Vivian Trill -- CORRUPTION arrest of NARCISA ORELLANANA

It seems that corruption is very much of interest to the new Cabinet in Belmopan Belize.
More to the point, the new Attorney General Bernard Q. Pitts is in charge of police and
judicial reform. That’s government speak for “corruption.” Putting Mr. Pitts in charge of
cleaning up corruption is a bit like asking an alcoholic to guard the brandy barrel. . More
of this in another blog.

We would like to bring Mr. Pitt’s attention to a case in point. The case of NARCISA
ORELLANANA seems on the surface tame compared to overall Belize-style corruption.
It is, however, a good illustration of the widespread judicial and police corruption that
supports human trafficking in Belize.

Here’s the case in point. We follow with interest news of a Belize woman charged
recently with two counts of trafficking in persons. NARCISA ORELLANANA, Santa
Elena Town, was charged and released without bail. How does this mysterious process
happen?

More mysterious is Ms. Orella’s track record: this is her third count of human trafficking
violation this year.

Most recently, she got busted for human trafficking when she was outed by an 18-year-
old woman who claimed to police that Ms. Orella had press-ganged her to work as a
waitress and have forced sex with male clients. Charged and released without bail, as
above-noted. No notice of charges dropped, no notice of pending trial. It’s just
disappeared as if it never happened

Last May, a 15-year-old girl reported to police and a justice of the peace that someone
known as Nancy from Santa Elena Town had recruited her as a domestic. Guess who
Nancy is? Yes, it was Ms. Orella, who, once she got the girl in her house, tried to coerce
her into prostitution. Ms. Orella was charged with attempted human trafficking.
Charged and released without bail, as above-noted. No further judicial follow-up and it
just disappeared.

The really grotesque part of this is: Belize police, in partnership with immigration
officials, regularly arrest human trafficking victims on immigration violation charges.
It’s just a scam to keep the Hattieville Prison coffers filled and provide kickbacks to the
police, judges and immigration department. Four hundred human trafficking victims a
year wind up on remand in Hattieville enduring the most squalid and inhumane
conditions, while people like Ms. Orella get off and go out looking for more victims.

Mr. Pitts are you listening?