Email

Print

Bernadine Gonguez the mother of Dennis Gonguez was still shaken and in tears but she told us what happen across the Guatemalan border on Sunday.

Bernadine Gonguez, Mother
"While finishing our little shopping in Melchor, he left me just for a minute to go over the other side to purchase a cigarette, while sitting down I saw a commotion with a lot of Belizean young men in thus building not knowing that my son was caught up in it right. After everything was done a young man came and miss they took your son, so I said what are they taking my son for, he said because they found a bag with drugs beside my son."

The bag contained what Guatemalan police believe to have been marijuana. 22 years old Dennis Gonguez was taken to the Melchor police station where he was place in a holding cell.

Bernadine Gonguez, Mother
"I ask 'what is the matter' they show me a red bag which I don't even know about, in this red bag had some children clothes, a female footwear and a plastic bag. They took out the plastic bag; I didn't know what was in that bag, then the other plastic bag they showed me which they said they hold him for that."

Monica Bodden
"You did not recognize the bag, you know of no items in the bag?"

Bernadine Gonguez, Mother
"No, because I had all of my stuff, he didn't had nothing. I told them that we did nt know of any other bag, they said 'no entiendo' so I couldn't do anything after that, all what I could have done was to cry and go home."

According to Gonguez she was told by the officers to pay $600.00 dollars in order to take home her son, money which she didn't have. Since the incident the family says they are in desperate need of getting their loved one back home.

Latania Gonguez, sister
"On Monday my sisters went over that side, 2 went across into Melchor - the 2 that had passport and the other one stayed across in Benque. She went to the Guatemalan counsel and tries to seek information from there, but when she went there she said that they told her that they couldn't do anything for her because he is a Belizean. My sisters that went across they told them that they couldn't go in the courtroom, when my brother came out from there he told them that he needs $1,500 BZ to get a lawyer from over there. We don't know how we will get this lawyer because we don't know anyone from over there. My brother call Tuesday and he call on Wednesday, and right now we expect another call from him within the next hour or so."

Monica Bodden
"Were any charges made?"

Latania Gonguez, sister
"They haven't charge him for anything and they still send him to jail and that is what we want to know. If there are anybody out there who can gives us information about Guatemalan law and about how things run over there so we could clearly understand what is taking place because I know in our law you can't send anybody to jail if they are not charge with anything, I don't know if it's the same over there."

Bernadine Gonguez, Mother
"Mommy if it was him I would go through all this problem, I would leave him over there because I try to teach them that drugs are not the way, I know that that is not for my child that's why I am trying to push the extra mile for him to come back home. He told me that if he didn't have any money over there he would eat, he says that if they put him out in the fields because he is black - they will beat him, I don't know if I will see my son here again to me [crying]. i am holding this in from I came back just because I don't want my other children see the pain that I am feeling for my son."

The family is asking if anyone can assist them in finding an attorney in Guatemala because they don't speak any Spanish and don't know anyone there. If you know how to help them you can call 633-8181 or 625-4391.