bingo...
Posted on 05/25/2012 3:05:43 PM PDT by Daffynition
...For those of you who follow the news in Central America, you will know that I am in hiding in an undisclosed location in Belize. Hiding out is no fun. I've always wondered why people on the run turn themselves in in many cases. I now know the answer - boredom.
I am in a one room house in an uninteresting location. I have not been outdoors for 5 days. I have no cable or satellite TV and I have three DVDs - "The Human Stain", "Tierra" and "Naked". I have no books. I do have an Ipad but no charger. They are difficult to get in this country. I have 21% charge remaining - I have been rationing. Since, in the end, The only person you can trust is yourself, I have had no contact with anyone other than telephone interviews with the press.
The Gsu have issued additional charges but have not divulged what they might be. Having spent one night already sleeping on the concrete floor of the Beluze City jail I am not excited about the prospect of returning. Yes, there are no beds in belize jails. Or toilets. A half cut milk carton serves the purpose. It was tolerable until one A.M. when a drunk was added to the cell and he immediately kicked over the container. Five of us slept crowded together in the least contaminated corner. I was out before dawn so I shouldn't complain...
(Excerpt) Read more at gizmodo.com ...
Prior to the police raid, he was living in a nice house in Belize City, running an antibiotics company. He probably has a number of friends among the expat community there.
He's probably now learned his lesson on making sure the local officials are adequately paid off. And people who have conventional lives can also wind up dying alone.
“No way am I in a rage.”
Yeah, because a 17-year old girlfriend becoming a crocodile in no way strikes primal fear in older men.
NEVER SMILE AT A CROCODILE
OH YOU CAN’T GET FRIENDLY WITH A CROCODILE
DON’T BE TAKEN IN
BY HER WELCOME GRIN
SHE’S IMAGINING HOW WELL YOU’LL FIT WITHIN HER SKIN
Some really funny (yet very serious) comments of use to mariners in the replied-to post.
Kenny, you had me hooked and LOL at “They are so useless, their efficiency experts fly in from Jamaica.”
bingo...
and it's no small feat to surpass the USVI in that category...
Is Belize really that bad?
yup, from Travel.State.Gov General Safety: Visitors should exercise situational awareness and good judgment while visiting Belize. Crime is a serious and growing problem throughout Belize. Road accidents are common (see Traffic Safety and Road Conditions) and traffic fatalities have included U.S. citizens. Public buses and taxis are frequently in poor condition and lack basic safety equipment. Many unlicensed taxis are present in Belize and U.S. citizens are encouraged to avoid traveling in them; genuine taxis may be identified by their green-colored license plates. Medical care is limited in many areas, including the larger cities of Belize City and Belmopan, and emergency response services such as ambulances or paramedics may be either unavailable or limited in capability and equipment (see Medical Facilities and Health Information).
CRIME: Organized crime beyond street gangs is primarily connected to drug trafficking or trafficking in persons. Incidents of crime remain high, including violent crimes such as armed robbery, home invasions, shootings, stabbings, murders, and rapes. The Embassy has noted an increase in crimes against tourists at resorts and on the roads and river ways. U.S. citizens are primarily the victims of opportunistic crime. There is no evidence suggesting criminals specifically target U.S. citizens, but nonetheless, foreigners have been targeted for crime due to their perceived wealth. Incidents of crime (such as theft, burglary, home invasion, purse-snatching, and pick-pocketing) increase during the winter holidays and during spring break. Several victims who resisted when confronted by criminals received serious injuries, including gunshot wounds and broken limbs. Although the majority of reported incidents occur in Belize City, particularly southern Belize City, crime may occur anywhere including tourist destinations such as San Pedro Town (Ambergris Caye), Caye Caulker, San Ignacio, Dangriga, Corozal, and Placencia.
Belize recorded 125 homicides in 2011, a decrease of five percent from 2010. Prior to 2011, homicide rates in Belize rose at least five percent every year since 2000, with the exception of 2009 when homicide rates again decreased slightly. With a population of only 312,698 according to the 2010 country census, Belize’s per capita homicide rate of 39 homicides per 100,000 inhabitants in 2011 ranks it as the sixth highest in the world. While the country’s per capita homicide rate is still lower than that of other Central American countries, such as Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala, its year-on-year increase is of concern.
The majority of homicides in 2011 occurred in the Belize district. The majority of these fatalities occurred in the southern portion of Belize City, an area that has become increasingly violent due to ongoing gang warfare between local groups for control of lucrative narcotics smuggling routes and sales rights. In late 2011, the Government of Belize brokered a truce among the major gangs which brought about a precarious peace resulting in the lower 2011 end-of-year homicide rate.
While increased police patrols, coordinated tours among resort security managers, and the arrest of perpetrators may reduce the frequency of crimes, these measures do not guarantee safety. Armed robberies of tourists remain a possibility at archeological sites, national parks, and other areas frequented by visitors. In July 2011, there was an increase in the number of robberies, home invasions, and daytime assaults in the Cayo District near the town of San Ignacio. There is no information suggesting the perpetrators were targeting tourists of any specific nationality; rather, the victims appear to have been targets of opportunity.
We encourage U.S. citizens to exercise caution and good situational awareness in all their travel activities. Visitors to tourist attractions should travel in groups and stick to the main plazas at Maya ruins and the central areas. Although there are armed guards stationed at many of the archeological sites, armed criminals have been known to prey on persons walking alone or in small groups from one site to another. While many victims of theft are unharmed and only robbed of personal belongings and cash, victims who resist assailants have suffered injury. U.S. citizens who become victims of a robbery should report it immediately to the nearest police station as well as notifying the Embassy.
