And when he was done with BEL, PM Barrow took a shot at the media - and our coverage of the Chetumal Street South situation. The PM, who freely admits to not watching the evening news with any regularity - and who has certainly not visited Chetumal Street South as we have been doing for months - said we got conned, by fraudsters:
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"In terms of the Chetumal Street Extension Squatters, well I want to say to the media that I believe that you've been had. There is no doubt in my mind, that in addition to the few persons that were at that spot, when the police conducted their operation, in addition to those person who can make a case - a host of others coming from various areas including behind the burial ground - a host of other person became extremely opportunistic -exploitative - and sought to ride what they believed was going to become a gravy train, aided and assisted by those to whom I've referred earlier in my remarks to you. Well Government was never going to tolerate that. The others that descended on the spot, and took children there in the early morning, and then invited the cameras in so they could hold up crying babies, and prey on they sympathies of the Belizean people, are by and large fraudsters. And I make no apologies on this thing. As I said, I don't know whether the media was duped, or played along for its own reasons, but I am satisfied that the Government did what it was legally and morally obliged to do in the circumstances. The hundreds - thousands of Belizeans, who have been frustrated, but who are nevertheless waiting patiently, and attempting to work the system, cannot be elbowed aside by people who break the law, and expect to be rewarded for illegality."
Barrow also discussed the plans for the sports arena and the international bus terminal in that area as a full police station that's planned to give some peace of mind to Belama residents. We'll have those comments for you in tomorrow's newscast.
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