Tuesday, January 26, 2021 AMANDALABelize Page 1 NO. 3432 BELIZE CITY, TUESDAY, JANUARY 26, 2021 (16 PAGES) $1.00 Police officer charged for Ariel Audinette’s death after 3 years BELIZE CITY, Sat. Jan. 22, 2021 released by now Acting Chief Justice been charged for murder and acquitted. In 2018, eight lawmen were charged Michelle Arana, after the prosecution (At the time of the assault, the police for the murder of Ariel Audinette, who failed to submit its documents for officer is reported to have worn a mask died after being brutally beaten by one preliminary inquiry on time. to conceal his identity.) police officer and seven BDF soldiers It was not until this past weekend that There has been no indication whether at his home in Orange Walk. news broke that one of the accused any of the other men will be charged At the time, reports from police were assailants — PC Lennart Cajun, a once again for the brutal killing. that a female person nudged the officers resident of San Victor, Corozal — had The incident occurred in February to confront Audinette for a supposedly been rearrested and charged for of 2018. The eight lawmen went to the stolen cell phone. The accused police manslaughter. The arrest was made Orange Walk residence of Audinette and officer, who has now been charged for three years after the incident first reportedly violently assaulted him and manslaughter, PC Lennart Cajun, and occurred. Cajun is facing only charges the seven soldiers were subsequently of manslaughter because he had already Please turn toPage 15 Tourist Opposition Senator Peyrefitte arrested for says end the curfew not wearing BELIZE CITY, Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 Opposition and in the public also assert Since December 2020, SI 175 has that the imposition of the virtually been in place across the country of indefinite curfew may be mask, then Belize. This SI, enacted by the new unconstitutional, and during a press People’s United Party’s government, conference, UDP senator Michael imposes a number of restrictions on Peyefitte, called on the government to released movement and activities — the most quickly announce an end to the curfew. stringent of them being a seemingly Senator Peyefitte argued that the indefinite curfew. Members of the public and the United Democratic Party Please turn toPage 15 have called on Government to put an end to this uncapped curfew, since the COVID-19 numbers have been on the decline within the country. Police officer Some legal minds from the charged for COVID-19 Update three counts of sexual assault BELIZE CITY, Mon. Jan. (See story on page 15) 25, 2021 Recent COVID-19 numbers released on January 25, 2021, show a total of 22 new cases. Sixty persons were declared to be recovered CAYE CAULKER, Sat. Jan. 23, 2021 on that day and 3 new This weekend, on Saturday, Caye deaths — of two men and Caulker police arrested an American one woman — were tourist on the island for violating the recorded. One of the quarantine regulations which mandate persons who passed away mask-wearing at all times in public was from the Belize places. The arrest was caught on District, while another was camera, and footage of the incident from Cayo, and the other shows two police officers attempting to detain a defiant female tourist who Please turn to Please turn toPage 15 Page 3 Page 2 AMANDALABelize Tuesday, January 26, 2021 Belize gets sweet deal out MLA and Attorney General’s of St. Kitts-Nevis brown office meet about Maya sugar trade dispute land rights Tucker also mentioned that the structure of the commission itself is currently under review and that there is a possibility that the number of persons in the commission, as well as the commission’s responsibilities, might be expanded. The demand by the Maya people for legal affirmation of their land rights and demarcation of those lands was made after years of repeated incursions on lands considered to be communal by “third parties”. The by Dayne Guy for unearned revenue due to lost sales. spokeswoman for the Maya After being notified of the legal action Leaders Alliance, Cristina Coc, BELMOPAN, Thurs. Jan. 22, 2021 taken by Belize, the government of St. by Kory Leslie (freelance writer) went on record to share her An ongoing trade dispute between Kitts-Nevis began discussions with delight that the new Briceño Belize and St. Kitts and Nevis has finally Belize in an effort to come to a possible BELIZE CITY, Fri. Jan. 22, 2021 administration is on board with a been settled. Belize had sued St. Kitts- settlement. The two parties had found In 2015, the Caribbean Court of process of assigning “respect and Nevis, the Republic of Trinidad and resolution through a settlement with Justice (CCJ) handed down a ruling regard for the customary