Boots Concedes Low Conviction Rate for Trafficking in Persons, but Not Gov’t Complicity
Anthony “Boots” Martinez
As we told you on Friday, Prime Minister Dean Barrow does not accept the claims made in the U.S. State Department’s Trafficking in Persons report, which puts Belize in Tier Three and suggests that Belize’s Government is making no effort to address the issue. It also complained of alleged high-level involvement by Government officials, complaints which the Prime Minister said he rejected. The Minister responsible for the issue, Anthony “Boots” Martinez, found himself faced with similar questions in today’s public hearing of the Senate Special Select Committee, and had much the same reaction.
Mark Lizarraga, Senator, Business Community
“The U.S. has recently put out this report, this Trafficking in Persons Report; where we’re at Tier Three – that’s the lowest you can go, Minister, and you do not know about this report that was put out by the U.S. Government?”
Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Minister of Human Development
“You have read the report, sir? Have you read the report?”
Mark Lizarraga
“No; to be honest with you I have not; I’ve recently seen and heard about it in the press though. I was hoping you could inform us about the report.”
Anthony “Boots” Martinez
“But anyway, the report is neither here nor there, sir. As far as I know, Belize is not on a blacklist; they mention about areas that they believe Belize – low conviction rate, in terms of people that go to court for human trafficking and so on; they think the conviction rate should be heavier; I don’t know.”
Mark Lizarraga
“Minister, did the report not also imply that persons within the administration could possibly even be involved in this? The report did not say that?”
Anthony “Boots” Martinez
“No, sir; no, sir. Not at all, sir.”
Mark Lizarraga
“So you are familiar with the report, minister?”
Anthony “Boots” Martinez
“Not at all, sir.”
Mark Lizarraga, Senator, Business Community
“Minister, so you are familiar with the report?”
Anthony “Boots” Martinez
“That is not in the report, sir.”
