Trafficking in persons, it was the buzzword a year and a half ago when a couple strip clubs and brothels were raided for what's called human cargo which is persons being forced to work particularly in the sex trade by withholding of their identity documents. Well, it turns out that was pretty much a show for the U.S. state department that had blacklisted Belize as a category three country, which is reserved for serious offenders of human trafficking violations. Of course, those in the know tell us that was overstated as part of a larger diplomatic play. Well today, Belize could offered some proof that its good name had been unfairly besmirched after the results of an independent review on human trafficking in Belize was released.
Jose Miguel Petip,
"There is a big problem of coordination between the agencies. The state is kind of a feudalistic environment. Each agency or each ministry is kind of like a unique compartment; it doesn't share information and it doesn't share policies. It doesn't share a common way of doing things."
Ambassador Dolores Balderamos-Garcia,
"And I can tell you the United States is still looking very closely at us, they have us under a microscope and they are stressing on the rate of convictions and the amount of convictions you are getting."
Jules Vasquez,
But from the current information, the current situation, are we a justifiable tier two watch list?
Jose Miguel Petip,
"I am not a partner state, I am just the consultant."
Jules Vasquez,
But you know the standard the United States, the State Department uses. Judging by that standard, are we a comfortable fit in the tier 2 watch list or is it as widely believed here an exaggerated and a political decision rather than a decision based on practical on the ground information?
Jose Miguel Petip,
"Well you have three possibilities and the tier three is a place where there are the worst instances. Clearly I don't think that is the case for Belize. And in the tier 2 are the great majority of the countries of the world. Belize is being watched to see if it is consolidates that situation or not. So the tier one are places where they have clear enough policies to show that everything is done. I think that the tier 2 is where the greatest amount of the countries that are facing the problem, having laws and having goals."
Ambassador Dolores Balderamos-Garcia,
"Its somewhat of a good feeling that the volume has not been as terrible as we may have thought because of being blacklisted. But I may have thought to put a positive spin on what occurred last year and say that it was good for the problem to be brought to the front burner and now our various agencies are being given the opportunity to really work at it."
Counter human trafficking efforts in Belize are monitored and spearheaded by a task force headed by Ambassador Balderamos-Garcia.