Detained in Quito, Sri Lankans en route to USA, with visas from Belmopan
Our investigations on the immigration scandal started weeks ago when chartered flights from Haiti carrying Chinese nationals landed at the Philip Goldson International Airport. It exposed a human smuggling ring which we have said is international and complex. So far we have focused on the Chinese nationals who invariably obtain visas at the Embassy of Belize in Cuba. But our ongoing probe reveals how the process is circumvented and visas are being granted not only to Chinese nationals, but to nationals from various countries who come to Belize with the intention of heading further north to the U.S.A. In our special report tonight Jose Sanchez has unearthed how the network operates via Ecuador, in South America. Here is his report.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
To obtain visitor’s visas for Belize, the procedure is for applicants to visit the nearest Belize Embassy with a required list of documents. If there is no Belize embassy in their country then they are required to visit the nearest British Embassy which then assists in the application process. Many Chinese Belizeans have relatives living in Guangzhou in South China. Belize has no diplomatic relations with China so there is no Embassy in that country. The Chinese applicants therefore apply at the British Embassy in Beijing where they are vetted and after gaining approval from Belmopan, they fly to Belize.
Dean Barrow (File: November 5th, 2010)
dean barrow
“A number of the visas were approved by the British Embassies or British Embassy in China which acts as an agent on our behalf.”
Between 2009 and July 2010, over one hundred and twenty visas approved for Chinese Nationals were granted through correspondences between the Belize Embassy in Havana, Cuba and the Immigration department in Belmopan. Immigration Director Gareth Murillo has said he approves Cuba related visas on Direction from his ministry. Minister of Immigration Carlos Perdomo has indicated to the media that he sits with Murillo and together they decide on which Chinese Nationals receive visas. 
It is highly unusual and suspicious for Chinese Nationals to bypass the British Embassy in China and travel across the world to Cuba and simply hope to receive a visa to Belize. How are background checks including police records and bank statements carried out either in Cuba or in Belmopan, for people living across the planet? Nonetheless Minister Perdomo says he will shut down the Chinese Cuba connection.
carlos perdomo
Carlos Perdomo, Minister of National Security (File: October 13, 2010)
“As a way to helping with Chinese nationals, last week I ordered a moratorium particularly from Cuba which is a little bit close to Haiti and so forth. Just in case there might be some collusion internationally, I have ordered a moratorium on all visas of Chinese or non-Cuban persons trying to obtain visas from our embassy in Cuba.”
The only way to verify that all these visas were issued to legitimate visitors to Belize is for the government to produce the departure records that show that these people left the country through legal means. If departure records can’t be found, then these individuals are either illegally living in Belize or they have been smuggled out of the country.
But the investigation shows that the immigration policies have been sidestepped not just for Chinese but for citizens of the Island nation of Sri Lanka which lies below the southern coast of India. Across the continent in South America, Several Sri Lankan Nationals were arrested at the international airport in Quito, Ecuador in April. Their destination was Belize, and they had in their possession what appeared to be genuine visas. Sources at the Immigration Department in Ecuador released the following e-mail correspondences between the Ecuadorian police, the Belize Honorary Consul and Belize’s Immigration Department.
Immigration Police, Quito, Ecuador
“My doctor, good afternoon. I am forwarding copies of passport and visas for 6 Sri Lankan nationals…that are at this moment here at the immigration office. Please assist us in verifying if these are false or not, awaiting your response.”
If procedures were adhered to, the consul would have interviewed the Sri Lankans but he had never heard of these Sri Lankans and he did not know if the visas were genuine since he did not issue them. So he wrote a letter to the Foreign Ministry copied to the Ecuadorian police and it said…
Dr. Mauricio Semanate Alvear, Ah-Honorem Consul of Belize in Quito, Ecuador
“I am forwarding digitally the passports for six Sri Lankan passengers who were not allowed to travel to Belize yesterday by the Immigration Police of Ecuador. The passports are stamped with visas that they say were issued by mail directly from Belmopan. Please, I need that you certify if these visas are authentic or legally issued or if, on the contrary are not valid. Once again I am sorry for the inconvenience that I am causing. Once again I am sorry for the inconvenience that I am causing. If you consider if opportune, I request that you put me in contact with the officer that can best assist me in solving this unfortunate matter.”
A fax sent to the Consulate of Belize in Quito Equador on April 29th 2010 verifies that the visas issued to Anushan Karunamoorthy, Rajkumar Thambimuthu, Vijay Manokarasa, Sivasanthan Sivarasa, Srikaran Sivapatham and Thiyagarajah Peethamparam were granted between April 9th to April 16, 2010 and all were issued from the Immigration department in Belmopan. 
The corresponding documents were signed by Maria Marin, for Director and copied to the Officer in Charge of the Philip Goldson International Airport and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The questions arise again. 
