Sir,
This is my response to an article in the Amandala – “Mexico is for Mexicans” posted on July 17, 2008.
What the editor of the Amandala newspaper has contributed with regards to Mr. Hardie and his security guards being arrested by Mexican authorities, leaves a sour taste, merely because we are all Belizeans and we can never tell when we may be in a situation in a foreign country and when you need all the support you can get from your fellow people there are those who will say…….we sympathize with you, but you see how you get out of it……
There are also some facts I wish to share with readers….something that I feel the Editor should have gathered before expressing his conclusion on the matter….
· First of all, we as Belizeans from North to South all know when we are in Mexico, especially if you are driving a vehicle, we’re targets for the Mexican Police…..they stop you, start telling you about violations and speeding, take out their note book, start writing then ask for your driver’s licence and confuse you with so much right and wrongs until you go into your pocket and give them what they ask for and then they shake your hand and wish you a safe trip. We all know that in Chetumal if you are right, for them you’re wrong and if you are wrong, then for them you’re double wrong. It’s true, Mexico is for Mexicans, but they seem to think that the free zone area is also for Mexico and that they can do as they please. Our immigration is three blocks away from the border point, so Mexicans just walk or drive into our country, no one inspect if they’re bringing in arms or ammunition, do as they please and just run back across the bridge where you cannot touch them. If there is a disruption at any of the casinos or the commercial free zone, by the time the Corozal Police (which is approx. 9 miles away from the border) get there, the violators will be long gone.
· Second – the Mexicans initiated this confrontation in OUR COUNTRY. They were initially removed from the casino’s premises and after an altercation with the security guards left only to return later and open fire. This shows you that they came back with the intention to harm and kill. What were the guards supposed to do? Just stand back and allow them to shoot at them and whosoever was around at the time? I cannot speak about other employers, but at LVHC Mr. Hardie does not intimidate his employees. Moreover, no one entered Mexico shooting or at the ready as the Editor of the Amandala insinuates..the Assistant Director for the Mexican Customs was very clear in his statement to Mexican authorities when he reported that Mr. Hardie, Jr. and his officers approached and declared their weapons and explained to him that they were there to report an incident that had taken place at his business place.
* Third – Mr. Hardie is an INVESTOR in this country. He has invested over 20 million dollars in this country, creating employment for over 230 Belizeans, paying his taxes, contributing to the social and economic welfare of this country and abiding by all laws and regulations under which he was granted a licence. For the past three years since the inception of the Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, over 230 families have been sustained thanks to the salaries and wages they earn from this employer. If this in itself does not mean anything to Mr. Editor, well to us here in the North, it does.
Mr. Hardie has contributed financially to many non-profit organizations in Belize who seek his assistance. When it comes to sports in Corozal, Mr. Hardie, Jr., is number one. He has sponsored numerous tournaments, competitions, donated cash and trophies without asking for any publicity or favours in return. You can drive around the Corozal Civic Centre grounds on week nights and see him playing basketball and even soccer with his employees. He is one of us. He is an American employer who found a home in Corozal and who fitted right in.
Mr.Hardie has also made several donations to the Corozal Police Detachment, a gesture which has been acknowledged by Hon. Carlos Perdomo, Minister of National Security in a ceremony held recently in Corozal.
Last year when Hurricane Dean devastated Corozal, Mr. Hardie along with his employees worked tirelessly day after day distributing purified water to all the villages and throughout town. He donated and distributed thousand of dollars in food and water to those mostly affected and we are witnesses to that humanitarian act. And there is much more that this man has done for our community and country as a whole…..
So instead of pronouncing negative remarks and downsizing our own Belizean officials, let’s support the families of those who are locked up in Chetumal because as the saying goes: “Tuday da fi me, tomarrow da fi yu.”
Thanks for your attention
Maria Alpuche
07/21/08