Guest Editorial: Barrow & Belize Telecommunications Ltd.

Belmopan, Belize 29 November (Belizean.com) Belize's Telecommunications industry seems headed for some turbulent times as the two elephants of the industry face off for what promises to be a long term confrontation.  As the old Swahili saying goes, when two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers and the grass in this case, are the thousands of Belizeans who rely upon the services provided by these two companies for their daily communication needs.

After an apparent unsuccessful bid to wrest business away from Smart using propaganda and business promotions, BTL decided to pull off the gloves and play dirty.  The gist of the whole matter is that Prime Minister Dean Barrow realizes now, that BTL cannot possibly survive in an atmosphere of fair competition.  From the outside, it looked oh so easy and rosy but having grabbed that tiger by the tail, the Barrow Administration now seems unable to let go or hold on.

In his presentation to the House upon springing his surprise, Prime Minister Barrow made a number of promises that now seems little more than hot air.  The first promise and primary reason given for the takeover was that litigation problems would go away.  What a joke!  Seems that Michael Ashcroft can now remind Dean Barrow of the very comments that he, Barrow,  made when he stated in the House, "he doesn't know the friend that he is dealing with."  Ashcroft is no patsy and is not likely to go quietly into the night as Barrow was obviously hoping for.

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Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow Wedding

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Belmopan, Belize 12 February (Belizean.com) – The Prime Minister of Belize Hon. Dean Barrow wed his long time Belize girlfriend Kim Simpliss on February 7 – the first anniversary of his United Democratic Party gaining power in General Elections in 2008. The wedding took place outside of Belize, in Savannah, Georgia U.S.A. The couple have a daughter Salima.

Belize's main money earner is tourism and critics have pointed to promotions hawking this English-speaking Central American country as the ultimate wedding and honeymoon destination.

Ms. Simpliss was quoted in local media as "..wanting to get away from the fuss in Belize.." where the U.D.P. is facing myriad problems including an unprecedented crime wave, a deteriorating economy, an escalating cost of living and a strike by sugar cane farmers where the police shot and killed a farmer and wounded at least eight others.

In an a televised interview, the Prime Minister reluctantly addressed the question as to why he decided to get married in the U.S.A. instead of in Belize:

Adele Ramos, "Can you address questions raised by some Belizeans as to why the Prime Minister of their country has gone to the U.S.A. to get married?"

Hon. Dean Barrow, "There are all sorts of reasons for that and I don't think I need to get into those reasons. I mean no disrespect to anyone to say that that sort of decision was and remains a private decision.

"I don't get married as Prime Minister, I get married as Dean Barrow an individual. So I apologize if there are those who don't see it that way but there were good and sufficient reasons and I'll leave it at that."

More images of the wedding can be found here.

Special thanks to Mr. E. Meighan for submitting photographs.