Recent Belize News
6/1/2015 to 6/10/2015
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Today's Belize News

June 10, 2015


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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


The San Pedro Sun

Lobster Cravings!
Oh how I love the sweet succulent splendor that is the Caribbean Spiny Lobster! Four months out of the year, I face the terrible sacrifice of going without my favorite lobster dishes. Of course, this is done to allow our Crustacean friends time to replenish their population and continue feeding our love for all that is lobster….so I suffer silently. With only a couple weeks until the lobster season opens, I am already planning the myriad of delectable eats I am going to have! We all love the classics: grilled lobster, lobster kebabs, lobster dip, lobster sliders and so much more, but when you grow up in an island community, and your step-dad is a fisherman and your mom is a restaurant cook, the tasty treats you get to sample are like no other.

Caye Caulker incident
Our Reporters are in Caye Caulker following up on the story over the death of Hilberto Sotz. As reported before, two officers have been detained pending investigations. The San Pedro Sun spoke to Noel Leal, Assistant Commissioner of Police and Head of the Professional Standards Branch who has been tasked with the investigation into the matter. According to Leal, the postmortem examinations results, which should be available by the end of the day, will determine whether the two Caye Caulker Police officers will be prosecuted or released. "Investigations are well under way. We are currently reviewing every bit of information that is available to ensure that at no point the investigation is jeopardized. No rock will be left un-turned when it comes to figuring what really happened within the confines of the Caye Caulker Police Station

Island Watercolor Group launches exhibit at the San Pedro House of Culture
A benefit art show and sale is ongoing at the San Pedro House of Culture (SPHC), featuring watercolor works from six talented women. Organized in collaboration with the Island Watercolor Group, the event kicked off on Sunday, June 7th at 5PM. The colorful and unique pieces are all on sale, with proceeds benefiting a worthy cause: “Women in Need”. Featured artists of the exhibit are Linda Kirk, Rose Escalante, Judy Sheinbaum, Susan Lala, Donna Richmond and Carolyn Price. Monies raised from the sale of the painting will go towards assisting women in need from across Ambergris Caye. The exhibit will be open for a couple of weeks, and everyone is invited to stop by for viewing or to purchase a piece. Those interested in viewing or purchasing the paintings can visit the SPHC on Angel Coral Street from 8AM to 5PM, on Monday to Friday.

Pedro’s celebrated 60th birthday with a fundraising party
Peter “Pedro” Lawrence celebrated his 60th birthday by hosting a fundraising benefit on Sunday, June 7th at Amber Beach Bar & Grill located on the grounds of Caribbean Villas. The event saw a day of fun activities for the whole family, while raising funds for the San Pedro Sailing Club and the San Pedro Animal Foundation. After kicking off at 11:30AM, the celebration want well into the late evening, making the fundraiser was a huge success. Patrons arrived early to enjoy the musical vibes from The Mighty Cool J’s, as well as partaking ofthe delicious eats available. Many indulged in the event’s signature pig roast, while enjoying drink specials. There were lots of games and activities for the children, including free sailing lessons. Throughout the event, those in attendance had the opportunity to win great prizes through raffles and 50/50 draws. The highlight of the event was the silent auction, with close to 40 fabulous items up for bid.

Tiger Sharks are back-to-back NEBL Champions!
For the second year in a row, the San Pedro Tiger Sharks have claimed the National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) championship. The Tiger Sharks defeated the Cayo Western Ballaz in flawless best-out-of-three finals. In its two -year history of the NEBL, this is the biggest rivalry in the league; a clasico if you will! The San Pedro Tiger Sharks swept the 3-game series by winning the first two games and becoming the NEBL champions for this year’s season. They remained with a perfect record at home with 19-0, and are back-to-back champions. The MVP honors went to Darwin “Puppy” Leslie, who averaged 22.5 points/game, 4.5 rebound, and 3 steals per game.

The Belize Police Department responds to Incident in Caye Caulker
The Belize Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends grieving the loss of Mr. Hilberto Sotz who was detained by the police in Caye Caulker and subsequently died unexpectedly. The Commissioner of Police takes this opportunity to assure the family as well as the citizenry that an expeditious, thorough and transparent criminal, as well as internal investigation is presently underway and any evidence of wrong doing will be promptly dealt with. The outcome of those investigations will be made public at the earliest. Information gathered to date is that on Monday June 8, 2015 at 11:50 am, 18-year-old Hilberto Sotz of Bahia Puesto Del Sol, Caye Caulker Village was detained at Caye Caulker police station pending investigation into a series of burglaries. Sometime around 5:00pm, while being interviewed, he reportedly started complaining of chest pain and had difficulty breathing. He was rushed to the poly clinic for medical treatment where he passed away. Unfortunately, this situation led to concern villagers who surrounded the Poly clinic and the Police Station where some of those persons present threw missiles, causing minimal damage to the building and its contents. The movement of the police and others working within both buildings were impeded by the gathering. Warning shots were fired in the air in an effort to ward off those persons. A golf cart loaned to the police valued at some $13,000 was stolen while parked at the Poly clinic and was recovered in the early morning of Tuesday June 9, 2015.

More Rainy Days
Belize has two seasons rainy and dry. Rainy season is scattered across the months of June to November, and it seems that the rains have come on cue this season.

Ambergris Today

Pic of the Week - Hunting for Fresh Fish in Ambergris Caye
You may think that fresh fish is easily accessible for purchase in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, but sometimes you cannot find any!! By now the fishing village of San Pedro has 'almost' completely transformed into a tourist-centic destination. Fishermen cater to the resorts and restaurants, and locals have to keep an keen eye out for fresh fish. This Pic of the Week show how local fishermen clean their catch of the day right on the beach as they return from their fishing trip. If you get to know (roughly) what days and what times they are on the beach, you can get your fresh fish - whole or fillet.

Plane Crash Survivor Gives His Accounts on Belize Rescue
Passenger aboard Tropic Air flight 9N2300 from Belize City to Roatan, Honduras, submits his accounts on what happened after the plane he was traveling in had to make an emergency crash landing offshore in the waters between Turneffe and Lighthouse Reef atolls. He hopes to clarify erroneous information given to the Belize media.

Peace in Caye Caulker Disrupted by Rioting Residents Against Police
The Belize Riot Squat, members of the Belize Coast Guard and additional police support from San Pedro had to be deployed to the island of Caye Caulker late Monday evening, June 8, 2015, as a mob of angry residents set to riot after the death of a 17-year old male in police custody. It is being reported that islanders believe that members of the Caye Caulker Police brutalized Gilbert Sotz while in their custody after he was caught red handed breaking into a residence. Sotz was allegedly severely beaten by police officers and died while being treated at the island clinic. Outraged by the actions of the island’s police officers, calling out police brutality, the villagers started to protest outside the clinic where Sotz was treated. The Caye Caulker Police Station was also in lockdown as furious residents started throwing bottles and acid bombs at the building, according to eyewitness reports. It was reported that the CC Police fired several warning shots towards the direction of the mobbing crowd in an attempt to disperse it.

Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY!!!
Interested persons meeting the qualifications as outlined can now apply for the Ministry of Education/ Ministry of Health Nursing Scholarship 2015. To access a copy of the application form visit the Ministry of Health website at link: http://health.gov.bz/…/belize-…/855-nursing-scholarship-2015. Applications are to be submitted to the Ministry of Health office in Belmopan no later than July 15th, 2015.

Largest Food Drive in San Pedro History
On Saturday, June 6th, 2015, a food drive event between San Pedro Food Bank, Sperro, Saga Humane Society and San Pedro Belize Red Cross who came together and demonstrated teamwork at it's finest. The San Pedro Food bank, started by a group of community members in 2014, exists to help feed struggling families on the island. To be a recipient of the food bank, families must consist of at least one working parent with children, an average income of $75-$100 bz a week, and have expenses including utilities and school costs. It is important to note, many of these recipients are single mothers. Currently the food bank supports 22 families (120 people) with a waiting list of 40 families (200 people). The San Pedro Food Bank appreciates that the San Pedro Belize Red Cross reached out to work together and help benefit those that need it most. Sperro is a not for profit organization made up of 18-35 year old young adults who share a desire to serve the community and meet other young adults. Sperros leader of 26 volunteers from Ontario Canada contacted tacogirl.com of the San Pedro Belize Red Cross after coming off a volunteer stint in Orange Walk to further expand their community work in the country and work with the Red Cross in San Pedro.

The San Pedro Town Council receives a Land Rover vehicle
on behalf of the team at Mahogany Bay Village/Caribbean Homes & Exports. Ms. Beth Clifford (CEO of CH&E) and her enthusiastic team were all present to hand over "Rocky" to Deputy Mayor Gary Greif. The Land Rover will be officially handed over to the San Pedro Police Department on Thursday, June 11, 2015 at 10:00 a.m., in an effort to help in fighting crime in San Pedro. Thank you Mahogany Bay VIllage! This donation is greatly appreciated and needed.

Cayo Marketing Strategy Meeting
The SISE Town Council is having a Business Opportunities and Marketing Strategies meeting. They have a tourism services marketing plan, and are asking for the community's help. The meeting will be Thursday, June 11th, at 2:00pm, at the Cahal Pech Village Resort. A documentary about all the amazing sites Cayo has is being planned so it can be shown on Belize's new tourism channel.

Belize International Film Festival 2015
Join us for some exciting days of film, filmmakers and networking in beautiful Placencia, be sure to mark your calendars, book your tickets, reserve your rooms and come ready to have a blast while you network! It is the 10th Anniversary Edition of the Belize International Film Festival 2015! Save the date...

Indigenous Community leaders Belize-Guatemala met this week in Poptun
To develop a declaration for the protection of Mother Earth, particularly the Chiquibul-Maya Mountains. Participating from Belize were indigenous leaders from the Toledo District.


On Saturday, 6 June 2015, Oceana Belize, the CJC Eagles Club, and other environmentalists celebrated World Ocean Day with a Clean-Up. This cleanup was sponsored by Oceana Belize and the CJC Eagles Environmental Club. We did a lot of cleaning at Miami Beach in Corozal Town. A few of us also did some cleaning at Mangrove Park.

House of Culture Opens Men at Work Exhibit
The Corozal House of Culture opened its Men at Work exhibit on Saturday, 6 June 2015. The 2015 “Men at Work” exhibit opened at the Corozal House of Culture on 6 June 2015, featuring several of our excellent male artisans of the Corozal District. On this page we have some information about those men and most of their works that were on display.

New Maya Discovery in Belize Brings Tourism and Archaeology Together
An exciting new Maya archaeological find in Belize highlights the successful coexistence between tourism and archaeology in the little Central American country, according to the Lodge at Chaa Creek’s Belize Natural History Centre. Brion Young, a Mayanist and the Natural History Centre’s assistant manager, said that the discovery of a priceless jade pendant at Nim Li Punit, in Belize’s Toledo District, the second largest Maya jade artefact ever found in Belize and perhaps anywhere, is creating a buzz in both scientific and travel circles. “Everyone here is excited about the news, and since the discovery we’ve been fielding enquiries from research colleagues as well as tourism stakeholders. Word has been quickly travelling around the world and people want to know more. It’s a real boon for both science and Belize’s cultural and Maya tourism sectors,” he said.

BOLEDO DRAWING for Tuesday, June 9, 2015: 22. FANTASY 5: 11 27 33 28 14 Y

Development by 5 Blues Lake, by St. Margarets Village
Your latest Protected Area to bite the dust, courtesy of Wicked Progress. Does it look large scale like Yalbac? around those lines... this was the one PA to connect the southern PAs to the Central Corridor. No management for years and there you go. Is the clearing taking place within the boundary or up to it? A contact I had for Five Blues is Mario Perez, 635-3183, but I am not sure what his position is/was... but he might be able to provide more info. at the boundary and into the park now. I stopped at Mario's place to inform him.

Channel 7

Detainee Dies In Police Custody; Angry, Caye Caulker Riots
Last night, we told you about the riot that broke out on Caye Caulker following the news that 18 year-old Hilberto Sotz died while in police custody inside the island's Police station. Public order was seriously threatened as a man of over 200 gathered, Island police called in the Eastern Division strike team from Belize City. Residents say police fired live rounds to drive away the mob - an event which has stirred even more outrage at the police. Order was restored by 10:30 and the crowd dissipated by 11:00. There was no major property damage. When our news team visited La Isla Carinosa today we found a community bruised by serial police abuses and galvanized in anger by what they say is the murder of an innocent teen. Daniel Ortiz reports: Daniel Ortiz reporting Caye Caulker looked calm today but events from yesterday left destruction and property damage to this clinic, broken glass on the window sill where pint bottles were hurled in rage, a tense police presence to ensure no recurrence, a dead teenager known as

Professional Standards Comments On Sotz's Death In Police Custody
Very early in the morning, we tried to get a comment from Inspector Henry Jemmott, the Officer Commanding the Department, Coastal Executive Unit. He's in charge of police operations in both Caye Caulker and San Pedro. When we approached him he told us that police bosses at Eastern Division told him that the Police Press Officer, Raphael Martinez would handle any interviews or inquiry in relation to this case. When our colleagues contacted Martinez, he informed them that orders higher up were that a press release would be sent. It appeared that no one wanted to bite the bullet and face the tough questions of the press in relation to Hilberto Sotz's death. That's until we got a chance to speak with Assistant Police Commissioner Noel Leal, the officer commanding the Professional Standards Branch, which is known also as internal affairs. Here's how that conversation went with the lead investigator in this case: ACP Noel Leal, Commander, Professional Standards Branch "We are running a parallel investigation; a criminal investigation and an internal investigation. But the presence of the police on a whole generally is also to maintain law and order and to ensure the safety of everyone here on the island."

Sotz's Family Says That Island Police Has Extorted Them
If you think that police brutality and the unlawful killing of their son is the only complaint that the Sotz family has against Caye Caulker Police, you'd be surprised to find out that they have more. While discussing the death of their son in police hands, Hilberto's parents shared their account of a police encounter in which his father went to make a compliant and ended up detained, and that his mother had to pay a bribe to get him released. Here's that accusation in their own words: Santorino Sotz "The other day I was taking care of hostel, because the guy went to the States. So now, I left my son in the place to sleep. Someone went into the back and stole a box. So now I went and report to the police that somebody went into the place and stole a box. You know what they did, instead of they investigate and go check where it is, they locked me up. They locked me up and I am taking care of the place. They locked me up for two days and my wife had to pay $75 to pay the police for them to release me."

