Rosado’s widow receives cheque
He was a police officer in the wrong place at the wrong time…and paid the ultimate price. Today, the widow of Corporal Fernando Rosado, killed in the line of duty in December 2001, received a cheque for over two thousand, five hundred dollars to help her cope with the loss. The money was presented by Superintendent Bernard Lino on behalf of Ombudsman Paul Rodriguez.
Paul Rodriguez, Ombudsman
“I really think that Rosado is a Belizean hero. He is a man who died in the line of duty. He wasn’t assigned to go to that place when he was shot, but he went along with his colleagues. And in the process of waiting in the vehicle, I think he heard that…he thought that he could help persuade the two fellows Thompson and Velasquez to give themselves up. But he was caught in a crossfire of sorts and died as the result. I think that he needn’t have done what he did do to try to bring about a peaceful resolution to what could have resulted in a worse scenario. And I regarded him as a hero, and I think the young people especially should admire people like Rosado. He died in the line of duty, he was willing to lay down his life in the line of duty and that’s what I call a hero. And unfortunately, we don’t have enough role models of that sort, role models are people who dance and who act in movies and do great at sports. And while they do serve their useful social purposes, I think that the human spirit needs something that is more substantial and deeper and I think genuine heroes, saints, serve this purpose.”
Stewart Krohn
“Are you not troubled at all about the way the two suspects that were involved in this case met their death?”
Paul Rodriguez
“I’m not troubled, Stewart. Like every other citizen with loads of questions and in my mind, suspicions maybe, but I think that we did what we could with the resources we had. And I am pretty satisfied that the two persons did not die of gunshot wounds, they did not die of being beaten to death by the police. At the time I said it, and I repeat that I was pretty comfortable that we did what we could do to save their lives. We advertise to them publicly to give themselves up to us, they didn’t and so…”
Stewart Krohn
“So they drowned on their own?”
Paul Rodriguez
“Well I don’t know if they drowned on their own or if they were drowned, but there was no evidence that I had. And in my position, and in law, it is easy to make accusations, but then you have to prove that by facts. And I did not see any facts, any evidence that told me that their life was terminated by anybody else.”
The funds presented this morning were the result of a public appeal made by the Ombudsman following the death of Rosado. Thanks are in order for all those who contributed.
