GRINGOS BEWARE!

By: Lorenzo Dee Belveal

An Internet Discussion site has inadvertently put Americans who reside on Roatan on firm notice that hard times lie ahead for them, should Emilio Silvestri win the upcoming election as Alcalde of Coxens Hole, to which he aspires. 

Silvestri was apparently discomfited by public comments posted on the
Discussion site at URL http://ldbelveal.net/voxpop/discussion/disc2_toc.htm concerning Arnold Morris' loss of his Honduras citizenship. Family loyalties might have been part of the incentive behind Silvestri's vituperations, since
Arnold Morris is his step-father. In any case, the hopeful candidate
for the post of Coxens Hole Alcalde, stated his case as follows (and all
in capital letters):

From: EMILIO SILVESTRI
22 June 2001

IT LOOKS LIKE ALL OF YOU PEOPLE WHO WRITE ON THIS DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO DO. MR. ARNOLD (MORRIS) HAS NOT DONE ANYTHING WRONG SINCE COMING TO HONDURAS. ALL THIS TALK ABOUT HIM WAS CAUSED BY YOU BUNCH OF GRINGOS (A..HOLES).  FOR YOUR INFORMATION "YES" THEY ALSO TOOK ME AND MY MOTHERS AMERICAN VISA, BUT JUST LET ME WIN THE ALCALDE SEAT AND EVERYONE OF YOU WILL ALL PAY REAL …….. HARD FOR IT. IF MR.ARNOLD (MORRIS) IS NOT ALLOWED TO STAY IN HONDURAS, AT LEAST NEITHER GRINGO WILL BE SEEN ON ROATAN AGAIN.

A couple of extremely pertinent questions arise from this highly disturbed and disturbing public threat: First, what measures does Silvestri have in mind to use against the Gringo ex-pats who currently reside on Roatan? Second, is his declared policy of an island 'ethnic cleansing' activity also endorsed by Don Ricardo Maduro, the well-regarded presidential candidate with whom Silvestri has vocally associated himself in his search for election?

This writer would strongly urge Don Ricardo Maduro to promptly declare
his position vis-à-vis the Silvestri manifesto concerning Gringo residents on Roatan. If, indeed, Don Ricardo endorses the 'purging' of Gringos from the island, it seems no more than reasonable that the victims of the 'cleansing' be given some reasonable advance notice of the impending and open-ended expulsion threat. 

A footnote to this matter seems to be in order. 

Today's June 25 issue of Honduras This Week carries a story indicating that the Honduras Corte Suprema de Justicia has "ruled unanimously in favor of an appeal presented by the attorneys of Arnold Morris to halt  the ongoing deportation proceedings against him.

"Morris, who allegedly obtained Honduran nationality by fraudulent means, is 
wanted by the U.S. Department of Justice and FBI for felonies committed
in Florida. 

"Morris currently resides on the island of Roatan where he owns a hotel and other businesses. He is married to Rita Silvestri, a Honduran national." .

Emilio Silvestri the candidate for Alcalde of Coxens Hole, is the son of Rita 
Thompson Silvestri de Morris. The U. S. Visas of both mother and son have been revoked, ostensibly for their personal association and collaboration
with an indicted fugitive in flight from United States justice. 

The United States government is seeking the extradition of Morris to answer 
to 26 counts of commercial fraud and money laundering pending against him in the Pinellas District court in Tampa, Florida. It is uncertain what effect the Honduras Supreme Court ruling will have on his continuing efforts to avoid
extradition. 

Lorenzo Dee Belveal   

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