PUP Meets; Considers Not Participating In Griga Bi-Election
Last night, the biggest news of the weekend was that Dangriga Area Representative Ivan Ramos formally resigned as Area Representative. Well that has triggered a bi-election which will be held in a month from now, but the PUP are considering their options, one of which is to boycott it, and not participate. Very credible sources told us that going into this meeting, one of the most senior members of the party was proposing a boycott of the bi-election. However, word is that majority of the members at this evening's meeting, voted in favor of the party to fight and contest the Bi-Election. Our information says that many are of the view that boycotting and not contesting is a viable that the party can afford to take. The Party Leader, we were informed, decided instead that team should go to Dangriga and assess which of the two options should be taken. Coming out of the meeting, half an hour to go, the Party Leader, who is usually open to take any questions from the press, just abruptly ended the conversation:

Swazo: Ivan Ramos Must Keep His Promise To Griga Voters
So now it is left to the stalwart PUP's of Dangriga to revive their party's hopes in Dangriga. Former PUP Mayor Gilbert Swazo is one of them. Yesterday he took what we assume will be the party line: he took Ivan Ramos to task for failing to do his duty. But what really is the duty of an elected representative who has reached the end of the line? That's what we asked Swaso: Gilbert Swazo, Former Mayor - Dangriga "Essentially democracy has been punished in my view and certainly the people of Dangriga will continue to be the victims of such resignation." Jules Vasquez "Isn't a new representative much better than a lame duck representative, because he had step down as standard bearer under whatever circumstances but then he became somebody who's a dead man walking because he had no interest in the job, the community voted. He had no interest to share that out if you're a lame duck representative. But isn't it preferable then that you say, we'll let us have a real election, replace this lame duck and bring in a real representative who wants to be in this job of politics?"

Maurice Felix Remanded For Murder... Again...
Twenty-nine year old Emory Felix, the brother of 30 year old Maurice Felix, who was arraigned last week on 2 counts of attempted murder, was charged today with the murder of Mark Gentle and the attempted murder of Gentle's mother, Pamela Cumberbatch. Emory was arraigned on the charges before Magistrate Herbert Panton. He was remanded into custody until September 8. The charges are in connection with a shooting incident which occurred at the residence of Pamela Cumberbatch, located 0n Caesar Ridge Road. Pamela and her son were sitting on the steps of her house when a vehicle stopped in front of their gate and two men got out and fired a barrage of shots. Pamela was unhurt but Mark sustained injuries which he succumbed to a week later. Maurice Felix is wanted by the police for his charge of attempted murder to be upgraded to murder in respect to Mark Gentle. Today 7news spoke to Felix's mother who told us that her sons has been continuously threaten by police and these charges against them are bogus.

Unannounced Changes In The FSTV? Tour Operators Complain
Today the doors at Terminal 1 in the Tourism Village were closed and two disgruntled tour operators say it cut their daily earnings significantly. At around 9 this morning a security guard closed the doors at terminal 1 - preventing visitors from exiting through that terminal. Instead, they were guided to terminal 2. Now, one of the tour operators we spoke to today says he has no idea why this action was taken and that no one notified them of this move. All he knows is that he lost out on a number of booked tours for today. We met with both tour operators today and they told us just how much this diversion of tourists impacted their business. Courtney Weatherburne "Sir I understand that the schedule shifted or there was a rift in the usual schedule this morning. Along what time did that happen and what exactly did you observe?" John Pollard - Owner, Big John's Tour and Taxi Company "About 9 o'clock this morning the flow was pretty easy at this terminal here which is terminal 1. People were coming out to the different tour companies that they came to. Inside we saw the security talking to a guy. The guy he was talking to was one of the managers from inside, a Turkish looking a guy.

Meet The New Justices Of Appeal
Two new Justices have been appointed to serve as judges of Belize Court of Appeal. They are 65 year old Justice Murrio ducille and 65 year old Justice Franz Parke, both of them Jamaican nationals. They were sworn in yesterday by the Governor General, his Excellency Sir Colville Young. Justice Ducille, an attorney, is a member of the Jamaica Bar, the Bar of the Bahamas and the Bar of Dominica. He has served as a Clerk of Court, a State prosecutor, Acting Solicitor General, a chief prosecutor and Attorney General in Bahamas, a Chief magistrate in Antigua and Barbuda and Director of Public Prosecutions in Dominica. He began his private practice in 1977. Justice Parke's appointment is only temporary. He is also an attorney and he has been admitted to practice law in both Jamaica and the United States.

They Topped The PSE For 2015
Last night we gave you a breakdown of the PSE results and also spoke to the top finisher: Bernice Yorke student Gabriel Hope. Well, as we told you he wasn't the only one with an outstanding record. There is a list of 26 top performers and today we spoke to 7 of them on how intense their preparation process was for this exam and the road ahead. We start off with 3 students from Belize Elementary School, then move on to 2 9th place finishers from Bernice York and end off with the 3 top finishers from Hummingbird Elementary. Courtney Weatherburne "Tell us about your level of preparation. How intense was it for you preparing for the PSE?" Sahil Hotchandani - 3rd Place from BES "I studied hard. I didn't study from last minute I studied from September I started studying. Every weekend I would study an hour maybe two hours and my parents pushed me really hard. They motivated me they kept me updated with everything that was going on and I guess that hard work was paid off. I found out yesterday and I was surprise. I knew I was going to do well, that was my goal. My goal was to do good and to come in top 25 but it was still such a shock for me and I was so happy." Megan Williams - 4th Place, BES "It was amazing because, see I just got here this year so it was amazing to find out that I got in fourth out of the whole country."

Wesley High School Changes Graduation Requirements
Several 4th formers from Wesley College might not be able to graduate tomorrow. This is because the graduation requirements were changed last minute and were only disclosed to parents at a parent-teacher meeting in January. The change has to do with the grade point average. Under the revised requirement, the student must get a GPA of at least 2.0 instead of the long-standing 1.0. In a letter sent to Wesley's Chairman of the Board of Directors, it states that this sudden change is like QUOTE :"moving the goal post while a game is in its final quarter." The letter continues by saying that "the decision appears arbitrary and unconscionable" and that this new GPA requirement should be implemented the following year - when new students are entering the school system. It continues by saying "This subsequent change in the conditions required for graduation is a breach of the 1.0 GPA requirement…" Another issue that is addressed in the letter is the lack of consultation between Wesley College and the Ministry of Education to ensure that proper protocol was followed in this change. The letter ends off by saying "The implementation of this change appears unfair and irrational on outgoing 4th formers whose grades were already between a GPA range of 1.0 to 2.0…" END QUOTE. We will keep following this story.

The Jaguars To DR!
Right now, the contingent of players and coaching staff for the Belize National Team are on a flight to the Dominican Republic which left Miami a short while ago. They are ready after preparing just over 3 months to take on that country's national team, and as you may well know, Belize's Premier Striker, Deon McCauley is with them. Just before they boarded the flight to leave the PGIA, we spoke with them about the mood of the entire team going into game one against the Dominican Republic. Here's what they told us: Deon McCauley - Member, Belize National Team "Everybody prepared. I think the coach and staff did a good job in preparing the team. Physically, its only left to the players to go out there mentally prepared, focus and ready for the game on Thursday." Reporter "Alright, you are known as one of Belize's most prolific strikers, but even the best strikers need support. Do you feel that you have that with this team that had been put together?"

Desmond Ramirez Teaches In Seine Bight
Before we go tonight, have one small correction to make. We told you last night about the arrest and criminal charging of 30 year-old Desmond Ramirez. He's a teacher who's been accused by a 15 year-old of having unlawful sexual intercourse with her. We told you that he was a teacher from Placencia, but that is an error. He's actually a teacher in the Seine Bight Village.

Channel 5

Mayhem on La Isla Carinosa, Residents Riot Following Death of Teenager
All hell broke loose on Caye Caulker on Monday night after word spread across the island that a young man had died while in police custody. Protesters took the streets [...]

Will the P.U.P. Contest Upcoming Bye-election in Dangriga?
The grand old party, that once supremely powerful political entity, is on the verge of a decision to not contest the Dangriga bye-election set for July eighth, following the resignation [...]

Criminal and Internal Investigation of Arresting Officer Underway in Caye Caulker
While dozens of officers have descended on the otherwise quiet village of Caye Caulker, among their ranks is Assistant Commissioner of Police Noel Leal.  He is heading an internal investigation [...]

…Residents Say GSU Responded Forcefully
Personnel from the Gang Suppression Unit have been deployed to Caye Caulker where they have remained stationed since Monday night.  The GSU was summoned to the island during a heightened [...]

Former Party Leader Comments on Ramos Debacle
So it is very likely that the P.U.P. will bow out of the bye-election set for one month from today. That means the party would give up, voluntarily, another seat, [...]

Toledo West Area Rep Says Macca Wasn’t Getting the Job Done in Dangriga
Today, one of Ramos’ closer colleagues, Toledo West Area Representative Oscar Requeña, reiterated the Party’s position that in the end the choice to step down was made by Ramos. And [...]

Should the P.U.P. contest the upcoming Dangriga bye-elections?
And our question for tonight is: Should the P.U.P. contest the upcoming Dangriga bye-elections? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on [...]

And the Top Scorers in 2015 PSE Are…
Thirteen year old Gabriel Hope bested the P.S.E. this year through hard work and determination. He is one of seven students from the Bernice Yorke Institute of Learning who placed [...]

Director of Examinations Discusses PSE Results
This year, the number of students sitting the P.S.E. decreased by three percent when compared to 2014. A total of one hundred and sixteen registered candidates did not turn up [...]

Are Private Schools Providing Better Education to Primary School Students?
For some years now, private institutions have been yielding the top performers. This year’s P.S.E. Results would prove that sixty-eight percent of the students in the top twenty-five were from [...]

Ivan Ramos Says He Didn’t Go Against P.U.P. When He Accepted Petrocaribe Cheer
The resignation of Ivan Ramos, the area representative of Dangriga, has spawned a number of allegations and left the P.U.P. scrambling. Well, at the centre of all the controversy and [...]

Former P.U.P. Area Rep Goes Candid on Election Readiness
As we told you on Monday, Ramos said he believes he was dropped for a more “viable” candidate that the P.U.P. seems to think will be a better match for [...]

New Justices of Court of Appeal Sworn In
When the June session of the Court of Appeal opens, there will be two new Justices of Appeal: they are Justices Murrio Ducille and Franz Parke.  Justice Ducille has practiced [...]

Third Victim in Motorcycle Crash in the South Succumbs
The third person who was involved in a motorcycle accident last week has died. Twenty-six year old Lucita Chun, who received a large cut to the forehead, was hospitalized in [...]

Emory Felix Charged with Murder of Mark Gentle
One of two brothers who police believe shot and killed Mark Gentle on May twenty-fifth, 2015, was arrested and arraigned this afternoon in court. He is twenty-nine year old Emory [...]

G.O.B. Withdraws Appeal of Supreme Court Decision in Favor of OCEANA
Just over a week ago, it was announced that Barrow and Company, the attorneys acting on behalf of the Government of Belize, had withdrawn an appeal against the April 2011 [...]

Belize Jaguars Leave for Away Game in Dominican Republic
Belize’s national team, the Jaguars, left the country just after midday today en route to the Dominican Republic. On Thursday, they face the A-selection from that country for the first [...]

Another Case of Police Brutality, Ibrahim Cadogan Badly Beaten
A mother says that her son, twenty-one year old Ibrahim Cadogan was brutalized whilst in police custody. Vidalia Cadogan visited News Five today to tell her story. She says police [...]

American Airlines Direct from LA to Belize
Belizeans as well as visitors can now take advantage of a direct flight from Belize to Los Angeles, U.S.A.  American Airlines will be servicing the new route with two weekend [...]

CTV3

Big Sanch Donates To Cancer Group Of Orange Walk
Popular Disk Jockey and promoter Fernando Sanchez, better known as “Big Sanch” has made a donation to the Orange Walk Cancer Support Group. Following the eighties and nineties dance organized by Sanchez, he bought a self-powered speaker and handed it over to the cancer group. Today the president of the group, Badra Coleman said the donation goes a long way in assisting the group in achieving its goals. Badra Coleman- President Orange Walk Cancer Support Group “Whenever we have functions with workshops that are educational or church services or things that we want to inform a group we usually have to rent the system so this will be able for us to have our own and save that money and I am grateful to Fernando Sanchez and all those who supported that dance because it will benefit us greatly. What happens is that one of our goals is to educate the community on early detection so we usually hold workshops at different areas and we have to borrow a system.”

MOE Uses Petro Caribe Money To Fund Family Day
Honorable Patrick Faber, he did not think twice before boasting on the podium that a handful of Petro Caribe money was used to finance a family day trip to Corozal for residents of his constituency and tonight this same revelation has placed him and his government under public scrutiny. Faber made the announcement on Sunday as he addressed the crowd during the endorsement convention for newly appointed U.D.P Standard Bearer for Caribbean Shores Darrel Bradley. Now why this is making headlines is because the Petro Caribe monies should be used for infrastructural and social programs. But apparently GOB is taking its eyes away from the ball and the monies are being spent otherwise in some occasions thus causing public outcry and a call for accountability and transparency. For context here is a portion of the Minister of Education’s address. Honorable Patrick Faber- Minister of Education:“I want to start off this afternoon by thanking our government and thanking our Prime Minister who will be with us shortly for Petrocaribe funds. I am just back…I had to rush back cause I promised Darrel I would be back in time to speak at this convention, but my friends we were able in the Collet constituency to roll twenty-two loaded buses to Corozal Town today and we had a wonderful family day courtesy of Petrocaribe and our Prime Minister the Hon. Dean Barrow. We danced to Jorge Ernesto Babb and the Caribbean roots band. ...”

Belize Canoe Association Brings Silver And Bronze Medals From Puerto Olympic Cup
On June 6th and 7th, 2015, four Belizean paddlers Chris Guydis, Wilberto Daniels, Bayron Cruz and Amado Cruz - from the Belize Canoe Association competed in the Puerto Rico Olympic Cup hosted by the Puerto Rico Canoe/Kayak Association. The event incorporates Kayak Sprint Races of distances of 200M, 500M, and 1000M in K1, K2 and K4 Categories. This year was the first year Belize participated in the event along with Guatemala, Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico. While the team Belize struggled to master the art of the kayaks, after only 2 days of practice, all four men raced and even though they did not medal in the K1 or K2 events, they managed to place 2nd in the K4 1000 m and 3rd in the K4 200 m events. Working together, the team managed to bring home silver and bronze medals from the event. Of note is that Amado Cruz also placed 9th overall in the 5000 M race with a time of 26 minutes 16 seconds. The top time was 22 minutes, 30 seconds.

FLOCERT Audits BSCFA
The Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association is being audited by FLOCERT, the global certification and verification body for Fairtrade. The Association had fallen under serious noncompliance earlier this year when, by the mandate of its general assembly, decided to share out over six million dollars to all its members. The Association had even received a letter from Fairtrade representatives warning them of the repercussions for taking such a decision. Auditors are now in Belize and begun their work today. We spoke with Ezekiel Cansino, Chair of the Committee of Management who told us that they having been working hard to ensure that they pass this year’s audit. “Los auditors van a estar revisando los papeles del uso del premio y también las minutas de la juntas que se han llevado acabo, sea a nivel del Assembly, de Branch, de division and committee y todo eso se revisa por los auditores. Nosotros tenemos la esperanza de que quedemos siempre certificados y estamos desde Enero después de que ocurrió todo los que paso nosotros hemos estado trabajando para ver como remediar ciertos problemas que tenemos aquí a dentro y de tratar de hacer las cosas antes de que el auditor venga y nos diga pues están mal y nosotros estamos tratando de estar adelantados de todo ellos pero si tenemos la confianza de que vamos a seguir certificados.”

