospital - three hours later,Ingrid was DEAD! She had suffereda stroke at the Bar-B-Q. Hadanyone know how to identify the signof a stroke, perhaps Ingrid would bealive today. A neurologist says that if he can getto a stroke victim within three hours,he can TOTALLY reverse the effects

Does he not know that his PUPgovernment is squeezing the peopleof the division by vindictivelywithholding due subvention from thetown council to pay for garbagecollection and instead his governmenthas resorted to providing “loans”to the council ALL of which has beengoing directly to Raymond Cox withnot a word is coming out of MarioCastellanos. People have given up money forland and there is no sign of neithermoney nor land and not a word fromCastellanos. The Nepalese are taking awayhundreds of jobs from the people ofCayo Central and Mario Castellanoscontinues to remain silent. One quarter of a million gallons ofpetroleum is leaving Belize everysingle month through the BenqueViejo Border and Castellanos couldcare less that this new found wealth isslipping out of the hands of theBelizean people. How out of place he now soundsas he goes about complaining aboutGovernment paying Raymond Cox tocollect garbage in the Twin Towns. The truth of the matter Mario, is thatwhen the UDP came to office in theTown Council in 2003, that portionof the subvention that was used to payCOX was instantly cancelled. The council has since beenstraining to pay Cox for the job thathe is barely performing. In fact justlast month one of these “loans” wasobtained and all $175,000.00 of itwent straight into Raymond Cox’sdeep pocket. Now that he has been duly educatedon the issues at hand, we trust thatMario Castellanos will refrain frommaking a fool of himself in trying tocriticize the town council for all theills committed by his government andby himself through way of omissionfor not doing what he was elected andpaid to do.

Con Amor En Memoria DeNuestro Querido Padre El Senor

JUAN GUERRA Sr.Con Lagrimas,dolor y tristeza

recordamosquien en vidafuera el SenorJuan Guerra.Nos cuidastescon amor. Nos

llenastes dealegria. Noscontastes tis

trostezas. Nosdejastes para

siempre.El dia 22 de

Noviembre el Senor abrio laspuertas y tu tntrastes al gran

paraiso. Eres tristemente recordadopor tus hijos, hijas, nietos,bisnietos yo tatara nietos.

DESCANZA EN PAZPAPA JUAN

Maria Gomez y La Familia Guerra

of a stroke. He said the trick wasgetting a stroke recognized, diagnosedand getting the correct attention to thepatient within three hours. Sometimes symptoms of a strokeare difficult to identify. Unfortunately,the lack of awareness spells disaster.The stroke victim may suffer braindamage when people nearby fail torecognize the symptoms of a stroke. Now doctors say a bystander canrecognize a stroke by going throughthe following three simple procedures: 1. Ask the individual to SMILE.A red flag must immediately goup if the individual produces adistorted facial expression for asmile. 2. Ask the individual to raiseboth arms. Another red flag mustimmediately go up if the individualis experiencing difficulties inperforming this simple exercise. 3. Ask the individual toSPEAK A SIMPLE SENTENCEcoherently. Again a red flagmust go up if the individual isincoherent in speaking a simplesentence. If the individual has trouble withany of the above tasks, it’s timeto rush the person to the nearesthealth facility and advise theattending medical personal ofthe symptoms observed.

