Leader of Opposition Concerned About New Nationalities

Francis Fonseca

There are two recent immigration incidents over which there is rising concern. Between the months of September and October over four hundred persons were sworn in as new Belizeans. And last week, a knapsack was found at a print shop in San Ignacio containing nationality applications and passports of seven persons. The law requires that persons applying must present themselves to the Immigration Department, but in the case of the knapsack in San Ignacio, it was purportedly left behind by a known Cayo U.D.P. operative, Charles Cabral. Coming just before the general elections, there is unease that the voters list may be comprised. Over the weekend, Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader, expressed concern over the immigration matters.

Francis Fonseca, P.U.P. Leader

“We are very concerned, very concerned. We are concerned one that there is fraud involved in this entire process of giving nationality to people ten days before the election. Why the indecent haste to do so? And it really should…Belizeans everywhere, citizens across the country should be very outraged at the very thought of using our nationality for political purposes—whether it is that these people would somehow fraudulently end up on the voters list or that they are offering them citizenship so that other members of their family can vote for their party. That should…people should be outraged about that. That is not what Belizean citizenship and nationality is all about. It is not about another vote, buying scheme; we use money where we can, but where we need to give you nationality to get a vote then we will use our nationality. That should never ever, ever be the case. So we condemn it in the strongest possible terms and we certainly, as I said, we are certainly very concern and we’ll be  very vigilant in watching what’s taking place with these particular persons who had been given nationality in the past few days.”

Duane Moody

“Some are of the belief that the knapsack passports that were found were supposed to be right there in that bunch of persons that were nationalized just yesterday. Do you think that was what was going to happen there? And then also comment on the fact that the police somehow are saying that they can’t find Mister Cabral.

Francis Fonseca

“Of course, of course, there seems to be no other logical explanation for the possession of these passports and documents. And then the suggestion that the police can’t find the individual who clearly owns the knapsack and was in possession of the knapsack, when everybody else knows where he is and has seen him is ludicrous. And again Belizeans should be outraged and very concerned when our state, state authorities are in fact involved in this type of cover up and potential fraud. And so we are absolutely concerned.”