BYM Demands Justice For Dead Teen
The death of eighteen year old Hilberto Sotz has sparked the ire of islander on Caye Caulker and has also brought the police department under more scrutiny. In response to the event that have unfolded, the Belize Youth Movement, the youth arm of the People’s United Party, has issued a press release condemning the events that led to the death of the teenager. BYM states that it stands in solidarity with the Caye Caulker community, calling for an objective and thorough investigation into the unexplained death of the youth. The release goes on and we quote, ‘The Police’s account of what occurred does not hold when compared with the accounts of the local residents. The Police’s account makes no mention of alleged bruises on the teenager’s body, and while authorities claim that the young man died after experiencing respiratory problems, his family vouches that he had no such medical complication. Furthermore, the official’s report that the teenager passed away at the local health center have been disputed by witnesses who saw the lifeless body moved from the Police Station to the health centre on Monday evening’, end of quote.

BCCI Lashes Out At MOE
And sticking to the subject of Petro Caribe spending, today the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry came out swinging at Faber. In a release the chamber condemned and we quote “The confessed blatant misuse of the Petro Caribe Loan Funds as confirmed by the Minister of Education Patrick Faber and aired by multiple media houses on newscasts of June 8th 2015. The Belize Chamber of Commerce states that spending loan funds on a picnic can in no way be seen as investing in our people's future, and this activity underscores the need for procedures that uphold the principles of accountability, transparency and responsible spending, particularly in the use of loan funds. The BCCI remains firm in its resolve to uphold the principle of good governance and calls on the Minister of Finance and on the Government of Belize to act responsibly in its use of those public funds which every single Belizean must repay.

Free Clinics Offered By US Medical Students
A group of premedical students are assisting Belizean doctors provide general health care to residents in at least five villages in the North Carolina State University, North Carolina, USA. The group is in Belize through the International Service Learning, a private organization run by foreign medical investors. The twenty-four students are assisting doctors from the Northern Regional Hospital providing general health care and today were working at San Lazaro and Santa Martha Villages. We caught up with the group in San Lazaro Village where Alexa Stout told us more about the work they are doing. Alexa Stout – Pre-medical Student “We all set up and help the doctors to visit us many people in the community as we can and we take vitals and we give back the prescription that the doctors say, we just try to touch every family that we can her that means help.” Dalila Ical – Reporter “So this is the second year that you are here, what is the routine, you guys visit different villages?” Alexa Stout – Pre-medical Student “Yes we try to visit at least five villages but we give appointments and we give half visits and try to see how many families have sick people and then we set up the clinic here most of the day and we try to keep it a good flow and everything and try them to see the doctors as much as they can.”

PSE Preliminary Results Are Out
Yesterday the Ministry of Education released the preliminary results of the 2015 Primary School Examination. Among the top performers for this year were six students from the north. Tonight we take a look at the results of each individual subject and note that there were improvements in the results of Mathematics and Social Studies. When it comes to the subject of English the report released by the Ministry of Education shows that 73% of the students scored at the Adequate Level of Performance or better. This is about the same as in 2014, when 74% scored at the Adequate Level. The mean score for 2015 is in the adequate range at 57.2. In 2014 the average was 58.4.

LOVE FM

Is PUP Looking to Boycott Upcoming Bi-Elections?
As stated yesterday by the Leader of the Opposition, Francis Fonseca, the powers that be in the People’s United Party would be meeting today to further discuss the matters surrounding the now vacant Dangriga seat in the House of Representatives and how they would be moving forward. The media camped outside Independence Hall this afternoon […]

Exams Director Gives Preliminary Report on PSE Results
The results of the Primary School Examination 2015, sat by seven thousand two hundred and twenty three students from around the country have been released and are currently being reviewed by teachers and principals of the various schools as they currently have a two week window to submit any queries they may have regarding their […]

Parents of Hilberto Sotz Want Justice for His Death
The Belize Police Department issued an official release on the incident. The release says that Sotz was detained by Caye Caulker Police yesterday morning at around 11:50 pending investigation into a series of burglaries. He was in police custody for five hours because according to the release quote, “Sometime around 5:00 pm, while being interviewed, […]

Villagers Enraged At Teenager’s Death Allegedly by the Hands of the Police
Caye Caulker Village is known to be idyllic and laid back, however late yesterday evening into late last night, it was anything but. Word began circulating sometime after five o’clock that a teenager who had been in Police custody had died. Villagers gathered in front of the health center and police station to demonstrate their […]

Two New Judges Appointed to Belize’s Court of Appeals
Two new Justices have been appointed to serve as judges for the Belize Court of Appeal. 65-year-old, Justice Murrio Ducille and 65-year-old, Justice Franz Parke, both Jamaican nationals, were sworn in yesterday by the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Colville Young. Justice Ducille, an attorney, is a member of the Jamaica Bar, the Bar of […]

Belize Jaguars Head to the DR for World Cup Qualifiers
The National A Team of Belize, the Belize Jaguars, headed out today to represent Belize in the second round of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers against the Dominican Republic Football Team. The match is scheduled for this Thursday, June 11. Charlie Slusher, assistant coach for the Belize Jaguars, says that the team is well […]

13 Days Later: PUP Comments on Incident at Sarstoon Island
It has been almost two weeks since there was a confrontation between members of the Belize Coast Guard and the Guatemalan Naval officers on the Sarstoon Island in southern Belize. There have been responses from the Ministry of National Security, the Belize Coast Guard as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs while the Opposition […]

Body Retrieved from Mopan River
The body of a man was retrieved from the Mopan River earlier today. Correspondent Elaine Berry has the story. ELAINE BERRY “Benque Viejo Police were informed of a body seen floating in the Mopan River this morning in the area of the bus terminal. Upon arrival they saw the lifeless body of a male person […]

Felix Brothers Face Upgraded Charge of Murder
Twenty-nine year old Emory Felix, the brother of 30-year-old, Maurice Felix, who was arraigned last week on two counts of attempted murder, was charged today with the murder of Mark Gentle and the attempted murder of Gentle’s mother, Pamela Cumberbatch. Emory was arraigned on the charges before Magistrate Herbert Panton. He was remanded into custody […]

PlusTV

Ramos Resigns, Did he Sell Out?
Clerk to the National Assembly Eddie Webster has today received the resignation of the Honorable Ivan Michael Ramos, area representative for Dangriga, as of this morning and it has been accepted by Speaker Michael Peyrefitte...

Ivan Ramos Side of things!
That is one side of the story, but what does Ivan Ramos have to say about the entire ordeal? The media caught up with him on Sunday June 7th at his Petro Caribe sponsored mother’s and Father’s Day event held in Dangriga where he categorically denied being paid off by UDP in exchange for his resignat...

Former Fire Fighter Found Dead Inside Fiery Four Door Vehicle
Authorities in Dangriga believe they have discovered the charred remains of a former officer of the fire department when they responded to reports of an engulfed four door vehicle on the Commerce Bight Road. Correspondent Harry Arzu has more in this report.

Patrick Faber sponsors constituency trip from Petrocaribe?
The endorsement of Darrell Bradley as UDP Caribbean Shores standard bearer was held on Sunday in Belize City and featured multiple guest speakers including Minister of Education and Collet representative Patrick Faber...

Marcel Cardona Defends His Name
On Thursday it was reported that the General Legal Council had made a decision to suspend Marcel Cardona from  legal practice for a year. The decision was based on an allegation made by a Czechoslovakian woman Hana Belickova, the mother of Martin Muzikant, a former client of Cardona’s...

Bi-Election date set
As we told you, Ivan Ramos’ official resignation was handed in just today and, apparently not caught by surprise,  GOB has already set the date for bi-election. A Writ of Election for Dangriga, Hope Creek and Sarawee , the Stann Creek East Constituency, was issued today by the Governor General...

Pastor dies in a traffic accident
A fatal traffic accident claimed the life of one man. On June 6, Oscar Chacon of Burrel Boom was the victim of an accident. Investigations reveal that Kayir Benavidez was driving his car towards Orange walk Town...

Trafffic accident takes life of one and injures another
Another fatal traffic accident leaves one dead and another injured, but this time in the South of the Country...

Man shot in both arms
A man was shot in both arms this weekend in Belize City. On June 6 Saturday, 29 year old Abraham Leslie of LadyVille was shot to both arms...

Unidentified man found chopped up
A man was found with chop wounds and an amputated arm. On June 7th at about 2:20a.m, Police found a male person of Hispanic decent lying on the floor with his left arm amputated along with several chop wounds covering his body in the Long Bank Community area...

Brother charged for brother’s manslaughter death
They were two brothers who lived together in a house on Guerrero Street in Belize City, but one allegedly pushed the other to his death during a fight. Today, 42 year old Michael Rowland, a laborer from Sandhill village, was read charges of manslaughter before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith...

Two new Justices of Appeal sworn in
Two new Justices of Appeal were sworn-in today by the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Colville Young, at the Belize House in Belmopan. They are Justice Murrio Ducille and Justice Franz Parke...

Caye Caulker Chronicles

Belize Police Department Issues Press Release Relating to The Death of the Youth on Caye Caulker
The Belize Police Department extends its deepest condolences to the family and friends grieving the loss of Mr. Hilberto Sotz who was detained by the police in Caye Caulker and subsequently died unexpectedly. The Commissioner of Police takes this opportunity to assure the family as well as the citizenry that an expeditious, thorough and transparent criminal, as well as internal investigation is presently underway and any evidence of wrong doing will be promptly dealt with. The outcome of those investigations will be made public at the earliest. Information gathered to date is that on Monday June 8, 2015 at 11:50 am, 18-year-old Hilberto Sotz of Bahia Puesto Del Sol, Caye Caulker Village was detained at Caye Caulker police station pending investigation into a series of burglaries. Sometime around 5:00pm, while being interviewed, he reportedly started complaining of chest pain and had difficulty breathing. He was rushed to the poly clinic for medical treatment where he passed away.

Amandala

BYI’s Gabriel Hope, 13, tops PSE with 96.5%
Gabriel Hope, 13, of the Bernice Yorke Institute of Learning (BYI), was roused from his sleep at about 4:30 this morning with the news that he had placed first in the 2015 Primary School Examinations (PSE) with 386 of a possible 400 points, or 96.5%. According to preliminary results issued this evening by the Ministry of Education, Hope was followed by Carrel Moralez of San Narciso, Corozal, who received 380 points, or 95%; and Sahil Hotchandani of Belize Elementary School, who received 379 points, 94.75%. Hope told Amandala that he was sleeping when his sister woke him up and said his mom, Zoila, was on the phone. It was his mother who broke the news to him. Hope told us that he was shocked, and it took a while for it to settle in. Hope attributes his success to hard work and preparation. He told us that when he sat the exam, he prayed and made an effort to remember as much as possible.

Dangriga, Hope Creek and Sarawee by-election July 8!
The Speaker of the House of Representatives this morning received and accepted the resignation of Dangriga area representative Hon. Ivan Ramos. Ramos, of the Opposition PUP, resigned his House seat “with immediate effect.” Then late this evening, the Governor General, Sir Colville Young, wrote the Returning Officer for the Electoral Division of Dangriga, Hope Creek and Sarawee, to say that nomination day was June 22, and that the election would be held on Wednesday, July 8, 2015. The Opposition People’s United Party received the bad news yesterday, Sunday, when the Hon. Ivan Ramos, who was recently replaced as the Party’s standard bearer, announced at his Mother’s Day/Father’s Day event that he would be resigning his seat in the House of Representatives.

Hon. Faber squanders Petrocaribe money!
Of recent, discussions in the public domain have centered to a great extent on the use, or as some have alleged, misuse – by the Barrow administration – of the bountiful Petrocaribe monies, courtesy of the Government of Venezuela, which were supposed to have been set aside for development and infrastructure programs. The government’s critics have heavily criticized some of the ways in which the money has so far been spent, even as the Government of Belize (GOB) has made every effort to justify its utilization of those funds for varied purposes. Those critics were considerably more annoyed after Minister of Education and Collet area representative, Hon. Patrick Faber, while speaking at an endorsement convention for newly installed Caribbean Shores standard bearer, Mayor Darrell Bradley, yesterday, Sunday, announced that Petrocaribe money was used to take 22 busloads of voters from the Collet division some 80 miles from Belize City on a retreat to the Corozal Bay to ‘eat tacos and bathe in the sea.’ Faber said, “I just got back, because I promised Darrell that I will be back [here in Belize City] in time to speak at this convention, but my friends, we were able, in the Collet constituency, to roll 22 loaded buses to Corozal Town today, and we had a wonderful family day, courtesy of Petrocaribe and our Prime Minister, Hon. Dean Barrow.”

Boy, 17, dies after half-hour in police custody
A young Caye Caulker resident, Gilbert Sutz, 17, also known as “Ketchi,” died while in police custody, and villagers are claiming police brutality. Police reported that Sutz was picked up by Caye Caulker police for investigation for burglary and was charged with burglary, but while in police custody, he was taken to the Caye Caulker Clinic, and died shortly after. An autopsy will reportedly be conducted on the boy tomorrow at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital to certify the cause of his death, but preliminary reports are that trauma and respiratory problems were the cause of his demise. Reports to Amandala from witnesses, via text and phone calls, indicate that at about 5:00 this evening, the boy and his father were riding on a golf cart when they were approached by police and the boy was taken away to the Caye Caulker Police Station; by 5:30 – just half an hour later – he was dead at the Caye Caulker Clinic. Many residents of Caye Caulker are adamant that it was a case of police brutality, and a number of villagers who are angered by the boy’s death gathered in front of the Caye Caulker Police Station to demonstrate.

Guats had 3 navy vessels at Sarstoon, not 2
Vice Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, Elton Bennett, told the media last week that the Belize Coast Guard officers—10 of whom were decorated with medals for bravery on Friday—had been “extracted” from Sarstoon island on Friday, May 29, rather than withdrawing in a cowardly manner after Guatemalan naval officers insisted that the Coast Guard officers vacate Sarstoon Island, which is squarely inside Belize. Although we were initially told that two of Guatemala’s naval vessels had gone to the island on Thursday, May 28, to demand that the officers leave the island, subsequent reports to our newspaper are that on Friday, May 29, three Guatemalan naval vessels were seen, and one of them appeared to have headed back into Belizean waters, close to Sarstoon Island, as if advancing on the Belize Coast Guard officers. Last week, we tried to get official information on who was actually leading the Coast Guard operation but at the time, we were told that the information could not be disclosed. We have since learned that it was Bennett, the Coast Guard’s second-in-command, who headed that Sarstoon Island operation.

