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Prayers For Missing Children In Punta Gorda
posted (September 8, 2010)
11 year old Benjamin and 9 year old Onelia Rash are still missing - 9 days after they were last seen near Cattle Landing, just outside Punta Gorda Town.

Police have over 100 of their personnel involved in the search, but still tonight there are no leads.

Today in Punta Gorda Town, the Alcaldes association held a peaceful public gathering to pray and to demand that their side of the story be told. 7news was there:…

Jules Vasquez, Reporting
If ever the power of prayer was collectively harnessed - it happened this morning at the Punta Gorda Central Park - when the Toledo Alcalde Association brought in over 100 villagers who gathered with their leaders to publicly pray for the return of Ophelia and Benjamin Rash.

It wasn't just prayer, there was politics as well - not the UDP/PUP kind, but the kind where this community - which has been unfairly, collectively demonized - gathered with sympathizers and took a peaceful, purposeful stand to vindicate their name:

To that end, the gathering offered in English a hyper detailed 19 page account of all the events that have transpired since August 30th- as related by the parents of the missing children.

The gathering also laid out an 8 point resolution.

Ligorio Coy - Chairman, Alcalde Associaiton
"We resist any from a conflict of interest on the part of Mr. Makin based on the statement he made to us regarding the relationship with the person of interest Vince Rose. We are disappointed that one of our fellow villagers who volunteered information to the parents about the disappearance of the children and was eventually locked down simply on the explanation that he held a picture of the children, while Vince Rose who has mounting suspicion against him walking out the police station under police and BDF escort and there after walked out from the detention. This is our view of outright discrimination."

Gregory Choc, SATIIM
"It is important to set up a system that would ensure and assure the community that their interest is being taken seriously and from the discussion we've had I see the coming around of this structure. There is a group now that the assistant commissioner has asked me to sit on. We meet every 4 O' clock everyday to try make a determination on any new leads and to filter that to the community so that there is a re-assurance that the authorities are acting on any lead that come about."

For this community - they say it is important to get out their side of the story told and restore their name as peaceful, law abiding persons, not so called savages:

Ligorio Coy - Chairman, Alcalde Associaiton
"If the law has evidence seeing that it has been done by the Mayan people well the law is there to tell us the truth. But if there is no evidence the Mayan people are saying that they are not the ones that were involved in the fire because I cannot be around all the people."

Jules Vasquez
"Were you out there on that Sunday?"

Ligorio Coy - Chairman, Alcalde Associaiton
"I was not out there on that Sunday."

Jules Vasquez
"How do you think the home got burnt?"

Ligorio Coy - Chairman, Alcalde Associaiton
"I have no idea because according to the investigation they are several people going thru that direction and according to the information from the people there is access also from the river. So we just can't say that someone came thru the road or water and when this thing has started; where was the police? Where were the BDF? As you can see here our people is very peaceful people when we tell them that we should be peaceful, they abide by our order and when I say that we should bring information where can lead us to find these children, let us get the authorities who is a a part of this investigation the truth and the facts of where we can locate the children."

Gregory Choc, SATIIM
"Some of them have come forward and say that we don't like what have been said about us and we are a peaceful people despite the injustices that continues to be committed against us. We seek peaceful non-violent resolution for those differences that we may have. So I think there are some members of the community who also wants to make a statement in respect to what has been said by Mr. Rose."

Jules Vasquez
"He called them savages. Very unfortunate language and that perspective is getting traction in the international news media. The story is on CNN. How do you mitigate the effects of that? How do you contend with that?"

Gregory Choc, SATIIM
"Well we will continue employing the strategies that we have consistently used. We look at the indigenous people struggle globally, it's no surprise for terms that have been used to characterize the communities whose children get lost...but I don't know the gentleman. I refuse to go into personal attacks."

Jules Vasquez
"Were you insulted?"

Gregory Choc, SATIIM
"You know I don't know how much more insult we can take because we've been insulted over and over."

For the family of 8 - the disappearance of these two children is too much and their mother was overwhelmed - even as they remain hopeful:

Missing Children's Father
"For right now, according to the police Mr. Mariano, he says not to worry. He think that they are alive and that's is where I am. I still have the hope that they are alive. I my own mind I don't think so. If those children are here maybe they are out in the country that is what I think."

The gathering started at 9:00 and finished at 11:30.

We thank our friends at PG TV for their critical assistance with the story.

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