High of 89 Low of 78 Slight with wave heights 1 to 3 feet. SPORT | PAGE 15 CAYMAN’S MEDAL HAUL GROWING AT GIBRALTAR ISLAND GAMES WORLD | PAGE 7 UK’S LABOUR NOW BACKS NEW BREXIT REFERENDUM ESTABLISHED 1965 www.caymancompass.com – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2019 – 50 CENTS – WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2019 Colours Cayman launches ‘Allies’ network PRISON SERVICE MOVES TO UPGRADE CCTV SYSTEM KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Prison Service is seeking bidders to supply, install and maintain a digital CCTV system in Cayman’s prisons. The contract would cover the three facili- ties managed by Her Majesty’s Cayman Is- lands Prison Service: HMP Northward for male prisoners, HMP Fairbanks for female prisoners, and the Enhanced Reintegration Unit for low-risk prisoners, located at the same facility as the Immigration Detention Parrots facing threats from storms, loss of habitat Cayman’s national bird, the parrot, may have bounced back from the decimation of its population following devastating hurricanes in 2004 and 2008, but future storms, the ongoing loss of its natural habitat, and poaching pose major threats to the iconic bird, according to the Department of Environment. For more on this story, see page 6 . Initiative identifies LGBT- friendly establishments KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com Rainbow turtles have begun appearing in the doorways of some Cayman Islands busi- nesses. The decals represent ef- forts by Colours Cayman to identify LGBT-friendly organ- isations on island and create safe spaces for all residents, re- gardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. The new Allies network al- lows the public to easily locate establishments that have taken the Colours pledge to foster in- clusivity. While the turtle decals offer a quick, visual confirma- tion, the initiative also includes a searchable, online database, https://colours.ky/allies. While the list is currently small, Colours Cayman Presi- dent Billie Bryan says interest is growing. “We have far more allies here than many realise and now is the time for them to make them- selves known,” Bryan said in a 1 July statement. The announcement on Con- stitution Day – and the 10th anniversary of Cayman’s Bill of Rights – came with a sym- bolic element. “The Government of the Cayman Islands has failed to uphold the Constitution by ne- glecting to adopt minimum standards to protect or even rec- ognise LGBT Caymanian people,” Bryan said in the announcement. “This Constitution Day, we no longer need to hold our Gov- ernment to account in order to be recognised and respected. Today, we take matters into our PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 » PLEASE TURN TO PAGE 6 »2 LOCAL®IONAL WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS BREAKTHROUGH (PG) 1:25 I 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 SUN: 4:10 I 7:15 I 10:00 KALANK (PG) 3:10 I 9:00 (SAT ONLY) I 9:30 (NO SAT) SUN: 3:10 I 9:20 LITTLE (PG13) 12:30 I 3:25 (SAT ONLY) I 3:50 (NO SAT) 6:50 I 9:45 SUN: 3:50 I 6:50 I 9:35 THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA (R) 1:10 VIP I 4:35 I 7:00 VIP I 10:15 HELLBOY (R) 12:35 (SAT ONLY) I 1:00 I 6:10 (SAT ONLY) I 6:45 SHAZAM! (PG13) 1:30 I 3:40 VIP I 7:15 I 9:30 VIP SUN: 3:40 VIP I 4:40 I 6:40 VIP 8:00 I 9:40 VIP KIDS CLUB: OVER THE HEDGE (PG) 10:00 (SAT ONLY) CULTURE AT THE CINEMA: THE TRAGEDY OF KIND RICHARD THE SECOND(R18) SAT ONLY: 8:00 • Matinees Daily (matinee price before 6pm) • Seniors $8.00, Mon-Fri Before 6pm • Additional charges apply per 3D/VIP tickets Cayman Cinema@cbcinema6cbcinema6 SATURDAY NIGHT: For your viewing pleasure, minors under the age of 18 will not be admitted to any film starting after 6pm, unless accompanied by their parent. - WEDNESDAY - 640-FILM (640-3456) SPIDER-MAN FAR (PG13) FROM HOME 12:40 VIP | 1:00 3D | 3:40 VIP | 4:00 | 6:40 VIP | 7:00 3D | 9:40 VIP | 10:00 TOY STORY 4 (G) 1:30 | 4:00 | 6:30 | 9:00 SPRINTER (R) 1:50 | 7:15 MEN IN BLACK (PG13) INTERNATIONAL 1:35 | 4:20 | 7:05 | 9:50 SECRET LIFE OF PETS 2 (PG) 2:15 | 4:30 | 6:45 | 9:00 ANNABELLE COMES HOME (R) 4:40 | 10:00 Story reading at Bodden Town library JEWEL LEVY jlevy@pinnaclemedialtd.com Summer Story Time with Victor Valencia kicks off at the Bodden Town li- brary this month, featuring amazing stories and ex- traordinary characters, col- ouring activities and spe- cial treats. The summer pro- gramme is put on by the Library Service to help im- prove children’s literacy and learning skills through activities, entertainment and incentives throughout the summer school break. The storytelling at the Bodden Town Library takes place every Saturday from 20 July to 31 Aug. from 10am, and runs for 45 minutes. Parents and guardians are encouraged to bring along their children from ages 0 to 5 years. Library Service Deputy Director Kevin Goring said it’s fun for the whole family, The library’s Summer Reading programme gives children and their fami- lies fun ways to incorpo- rate reading and learning activities into summer family time. “It’s a fun time for children to learn fun stories and learn about new characters,” Goring said. He also said the library is seeking to expand on its literacy programme to all districts. The reading adven- ture is free and open to the public. For more information on special programmes at the library, email libraryprogrammes@gov.ky or call 949‑5159. Town hall meeting to discuss George Town revitalisation A town hall meeting will be held on Thursday, 18 July, to discuss ways of revitalising George Town. Colin Lumsden, who holds the titles of George Town Manager and Revi- talisation Initiative Coordi- nator, will host the public meeting, which will begin at 4:30pm at Constitution Hall, George Town (formerly known as George Town Town Hall). According to a media ad- visory, the event “will offer a presentation and pro- ject update alongside the chance for the public to ask questions and outline their priorities and aspi- rations for the revitalised George Town”. Lumsden, who had worked as an architect with the Public Works De- partment and helped de- sign the George Town Li- brary, took up the role as George Town Manager on 15 Oct. last year. Organisers said the initi- ative has a “holistic attitude towards regeneration”, with an approach that is “long- term and multi-faceted, aiming to bring additional life and vibrancy back to the capital”. Last month, on 20 June, Lumsden delivered a sim- ilar presentation and a Q&A to a group of civil servants, discussing, among other issues, parking, traffic, public transportation, foot- paths and green or open spaces, and getting feed- back via a survey from the attendees. Cayman represented at regional cultural summit in Argentina The Cayman National Cul- tural Foundation participated in the 2019 Americas Cultural Summit in Buenos Aires late last month. At the invitation of the In- ternational Federation of Arts Councils and Cultural Agen- cies, CNCF Chairman Martyn Bould represented Cayman at the 27-29 June summit, which was hosted by Ar- gentina’s Ministry of Edu- cation, Culture, Science and Technology. The Summit theme of ‘Cultural Change in a Diverse Territory’ noted that cultural experience in the Americas is subject to emerging phe- nomena and new paradigms. Given the recent adop- tion of the National Culture and Heritage Policy and Stra- tegic Plan for the Cayman Is- lands 2017-2026, the CNCF said in a press release that the summit provided an op- portunity to review how well Cayman has developed its strategy in preserving its heritage and in developing cultural awareness, against some 20 other countries from North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. The event covered various aspects influencing cultural experience, including commu- nication in the digital era; so- cial movements that promote gender equality and call for conservative practices and views to be deconstructed; migration flows that expand environments and perspec- tives; the rise of collabora- tive culture and networking hyper-connectivity; digital inclusion; environmental is- sues; and the resurgence of movements and minorities fighting for their rights. Workshops provided op- portunity for International