Ministry of Human Development to Investigate Case of a Madam in Toledo

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

During her speech today, Minister of Human Development, Dolores Balderamos-Garcia said that while Belize has been doing well, there are more cases of potential familial human trafficking in Belize. The Chair of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons (ATIPS) Council was in southern Belize over the weekend and says that they may have identified a case of pimp in Punta Gorda, Toledo. Minister Balderamos-Garcia says that it is disturbing case that will be investigated. 

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“We were in Punta Gorda and the Toledo District at the weekend and there is a disturbing report of a woman who is apparently a pimp. And I hate that thing about pimp and madam. A pimp is a pimp and so, we must investigate that. We must investigate that. I hope I am not letting any cat out of a bag, but we all have to look into it wherever it may rear its head. And having been in Toledo, which is small; the whole of Belize is small so Toledo you can imagine. Let’s look into it. Belize has been and I hope this continues on an upward path; although in a marked and measured way and in an honest way, we go up the path in fighting human trafficking. We were upgraded from tier two watch list to tier two in 2022 and I hope that we will continue to prioritise this work to make Belize safer for our children, women and all our vulnerable people and everyone, in general.”