Mayas Were Detained in Pre-dawn Raid
As we said, Cristina Coc and ten others were arraigned this morning in the Punta Gorda Magistrate Court following an early morning operation. Several persons in detention were reportedly injured when personnel from the Special Patrol Unit descended on their homes. Doors were allegedly knocked down and one man was said to have been punched in the neck, while another was struck on the leg. All eleven were roused out of their slumber and were not allowed to properly attire themselves before being dragged to Punta Gorda. Because of their partial state of undress, the men were not allowed to go before the magistrate. They resorted to borrowing various articles of clothing from others within the gathering in order to be arraigned in court. The predawn raid on Santa Cruz this morning, according to Matura-Shepherd, simply shows the power of the state in flexing its authority.
Audrey Matura-Shepherd
Audrey Matura-Shepherd, Attorney for Detained Santa Cruz Villagers
“What is amazing about this, it shows you the might of the state. The Prime Minister said in his interview on Monday that at all cost, he will make whatever authorities do whatever they have to do to bring justice and get these people. I’m don’t say we shouldn’t have justice; I believe there should be an investigation and the side of Mister Myles should be heard and the side of the community. But I want to be able to give you all today a copy of a letter that shows clearly that the police, the B.D.F. and NICH knew the problem and they knew that on that day a meeting was being held to discuss that issue and that the eviction as key to it and they were called out so that this may be done peacefully. Did they show up? No, they didn’t show up. But this morning at three-thirty or four o’clock, as though they are dealing with common criminals; they don’t even go to the border and get the Guatemalans at pre-dawn operations—they came to the village of Santa Cruz while men and women were sleeping. And what the police don’t want you all to see is that many of these people didn’t have on shirts and they were not wearing any shoes if you look because the police, in an inhumane way, refused to make them put on a simple shirt and refuse to make them put on a shoe. It is begging other friends out here that people took off their shirts and gave it to them so that they can go before the courts. And that needs to be known. So that pre-dawn operation is just showing the might of the state. It is happening in Santa Cruz and let me tell you, it happens in Belize City every day. It is not something new to me.”
As we mentioned earlier, bail arrangement was underway for the detainees to be released this evening. We will have a comprehensive report on the developments in Punta Gorda in Thursday’s newscast.
LOL. the same PM that played servant for the Guatemala gunboat crew is trying to play strong man
Rise up rise up my Mayan people march to this pm house drag him out of his bed and lock him up fu thief and not only fu thief but also for murder yes I said murder he is a murderer over 5000 belizeans have died since he has been in office worse pm in the history of this nation I propose this country be cut in half in Belize let all the blacks live there and all the non black live in the other half of the country .
why di $%^& dean barrow no di do that to the %^&* guatemalans that come destroy our heritage and our forests and what about the guatemalan warship that destroyed our barrier reef? why he no acted the same way he chancey and looks like its more of a revenge he is doing because the mayan won a case in the supreme court against the GOB/corrupt dean barrow…if mr miles was wrong it wrong like all that dean barrow does if $%^&*( wrong-cover up corruption in most GOB departments,its wrong what mr miles did-destroy the uxbenka ruin,its not like how denny grijalva did to ‘noh mul’ in orange walk its just a slap on the face of the belizean people…and what is worst denny is still allowed to run again in ow central-although his company destroy a maya site ‘noh mul’ and its just keeps playing in court -taking and fooling the belizeans that he will be charged ..belize is so damed and %^&*() up under this corrupt dean barrow government,Belizeans wake up and on election day REJECT THE UDP and dean barrow.
Watcha I da from PG. We get long with Mayans long before Crufi come down ya. Now one man di use the system and play the race card fi incite di people eff him.. Lef dem people loan, I da fi the Mayans I love them and dem love we.. I have 2 adopted Maya children. We baptize each other children. We teach dem. The Kroffi dem come ya and cause trouble. The Maya da noh racist.. My wife and my sweethart da Mayan. Eff the Kroffi.
back up dean yu noh want bossnia, no mek one man use wi fi destroy we country. We in the south live loooong without any intervention,, Respect our system. No mek one man come here and disrespect us and play the race card.. We give him lots a warning to stop denigrate our land but he only disrespect us more and holler racism when we lock down ih rass. Dis da no bout race dis da about sacred maya lands.. Stand down Kruffi go back da kenel side and kill each other. No bring unu rass down ya…Hanarek kising.. Ubafu.