But, while his attorney is optimistic about the case, Caleb Orozco is becoming increasingly rattled. He's reporting to police that someone vandalized and trespassed on his property yesterday. He told us this evening that 2 masked men entered his yard, a few days after someone sent a death threat against him to force the end of the case.
Caleb Orozco - Challenging Belize's Criminal Code
"Between 3 and 4 last night security arrangement were circling and they found some problems. Later on around 8:30 a.m while I was preparing to come to court they found the right side of my car door stripped. The upper part of the car door glass was broken - the back part of my car was open and later on I found out through a neighbor that the police had checked for a report that they were two masked guys that had jumped my iron gate to get into my yard while I was sleeping. I knew nothing of the men, I knew nothing of the police report until 8;30 this morning. I was asked to go make a formal report to the police station and I did that this morning and this has happened on top of a lot of Facebook threats. One person saying that this case could easily be dismissed if I die. It's things like that that have been accumulating over the past few weeks."
Reporter
"According to your own affidavit - your own accounts, you have lived a life under threat because of your homosexuality. Do you feel that recently in the last week or two, that these threats has gotten more serious and that your life is in danger at this point?"
Caleb Orozco
"Yes simply put. What has happened here is that while the church put out a press release that they condemn violence - they have insisted by omission and indifference to accept or support in silence the attacks that has been occurring in the media. To put out misleading, false misrepresentation of the facts of this case to the public is cultivating not only an atmosphere of fear for my community but cultivating an atmosphere of personal security that I have experienced and have experienced for quite some time. If they are serious about condemning acts of violence then I want them to take those ads down because it's not adding to any rational debate, it's not adding to any additional information that is responsible. It's only cultivating ignorance to a public and precisely to a minority who seems to prefer to drink 'Jim Jones koolaid' than to look for rational discussion."
Daniel Ortiz
"That will happen when this case is over. What will happen to your security then? It's all over the news now and the issue can't go away. What will happen to your personal security when this case is dealt with?"
Caleb Orozco
"I'm working with several agencies and they are behind the scenes conversations about follow up and strengthening that arrangement." As he indicated, Orozco has received an increasing number of hate mail since this case started on Tuesday. He sent us a few of them yesterday, and they are very vulgar and violent in nature. He travels to and from court everyday accompanied by two plain-clothed BDF Soldiers and one police officer".
The Belize Council of Churches sent out a release yesterday in which it publicly condemns any acts of violence against Orozco or any member of the LGBT community.
The release says quote, "The Belize Council of Churches condemns any act of violence, intimidation, and discrimination towards any individual, group or organization, despite their orientation and/or preference…."
It continues, "The Council believes that violence is not the solution to our differences…and…encourages a peaceful and pastoral approach in dealing with the social ills that affect our nation." End Quote.
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