Cane farmer Atanacio Felix Gutierrez, 44, died, reportedly at the hands of national security forces during the confrontation on Monday afternoon, February 2, between cane farmers and members of the Belize Defence Force and Police Department.
Now, his widow and mother of his six children, Benita Gutierrez, of San Victor village, Corozal District, has written separately to Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow and Ombudsman Cynthia Pitts requesting the former to appoint a Commission of Inquiry into, and the latter to personally investigate the circumstances of Atanacio’s death.
In her letter to Ombudsman Pitts, dated February 23, 2009, Benita Gutierrez cites the report of Orange Walk television station CTV3 on the incident as the basis for “an impartial and fair investigation.” Gutierrez’ letter says that from that video can be gleaned several witnesses who, she says, are willing to testify about what they saw happen to Gutierrez, and at least two who witnessed Gutierrez’ death and recovered potential evidence.
She even suggested calling Michael Peyrefitte (not identified by name in either letter but referred to as “a Belize City attorney for the cane farmers” and quoted directly from his statement to Channel 7’s Keith Swift immediately after Gutierrez’ death. See page 1 of Amandala #2306, Wednesday, February 4, “Sugar and blood!”) The same paragraph is repeated in the letter to Hon. Barrow.
Gutierrez is quoted as saying in the letters: “I am convinced that my husband was simply a peaceful protestor on that day and that he posed no threat… His death has caused much pain on me and on my six children.”
Gutierrez further requests that the Commission meet in Orange Walk Town and subpoena the commanding officer, all other officers stationed at BSI that day, and that any and all eyewitnesses, particularly those who were shot, be allowed to give their version of the events.
Presuming that the evidence would prove that the security officers “unnecessarily” killed Atanacio and “unjustly fired at innocent persons,” the widow requests criminal charges to be laid by both public officials against the accused officers, and financial compensation for the family.
“Justice must be done,” each letter concludes.
The Prime Minister’s Office told us when we contacted them that he had just left for the day. Ombudsman Pitts, at 4:00 this evening, had only just gotten ahold of the letter in question and told us she needed to read it before she could comment.