The Embassy recommends that visitors travel in groups and only during daylight hours. Avoid wearing jewelry, or carrying valuable or expensive items. As a general rule, valuables should not be left unattended, including in vehicles, hotel rooms or on the beach. Care should be taken when carrying high value items such as cameras. Women’s handbags should be zipped and held close to the body. Men should carry wallets in their front pants pocket. Large amounts of cash should always be handled discreetly.
Specific groups such as the elderly, women, or homosexuals are not specifically singled out for victimization; however neither are they immune from being targeted for robbery or assault. Homosexuality is not widely accepted in Belize culture and homosexual behavior may be subject to prosecution as an “Unnatural crime” under Section 53 of the Belize Criminal Code.
Sexual harassment and/or assault of persons traveling alone or in small groups have occurred in recent years. From July to September 2011, there were a handful of sexual assaults on American citizen women after leaving night clubs, and even during daylight hours while walking with friends or while cycling alone on a deserted portion of the Hummingbird Highway.
A lack of resources and training impedes the ability of the police to effectively investigate crime and apprehend serious offenders. As a result, a number of crimes against U.S. citizens in Belize remain unresolved.
“Confidence scams” also occur in Belize, especially in resort areas. While there is no indication U.S. citizens are specifically singled out because of their nationality, tourists in general are particularly vulnerable to these crimes, resulting in visitors being pick-pocketed or robbed. More serious crimes have included armed robbery, physical assault, and being swindled out of large sums of money from fraudulent real estate and land sales, and other business deals.
With regard to business investments and contractual relationships, U.S. citizens should always conduct their own due diligence before entering into business ventures or other commercial arrangements. The Embassy cannot intervene to settle business disputes. Local business and trade associations, including the American Chamber of Commerce and Belize Chamber of Commerce, as well as government offices, may be able to provide information regarding Belize commercial requirements, validity of businesses, and reputable vendors and business agents. There have also been recent cases where investors have disputed commercial agreements with the Government of Belize through formal commercial dispute resolution procedures and the Government of Belize has failed to honor its agreements.
Drug use is common in some tourist areas. U.S. citizens should not buy, sell, hold, or take illegal drugs under any circumstances. Penalties for possession of drugs or drug paraphernalia are generally more severe than in the U.S. Visitors are cautioned that Belize classifies marijuana or ganja (i.e., cannabis) as an illegal drug for which a conviction of possession of even small amounts could result in heavy fines or imprisonment. Belize does not recognize the medical use of marijuana as permitted in some U.S. states, and U.S. citizens will be charged, fined or serve time in jail for possession of an illegal substance.
Possession of a firearm or ammunition requires a license from the Government of Belize. Residents and tourists found by Belize law enforcement to be in the possession of such items without a license may be sentenced to a prison term in Belize.
Don’t buy counterfeit and pirated goods, even if they are widely available. Not only are the bootleg items illegal in the United States, if you purchase them you may also be breaking local law.
Agreed. At one time, it was the gold standard.
Norton, on the other hand, NEVER was a gold standard.... and it got so bad, I advise friends and clients to treat it as a virus, itself. If you accidently acquire the Norton virus, your computer will run 50% slower and crash often.
It has a barrier reef with beautiful islands to die for, a back-country jungle with Mayan ruins, and lots of other cool stuff. It's just that anywhere populated by more than 3 of the natives is a dangerous hellhole. Very bad boys.
I see it being touted as a retirement venue. ROTFLMAO. Try Detroit.
After selling off his US assets, news emerged that a wrongful death law suit was filed against him and one of his enterprises.
He liquidated all his property that could be used to collect a judgment, so that it’s all beyond the reach of execution in the United States .... As he became a Belize resident, he could secure his remaining assets there, safe in the knowledge that the country would not recognise any court judgement passed down from a US judge.
Certainly, people who visited him on the island said he did not seem that impoverished, and that he had set up a high-speed ferry company, a rickshaw firm, a water sports facility and an internet company.
But McAfee claims he moved to Belize because he had a passion for developing medicines based on the herbs found in the rainforests, including a herbal viagra for women. [police describe as a *meth lab*]
Sounds like he is reaping what he has sown.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2149904/John-McAfee-arrested-Belize-police-claim-running-meth-lab.html
Bio:
-John McAfee was once worth $100million but lost nearly all his fortune and moved to Central America in 2008
-Belize security claim he had illegal weapons and drugs and that he was arrested with 17-year-old girl
-In post on private messageboard, McAfee says he has not left his hideout for five days and only has three DVDs and an iPad - without a charger
-Distributed world's first marketable anti-virus software from his home in California in the late 1980's.
-Known to enjoy alternative therapies, new age teachings and yoga
-Employed Wiccan witches to bang drums at the headquarters of his eponymous anti-virus software firm
-Allegedly turned a blind eye to his employees using McAfee Associates first offices for sex games in the early 1990's.
-Faces a $5 million wrongful death lawsuit in the U.S after 61-year-old man died flying an aircraft owned by one of his firms in 2006
Good to know the do-not-go-to’s.
I spent some time down the coast in Honduras. Quite an interesting genetic “mix,” to say the least!
Honduras, Quintana Roo, Belize: Joseph Conrad Country, for sure!
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