Vaguely familiar
Thespian and activist Greg Malone, who has remarkably little to say in public about the environmental and other impacts of putative hydro projects within his own province, offers the Telegram this insight into the lack of local opposition to Fortis' Challilo Dam project in Belize:
Newfoundland performer and activist Greg Malone said flatly that he didn't believe Fortis.
"There's not a lot of protest in Belize because people are afraid," Malone said. "It's very hard to get people to organize and protest because they will be punished for it and there will be retribution from the gringos with the money."
Labels: Lowered Churchill expectations
posted by WJM @ 2:00 AM
3 Comments:
I have been to Belize. It is a tropical paradise by day. However, it is a rare night, according to some locals who I met there, when the sound of gun fire is not heard. But don't take my word for it; see these Google results:
Recent murders of U.S. Citizens, deaths due to criminal negligence, and robbery of tour buses by armed bandits have taken the already high crime rate in Belize to a new level.
see:http://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=46178
Crime throughout Belize continues to remain a problem and has steadily risen over the past two years. Major crimes in Belize, defined as murder, rape, robbery, burglary, theft and carnal knowledge, increased in 2008 by 8.1 percent from 2007. The murder rate within Belize has continued to increase on an annual basis by five percent since 2003.
See: https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=102760
There were sixty-three murder cases dealt with by the Supreme Court in 2008. Undoubtedly, given the size and population of Belize, the trial of sixty plus murder cases in the course of one year is decidedly, by any account, a grave cause for concern.
See: http://www.caribbeanpressreleases.com/articles/4478/1/Belize-CJ-and-AG-agree-crime-rate-is-too-high/Page1.html
So, there might be something to Malone's fears of retribution. But, the more interesting question is what Malone has has to say about the flooding of central Labrador to build the upper churchill, and the proposals to flood the lower churchill/ twin falls and muskrat falls.
Of course, it IS warmer in Belize...
Makes one wonder what would have happened if Malone's wish for post-colonial independence had actually come true for Newfoundland instead of Belize.
"Newfoundland is one of the few places where the arts community tends to be more reactionary than revolution."
Discuss.
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