John McAfee receiving commendation for his contributions to Belize security forces. Image Credit San Pedro Sun.
Software antivirus pioneer, philanthropist and expat John McAfee has made world headlines for Belize in not exactly the way the government of the day would have liked it to be. He practically invented the software antivirus industry, made a bundle then flamed out in the world recession with a fraction of his fortune. Mr. McAfee then decided to retire in a tropical paradise and selected Belize. And what a grievous mistake this now appears to have been.
Belize is a much sought after tourism and retirement destination popular with North Americans and Europeans. A former British colony, it is the only English-speaking country in Central America. The Belize Tourism Board invests around one million dollars every month on public relations encouraging visitors, investors and retirees to come hither. The country is tiny, smaller than Massachusetts. Wedged in between Mexico and Guatemala. It borders the Caribbean Sea on the east and has spectacular diving, snorkeling and archaeological attractions, warm and friendly people – and nothing much else.
But it has crime, corruption and poverty. And of course you will not read about it in the glossy tourist brochures or the government funded websites.
Mr. McAfee earlier this week had the misfortune of receiving a visit from the local police SWAT team backed up by the army – some 30 soldiers. And they were not there to acknowledge and thank him for the couple million dollars he has donated to the security forces since coming to live in Belize. On the contrary. He claims they were there to give him some comeuppance. But the GSU says they were there to uphold the law.
The local SWAT team is called the Gang Suppression Unit. Trained by the FBI, the unit has made a name for itself in combating the criminal gangs that have overrun Belize City. But it has also been accused of terrorizing innocent civilians – locals and expats alike – as it raids and shoots up residences it believes are housing baddies. And despite their best efforts, crime and murder is on the upswing in Belize instead of going into remission.
John arrived in Belize in 2008 apparently seeking to reinvent himself. “Twenty-three years after he essentially invented the antivirus-software industry, McAfee, now 64, radiates the vitality of a rich man who thinks about more than money. As he steps forward to meet me at the edge of his yard, he’s wearing sandals, shorts, and a muscle shirt that reveals a wiry physique and a tiger-stripe tattoo on each shoulder. He grips my hand with sinewy vigor. For decades, McAfee was a hard-partying ne’er-do-well playboy entrepreneur, a self-described trickster and bullshit artist who’d spent the majority of his adult life gadding about and having fun. That’s all in the past now, or so he would have me believe.” That’s how Fast Company Magazine describes him in a piece by Jeff Wise in 2010.
Fast forward to 30 April 2012 and all hell breaks loose at John’s residence and research center in Orange Walk town – the sugar cane growing capital of Belize.
“At 6 o’clock in the morning, the GSU – I think the entire contingent – and a number of Belize Defense Force soldiers – a total of 65 in all – surrounded my compound, burst through the gates, and put all of us in handcuffs. They said that they had a warrant to search the premises. I remained in handcuffs for 14 hours, outside the whole time, without food. None of us had food. There were about 12 people who were handcuffed which included a number of women, and BDF broke down doors, confiscated property – including my American passport – and at the end of the day, they charged me with a firearm violation. The GSU was brutal and uncooperative. They broke down doors; they completely ransacked many of the houses on the compound. Items are missing. I am sorry; this is unacceptable in a country that is supposed to be civilized in a democracy. I have donated to the police department alone, over 2 million dollars’ worth of goods in the past 2 years. I have done a tremendous amount of work to clean up Carmelita (a village in Orange Walk), to provide food for school children – any number of things. And to be treated this way, after I have acted in such a fashion, makes me think twice about investing anything else here.”
The GSU however in its press release claims that it acted within the law and quite properly responding to reports of drugs and firearms on the McAfee property. A local newspaper says that: Police report via a press release today that they found several guns and an allegedly unauthorized antibiotics laboratory in a 13-hour operation conducted at the Belize Ecological Foundation Ltd., which began at 5:00 a.m. on Monday, April 30, 2012.
McAfee was released without any charges although he claims that the police have kept his American passport. According to a report in PC Magazine, McAfee in 2010 founded a Belize based company QuorumEx that seeks to develop better ways to combat pathogenic bacteria through anti-quorum sensing medicines.
In the following interview with Belize journalist Rowland Parks, McAfee talks for the first time on television about his ordeal at the hands of the Belize authorities:
In order to effectively mediated the intolerable crime situation that Belize has gotten itself into (through no less than the apathy and indifference of its own citizens), the people of Belize must stand up now and simply “Do the right thing!” We cannot continue to survive and prosper within a society that is controlled and directed by a government that it demonstrably incapable of dealing with the problem. Through whatever means necessary we must demand that our government agencies step up to the plate and conduct their activities in a professional, responsible and effective manner. This type of morally inexcusable action (even though “legal” on the judicial side) by a government agency against Mr. McAfee or anyone for that matter, is absolutely unacceptable and must be stopped and eliminated. It is our responsibility to insure that this happens. We must take action now or this cancerous societal infection will without a doubt continue to worsen and our quality of life will continue to degrade.