Who interviewed the Sri Lankans and asked them about their police record, bank statements etcetera? Why does Belize have any consulate offices if, as the Sri Lankan example shows, passports from across the planet can be mailed to Belmopan to be stamped with visas and sent back to the owners of those passports for travel to Belize? Reporting for News Five, Jose Sanchez.
Our investigation has come up with documents that show that other Sri Lankan Nationals have travelled to Belize via Havana, Cuba. And although the approvals were sent via fax from the Immigration Department in Belmopan to Cuba, the director of immigration has indicated that his signature was forged on two approvals. Last week, the Prime Minister said there was no need for a Commission of Inquiry, even though the whiff of corruption is stinking to high heaven. In fact, one way that the Ministry of Immigration and the Minister can prove no wrong doing, is by providing the departure records that document the legal port from where the Chinese and Sri Lankan visitors left the country at the expiration of their visas. We’ll have more on Tuesday’s newscast.
Good job Channel 5 – keep going!
…and the Prime Minister still refuses to have a Commission of Inquiry ? This is crazy?
FINALLY…………..Channel-5 is STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE with some INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING.
WE NEED TO SEE MORE OF THIS…… LET MY PEOPLE KNOW!!!
No Commission of Inquiry, man this Dean Borrow is trying to cover up all the wrong doing of his government, corruption is at it’s worsth, fu we country gone to R@$$.
Ant still no strike yet, man it’s about time to come out to the capital and do a big one on them, but not even the opposition is rising to do a strike.
excellent job news 5 and my congrats to this reporter now i see news 5 as becoming the best source of news in the country you are maturing as a news organization and your reporters are getting much better you should give this reporter a promotion but dont quit there keep going much more is left , you need to take this to conclusion let the people of belize see that perdomo and barrow are involved in this situation and we need to convict both of them for collusion in spying and treason to their country keep digging 5 dig dig some more bring it all out to light.
So what gave Mr. Perdomo a clue that there might be international collusion? The Sri Lankans & the Indians have more in common than the Chinese & the only thing we all have in common is our British connection. How did they all know where to find the weak link in the chain? Something stinks.
Kudos to Ecuador for being on the ball. That’s one heck of a route to get to Belize from Sri Lanka.
Just like I said before, the Chinese and the Sri Lankans are just a part of the smuggling ring; the corruption link goes from Belize to Cuba, to the rest of the third-world countries.
Why commit petty crimes in Belize and risk the chance of getting caught, when there are so many legal ways to commit crimes in Belize and get away with it.
This is sickening.
Nice job channel 5……everyone said from the start that this was a coverup from way up high…..and if Deano no think it stinks, then its because his nose is stuck in it so long that he not really smells anything different.
what did I say. at even the slightest smell of corruption heads will roll.!!!what happen PM or are you waiting to see if this will blow over like wah lee breeze.. oh I am getting my PMs miixed up, it is because they are now behaving very similar.
My respects goes to channel five for bringing this issues to the public that has been lingering in the shadows for so long and as well for having us the oppurtunity to blog in this net system to show the world what belizeans go through with this pimps in the goverment at present. These politicans have played us the belizeans like puppets for so long and we have stayed mum now it’stime to rise and show that we have rights to know what the hell they are covering in their political agendas that has us screwed in hardship and poverty. keep digging channel 5 keep us informed.
This is for SUGAR…..let me finish the phrase for you…..his nose is stuck up so deep in his @$$ that he doesn’t know the difference between $h!t and shinola. DEAN BARROW IS A DISGRACE TO OUR BEAUTIFUL NATION……MY BELIZEAN PEOPLE OPEN YOUR EYES DONT YOU SEE WE HEADING THE SAME DIRECTION AS CUBA….DICTATORSHIP
Resign Dean if you have any shame left
Rosado should resign as well!!! why is this man watching her back, corrupt !!!!
Leadership Crisis in the Jewel !!!!!!Belizeans rally around this, demand meaningful change, Perdomo, Barrow? has to go ….
GUINEA GRASS, you have all the recommendations and the people are still not understanding, how comes the OPPOSITION doesnt say anything that has to do with NATIONAL SECURITY, common now we dealing with CHINESE & INDIANS, who knows if they might not be TALIBANS/ALQAIDA, people don’t let a few JUDAS destroy your way of life. Request for elections now and get these JUDAS out of government.