Federation of Arts Councils and Cultural Agencies mem- bers, cultural officials in gov- ernment agencies, designers of public policies and leading cultural managers to address the issues covered during presentations from a prac- tical perspective, and to pro- pose solutions to the prob- lems raised. According to the CNCF, the summit provided an in- valuable opportunity for the Cayman Islands to net- work with regional cultural leaders and policymakers, and to showcase the strides Cayman has made with its Culture and Heritage Policy and Strategic Plan. ATTORNEY: GIRL FELL TO DEATH FROM OPEN WINDOW ON CRUISE SHIP MIAMI (AP) – An 18-month- old Indiana girl who fell to her death from the 11th story of a cruise ship in Puerto Rico plunged from a window inexplicably left open in a children’s play area, the fam- ily’s attorney said Tuesday. Police in Puerto Rico had said Monday that Chloe Wiegand apparently slipped from her grandfather’s hands Sunday as he was holding her out of an 11th-floor window on the Freedom of the Seas. But Michael Winkleman, a Miami attorney who’s repre- senting the girl’s family, said Tuesday that “the story is not as it had originally been por- trayed in the media”. “The grandfather didn’t drop the child, the child fell due to an open glass pane that should have been closed securely,” he said in a statement. Winkleman said Chloe Wiegand, whose father is a South Bend, Indiana, po- lice officer, was playing with her grandfather in the “kid’s water zone” on the ship as it was docked in Puerto Rico when she asked him to lift her to a wall of windows lining the play area. “Chloe wanted to bang on the glass like she always did at her older brother’s hockey games. Her grandfa- ther thought there was glass just like everywhere else, but there was not, and she was gone in an instant,” Win- kleman said. A message was left Tuesday with police in Puerto Rico seeking comment on Winkleman’s account of the events leading up to the child’s fatal fall. George Town Manager Colin Lumsden delivers a presentation on the revitalisation of the capital to civil servants on 20 June. CNCF Chairman Martyn Bould at the 2019 Americas Cultural Summit in Buenos Aires. Story Time at the library will feature a variety of stories, colouring activities and special treats. The storytelling at the Bodden Town Library takes place every Saturday from 20 July to 31 Aug. from 10am, and runs for 45 minutes.3 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2019 Paddlers plan historic ocean crossing JAMES WHITTAKER jwhittaker@pinnaclemedialtd.com Two Cayman Islands paddleboarders are aiming to make history by com- pleting an ambitious 82-mile crossing from Little Cayman to Grand Cayman. Bartenders Jasmin Mu- ratagic and Eoghan Ryan be- lieve that with a fair wind and favourable conditions, they can make the journey in around 14 hours. They have scheduled a four-day window for the effort, to ensure the best possible weather and sea conditions. The pair are raising money for the Nadine An- dreas residential foster home through the non-profit Keep Calm and Paddle On, which Muratagic established to pro- vide financial and moral sup- port for various causes. Both men have previously been involved in round-the- island paddles, as well as long-distance charity jour- neys in Canada. They believe the open ocean crossing will be the toughest challenge they have ever confronted. “Since we went around the island, we have wanted to do something even bigger and more ambitious,” said Muratagic. “This is 100 per- cent the hardest challenge we have ever tried.” Though the point to point distance is 82 miles, the winds and currents will likely mean they take a less direct route that could end up being in excess of 100 miles. The pair, along with fellow paddler Steve Pascoe, completed a 30-mile open ocean journey last year. They have been training with reg- ular paddles between Rum Point and Camana Bay. “That’s about nine miles,” said Ryan. “So we just have to do ten times that amount.” They plan to leave Little Cayman together at sun- rise and make it to Grand Cayman before dark. If the journey cannot be completed in a single day they will take a GPS reading and complete it the next day. They aim to complete a continuous paddle, but will complete it as a relay if that goal proves impossible. “We just don’t know what is possible till we get out there and do it,” said Ryan. They are looking for some- where between 11 and 17 knots wind speed as the ideal conditions for the crossing, which will take place at some point between 28 July and 1 August. “If you don’t have the wind going with you it doesn’t matter how strong a paddler you are, you are spitting in the wind,” Ryan added. Pascoe said he had wanted to be along for the trip, but the likely weather window coincides with a separate trip he is making to Tanzania. So instead of joining his fellow paddlers, he is raising money for the organisation by collecting sponsorship to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. Af- rica’s highest peak. All three men say they are inspired by the people they raise money for. Collectively they hope to raise around $15,000, which will go to the foster home and to local families dealing with mental health challenges. Sponsors of the event and safety boats include Wheaton Precious Metals, Elite Marble and Granite, Smoothie King, Michelob Ultra, Guy Harvey, A.L. Thompson’s and Progres- sive Distributors. Steve Pascoe, Jasmin Muratagic and Eoghan Ryan are raising money through the charity Keep Calm and Paddle On. TRAINING FLIGHT BECOMES EMERGENCY RUN The Royal Cayman Is- lands Police Service heli- copter was on a training mis- sion Saturday morning that turned into a real mission. The flight was meant to familiarise paramedic Shawn Kelly with the aircraft and its features. But while air- borne, the crew received a re- port of a single car accident on Anton Bodden Drive in Bodden Town. A vehicle car- rying three occupants had overturned. The crew decided to re- spond and arrived first on the scene, landing the heli- copter in a nearby open field. Deputy Unit Commander Neil Mohammed assisted Kelly in assessing those in- jured in the accident and re- layed the information to the ambulances en route. The in- jured occupants were trans- ported to hospital, treated and released. “We were pleased to be able to provide assistance to the persons who were in- volved in the collision, while also having the opportunity to put our training with our HSA partners into practice,” deputy Mohammed said in a news release. Kelly said the event was “an invaluable experience to have as part of this training”. They believe the open ocean crossing will be the toughest challenge they have ever confronted.The islands’ most-trusted news source 4 Opinion & Letters The Cayman Compass welcomes comments, opinions and viewpoints from readers. Letters to the editor can be emailed to editor@pinnaclemedialtd.com, submitted via www.caymancompass.com, sent by post or hand-delivered to the Compass office. WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS The patronising slogan ‘Dare to Shine!’ flashed across the world on Sunday as the United States women’s national soccer team lifted its World Cup after a 2-0 victory against the Netherlands. Seeing as the team tore up the field, sweeping up not only a second consecutive World Cup victory but also the tour- nament’s individual prizes, the Americans certainly brought their A-game. However, in la- belling their victory – or the billion-viewer tournament – as a ‘dare to shine’ moment, FIFA, soccer’s global governing body, sounded the wrong note. The US players did not dare to do anything; they were simply themselves. From the moment the 28 players filed a gender discrimination lawsuit in March against their employer, the US Soccer Federation, they have become champions of not only their sport but also of the fight for equality. So far, the two sides have agreed to mediate the class- action lawsuit, which accuses US Soccer of providing lower salaries and poorer condi- tions to its female players. This is the latest in a se- ries of gender discrimina- tion disputes in international sports – including basketball, boxing, hockey and tennis. In demanding the same pay and conditions as their male counterparts, wom- en’s teams across sports are pushing to end comparisons of male and female athletes. To win the battle, however, some comparisons can be used as evidence in their favour. Having now won four out of eight World Cup finals since the women’s competition orig- inated in 1991, and four of the six Olympic gold medals awarded since 1996, the US women’s team stands as one of the best soccer teams in history. In comparison, the men’s national team has never won a World Cup and failed even to qualify for the 2018 tournament. The last Olympic medal won by the men’s na- tional team was in 1904. If it were just about the numbers, maybe the women’s team would be facing fewer hurdles. Sportswear giant Nike reported that the US women’s team home jersey has become the No. 1 soccer jersey – male or female – ever sold on the company’s web- site in one season. According to The Wall Street Journal, the national women’s team’s games have generated more revenue than the men’s since their World Cup victory in 2015. This year, US viewers watched the women’s team victory in re- cord numbers. Despite this, FIFA will pay female World Cup teams a total of just $30 million, a meagre award com- pared with the $440 million the 2022 men’s teams will take home in prizes. Sunday’s roaring crowd chanted “equal pay” as the women collected their medals. While the fulfilment of that de- mand would be but one step in combating a long history of gender discrimination, in sports and beyond, it is a crit- ical one. US Soccer needs to listen to its female players and close this unforgivable gap. This editorial appeared in the Washington Post. PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY: Caymanian Compass Limited Compass Centre Shedden Road, George Town SEND US YOUR VIEWS OR NEWS: P.O. Box 1365 Grand Cayman KY1-1108, Cayman Islands Telephone: (345) 815-0095 Email: newsdesk@pinnaclemedialtd.com ADVERTISE WITH US: Telephone: (345) 949-5111 Email: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com Website: www.caymancompass.com PUBLISHER KATHLEEN CAPETTA EXECUTIVE EDITOR PATRICK BRENDEL A MEMBER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN PRESS ASSOCIATION “Give light and the people will find their own way” In icing out UK envoy, Trump has found critic he can punish PHILIP BUMP The newly released de- scriptions of President Donald Trump’s adminis- tration sound like scores of other assessments that have emerged since his inauguration. The White House has in- deed been “dogged from day one by stories of vicious in- fighting and chaos”, according to multiple press reports. To that end, there are not signs “that this Administration is going to become substantially more normal” than it has been since its outset or any “less dysfunctional, less unpredict- able” or “less faction-riven”. The author of these descrip- tions warned at one point that the administration could “de- nounce the (World Trade Or- ganization), tear up existing trade details, (and) launch pro- tectionist action, even against allies” – all of which to some extent actually occurred. The crowds at Trump’s political rallies, he wrote, are generally “almost exclusively white”, and the rhetoric Trump feeds them is “incendiary, and a mix of fact and fiction”.These are not the words of an opinion columnist for Trump’s hated New York Times or the on-air commentary of a panellist on CNN. Neither are they the lan- guage of a voter focus group, reflecting some segment of the electorate. They are, instead, mes- sages sent from Britain’s am- bassador to the United States, Kim Darroch, to members of the British government from Trump’s inauguration to last month. They are messages intended only for that audi- ence that were provided to The Daily Mail and later were confirmed as authentic. They are also, obviously, embarrassing, both for the United States and Britain. When the United States had a cache of similar diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks nearly a decade ago, there was widespread consterna- tion within the government and broad concern about possible ramifications. “I have been very critical about the way the UK and Prime Min- ister Theresa May handled Brexit. What a mess she and her representatives have cre- ated,” Trump wrote on Twitter Monday. He added, “I do not know the Ambassador, but he is not liked or well thought of within the US.” “We will no longer deal with him,” Trump continued. “The good news for the won- derful United Kingdom is that they will soon have a new Prime Minister. While I thoroughly enjoyed the magnificent State Visit last month, it was the Queen who I was most impressed with!” Coincidentally, Dar- roch himself had warned of Trump’s fickleness after the president’s visit to Britain, a trip that was viewed by the British as broadly successful. “We might be flavour of the month,” he wrote in a cable obtained by The Daily Mail, but the United States “is still the land of ‘America First’”. There’s not really any- thing in the messages written by Darroch and published by the newspaper that breaks new ground in criticism of the president. When more than half of Americans regu- larly tell pollsters that Trump is not levelheaded and say he does not have good lead- ership skills, why should we assume no foreign diplomat shares that assessment? The ambassador’s job certainly entails building a close re- lationship with Trump and the White House – something that reporters like The Wash- ington Post’s Josh Dawsey say he accomplished, contra- dicting Trump’s tweet. It does not, however, entail misrepre- senting his views of the pres- ident in private communica- tions to leaders in his own country. Sycophancy dies in darkness. But the publication of Darroch’s messages gave Trump an opening. There’s not much Trump can do to punish Americans who are critical of his presidency, be- sides advocating policies that his political opponents dis- like. The media’s critical cov- erage of his administration is an ongoing source of angst, but the First Amendment en- sures that it will be allowed to continue. A diplomat credentialed to serve in the United States, however? Let the blow- back commence. At the outset of Trump’s presidency, there was some concern about how America’s international relationships would fare during his admin- istration. Trump’s declared willingness to shake up the United States’ position in the international order was a fea- ture of his 2016 campaign and one that, as president, he has not shied away from. There’s no suggestion at this point that the relation- ship between the United States and Britain will suffer over the long term from Dar- roch’s comments, particularly now that Trump has appar- ently excised him from Amer- ica’s diplomatic sphere. These sorts of indelicacies, origi- nating from an individual, are not generally the stuff that fo- ment international crises. Britain seems willing to move on. It responded to Trump’s move with a state- ment supporting Darroch – but also highlighting the long-standing bond be- tween the two countries. That Trump would be incensed on a personal level by the pub- lication of Darroch’s criti- cism is, after all, something that the British should have anticipated. Darroch prepared them for it. Philip Bump is a correspondent for The Washington Post. Based in New York. Before joining The Post in 2014, he led politics coverage for the Atlantic Wire. © 2019, The Washington Post. British Ambassador Kim Darroch - PHOTO: AP US women’s soccer team has more than earned equal pay5 LOCAL NEWS CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2019 ADVERTORIAL Acuris Risk Intelligence announces partnership with SILO Compliance The companies join forces to enhance anti-money laundering efforts London, 24 June 2019 – Acuris Risk Intelligence, a trusted and independent provider of data intelligence for anti-money laundering, anti-corruption and cyber security professionals, today announces its partnership with industry-leading due diligence management solution, SILO Compliance System, to provide access to Acuris Risk Intelligence’s world-class data set within its application. SILO Compliance System, based in the Cayman Islands, is a comprehensive, risk-based client due