And while we had the Prime Minister today, we had to ask him about the magazine spread his wife, Kim Barrow did for the May/June issue of Harpers Bazaar Interiors. We are told it will be a 15 page spread which promotes Belize tourism destination, with Mrs. Barrow as the cultural totem. Previews of the lavish photo shoot were splashed over youtube a month ago - and today we asked the Prime Minister who's paying:..
Jules Vasquez
"We keep hearing repeatedly that it was a matter for the BTB and there was some confusion at the BTB over whether the BTB could pay because the expenses have to be defrayed. The BTB was unable to pay and it fell to then director Laura Esquivel and perhaps her being unable or them being in the financial crisis made the BTB unable to defray the expenses. Are you aware of it and did the Office of the Prime Minister have to get involved?"
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"I am aware of it. The Office of the Prime Minister as far as I know didn't have to get involved. I think BTB found the money which was not exactly a princely sum. They spoke to a number of the hoteliers where photo-shoots took place and which were therefore featured or will be featured in the print article and I as I understand it those hotels in fact sprung for the hosting of the team. So as far as I know it was entirely worked out by the BTB."
Jules Vasquez
"And the princely sum is?"
Prime Minister Dean Barrow
"I am not sure. I think I may have heard 50 thousand or 30 thousand, I am not sure."
As far as we could determine the print version of the May June edition isn't out yet.
Channel 7
AmbergrisCaye.com 
Last week we told you about the impressive 11 page spread in Harpers Bazaar Interiors featuring the Prime Minister's wife Kim Barrow at some of the most exotic getaways in Belize. The BTB sent out a statement saying that it worked out to be inexpensive high grade promotion for their tourism product. But the PUP is not impressed. At a press conference today, that was one of the main issues presented. Yolanda Schakron said the spread is out of touch with reality:...
"Money that was taken from the Belize Tourist Board to fund the vanity - that's what I call it ladies and gentlemen - vanity, that went into Harper's Bazaar Interiors Magazine. We believe that these activities under her office as Special Envoy for Women and Children do nothing, absolutely nothing about the serious situation that our women and children face every day in Belize. We are therefore compel to say that it is not right for the Special Envoy to focus on her vanity projects when so much needs to be done for women and children in Belize."