Belize team takes Silver in Taiwan
Last year, there was a football tournament held here in Taiwan called the Copa Centro Americana (Central American Cup). There were a couple Belizeans playing for different countries. This year, we assembled our own team of 23 Belizeans and 2 from Argentina. It’s something similar to the Marathons we often have in Belize, but you can only use people of your own nationality with 2 possible reinforcements who have to be Latinos (we had 2 who both were Argentinian/Taiwanese). The participating countries were: Honduras (Champion), Belize (Sub-Champion), El Salvador (Third Place), Mexico-Colombia (Invited, Fourth Place), Panama, Nicaragua, Guatemala & Paraguay (Invited). The tournament was held over 2 Sundays, May 17 and June 7. Each game lasted 40 minutes (20 minutes each half) with 10 minutes break. Groups: (A) Honduras, Guatemala, Panama (Last Year Champion) & Belize; (B) El Salvador, Paraguay (Last Year Sub-Champions), Mexico-Colombia( Mixed) & Nicaragua. Belize captain – Enoc Hercules; sub-captain – Wani Morgan.

Tiger Sharks back-to-back NEBL Champions
SAN IGNACIO TOWN, Sun. June 7, 2015–The NEBL witnessed the finals rematch, from last year, as the defending champions, San Pedro Tiger Sharks took on the Cayo Western Ballaz. This season, Cayo was the #1 seed going into the playoffs, while last year San Pedro Tiger Sharks had the home court advantage in the finals. The league was treated to a great series, as this is surely the biggest rivalry in the league over its two year history. On Friday night, the NEBL Finals tipped off at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium in San Ignacio, as the home team, Cayo Western Ballaz (2-1) tried to avenge its loss from last year’s finals; while the visiting team, San Pedro Tiger Sharks (3-1) was seeking to be the first back-to-back champions in the league. The stadium was filled to capacity, with standing room only, as the energy of the fans was very tangible in the arena. The Tiger Sharks jumped out to an early 10-5 lead, but at the half, the Western Ballaz was up 35-28. The visitors had a 55-53 lead going into the fourth quarter, after which they transitioned to a man-to-man defense. Cayo was unable to make the necessary adjustments, their offense unable to get into any rhythm, and the visitors were able to capitalize, where San Pedro stole game 1, winning 77-64.

Smart 13 & Under Football Tournament Week 8
With playoffs near, the Week 8 games on Saturday were keenly contested, and the race to the top 4 team playoffs remains hot indeed. (See the standings below.) In game 1 on Saturday, Brown Bombers remained undefeated and maintained their unprecedented shutout streak, as they blanked City Boys, 3-0, with a goal apiece from Jaylen White, Nigel Matus and Jaheem Gillett. Game 2 saw two tough rivals, Hattieville Youth FC and Collet Strikers playing to a 1-1 draw. Austin Shal shook the net for Hattieville, while Troy Gentle tallied for Collet. In a mild upset in game 3, second ranked Young Warriors were held to a 1-1 draw by tenth ranked Heights FC. Adrian Usher scored for Young Warriors, and Joshawn Flowers got the goal for Heights. Game 4 saw bright prospect D’Jon Canelo netting a hat trick (3 goals) to lead Ladyville Jaguars to a 3-0 victory over winless Charlston FC. Game 5 was a 0-0 draw between last place Third World and sixth ranked Rising Stars, as Third World gained their first point of the tournament. And in game 6 to end the day, it was London Strikers, 2-0, over Face of Belize, courtesy of a goal each from Eduardo Humes and Dexter Belisle.

Lackluster showing by National “A” Team
It was free for all to enter the MCC Grounds yesterday at 4:00 p.m. for a poorly advertised and unexpected training match between our Belize National “A” Team and the Melchor football selection; and it was just as well, for the performance of the national team was anything but inspiring, eking out a 1-nil victory, on a Deon McCaulay goal, against an obviously lower level opponent, and prompting some skeptical fans to question the $50.00 being asked to see the team perform against the Dominican Republic this coming Sunday at the FFB Stadium. According to assistant coach Charlie Slusher, the venue for the national team’s last training match before travelling on Tuesday had to be changed from the FFB Stadium on short notice, because the FFB Stadium was to undergo inspection by CONCACAF officials to certify if it is acceptable for this year’s Champions League tournament games. And they were intentionally employing a defensive posture, in preparation for the away game on Thursday against Dominican Republic. If we can find comfort in anything, it is that none of our players were injured on the treacherous MCC pitch, which no doubt aided in the depressing performance.

Editorial: Sarstoon post-mortem
We have listened carefully to an interview which Belize Foreign Minister, Hon. Wilfred Elrington, gave to Channel 5’s Mike Rudon on Sunday, May 31, at the Belize Rural North convention of the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) at Sandhill. And we have read carefully the comments of the Chief Executive Officer in the Belize National Security Ministry, Col. George Lovell (Re’td.), in an interview he gave to the Assistant Editor of Amandala, Adele Ramos, on Monday, June 1. As far as we know, Mr. Elrington’s comments were the first official comment on an incident which had occurred more than forty eight hours before at the mouth of the Sarstoon River in which armed elements of the Belize Coast Guard were confronted by armed elements of the Guatemalan Navy. Col. Lovell’s comments would have been given roughly seventy two hours after that faceoff. In the issue of the ruling UDP’s newspaper, The Guardian, published on Thursday morning, June 4, there was no mention of the Sarstoon River incidents of Thursday, May 28, and Friday, May 29. In the issue of The Reporter published on Friday morning, June 5, there was no mention of the incidents.

From the Publisher
It is clear that there was an organized attempt at the highest levels of the Government of Belize to downplay the incident at the Sarstoon River Island which took place between Thursday, May 28, and Friday morning, May 29, when armed elements of the Belize Coast Guard and armed elements of the Guatemalan navy confronted each other. At the time of an incident, exactly three months before this May 28/29 incident, when armed elements of the said Guatemalan Navy kidnapped 37 Belizeans who were under the banner of Belize’s Northern Territorial Volunteers (NTV) from the same location in the Sarstoon River mouth and forced them to go to the Guatemalan port of Livingston, the response of the various Cabinet Ministers of the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) had been inappropriate. One high-ranking leader of the Belize Government actually referred to the NTV mission as “misguided patriotism.” In the House of Representatives, the Toledo East area representative of the Opposition People’s United Party (PUP), it should be noted, took a similar line, when he criticized the NTV and similar groupings for behavior which he said would provoke violence from “those people” (the Guatemalans).

Ya da fu we Belize!
“Ya da fu we Belize! From Benque to Belize City, from Punta Gorda to Corozal… from Rio Hondo to the Sarstoon… We pledge to defend our country and exploitation we’re going to fight… Independence. (Now!) No land cession…” These lyrics—originally penned in Spanish and performed by Luis Enrique Mejia Godoy with his band the Mancotal of Nicaragua when they attended Belize’s inaugural Independence celebrations as guests to show solidarity with our nation—have not faded from the minds of Belizeans who have heard them replayed in the English rendition by Bamika Bandula and Belizean artists who continue to keep those lyrics alive. But they are more than just words; they enshrine an important declaration affirmed by the international community. When Belize celebrated its Independence on September 21, 1981, it did so with the comfort of a United Nations Resolution which called on all states to respect the right of Belizeans to be an independent nation, with all its territory intact. The “inviolability and territorial integrity of Belize” was declared in a preceding UN resolution of 1975, which means that our territory should never be broken, infringed, or dishonored. Belize’s territory, as depicted on international maps, as well as on Google Earth imagery, includes the Sarstoon Island, which spans over 150 acres—a substantial mass of insular territory to which Guatemala has recently staked a claim.

Bradley sworn in for Caribbean Shores
About 400 United Democratic Party (UDP) supporters, government officials and standard bearers from various constituencies braved the threat of rains this afternoon and came out to Lopez Mateos Park for the endorsement convention of Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley, who was sworn in as the party’s Caribbean Shores, standard bearer. The first speaker to take to the podium was the area representative for the Collet Division, Hon. Patrick Faber Minister of Education, who said he had to rush back from Corozal Town, where he had taken residents in his constituency on a “Collet Family Day”. Faber said he took 22 buses loaded with constituents to Corozal Town, where, he said, they “had a wonderful family day, courtesy the Petrocaribe funds and our Prime Minister, the Hon. Dean Barrow.” “There is no stopping that money,” Faber said. Turning to the business at hand, the endorsement of Mayor Bradley, Faber said, “The people of Caribbean Shores can hold onto a leader as their stalwart, as their champion. As you know UDP will be in power many, many more years, the way the PUP dem di tumble.”

Mark Gentle, 27, succumbs
Just a few hours after one of his alleged shooters was granted bail in the Belize City Supreme Court last Friday, June 5, Mark “Pele” Gentle, 27, also known as Mark Vernon – who received multiple gunshot wounds when his house was sprayed with gunfire exactly two weeks ago, on May 25 – passed away at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) as a result of his injuries. At around 7:20 on that fateful night, Gentle was reportedly sitting on the steps of his house on Caesar Ridge, Belize City, along with his stepfather, Calvin Cumberbatch, 34, when a vehicle approached the men and two of the occupants of the vehicle fired a barrage of shots, allegedly with high-powered weapons, in their direction and sped off. Both Gentle and Cumberbatch received multiple gunshot wounds to the body. Gentle was admitted to the KHMH in a critical condition, but Cumberbatch’s injuries were not life-threatening and he was therefore treated and released.

4 dead, 3 injured in four road accidents
Four people are dead and three seriously injured after they were involved in four separate road traffic collisions. The persons who lost their lives as a result of these collisions are David McPherson, 32, of Sittee River; William Triguero, 28, of Sarawee, in the Stann Creek District; Isidoro “Charlie Card” Galvez, 73, of Hicattee, Toledo District; and Oscar Chacon, 57, of Burrell Boom, Belize District. The common-law wife of one of the fatally injured men, Isidoro Galvez – Margarita Cal, 42, suffered injuries to her knees and is presently being treated at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH). Also in the KHMH is Lucita Chun, 26, of Hope Creek, Stann Creek District, who is recovering from a large cut wound to the head, and Marcos Coc, 35, of Big Falls, Toledo District, who is recovering at the Punta Gorda Hospital from head and body injuries. The first tragic collision occurred when two motorcycles slammed into each other head-on at about 8:30 Thursday night. The incident occurred in an area between Miles 5 and 6 on the Stann Creek Valley Road.

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Justices appointed to Court of Appeal
Two new Justices have been appointed to serve as judges of Belize Court of Appeal. They are 65 year old Justice Murrio ducille and 65 year old Justice Franz Parke, both of them Jamaican nationals. They were sworn in yesterday by the Governor General, his Excellency Sir Colville […]

PUP divided and undecided over Dangriga by-election
Will the People’s United Party contest the Dangriga by-election in a month’s time? A ‘Yes’ answer is not as cut-and-dry as suggested, as following the results of a meeting of the party’s national executive and standard bearers at Independence Hall this evening, there was no clear consensus. Belize […]

Police Brutality: Bad Eggs Left to Fester
By Charles Leslie Jr. On April 13, 2008 at the location that the famous Barefoot Beach Bar in Placencia was birthed, now the location of the Tipsy Tuna Beach Bar, I was assaulted by an infamous police sergeant known for police brutality, and a police constable. I will not call names […]

Court lifts stay of injunction in OCEANA case
At the end of May, OCEANA in Belize announced that the Government of Belize had withdrawn its appeal in the Court of Appeal against the April 2011 decision of then-Supreme Court Justice Oswell Legall to make the six challenged production sharing agreements (PSAs) null and void because no […]

Commissioner of Police launches internal investigation after teenager dies in police custody
Arrangements are currently being made for a Post Mortem examination to be conducted on the body of Hilberto Sotz who died in police custody yesterday, June 8th. Two police officers are presently detained pending the outcome of investigation of this incident which prompted a riot in Caye Caulker […]

Bernice York’s Gabriel Hope is PSE top scorer
The Primary School Examination (PSE) is sat every year by thousands of 8th grade students across Belize and is a measurement of how much they learned during their time at the primary level. PSE is usually broken into two separate occasions and with the second part being completed […]

PUP’s breakdown has PM Barrow thinking about calling early elections
Party politics action has been at an extreme high over the past few weeks and as the People’s United Party continues to disintegrate, Prime Minister Barrow and the United Democratic Party are seeing an opportunity to creep in and steal an easy general election victory. As the governing […]

Faber throws extravagant retreat for Collet courtesy of PetroCaribe Funds
Supporters of the United Democratic Party seem to have no problem with the use of the PetroCaribe Funds but the oppositions, whether to gain political leverage or because of genuine concern, have bitterly protested against the use of these funds since the time Venezuela granted it to Belize. […]

Police Brutality: Bad Eggs Left to Fester
By Charles Leslie Jr. On April 13, 2008 at the location that the famous Barefoot Beach Bar in Placencia was birthed, now the location of the Tipsy Tuna Beach Bar, I was assaulted by an infamous police sergeant known for police brutality, and a police constable. I will not call names […]

Court lifts stay of injunction in OCEANA case
At the end of May, OCEANA in Belize announced that the Government of Belize had withdrawn its appeal in the Court of Appeal against the April 2011 decision of then-Supreme Court Justice Oswell Legall to make the six challenged production sharing agreements (PSAs) null and void because no […]

Commissioner of Police launches internal investigation after teenager dies in police custody
Arrangements are currently being made for a Post Mortem examination to be conducted on the body of Hilberto Sotz who died in police custody yesterday, June 8th. Two police officers are presently detained pending the outcome of investigation of this incident which prompted a riot in Caye Caulker […]

Bernice York’s Gabriel Hope is PSE top scorer
The Primary School Examination (PSE) is sat every year by thousands of 8th grade students across Belize and is a measurement of how much they learned during their time at the primary level. PSE is usually broken into two separate occasions and with the second part being completed […]

PUP’s breakdown has PM Barrow thinking about calling early elections
Party politics action has been at an extreme high over the past few weeks and as the People’s United Party continues to disintegrate, Prime Minister Barrow and the United Democratic Party are seeing an opportunity to creep in and steal an easy general election victory. As the governing […]

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A Hopkins, Belize Wrap-Up, Part One: Food, What’s New And Well…Just About Everything Else
I had such a great time in Hopkins last weekend for the 2015 Mango Festival. The festival came back bigger and better – everything was fantastic…from the music to the people and the food. But Hopkins is so much more than 1000000 mango trees… I stayed two nights at Beaches & Dreams Resort – with a great beach, dock, SUPER restaurant and a new six unit hotel addition with a pool. The mango tasting menu from their restaurant – Barracuda. It was delicious. I could eat mango layered cheesecake and mango glazed ribs all day and all night. We walked north a bit on the beach…just about 10 minutes to Hamanasi Resort. One that I’ve stayed at and LOVED. They have put in a new second floor on the main house with a dining room and patio…and ONE GORGEOUS CEILING.

