Shyne Takes Swipe at Mahler Over BIMFF Expense

Shyne Barrow

Circling back to Barrow’s biography documentary, the former music ambassador certainly took a swipe at the Minister of Tourism and B.T.B. for the exorbitant price tag attached to this year’s Belize International Music and Food Festival.  The opposition leader says that Belize is being promoted on the global stage without having to spend that kind of money from the public purse.

Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition

“Mahler and BTB spend a million dollars to pay foreign artists, abuse and mistreat our local artists in the name of promoting tourism and trying to fill the hotel rooms.  Here I am, I invest my own resources into the political organization that I have the privilege to lead, I’m in business with one of the biggest film corporations in the world and they are investing a hefty sum, not just to have acquired the rights, but to produce and to market, and promote this globally.  That would only be good for Belize.  Da noh like ah di shoot di thing da Brooklyn or a deh da Cancun or a deh da Jamaica.  I’m here in Belize.  There are people working, hired to be a part of the productions, Belizeans.  So that could only be good for Belize.  It has nothing to do, I happen to be the leader of the UDP, so why would they not want to capture the fact that, you know, whatever is happening in my day-to-day political life.  But be fair, I could show you business propositions from Mark Wahlberg back in 2004, where he offered me to acquire my life rights.  So this has been something, and that had nothing to do with politics.”