Civil unrest!???!?????

[Starbright7966]

I was watching a program the other day on the discovery channel and the man on the show said that Belize was in civil unrest? Has anyone witnessed anything unsafe in Belize.

 

I am a pretty well traveled person, and I understand that poorer nations tend to feel unsafe. But what I am wanting to know is if anyone has witnessed anything truly unsafe and abnormal. Not the discomfort one may feel visiting a poor place. It is always hard to see and even scares me sometimes, when you see children, women, and even men begging for money or pushing you to buy something. But I am used to seeing this. I want to know if anyone has seen like a civil war or local militias.

 

I am not saying this is true. I have been doing a lot of research on the subject, and cannot find anything. The U.S Department of State said various things, but nothing about civil unrest. http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1055.html

I was just hoping that no on has witnessed any of these thing. I respect this boards and if everyone has felt safe I am sure I will too.

 

Thanks for all the info. And once Again I am not saying Belize is unsafe..I have never been there....Thats why I am asking you all...Thanks

[driftwood]

If you want to follow the local news, the local TV channels are available:

 

http://www.7newsbelize.com/index.shtml#1

 

That is Channel 7--I think I had Channel 5 also, but I seem to have mislaid the link--

 

and there is a specific article addressing your particular inquiry at:

 

http://www.belizean.com/mt-static/archives/2007/05/protesters_riot.html#comments

 

Probably nothing for you to worry about, unless you pick up a rock . . . . :p

[driftwood]

I found the news link for anyone interested:

 

http://new.channel5belize.com/index.php

 

I should also note, I think, that the pictures in the link I gave above were taken in the national capital Belmopan, which probably few cruisers will ever visit on any occasion . . . . :eek:

[clackey]

Nearly all of the Latin America countries have had civil unrest every since I can remember. One bottle of tequila and an unloaded pistol and you have a revolution.

 

On our first trip to Belize, 3 or 4 years ago, we had a little situation. Someone dumped trash on one of the bridges in town in protest of the local government. We had our tour bus stopped twice by military carrying full automatic weapons. Where we in danger? Not really. If things got any worse the cruiselines would pull their ships out and there would be alot of hungry people, not to mention all of the government officials that would lose their bribes, uh, I mean income. Yeah thats it, income.

[dforeigner]

T-Towner: If there is actual civil unrest in the area the ship will be visiting, the Captain usually either goes to a different port or you end up with an additional sea day. Last year, I believe, a cruise line cancelled Israel due to some civil unrest.

[Starbright7966]

Thanks for all the great posts. I figured I would be safe, there are hundreds of people who use these boards and if something had happened I would have read about it by now. My mother is coming along and she worries about everything. And when she heard that I thought she was going to call our trip off. I will pass along the great info.

Thanks again for the great info and links.

[driftwood]

Everyone complains of greed and corruption and ignorance in the highest government circles, but no one does anything about it.

 

Most of the big news is of the government attempting with questionable success to fire the contracted garbage collection company, or of a national spelling bee triumph . . . . :D