governance Tobago and CARICOM for allegedly conditions appealing to both parties. affirming the customary land rights of institutions of the Maya.” Coc deems violating the 40% Common External Belize’s sugar sector is now the Maya communities in the Toledo this commitment to be both Tariff (CET) by importing brown sugar guaranteed that it will receive the trade District. After the ruling, the UDP had “encouraging and refreshing” and from countries outside the Single policy support to which it is entitled, pledged to form a committee to clearly anticipates that the free, prior and Market without the CET provisions. inclusive of the application of the CET define these rights. That committee was, informed consent protocol will be Belize further alleged that CARICOM and an opportunity to fully re-enter the in fact, formed; however, six years later, agreed upon by the GOB and the MLA had failed in its duty to ensure that the St. Kitts-Nevis market. no progress has been made in the sooner rather than later. CET was imposed by the countries This settlement is a victory for the matter. That was until last week, when The Minister of Indigenous People’s named in the lawsuit, and that this sugar industry of Belize, which has representatives from the Maya Leaders Affairs, Hon. Dolores Balderamos resulted in Belize Sugar Industries Ltd. been disadvantaged by the entry of Alliance (MLA) and the Attorney Garcia, was also present at this (BSI) and Santander Sugar losing a imports from non-CARICOM General’s Office attended a compliance morning’s hearing and reaffirmed the large amount in sales to these countries. countries into the CARICOM Single hearing with the appellate jurisdiction. government’s pledge to do their part in Belize is currently seeking possible Market, within which only regionally The hearing was conducted to speeding up the process: legal remedies at the Caribbean Court produced sugar should be sold. The facilitate the continuation of the process “I believe that my appointment signals of Justice, and is calling for the full lawsuit, however, is still far from over. of demarcating customary land in the a new day of respect for our Maya implementation of the 40% CET on Belize continues to press the case south. During the meeting, attorney sisters and brothers and other brown sugar imports from non- against the Republic of Trinidad and Samantha Matute-Tucker stated that the indigenous people such as the Garifuna CARICOM countries, as well as the Tobago and CARICOM, hoping to Ministry expects to appoint a new people and, in addition to respect, we implementation of a mechanism to reach resolution, as was achieved in the commissioner of the Toledo Lands want to signal engagement and a level monitor the CET, and compensation St. Kitts-Nevis trade dispute. Rights Commission by February 2021. of seriousness. I have said to the media, and I would like to address Your Honour, to say that we may not always agree, but I do want to indicate to this Corozal mayor re-negotiates honorable court that we will be doing our job in a way of engagement, respect Imer Hernandez contract and consultation, and I will be working very closely with Mrs. Matute-Tucker to make sure that on our side the which was for the paving of numerous austerity measures, including government fulfills its obligations. So, six streets in Corozal Town, a reduction of salaries to 75%.” with that I will observe now and thank was scheduled to be paid over The release notes that although Your Honours very much. I would say, a 10-year period, with sanitation workers continue to receive yes, we are apprised of various matters arranged payments set for their full salaries, other measures, such in relation to this ongoing case, but January to March of each year. as a shift system and more prioritized being very new, we will be relying on Upon entering office in spending, has allowed the Corozal Mrs. Matute to advise us on the way March 2018, Mayor Vellos Town Council to retain its entire staff. forward in some of the more complex sought to renegotiate the The previous contract between the issues. But I do want to indicate to the contract various times Corozal Town Council and Imer court that we are very, we are in the unsuccessfully until this final Hernandez Development Company had process of now and very shortly will attempt, which was made in late mandated the council to direct its entire be appointing a new commissioner, not 2020. On January 13, 2021, the government subventions toward the only for this matter, but also for parties agreed to new terms. scheduled payments to the indigenous people’s affairs altogether. The new agreement extended development company from January to However, we anticipate that probably the payment period and March.