Vivian Trill Human Trafficking Belize San Pedro, Ambergris Caye

Word in from our contacts in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize. Looks like its
business as usual there for Mayor Elsa Paz. She co-owns with her brother George
a bar called Big Daddy’s Night Club. This is corruption on steroids. And Mayo
r Paz is a symbol of the kind of corruption that continues to let young women ge
t trapped, through human trafficking, into forced prostitution in Belize ficha b
ars.
Our Appeal: How to Stop Human Trafficking in Belize, sent to Belize Prime Minis
ter Dean Barrow, asks him to investigate and crack down immediately on ficha bar
s and enforces liquor license laws. Prime Minister Dean Barrow, should start in
San Pedro Ambergris Caye, Belize and have investigators make their first stop Ma
yor Paz’s Big Daddy’s Night Club.
Enforce current laws. Current liquor license laws prohibit prostitution in bars.
Penalties are fines not exceeding $50 (Belize) and convictions, possibly recor
ded on the licensee’s record. These laws are inadequate and they are rarely enf
orced. Big Daddy’s have found the ways to get around these laws to be enforced
by the local Police. Hire Police to act as security for your nightclub. Pay the
Police Chief money and everyone looks the other way. Including the local Police
Chief.
Mayor Paz’s bar ” Big Daddy’s” is a depot for off-loading human trafficking vict
ims. The sheer number of girls transported to this ficha bar through the human t
rafficking underground is staggering. It is among the worst offenders in the cou
ntry. This prostitution and drug center is allowed to operate freely and openly.
Recently we reported one instance of human trafficking involving a Big Daddy’s e
mployee who kept a young Mexican woman imprisoned for six months, trading her fo
r prostitution profits and drugs. Some nights she had forced sex with up to 15
men. When the woman was able to free herself and report the crime, there was no
help because the authorities in this case were Mayor Paz and her brother. The
Mayor also has an understanding with local police, to the point where officers p
rovide security at Big Daddy’s.
Mayor Paz’s and her brother’s ways have been well known for some time.
In January, the Mayor appointed her brother to the resort island’s five-member l
iquor board, which is authorized to issue and enforce liquor regulations locally
. After her brother board approval a financial deal was made to allow Big Daddy’
s terms to pay back license fees. Fees yet to be paid. The liquor board approved
over 390 licenses in 2010. Ninety of those licenses were awarded to known ficha
bars.
However, given its outstandingly large number of ficha bars, San Pedro, Ambergri
s Caye, should be the example to other offenders. First on the investigation lis
ts should be the following bars: Tinapa, Black & White, Back-A-Town, Riverside,
Big Daddy’s, Mings, Las Amigos, Pedro’s, Sport Bar, Jovinies, and Tackle Box.