He carries the title of the legendary Icaiche Maya warrior Marcus Canul and now Vicente Canul seems ready to go to war for his St. Francis Xavier Credit Union. In a passionate and outspoken letter to Sydney Campbell, the Registrar of Credit Unions, Canul reminds Campbell that, "my name is Vicente Canul, great great grandson of the legendary Mayan, freedom warrior Marcus Canul."
It's hard to top an opening like that, but Canul keeps up the rhetoric. He warns that like his ancestor's people, "his credit union members, will stand together united to fight any and all modern day oppressors and tyrants." And according to Canul, that's just what Campbell is. He dismisses him, "just another abuser."
And much more than that. After outlining his own 27 years at St. Francis Xavier, building it from 12 members with assets of $2,000 to 20,000 members with $41 million in assets - he asks Campbell, "where were you when the people's money was being looted from the people's bank, the Development Finance Corporation?...was your concern or vigilance, manifested in any attempt to protect the DFC from the rape and plunder which saw hundreds of millions of dollars of the people's money stolen before your very eyes? You sir have been quiet, negligent and without shame in the face of this outright rape of the people's money." That's fight talk - if ever we heard it - and after that Canul solemnly concludes: "I will not stand idly by and allow you, or any one else for that matter to endanger the people's money in St. Francis Xavier Credit Union."
Well he'd best tell that to the National Assembly. Our information says that tomorrow the Prime Minister will table a bill custom-made to resolve the St. Francis Xavier standoff. As we understand it, the bill will give the Registrar power to appoint an administrator to take over the day to day affairs of the credit union. But with Canul digging his heels in, it looks like effecting that law will require some muscle. We'll keep following the story.
