An article was published in Spanish in the Amandala on Sunday, March 28, 2010, entitled, “La Venganza de la Naturaleza.” When I wrote that article, I knew absolutely nothing about an agreement with Belize and Oil companies in the process of drilling for petroleum until Adele Ramos wrote her article on Sunday, May 9, 2010, published in the Amandala under the caption, “Princess and Treaty Energy Oil and gas exploration area covers 2 million acres.”
On Wednesday, May 12, 2010, Amandala also published an excerpt from Thomas Friedman’s column under the caption, “Gulf Oil Spill should be a wakeup call for America.” In my article I had mentioned that between June 1979 and March 1980 in an exploration that was taking place in the Gulf of Mexico, the drill of one of the installations exploded, which caused a great amount of raw petroleum to spill, affecting the coast of Texas. That was thirty years ago.
The globalized masters couldn’t care less about the environment and the people, matters not where they are from. The only thing they care about is to have the absolute control of the drugs. Oh, I’m sorry – I meant to say of the energy, energy from petroleum is power – independent of the other products derived from the black gold. The recent spilling of petroleum in the Gulf of Mexico is more dangerous because if it is not controlled in time, it will affect other countries on the other side of the American continent.
Let me quote what Adele Ramos wrote: “Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Dean Barrow told Amandala that the time has come to rethink the granting of petroleum concessions along those environmental lines.” Should we Belizeans understand that as the cancellation of the concessions? “The existing concession areas,” said Barrow, “were inherited from the former administration.” That is something we Belizeans did not know about, or at least I did not know. “Going forward,” said Barrow, “Government should look at excluding sensitive areas from petroleum concessions.”
Now here is where it starts to sound like a game of words. He added that “as companies proceed to work their concessions, they must get the proper permits and environmental clearance.” Once that is done, they gone clear. I am sure these companies have the most modern $$$ technology to show that no harm will be done to the environment. “Government would use those mechanisms to ensure that nothing happens that is environmentally prejudicial,” he added.
I don’t know how my countrymen and women understand the Prime Minister’s statement, but for me, it’s just a game of words. Belize is in front of the second largest barrier reef of the world, and we only have approximately 174 miles length of seafront. To start with Mr. P.M., the Barrier Reef is a world heritage and it took thousands of years to develop. Nature has done this for a reason, and whenever anyone messes with nature, there are consequences.
Let me quote from Adele Ramos’ article published in the Amandala on Sunday, May 16, 2010, under the caption: “PM Barrow, DPM Vega responded to call for ban of offshore drilling.” The last paragraph states the following: “‘I can’t say how the thing is going to shake out,’ said Barrow. He commented that while he has no problem breaking contracts that are secret and illegal, breaking contracts that are above board and open to the public is quite a different story.”
Come on Mr. P.M. that is the reason why we put you where you are. We did not do so to see if you can do something. We gave you twenty-five seats, the laws and constitution of the land and its waters for you to clean up the mess the former administration made. If you find your hands tied up, then put the issue to a referendum. The PUP are intelligent people; I don’t think they will vote against the well-being of the Belizean people and in favor of a few wealthy globalized companies (?). By the way, Mr. P.M., who had fenced up a large number of seafront parcels of land right up to the seaside at Finca Solana and have it on sale – is it the UDP or PUP? We thought that those parcels of seafront were going to be given to the Belizean Public.
Ban the offshore drilling for petroleum Mr. P.M. Hon. Dean Oliver Barrow.
May 17, 2010
Finca Solana
Corozal Town