7 News Belize

Protestors Want Justice For Danny
posted (September 30, 2014)
But, while the Belizean Government has been communicating with the Guatemalan Government through the diplomatic channels, the pressure groups say that it's not enough.

That's why they staged a motorcade from San Ignacio to the Benque Viejo Border today. That's where they held a protest in the parking lot on the Belize side of the Customs and Immigration, hoping to catch the attention of the OAS Officials, whose border headquarters were within shouting distance.

Today, 7News went west, where we followed the demonstration from start to finish. Daniel Ortiz reports:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
Everyone gathered at the Macal Park, greeting, and organizing themselves, representatives from the Belize Territorial Volunteers, the Belize People's Front, the Cayo Tour Guides Association, the Rod of Correction and a few PUP personalities.

But the Tour Guide's Association would not join the group on the motorcade.

Joe Awe - President, Cayo Tour Guides Association
"This is one of the most important protest of our history as tour guide association in the Cayo District."

Mike Rudon, Ch 5
"I understand that although you all are in support you all will not be going to the border with the protestors."

Joe Awe
"We had an emergency meeting with some of our members yesterday and we decided on two things; one, the first and most important thing is that we don't think his protest should neccessraily go to the border. This protest should go to the ministry of national security. As you heard on Channel 5 yesterday Col. Shepherd from the BDF said it is devastating blow to national security. I don't think that is a political statement - that is a fact."

Nevertheless, at a few minutes to 10, everyone joined the line behind the Police Escort, and started to form the motorcade.

It took about 40 minutes to travel from San Ignacio to the Western Border.

There, everyone gathered for a symbolic gesture in honor of the late Special Constable Danny Conorquie.

Jennifer Conorquie - Aunt of Deceased
"On behalf of my sister Jean, Danny's mother she really appreciate this. She is in tears but we just have to bear with her. Danny was loved by so many people and she want to thank the police officers in San Ignacio especially Mr. Thompson."

Reporter
"Did you have any idea that he was this much love by the community?"

Jean Conorquie - Danny's Mother
"No idea, I never knew that he was loved so much. I knew that Danny had lots of friends, but when I came out here and I heard over the radio how people talk and call in and thing and I said my son, I never knew that you were loved by so many people and that gave me the strength to come out. I feel good now because I see everybody taking part; the village came out to take part."

And then the leaders of the demonstration turned the rhetoric all the way up:

Neferteri Nancy Marin - Leader, Belize People's Front
"Our border is porous, they are taking us over. They talk about Nancy will disrupt diplomatic relations because I am bringing people to the border. Which diplomatic relations? We are being invaded and we are in denial. Our government is in denial. We are being invaded by Guatemalans slowly."

Wil Maheia - Belize Territorial Volunteers, South
"We as Belizeans have got to stand up for our country and for our borders. All of a sudden we find money to pay the mortgages but we can't find money to manned 50 miles of border line because all the incursions is happening between Garbutt's Falls and Gracias Adious. It's not happening up north where there is private lands because Barry Bowen and Yalbac and Program for Belize will not let incursions take place. You have 3 companies up there and they could man their border. We have a whole country to man between Garbutt's Falls and Gracias Adious and we are so incompetent that we cannot do that."

Orlando De La Fuente - Border Activist
"I think Mr. Elrington is being ill advised and just to watch him on TV it's really heart wrenching because I don't know how much further he could bend over anymore, I don't know. But it has to stop and I don't think the government realizes that their foreign polices does not reflect the will of the people. We need to change course people and we need to galvanize this energy right now. We need to refocus our energies and come up with a strategy moving forward."

Audrey Matura - Shepherd - Activist
"Many people don't want you all to know that just before the shooting with Danny the reason the BDF could not respond immediately was because the vehicle broke down. That is what Sedi Elrington should be clamoring about. How come we don't even gave them the proper tools? You know what else they don't want you all to know? They don't want you all to know that yes someone died now! But long before that our security personnel were being shot after; BDF and the special constable and the police and the people from FCD - that is the reality on the ground. It did not made the news because no one died and for those guides it has become an everyday norm of life. But they didn't want you all to know that, but those were the warning shots. Those were the warning shots that they never took serious."

But, the biggest criticism coming from the Government officials is that nobody should fan the flames of suspicion by suggesting that the culprits are Guatemalans. San Ignacio's Commanding Officer Assistant Superintendent Dinsdale Thompson had to retract such a statement. According to those who were gathered, ASP Thompson said what everybody was thinking, but too afraid to admit for the record.

Wil Maheia - Belize Territorial Volunteers, South
"In this country ladies and gentlemen, you see how far we have deteriorated hat not even the police officers can speak the truth because when Mr. Thompson spoke on Sunday he was not reading, he was speaking with authority, he was speaking from his heart and he was telling the truth, but in this country when you tell the truth you have to go back and retract the truth."

Jennifer Conorquie - Aunt of Deceased
"When he was at the funeral on Sunday and he repeat what he said - what he said is said, you can't take that back and when he said that at the funeral there was a big relief in our hearts when he said that and then he had to retract it back, but what is said is said already, you can't take that back and Mr. Thompson personally from our family we want to say thank you very much."

Neferteri Nancy Marin - Leader, Belize People's Front
"I have no doubt in my mind that Mr. Thompson was force to do that - I am 100% sure. Mr. Thompson is an exemplary officer. Here in San Ignacio we are extremely happy to have him here. You can feel the difference when you enter that police station. The PR is much better than we had for years. People have confidence in our law enforcement in this area with Mr. Thompson there. I know that he must be under a lot of pressure. I have not spoken to him about it personally, but I will say that the Belize People's Front is standing behind Mr. Thompson."

And to the officials waiting for indisputable proof about the Culprits who killed Danny Conorquie, the activists had this to say:

Audrey Matura - Shepherd - Activist "The evidence, if the people at national security want to publish it and you all should demand to see it. The evidence is that FCD who will willingly give information; every time they in that area and they track down - it leads to the Guatemalans. When the BDF and the police patrols go they have yet to tell you that they find none Guatemalans there, it's always Guatemalans there. The other physical evidence that you will find is that people garbage that they leave behind. Another key thing that I will challenge the people who really have doubt especially the foreign minister, if he still have doubts is that there are 5 horses that were captured from these men. If anybody knows anything about horses by the way and I had horses as a child is that once you train them and you give them a pattern - if you know what to do they will lead you right back to where they always go rest, so left on their own they will always go back to their trace. If the Prime Minister any problem we can put him on one of the horses and let the horse lead him to where that came from. If you are asking me about evidence, as a persecutor if I was called to persecute this case and was ask to advice on how to get the evidence, that's what I would do."

Wil Maheia - Belize Territorial Volunteers, South
"They are only like a few hundred of them that really around the Caracol area working, so we know who they are. If the OAS or the government or anybody serious about tracking them and serious about working with the Guatemalan counterparts - they could find the killer of Mr. Conorquie if they really want to. It's not like looking for a needle in a haystack."

Joe Awe - President, Cayo Tour Guides Association
"No Belizeans not even the gangs in Belize City or anywhere there are gangs ever pull a gun and killed a police officer, so this is somebody that really didn't care."

By our head count, there 120 persons who attended the protest this afternoon.

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