Two men were killed yesterday evening just outside Belize's border towns of Corozal to the north and Benque to the west. The first occurred at 6:00 last night in Corozal where 34-year-old Corozal boledo vendor Hilario Silvestre Loza Jr. was attacked while riding on the San Roque Road from Xaibe to Ranchito Village with his boledo earnings in his bag. Just before he reached Ranchito, two men brandishing machetes pounced on him and chopped him to the head, arm and hands. Loza managed to escape and ran unto the road towards Xaibe but fell. As he did the men pounced on him but before they could take anything a truck that was passing by prevented them from doing so. This afternoon we spoke to Loza's sister who told us that her brother's occupation was inherently dangerous.
Rubicela Loza, Sister of Deceased
"Two persons chopped him but he was very very damaged."
Alfonso Noble,
Where did this happen?
Rubicela Loza,
"This happened outside of Xaibe Village. He went to sell boledo, he has been a boledo seller for about 12 years."
Alfonso Noble,
You know if they took anything or why they chopped him?
Rubicela Loza,
"I think they wanted to steal something from him or they checked the time everyday he passed that area. But nothing was stolen from him, nothing nothing. Everything he had in his pocket and nothing, not even money, nothing. We found all the things from him.
It was very terrible because he is my loving brother. I feel it but I am trying hard hard to...like he said, 'I don't want none of you to cry for me but please try to help my mother.' She is the one that he really loved and he doesn't want her to get damaged. The only thing he really want is for us along with my mother and don't let her hurt anymore, even though we will all really really miss our brother."
Alfonso Noble,
Do you think this boledo selling in that area is a dangerous thing to be doing?
Rubicela Loza,
"That area yes. It is very very terrible. They always try to kill people or cut them or shot them but that area is very terrible and we want really the help of the police to please look at what is happening in our country because this is happening countrywide and we need the help to find those persons because we don't want to let my brother die just like that."
Upon inspection of the body, police found some $240 in Loza's possession believed to be proceeds of his boledo sales. Police have since detained two men reportedly from nearby villages of Ranchito and Calcutta. They remain in police detention pending investigation.