Retired in Our 40s and Homesteading in Belize
Caprice Parkes and Joe Singh’s rustic lifestyle is very different to the life they left behind…and they love it. The couple lives in Chan Chen Village, in Belize’s northern Corozal District, abutting Mexico. Young “retirees” at only 43 and 45, Caprice and Joe actively work a 22-acre homestead, and are largely self-sufficient. “We grow our own greens, spinach, lettuces, okra, beans of different sorts, herbs, cassava, sweet potato, onions, and fruit trees,” says Caprice. “Joe goes fishing and hunting with the locals from our village. We can pretty much eat for free most days. We raise chickens and turkeys and will shortly start raising pigs.” Caprice hails from the small town of Holberg, British Columbia. Her husband Joe comes originally from Fiji, but migrated to Canada in 1996. Before they moved to Belize, they lived in Vancouver where they both worked in the frenetic industry of logistics/freight forwarding. So how did this 180-degree transformation occur? Caprice learned about Belize through her mother and stepfather, master scuba divers who were both diving Belize’s reefs before it became so well known and popular. It was the first she’d ever heard of this tiny country. Caprice recalls there was “no internet then—I had to look it up on a world map.” The seed of interest was planted.

A Walk through Fireburn with Michael Starkey
Chirp! Click. Click. Click. Zzzzzip! The bats have come home to rest in the eves of the field base. I peer out from my hammock and look past the expansive, screened window that borders the field base. Sunlight has begun to peek over the forest canopy and the shadows of night fade back into the forest. One world ends and another begins. As the sun continues to rise, the birds become alive. From every direction a cacophony of songs blast from the undergrowth. Warblers. Tanagers. Creepers. All different shapes, sizes, and colors dip and dart as they make their way through the dense vegetation. The deep bellow of a curassow can be heard in the distance. Coffee. Breakfast. Boots. Now I’m out the door. It’s time to go to work. Walking now. The morning air is still, but cool and fresh. The sun dapples my path and a splash of green slides quickly away from my approaching feet. The speckled racer turns its head and looks at me with distain as I disturbed its opportunity to bask in the morning light. Good days usually start with a beautiful snake crossing my path. As I continue my trek, a burst of commotion erupts from the forest as an agouti is interrupted from her mid-morning snack. She warns the forest of my presence with a loud, shrill bark and bounds off into the undergrowth. A forest is never quiet. Between the rustling leaves in the canopy to the constant drone of insects searching for a potential mate, you are always present to the marvelous symphony of the jungle.

Falling in love at Wildtracks - a hazard of the job
I came to Wildtracks without any experience in either primate or manatee rehabilitation, and really didn't have any idea what I was going to be doing. I had traveled a fair bit in my young 25 years, and really enjoyed Belize in the past, so when I stumbled upon Wildtracks' website, it seemed like one more exciting adventure that I could cross off my list. I am a self-proclaimed independent woman who has never wanted to settle down and never felt a connection that has ever made me want to stay in one place. But, after Wildtracks, that all changed. Like all wonderful moments in life, it's the moments that we don't account for, or expect, that make an everlasting impact on our lives - I am no exception to that human law and, naturally, as all typical love stories begin, I didn't expect it. I didn't plan on adopting the persona of a young mother, but I did, and did it without even realizing it. I spent many days feeling sick with worry over the scratches and missed milk feeds because a monkey was being bullied in her troop, or crying over the weight gains of the baby manatees as we helped them go from struggling to thriving. I didn't plan on spending time in a lagoon with a manatee learning to be wild and feeling like a proud mother when he left my side to explore, and frustrated and annoyed when he didn't do as expected. I didn't plan on stressing out about the cold and waking up multiple times in the night hoping that the person scheduled for fire duty had also woken up and put logs on the fire to keep little Khaleesi manatee warm. I didn't plan on loving these animals so much, that I'd carve a little place out for them in my heart, making them as important as any child of my own would be. All I had planned on was learning. I planned on finding direction in my own life through helping animals and I planned on meeting amazing people. But, like most things, I got more than I bargained for.

San Pedro Belize to benefit from study of at risk populations and food drive
The San Pedro neighborhood of San Mateo on Ambergris Caye, Belize has been identified as at risk by the Belize Red Cross Society. Flooding caused by tropical storms and hurricanes coupled with insufficient water and electric infrastructure has resulted in increased risk of fire and spread of disease. Belize Red Cross Director General, Lily Bowman suggested the area as the focus of a June 13-21, 2015 survey and research project, being made possible by Florida State University Emergency Management and Homeland Security Program (FSU EMHS). FSU EMHS in partnership with the local Red Cross Society is seeking to measure the water and sanitation situation of the San Mateo community and to assess storm vulnerabilities. The research project will include a site survey of the San Pedro neighborhood. The FSU team, which includes six researchers / graduate students plus faculty and staff, will travel June 13-21, 2015 to provide research survey technical assistance.

Anthony: ‘What do you like best about living here?’ And there goes my day . . .
“What do you like best about living here?” My neighbor Anthony just pitched that question to me. And my answer was a swing-and-a-miss. “Well,” I fumbled around, stalling while my thought processes kicked into gear. If there is such a thing as a WD-40 for the brain, I needed me some. “That’s a really good question.” I started to say … the people. Reject! EVERYONE says “the people” and with good reason. People who live on a tropical island just tend to be nice, or nicer than elsewhere. They smile and wave and help each other out. They care. They sometimes have the time to listen to your windy anecdotes. I started to say … the weather. Reject! People who say the weather don’t live here year round. If they did, they would know that, like weather elsewhere, weather changes. It is good for a while — sunny, clear days with cooling breezes. And bad for a while — cloudy, rainy, damp, windy. Sometimes the rainy days can go on for weeks.

International Sourcesizz

Chetumal Airport Expansion
I am always asked, “when will an airport be built to service the Costa Maya/Mahahual area”, and my answer has always been, probably never! It just never seemed realistic, given that even if the entire town of Mahahual is filled, it still nowhere near the needed population to justify the cost of an airport. Over the years, we’ve heard lots of local chatter about an expansion or relocation of the Chetumal airport, but to be honest, I just put those discussions in the same file as the proposed bridge from Xcalak to Chetumal, a second cruise ship port in Mahahual, a light rail to Cancun and the legend of Big Foot. None seemed all that likely to really show up in my lifetime. Seems I was wrong though. No, they didn’t find Big Foot, but it does appear that Mexico has much bigger plans for Costa Maya, and all revolve around the Chetumal airport as a central hub for southern Quintana Roo tourism. It might be good to first define for some what the Costa Maya actually is. The state of Quintana Roo, Mexico’s only Caribbean state, is divided, for tourism purposes, into three zones. The northern zone is the Riviera Maya and extends from Cancun to Tulum. The central portion is called Zona Maya, and is home to archaeological sites and a mostly undeveloped, diamond in the rough bio reserve area called Sian Kaan. The southern third is the Costa Maya, 4-5 hours from the Cancun airport, and includes Mahahual, its cruise ship port Puerto Costa Maya, as well as the Bacalar jungle lagoon system, its own archaeological sites, the capital city of Chetumal and the entry into Belize. That is a lot of cool places!

Foxboro resident helping disabled children in Belize
Sarah Freudenberg has moved almost two thousand miles from her Foxboro home to help disabled special education children in Belize and create an environment where they can thrive. Shortly after arriving in the Central American country last August, she started working for Ambergris Caye Elementary School, a non-profit private elementary school in the Caribbean island town of San Pedro. There, she designed and phased in a special education program that works with children ages 3 to 14 with multiple disabilities. Its goal is to provide options for those children whose parents cannot afford to send them to school. "I have very high expectations for each of the students," said Freudenberg, 23. "I would like for teachers to gain experience from working with children with special needs and learn how to differentiate their instruction to cater to children who learn differently."

Ipswich Harriers’ Katy Sealy to represent Belize in Canada, Costa Rica and Nicaragua this summer
The former Farlingaye High School pupil represents Belize, her dad David’s birthplace, and finished ninth at last year’s Commonwealth Games. The 24-year-old defends her Central American Championship title in Nicaragua later this month, before competing at July’s Pan-Am Games in Canada, and finally August’s NACAC (North American, Central American and Caribbean Championships) in Costa Rica. “I have already got a few personal bests this season and I want to increase my heptathlon points total. Depending on who I’m up against, that should put me in contention,” said Bawdsey-based Sealy. “I am defending my gold medal at the Central American Championships, doing the full heptathlon at the Pan-Am Games, before heading to Costa Rica where I will compete in two or three individual events. “The weather will be a bit different and I try and go out a few days before the competitions start to try and acclimatise and train in the heat, although we will be competing early morning in Nicaragua which is good.”

Making the Grade: Students learn to make an impact locally and beyond
Students from the International Relations program at North Cobb High combine a rigorous course of academic study with overseas trips and service projects. A recent trip to Belize included working on a local building project. The program goes beyond academic research by including real-world experiences as well. Students commit to one overseas trip that combines study with service. “We have one to Belize that ties in ecology and biology with the human geography class, as well as anthropology,” Stephenson said. “And we have a relationship with the Confucius Institute at Kennesaw State, so we can take trips with them to China. Next year, our trip will be to Greece. It’s an historical tourism trip we offer each summer.”

6 tips for flying with babies and young children
My love of traveling developed long before I had children and I prided myself in my ability to fall asleep the moment the plane took off and wake up precisely at meal time. I also had perfected the process of packing. No matter if the destination was diving in Belize or touring Italy, I could squeeze everything I needed into a carry-on. To my family's chiding, I also did this with my wedding dress and two weeks worth of clothes for a destination wedding and honeymoon in Nicaragua. But traveling with kids requires a whole other set of skills -- ones that I have learned through (sometimes unfortunate) trial and error. I have flown with my oldest son, now 21/2, since he was months old, but a recent move overseas took the challenge to a whole new level. In the course of three months, my husband and I traveled with a toddler and infant from Washington to Indonesia, from Indonesia to California, from California to Texas, from Texas to California and then back to Indonesia. And here is, in part, how we survived.

Author to take community on a ghostly haunted trip
Get ready for a scary night of bizarre ghosts, strange flying objects, and deadly unknown beasts as the most unusual paranormal cases are in one creepy presentation for the Vinton Public Library on June 18th. As the author of numerous books on Iowa Folklore including The Iowa Road Guide to Haunted Locations Chad Lews has combined all of his research into one supernatural program including the infamous Haunted Vinton Statue! For over two decades Chad Lewis has traveled the back roads of the world in search of the strange and unusual. From tracking vampires in Transylvania and searching for the elusive monster of Loch Ness to trailing the dangerous Tata Duende through remote villages of Belize and searching for ghosts in Ireland’s haunted castles, Chad has scoured the earth in search of the paranormal.

Caribbean Region Aims for Tighter Control of Guns
Caribbean Community members are looking to increase control on the manufacture, distribution and use of firearms to diminish crime and enhance public safety, CARICOM said Tuesday. Officials from the 15 member-states agreed upon a number of actions to be undertaken to “advance public safety and security at the national, bilateral and regional level,” CARICOM said in a statement. One initiative calls for activating the Regional Integrated Ballistic Information Network, designed to stop illicit gun trafficking in the region.

Videos

  • Caye Caulker Residents Protesting, 4min. A resident of Caye Caulker, a teen, 17 year old Hilbert Sots was detained by police and questioned about a burglary. He died in their custody. The people on the island heard that he had breathing problems related to his death. His body was taken to the clinic where it was pronounced dead. The businesses have locked down early because of the unrest that has developed against the officers of the law. The villagers began to gather and their anger grew as the crowds grew. More well armed police officers from San Pedro and the Belize Coastguard had been deployed on the island to quiet the residents who had began to protest. The station has also been locked down. Shots have been fired in the air by the cops. That didn't stop the island residents who kept shouting over the gunshots "We need justice. We need justice! Puta" Objects were hurled at some of the cops. One person commented that the national frustration regarding police abuse, unresolved murders and corruption has washed ashore on Caye Caulker. However, they aren't going to sit down and watch all they have worked for wash away until its gone. Information gathered to date is that on Monday June 8, 2015 at 11:50 am, 18-year-old Hilberto Sotz of Bahia Puesto Del Sol, Caye Caulker Village was detained at Caye Caulker police station pending investigation into a series of burglaries. Sometime around 5:00pm, while being interviewed, he reportedly started complaining of chest pain and had difficulty breathing. He was rushed to the poly clinic for medical treatment where he passed away.

  • Tech Trek Belize, 4min. A group of ten SoIC students traveled to Belize in May to help improve internet access and teach students basic computer skills at the Tumul K’in Center of Learning.

  • Riot in Caye Caulker Island Belize Central America, 4min. 8 th June police apprehend Hilbert and died on police custody.

  • Shark Ray Alley, Ambergris Caye Belize, 5min. Snorkel with sharks and horse eye jack.

  • Carnival Sunshine: Tender ride to Belize, 2min. Instructions from the guy on the tender.

  • 18 YEAR OLD DIES WHILE IN POLICE CUSTODY CAUSING A PROTEST IN CAYE CAULKER, 4min. “An expeditious, thorough and transparent criminal, as well as internal investigation is presently underway and any evidence of wrong doing will be promptly dealt with”, read the Police press release surrounding the detention and subsequent death of eighteen year old Hilberto Sotz of Caye Caulker Village. The teen died under suspicious circumstances while in police custody yesterday evening and was pronounced dead when he was transported to the local health clinic. His death sparked the immediate fury of islanders who staged a protest last night at the Community Center building where the health clinic is located. The entire situation started out as an investigation by police into a series of burglaries on the island. Since the events unfolded, videos surfaced on Youtube and social media where villagers are seen staging a riot after learning of Sotz’s death.

  • Caye Caulker Riot, 5min.

  • Not a bad start to the day., 1/2min. I shot this time lapse this morning from Parrot Cove in Hopkins, Belize on my iPhone 6

  • Heredia's view on Oil Drilling in Belize, 2min.

  • The Threats of Offshore Drilling to Belize's Marine Biodiversity, 10min.

  • Island Expeditions Belize - Coral Islands SUP, 3.5min. Island Expeditions has introduced the first ever SUP Journey from lodge to lodge along Belize's southern barrier reef.

  • BRFP Belize Rural Finance Program Infomercial, 11min.

    June 9, 2015


    FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

    Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

    Specials and Events

    Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
    Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


    The San Pedro Sun

    Making Maya Medicine
    I have always enjoyed perusing the aisles of well stocked grocery stores. I love finding ingredients I’ve never seen before and imagining their tasty possibilities. Some may think it a tad crazy, but I consider it a wonderful way to kill a couple of hours…you never know what you will come across! So, you can imagine the level of my enthusiasm when I had the opportunity to go rain forest “shopping” with Aurora Garcia-Saqui, who knew the sylvan aisles like the back of her hand. But we weren’t browsing for a delicious meal…our shopping listing was comprised of exotic healing flora like yhax leh, piper and gomo che! Just as I would in a grocery store where I pick up and examine an item before throwing it into my basket, Ms Aurora took her time to select the specific plants she needed to create her special Pain Away remedy. Explaining the name of each leaf she picked, as well as the healing powers it possessed, she collected a handful of leaves that would soon end up as a soothing, healing ointment.