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By ANITA SNOW, AssociatedPress WriterHAVANA (AP): Cuba announced Tuesday it hasset January 20, 2008 for nationalelections that are part of the processof determining whether ailing leaderFidel Castro continues as president. The ruling, signed by interim leaderRaul Castro and read on statetelevision, set the date for electionsto provincial and national assemblies- voting that is held every five years.There was no explicit mention ofFidel Castro, but the 81-year-oldleader of the Cuban Revolution mustbe re-elected to the nationalparliament before he could repeat aspresident of the Council of State toremain in full power. Raul, 76, is the council’s first vicepresident The January elections come almost18 months after the elder Castrostepped aside on July 31, 2006,because of emergency intestinalsurgery, provisionally ceding hisfunctions to his brother and a teamof other top leaders. He has not been seen in publicsince, appearing only in officialphotographs and videos andregularly writing essays with mostlyinternational themes. The parliament, known in Cubaas the National Assembly, elects anew council every five years, severalweeks after deputies are elected. Itwas not announced when the newNational Assembly would meet for thefirst time to renew the top councilmembers. Cuba’s constitution calls for thecouncil’s first vice president, currentlyRaul Castro, to fill the presidentialslot when vacated. Fidel, Cuba’s unchallenged leadersince 1959, held the councilpresidency since its 1976 creation. Phil Peters, a Cuba analyst withthe pro-democracy Lexington thinktank outside Washington, saidJanuary’s vote would be “an elec-tion with real suspense.” “If (Fidel) doesn’t put his nameon the ballot he is effectively re-signing,” Peters said. However, even if Castrorelinquishes the presidency, he couldstill play a key role in the nation’sleadership in his current position asCommunist Party generalsecretary - arguably a more politicallypowerful job - or in a new emeritusposition. Vicki Huddleston, America’s topdiplomat in Cuba from 1999-2001,said it seemed likely Raul Castrowould be Cuba’s next Council ofState president. “Very few people imagine thatFidel will return to power in anactive position,” said Huddleston. Cuba recently held the first roundof its election process, with more than8.1 million voters - 95 percent of those

registered - casting ballots in lateOctober to elect more than 12,000delegates to 169 municipal assembliesacross the island. Those assemblies are nowchoosing candidates for provincialand national assembly seats. Anyone 16 or older can vote inCuba and casting a ballot is notmandatory. Membership in theCommunist Party - the only legalpolitical party on the island - also isnot required. Small dissident groups - which aretolerated but dismissed by Cuba’s

government as mercenaries of theUnited States - boycotted themunicipal elections.

Detractors of Cuba’s electoralprocess complain the country’spresident is not directly elected bycitizens and say voters feel heavypressure to support pro-governmentcandidates. “The current Electoral Law,marked by a totalitariancharacter, does not guarantee theelemental right of citizens tofreely elect people who representprograms or proposals that differfrom those of the only party thathas governed for more than fourdecades,” dissident Vladimiro Rocawrote earlier this week in adeclaration from the oppositioncoalition Todos Unidos.

Raul Castro (L) and brother Fidel Castro (R)


Adapted from a submission byAngel Manzanero: Bob walked into Evas Restauranton Burns Avenue in San Ignacio andsat at the bar just as the 10:00 p.m,Channel 5 News repeat was comingon. Next to him, also tuned in to thenewscast, was Simple Simon. The news crew was covering astory of a man who had climed to thetop of the BTL tower on St. ThomasStreet in Belize City as he wasthreatening to jump. Simon looked at Bob and said, "Doyou think he'll jump?" Bob says, "I bet he'll jump." Simon replied, "Want to bet hewon't."

Mrs. Garcia lives right on the edgeof the Western Highway in SantaElena, Cayo. About a week ago she beganhaving problems with the door of hercloset. Everytime a bus passed onthe highway the door would fall off.So she called a repairman. The repairman came and sureenough the door was on the floorinside Mrs. Garcia’s bedroom. "OK”, said the repairman “Iwill need to find out exactly what’sgoing on here. I am going insidethe closet, just close the doorbehind me" he said to Mrs. Jones. The repairman was not sitting in thecloset for no more than 5 minutes whenMr. Garcia returned home to changehis shirt. He opens the closet and there wasthe repairman. "What the hell are you doing

To stop her 4-year old daughterfrom biting her nails, Mrs. Gonzaleztells her it'll make her fat. “I won't do it any more, Mom,"says little Annie. The next day they are walking onBurns Avenue in San Ignacio whenthey meet a very fat man. “If I bite my fingernails, I'll beas fat as that, won't I Mom?"asked Annie “You'll be fatter than that,"responds Mrs. Gonzalez.

They get on a bus for the ride toBelmopan, and sitting opposite themis a very pregnant lady. Little Annie can't take her eyes offthe woman's belly. The pregnant lady feels increasinglyuncomfortable under Annie’s stare,and finally leans forward and says toAnnie, “Excuse me, but do youknow me?" “No”, responds little Annie, “but Iknow exactly what you've beendoing..."

inside my closet?" asked an angryMr. Jones. The trembling repairmanresponded "Well, you are notgoing to believe it, but I amactually waiting for a bus!”