Its a great contribution that the Ecuador agent had offered to Belize on these matters. Now its
time for Belizeans to stand up and do the right thing. The international community that recognize
these illegal human trafficking is ready to assist Belize–in event that these crimes are swept
under the rug then it will be the Belizeans that will punish–friendly countries can become an
enemy of our little Belize and we are so needy on almost everything that is Belize. The crime
rate has surpassed that of many countries that have a larger population- the state that I live in is
larger than Belize with over 4.5 million people–it have seen 43 murders for 2010–a politician or
a mayor was involved in some kind of funny business and is now awaiting a jail sentence–In
Belize the murder rate is higher and politicians have out of jail cards and keep on RAPING the
nation and putting innocent people in jail. Its time Belizeans to fight back–It might be your
badluck when they swing their bat or plan a new trick. GET THEM and GET THEM OUT…
CHANNEL 5 NEWS CASTERS/EDITORS/REPORTERS/INVESTIGATORS WHATEVER U GUYS WANNA CALL YOURSELVES “GOOD JOB” “GOOD JOB” KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK BY INFORMING AND BRINGING THESE CROOKED CROOKS TO THE LIGHT….WHY U HIDING VALUABLE INFORMATION MR.BARROW? WHY U MAD? I COULD ONLY WONDER WHY.
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE AND IMMIGRATION STOP CRYING TO THE OTHER MEDIA WHO WILL HEAR YOUR CROCODILE TEARS..CHANNEL 5 NEWS CASTERS ARE JUST DOING THEIR JOB AND A DARN GOOD ONE 2 THANK YOU.
It’s about TIME THEY (Belize Media) STOP THE play-play JOURNALISM and GET HARD CORE.
GIVE US MORE INVESTIGATIVE REPORTING!!!
LET MY PEOPLE KNOW……………….
WHAT ROLE DOES THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL HAS IN BELIZE ????
CAN’T HE INTERVENE. IF NOT, WHY TAX PAYERS MONEY HAVE TO BE GIVEN TO HIM????
HE DOES NOTING TO BELIZE. THAT MONEY CAN BE USED FOR HELP THE POOR PEOPLE OF BELIZE.
In the words of a previous Master Crime Minister of Belize – “It’ll blow over, like a wee breeze”.
It did then, and it will now, so will the interfering in the judiciary, BTL Shares Scam, and the soon-to-be missing millions from the monies donated to the post-Richard rebuilding.
I WONDER HOW MANY TERRORIST MADE THEIR WAY THRU BELIZE ON THEIR ROUTE TO THE US. THINK RICHARD DID US BAD ….DEAN IS WORSE FOR BELIZE… WHEN UNCLE SAM DROP THE HAMMER ON US THEN WHAT WE GUEND DO?……..PEOPLE/PUBLIC SERVANTS THATS GIVING UP OUR FREEDOM FOR A FEW PENNYS I AM ASHAME OF YOU ALL……. STOP DEM KIND OF BU$%@#%$$3 its not worth it. FREEDOM IS PRICELESS DONT BE BRIBED BY A FEW PENNIES……DONT SUPPORT OR PROTECT THEM IN HIGH PLACES…..
BELIZE ITS TIME WE STAND UP AND TAKE BACK BELIZE, PARTY POLITICS DOES NOT WORK FOR BELIZE……..WE PUT THME THERE TO REPRESENT US BUT INSTEAD THEY REPRESENT THEMSELVES FOR PERSONAL GAINS AND IT MIUST BE STOP…. WE HAVE MORE IMPORTANT ISSUES TO DEAL WITH IN BZE……WAKE UP MY PEOPLE AND TAKE A STAND…..WE HAVE TO OVERTHROW D GOVERNMENT……….BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY…….LET ME KNW WHO IN SUPPORT…. I LOVE MY COUNTRY OF BZE BUT ITS HURTS TO SEE IT GOING TO DOGS CORRUPTIONS…
http://caselaw.findlaw.com/us-2nd-circuit/1137785.html
Everyone read this link. it is mindblowing, the names that are called.
I really don’t know if asking for departure records will help. UDP is IN GOVERNMENT, SO can they just pay to get one or forge a departure rocord and we will accept. No way i don’t think that coming up with departure record will mean anything. DIG DEEP WITH THIS TAKE IT TO STREET
Good Job News 5 Jose Sanchez you did a great job……………………….Promotion man
Sasha:
Great point. Yes I am surprise the hypocrites from the opposition (the usual suspects) have not come forward to condemn this practice of selling our passports. These guys would sell their mothers given half the chance as nothing is sacred.
This practice of having British embassies determining who is granted a bloody visa to Belize is unaccepted. You tell me if the British embassy will act in the best interest of the people of Belize? If we believe that then we are really “Donkeys”. I have never heard anything so absurd, it’s making blood boil. Even when they were here supposedly as the mother land they didn’t act in our interest. I can’t even read the rest of this article. No, other country will let people in to their country willingly. Certainly, I spent some time in Britain during their election earlier this year and the number one topic on their lips was about immigration, asylum, illegal immigrants, foreigners, migrant workers and protecting their borders. They are obsessed with the topic. The bottom line is that they would give visas to anyone wanting to go anywhere on this planet as long as it’s not there.
Thanks Yim Erwin Perdomo Saan.