    Two New Justices Join the Court of Appeal
    Two new Justices of Appeal were sworn-in today by the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Colville Young, at the Belize House in Belmopan. They are Justice Murrio Ducille and Justice Franz Parke. Justice Murrio Ducille is an Attorney-at-Law and has been in practice since 1975 when he was admitted to the Jamaica Bar. He was also admitted to bar in the Bahamas and Dominica, 1984 and 1993, respectively. He is a member of the bar associations of all three countries. In Jamaica, Justice Ducille served as Clerk of the Court with responsibility for criminal prosecution for the Parish of Portland. He additionally served as State Prosecutor in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions where he was in charge of criminal prosecution and represented the state in the Court of Appeal. He also prepared and presented extradition cases between the United States and Jamaica. Between 1984 and 1997, Justice Ducille acted as Solicitor General, served as Chief Prosecutor and Attorney General in Bahamas; Director of Public Prosecutions in Dominica and Chief Magistrate in Antigua and Barbuda. In 1997, he began his private practice.

    It’s official: Courtney and Mark tied the knot!
    We are so happy to finally share images of the wonderful union of Courtney Sage and Mark Lekarczyk. 22-Courtney-Wedding-2Courtney and Mark made it official on April 25th when they exchanged vows in front of dear friends and family in Memphis, Tennessee. Even though we could not be there to witness the grand occasion, we are thrilled that one of our own, Marie Parham, and ‘flat Mary’ was able to make it! May you lovebirds have a long and happy marriage!

    Beautiful Island Hibiscus
    Hibiscus flowers are native to warm temperatures and tropical regions. Belize is beautifully decorated with several species of this lovely plant that grows in an array of different colors! A drive, ride or stroll around any part of Belize is bursting with colors from these pretty plants!

    Bowen & Bowen responds to claims of contaminated Crystal water bottles
    In Volume 25 Issue 18 of The San Pedro Sun (“How safe is our bottled drinking water”), it was reported that a black viscous matter was found inside one of the 16oz Crystal water bottles. This was brought to our attention by a local establishment who purchases Crystal water bottles by the case. Since then Bowen & Bowen Ltd, producers of Crystal water issued an official statement: “At Bowen & Bowen, maintaining the highest possible standards of service and quality has always been, and always will be, our driving priority. We continually review our processes and engage with our suppliers and customers to ensure that these standards are met. Demonstrating our commitment to quality, all of our beverage production facilities are international certified by ISO, HACCP and FSSC. We take all customer feedback seriously. Any report of a defective or substandard product is reviewed internally, and in cooperation with independent and government agencies. We are committed to taking whatever steps are necessary to guarantee our products are of the highest quality.”

    Coral Reef Edventures is back
    The Coral Reef experts are returning for the 16th Annual Coral Reef Ed- ventures program. Organized by students from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, USA with assistance from Hol Chan Marine Reserve, the two – week program promotes the conservation of the Belize Barrier Reef to island children. Coral Reef Ed-ventures gives children the opportunity to learn about the coral reef and become an ‘expert’, all while having lots of fun. The program will run with two main categories: The Youth Program, which is for students, ages 7-12, and is slated for June 29th-July 8th at the San Pedro Roman Catholic School. The Advanced Program is for students ages 12 and above, or for students with prior coral Ed-ventures experience. This will take place from June 22ndto June 26th, at 4-6PM at the San Pedro High School. At the end of the programs, there will be a graduation ceremony on July 8th at the Lion’s Den for all the students and family members will be invited to attend.

    Letter to the Editor: Public Transportation System with privately owned and operated small electric buses!!
    I would like to thank the San Pedro Sun for posting my letter about the need of a public transportation system for our island and for a better future for Ambergris Caye. Please allow me to follow up with some more specifics and my detailed thoughts about a small public transportation system, dearly needed for Ambergris Caye. This week I was approached by a patient of mine, a good friend who is also a taxi cab owner on our island. He also heard that the island would be in urgent need of a better traffic solution. He learned that the hard way from several tourists he had transported in his taxi. They had told him that driving a golf cart is not fun anymore for tourists but rather feels uncomfortable and sometimes dangerous during heavy traffic hours. He also brought up his personal concerns and the concerns shared by other taxi operators, the 200 taxi owners on this island. He thought that a public bus transportation system would possibly cut into their profits and might even put some taxi owners and their families at risk. Here is why I think a small busing system would be even be more beneficial to all current taxi owners than the current rather unsustainable taxi system: As common in many tourist destinations and town and cities throughout the world, small buses would be individually owned by private operators but within a publicly, town organized system.

    In Loving Memory: Santiago Vasquez and Kitty Fox
    In Loving Memory of Santiago Felipe Vásquez Sr. Sunrise: September 13, 1934 Sunset: May 28, 2015ox El ha escogido tu barca! A pronunciado tu nombre. Jesús te ha dicho ¡No temas Santiago! Seras pescador de hombres… Con el corazón herido hoy le damos un ultimo adios a un esposo, padre, abuelo, bis abuelo, tío, hermano, compadre, amigo y gran pescador de nuestra comunidad San Pedrana. Santiago Felipe Vásquez Sr. nació un 13 de Septiembre de 1934 de sus padres José Turiano Vásquez y Herminia Toloza Vásquez en la hermosa aldea de San Pedro Belice. Junto con sus hermanos Pedro, Héctor y Flavio y sus hermanas Socorro y Florinda Vásquez todos difuntos gozaron de una niñez feliz y placentera. Como cualquier otro joven se dedico a la pesca. Este oficio fue su gran pacion. Unió su vida a su primera esposa Victoria Sansorez; del cual nacieron sus dos hijos mayors Leovijildo Vásquez y Beatriz Vásquez. Las circunstancias de la vida y razones familiars hicieron que esta unión no fuese duradera y eterna.

    Wolfe’s Woofer: Mexican Eggs
    “A friend of mine works for a company that makes bowling balls,” Bruce said. “Twice a year I contract to pick up a load of bowling balls at the factory and distribute them all over Texas.” “Why would you do that?” I asked. “Because it only takes me two days for a trip and I make a lot of money. Since you’re here on vacation why don’t you take the ride with me?” About twenty-five miles out of McAllen, Texas we came across two Spanish looking guys pedaling along on a bicycle. “These guys must be lost,” Bruce said. “It’s thirty miles to the nearest town. I’ll give them a ride.”

    Letter to the Editor: Response to Five Story Buildings
    I own a property with a small house in north Ambergris Caye. I am distressed to hear that five story buildings are to be permitted on our island. The solution to people overbuilding on their lots is to have strict building codes that would allow a building’s footprint to cover only a specified percentage of the property, not to allow them to build up. The result of the latter is they will do both i.e. build a five story building that covers the entire property. Ambergris Caye is a fragile environment that cannot handle overpopulation. Already the pollution from septic systems is beginning to pose a threat not only to human health, but to the coral and marine life. We have no good source of fresh water other than rainwater. Rainwater collection is what many existing houses outside San Pedro use, and this could not support a five story building. Plans have been discussed for a desalination plant and sewage system in north Ambergris Coye, but desalination consumes a huge amount of energy which would increase our reliance on oil and cause air pollution. In addition, the brine and chemicals produced by the desalination would have to be disposed of. The current plan is to build deep injection wells.

    Doctor Love: Curiosity and Rodents
    Dear Doctor Love, My guy and I are quite trusting. We have been together for four years and we both have friends of the opposite sex with no problems. Not long after we got together his ex called him and asked him to lunch. This is something that they have done four or five times a year since they broke up six years ago. Each time he asks me if I wanted to go with them and I turn him down because I do not want to appear jealous or controlling. I am not jealous but after four years I am curious about the lunches and I would like to go to see what they have to discuss. If he asks me again, I am planning to say yes. What do you think? /s/ Curious

    Ambergris Today

    Flashbacks: Do You Know What is Five A Side?
    Ask a ten-year old kid today what is Five A Side and chances are that he will not know because this sport has been absent from our sports fields for quite some time. What is it anyway? Let me try to make it simple. It is football or soccer game played inside a small field bordered with a fence that could be four to five feet high. It is called Five A Side because there are five players per team including the goalie who guards a goal that is eight feet wide by five feet high. The soccer ball is a light ball and can only be kicked five feet high. If a player kicks the ball out of the playing field, he is penalized with a minute or two at the bench. It is high action game and a lot of fun for both the players and the fans. Five A Side was introduced in San Pedro by Omar Guerrero when he was a member of the San Pedro Town Council. The playing arena was fabricated at Central Park and games attracted hundreds of fans every weekend during the Five A Side season. A lot of names of great players come to mind but it would be unfair to mention only those in this Flashback. Let us suggest that friends and fans or perhaps team players post photos of their teams. Thank you and hope to see Five A Side soon in San Pedro.

    25 Years Ago - Alternative for Shampoo by Using Wood Ash
    There is an old Spanish saying that says: “Ojos que no ven, corazon que no siente.” This means “What the eyes do not see, the heart does not desire.” This is so very true about the lives of San Pedranos in days long gone. There were many things that did not exist back then, and they certainly did not miss them. However, that is not to say that they did not find their way to make the best of any situation. We have seen that when they did not have ovens, they fabricated homemade ovens with the bottoms of metal drums. And when they did not have electric clothes irons, they used the metal ones that were heated on a comal or over the charcoal. Well here is my story for this week. It has to do with shampoo that did not exist twenty five years ago in San Pedro or better say in the 1940’s and 50’s. I want you to remember that our source of water was from shallow wells and well water is considered very hard water, if you know what I mean. If you were to wash your hair with well water and using regular soap, it would turn out stiff and dry. Your hair would in no way be soft and silky and shiny. No señor!

    Julisa and Richie Tzib's Wedding
    Another lovely couple tied the knot in beautiful Ambergris Caye, Belize, on Saturday, June 6, 2015. Julisa and Richie Tzib celebrated their love at the Living Word Church followed by a heart-warming reception where they were accompanied by their family and friends. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Tzib on their new journey together.

    American Airlines Launches Non-Stop Flight Between Belize City and Los Angeles
    On Saturday, June 6, 2015, American Airlines launched its new route between Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport (BZE) in Belize City and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), further expanding the airlines’ route network in Latin America. With this new flight, American Airlines’ customers in Belize will have access to the airline’s extensive route network out of LAX, which includes more than 200 daily flights to more than 50 destinations throughout the United States, Europe, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean. Schedule for BZE-LAX flight (local times) *Operates Saturdays and Sundays LAX-BZE Flight 2194 Leaves LAX at 12:15 p.m. Arrives in BZE at 6:17 a.m. BZE-LAX Flight 2194 Leaves BZE at 8:55 a.m. Arrives in LAX at 1:03 p.m. American’s new service between BZE and LAX will be operated on Saturdays and Sundays with an Airbus 319 featuring eight Business Class seats and 120 seats in the Main cabin.

    Training Seminar Empowers Women in San Pedro
    In an emotional certificate-handing ceremony, about 45 women celebrated having completed a three-week program that had them improving on their self-confidence and empowering them with life tools in an effort to assist them in personal development; the program even allows for the women to receive a small grant to help them on their goals. The San Pedro Town Council made available the Project BA 1 which is a training seminar targeting victims of domestic violence and human trafficking in order to assist them in bettering their lives. Single mothers were prime participants of the seminar that included courses for the women to learn necessary life planning skills and personal development. The project seeks the reduction of violence against women and trafficking. During the final gathering, as the women gathered to receive their certificate of completion, most were bursting with smiles while others were holding back strong emotions as they felt accomplished, proud and gifted with skills that will help them make better choices in their lives. In addition to lectures to prepare them for social integration, the seminar also equipped the women with business skills. Some of the participants will qualify for a grant to expand an existing business or develop a new one from the Caribbean Export Development Agency (CEDA).

    Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

    Member of the House of Representatives Resigns
    Speaker of the House of Representatives, Michael Peyrefitte, officially accepts Ivan Ramos' resignation as Member for Dangriga with immediate effect.

    "Women in Need" Art Show
    The San Pedro House of Culture is currently hosting a Benefit Artist Show & Sale by the Island Watercolor Group that is donating sales to assist "women in need" on Ambergirs Caye. Please stop by to admire the artwork and purchase some of you can to help a worthy cause.

    OPEN CALL FOR PAPERS… USD5,000!!! Productivity, Technology and Innovation
    In order to increase the region’s understanding about private sector development and firm level performance in the Caribbean, Compete Caribbean is inviting interested researchers to produce original analytical pieces using PROTEqIN and LACES datasets. Six proposals will be selected to be developed into full-fledged papers and will form part of an edited volume on private sector development in the Caribbean. Selected applicants will receive USD5,000 plus travel and accommodation to attend two workshops in Barbados. PROTEqIN and LACES are complete, comprehensive and internationally comparable firm-level datasets covering 14 Caribbean territories. The datasets record firm level behavior related to a variety of aspects such as: Sales, supplies, foreign trade and competition, innovation, conflict resolution, crime prevention, business environment and government relations, labour and skills, financing and performance among others.

    By-election, Dangriga, Hope Creek and Sarawee Electoral Division
    His Excellency, the Governor General, Sir Colville Young, has issued a Writ of Election for holding a By-Election in the Dangriga, Hope Creek and Sarawee Electoral Division to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of the Area Representative, Hon. Ivan Ramos. The nomination day will be Monday, June 22nd, 2015 and the place of nomination of candidates will be the Dangriga Town Hall. The By-Election will be held on Wednesday, July 8th, 2015. Formal notices to this effect are being published in this week’s issue of the Gazette and national newspapers. Further information may be obtained from the Elections and Boundaries Department, Belize City.

    BOLEDO DRAWING for Monday, June 8, 2015: 87

    Gabriel Hope of Bernice Yorke tops 2015 Primary School Examinations

    Caye Caulker Residents Protesting
    A resident of Caye Caulker, a teen, 17 year old Wilbert Sots was detained by police and died in their custody. His body was taken to the clinic where it was pronounced dead. The cops have detained him for questioning in relation to theft. More well armed police officers from San Pedro and the Belize Coastguard have been deployed on the island to quiet the residents. The businesses have locked down early because of the unrest that has developed against the officers of the law. The station has also been locked down.

    May 31st – June 6th, 2015 Belize Fishing Report
    4 grand slams in one week – I believe it is a lodge record. Greta weather, great anglers and fantastic luck!

    PLANTATION: BREDDA DAVID & BELIZEAN CUNGO MUSIC!
    The legendary Belizean musical artist, bredda David, has rose to become one of Belize's most consistent national artist that has represented the country of Belize worldwide as a cultural ambassador for Belize. He is the innovator of the popular Belizean musical art form called Cungo Music, which is a combination of Belizean Creole Brukdong, and Garifuna Paranda rhythm. The legendary artist once made his home in Los Angeles after his migration from Belize in the 1960's, and later returned home to Belize in the 1980's becoming an intricate part of Belize's musical and cultural forums that aim to promote and develop Belize's musical and cultural institutions. Also a passionate activist for the promotion of the African Belizean culture called Creole, bredda David has worked for the advancement of the recognition of Belizean national heroes like Isiah Morter, Cleopatra White, and the former British slave enclave in Belize City, called Ibo Town.

