 |
| Date: Thu 29, Mar 2012 | |
house of culture, Maria Otero, Under Secretary for the United States
Government and coordinator for U.S. foreign relations, met with the
Belizean media for a press briefing. Otero in her opening remarks
touched on a number of issues including transnational crimes and the
homosexual agenda.
Maria Otero
This visit represents the priority that President Obama and
Secretary Clinton have for our bilateral partnership with Belize. I have
been impressed by the caliber of so many of your dedicated public
officials working hard in the Ministries hand in hand with the members
of Civil Society to tackle some of the most difficult challenges that
are facing Belize today – from corruption and gang violence to creating
economic opportunity for all the members of the Belizean society. The
United States is pleased that Prime Minister Barrow has prioritized
these issues for the second term of his administration and we look
forward to working together to tackle these complex challenges with
concrete advancement and results. Our nation shares common aspiration
and common challenges including transnational organized crime, drug
trafficking and threats to human rights for our most vulnerable
population.
The media posed questions to Otero in regard to US foreign policy on
countries that don’t necessarily discriminate against homosexuals, such
as Belize, but see the lifestyle as morally wrong.
Maria Otero
I will comment by repeating the importance that we give to using the
universal declarations of Human Rights as the basis of ensuring that
dignity and freedom is available to every individual in a society and
enables every individual to have the rights that are provided to all
others, regardless of whether that persons suffers a disability, has a
different sexual orientation, is a woman or has any other
characteristics that sometimes causes a society to restrict the Human
Rights that that person has. It is from that perspective that we see
sexual orientation as one factor that we consider has to be respected
and that is the core of why we believe that issue needs to be looked at
in the context of Human Rights.
Otero was asked if the US would cut off financial aid to Belize as a means of coercing Belize into accepting their US policies.
Maria Otero
There is no way in which the aids that the United States is
providing is conditioned by decision. Again, if one looks at the
principle freedoms that we have all signed on, your country and my
country, that emerge from that very important declaration of the Human
Rights and know that those Human Rights extend to all of the principle
freedoms that individuals need to have. That for us is the point of
departure in addressing these concerns. It is certainly one of the
issues that continue to prevail in all societies, because this does not
imply that for us in the United States, all individuals are given full
freedom of their rights, we still have a lot of work to do in order to
accomplish that. These are the principles that we believe are the most
important to us as we proceed in our own society and other societies.
Some Central American Nations are discussing the decriminalizing of drugs– Otero was asked to respond to this.
Maria Otero
Our sense of that meeting and certainly our own position, which
continues to be the position that we have held is a position that does
not believe that decriminalizing drugs is the proper approach in dealing
with it. This is the position that the US has held and continues to
hold. We don’t believe that is the way to be able to address this issue.
We note also that the countries in Central America agree with that
decision, they also question whether decriminalizing is the approach
that we can take to this issue.
The US demand for drugs is a real factor and with the trans-shipment of
drugs through Central America, this creates a growing discontent amongst
third world countries. The blame, Otero stated, is not to be laid on
the US only but on other countries as well . Otero responded that drugs
have become a global problem.
Maria Otero
You know this issue of trafficking persons is a scourge that is
present in every country, including the US and our efforts is to elevate
the importance of that issue and to bring forth more action from all
governments. We applaud the work that Belize has done in this area and
the advances that it has made not only prosecuting and convicting
criminals that are associated with trafficking the most vulnerable of
peoples in the society, but also in being able to provide more
protection to potential victims and being able to prevent some of the
happenings by increasing public awareness and by engaging in an
important way.
Otero says that Belize has made great strides in battling human
trafficking and that the relationship between Belize and the US is very
important, hence her visit.
Maria Otero
There is no question that the threat drug trafficking presents is
one that creates a shared responsibility, certainly in the United States
and we believe that we need to work hand in hand with the Governments
of Central America to be able to address it. As I have mentioned, we are
putting forth hundreds of millions of dollars to all of the countries
in Central America to help them build up their own capacity to address
the issues through the Police forces and other institutions to be able
to have access to the equipment and technology that can also help them
to address this. It is important to note that consumption in the US of
cocaine in particular has decreased, but what is of great concern is
that the consumption has increased in many countries in South America in
particular, but also in Europe. So we are saying that the problem is
not a Central American one, but really a global transnational one.
The Under Secretary met with the Deputy Prime Minister in lieu of PM Barrow who is out of the country.
US Human Rights equal gay rights?
Under Secretary Otero’s portfolio also includes human rights.
Otero also met with human’s rights groups in Belize one of which is
UNIBAM, the gay rights group fronted by Caleb Orozco. Otero, while
seated next to U.S. Ambassador Vinai Thummalapally, explained to a media
gathering at the House of Culture, that the U.S. isn’t trying to coerce
nations into accepting its own progressive views.
Maria Otero, Under Secretary of State
“Through our partnership US providing support to Belize stronger
public institutions to combat corruption and impunity and to strengthen
respect for human rights especially for those most vulnerable groups in
society: women and members of the lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender
community. Now although each country has its own unique culture, the
United States continues to believe that human rights must be respected
for all individuals regardless of gender, religion, sexual orientation
or gender identity.”