“I bet you 20 bucks that he willJump” challenged Bob "You're on!" said Simon as heplaced his 20 bucks on the bar It did not take long after the betwas sealed for the guy to dive off thetower, falling to his death below. Simon was very upset, butconceeded that he had lost the bet,"Fair is fair, you win, take themoney” he said "I can't take your money”, saidBob. “It’s not fair, I saw the newsearlier at 6:30 and I knew hewould jump." "I also saw the 6:30 news” saidSimon “the money is all yoursbecause quite frakly I didn't thinkhe'd do it again."

We AMSTo Please


BY: Elias A. AweNovember 10, 2007 “And God shall wipe away all tearsfrom their eyes; and there shall be nomore death, neither sorrow, norcrying, neither shall there be any morepain; for the former things are passedaway.” Revelation: 21:4 This evening we are gathered heretogether as a family of believers tocelebrate and pay homage to whomin life was, Mrs. Irene Juanformerly Ochoa. We are saddenedby her passing on that fateful 7th dayof November 2007, when she left thislife to meet her Creator. It is therefore with a heavy heartthat we extend our profoundsympathies to Elias, Lucy and f amily,to Don Rodi, her brother and hisfamily, to her adopted daughtersAnnette Martinez and JudithFuller and indeed to the extendedfamily which includes 12 grand and15 great grand children. “Miss Irene” as she wasrespectfully known, was born on the5th of April, 1920 in the picturesquetown of San Ignacio to Ingracia andJose Maria Ochoa. She wasmarried to Juan Elias Juan, nowdeceased. This marriage conceivedtwo sons: Elias and Naim and twoadopted daughters Annette andJudith. Miss Irene was predeceased byher siblings: Edelmira, Carlota,Erlinda, Sofia, Teodocio and Jose.Mr. Rodolfo “Rodi” Ochoa is theonly surviving brother in the family. The life of Miss Irene can bestbe described as a woman ofunbreakable faith and sterlingresilience. Her strong faith gave heraccess to unravel the truth in themystery of life and death in a way onlyshe understood. She cherished andembraced every minute of her lifetill the glorious end. She hadthe fortitude to cope, withoutcomplaining, with the suffering andpain brought about by her illness. Evenat her dying bed, she still found thelast ounce of strength to make thosearound her smile with her ever wittyjokes. Her brother, Rodi, shares with usthat as a young man he partly grewup with her. He claims that she wasthe historian in the family who alwayskept them informed of family tiesand events that occurred in earliertimes in their hometown SanIgnacio. She had a good sense of humor andwould make adversities take adifferent meaning after counteringthem with her ever clever remarks. Dancing was her delight and she didnot miss a beat at the then Abdo’sBuilding in downtown San Ignacio.Above all, says Don Rodi: “Mysister was a very industriouswoman who from a very youngage knew how to tackle thechallenges of life head on! She did

so as a milpa farmer, a farm girland later on as an exceptionalcompanion to her dear husbandof a lifetime.” Elias, for his part, says his Momwas an ambitious and astute woman,a person with good business acumen.Elias recalls that at an earlier agein our history, his mom would wakeup at the very wee hours of themorning to cook and feed anumber of “chicleros” during the“temporada” when chicle was amainstay in Cayo’s economy. Heconsiders her as a woman who did“go through the mill” of life. Itwas only when she had to do hipreplacement surgery that she easedfrom her ever busy chores. He iseternally thankful for her believing inthe power of education and makingsure that her children received thebest possible education there was atthe time. Lucy, her daughter in law, whoaccompanied Miss Irene forseventeen years, speaks of her as alovely person of great heart andgood character. She regarded MissIrene as a second mother – a personshe was proud to call “suegra”. Herreflections of her were thateven though Miss Irene was goingthrough severe pain, she displayed asense of humor while in her sick bedand did not want her care givers tobecome victims of her suffering.“Miss Irene”, says Lucy, “was aperson who loved life but becauseof her strong and firm faith shewas also very much prepared tomeet her Creator when the timecalled.” Her grandchildren, Yashmin,Yancy, Kathian, Jennifer andJacqueline, in a collective way, sharethat they will miss her DEARLY asshe was a person with a lovelypersonality who went through painsto keep them laughing and sharingendless fabricated stories. Theyrespected her as a lead model, andshe always provided guidance and

