ABC7 Report Bashes Belize for Violence against Tourists
There have been numerous incidents of violence against visitors which do not augur well for the tourism industry and serve to discourage potential visitors to Belize. As recent as this weekend, two Canadian visitors were robbed and assaulted at the Tropical Education Center on the George Price Highway. Then, there is the recent murder of ABC7 Executive Ann Swaney; she was killed in the west and her body pulled out of the Mopan River on January fourteenth. F.B.I. investigators were in country to assist with the probe in Swaney’s murder, but all leads have gone cold. But back at Swaney’s hometown in Chicago; her murder is not going to be swept under the rug. An ABC Investigative Journalist Chuck Goudie has released a report which doesn’t speak well of Belize as a prime tourist destination. Here’s that report aired last Friday.
{ABC7 Report…}
Today, News Five contacted the Belize Tourism Board for a comment on the damaging report, but they did not wish respond.
How dare these tourists come to the Jewel and expect safety!
Every Belizean knows crime is the disease we have become, no one is safe but Ali and the 40 thieves. Even we know we must obey bigger thieves who will kill us if the choose.
We must thank the US and UK governments for sending us these victims. We will treat them as guests, just like we treat any other citizen of Belize, they will suffer as all Belizeans suffer.
This is a very RIDICULOUS Comment! Belize nor the World is getting any better. If you or whosoever want to be SAVED from all these turmoils yet to come REPENT from your Sins and follow JESUS. He is the only HOPE of LIFE!!!!!!!!!
First of all my deepest sympathy to Ann Swaney and her family. Belize has violence like any other country in the world. A 2 min search on the internet reveals the crime rate on the ABC7 News Chicago land area. Here are the results for the year 2015
Shot & Killed: 443
Shot & Wounded: 2552
Total Shot: 2995
Total Homicides: 504
The ABC7 News story spins off that our Tourism Board does not make tourist aware of this fact. A
fact that is true but hmm I wonder if the Chicago Tourism Board makes this info available? Ms Ann Swaney should have investigated these stats also as she was part of the ABC7 investigative news team. Major tourist town in Belize have police patrols but small resorts inland that are off the beaten path do not offer the same police patrols. Perhaps these resorts should invest in security and advise tourists of areas they should not venture into. Far too many tourists lower down their guard and make mistakes while on vacation, unfortunately some of those mistakes end up like this one. Belize has a very active police force, but no police force can patrol all towns, cities and roadways.
@Ali Babarrow – I agree with you 100%. If Belize can’t protect and serve their own, how in hell they’re gonna protect their visitors. A DAMN SHAME!!!
The report does not speak well of Belize or is Chuck telling the truth?
I wish our leaders would focus on this mess instead of all the political nonsense they engage in.
Watch the meetings in the house, they sound like school kids in a park that just cannot get along while the country is falling apart.
Many of us can remember when the country was so peaceful that we could walk the street any time of the morning evening noon or night and all of a sudden now we find ourselves in this mess!
I have not visited in 4 years, before that I made 20 trips to your country, always enjoyed myself and the people. I was thinking of another trip this spring, but after all I read on-line I am having concerns. It seems to me if one is connected getting out of trouble is easy. What is needed is fast firm convictions in a public manner that says do a crime do time and regarding murder, hang them high or life no time off. It does seem all the acts of violence with guns does prove what some say in my country, when guns are illegal, only criminals will have guns, and they will use them.