BELIZE CITY, Belize (25 Apr 2005) -- The tiny Central American nation of Belize, rich in jungle and coral reefs, is in its worst crisis since independence from Britain in 1981 with riots, looting and strikes testing the government. Best known for its world-class scuba diving and Mayan ruins in dense jungle, Belize has been thrown into turmoil by a telephone workers' strike, power outages and opposition calls for the government to step down. Army troops and police are patrolling the streets after youths rioted and looted businesses late last week in Belize City, the largest town in this country of 270,000 people. Telephone workers went on strike and sabotaged lines, leaving the country cut off from the rest of the world, and teachers are threatening to strike in coming days. Police said bomb threats forced the evacuation of three schools on Monday and may have been linked to anti-government activities. The electricity company said power lines were cut in several parts of the country, including tourist areas. "The government must call for new elections now because they've lost their mandate, because they've lost the confidence of the people," Douglas Singh, chairman of the opposition United Democratic Party, or UDP, told Reuters on Monday. Prime Minister Said Musa took office in 1998 and won a second five-year term in 2003 for leading strong economic growth, largely from buoyant tourism revenues and agriculture. He blames the violence on opposition leaders hungry for power. "They know full well that in an election they would lose; they cannot win by ballot, so they are trying violent means, a violent overthrow," he told local radio. A TOURIST MAGNET Belize boasts the second longest coral reef in the world and is a popular destination for scuba divers and cruise ships. But its tourist-friendly exterior hides social problems like poverty, corruption, unemployment and crime. | | Many of its famously laid-back residents, who usually ignore politics, now want change. At a street corner card game in Belize City, players said it was time for new elections. "I say they gotta go; they steal up a lotta money and leave the poor people to suffer," said one man who calls himself "Super." Standing by one of the city's many slum houses, built from faded and rotting clapboards, reggae musician Easy Glen sang his latest song "Dictator", a condemnation of Musa's rule. "They sell all the land an' all uh the water; ghetto people can't take it no longer," he rhymed as a police car rolled by. The last serious riots here took place in 1981 and led to the country's independence from Britain. Sandwiched between Mexico and Guatemala, Belize is a kaleidoscope of ethnic groups from Afro-Caribbeans to Asians and from Maya Indians to German-speaking Mennonites. British involvement dates back to the 17th Century, when English and Scottish pirates roamed its coast. It formally became a British colony more than 200 years later. Despite independence, British troops still do jungle training here, and it feels more like an English-speaking Caribbean nation than part of Central America. Since independence, power has shifted between Musa's People's United Party and the UDP. Both have been accused of corruption and runaway budget spending, and Standard & Poor's said this month that Belize's finances were in "dire" shape. |