I am very ashamed of the way that situation was handled. As a Belizian residing in the US for 46 years I never thought anything like this would happen. You know that those orders came from Belmopan. Wake up fellow Belizeans, you need to be aware of the people that you vote for to represent your country.
Maybe the authorities should start roughing up people who are supposedly representing the country. Can of worms would be found and then you would see who the baddies are.
To Mr. Mcafee, I can only express my sincere gratitude for your contributions to Belize and say how sorry I am for the way you were was treated.. Hope you get a good Attorney and go after them for illegal arrest, defamation, and harassment… Get them Guy!!!!
Let’s not get carried away. It is easy to become subservient to everything that the USA represents, especially when you have lived under that system for almost five decades; but let’s get real, and save the apologies.
John McAfee is no saint. The gang suppression unit (special police task force) did not “rough up” McAfee. His home was raided and everyone in the house was detained. This is typical of actions that any USA police force would do. So why should Belizeans be ashamed for what was done to McAfee?
After this, along with numerous other reported incidents in Belize, have convinced me to eliminate Belize from my short list of retirement destinations. Things in Belize seem to be getting worse as time goes on with little hope of recovery. It is sad that such a beautiful country continues to shoot itself in the foot. It has much going for it but the crime and politics are getting out of control. It truely is sad.
I was thimking of retiring there and buying a home with some land but after this and other reports I am geting I believe I will pass.
This type of attitude permeates Belize govt. employee’s, I got sick of the condescending attitude of officials, police, immigration and on and on…I put $5000.00 a month into the Belizean economy and all I got for it was a bad attitude from govt. employees.
The Belizean people in general, were great, but now I live in Mexico on the Riviera Maya, and enjoy a lifestyle on a much greater scale than what I could in Belize.
The Belizean government tries to support itself on the backs of foreigners, and I got tired of it.
I watched the video.
McAffee did not deny any of the charges; he only whined that this should not have happened to him considering how generous he has been.
I don’t know if he’s guilty or not, or if the treatment he and his guests/fellow residents received was illegal or out of the norm, but he does not make any such claim in the video – the video during which he claimed he would not share it with the world – did he REALLY think the world would not see it?
Sounds like bs to ME!! Kinda like that “industry” he created…
On the face of it, it appears that justice is blind – it does not matter how much money you have – you break the law you get arrested. Sounds like the epitome of what we (used) to strive for in the U.S.
I look forward to hearing more.
I understand Belize suffers from a “self kicking ass” syndrome in sadly, so many ways, but should not be so quick to slam the authorities for what appears to be only doing their job, just because they did their job relative to some spoiled, rich American ex-pat who feels he is above the law.
Where are the mutilated bodies, or stories of beatings?
All I heard was no one was given food for 14 hours, and while harsh and possibly inexcusable/illegal, is not reason for an uprising or total condemnation of the authorities – I’ve always heard what a violent place Belize is, yet NO ONE makes any such accusation relative to this instance.
Don’t get me wrong – I’d be plenty PISSED if they would not let ME get a beer outta the fridge for 14 hours, but if that’s all they have to complain about, it sounds more like they are probably GUILTY, or at least deserving of being brought into court over, what they are charged with.
Just for the record, I’m not a cop, or gov’t. official, nor am I particularly a promoter/defender of either – I am, if anything, a socio/judicial activist and often I go into court after crooked judges and other crooked government officials. I currently have a lawsuit pending against everyone from the governor to the attorney general and all legislators – I do not condone gov’t bs.
But I also do not condone special treatment for “rich babies”, which may or not be the case here – and that’s my point – wait until it is explained, and likely countered, what actually happened, before deciding that Belizean officials are to blame.
Jim Cunningham
What a pity!!!!! I would encourage our local authorities to get their act together before acting like Gestapos and treating someone who has obviously been mighty kind to our country and community. Granted if they had reasons to search is one thing, but to bring that many armed paramilitary men and keep this man handcuffed for fourteen hours is uncalled for. That’s how we loose them BELIZE.
Just another individual / corporate fatcat who Belizeans can sink their parasitic fangs into and suck dry. Wake up Belizeans!
Doesn’t this sound just like all the other rich Americans / Corporations who come down, sink a bundle into philanthropic causes, then just when the rich American feels they are doing some good, the government either taxes them into obscurity or trumps up some charges so they will leave all their investments in the hands of the greedy politicians.
