Reader comments
African empress in S.L. suburbia aims to set dad's record straight

An explanation for Africa's misery, summed up in a single human being.

"Empress" Macias sounds like a truly rotten person. Rotten not because of what her father did, but because she defends what he did and embraces the man. Rotten because she "prefers" not to work, and instead lets her young daughters (and perhaps the taxpayers?) support her.

Sadly enough she's not that rare. I knew a family of Ethipian "refugees" who had fled that country after some despotic regime with which they were connected was overthrown. They left behind mansions and yachts. My support for refugees continues to wane.

Holy smoke, what a story.

Thanks for writing this Elaine.

"much larger than the triptych of three other heroes: Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X."

She considers Malcolm X a hero? Wonderful. She's been living in the US 10 years, doesn't work, and barely speaks English (she's had plenty of idle time to learn). Fantastic! What a great treasure the US has acquired in this "refugee."

"In 1979 he was overthrown in a coup"

She survived the coup. She was standing next to her father when he was shot, but they didn't shoot her. She managed to survive in that country for 18 years after - until 1997. How could her life have been in jeopardy? How does that make her a refugee?

America's refugee programs are a joke. The organizations that run them are little more than for-profit corporations supported by taxpayer money and naive contributors. And huge numbers of the "refugees" are economic refugees, not people in any actual danger. The programs should be scuttled and any real refugees resettled in nearby countries with cultures similar to their own.

So she had false papers/passport and is here illegally?

How does one say "delusions of grandeur" in Bella's native language?

Sad that she preys for sympathy of USA folks, her false royalty is not an excuse to live here and not speak the language or get a job to support herself. There are many good immigrants that deserve in spot as a refuge. She must have inherited a lot of her father to think she is above working and supporting her children. Sorry I have a hard time that she chooses not to find her other children.

I never knew anything about her or her country before. Thank you for this educational article. What horrible things she went through. She sounds like a lovely and courageous person and I wish the Empress and her children here and abroad well. What can I say?

"She sounds like a lovely and courageous person and I wish the Empress and her children here and abroad well. What can I say?" - Heidi

How 'bout "I plead insanity, your honor."

Lisa, Marie, Jr. and group. Your compassion astounds me. I would not be surprised if your family came from Sweden or Denmark that your great grandmother and grandfather died without learning more than a little English and would have spoken it with a strong accent! Yah?

Maybe after so much horror and fear, she doesn't feel like getting out much to socialize? Especially if she might meet up with some neighbors like you.

Perhaps she wasn't shot because she was a pretty young thing that would make a nice toy for a while? Maybe they ran out of bullets? Or maybe God said enough.

I hope that you and your family never experience what she has gone through. But, if there is such a thing as Karma, I wouldn't count on it.

"Maybe after so much horror and fear, she doesn't feel like getting out much to socialize? Especially if she might meet up with some neighbors like you." - Karma

Thanks, Oprah. I would refer you to the following:

"Bella Macias, who looks more like a flamenco dancer perhaps � exotic and stylish, a woman who loves short skirts and high heels, a woman who owns many pairs of fancy eyeglasses. Macias understands some English but mostly speaks Spanish, the official language of Equatorial Guinea, and relies on her children to translate."

And have you ever heard of Berlitz?

She isn't psychically damaged - she's spoiled, stubborn, lazy. The usual things.

To Karma:

You don't suppose Utah's other refugees, some whom have survived horrors equal to the horrors Bella suffered, would like to live as Bella lives?

"Macias is supported by three older daughters who work, but Macias herself prefers not to have a job. The totality of her work experience in Utah amounts to two weeks and two days � two days frying chicken at McDonald's and two weeks at Little Caesars, arranging pepperonis on top of pizzas. It's a job for teenagers, she says simply, and smiles."

There comes a point where we have to say "yes, terrible things happened but we are stronger than that". What do you think the refugees from Darfur, Iraq or Myanmar who aren't lucky enough to land in Utah are doing? I can guarantee they aren't sitting around the house for 10 years.

You can comment nagative feeback all you want about Macias, but that doesnt mean that is gonna change the fact of who she was or how is she living today, your comments are just gonna stay on a local piece of paper while her story her real story not what is written here, will go on.
People write according to what they percieved about a person and their personal point of view not what is true.

The LDS church and its local members should be commended for their efforts of compassion and charity towards this family and many others like it.

