And that's pretty much the same thing that Vidal said 11 months ago when the accusation was that four masked policemen went into that very same apartment building and beat up six men - including Leonard Ghost Meyers. It's a compelling parallel due to the physical location and the tactics employed - which were brutal.
But there's one major difference - at the time two prominent government politicians - including the Prime Minister didn't side with the GSU.
For context that is difficult to overlook, we re-visit that story, that time - which was just a month before the election. Monica Bodden reported in February of 2012:
File: February 9, 2012
Monica Bodden Reporting
The bruises on the back of this man are allegedly from a baton used by GSU Officers. He showed us his busted face and cuts on his foot straight down to his toes.
His elbow was also fractured - and the swelling was visible. He was still in his bloodstained shorts from the incident.
This other man could hardly walk. He too also claimed he was beaten on his foot with a baton by GSU officers who also fractured his arm and fingers.
There are 4 others who were beaten - and were receiving treatment at the hospital- with bruises all over their body and open wounds on their faces.
These men claimed that a little after 1 this morning while they were asleep, about 10 GSU officers with masks on their faces burst into their apartment complex that is located on Dean Street near its junction with George Street, and broke down 6 of their room doors, and then began beating them viciously with batons.
Shawn Alay - Claims Police Brutality
"About 1:30 this morning I just saw my door stomped open. The officer who had a mask on his face put on the light switch. He didn't ask or say anything; he just whipped me up repeatedly."
Leonard Myers - Claims Police Brutality
"I was sleeping probably about after 1 this morning when the GSU came with masks on. They kicked open my door and started to pepper spray me. I went on the ground because I could not see. They started to beat me. they just kicked open the door and started to beat us down like we are animals, like we deserve to die. One thing I want them to know is that they have a short time, and if I die all of them will die. I am tired of this; I can't go through anymore suffering. From I was born in this country I was going through suffering - tribulations after tribulations, pain after pain, sorrow after sorrow. Instead of them protecting people's fundamental rights, they are destroying it and taking away all our freedom. They people continue to chance people on a daily basis and it seems like nobody cares. The bigger heads don't care. The police cannot come and beat up people and nothing happens."
Jules Vasquez Reporting
But it was one month before an election and the bigger heads did pay attention to these broken bodies and doors - despite a disclaimer from the GSU:
7News, February 9, 2012
Indira Craig
"Commander of the GSU, Superintendent Marco Vidal flatly denies that the GSU had anything to do with those incidents. He told us via text message that quote "the GSU conducted no operation either last night or this morning." He said that he can say with certainty that it was not the GSU on those brutal raids."
File: February 13, 2012
Hon. Dean Barrow - Prime Minister of Belize
"I don't accept that the GSU was not involved. I believe that the GSU was involved, and I want to say that there is no way that I can countenance anything that appears to be human rights abuses. Everything that I've heard suggests that the officers went overboard. Nothing can justify simply storming into people's homes and beating up on people. I don't care who they are."
7News, February 13, 2012
Indira Craig
"Area representative Michael Finnegan had much stronger words. He told us that, according to the residents, they (the Police) behaved like thugs and criminals, and their conduct was not becoming of officers of the law. He added that it is the second time they have gone into his divisions and abused the human rights of residents and quote, "I am asking to them for god's sake don't let there be a third time."
The man running against Michael Finnegan, Phillip Palacio also got in on the action - by taking up a lawsuit on behalf of the beaten men:
File: February 9, 2012
Phillip Palacio - Attorney For The Beaten Men
"they have instructed me to issue notice of intention to sue the commissioner of police and also the attorney general. I have also been instructed by the home-owner, Mrs. Barbara Frazer. And what happened is that people from the Internal Affairs of the Police Department have gone over to the Dean Street apartment, and they had fixed up the doors that were kicked in and that kind of thing. So in our view, that's a kind of concession of some sort, that there was some involvement with the police, because it was the police who went there and fixed up the doors."
So, did the GSU do it, or didn't they? And if they pulled off a black hat operation 11 months ago as The PM himself believes, did they do something even more draconian this time? The circumstances do legitimately beg the question - but then you'd have to ask - are they capable or likely to pull off such a ruthless execution using blades and not guns?
Now, depending on where you stand - or sit - on this issue, that parallel either suggests that the GSU might be involved in the executions, or, judging by the hard-charging, break-down-the-door style used in that beat down, that they couldn't have because they lack the finesse and surgical precision.
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