7 News Belize

COLA: “El Espanol” Situation Bespeaks Corruption
posted (November 24, 2015)
Earlier on, you heard what COLA had to say about the court's decision to bail David Nanes Shnitzer. But, the president of the activist group also had something to say about Ernesto Alonso de Miguel, known as "El Espanol." As we told you the man the Mexicans called the czar of contraband flagrantly broke every rule and lived in the Cotozal Free Zone. Chetumal's Por Esto newspaper reports that he had a wine cellar and a ball court on the compound as well. It's an arrangement that dates back to the mid 200's and persisted for probably as much as ten years. COLA says it bespeaks a culture of corruption:...

Geovannie Brackett, President - COLA
"This was gentleman who was living in the Free Zone. An area that you are not supposed to have residence. You are not supposed to live in there. But he had a bunker. He had dogs. He had a big house, a big fence, a basketball court. He was living the life of a superstar within the Free Zone and you are telling me that the police authorities did not know? Immigration did not know? I mean from our accounts he was frequent by many politicians and police and other public officers. These people are well connected and you want to question whether or not if money plays such a huge role in Belize that you can get anything."

Local sources tell us that under Miguel - with a few well connected importers, Belize became the hub for contraband cigarettes in the hemisphere - taking over from Panama.

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