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Trans-border aggression:Tourist raped, another shot near Caracol! (Trouble In Paradise!)
The Reporter ^ | Friday, 19 May 2006 | Ann-Marie Williams

Posted on 05/25/2006 9:23:26 AM PDT by quegley

Trans-border aggression:Tourist raped, another shot near Caracol!

Friday, 19 May 2006

By Ann-Marie Williams - News Editor

Decommissioned military men from Guatemala’s scaled-down army are believed to be the ones responsible for the recent series of armed attacks against tourists visiting archaeological sites and other destinations in the Cayo District.

The situation has become so bad that the United States Embassy in Belize issued a travel advisory cautioning Americans to stay away from the Cayo district.

Days after this caution, a commando force of brigands ambushed three tourist groups on their way from Caracol, stripping each tourist of money and valuables - cameras, jewellery, cell phones, etc. and raping a 26-year-old law student.

The intruders shot and injured a passenger when the driver of a van tried to bolt for safety.

The ambush took place just south of the Guacamallo Bridge shortly after 1:30 on Monday afternoon.

(Excerpt) Read more at reporter.bz ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: belize; caracol; guatemala; gunmen; rape; robbery
This is the best story my wife and I have seen printed on it. The article says Isuzu Rodeo, but it was really a Honda Passport. I know, because we were in it.
1 posted on 05/25/2006 9:23:28 AM PDT by quegley
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To: quegley

!! Really?


2 posted on 05/25/2006 9:26:05 AM PDT by Mamzelle
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To: quegley

Well that sucks. I hope everyone got away unharmed.


3 posted on 05/25/2006 9:28:04 AM PDT by Bikers4Bush (Flood waters rising, heading for more conservative ground. Vote for true conservatives!)
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To: quegley

Did the attacks take place in Belize?

Not knowing the area (or where the Cayo District is), the article didn't make it clear whether the Guatemalans had come into Belize, or tourists from Belize were travelling in Guatemala.


4 posted on 05/25/2006 9:28:39 AM PDT by dawn53
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To: quegley

Wow, glad you survived your 'vacation'. I hope you and your wife were not injured.


5 posted on 05/25/2006 9:30:07 AM PDT by AprilfromTexas
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To: quegley
You were there? Glad you're now safe and sound. I know of similar events in the mountains of Mexico, some 20 or so years ago--Mexican soldiers ambushed a group of folks traveling in cars to Panama, and two were killed and others held in jail until proper ransom fees were paid. A lot of people think the violence in that part of the world is something new--it's not. Americans need to watch their backs in Latin America.
6 posted on 05/25/2006 9:30:08 AM PDT by MizSterious (Anonymous sources often means "the voices in my head told me.")
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To: quegley

More details if you feel like it.

We have friends who have been suggesting Belize as a vacation destination.


7 posted on 05/25/2006 9:34:03 AM PDT by BenLurkin
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To: quegley

Are you and your passengers okay?


8 posted on 05/25/2006 9:35:59 AM PDT by ConservativeMind
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To: ConservativeMind

And to all others.

We are all safe. The man that was shot was medivac'd to the states. He was shot in the arm. We were on our honeymoon. That was our first full day in the country. We were inland in the Pine Mountain Range of Belize. We were staying in the Hidden Valley Inn. Five of the other victims were staying at Blanconeaux, Francis Ford Copollas' place. The three women in the first van were at another resort. NOTHING was said prior to our trip about any robberies.

It was awesome until we got robbed. I don't recommend anything that takes you down a desolate bumpy road, where anyone with a gun can pop out and rob you, that includes Belize, Honduras, Guatemala, and others.

We were able to move on. We went to our next destination (Mata Chica resort) in San Pedro, Belize. We started our honeymoon over.


