U.S. Ambassador speaks on AIDS, passport scandal
It is not a voice often heard in Belize these days, but on the occasion of World AIDS Day, U.S. Ambassador Russell Freeman spoke out on the importance of fighting the deadly virus and reducing the stigma attached to those infected.
Russell Freeman, U.S. Ambassador to Belize
“President Bush has always made the fight against HIV/AIDS one of his top priorities. And of course the Caribbean, including Belize is the next to Sub-Sahara Africa, one of the highest regions in the world that is infected with HIV/AIDS. Most recently, it was announced that Belize will be participating in Global Fund, a substantial amount, and the United States has contributed about half of the money to the Global Fund to date. The Embassy has also been involved in other HIV activities in Belize, such as the Ambassador’s Fund, which I have a discretionary twenty thousand dollars, and that was given out to seven NGOs in Belize a month or two ago, ranging from helping establish a AIDS committee on Caye Caulker, day care centre for HIV infected children in Belize City, and bedside treatment training in the Cayo District plus other education activities.”
Ambassador Freeman’s statement commended the Government of Belize for assigning such a high priority to the fight against AIDS.
And while today the scourge of AIDS may have been uppermost on the Ambassador’s mind, there are other issues bubbling on the bilateral stove. News 5’s Stewart Krohn took the opportunity to ask the diplomat to weigh in on the long running saga known as the passport scandal.
Russell Freeman
“Well, we are obviously concerned about what’s going on, and I know, as you said there’s only been on indictment of a low-level person allegedly involved in the passport scandal. But when I visited with the Prime Minister some time ago, he told me that the investigation was going to go wherever it leads. And I know the D.P.P. has been working on this and I don’t think he has finished his investigation, and again, we would like to wait to see where the evidence leads.”
Stewart Krohn
“Ambassador it has been almost a year and a half now, so if this investigation was gonna lead somewhere, you’d think it might have gotten there by now. You’ve taken your own initiative, I believe you’ve cancelled the visas of Minister Max Samuels and you’ve cancelled the visa of Jose Shoman, I believe you’ve cancelled a few other visas as well. Does this cancellation of visas represent about as much as your government can do to express its concern, or is it possible that you could take other action?”
Russell Freeman
“I think those are pretty much limited in what we can do. I think the alleged action of the people involved in the passport scandal here in Belize, it’s up to Belize to prosecute those people that were involved, rather than the United Stated; and we’re limited into what actions we can take.”
Stewart Krohn
Are you concerned at all that any of the people who purchased passports illegally might represent a threat to the security of your country?”
Russell Freeman
“Yes, that’s the reason that’s we’re so concerned about it, that it’s any easy way to get into the United States through Belize, up through Mexico and then cross into the border. And that’s our most serious concern right now, that some of those people who have been issued passports illegally were members of terrorist organisations and did make it into the United States.”
Ambassador Freeman told News 5 that he believes the number of Belizean passports sold illegally is around twelve hundred.
