Decapitated hog head found at Clear the Land’s office

And we’ve heard about the hog head for various cultural practices – the hog head dance, the baked hog head and there’s the pig snout which is taken from the hog face and soaked in brine to season that pot of beans.  Well it seems that someone thought Minister of State in the Ministry of Works, Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro needed a hog head for dinner.  Either that or some someone is up to mischief.  The office of the Minister at the Sand Hill community centre was broken into this morning and a huge freshly cut hog head was left behind. News’ Five’s Marion Ali has the details.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Secretary at the Sandhill Community Centre, Erlene Baptist reported to work as usual this morning but got a rude awakening when she arrived.

Erlene Baptist, Secretary, Sand Hill Com. Centre

“I opened the door to the Minister’s office and the middle one inside I opened and my office was dark so I asked my daughter to put on the light and when she turned on the light I said “My God! What is this!” I saw a big hog head white, white on my desk surround with some blood.  I think if Mr. Castro’s door was open they would have put it on his desk.”

Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro, Political Office Attacked

Edmond Castro

“Breaking into my office had never happened before but if you noticed the killing of poor animals had happened before.  I remember back in 2003 when I started to do meaningful political work in Belize Rural North. They went into my yard and slaughtered some twenty-odd animals, poor little lambs.”

According to Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro, it must be a political idler who’s behind the deed.

Edmond Castro

“They think that they can scare people but what they are actually doing is—they must sit down and learn from their mistake. What they have done to those poor lamb or those poor sheep did not scare the people of Belize Rural North from doing the right thing and killing pigs or piglets or whatever and throwing them in my office or around the constituency will surely not help them.”

Jose Sanchez

“So you don’t see it as a threat to your life?”

Edmond Castro

“My brother, we will stand firm and give Jah thanks and praise and all blessing and guidance come from above. I noh mek dat bother me.”

Erlene Baptist

Erlene Baptist

“It’s something political because every one of the bus shed whenever he paint them red and white somebody goes and change it blue and white and put all kinda nonsense on it.”

But what exactly did the mischief maker mean by the ghastly act?  Baptist is not sure, but one thing she is certain of is how he gained entry.

Erlene Baptist

“We found one of the windows was broken into and the door to my office was pry open.”

Marion Ali

“Was anything taken from the office?”

Erlene Baptist

“No, nothing was taken. I just go to the office like once per week and if I didn’t go there this morning then that would have been there until next Monday.  You can imagine the scent.”

Baptist feels that if she hadn’t been running late, she would have likely caught the perpetrator in the act because the blood was fresh.    Marion Ali for News Five.

Police have taken the hog head for evidence but have made no arrest so far.