P.M. Barrow Says No to Medevac from P.G.I.A.
Dean Barrow
Barrow says that he thought that was the end of the matter, until he was informed later in the day that the plane was in the air. But despite the unwillingness of the U.S. to accept Belize’s official position, he says the window of opportunity, if it ever existed, had slammed shut. There was one final and very powerful move to force that window open, as no less than the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, contacted the PM at around seven thirty and tried to persuade him that there was absolutely no threat.
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
“He insisted that there really was no threat and I would not be putting Belizeans at any real risk. I stuck to my line which was that in the circumstances we could not take any chances. He did ask whether I would consider, whether I would explore the possibility of their sending a helicopter that would land on the deck of the cruise ship and then take the two passengers straight across to the P.G.I.A. In other words, he thought that an option could be explored that would mean that no Belizean would come into any kind of contact at all with these passengers. I said well have your people tell us what would be the logistics of that. That alternative was not…the tender would be handled by the carnival personnel, bring the passengers to the Fort Street Tourism, an embassy car would pick them up and take them to the airport. I said but those tenders are Belizean they are operated by Belizean operators and they remain in Belize so the alternative suggestion was the life boat. That would go back to the ship be handled by carnival personnel, go back to the ship and so there would be no question of any possible contamination. But that will still leave the US driver and the embassy vehicle. I am giving you all these details because I want to repeat yet again that if it had been at all possible to do this thing in a way that could have absolutely eliminate any possibility of any risk to Belizeans I would have been willing., The fact is after the most anxious consideration I concluded that the original position had to stand. Because I could not let the circumstances be possible to do what the Americans were asking without exposing some Belizeans to some degree of risk.”
Barrow says that half an hour after the call from Secretary of State Kerry, he instructed C.E.O. Audrey Wallace to inform the US that his original decision stood. That decision was communicated…the plane which had arrived at the P.G.I.A. by that time left without passengers and by ten-thirty, the Carnival Magic had departed Belizean waters.
This ya pm laid he has been letting in hundreds of Africans for votes we wha all dead from this Ebola along with our children because this pm wants votes March people lock him up before it is too late unu can’t say I didn’t warn unu Ebola is coming.
US never gave the experimental drug to the people in west Africa that were suffering yet when an American contracted the disease he got it without a doubt…. America’s reasoning was,” if a bad outcome had occurred it would have looked bad on them…” They tried maintain their image over saving an African life… Typical America – selfish and just like a dishonest spouse will never regain full trust by the world… Their intent played out again when they tried put the entire nation of Belize at risk just for one American… And they might try justify with all the scientific reasoning but the reality is that fully trusting their reasoning whether its scientific or not is by itself a real risk knowing thier track record and the fact that the disease is not fully understood…
Dear Mr. Barrow, I hereby give my applaud to you, in honor of your stance on this matter, as a leader of this small, but beautiful nation. You unselfishly and even at the behest of the mightiest nation, decided in favor of what this country believed. I encourage you to continue making decisions in this manner, in that the outcome would again be, for the well being, and not limited to, but also the vast economic growth that we have such a great potential to.
As we say in the trade the prime minister is a dumbass. While the country falls apart he puts his foot down on this issue. When Ebola comes there is nothing he can do. I saw Kerry on the news. He is still shaking his head in confusion after his conversation with this dumbass.
@ Leo…..you seem to be a likkle bit perturbed there ma boy!!
Why is it that when you white supremasist can’t have your way by bullying smaller nations, you get your draws in bunches?
All of a sudden the Prime Minister of an Independent State is being called all kind of nasty names simply because your boy Kerry, couldn’t have his way.
Man……chill yuh self!!
The Prime Minister of Belize (Pop: 350,000) protected himself and his party from political fire & brim stone the opposition & the social media would have launched at the Government of Belize if the Ebola suspected persons had landed on Belize’s soil; the other 3,400 passengers were granted the option to disembark the ship and enjoyed their scheduled tour of Belize’s tourist attractions.
I have to give this one to Dean Barrow. Well, done. I have no love for the UDP administration, just the opposite! However, the national security interest of this country trumps party politics any day. The CDC is the world authority on infectious disease control and they have royally bungled the ebola situation in the USA.
So, Dean Barrow. Well done! As a PUP, u and I will do battle on another day and on other issues. Today is about being Belizeans! Congrats about showing some balls to John Kerry.
Good thing it wasn’t ballsless Elrington on this one.