    Illegal Wildlife Trade seminar
    FCD thanks WCS for their support in the conduction of the Illegal Wildlife Trade seminar held in Belize City last week. Our gratitude also goes to Conservation Scientist and Senior Wildlife Trafficking Analyst, Dr. Timothy Wittig and Wildlife Crimes Unit Program Manager, Mr. Dwi Adhiasto of Indonesia for sharing their technical advice as we prepare our strategy to address wildlife trafficking.

    Channel 7

    Bye-Election In July! PUP Hon. Ivan Ramos Steps Down As Representative
    There will be another bye-election - this time it is in Dangriga on July eighth after the PUP representative Ivan Ramos resigned from the House of Representatives effective today. Ramos wrote to the Speaker of the House in a letter dated today, but he made his announcement yesterday in Dangriga Town, at a fathers and mother's day event sponsored by Petrocaribe funds. Here's what he told the gathering of supporters at about 5:30 pm:.. Ivan Ramos, Resigned - PUP Rep. For Dangriga "I want to say to you, I want to say to you, that I have also made up my mind, this is Ivan Ramos speaking, that I, and if I will disappoint anybody, I am sorry. But, there are times when you have to go separate ways. That I am resigning from the national assembly as your representative to give you an opportunity to elect the person you want to carry out those other decisions, be it the ICJ, Petrocaribe or whatever else to reflect what you want. And so, I will do that tomorrow formally. I will do that tomorrow formally. So, that is my position, that is my position and I am comfortable making that position so that I can go on with my life, and that the party can also go on with the business of winning election or whatever else it will take." "I will say to you also that I am not interested, I am not interested in becoming a UDP or supporting the UDP (applause). So, I am In effect saying to you I am retiring from politics, I am retiring from politics. I hope that this will not, I hope that this will not make me a bad person but I have a life to live also. I must go on with my life."

    Ramos Won't Help Successor
    The father and mother's day event was held at an open lot adjoining Ramos's house. We say that because he was basically at home - amongst his supporters and feeling comfortable. Here's what he told us minutes after he made the announcement... Jules Vasquez "Mr. Ivan, you said it. How do you feel right now?" Ivan Ramos, Resigned - PUP Rep. For Dangriga "Well I feel myself." Jules Vasquez "You feel unencumbered?" Ivan Ramos, Resigned - PUP Rep. For Dangriga "No, yes, I feel unencumbered." Jules Vasquez "These people here, they are hugging you, they are still supporting you...what will you tell them to do in the next election? You told them up there you wish them luck with the grand old party. But will you tell them..."

    Writ of Election Issued, PM Barrow Seizing On PUP Problems
    As you can tell from that cutting remark - there are more than a few hard feelings between Ramos and his party, the PUP - and you'll hear all about that tonight. But first to what matters most: the bye-election to elect a new area representative for Dangriga. The seat for Dangriga, Hope Creek and Sarawee is vacant tonight - and the Barrow Administration will waste no time in filling it. The maximum time that can be allowed to hold such an election is three months, but government will do it in just one month. Governor General Sir Colville Young today signed the writ setting the nomination day as June 22nd and the election as July eighth. Yesterday at the endorsement convention for Darrell Bradley, Prime Minister Dean Barrow - who was apparently pre-briefed on the Ramos resignation told the gathering that his intention is to move ahead with the by-election in Dangriga as soon as is possible:

    PUP Not Ready For By-election
    Of course, it is strategic for the government to move ahead immediately because, again, the opposition has been, caught off guard. Their candidate, Anthony Sabal has not even been endorsed as Standard bearer - and the party will have to scramble to take on the UDP's Frank "Pawpa" Mena who has been in place for some years. Additionally, government can be expected to pour resources into Dangriga - just like they did in Cayo North in January - while the PUP remains cash strapped. Today the Leader of the opposition said the government is trying to "bleed them to death":.. Hon. Francis Fonseca, Opposition Leader "Politics under this United Democratic Party government is the lowest and dirtiest I have even seen it practiced in Belize and I believe all right thinking Belizeans should be concerned. We have a party in government that appears to be prepared to do any and everything to stay in power. Clearly a bi-election is not in our party's interest at this time. We are focused on preparations for the general elections."

    PUP Says Ivan Took Money
    But the first person the PUP seems to be interested in bringing to his knees is Ivan Ramos. The party sent out an internal note directly stating that he took money - and sent out an official press release implying the same. Today here's how Fonseca put it - and here's what Ramos had to say about it yesterday:... Hon. Francis Fonseca, Opposition Leader "I like Ivan Ramos and I care about him. I believe he is a good man who has made a terribly bad decision and I can tell you that the most frequent question I have gotten in the last 20 hours is it true that Ivan Ramos was paid to resign his seat. This is obviously just speculation, just and allegation, but it is a serious one." Ivan Ramos, Resigned - PUP Rep. For Dangriga (Laughing) "Oh boy, Jules I will just say that, you know I have learnt that when you want to justify your wrong, you arose to things like this. I don't know of myself as a greedy person. As I've said before, personally nobody can say to you that I have ask them for anything for me or cut a deal with anybody and things of this sort."

    PM Tempted by PUP Woes to Call Early Election
    And while the PUP is spending much of its time - publicly at least - finger pointing and casting aspersions on Ramos and his intentions - the UDP is watching the political shot clock. The ruling party has already gained one seat in Cayo North with a bye election in January. And now, the UDP is confident it can claim another - of course, with a heavy lotioning of petrocaribe funds. The Prime Minister says that with these body blows to the Opposition, it's getting more tempting to just call the elections early: Hon. Dean Barrow, UDP Leader "Tomorrow we will formally give you the timeline for the next bi-election in the constituency of Dangriga when the United Democratic Party will blow away the new candidate of the PUP and cement this stronghold almost that we are developing electorally in terms of the politics of this country. That will strike another blow, put an exclamation point behind this unstoppable UDP march to its 3rd term. So in a sense that announcement by the Honorable Ramos and of course we have already gotten hold of a message that Francis Fonseca has sent out to his standard bearers, they accuse Ivan of all kinds of things.

    Does PUP Prioritize By-Election?
    And while Prime Minister Dean Barrow is getting into chest beating mode - the opposition seemed to shy away from the moment just a little. A press release gave a perfunctory promise of victory, but today the opposition leader said that they are interested in a general elections, not so much a bye - election:... Reporter "Is it that you are saying that the PUP will not go all out in a bi-election?" Hon. Francis Fonseca, Opposition Leader "No, I'm not saying that at all. I am saying that we are going to have a meeting tomorrow of the national executive and the standard bearers. We are in fact today having discussions in Dangriga with our executive committee and through our national campaign manager's office. And that report will be tabled tomorrow - status report if you like and we will have a full open discussion on how we proceed." Reporter "If the PUP were to lose that upcoming bi-election, you will not consider it as a sign that you need to step down?"

    Teenager Killed On Caye Caulker, Chaos Erupts
    Just before News time this evening, residents of Caye Caulker Village were out on the street in front of the island's Health Center where the doctors and police officers were handling the body of 18 year-old Hilberto Sotz. Speculation at this time is that he died in the police station but the officers in the High Command at Eastern Division were unable to confirm that. What they have confirmed is that Sotz was detained pending investigations for a burglary on the island, and while he was in police custody, he passed away. Now, at this time, there is confirm of where exactly Sotz died, and if police officers were present, but the villagers are suspicious of the peculiar circumstances. We've spoke with Sotz's mother, who was at the Health Center, and she told us that the officers are telling her that her son died of some breathing problem. She told us that her son has no such medical history, and so, she is suspects that she isn't being given the entire story.

    Cruel Killing Of Former Fireman
    A man was shot and burnt inside his vehicle this morning in Dangriga. When police got to the scene on Commerce Bight Road this afternoon at around 12:13, they only found the charred remains of the body of former Fire Chief 51 year old Ralston Pattnet. The vehicle was parked right in front of a house he maintained for his American friend. When we spoke to police this evening they told us that based on what they saw at the scene, it seems that Pattnet was just about to get out of the car when he was shot and set on fire. It is quite disturbing and when we spoke to Pattnet's sister this evening she told us that it might be as a result of a land dispute. Police are treating this case as a murder and are following a few leads. Pattnet was transferred as Fire Chief from Orange Walk to Stann Creek and filed for early retirement.

    Two Weeks After Shooting, Gentle Dies
    A week ago, we told you how police arrested and charged Maurice Felix for allegedly shooting up Pamela Cumberbatch's house, injuring her son Mark Gentle, and her husband Calvin Cumberbatch. Well, Gentle passed away at the KHMH on Friday night. Gentle was critically injured, and doctors could not save him. Maurice Felix was arraigned last Monday on attempted murder in relation to the gunshot injuries that Felix initially suffered. It is expected that at some point Felix will be rearrested and that charge will be upgraded to murder - for which there is no bail.

    Cops Caught Major Weapons
    And while police fear the Gentle death may trigger a whole new wave of gang warfare - because he is associated with the SSG gang, city COPS did some good work this weekend seizing four weapons. The first incident happened on Saturday afternoon at around 1:25 p.m. on Freetown Road. An undertaker was inside his yard socializing when a dark complexioned man walked into the yard. He immediately pulled out a handgun, cranked it, and pointed it at the man's head. Fearing for his life, the undertaker ran inside his house, and called police. They responded quickly, detained 3 persons and recovered a 9mm pistol. 10 hours later, at around 11:30 p.m., the police responded to a robbery in progress at the UNO Gas Station at mile 1 on the Phillip Goldson Highway. The officers spoke with the cashier who told them that she was inside the gas station's snack shop when 2 men, one armed with a knife, and another with a gun, barged in and robbed them of cash and cellular phones to a total value of $1,147. The officers responded and managed to retrieve a silver Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol.

    PSE's (Near) Perfect "Pikni"
    The PSE results were issued two hours ago. They show grades in the four main subjects trending down slightly. In English 73% of the students scored at the Adequate Level of Performance or better. This about the same as in 2014, when 74% scored at the Adequate Level. In Math, approximately 37% (compared to 36% last year) of students scored a Satisfactory Level of Performance or better. But more disturbingly approximately 49% of students scored E's (49 and below) in the Inadequate Grade Range - meaning half the test takers failed to pass math. In Social Studies, 63% of students earned a Satisfactory Level of Performance (Grade C) or better. This is up from 58% last year. In Science, seventy-two percent (72%) of the students earned a grade C (Satisfactory Level of Performance) or better. The list of top students shows Bernice Yorke at the top again - and we spoke to the top finisher Gabrial Hope from Bernice Yorke. He told us how he did it:.. Gabriel Hope - 13, Bernice York School "Well, when I got the news I was actually sleeping and then my sister woke me and she told me that my mom was on the phone and she told me that I came in first and of course I was shocked. Up to know I'm still shocked."

    Pedestrian Knocked Down and Killed In Sandhill
    A Nazarene Pastor was knocked down on Saturday evening in Sand Hill. Burrell Boom resident 47 year old Oscar Chacon was crossing the road at the Maskall Junction in Sand Hill when he suddenly stopped and tried to turn back. That is when a Chevy heading to Orange Walk hit Chacon and killed him. His body was transported to the KHMH. Today we spoke to his employer - who says Chacon had just left him and his wife in Burrell Boom who was waiting patiently for her husband to come home for the evening mass. Orlando Mai, employer "Well actually now and again I get a job from here, not all the time and then he came by Saturday evening about 4 o'clock and told me let us straighten up." Courtney Weatherburne "Basic instructions" Orlando Mai "Yes, so that paid me off and then he went looking for a home. Then just about half an hour after that I got a call. Somebody told me get he got knocked down. I said I was surprised. He just left from in front of me and I asked the person if he had a bicycle. He said, no. All the time I know he comes with a bicycle from Boom. Every day he came riding and that day something just was supposed to happen. I was in Gardenia with a friend. That's when I got a call saying Mr. Mai, your helper got knockdown. I was so shocked and surprised. I said it couldn't be and when I left from Gardenia I went to the scene it was Mr. Chacon."

    Teacher Accused of Sex With Minor In Placencia
    Tonight, there is news from Placencia that a Teacher from that village has been accused of having unlawful sexual relations with a 15 year-old. The minor and her mother visited the Placencia Police Station last week Thursday and reported to police that sometime in the Month of April, 30 year-old Desmond Ramirez, who is a teacher in the village, took her to a wooden house in a nearby community and had intercourse with her. Police have since investigated the report and Ramirez has been charged with the crime of unlawful sexual intercourse.

    American Airlines Direct Flight To LAX
    In December of 2013, Delta Airlines became the first airline to offer travelers a direct flight from Los Angeles to Belize. Well on Saturday Morning, the country's second direct flight to that North American City was launched by American Airlines. In terms of air lift capacity, it's an important event for the Tourism Ministry, and our News Team was there when the passengers of that flight left the PGIA. Daniel Ortiz reports: American Airlines is offering this flight to passengers on Saturdays and Sundays. The flight leaves LAX at 12:15 p.m. local time, and arrives in Belize at 6:17 a.m. It then leaves the PGIA at 8:55 a.m., and arrives at LAX at 1:03 p.m.

    Prison, Both Sides Now
    On Friday, we showed you how the former Inmate Robinson Michael condemned the Kolbe Foundation Belize Central Prison for corruption and human rights violations against the inmate population in the facility. We also showed you how the Acting CEO of the Prison responded to each and every one of his allegations. Well, at that opportunity to speak with the CEO, he gave us a tour of the facility to show that not only is the prison not taking advantage of the inmates, the administration is trying to help them become productive individuals when they finally leave the prison. Daniel Ortiz has that story: Of course, former inmate Michael has a different take on the industrial zone. He referred to on the map he drew us up as the "Hitler Zone", and he says that it's not so much about rehabilitation as much as it is a money making venture. Here's how he explained it:

    Did Godfrey Railroad Ramos?
    And now, back to the biggest political news of the week - and probably the next month: Ivan Ramos has stepped down as Area Representative for Dangriga, Hope Creek and Sarawee - and that has triggered a bye election in the next months between Anthony Sabal for the PUP and Frank Mena for the UDP. But, we're not there yet. Right now, Ramos's departure is what's taking up all the news space - and that's because he stepped down very publicly - not like Joseph Mahmud the former PUP Representative for Cayo North who stepped down in silence last year. Yesterday in Dangriga, Ramos told his supporters and the media that his resignation as area representative was the culmination of a process which started with his own party pushing him out as the Standard Bearer. He says they stacked his committee against him, and then, the National Campaign Manager called and read him the riot act. Here are two sides of that story:.. Ivan Ramos, Resigned - PUP Rep. For Dangriga "I was called by the National Campaign Manager, Godfrey Smith and said things to the effect that while he doesn't have the authority to force me to make a decision or to resign, but for me to remember that he is the person that is charged with raising finance and that I in effect then would not be a good investment. In other words, don't expect that we will be financing your campaign."