sound advice. She was an exemplarygrandma. Allow me at this juncture, to expresson behalf of the Juan and Ochoafamily, our deepest appreciation to allthose that accompanied the familythroughout the years of Miss Irene’sillness and much more so on thistheir time of bereavement. They areeternally grateful to all of you whowere “out there” for them. Inparticular, the Juan and Ochoa familyin a very special way wish torecognize and thank the AdventistMission, Mrs. Eloisa August, Mrs.Letty August and the Loma LuzHospital staff. Also, thanks to Nurse DulceCabrera and Dr. Juan Carlos fromthe Cuban medical team. Likewise, their appreciation goesout to Miss Aida Moro, Mrs.Maria Guzman, Lucy (Elias’ wife)and his children, for all the goodthings they did for Miss Irene. It is also noteworthy to mentionhere that one of her outstandingfriends and at the same timesister-in-law was Mrs. Irene Ochoa.The two Irene’s did not only sharethe same name and surname butwere indeed lifetime friends andsupporters of one another. Mrs. Irene Ochoa – the sister-in-law, in her own quiet and dignifiedway, was as “constant as thenorthern star” in accompanying

and showing affection to Mrs. IreneJuan through her trials and tribulationsin life. Elias and Don Rodi say de todocorazon: “Thank You, DonaIrene”. And so my friends, as I come to theend of this eulogy, let us not be sad,as Miss Irene has moved unto agreater existence, for death is not anend, but a re-birth into a perfectworld that God has promised us.Therefore, let us not be sorrowful,but joyful that our belovedmother, sister, grandmother,great grandmother and friend – MissIrene, is walking with her Creator ina paradise beyond comprehensionto us mortals. Her memories willnever fade and as time marches on,we will all be reunited. She is trulyin a better place today. May her soulrest in peace!

The ATLIB Placement Examination will take place on Friday, February29, 2008.All persons wishing to enroll in tertiary institutions in Belize MUST sitthe ATLIB EXAM.Candidates can register through any high school/District EducationCenter. The registration fee is Thirty dollars ($30.00). This isnon – refundable. An additional fee of $10.00 will be charged for late registration. Please note that there will be NO walk-ins for the Examinationthis year. This means that if a student does not register for the Exam bythe deadline, he/she will not be allowed to sit the exam.

Most ATLIB Institutions require this exam for placement into theirfirst year Mathematics and English courses, including the PrimaryEducation Program.REGISTRATION CAN ALSO BE PROCESSED

AT THESE LOCATIONSBelize Adventist Junior CollegeCorozal Junior CollegeEcumenical Junior CollegeGalen University

Sacred Heart Junior CollegeSan Pedro Junior CollegeWesley Junior CollegeMuffles Junior College

Further information can be obtained from the Examination Coordinator.Email: [email protected] Phone/Fax: 501-422-0279Email: [email protected] Cell: 600-2596

Deadline for registration is Friday, December 14th, 2007.

Mrs. Irene Juan Ochoa, 87,“She was an ambitious andastute woman, a person withgood business acumen.” says

her son Elias JuanWestern Highway,

Santa Elena Town, Cayo

824-2061or 610-4391

Venezuelan President HugoChavez says he has frozen hiscountry’s bilateral ties withneighbouring Colombia. The move follows the decision byColombian President Alvaro Uribeto end Mr Chavez’s role as ahostage negotiator with Colombia’sFarc rebels. Mr Chavez said that the decisionto end his mediation role was “a spitin the face” and denounced MrUribe as a liar. He also said he had frozenrelations with Spain over a remarkmade by King Juan Carlos earlierthis month. The king told Mr Chavez to “shutup” after the Venezuelan leaderrepeatedly interrupted the SpanishPrime Minister, Jose LuisRodriguez Zapatero, during thefinal session of Ibero-Americansummit in Santiago. Mr Chavez later said the matterwould be settled only if he receivedan apology from the king, whom