diligence management solution used by trust and corporate service providers, law and accounting firms, and other financial services providers that must comply with anti-money laundering regulations. In collaboration with Acuris Risk Intelligence, SILO Compliance will enable its users to access a dataset that includes fraud and cybersecurity content as well as expert human analysts and state-of-the-art technology to help them effectively manage risk in business relationships. Access to Acuris Risk Intelligence’s KYC6 will allow SILO Compliance customers to use the highly effective online portal that provides compliance teams key capabilities of individuals via search, on-going monitoring, sanctions and Enhanced Due Diligence (EDD) reports. “We’re delighted to join forces with an industry-leading provider such as SILO Compliance,” states Joel Lange, Managing Director, Acuris Risk Intelligence. “Our integration into SILO Compliance System will further streamline its already efficient system.” “SILO is pleased to have the Acuris Partnership,” Kimberly Smith, co-founder of SILO Compliance System, advises. “Pooling our experiences and technologies has already proven to be of value to our customers. The integration of Acuris into the SILO platform further serves our customer’s needs for more automation and streamlining of their compliance processes.” About SILO Compliance SILO Compliance System is a comprehensive, risk-based client due diligence management solution used by trust and corporate service providers, law and accounting firms, and other financial services providers that must comply with anti-money laundering regulations. SILO’s dashboards provide senior management with key analytics providing them with quick information and statistics on the business’s compliance obligations. SILO’s cloud solution is versatile and easy to manage. SILO users find our design to be intuitive and highly adaptable to regulatory changes and pressures. Designed by compliance professionals with years of compliance and KYC/CDD work flow experience, SILO can help reduce the time you spend on compliance matters while ensuring you and your regulators stay confident in your processes. For more information about SILO visit www.silocompliance.com or email mike@silocompliance.com. About Acuris Risk Intelligence Acuris Risk Intelligence was established in 2004 as C6 and rose to become one of the top suppliers of proprietary data on PEPs, sanctions and AML data for due diligence and compliance. It was acquired by Acuris in 2015. Today, Acuris Risk Intelligence combines a world-class dataset – that now includes fraud and cybersecurity content – with expert human analysts and state-of-the-art technology to help organisations manage the risk in business relationships effectively. Clients access our intelligence via a SaaS platform, or via API and feed technology so risk protection is built into the way they operate. Our focus areas include third-party and anti-corruption risk, AML and KYC due diligence and monitoring, and the proactive detection of cybersecurity risk. For more information, please visit us at https://www.acurisriskintelligence.com/ or call us on +44 (0) 203 742 1200. WEB TICKER FOLLOWS VERIFICATION PROGRESS FOR CRUISE PETITION KAYLA YOUNG kyoung@pinnaclemedialtd.com The Elections Office has released a web ticker that tracks progress in verifying petition signatures for the cruise port referendum. As of Tuesday afternoon, the ticker, available at www. electionsoffice.ky, indicated 27.6% or 1,503 of the verifica- tion forms had been received. That leaves 3,935 forms left to verify. “The web ticker will pro- vide the public with regular updates as Elections Office officials continue to verify the signatures on the pro- vided cruise port referendum petition,” the Elections Office said in press release Tuesday. “The new website plug-in will include the number of verification forms that have been received, the number outstanding, as well as an overall percentage of the sig- natures confirmed out of the 5,438 that have been sub- mitted thus far.” Signatures are required from 25% of the electorate, or 5,289 voters, to prompt a people-initiated referendum. The petition to launch such a referendum regarding development of a cruise port in George Town was sub- mitted to the Elections Office in May by Cruise Port Refer- endum Cayman. The Elections Office is now working to individually verify each signature from the petition. Officials began going door-to-door in the dis- tricts of North Side and East End on 28 June. Door-to-door verification in other districts, from Bodden Town to West Bay, began over the weekend. Petitioners can also verify their signatures in person at the Elections Office, which is open 8:30am to 6:30pm on Mondays to Thursdays; from 8:30am to 5pm on Fridays, and 10am to 3pm on Saturdays. Individuals who are off island can contact office@elections.ky for further instructions. Rapist sentenced to 8 years Judge says defendant showed no empathy or remorse SPENCER FORDIN sfordin@pinnaclemedialtd.com John Michael Soriano was sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment in Grand Court Tuesday fol- lowing a conviction for rape of an acquaintance in Cayman Brac. Soriano, 31, a native of the Philippines who had lived in Cayman for just a few months before the Sep- tember 2018 incident, tear- fully listened as the sentence was read. The court heard Tuesday that the complainant was a friend of Soriano’s girlfriend at the time and that she had experienced trauma as a re- sult of the ordeal. Justice Marlene Carter read from the victim impact report and disclosed that the com- plainant said she had almost killed herself, that she could not trust anybody any more and did not feel safe, and that her “plans and dreams were crushed”. Soriano maintained that the sex was consensual. Justice Carter said the de- fendant blamed the victim for initiating the physical act, adding that he “has not displayed any empathy or remorse”. “Sex offenders often use denial to avoid facing the consequences of their ac- tions,” said Justice Carter prior to imposing her sen- tence. “Relationship and ac- quaintanceship rape cannot be treated any differently or less seriously than rape by a stranger.” Soriano had been drinking the night of the rape, which occurred in the West End Road area of the Brac, but he had no his- tory of substance abuse, the court heard. In her evidence, the com- plainant had said she had gone to visit a female friend at the friend’s workplace, but after a while went to her friend’s apartment on her own because she had a headache. Soriano was in the apartment when she ar- rived, she said. She went into the friend’s bedroom and lay down on the bed, playing with her phone. She said Soriano entered the room and raped her. Crown counsel Kenneth Ferguson said that Soriano had breached the trust of the complainant, and he un- derlined the fact that the defendant has never ac- cepted responsibility for his actions. But he also ac- knowledged that Soriano had no previous convictions and did not use violence to coerce the complainant. Defence counsel Crister Brady said that the re- port prepared by proba- tion officers said that So- riano is a very hard worker and a father of two. It also stated that he is an edu- cated man who has had to do “relatively menial tasks to support his family”, while living in Cayman. “This is not a typical re- port that we expect to find with a defendant convicted of an offence such as this,” said Brady as part of his sen- tencing submissions. Justice Carter took the submissions from both counsels into account be- fore imposing her sentence. The starting point for a rape sentence, she said, was 10-12 years in the absence of aggravating and mitigating circumstances. In this case, she said, the mitigation out- weighed the aggravation. The incident was op- portunistic, said Justice Carter, in that there is no ev- idence that the defendant had planned to force him- self on the complainant and had not previously made un- wanted advances. Soriano, she said, had pre- viously lived a normal life outside the eye of the law. “His upbringing and back- ground do not reveal a de- fendant who had exhibited any behaviour that could be considered forewarning that he would commit an of- fense such as this,” said Jus- tice Carter. Soriano, who had a Ta- galog interpreter pre- sent to relay the words of the attorneys and Justice Carter, wiped tears from his face and hugged his fa- ther before being remanded into custody. Justice Marlene Carter read from the victim impact report and disclosed that the complainant said she had almost killed herself, that she could not trust anybody any more and did not feel safe, and that her “plans and dreams were crushed”. 