60 days, that's how long Belize has to convince the United States that it is serious about cracking down on human trafficking. If it does so convincingly enough, this country will be removed from the tier three watch list; if it does not, this country will be eligible for U.S. sanctions. Faced with the very real threat of what could be crippling sanctions, Belize has sprung into action with the reactivation of an anti-trafficking in persons committee. On Friday morning, the anti-trafficking effort was in high gear when police stepped on the owner of a well-known retail outlet. An aggressive effort, but, it may have backfired badly, and our story tonight we'll tell you why a statistical arrest may hardly improve Belize's standing on trafficking.
Jules Vasquez Reporting,
The men were picked up on Friday morning, two from the Extra House Supermarket's warehouse on the Western Highway and then four from the home of the owner, Jack Charles on Amara Avenue. They were first brought here to a counseling center on Vernon Street and then transferred to Hotel Mopan on Regent Street on Friday night.
That's where we found them on Sunday evening. Though two policemen were posted, director of the trafficking effort Anita Zetina told us they were being held here for their own protection, presumably against the man who allegedly held their travel documents, Extra House owner, Jack Charles. Zetina said they were free to go when they wanted. Well they say they weren't, and were only released, right after we started inquiring about them. And when they were released, police escort and all, they were brought right back here where police had found them two days earlier, the Jack Charles residence on Amara Avenue. They told us they were happy to be back to the place they call home.
Jules Vasquez,
They said that you are being held in this house against your will and they are protecting you.
Man #1,
"From Friday they took us from here and they took us to the Commercial Center."
Jules Vasquez,
But they said why they are holding you is because you are being held here against your will.
Man #1,
"They didn't tell us anything about that."
Man #2,
"Why would he hurt us, its my family who I live with so why would I need protection. I don't need protection."
Jules Vasquez,
Are you here against your will?
Man #1,
"This is my house, I live here. I have no problem here. I have lived here for two years and so what protection are they talking about."
Jules Vasquez,
What they are explaining to me is that you all are being held here and you all don't have access to your travel documents, that you all being held here against your will, you all don't want to be here. That is what they are saying and they took you there for protection.
Man #1,
"But we don't need any kind of protection. We didn't tell them to give us protection. We have protection here."
Jules Vasquez,
So you all are happy to be back here, is that what you all are saying?
Man #1,
"Yes."
Jules Vasquez,
So you want to be here?
Man #1,
"We want to be here. I like my home."
Jules Vasquez,
So this is your home?
Man #1,
"This is my home. They said they are protecting me but which kind of
protection they giving us. What of protect us."
And while the protection was dubious, the matter of food was far more vexing to this group. They were taken home at 6:00 pm, and inside these bags was their first meal of the day.
Man #1,
"Well tell that we just eat the Indian food, we don't eat the Belizean food and they are telling us those food are expensive. We only eat Indian food."
Jules Vasquez,
So you want your curry and rice?
Man #1,
"Yes the food for the religious Indian, they don't any kind of meat."
Man #2,
"In morning I told them I wanted food and they said the food is expensive and they said they wouldn't give me food like that. He said I would get food like rice and beans and fry chicken. I told the police, after the lady come, I called yesterday, since 7 o'clock in the night he called me, and he told we would get food. In the afternoon I ate the rice and beans but I don't like that."
And while they waited for food, they say they couldn't get to the person in charge to resolve the problem.
Man #1,
"We are calling she and we can't get her. She doesn't pick up her phone. She said she didn't have a cell phone. I don't understand. You have cell phone, I have a cell phone, and she doesn't have a cellphone."
The man accused of trafficking them is Jack Charles. He appeared in court today on six charges of withholding travel documents.
Jack Charles, Accused
"I am totally innocent which you can see because nobody in the Belize country carries his passport on him. Nobody. Pickup any body on the street and if you asked them to give you their passport they won't have it, they would have it at home safely. Alfonso let me ask you a question, do you have your passport in your pocket?"
Alfonso Noble,
No I don't.
Jack Charles,
"Alright. Let's say if your aunt and uncle and all your people staying with you and let's say they go and search your place and ask for the passports. If your uncle shows them your passport, will they charge your uncle with withholding the documents? No.
Its good to respect the country with the power over Belize but the way I see it is that the local authorities in Belize should not take advantage of it. They took advantage of doing that with me and the second thing what I came to find out from these people is that they don't why they were taken or what they were detained for over. Every time, maybe like 10 times for the day when they said they wanted to go back home, the people from Human Services were telling plainly that you cannot go home, that this is the law, and you cannot go against the law, you'll be staying with us.
Down the road I've already planned to sue them and it is for sure because what they did is totally unlawful. I am going to sue all the authorities involved in this particular practice and this particular exercise. Definitely, after giving you this statement right, I am definitely expecting some type of pressures from he government departments because nobody would like me to go against any of the government departments. I have no problem with that but I would just appeal to them, if they are planning to do any type of search or anything, I would request for them to do it totally within the law. I have no problem. I am also hear to answer any questions they got. Definitely other government departments will come and give me a little pressure. I agree. It has happened to me in the past before but I would suggest to them that they don't go out of the law. That is all I would say."
Charles was defended in court by Dean Barrow. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bail of $5,000. In 2005 Bolivia, Jamaica, Qatar, Sudan, Togo and the United Arab Emirates moved up from tier 3 to tier 2 watch list in the Department of State's 2005 trafficking in persons report and thus avoided U.S. sanctions.