The promises of the invest in Belize program , for immigrants, never materialized . After 1 year one should get a residence permit . I waited 7 years , paying each month as well as a few thousand dollars for a work permit and still they DIDN’T . I spoke to the Prime Minister in Belmopan, who directed me to the head of immigration who said he couldn’t help me. I have no crime record anywhere so that was not a possible reason .
Another lady had waited 13 years and still didn’t have her residence permit . So I shut down and left . I had US$ 2.5 million to invest in a laboratory for royal jelly production derived from my beekeeping operations but refused to invest until my residency permit was granted . It never materialized .
The customs and police follow a gangster mentality and they don’t like you if you have great potential with a precautionary attitude . I don’t know of anyone who has made a great success in Belize . Its a great drag on energy with few positive results . Crime is as high as can be .
Government insiders monopolize all imports and sell for extortionate prices; the Chinese Snakeheads are operating well with immigration. It just goes on and on in every facet of life, around every corner and the police are all in on drug and other crime . Even the late attorney Dr. Elson Kaseke had to pay extortion fees to get things ” done” . He was second from the top in the justice department . The country is rotting from the inside out and it has reached the point of no return . I just feel sorry for the good old folk who still maintain their dignity and respect like in the good old days and still have morals too.
This is not so these days. I submitted my permanent residency application in November 2011 along with an interview two weeks later. In March I received my Permanent Resident Status. You have to follow up with your application. Sitting back and waiting for Immigration Officials to contact you – good luck. This country has a habit of being non-responsive. If you want something do, you go and do it.
The Immigration Department has cleared up and corruption in the office is down. Don’t pay for anything except for your residency at the end. This when the call you in the office, sign paper, go to the cashier and pay – kept your receipt – they get the copy. Next day or a week you can go back to collect your Passport with the seal stamp for Belizean Permanent Residency on the back page.
P.S. if you lost all the receipts that they initially gave; then you are up the river without a paddle. If you don’t submit you monthly receipts while waiting for your application.
Most applicants can be downright rude. We as expats and guests of Belize, so we should be respectful. Yes, Belize is poor and demand heavily on foreign aid and the lucrative tourism industry, but 99.9% of Belizeans don’t know the money comes from to put food on their tables and who provides them with wages and salaries. If is it wasn’t foreign countries taking pity on Belize they would back in the jungle and working on the plantation. Take care keep you nose clean and get involved with too many Belizeans because they all want hand-outs and if the don’t receive it, they will seek some sort of revenge. Keep to yourself, don’t get too friendly with them. Leave them alone because they do not deserve expats assistance. They are happy in their own mud like pigs.
As a travel agent in the 3rd largest travel agency in the US, I will certainly circulate this news article that Belize is unsafe for foreigners to my fellow travel agents.
I personally will not advise tourists to go to Belize. It sounds like a police state. There are plenty of other competing tourist destinations to visit like Costa Rica or the Caribbean islands. Stay away from Belize with it’s crime, both government sponsored and civilian. Belize will reap what it sows.
I was in the Peace Corps in Belize 30 years ago and went back for a visit last year.
Poverty is worse and our tour guide advised us how dangerous the gangs can be. The politicians were corrupt 30 years ago and that is life there.
I too thought about retiring there but no more. But, I am not a rich man so I would probably be left alone!
For awhile, the GSU police raid on the McAfee residence in Orange Walk was mostly only on Belize media and blogs and in high tech pubs, but now the story has been covered by AP, Fox News and other major mainstream media.
Stupid GSU and Belize pols – those guys don’t have a clue about international public relations and how an event like this can undo years of tourism and retirement destination promotion.
Lan Sluder – FODORS Belize
I just returned from Belize and I am both a Canadian and became a Belizean citizen in 1992 having first moved to Belize in 1974. I believe it is quite possible Mr McAfee is innocent.
Apparently there were 3 guns found but two of them were licensed and one of them may have been been planted by the GSU which according to many can be very heavy handed and purportedly corrupt.
This may be part of the territory they have to deal with which is dangerous and unexpected sometimes like guerrilla warfare where a youth on bicycle will ride up to his target which is usually another gang member and pull out a pistol and shoot until the target is dead, It is very sad to see. Belize used to be a very peaceful place. You could walk just about anywhere safely. There were maybe at the most 2-3 murders a year mostly domestic related. With the advent of satellite TV and broadcasting some of the worst programming from the US, including gang and a lot of violent shows and movies had a significant impact as well as a big influence on the youth.
Belize being like a small community, it was easy for everyone to see how those in power and anyone closely related would benefit far beyond their annual salaries many times at the expense of the Belizean people when attempts were made to increase taxes on certain staples etc.
The protest and shut down during a country wide strike in 2005 was the best example of a true democracy I had ever seen. When enough was enough, people stood up and marched peacefully while singing and carrying placards. It worked for a time but a people can never become complacent about how the country is being managed otherwise the old saying is true ” all that is required for evil to persist is for good men/women to do nothing about it”.