8 HAITIANS, 1 DOMINICAN KILLED WHEN CAR PLUNGES INTO CANAL SANTIAGO, Dominican Republic (AP) – A government doctor in the Dominican Republic says a sedan overloaded with people lost control on a tight turn and careened into an ir- rigation canal, killing eight Haitians and one Dominican. National Institute of Fo- rensic Science doctor Miledis Almonte says three others were taken to the José Maria Cabral y Báez hospital in San- tiago after Monday’s crash. Witnesses said the sedan was crammed with 17 people in the northern Navarrete area, where Haitian migrants frequently enter the Domin- ican Republic seeking to es- cape hyperinflation and food shortages on the poorer side of Hispaniola island. Many pay between $50 and $150 to be taken to the neigh- bouring Dominican Republic to find work in the construc- tion and agriculture sectors.The islands’ most-trusted news source 6 WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS A mix of severe hurricanes, habitat loss and poaching have taken a heavy toll on Cayman’s native parrots. More than half of the Cayman Parrots on Grand Cayman were lost during 2004’s Hurricane Ivan, while a similar proportion of the Brac population was lost in 2008’s Hurricane Paloma, ac- cording to the Department of Environment. Though numbers have recovered, particularly on Grand Cayman, researchers fear that another storm could have an even more drastic impact. Habitat loss as a re- sult of development has been blamed for making the iconic national bird more vulnerable. Department of Environ- ment population assess- ments done since Hurricanes Ivan and Paloma have found that the parrots, while resil- ient, are now concentrated in smaller areas on both Cayman Brac and Grand Cayman. Those studies also suggest a lower number of breeding parrot pairs on both islands. “Stresses on the popula- tion from clearing of nat- ural habitats and also from unlawful poaching have made our Cayman parrots less able to come back from major losses experienced during hurricanes or tropical storms,” said DoE Research Officer Jane Haakonsson. Grand Cayman parrots are now mostly restricted to the central and eastern man- groves and dry forest. On the Brac, breeding mainly oc- curs on the bluff and in the dry forest. Cayman Brac Parrot pop- ulations that once inhab- ited Little Cayman stopped breeding following the dis- astrous 1932 storm, which largely destroyed their breeding grounds. The Brac Parrot’s home range is now among the most limited of any Amazon parrot subspe- cies in the world, according to the DoE. Parrots are a protected species under the National Conservation Law. Cayman parrots vulnerable to storms A pair of Cayman parrots engage in grooming on a tree branch. - PHOTO: STUART MAILER own hands.” The network is the culmi- nation of years of efforts by Colours Cayman to empower to the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bi- sexual, transgender) commu- nity, Bryan explained during an interview. “Since its inception, this is where I wanted us to strive for. We’re doing a lot more than this now. But it started off as a grassroots campaign to build that net- work of businesses and or- ganisations that are LGBT friendly,” she said. “At first, we just had a list of people, which wasn’t too helpful. So, I really wanted to do something more with it, hence the development of the website.” Bryan is working now to add more functionality to the site, including a maps fea- ture and the ability to rate organisations and add com- ments. Her vision is to even- tually extend the database to other parts of the Caribbean. She also wants to dispel the notion that the Cayman Islands is not a safe destina- tion for LGBT travellers. “I think Cayman is about ready now to embrace the rainbow dollar,” she said, pointing out that the islands are not immune to larger so- cial movements happening across the world. “In the grand scheme of things, the world at large is changing,” she said. “More than ever, people are coming out and making themselves heard, voicing their opinions and wanting to effect real change. I think people are more inspired and more mo- tivated to do that, regardless of where they are.” While some small busi- nesses have been hesitant to take the Colours pledge, for fear of losing conservative, religious clientele, others have been quick to join the initiative. Business owner Brigita Nemet said, for her, the idea is to let all residents and vis- itors know they are welcome at any of her businesses, in- cluding Cayman Creperie, Lucky Slice Pizza and Mojo Gastro Pub. “My personal philosophy is that I would like my busi- ness to be a safe place for anybody to discuss ideas. To not just be a place where we are going to relax and chit chat but where we can dis- cuss openly our ideas, not in an aggressive way but in a constructive way,” she said. “In the same way, Bible study groups and the LGBT community are welcome here. I would love it if we could all talk constructively and lovingly.” Other participating organ- isations include the Cayman Islands Red Cross, Cayman Animal Hospital, OnCourse Cayman, and Bread and Chocolate Vegan Bistro. The pledge, Bryan ex- plained, is a commitment by organisations to not tolerate discrimination or harass- ment on the basis of gender identity or sexual orienta- tion. This applies to both customers and employees. “In the future, when we have LGBT people visiting, especially as tourists, they’re more likely to be frequenting those places that identify as allies,” Bryan said. For young residents, as well, she sees the initiative as carrying particular im- portance. The database – in addition to the work Col- ours does with the Cayman Islands Crisis Centre and through free educa- tional workshops at the li- brary – should help connect young people with commu- nity resources. “We can’t just cater to adults, the elderly or more established, more privi- leged people. We need to re- ally focus on, especially on, the ones who are most at risk, who need this more than others do,” Bryan said, adding, “This is what Col- ours was set up to be from the start. … “So that people are no longer afraid to come out and be themselves, so that people know they are sup- ported and they have places to go where they’ll be accepted.” To learn more about the Allies network, visit https://colours.ky/allies. Centre at Fairbanks. The deadline for pro- posal submissions is 9 Aug. A final ranking of appli- cants is expected by the end of August, with antici- pated execution of the pro- ject in mid-September. The request seeks sys- tems that are scalable to support up to 300 cameras with 4K, HD archival quality in each location. The request also asks that systems in- clude date and time stamps and are configured to auto- matically delete recordings after 30 to 60 days. All cameras should have advanced motion detection and be made accessible for viewing from a single PC workstation. Applications also should include detailed informa- tion regarding data secu- rity and provide the capa- bility to store data for at least 60 days. The selected applicant will be expected to pro- vide on-site training of the system for Prison Ser- vice employees. For more information, visit the Cayman Islands government’s Public Purchasing Portal at https://cayman.bonfirehub.com/portal. Colours Cayman launches ‘Allies’ network Colours Cayman President Billie Bryan, left, and business owner Brigita Nemet inside Lucky Slice Pizza, one of the first restaurants to join the Allies network. - PHOTOS: KAYLA YOUNG CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 A rainbow turtle inside the window of Cayman Creperie indicates the business has taken a pledge against discrimination related to sexual orientation or gender identity. Prison