First – The Good News
The Government of Panama has pledged to improve the educational systems here in Panama. This appears to be one of the first steps, a measure as it is sure to help out as it targets where it is needed most, the kids.
The acquisition of laptops computers is a just-announced government initiative called “Provision of Educational Laptops to Students – Spreading the Technology.” The Ministry of Education has issued a tender for the purchase of 93,500 laptops at an estimated cost of 23.3 million dollars.
‘Wild Bill’ In The News Again!
William Dathan Holbert, alias "Wild Bill", was taken from the prison in the city of David to the province of Bocas del Toro, to participate in the reconstruction of the five murders he has confessed to committing. The reconstruction will be conducted in different parts of the province of Bocas del Toro, and will last several days. Holbert's girlfriend, Laura Michelle Reese, will not participate in the reconstruction. She is imprisoned in the Women's Rehabilitation Centre in Panama City.
"Wild Bill" has confessed to the murders of two American citizens, Cheryl Lynn Hughes and Bo Icelar, as well as Mike Brown, Brown's wife Manchittha "Nan" Nankratoke, and his teenage son Watson. Panamanian authorities also suspect the alleged serial killer might also be involved in the disappearance of two indigenous Panamanians, a mother and son, who worked for the fugitive.
Don Winter (Panama Guide) explains, specifically ‘reconstruction’. (Comments edited)
It's common, normal, routine, and simply part of the process for the Panamanian judicial authorities to conduct this kind of a "reconstruction" of the events. In this case they have a serial killer who has confessed to all five murders. They will take him to the locations where the killings occurred and do a sort of "walk through" of the events. Everything is video taped and photographed. The prosecutor will lead the show, step by step, based on Holbert's confession as well as the rest of the details they have been able to obtain and verify as a result of their investigations.
And this is why Holbert will now have some serious problems, and it also explains why Laura Michelle Reese will not be participating. During all of these reconstruction events - apart from going through all of the details of all five murders - the prosecutors will be asking the relatively simple question "and where was Laura Michelle Reese at this moment in time?"
Taking The Fall: As soon as they were arrested Holbert confessed to the murders in an attempt to take the rap completely upon himself, in an attempt to get Laura Michelle Reese freed, and to have the charges against her dropped. …. In fact, Laura Michelle Reese was basically at his side through all of these murders - those in Panama as well as the murder of Jeff Kline in Costa Rica. .. And of course that explains why Laura Michelle Reese continues to refuse to participate in this kind of a reconstruction of the events.
Holbert will now try to continue his ongoing line .. however his version of the events as they occurred on the ground at the time won't line up anytime Laura Michelle Reese is involved. …. he will be lying. The authorities already know this and they are anticipating his responses, and I suspect they will set him up in such a way as to allow him to pull the chain on his own toilet bowl.
The fact that Holbert is participating in this reconstruction at all is a bit surprising. He had refused earlier, and the prosecution can't make him participate if he doesn't want to cooperate. For some reason he changed his mind. And I suspect, as usual, he thinks he's smart enough to out wit and out smart all of the detectives and investigators. .. He's probably wrong on that front, but so what? At this point he has not other choice but to keep lying, right?
The Drug War Moves To Central America
SAN JOSE, Costa Rica — While Mexico’s bloody war against the drug cartels is making headlines worldwide, there is a little-known fact that is sounding alarm bells among U.S. and Latin American officials: Central America’s drug-related violence is becoming worse than Mexico’s.
Even Costa Rica, a country known as “the Switzerland of Latin America” for being an island of peace and prosperity in its region, is feeling anxious about the rising tide of drug-related murders.
Crime has suddenly become the No. 1 concern among Costa Ricans. Despite the fact that Costa Rica was proclaimed by a recent global poll as the country with the happiest people on earth —something that almost everyone here reminds visitors with a mixture of pride and self-depreciating humor — there is nervousness in paradise.
The average homicide rate of the five Central American countries is 43 people per 100,000 inhabitants a year, more than twice that of Mexico. Honduras and El Salvador have the highest murder rates in the world, according to a new United Nations Global
Study on Homicide: Last year, the homicide rate in Honduras was 82 people per 100,000 inhabitants, in El Salvador 66, in Guatemala 41, and in Costa Rica 11. By comparison, the homicide rate in Mexico was 18, and five in the United States, the U.N. study said.
Much of the rise in Costa Rica’s murder rate is due to fights among drug traffickers, according to officials. But if what happened in Colombia and Mexico is any indication of what may happen next in Costa Rica, drug traffickers will soon start trying to extort government officials, and murdering those who don’t accept their money
U.S. officials say Costa Rica, like other drug transit countries, has good reasons to be alarmed. Ninety-five percent of all cocaine reaching the United States is currently passing through Central America, they say. And no country that is used as a transit point can escape an escalation of the drug cartel’s operations, they added.
Many people do not realize the 'drug transit' countries become drug consuming countries for the simple reason that drug traffickers pay their contacts with cocaine or heroin, rather than with cash. And their local contacts later sell these drugs at home.
The drug cartels’ move from Mexico to Central America (when the heat got turned up) suggests that, despite some successes, the decades-old U.S. anti-drug strategy may not be working. After the U.S.-backed plan help push drug operations out of Colombia, the drug cartels fled to Mexico. Now, after the U.S.-backed Plan Merida (that concentrated on Mexico), they are moving into Central America. And it is becoming a significant problem in Panama. Next stop… best guess, Caribbean countries? (Note: Statistics and overview provided by The Panama Perspective.)
My Book – ‘Angels in Panama’
My book is still available at a reasonable price from the publisher. Both Amazon and Barnes & Noble are in the process of making it available in e-book form as well. I will update you when it all gets sorted out.
The link below is for the paperback version of my book from Publish America (the publisher) I have also included a link to my website where you can read excerpts of ‘Angels in Panama’ if you want.
Paperback from Publisher $9.95
Till Next Time. Pura Vida
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