Guatemala has denied asylum to software pioneer john mcafee. Head of state otto perez molina rejected mcafee's request on thursday. The 67-year-old U.S. Citizen wanted to avoid questioning in belize in connection with a mysterious murder case. As the radio station emisoras unidas reported, mcafee fainted shortly afterwards and was taken to the police hospital. According to unconfirmed press reports, he suffered a heart attack.
Mcafee's neighbor in belize, u.S. Citizen gregory faull, was discovered shot to death on his property on the island of ambergris caye in early november. Since then, the police have been looking for mcafee. The software millionaire fled by sea to guatemala, where he landed on monday and two days later filed an asylum application. In his own words, he fears for his life in belize because he does not want to continue financially supporting the government, which he calls corrupt.
Wanted for questioning only
The guatemalan president told journalists that he rejected the asylum application because mcafee had entered the country illegally and was seen heavily armed in pictures. Mcafee should be deported to belize, guatemala's deputy minister harold caballeros says. There are no charges against him there, the police in the neighboring country are only looking for him for questioning in the murder case. Mcafee can still appeal the deportation to the guatemalan constitutional court through his lawyer.
In his blog, mcafee claimed to have nothing to do with the crime in san pedro. Belize police offered to interview him by phone. He also said he was willing to meet the country's prime minister in a neutral state. According to media reports, the belizean government described mcafee's raids as absurd and paranoid.
The U.S. Programmer became rich in the 1980s with the antivirus software named after him. In 1999, he took advantage of his company's bankruptcy to make a lucrative exit and settled in english-speaking belize. The country is only an hour's flight from miami. The "new york times" estimated mcafee's wealth at peak times at 100 million dollars. However, it has shrunk to four million in the last few years.