Service moves to upgrade CCTV system CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 ONLY 60% OF MEXICAN FEDERAL POLICE MAKE GRADE FOR NEW FORCE MEXICO CITY (AP) – Presi- dent Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Tuesday that only about 60% of Mexico’s federal police are passing physical and background exams to join the new Na- tional Guard, despite the fact they are considered the elite of law enforce- ment personnel. Federal police, who had better pay, training and edu- cation standards than other police, have protested re- cently against being reas- signed to the militarised Na- tional Guard. The police say they are being ill-treated and will lose seniority and benefits. They have also objected to loss of pay and poorer living condi- tions, which the soldiers and marines who have joined the force are more used to. Lopez Obrador has ac- cused federal police of being unfit and corrupt, and he said Tuesday that only 60% passed tests to join the new force, compared to 90% of military personnel. Lopez Obrador said the police had failed to keep fit, though he acknowledged he himself, at age 65, suffers from high blood pressure. The government said it has reached a deal to let federal officers retire or join other law enforcement agen- cies if they do not want to go to the National Guard or are rejected. But apparently, some parts of the federal po- lice may survive; Lopez Ob- rador said some would con- tinue to patrol highways, for example. One of the key differ- ences is that federal po- lice were sent out for lim- ited periods to outlying states as needed to handle spurts in crime. They were given special bonuses and stayed at hotels. The new National Guard members will live in the re- gions where they are based and will not de given deploy- ment bonuses.7 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2019 Please be advised that the Cayman Compass Office will be closed on Friday, July 12 th , 2019 for a Staff Function. We will re-open for regular business hours on Monday, July 15 th 8:30am to 5:00pm We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause. PLEASE NOTE OUR NEW OFFICE HOURS Monday thru Friday 8:30am to 5:00pm OFFICE CLOSURE PUBLICATION DEADLINES: EDITION BOOKING DEADLINES Wednesday July 17 ..................Thursday, July 11 TELEPHONE: (345) 949-5111 EMAIL: sales@pinnaclemedialtd.com UK’s Labour now backs new Brexit referendum LONDON (AP) – In a signifi- cant shift, Britain’s main op- position Labour Party said Tuesday that the country’s soon-to-be chosen new leader should hold a second refer- endum on whether to leave the European Union or re- main in the bloc. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the party would campaign to stay in the EU if a referendum were called by whoever succeeds Prime Minister Theresa May. She announced her resignation last month after failing to get Parliament to back her di- vorce deal with the EU. Lawmakers Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt are com- peting to replace May as Con- servative Party leader and prime minister. The winner of the contest is due to take office later this month, and will have barely more than three months to win support for a Brexit deal before Brit- ain’s scheduled 31 Oct. de- parture date. In a letter to party mem- bers, Corbyn said that the new prime minister “should have the confidence to put their deal, or no-deal, back to the people in a public vote”. “In those circumstances, I want to make it clear that Labour would campaign for Remain against either no- deal or a Tory deal that does not protect the economy and jobs,” he said. Labour’s opponents – and many supporters – have ac- cused the party of dithering over Brexit for fear of alien- ating voters on either side of the national divide over Eu- rope. Corbyn, a longtime critic of the EU, has resisted calls for a second referendum, saying Labour must respect voters’ 2016 decision to leave. The left-of-centre party has previously rejected May’s deal but also ruled out leaving the EU without an agreement, and called for an election that the party hopes will bring a Labour government to power. But the party’s poor showing in recent local and European elections sug- gests Labour is losing sup- port to parties, including the Liberal Democrats and the Greens, that advocate re- maining in the EU. Corbyn’s letter clarifies the party’s position – up to a point. It’s still unclear what Labour would do about Brexit if it formed a government. Labour lawmaker Hi- lary Benn, who heads Par- liament’s Brexit Committee, said “this is a very signifi- cant moment”. “We saw what a lack of clarity did to Labour in the European elections. We got 14% of the vote,” he said. But John Mann, a Labour legislator who backs Brexit, said the shift would cost the party support in areas of the country that voted strongly to leave the EU. “There’s no indication whatsoever that voters in my area … have changed their mind,” he said. “I’ve asked repeatedly of Jeremy Corbyn, what will be Labour’s policy at a general election? I haven’t been clear and I’m not clear now.” Most businesses and economists think a no-deal Brexit would plunge Britain into recession as customs checks take effect at UK ports and tariffs are imposed on trade between the UK and the EU. But many Conservatives think embracing a no-deal Brexit may be the only way to win back voters from the upstart Brexit Party led by Nigel Farage. Jeremy Corbyn, leader of Britain’s opposition Labour Party. Labour now says that Britain’s next prime minister should hold a second referendum on whether to leave the European Union or remain in the bloc. – PHOTO: AP FRANCE TO SLAP NEW ‘ECOTAX’ ON PLANE TICKETS PARIS (AP) – France will introduce a new charge on plane tickets from next year, with revenue used to fund environment-friendly alterna- tives, the country’s transport minister said Tuesday. The ‘ecotax’ costing be- tween 1.50 euros (US$1.7) and 18 euros ($20) will apply to most flights departing in France, Elisabeth Borne said. The only exceptions will be for domestic flights to Corsica and France’s overseas territories, and connecting flights that pass through France. It will not apply to flights arriving in France. Shares in Air France/KLM and budget airlines EasyJet and Ryanair dropped fol- lowing the announcement. Industry group IATA, which favours a system that allows airlines to offset their emissions by paying for carbon reduction efforts elsewhere, called the French ticket charge “misguided”. “National taxes will do nothing to assist the aviation industry in its sustainability efforts,” IATA spokesman An- thony Concil said, warning that instead of helping airlines invest in cleaner fuels and technology it could end up harming the French aviation industry and jeopardise jobs. But the move received a cautious welcome from en- vironmental campaigners, who argue that the airline industry needs to curb its greenhouse gas emissions as part of wider efforts to combat climate change. According to Borne, do- mestic and European flights will be taxed at 1.50 euros for economy tickets and 9 euros (US$10) for business class, rising to 18 euros for busi- ness flights outside the EU. By comparison, Brit- ain’s air passenger duty for standard passenger planes starts at 13 pounds (US$16.20), rising to a maximum of 172 pounds ($214.20), and generates more than 3 billion pounds in Treasury revenue every year.8 WORLD®IONAL WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2019 • CAYMAN COMPASS Hong Kong protesters vow to continue even after bill declared ‘dead’ HONG KONG (AP) – Hong Kong protest leaders op- posed to the administration of Chief Executive Carrie Lam said Tuesday that they will continue their demon- strations, even after Lam de- clared the effort to amend a highly contentious extradi- tion bill “dead”. Protesters are persisting in their demands for the bill to be formally withdrawn and an investigation opened into heavy-handed tactics used by police against dem- onstrators. Hundreds of thou- sands have joined the month- long protests, expressing growing concerns about the steady erosion of civil rights in the semi-autonomous Chi- nese territory. “We cannot find the word ‘dead’ in any of the laws in Hong Kong or in