The spirit and gentleness of the people is still there and they have all suffered and toiled as a result of the increased graft that goes on. I think this started somewhat innocently as the country began to grow at a rate that far outpaced the capacity of Government departments to deal with it and thus began self appointed positions as lobbyists who would assist those seeking permits of one sort or another.
Even border customs officers were becoming wealthy. It was done semi legally but the applications were put at the top of the pile or duties for imports were reduced and a fee paid to the agent. It now permeates a lot of different branches of the Government and some of them are involved as well. It seems like it has become a frenzy and so many want to get their piece of economic peace of mind so they can have a decent living and then of course it goes beyond that and gets greedy and turns into more is never enough….and people suffer.
It is pandemic and part of what is happening everywhere, not just in Belize…..if you want to see corruption and violence, death then look no further than our own backyards. How many people are killed in a day, month, year in Chicago, New York, La or even in Toronto, Canada. Are Governments really managing for the sake of the people who voted them in……Sure does not seem like it.
Belizeans have just started to mobilize themselves and it will grow. People in Corozal have had enough and have organized patrols with the police using their own vehicles. The police do not even have the budget to buy flashlights and have only one vehicle. Citizens around the world are trying to organize and mobilize. There is a lot of polarity or opposition to each others views on a variety of issues. But their is a “listening” that is growing that constitutes the largest majority of the population who are coming out of complacency and joining the ranks of those becoming more conscious of the world, our interdependence, the environmental damages and government abdication to preserve it in favour of so called progress.
Despite all it’s problems and mismanagement, I am optimistic that Belizeans will once again come to a point of awareness and action and will collectively work for and create a better way. No one is winning. How far into the chaos it will go is to be seen but they do have the advantage of small size. Short-sightedness, fear of there is not enough for everyone that leads to selfishness, that begins to hide our good hearted compassionate humanness is at the root. Poverty after all is a man made thing. How long will it take to wake up?
Very sad. Maybe the British should come back in and run the place again.
My wife and I invested almost everything we owned, trying to develop a small resort in an area with little or no development. Our efforts to help tourism and create jobs in a poverty stricken village, failed after being robed multiple times at gun point.
The police did not do anything to help, they simply told us to buy a gun, get dogs, and fence all around our house. So the crooks are free, and we had to live in a jail (our home).
Between the corrupt Government (no matter which party is in power), the police, and the crooks, Belize is heading for big trouble. It just isn’t safe for anyone with a bit of money (we are NOT rich), to live in Belize.
I feel really sorry for the generally very friendly and hard working people of Belize. We met many nice people, and are sick to our stomachs that things have gotten so bad. Belize is a beautiful country, with many great features, however until the government quits filling their own pockets, and starts combating crime, we won’t be going back!!!
If these GSU unit were trained by the FBI. the training was limited. They are still considered thugs with police powers. They are not smart or educated enough to handle the job. Handling street criminals and civilians are different. People rights need to be addressed.
The way the police handles it’s citizen and visitors will reflect on how others people see Belize as a safe place to retire. We need to up the level and training and education of these units. They are taking police that act like gangs and training them to act like a SWAT team.
This unit should be revamped and replaced with new recruits with a much higher calibre of training and education that not just uses force but also intelligence. They are just trained dogs. The government lacks funding and this is the best they can manage.
The same people that would like to make Belize a safer place and helping are being terrorized.
Belize is a beautiful country; however, the present government Mr. Dean Barrows needs to provide jobs for the local citizens. The people, withour jobs have lost all respect and hope. The young people who are being graduated have no sustainable jobs to look forward to. It is a disgrace to see the politicans getting richer by the year from foreign aides etc… while the people of living abject proverty. Mr. Dean Barrows, you have not done a single proactive action for this country employment situation. Mr. Dean Barrows, you are uneffectual politican with amble lip-service at your disposal. The people of Belize need payable, stable jobs. This is you second year term and what have you done? Absolutely NOTHING. This country cannot live off the backs of tourists and foreign aides. Open up the country to foreign investments to help build a vigourous economy.
I live in Belize and all I can say to those of you who think this is an acceptable practice on the part of the GSU is “get a life”. This could have been handled so much differently. I do not know Mr. McAfee personally, but I am acquainted with others who have had similar treatment. In all cases all the GSU needed to do is go up to the person in question while in town or at his place of business and hand him a warrant to search their premises. No dogs had to die, no one needed to be harassed or woke up in the middle of the night just for being on site. No children would be put in danger of a gun fight while the owners were trying to protect their families such as happened in Belmopan. I sure don’t see any gangs being suppressed, in fact there are more murders in Belize City than ever. Maybe they could start dealing with them which is why the Unit was created (I thought).