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For the drug cartels of the Americas, all borders are artificial – they move drugs, weapons and money across land and sea without regard for manmade or natural boundaries. And so while the consumption of drugs may be disproportionately based in North America and the production in the south – the drug trade and the violent baggage it carries are everyone’s problem. And that’s where the U-S funded Merida Initiative comes in. The programme has set aside hundreds of millions of dollars to bolster law enforcement in Mexico, Central America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. It’s something like the drug war 2.0, to engage the drug affected countries of the Americas in a partnership rather than enjoin them in America’s drug war – a term that is no longer in used – mainly because it’s a war that was not won. Mexico receives most of the funding and Belize is a little lower on the funding chain – but it’s trickling in – and we were at the US Embassy for a donation today.

Jacqueline Godwin Reporting,
It is only through a concerted effort between the governments of the United States, Mexico and other Central American nations there is hope to gain ground on the war in national and trans-national gang activities, organized crimes, narcotics and arms trafficking. Belize is no exception being so strategically located to our neighbours in North America after all is considered as a transhipment point and certainly not spared from the violence occurring within our borders, the region and South America.

Vinai Thummalapally, US Ambassador to Belize
“We couldn’t put more importance to Belize. Belize is up there in terms of one of the locations in the region as getting the importance so it is very very important. Again it is important in the sense of being a transit country so that is the part of it.”

Belize is also not unique in its inability to fight against the violence because of our poor economic status. That is why today was a significant occasion in the fight when Belize law enforcement received one hundred and fourteen thousand dollars of equipment. The donation is just part of the Merida Initiative, a sustained partnership between the United States, Mexico, Belize and other Central American countries, for us in Belize the US has committed to provide over a million dollars to confront our battles at home.

Vinai Thummalapally,
“By working together we can push back against these criminal elements, regain confidence in our communities and promote economic growth in a secured environment where businesses need not fear reprisals, when they refuse to pay any extortions, where children need not fear being shot at in our streets.”

The donation comes eleven months after the signing of the agreement between US Charge d’ Affairs Jack Diffily and Belize Minister of National Security Carlos Perdomo.

Jacqueline Godwin,
“My question to you is if the US government doesn’t see much happening with the assistance given, will it remain a sustained effort between the US government and the Belize government? Will there have to be action on behalf of Belize in order for us to se this assistance continued?”

Vinai Thummalapally,
“Well clearly action is needed. We can talk all we want and without action nothing is really going to happen. I do not want to hypothetically talk about what would happen if the action is 50% of the plan or 25% of the plan or 90% of the plan. Clearly our intent and our objectives and our efforts are in the spirit of working together with our counterparts in the government of Belize at all levels, police and so on and the Ministry of National Security to really work together to find solutions that work and build on those pieces of the puzzle that are working and then we expect to build on that.

Whether a million dollars will suffice, it is clear for me to see the million dollars is the initiative we are starting off with and we expect more to follow. So the successes of this effort in Belize will determine I would imagine the follow up, as to what will follow.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
“Obviously you guys have done your homework in terms of what’s happening in Belize. In what areas of concern do you believe more work needs to be done?”

Vinai Thummalapally,
“I somewhat don’t feel qualified to answer that question. It is just starting in terms of the efforts. So much of what has happened today has been planning so we are very satisfied with the cooperation that the government of Belize has provided for the US government and the Embassy and so on and so we are very satisfied in the prioritization of these concerns that government of Belize sees that these are priorities. I cannot think of an area that there is a disconnect between the government of Belize and the government of the United States in this effort.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
“But when you see the gun fighting escalate to where there is a grenade thrown and unfortunately a youth lost his life, we are talking urban terrorism, your guys are fighting international terrorism, you must be concerned about what’s happening in Belize. So I am asking in what areas do you see more work needs to be done to satisfy you guys in continuing with assistance to Belize?”

Vinai Thummalapally,
“Clearly I think you touched on the grenade attack, it is very distressing, very very unfortunate that that is showing up, the ugly face of it is showing up in such form. It is clearly a concern in terms of law enforcement. We want to understand what the challenges are and work with government of Belize to continue our work.”

The package include bullet proof vests, handcuffs, cameras, binoculars, night vision equipment, heavy duty flashlights, metal detectors, metal scanners, video projectors, computers, global positioning receivers and anti contraband equipment.

Vinai Thummalapally,
“In the coming months we anticipate that more funding will be available to Belize which will increase the ability to confront capture prosecute the gangs and traffickers that plague our streets. Over half a million US dollars of additional equipment and training has been provided through Merida or is on order and will be arriving in Belize including new vehicles for the Police Department, a new communication system for the prison, and an expansion of Belize’s automated finger print identification system.”

The Merida Initiative primarily enhances citizens’ safety by improving the capabilities of national law enforcement, customs, border controls, prosecution, the judiciary and prison management.

Hon. Carlos Perdomo, Minister of National Security
“We are on the road now to see the physical assistance so that maybe three or four years from now when we are better and more fully equipped, our law enforcement can’t say I nuh have this and I nuh have that. Hopefully as the program develops, the Customs Department and the Immigration Department and other brothers in the fight against criminal enterprises will be better equipped also. This equipment will help us to become more resolute in trying to see how we bring down the incidents and crime and how we interdict those criminal activities.

I know that together we have a lot of things to work on. We have to work on the issues of corruption, we have to work on our issue of public relations, we have to work on issues of transparency.”

The equipment will be distributed to more than twenty branches and units of the Belize Police Department and the Belize Central Prison.

In 2008, the U-S Congress approved an initial $400 million for Mexico and $65 million for Central America, the Dominican Republic and Haiti. In 2009, that went up to $300 million for Mexico and $110 million for Central America, the D-R, and Haiti. In 2010, planners have requested $450 million for Mexico and $100 million for Central America.