“They have spat brutallyin our face when we

worked heart and soul totry to get them on the road

to peace”Venezuelan President

Hugo Chavez

“Your words, yourattitudes, give the

impression that you arenot interested in peace inColombia, but rather thatColombia be a victim of a

Farc terrorist government,”Colombian President

Alvaro Uribe

he accused of “arrogance” and“impotence”. The Spanish government has notyet responded to Mr Chavez’sannouncement. The harsh exchange of wordsbetween Venezuela and Colombiabegan on Saturday, when PresidentUribe insisted he had ended Mr

Chavez’s involvement in thenegotiations for speaking directly toColombia’s army chief despitebeing told not to do so.“They have spat brutally in our

face when we worked heart andsoul to try to get them on the roadto peace” Hugo ChavezVenezuelanPresident “They issued a statementyesterday filled with lies, and thatis serious, very serious,” MrChavez responded - in markedcontrast to his reluctant acceptanceof the initial announcement. “President Uribe is lying, andhe’s lying in a shameless way,” hesaid. The Venezuelan leader said MrUribe had lied about the reason forthe failure of the talks in order to avoidseeking a peaceful solution to the40-year-long armed conflict with theFarc. “They have spat brutally in ourface when we worked heart andsoul to try to get them on the roadto peace,” he said.Colombians react to the end of Hugo

Chavez’s mediation efforts Mr Chavez said he had thereforedecided to freeze Venezuela’srelations with its neighbour andsecond-largest trading partner. “I declare before the worldthat I’m putting relations withColombia in the freezer becauseI’ve completely lost confidence witheveryone in the Colombiangovernment,” he said. “Everyone should be on alertwith respect to Colombia,” headded. “The companies thatColombians have here, thecompanies we have over there,commercial relations - all of thatwill be damaged. It’s lamentable.” “It’s like the case of Spain -until the king of Spain apologises,I’m freezing relations with

From Front Pagea.m., on the morning after the incident,Abraham Guerra, visited her andreported that during the course of theprevious night he observed two malepersons of dark complexion inside heryard on Hummingbird Street. Headditionally told her that he came toinform her the night before but thatno one answered the doorbell. The Castellanos family becamesuspicious of Guerra’s involvementwhen their investigation revealed thatthe sensor from their exterior motiondetector light was shifted in a passionto become ineffective. Theysuspected, that the shifting of thesensor was done by Guerra or a malefriend who was along with him duringthe course of the day as they wereengaged in constructing a house in theyard for the family dog.

Abraham Guerra’s guilty plea wasaccepted on both counts and he wassentence to three years imprisonmenton each count. The sentences are torun concurrently. He will thereforeonly serve three years in jail. Notwithstanding Guerra taking therap, San Ignacio police informs thatthey are still looking for a least twoother persons that are stronglysuspected to have been involved inboth incidents. In the Cahal Pech Museum case,none of the stolen cash or checks hasbeen recovered. In the Castellanosincident, there are reports that thepolice might have recovered some ofthe stole jewelry but the family isyet to receive official notificationregarding the items reportedlyrecovered.

Spain.” President Uribe wasted no time inresponding to the onslaught from hisVenezuelan counterpart. His attack on Mr Chavez was lesspersonal but equally devastating. “Your words, your attitudes, givethe impression that you are notinterested in peace in Colombia,but rather that Colombia be avictim of a Farc terroristgovernment”said ColombianPresident Alvaro Uribe Mr Uribe accused the Venezuelanleader of not being interested inpromoting peace in Colombia andinsisted that Venezuela hadexpansionist plans that Colombiawould resist. “The truth is, President Chavez,we need mediation againstterrorism, not one that legitimisesterrorism,” he said. “Your words, your attitudes,give the impression thatyou are not interested in peacein Colombia, but ratherthat Colombia be a victim of aFarc terrorist government,” headded. “If you are spreading anexpansionist project in thecontinent, in Colombia thisproject will make no headway.”

“boredom ends here” -...

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