By Breaking Belize News Staff: Dr. Naum Bonilla, a young Belmopan doctor, was murdered in a hail of gunshots on Friday, May 29th; and while police have announced no arrests in his murder investigation as of publication, police wasted no time in detaining and charging former UDP Chairman Alberto August for a critical post he made of Minister of Police, Oscar Mira on Facebook. The statement in the post was obviously not a literal quotation but posted in jest and insidiously as satire.
“In Oscar Mira’s deepest voice; “The murdered young medical doctor is from Valley of Peace. He does not live in Belmopan. He only comes to work in Belmopan and to bring his 5 year old child to school in Belmopan. We cannot therefore say that Belmopan is not a safe place to live because this doctor DOES NOT live in Belmopan”,” August’s post read. In the post made, August never stated that it was satire or jest, and he also never corrected any of the comments that may not have caught the satire and instead spread the false belief that Mira may have said the words in August’s post.
Mira, for clarity, has not publicly been shown to have said those words, so technically, the post indeed contains a false statement; however, the post appears to have satirized the events of February 2026 when two young men, Zamar Alvarez and Calbert Webster, were ambushed and shot to death on a sidewalk behind the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the nation’s capital. In the wake of the sensational double murder on Mira’s doorstep, the Minister and the Mayor Pablo Cawich both made remarks widely interpreted by critics as suggesting the victims, two sons of Belmopan soil, were gang-related actors from outside the city. It stirred much controversy at the time and is well documented and easily searchable online.
So then that raises the question of the legality of the post. As invoked by the complainant, August was arrested under the Cybercrime Act 2020; now known more commonly as the Cyber Bullying Act, especially made infamous just recently by former Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, who has twice now had cyber bullying complaints, brought against two separate individuals, struck out.
Before dismissing the cyber bullying charges against PC Barry Flowers; who is himself, perhaps unironically, one of the men Joseph Budna has publicly accused of being his abductors; Magistrate Neeshad Mohammed strongly criticized Williams’ absence from the proceedings, calling it a “disrespect to the court”. As a former Commissioner of Police, Magistrate Mohammed noted, Williams should understand the level of respect expected toward the court, adding that the court will not be used as a ground for any personal vendetta and emphasizing the serious nature of a cybercrime case.
According to Section 15-(4) of the Cybercrime Act 2020: A person commits an offence who, uses a computer system to disseminate any information, statement or image, knowing the information, statement or image to be false, with the intent to cause–(a) harm to the reputation of the other person; or (b) the other person to be subject to public ridicule, contempt, hatred or embarrassment.
It would stand to reason, that a public official such as an elected politician, by nature of the beast that is politics, is inherently subject to public scrutiny, especially say a Police Minister in the wake of a sensational and yet unsolved murder in the nation’s capital, that is, IF we are truly living in a society and government construct guided by democratic principle. As such, and as noted by many since the introduction of the Cybercrime Act 2020, it is ripe for misuse; even so publicly declared by members of Belize’s own judiciary.
Yet, Belize’s Constitution in Part 2 Section 12 protects every Belizean’s fundamental rights to freedom of expression. This encompasses expression within the limits of libel and slander; which also must be carefully considered. However, and this is where the country’s young burgeoning comedians should take note, because satire is generally recognized as a protected form of expression and comedy. Satire has existed for thousands of years with roots as far back as Ancient Rome and Greece. Satire is generally protected in democratic societies because it is fundamentally protected as a crucial component of freedom of speech and expression.
Satire is defined as a literary and artistic genre that uses humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize human vices, follies, or societal institutions. Its ultimate goal is not just to entertain, but to provoke thought or inspire social and moral reform.
And it is within this context that the murder of Dr. Naum Bonilla has become a political football; and unfortunately, the decision to arrest August now risks overshadowing a tragic slaying of a promising young Belizean who leaves behind a young daughter.
It appears then that the Cybercrime Act has ushered in a new generation of politicians in Belize – sassy with a brittle spirit and skin the thickness of paper. Jules Vasquez endearingly refers to them as the club of Boys Named Sue, who threaten to sue so often, whether legally viable or not. And now, one wrong post and they will see you in court for cyber bullying.
We remember clearly attending one House Sitting several years ago when a certain sitting minister passed a sneakily worded remark to an opposition member which was so vile that eagle eared members of the media began to chatter immediately. Apparently, the minister had insinuated, ever so eloquently we might add, something unspeakable about the opposition member’s wife; something that shall not be repeated here but which if it were said plainly to any man on the street, would likely evoke violence.
Shocking enough that such was echoed in the halls of power and on live TV no less; yet, the comment was carefully veiled and flew under the radar except to those who knew. And though clearly embarrassed, the opposition member took it in stride and soldiered on.
Over the years we have heard our politicians utter all manner of inappropriate remarks and obscenities at each other including “sit on a carrot” to “take your simple pills”. And it has, for better or worse but mostly worse, become the norm.
That brings us to a current certain minister, who we shall call Minister Voldemort, the Minister who shall not be named, lest he cast a spell for the police to show up at your door and arrest you for cyberbullying.
It brings back unfortunate memories of the alleged abduction of Joseph Budna, who love him or loathe him, many believe had his constitutional rights violated in being abducted in Orange Walk and being delivered to Guatemalan authorities for what many perceive as being silenced for being a dissident of the current administration.
Belize will be watching eagerly to see how the law is applied and if it is applied evenly, especially considering that the brother of Minister Voldemort also made what many could reasonably interpret as a physical threat in a Facebook post: “I would take a charge if I see him. I really would.” This brother, if we were living in an equal society, should also be arrested and charged for these threats that were posted publicly.
It remains to be seen how this will end but if it becomes the norm that people are arrested and charged for criticism and satire of public officials, then we can no longer consider Belize a serious democracy, if it ever was.
The post In The Wake of Naum Bonilla’s Tragic Murder, Minister Voldemort and The Boys Named Sue Take Center Stage appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Dr. Naum Bonilla, a young Belmopan doctor, was murdered in a hail of gunshots on Friday, May 29th; and while police have announced no arrests in his murder investigation as of publication, police wasted no time in detaining and charging former UDP Chairman Alberto August for a critical post he
The post In The Wake of Naum Bonilla’s Tragic Murder, Minister Voldemort and The Boys Named Sue Take Center Stage appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.