9 posted on 05/25/2006 9:45:36 AM PDT by quegley
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To: quegley
My wife and I spent a week at Chaa Creek and one day visited the ruins at Tikal. On the way to Tikal, our driver told us to hide our valuables except for a couple of dollars in case we were stopped and "robbed". (One elderly woman in our group was disappointed that we weren't and didn't have a story to tell the folks back home.)

Apparently, there's no problem unless some ignorant tourist yahoo who doesn't understand the "game" pulls a John Wayne and decides to show off.

10 posted on 05/25/2006 9:52:18 AM PDT by robertpaulsen
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To: robertpaulsen

"Apparently, there's no problem unless some ignorant tourist yahoo who doesn't understand the "game" pulls a John Wayne and decides to show off."

I really have multiple problems with your statement.

1. No problem, (wtf)??

2. ignorant tourist yahoo (again, wtf)??

3. game ??????

I could go on, but I guess I'll stop there.

Maybe you and your wife will get lucky next time and be able to participate in the "game" and get "robbed".


11 posted on 05/25/2006 12:00:53 PM PDT by khnyny
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To: khnyny
"1. No problem, (wtf)??

Yes. No problem. As in nobody gets hurt.

"2. ignorant tourist yahoo (again, wtf)??"

What's not to understand about an ignorant tourist yahoo? Some guy showing off to his wife or girlfriend, trying to intimidate and back down some little "foreign" guy who's carrying a machete.

"3. game ??????"

They're poor people. A few "rob" tourists. But if they steal too much or if they hurt someone, the federales will come after them or the tourists will stop coming or both. Nobody wants that.

So, we're advised to carry a little money to make them go away.

"Maybe you and your wife will get lucky next time and be able to participate in the "game" and get "robbed"."

Given your attitude, my advice to you when you "travel" is: Don't get off the cruise ship.

12 posted on 05/25/2006 12:19:53 PM PDT by robertpaulsen
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To: quegley
Glad to hear you're ok! I was in Belize 15 years ago, and similar advisories were in effect then. It's a BEAUTIFUL country, but the rules of reality are definitely different there.
13 posted on 05/25/2006 12:44:07 PM PDT by whatexit
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To: robertpaulsen

"Yes. No problem. As in nobody gets hurt."

Gee, it was my understanding from the original story that a law student was raped during the "robbery" and another person was shot (with real bullets).

Should I say that I'm sorry that I don't agree with your take on things?/sarc


14 posted on 05/25/2006 1:08:47 PM PDT by khnyny
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To: robertpaulsen
Apparently, there's no problem unless some ignorant tourist yahoo who doesn't understand the "game" pulls a John Wayne and decides to show off.

Sometimes I don't believe what I read....

15 posted on 05/25/2006 1:16:09 PM PDT by cbkaty (I may not always post...but I am always here......)
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To: robertpaulsen
Given your attitude, my advice to you when you "travel" is: Don't get off the cruise ship.

I stopped traveling to latin countries in the 80s....because of the lawlessness and my lack of self defense in those countries. You are on your own the moment you cross the US border.....and you better damn well realize this.

16 posted on 05/25/2006 1:20:00 PM PDT by cbkaty (I may not always post...but I am always here......)
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To: khnyny

Obviously, someone broke the rules, didn't they?


17 posted on 05/25/2006 1:51:58 PM PDT by robertpaulsen
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To: khnyny; cbkaty; robertpaulsen
robertpaulsen:

"Yes. No problem. As in nobody gets hurt."


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Gee, it was my understanding from the original story that a law student was raped during the "robbery" and another person was shot (with real bullets).
Should I say that I'm sorry that I don't agree with your take on things?/sarc

14khnyny


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~



Sometimes I don't believe what I read....
15 cbkaty


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Paulsen's stance is best seen in light of his anti-gun leanings. He claims that States have the power to prohibit weapons of self defense.

Apparently we should just trust in the good intent of our peers, even when they play the 'robbery game'.
18 posted on 05/25/2006 7:08:18 PM PDT by tpaine
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