Joshua Arana - he's the Garifuna drummer who toured the world with Andy Palacio, the Garifuna All Star band and the Umalali Garifuna Women's collective, among others. In fact, on the Umalali tour, he was the road manager - which basically means the entire band's babysitter. We make the point to stress that the worldly 31 year old knows how to take care of himself - and others - whether he's Paris, France; Dublin, Ireland; Seville, Spain; Berlin, Germany or any of the many cities he's played in. But how about Belize City? Apparently not, because the accomplished musician was locked up on Saturday morning. He says he was hanging out with some friends at his sister's home on George street and decided to take a walk at 1:30 am. They were stopped and searched, which in the present crime climate is to be expected - but the discourtesy and criminal prosecution that followed was unwarranted. After spending a morning at court, in the slammer, and as part of a prison chain gang, he explained that now he knows that home is where the hurt is.
Joshua Arana, Charged
"Some police came and they stopped us so that wasn't a problem because we understand the direction that the country is going into and we know the police want to clean up the city. The guys came and said to us to lean on the vehicle, that wasn't a problem for me either. Apparently I didn't move fast enough for the guys so the officer pushed me, I turned around and I ask the officer, 'What was that for?' The officer said to me, 'So what is it now?' When I was leaning up on the car the officer kick my legs open and said, 'Spread open your legs!' I told the officer, 'Come on.' When they finished searching us I explain to the officer that I didn't appreciate how he was dealing with me. I asked the officer for his name and his badge number, the officer replied, 'So you want to play smart?' I then ask the corporal in charge for his name and his badge number, he ask me If I was the Queen of England. At that same time while talking to him an officer by the name of Alvarado punch me in my stomach for no reason at all. One of my friends went to call my sister, my sister asked me what happen and I told her nothing. She asked me what did I do, I told her, 'I did not do anything.' I explained to her that this officer Johan Alvarado from Belmopan punch me for no reason. The officer ask my sister to go back inside, as soon as my sister turn her back, the officer slap me in my face for no reason. They took me and they lock me up, they charge me for obstruction."
Jules Vasquez
"Maybe it's 1:30 in the morning. Had you been drinking, had you been smoking, had you been doing anything for them to say that you were behaving lawless?"
Joshua Arana
"Not at all. We just weren't sleepy and decided to take a walk, all three of us. I had my first court hearing today, I needed a bail; they had to lock me up with real hardcore criminals. They have me bangles down. It was really embarrassing for the amount of things that I have done for this country, I represent this country all over, I really felt hurt and disrespected."
Jules Vasquez
"Have you ever encountered anything like this, any kind of treatment like this where you've been; Europe, North America, Mexico all these places?"
Joshua Arana
"Never, never ever. I had to come home to experience this. I have to be at home to experience like this. That really makes me feel down, really make me feel hurt. When they bangles me along with hardcore criminals, do you know how that feel? They dealt with me their way I will deal with them my way and I explain that to them; you dealt with me the way you saw fit, I will deal with you the way I see fit."
Arana has made it his business to make his distress at this case as public as a possible; he's appeared on every media outlet he could access and has made formal complaints to the Ombudsman's office and the Internal Affairs Department. After meeting a thousand dollar bail he will re-appear in court on the thirteenth of July.
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