any legal proceedings in the Legisla- tive Council,” protest leaders Jimmy Sham and Bonnie Leung said in statements in English and Cantonese. “So how can the govern- ment tell us that we should preserve our rule of law, when [Lam] herself does not use the principle of the rule of law,” the two said. The protest leaders also said Lam was being hypo- critical in claiming to have met demonstrators’ demands without actually speaking to them directly. “Instead, she should re- ally stand out and talk to the young protesters,” Leung said. “The young protesters have been out in the street outside her house, outside government headquarters, for weeks, roaring to be heard.” Details about future pro- test actions will be an- nounced at a later time, Leung said. Lam acknowledged at a news conference earlier Tuesday that there were “lin- gering doubts about the gov- ernment’s sincerity or wor- ries about whether it would seek to bring the legislation back for a vote”. But she said: “I reiterate here, there is no such plan. The bill is dead.” The protests against the proposed extradition leg- islation have given voice to fears that Hong Kong is losing the freedoms guaran- teed to it when the former British colony was returned to China in 1997. The legislation would allow criminal suspects to be extradited to mainland China. Critics fear suspects would face unfair and politicised trials, and that opponents of China’s ruling Communist Party would be targeted. In the most recent pro- test on Sunday, tens of thou- sands of people, chanting “Free Hong Kong” and some carrying British colonial-era flags, marched toward a high- speed railway station that connects Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland. They said they wanted to carry their protest message to those on the mainland, where state- run media have not cov- ered the protests widely but have focused instead on clashes with police and prop- erty damage. On 1 July, the 22nd an- niversary of Hong Kong’s handover from Britain back to China, a peaceful march drew hundreds of thousands of people but was overshad- owed by an assault on the territory’s legislative building. A few hundred demonstra- tors shattered thick glass panels to enter the building and wreaked havoc for three hours, spray-painting slogans on the chamber walls, over- turning furniture and dam- aging electronic voting and fire prevention systems. Protesters are demanding an independent investigation into alleged police abuse of force against demonstrators on 12 June, when officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds blocking major streets. Lam said Tuesday that in- vestigations would take place under the Department of Jus- tice “in accordance with the evidence, the law and also the prosecution code”. The protests against the proposed extradition legislation have given voice to fears that Hong Kong is losing the freedoms guaranteed to it when the former British colony was returned to China in 1997. Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam pauses during a press conference Tuesday. – PHOTO: AP Trump lashes out at Britain’s ambassador for a second day Leaks documents outrage US president LONDON (AP) – US President Donald Trump lashed out for a second day at Britain’s am- bassador to the United States on Tuesday, describing him as “wacky” and a “pompous fool”, after a leak of emails critical of the American administration. The series of tweets came hours after Prime Minister Theresa May stood by Kim Darroch amid the contro- versy over the release of the documents published in the Mail on Sunday newspaper. Darroch’s forthright views – meant for consumption be- hind closed doors – have caused embarrassment be- tween two countries who often celebrate having a “special relationship”. “The wacky Ambas- sador that the UK foisted upon the United States is not someone we are thrilled with, a very stupid guy,” Trump tweeted. Trump then combined his criticism of Darroch with a broadside at May, chiding her for failing to get her Brexit deal through Parliament. “I told @theresa_may how to do that deal, but she went her own foolish way- was unable to get it done. A disaster!” Trump tweeted. “I don’t know the Ambassador but have been told he is a pompous fool.” In the memos, Darroch, who has served as Britain’s envoy to Washington since 2016, suggested that in order to communicate with the president, “you need to make your points simple, even blunt”. In the leaked documents he called the Trump admin- istration’s policy towards Iran “incoherent”, said the president might be in- debted to “dodgy Russians” and raised doubts about whether the White House “will ever look competent”. Darroch has had a close relationship with numerous Trump administration offi- cials and the president’s ad- visers have been frequent guests at embassy events. An investigation is under way over the major breach of diplomatic security. The tweets, together with a similar barrage on Monday, will serve to ratchet up pressure on Brit- ain’s government over Dar- roch, who also has been accused by some Brexit- backing UK politicians of lacking enthusiasm for Brit- ain’s departure from the Eu- ropean Union. The journalist who re- ported the leak, Isabel Oake- shott, is a strong Brexit backer and an ally of Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage, who also is Britain’s leading champion of Trump. Trump has been sup- portive of Farage and once said he would “do a great job” as an ambassador to Washington. Farage side- stepped that notion Monday, saying “I’m not a diplomat.” While British officials hunted for the culprit be- hind the leak, senior Con- servative Party figure and former Foreign Secretary William Hague said the government was right to back Darroch. “You can’t change an am- bassador at the demand of a host country,” Hague told the BBC. “It is their job to give an honest assessment of what is happening in that country.” MAYFLOWER REPLICA TO SAIL FOR 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF VOYAGE BOSTON (AP) – A replica of the Mayflower will sail to Boston as part of com- memorations of the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ landing in Massachusetts. Organisers say that the Mayflower II will be on display next year at the Charlestown Navy Yard from 14 May to May 19, and that visitors will have an opportunity to board the ship for free. The vessel has been un- dergoing a $7.5 million restoration at the Mystic Seaport Museum in Con- necticut since 2016. The original Mayflower was lost to history after returning to England fol- lowing its famous 1620 voyage to the New World. The full-scale replica ship was built in Eng- land in the 1950s and has been berthed in Plym- outh Harbour. Plans are to take it back to Plymouth following the Mayflower Sails 2020 event. Darroch’s forthright views – meant for consumption behind closed doors – have caused embarrassment between two countries who often celebrate having a “special relationship”. The Mayflower II, a 1957 replica of the famed ship that carried the Pilgrims to Massachusetts in 1620, will sail to Boston in 2020 as part of commemoration of the 400th anniversary of the Pilgrims’ landing in Massachusetts. - PHOTO: AP President Donald Trump described British Ambassador Kim Darroch as a ‘very stupid guy’ in a tweet on Tuesday. - PHOTO: AP9 WORLD®IONAL CAYMAN COMPASS • WEDNESDAY, 10 JULY 2019 Home & O ce Repairs and Supplies The #1 Choice for your Shutter Needs! Lorenzo A. Henry Manager westradeky@gmail.com 345-917-7310 P.O. Box 2519 KY1 – 1104 Grand Cayman • Railings • Patio Covers • Windows • Doors • Painting • Accordion Shutters • Panel Shutters • Bahamian Shutters • Rollup Shutters • Alumnum Screen Enclosure Residential & Commercial Licensed/Insured Sale & Installation of: Billionaire H. Ross Perot dies aged 89 DALLAS (AP) – H. Ross Perot, the colourful, self- made Texas billionaire who rose from a childhood of De- pression-era poverty and twice ran for president as a third-party candidate, has died. He was 89. Perot, whose 19% of the vote in 1992 stands among the best showings by an in- dependent candidate in the past century, died early Tuesday at his home in Dallas surrounded by his devoted family, family spokesman James Fuller said. As