And while Chairman Cansino is getting a cold shoulder from ASR/BSI - he also got hit below the belt today by union firebrand Audrey Matura Shepherd. The occasion was a midday press conference in Belize City held by the National Trade Union Congress of Belize. The union group lamented the way things have gone for the cane farmers, and Audrey Matura-Shepherd pinned it on Chairman Cansino:..
Alfredo Ortega - Director, BSCFA Orange Walk Branch
"What they are trying to do in that regard is to intimidate the farmers, that if you don't sign this document, you won't be able to deliver your cane and that is b@#^*#!t. Why I say that? It's because the act says that a farmer once being registered by the sugar cane production committee and the season is open, you have that right to deliver your cane. So, I want to see, once the gate is open which of those farmers that didn't sign won't have the opportunity to deliver their cane."
And turning to the signing of contracts, and who will be allowed to deliver, Fred Ortega insisted that even those who do not sign can deliver:..
Audrey Matura-Shepherd, attorney
"Is Mr. Cansino now going to bend over for Mr. McLachlan... bend over further and amend their by-laws? Because it's amazing how we have ASR giving instructions to SICB and now we have ASR giving instructions to BSCFA. Mr. Cansino needs to grow some b@#^s and take control of his organization and let them know who is the boss. Cansino is not there representing himself. He has to obey the by-laws. It's like our vice president say - it doesn't matter if our president is here nor not. Our general council, we have rules and we abide by them. They have to 
abide by that, so it is amazing. We want to see what is the development, because clearly, the vote of no confidence that was being called against Mr. Cansino will then have to go through. He cannot allow no foreign entity or any private organization to divide his organization when there are by-laws that say how to operate. So, I really want to see how that will work. You see how far this goes? You see the minute you allow someone to take away your dignity, how they will drag you down? I call out Mr. Cansino on that. I spoke to his personally about many things and I know for a fact he has coward under the skirts of his party and now under the skirts of BSI/ASR and those are some big skirts."
We should note that the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association sent out a rare press release today saying that it was not holding any press conference with the NTUCB. He said those who attended, namely Ortega and Financial Controller Javier Keme do not represent the official position of the BSCFA. The press release was signed by Chairman Cansino - which surely earned him some of that vitriol today.
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