Vinai Thummalapally, U.S. Ambassador
“In terms of linking this conversation of Human Rights for
Everybody including LGBT, you are asking a question is there a
connection, a direct connection; the answer is no. The Under Secretary
was very clear in saying it’s not a litmus test on countries. If we use
that litmus test; we basically have to withdraw aid from ninety-nine
percent of the countries we are working with. So I would say I would be
very comfortable in saying that the connection is not so direct.”
Maria Otero
“If one looks at the principal freedoms that we have all signed
on—your country and my country—that emerged from that very important
declaration of the human rights; and note that those human rights
extends to all the principal freedoms that individuals need to have.
That for us is the point of departure in addressing these concerns. It
is certainly one of the issues that continues to prevail in all
societies because this does not imply that for us in the United States
all individuals are given full freedom of their rights. We still have a
lot of work to do in order to accomplish that.”
|
| Date: Thu 29, Mar 2012 | |
house of culture, Maria Otero, Under Secretary for the United States
Government and coordinator for U.S. foreign relations, met with the
Belizean media for a press briefing. Otero in her opening remarks
touched on a number of issues including transnational crimes and the
homosexual agenda.
Maria Otero
This visit represents the priority that President Obama and
Secretary Clinton have for our bilateral partnership with Belize. I have
been impressed by the caliber of so many of your dedicated public
officials working hard in the Ministries hand in hand with the members
of Civil Society to tackle some of the most difficult challenges that
are facing Belize today – from corruption and gang violence to creating
economic opportunity for all the members of the Belizean society. The
United States is pleased that Prime Minister Barrow has prioritized
these issues for the second term of his administration and we look
forward to working together to tackle these complex challenges with
concrete advancement and results. Our nation shares common aspiration
and common challenges including transnational organized crime, drug
trafficking and threats to human rights for our most vulnerable
population.
The media posed questions to Otero in regard to US foreign policy on
countries that don’t necessarily discriminate against homosexuals, such
as Belize, but see the lifestyle as morally wrong.
Maria Otero
I will comment by repeating the importance that we give to using the
universal declarations of Human Rights as the basis of ensuring that
dignity and freedom is available to every individual in a society and
enables every individual to have the rights that are provided to all
others, regardless of whether that persons suffers a disability, has a
different sexual orientation, is a woman or has any other
characteristics that sometimes causes a society to restrict the Human
Rights that that person has. It is from that perspective that we see
sexual orientation as one factor that we consider has to be respected
and that is the core of why we believe that issue needs to be looked at
in the context of Human Rights.
Otero was asked if the US would cut off financial aid to Belize as a means of coercing Belize into accepting their US policies.
Maria Otero
There is no way in which the aids that the United States is
providing is conditioned by decision. Again, if one looks at the
principle freedoms that we have all signed on, your country and my
country, that emerge from that very important declaration of the Human
Rights and know that those Human Rights extend to all of the principle
freedoms that individuals need to have. That for us is the point of
departure in addressing these concerns. It is certainly one of the
issues that continue to prevail in all societies, because this does not
imply that for us in the United States, all individuals are given full
freedom of their rights, we still have a lot of work to do in order to
accomplish that. These are the principles that we believe are the most
important to us as we proceed in our own society and other societies.
Some Central American Nations are discussing the decriminalizing of drugs– Otero was asked to respond to this.
Maria Otero
Our sense of that meeting and certainly our own position, which
continues to be the position that we have held is a position that does
not believe that decriminalizing drugs is the proper approach in dealing
with it. This is the position that the US has held and continues to
hold. We don’t believe that is the way to be able to address this issue.
We note also that the countries in Central America agree with that
decision, they also question whether decriminalizing is the approach
that we can take to this issue.
The US demand for drugs is a real factor and with the trans-shipment of
drugs through Central America, this creates a growing discontent amongst
third world countries. The blame, Otero stated, is not to be laid on
the US only but on other countries as well . Otero responded that drugs
have become a global problem.
Maria Otero
You know this issue of trafficking persons is a scourge that is
present in every country, including the US and our efforts is to elevate
the importance of that issue and to bring forth more action from all
governments. We applaud the work that Belize has done in this area and
the advances that it has made not only prosecuting and convicting
criminals that are associated with trafficking the most vulnerable of
peoples in the society, but also in being able to provide more
protection to potential victims and being able to prevent some of the
happenings by increasing public awareness and by engaging in an
important way.
Otero says that Belize has made great strides in battling human
trafficking and that the relationship between Belize and the US is very
important, hence her visit.
Maria Otero
There is no question that the threat drug trafficking presents is
one that creates a shared responsibility, certainly in the United States
and we believe that we need to work hand in hand with the Governments
of Central America to be able to address it. As I have mentioned, we are
putting forth hundreds of millions of dollars to all of the countries
in Central America to help them build up their own capacity to address
the issues through the Police forces and other institutions to be able
to have access to the equipment and technology that can also help them
to address this. It is important to note that consumption in the US of
cocaine in particular has decreased, but what is of great concern is
that the consumption has increased in many countries in South America in
particular, but also in Europe. So we are saying that the problem is
not a Central American one, but really a global transnational one.
The Under Secretary met with the Deputy Prime Minister in lieu of PM Barrow who is out of the country.