a boy in Texarkana, Texas, Perot delivered news- papers from the back of a pony. He earned his bil- lions in a more modern way, however – by building Elec- tronic Data Systems Corp., which helped other com- panies manage their com- puter networks. Yet the most famous event in his career did not involve sales and earnings; he fi- nanced a private commando raid in 1979 to free two EDS employees who were being held in a prison in Iran. The tale was turned into a book and a movie. Perot first became known to Americans outside of busi- ness circles by claiming that the US government left be- hind hundreds of American soldiers who were missing or imprisoned at the end of the Vietnam War. Perot fanned the issue at home and dis- cussed it privately with Viet- namese officials in the 1980s, angering the Reagan admin- istration, which was formally negotiating with Vietnam’s government. Perot’s wealth, fame and confident prescription for the nation’s economic ills pro- pelled his 1992 campaign against President George H.W. Bush and Democratic challenger Bill Clinton. Some Republicans blamed him for Bush’s loss to Clinton as Perot garnered the largest percentage of votes for a third-party candidate since former President Theodore Roosevelt’s 1912 bid. During the campaign, Perot spent $63.5 million of his own money and bought up 30-minute television spots. He used charts and graphs to make his points, summarising them with a line that became a na- tional catchphrase: “It’s just that simple.” Perot’s second campaign four years later was far less successful. He was shut out of presidential debates when organisers said he lacked sufficient support. He got just 8% of the vote, and the Re- form Party that he founded and hoped to build into a na- tional political force began to fall apart. However, Perot’s ideas on trade and deficit reduction remained part of the political landscape. He blamed both major parties for running up a huge federal budget deficit and letting American jobs to be sent to other countries. The movement of US jobs to Mexico, he said, created a “giant sucking sound”. Perot continued to speak out about federal spending for many years. In 2008, he launched a website to high- light the nation’s debt with a ticker that tracked the rising total, a blog and a chart presentation. Henry Ross Perot was born in Texarkana on 27 June 1930. His father was a cotton broker; his mother a secre- tary. Perot said his family survived the Depression rel- atively well through hard work and by managing their money carefully. Young Perot’s first job was delivering papers in a poor, mostly black part of town from his pony, Miss Bee. Perot said when the news- paper tried to cut his com- mission, he complained to the publisher – and won. He said he learned to take prob- lems straight to the top. From Texarkana, Perot went to the US Naval Academy even though he had never been on a ship or seen the ocean. After the Navy, Perot joined International Business Machines in 1955 and quickly became a top salesman. In his last year at IBM, he filled his sales quota for the year in January. In 1962, with $1,000 from his wife, Margot, Perot founded Electronic Data Sys- tems. Hardware accounted for about 80% of the com- puter business, Perot said, and IBM was not inter- ested in the other 20%, in- cluding services. Many of the early hires at EDS were former military men, and they had to abide by Perot’s strict dress code – white shirts, ties, no beards or moustaches – and long work days. Many had crew cuts, like Perot. The company’s big break came in the mid-1960s when the federal government cre- ated Medicare and Medicaid, the health programmes for seniors, the disabled and the poor. States needed help in running the programs, and EDS won contracts – starting in Texas – to handle the mil- lions of claims. In 1984, he sold control of the company to General Motors Corp. for $2.5 billion and received $700 million in a buyout. In 2008, EDS was sold to Hewlett-Packard Co. In September 2011, Forbes magazine estimated Perot’s wealth at $3.5 billion and ranked him No. 91 on its list of richest Americans. It was during the Nixon administration that Perot be- came involved in the issue of US prisoners of war in South- east Asia. Perot said Secre- tary of State Henry Kissinger asked him to lead a cam- paign to improve treatment of POWs held in North Vi- etnam. Perot chartered two jets to fly medical supplies and the wives of POWs to Southeast Asia. They were not allowed into North Vietnam, but the trip attracted enor- mous media attention. After their release in 1973, some prisoners said conditions in the camps had improved after the failed missions. In 1979, the Iranian gov- ernment jailed two EDS ex- ecutives and Perot vowed to win their release. “Ross came to the prison one day and said, ‘We’re going to get you out,’” one of the men, Paul Chiapparone, told The Associated Press. “How many CEOs would do that today?” Perot recruited retired US Army Special Forces Col. Ar- thur ‘Bull’ Simons to lead a commando raid on the prison. A few days later, the EDS ex- ecutives walked free after the shah’s regime fell and mobs stormed the prison. Simons’ men sneaked the executives out of the country and into Turkey. The adventure was recalled in Ken Follett’s best- selling book ‘On Wings of Ea- gles’ and a TV miniseries. Then-presidential hopeful H. Ross Perot speaks at a rally in Austin, Texas in 1992. – PHOTO: AP 23 GOVERNORS JOIN CALIFORNIA IN OPPOSING TRUMP MILEAGE STANDARDS WASHINGTON (AP) – Citing climate-damaging tail- pipe emissions, 23 US gov- ernors signed a pledge backing California leaders in their showdown with the Trump administration over its plans to relax vehicle mileage standards. The stand by leaders of states and Puerto Rico, nearly all Democrats, comes as the Trump administration moves to freeze tougher mileage standards laid out by former President Barack Obama, in one of the previous adminis- tration’s key efforts against climate change. The Trump administration says American consumers in- creasingly want bigger, gas- guzzling SUVs and pickup trucks. It also argues that de- manding ever-more fuel-effi- cient vehicles will drive up automobile costs and keep less-safe, older vehicles on the road longer. Many en- gineers have challenged that claim. The governors’ pledge on Tuesday commits to sticking to the pre-Trump mileage goals, a programme of annual tightening in mileage stand- ards that reduce climate- changing carbon emissions. “We will not compromise on our responsibility to pro- tect the health of our com- munities, our climate, and the savings consumers stand to gain at the pump,” said the pledge, also signed by Cali- fornia Gov. Gavin Newsom. “We will continue to pursue additional concrete actions to fulfill this duty and defend against any threats.” Besides California and Puerto Rico, leaders of Colo- rado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Mary- land, Massachusetts, Minne- sota, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wash- ington and Wisconsin signed the mileage pledge. The Environmental Pro- tection Agency did not im- mediately comment on the pledge, which was made public overnight. The commitment under- scores prospects for years of legal challenges and reg- ulatory uncertainty for au- tomakers if the Trump ad- ministration moves ahead on the mileage freeze over ob- jections from California and other states. President Donald Trump has pushed automakers to support him in his bid to relax mileage standards. Last month, major automakers in- stead appealed for the ad- ministration to return to talks with California, after breaking off negotiations. Newsom indicated he was not optimistic about any breakthroughs with the ad- ministration ahead of it is- suing its mileage rule. “I don’t sense they’re sin- cere in their commitment to sit down and negotiate,” he said, and cited the admin- istration’s overall backing for the country’s oil and gas industry. Congress for decades has granted California au- thority to set its own, tougher mileage standards as a way of fighting the state’s chronic smog. About a dozen states follow California’s mileage standards, although under Obama the federal and state mileage standards were the same.Next >