I hate all the ignorant comments I find on the Deseret News forum. Whenever I want a good laugh, I start reading them.
Have ya'll ever read the Bible? You may have heard a couple stories about Sodom and Gomorrah. Now, of course, they are almost synomomous with homosexuality, but the Bible also refers to their inhospitality, as evidenced by their treatment of the angels sent to Lot. Okay, now, think for a second, how hospitable and welcoming are you being? Just a thought. If you really want a brain cramp think of all the illegal immigrants you've judged the moment you hear "Ola."
Back to the story- who cares if she doesn't work? I don't. I prefer to keep my personal feelings about her story to myself since I don't know all the facts.
Ya'll should do the same.
Go do something useful! I'm gonna go reread Ezekial.

This is a reply to Wilkey who wrote. "She was standing next to her father when he was shot, but they didn't shoot her. She managed to survive in that country for 18 years after - until 1997. How could her life have been in jeopardy? How does that make her a refugee?"

I don't think you read that article too carefully or you wouldn't be making snide comments about her refugee status. First her father was killed in front of her, her baby disfigured, and her mother murdered. Then while she was "surviving", her sister is killed, her husband is arrested, and she was TORTURED. She even had to leave nine of her children behind during her escape.

Being tortured alone is enough to make her a genuine refugee, and she has a genuine fear of being executed herself. What more do you want from her? For her to die?

It's hard to feel sympathy for a person who chooses not to work. I work, my husband works, our kids work and go to school and raise families, and we certainly cannot afford fancy clothes and glasses like the empress does. There seems to be a lack of humility and way too much controversy in her family's story. If she was truly afraid of being murdered by her family's enemies, she would not have given that interview.
I think this article belongs in the National Enquirer.

I am surprised that a newspaper related to LDS Church would published so many lies and missrepresentations without checking out the facts. Her father, Francisco Macias Nguema, has the doubtable honor of being a contender for the most cruel dictator of Humankind at the level of Hitler, Caligula o Herodes. Among other 'records', he persecuted and killed every single boyfriend of his many mistresses. Is well known the fact that his father was not shot, but hanged by Teodoro Obiang Nguema, his nephew (therefore, Bella's cousin), and his chief torturer.
Obiang's regime is the continuation of Macias dictatorship without the flashing crazyness of cruelty of his uncle Macias. This was the only reason why he was overthrown, because his regime (don't forget that the US STATE DEPARTMENT says that he killed ONE THIRD OF THE COUNTRY'S POPULATION, equivalent to 100,000,000 (one hundred million) Americans) was putting in jeopardy the control that the family has excercised over the country for 40 years.
It is great that the Church wants to help her and her family, but taking her delusional reccount of History as truthfull is a sign of unprofessional ingenuity.
SHAME ON YOU Deseret Morning News!!!!!!!!

It's really a sad situation. Unfortunately there is truth probably to both sides. Before I visited Guinea Equatorial I was instructed not to discuss politics. And I heard first hand the fear of people. The country has made a lot of progress. I can only hope that the human rights abuses will stop and the country will forgive each other as Christ ordains and develope the country to the fullest with all the oil wealth. The Spanish government and all that have exploited Africa should accept their resposibility.

To Dr. Jorge Salvo-

If you have such a problem with the information the Deseret Morning News posts, then DON'T READ IT!!! Don't give time to it and worry about it. You obviously have a problem so go read a different paper. This was a story that she wanted told, it is HER STORY! Not a list of facts and research, just a story about a lady that has had some rough times. Let her BE!

To Wilkey and company-
Is very sad to read comments coming from womens. maybe f you stop to think the reason why Bella is not working it doesn't have to do becuase she dosn't want too. You forgot that that lady has teenage kids and other that they are still in elementary,she doesn't have any other family that could watch her younger sibblings while the oldest one go to school or work.She doesn't have a husband that who will took some kids to the doctor and other to the school and I'm pretty sure that she has to do it by herself.Also why don't you stop to think that there is more side of the story that writer did not put there for her own(writer)personal interest?Plus you can't compare the type of refugees they are.Americans we are used to see people that suffers dressing like homeless but this lady and her kids are royalty.
And I do belief that if she wanted to get money from all this,she could published a book or maybe make a movie but she waited until now. I feel compassionate for her and her kids.