Malpago Shyne uses Belize to outsmart U.S. Laws

Belize City, December 21, 2011

The last Belizeans heard of the Prime Minister’s convicted son, Jamal “Shyne” Barrow, he was #1 on a group of concert organisers’ hit list after he seemingly ripped them off, and then disappeared, leaving them hanging with a huge bill to pay. This was back in May of this year, when Shyne was promoting a huge concert in Belize. Shyne was paid almost $50,000 by promoters. In return he promised that two platinum artists would make it to the concert. That promise was never kept, and Shyne abandoned Belize and travelled to Jerusalem which he has been calling his new home.

Shyne’s return to Belize in 2010, after having spent 9 years in a New York prison for a club shooting, has been filled with controversy. His deportation to Belize was handled most-diplomatically by his estranged father, now PM Dean Barrow. But PM Barrow irked Belizeans, when he overlooked many deserving local artists and appointed Shyne to the post of goodwill ambassador for music. Suddenly, Shyne went from a convicted felon, to Belize diplomat.

Many believed the appointment was a strategic one. Before being release from U.S. prison, Shyne’s attorneys fought tooth and nail to avoid deportation to Belize. Shyne even got influential family in Belize to lobby, on his behalf, for a chance to remain in the US for his music to thrive. It didn’t work, and his cast away to Belize was like a curse. But Shyne found a way around it. As Belize’s musical ambassador, Shyne believes he can travel to the U.S. using his “diplomatic status”. That is what he has told international media.

“I can come to the U.S. as a Diplomat because I’m a Goodwill Ambassador for my country Belize,” said Shyne.

Belizeans can now see how Shyne and his dad, PM Barrow, are exploiting Belize. Shyne, who is already breaking laws by not fulfilling a rule for deportees that requires him to report to the Police Station regularly has found a way to use Belize to outsmart United States laws. Those U.S. laws prevent convicted felons who have been deported from returning to their country. It’s almost like a ban for life.

The worst part is that Shyne isn’t even in Belize. He is not doing any favors for Belize, and has spent most of the time thinking about himself. Belizeans must take a stand and demand that Barrow reverses the great disrespect to our local artists and general citizenry when he appointed Shyne as Ambassador. Belizeans must also demand that Shyne apologizes to Belizeans for his concert scam in May. Finally, Belizeans must let Shyne know he is not welcome to Belize. We have done quite well without the joker who prefers Jerusalem over his native country. Unless Belize wants to suffer an international embarrassment, its best daddy does the right thing.

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