After rosewood taken from Forest Department, amnesty declared?
But while there are certainly more questions than answers, the clouds are beginning to clear away from what is actually taking place on the rosewood scene. This afternoon a release from the Forest Department, sans official letterhead, declared that an amnesty period is in effect for rosewood harvested before March fourteenth, 2013. The release states that, “The purpose of the amnesty is to allow all those persons in possession of rosewood material prior to March fourteenth, 2013 to declare it to the Forest Department.” And at about six this evening, an official release from the Belize Press Office made everything crystal clear. That release states, “The Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development, has determined that there is a supply of harvested rosewood available which had been harvested during the moratorium period. The Ministry has decided to carefully ascertain such a supply and to allow the sale/export of already harvested rosewood over the period eighth to the twenty-sixth April, 2013 to avoid the complete loss of value.” And there you have it. In the course of one day, the government declared an amnesty on illegally harvested rosewood, then, determined that there is a stash of rosewood available and has decided to allow that rosewood to be exported…end of story. There is no indication in the release if the illegal harvesters of the rosewood will be the ones freely able to export and reap the financial dividends, or if government will be running things, or if they will share the bounty. We should have said that there is no official indication, since unofficially News Five has been reliably informed that government has struck a deal to allow the rosewood to be exported in return for fifty percent of the profits.
There shouldn’t be any negotiations with the illegal harvesters, period. Confiscate the rosewoods and press criminal charges against those who are responsible, period.
Barrow & crew are looking real bad. It’s over form demand i think they realize that, which is why they are operation with reckless abandonment..Ssuch a sad time for Belize and its people. No politician cares for Belize, only for themselves.
Barrow silence is deafening.
Guatemala many violations
Vega & the land stealing
Faber brother wrecking the people vehicle
Rosewood debacle
OAS bias against Belize
Baby gets kidnapped
Belize Visa still for sale
Barrow has said nothing in regards to these pressing issues.
BUT some gangbangers get kill and barrow not only hold press conference the same day but he uses the Belize people money to put them up in resort area…smmfh
I was a big Barrow fan, he has done much more than let me down. I am ashamed of his tenure as the PM. Barrow has to GO, and not later but now
Lock them all up from the pm down. All corrupt people in this gov. Need to be locked up in jail for thief. You can’t sit back anymore my belizeans we need to take back our country from these thieves and lock them all up.
The fact that all of this is done under the table, no public discussion, no legal vote beforehand is all the proof that is necessary that it is illegal and criminal. They act like thieves in the night because that is what they are.
Come the revolution, everyone involved in filth like this must be held to account to the last pound of flesh. No amnesty, no immunity.
We are not a monarchy or dictatorship, who has the power to declare amnesty for crimes?
Let’s see the media work to find the signature on all of the paperwork involved in the “amnesty” and the removal of the plundered rosewood.
I think it’s time for all honest and patriotic unions, civic organizations, churches, and student groups to organize a nationwide general strike to last as long as necessary to bring new leadership to the nation.