    Ramos: Et Tu Rodwell?
    PUP Stann Creek West Representative Rodwell Ferguson is one more person who told Ramos to step aside. Ramos told his former constituents that he felt Ferguson had no authority to do so. Again, here are the two sides of that story:..

    PUP Claims It Had Intelligence, But Didn't Act
    So while the party was actively engaged in trying eject Ramos as Standard bearer because they say his committee had no confidence in him - what did the party do with Ramos after he stepped down controversially? Well, a PUP press release says, quote, "the PUP has been receiving frequent intelligence reports of Mr. Ramos' discussions with high-level UDP operatives to trigger a by-election in exchange for Petrocaribe dollars." But the party says it is also not in a position for a bye-election. So then why was there no action on the intelligence? That's what we asked today:.. Jules Vasquez "When this intelligence was received why then did the PUP not act. What concerns me is that I see a party which has a consistent trend of knowing things are falling into abeyance and then nobody doing anything, if such intelligence was received. Why is not acted on upon to try and save the seat? Do seats matter?" Hon. Francis Fonseca, PUP Leader "What you have given is a long editorial that is based on an absolutely false premise, Jules." Jules Vasquez "You said you've received intelligence."

    After Press Conference Fiasco Only Rt. Hon Musa Called Ivan
    And not only did the PUP not act on the intelligence it says it received, no one from the party even reached out to Ramos after the disastrous press conference. OR at least that's what he says. Here are two sides of that story:... Ivan Ramos, Resigned - PUP Rep. For Dangriga "I went to Belize City and yes, I submitted to the party leader, after all was said and done, that I will step aside that it doesn't have to be me because obviously I would not have the support, I would not have the full participation of those that I believe should lead the charge. So, yes I had a conversation with the party leader and he accepted. Well, even if he didn't accept then obviously the writing was on the wall as far as I'm concerned. Those remarks were not well received but those were the truth and that's how I saw it and that's what I said, but those were not well received. Thereafter, nobody really called me with the exception of the Honorable Mike Espat." Hon. Francis Fonseca, Opposition Leader "We have been in touch with, not only me but our Campaign Manager's team, the Southern Caucus over the weekend. So many efforts and attempts were made and I am satisfied as I said. I am satisfied that the entire process was handled with dignity, it was handled with respect. We did everything possible to try to ensure that the Honorable Ivan Ramos was satisfied and that he could in fact continue to represent the people of Dangriga for the remainder of his term."

    Will PUP's Stay Home In Dangriga?
    And so with Ivan Ramos departing under such cloudy and contentious circumstances, what will happen with the PUP in Dangriga in 31 days? That's July 8th, date of the bye-election - and we asked Party Leader Fonseca if he fears the PUP faithful will stay away:.. Jules Vasquez "After the Mahmud Cayo North election, the conclusion was that the people stayed home and so the poles reflected that because of the disproportional size of the victory. Are you concerned, Mister Ivan Ramos had 268 people at the event yesterday, these are 268 of his supporters who are PUP's, they were still chanting PUP? Are you concerned that these people will also stay home as they did in the case of Joseph Mahmud, these good PUP's? Is that a concern of you Sir?" Hon. Francis Fonseca, PUP Leader "Sure, yeah obviously of course. We are always concerned about any potential PUP voters who decide to stay at home." Jules Vasquez "So then but the no strategy was effectively executed in the Mahmud case and in so far as Mister Mahmud did not come out and help the PUP. Mister Ainsley Lesly did not come out and help the PUP - the 2 former PUP representatives in that area. Will you all be able to bring out those people as you are unable to do in Cayo North?"

    Under Fonseca Nine candidates have either been pushed out, stepped down or been replaced
    And while Ramos remained cool - he is one more PUP Canddiate that has gone. In the past three and a half years under Fonseca's leadership as many as nine candidates have either been pushed out, stepped down or been replaced. An unprecedented three of those were sitting opposition representatives. We asked Fonseca if this is a trend: Jules Vasquez "Arthur Saldivar, Marco Tulio Mendez. Joseph Mahmud, Anthony Mahler, Mark Espat, Collet Montejo, Richard Harrison, Ivan Ramos and I will include John Briceno who walked away from leadership. These are all people who have walked away. I won't include Micah Goodin. These are all candidates who either left or were made to leave under your leadership since 2011. None of them left under John Briceno's leadership. Why have these 10 persons left and is there a trend in the party that is somehow a reflection on your leadership?" Hon. Francis Fonseca, Opposition Leader "You would have to ask them why. These matters have been exhaustedly discussed Jules. In each case we've discussed each of them. The ones before the last general election, those are matters that have been extensively discussed. In each and every case what I can say I feel absolutely comfortable with the process that is taking place. I have at all times acted I think properly, acted with respect, treated the individuals with dignity. But I will not allow anybody to coarse me to take any course of action that I do not want to take and certainly the good old days of solving problems with money are no longer as far as I am concern and I made it clear to everybody, even if the PUP had the money, they would not get it if they are trying to force me to do things that I do not believe are in the best interest of the party or the country."

    Caye Caulker Chaos
    Earlier on in our Newscast, we told you about how 18 year-old Hilberto Sotz died while in police custody. Well, as we told you, the family and the villagers are furious at the circumstances, they don't believe that he died of natural causes - they believe police killed him. And that has led to civil unrest on the island. Right now, as this video shows, a crowd of persons has started a riot on the island. We're told by persons on the ground that the Gang Suppression Unit has been called in to quell the unrest. It's unprecedented and a very volatile situation, which we'll keep following. You'll be able to see a full report tomorrow.

    Another Galvez Loses Life, This Time In PG
    The Galvez family is again mourning the loss of another family member tonight. 73 year old Isidoro Galvez AKA Charlie Card died in an accident yesterday on the Southern Highway. Galvez was heading to a family function in Big Falls Village from Indian Creek when his Mazda pickup flipped several times about 20 miles on the highway. He was flung from the windshield and received massive head and body injuries. He died on the spot. His wife 46 year old Margarita Cal was also along with him. Cal's right leg was stuck in the vehicle and had to be amputated. When we spoke to Galvez's son this evening he told us that Cal told him that Galvez was uneasy and very emotional on the road before the accident - saying that Galvez was shouting out his daughters name: Rosalie Galvez - Rosalie, was shot and killed a month ago at the Belmopan Junction. The family is not sure exactly what happened on the road but police continue to investigate. A post mortem is scheduled for tomorrow so that should shed some more light on this case.

    PM Volleys Bouquets At Bradley
    And the UDP has also replaced its Caribbean Shores Candidate. Santiago Castillo stepped down from his elected seat giving way to Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley. He held his endorsement convention yesterday and Castillo was not there - his people told us he had not been invited. But that didn't stop the party leader from heaping praise on Bradley: Until the time that the next general elections are called, Bradley will keep his elected post as Mayor of the Belize City Council.

    Ramos Explains Why He Said Yes To Petrocaribe
    And we close tonight with two more stories on that new favorite buzzword in political and social parlance: Petrocaribe. As we showed you earlier Ivan Ramos exited public life at a petrocaribe funded event. To accept the money he went against his party's policy. He told supporters why he did it:.. Ivan Ramos, Resigned - PUP Rep. For Dangriga "There are many people here, I don't want to call their names, that even before told me, 'take the money it's our money, we will pay it back anyhow,' and yes the party leader made a declaration during the debate in the house that the PUP will no longer participate in anything that has to do with Petrocaribe. Yes, but let me say to you then that when we went into the members' room, many of the representatives were very concerned and they expressed their concerned that, 'hey, if this is the case, what will we do?' All our participation in the Petrocaribe fund in the Christmas cheer went back to many of you here and others in the form of groceries which many of you appreciated and things of this sort."

    Faber Used Petrocaribe To Take Collett To Corozal
    And while that's Ramos' take on Petrocaribe spending, Collet Area Rep., Patrick Faber took his constituency members on a trip to Corozal Town, courtesy petro funds from the Mother's Day/Father's Day cheer program. Here's how he explained it while speaking at Darrell Bradley's Endorsement Convention: Hon. Patrick Faber "We were able in the collet constituency to roll 22 loaded buses to Corozal Town today and we had a wonderful family day courtesy of Petrocaribe and our Prime Minister, the Honorable Dean Barrow. We danced to Jorge Enesto Babb the Caribbean Roots Band. We took a bath in the sea, the beautiful Corozal Bay Sea that looks turquoise and milky and it's beautiful. We ate tacos and we ate pibil and we ate barbeque. we had a feast, but most importantly we bonded as the collet family and we were able as well to share with the constituencies of the North; Corozal North, Corozal Bay, Corozal South East and Corozal South West and it would not have been possible if we did not have the kind of support from our Prime Minister and our Party Leader and also from the Petrocaribe funds."

    Channel 5

    19-year-old Dies in Police Custody in Caye Caulker
    There is breaking news. A Cayo resident has died at the police station in Caye Caulker. Police are not talking about this incident, but Gilbert Zotz died in custody so [...]

    Gabriel Hope Tops 2015 Primary School Examinations
    A student from the Bernice Yorke Institute of Learning has topped the 2015 Primary School Examinations.  Back in 2013, the institution yielded the top performer and in 2014, the second [...]

    Petrocaribe Dollars Fund Collet Family Day in Corozal
    There is a lot of political news tonight and we can confirm that a bye election will take place in July for the Dangriga Constituency following the resignation of area [...]

    Ivan Ramos Resigns from House of Representatives, PUP Leader Responds
    A late evening press release from the government has confirmed that a bi-election for the Dangriga Constituency will be held exactly one month from today, on Wednesday, July eighth. So [...]

    Francis Fonseca Says Dangriga Representative Stepped Down on His Own
    In mid-May the P.U.P. announced via conference that Ivan Ramos would not be running again, and would make way for Anthony Sabal. At that conference Ramos seemed openly bitter, suggesting [...]

    Was Ramos Bribed by U.D.P. to Give Up Job as Dangriga Area Rep?
    While Ivan Ramos was making his announcement in Dangriga, Prime Minister Dean Barrow was making it on the podium at Darrell Bradley’s endorsement convention in Belize City. That fact hasn’t [...]

    Macca Explains Petrocaribe Funded Father’s Day Cheer
    Ivan Ramos didn’t have much favors with the party after he accepted the controversial Petrocaribe Father’s Day Cheer from G.O.B.  Deputy Party Leader Julius Espat went on record to condemn [...]

    Resignation Triggers Bye-election in Dangriga
    In the aftermath of the resignation, Ivan ‘Macca’ Ramos has no kind words for the P.U.P.; after all he says that the P.U.P. had no kind words for him. According [...]

    Charred Remains of Ex-fireman Found in Burnt Vehicle in Dangriga
    The body of a veteran fireman was found burnt inside his vehicle in Dangriga. But who would want him dead and why? Well, it seems that the price on his [...]

    Maurice Felix Wanted for Murder After Receiving Bail on Friday
    Belize City police are tonight looking for well known street figure, thirty-year-old Maurice Felix, who was released on bail last Friday after being charged with the attempted murder of two [...]

    Chopping on Long Bank Road
    A chopping incident over the weekend left a man hospitalized. Twenty seven year old Rodolfo Perez was chopped multiple times in the Long Bank Road a few miles outside of [...]

    Plane Crash Survivor Recounts Harrowing Experience
    An official investigation into the cause of an airplane crash near Lighthouse Reef last Tuesday, involving a Tropic Air flight destined for Roatan, Honduras remains ongoing.  The inquiry is being [...]

    …Says Coastguard Rescue Details Not Entirely Accurate
    Rogiers’ version of the subsequent rescue contrasts starkly with that of the coast guard.  They reported that not only was the operation successful but that their response time was well [...]

    Brother Charged with Manslaughter After Sibling’s Body Was Found Inside Vat
    Sixty-one year old Lester Yorke’s badly decomposing body was found in a vat in February 2014 at his family’s premises on Guerrero Street in Belize City. This morning, his brother, [...]

    Endorsement Convention for Darrell Bradley in Caribbean Shores
    On Sunday, Belize City Mayor Darrell Bradley was officially endorsed as U.D.P. Standard Bearer. As far as conventions go, it was a low-key political event since Petrocaribe made its entry [...]

    PM Barrow Pokes Fun at Opposition Leader’s Political Quandary
    And one more piece of political news…This isn’t exactly a great time in the P.U.P.’s long history, or even a particularly good time. So of course, the PM couldn’t resist [...]

    Police Officer Shoots Armed Clubgoer in Old Capital
    Internal and criminal investigations are currently ongoing at the Police Department in Belize City after a city resident was shot by an on-duty police officer. Thirty-year old Kareem Betancourt is [...]

    Fatal RTA Claims Life of Burrell Boom Resident
    There were two fatal accidents over the weekend…one in Sand Hill, Belize District and the other in Hicatee Village, Toledo. On Saturday afternoon, fifty-seven year old Oscar Chacon of Burrell [...]

    Charlie Card Perishes in Road Traffic Accident in Toledo District
    The second fatality took the life of seventy-three year old Isidoro Galvez of Hicatee Village in Toledo District. Around midnight on Saturday, police came across an extensively damaged Mazda pickup [...]

    Football and Basketball Dominate Weekend Sporting Activities
    Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.   Friday night saw the opening game in the semi-pro basketball championship which saw the defending champions, San Pedro Tiger [...]

    CTV3

    Students From Orange Walk And Corozal Among Top PSE Performance
    The Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports issued today the preliminary results of the 2015 Primary School Examination, PSE. When it comes to student population a total of 7,325 candidates registered for the PSE of which 7,223 candidates actually sat all or part of the exam this year. PSE numbers for 2015 record a 3.0% decrease in the number of test candidates registered over 2014 with one hundred and sixteen candidates being absent for all or part of the exam. But what we want to highlight tonight are the top performers. There were 26 this year and among them are students from Orange Walk and Corozal. First place was taken by Gabriel Hope, a student of Bernice Yorke in Belize City with a score of 386. Ranking in second with a score of 380 is Carrel Moralez from San Narciso Corozal. Ranking fourth with a score of 376 is Junyan He of Corozal Methodist. Ranking 22nd with a score of 369 is Ellin Ling of Saint Francis Xavier. Hector Lopez of La Inmaculada ranked 24th with a score of 368 while Nathalya Marin of Mary Hill R.C ranked 26th with a score of 367.

    Two New Justice Of appeal Sworn In By Governor General
    Today two new Justices of Appeal were sworn-in by the Governor General, His Excellency Sir Colville Young, at the Belize House in Belmopan. Justice Murrio Ducille is an Attorney at Law and has been in practice since 1975 when he was admitted to the Jamaica Bar. In Jamaica, Justice Ducille served as Clerk of the Court with responsibility for criminal prosecution for the Parish of Portland. He additionally served as State Prosecutor in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions where he was in charge of criminal prosecution and represented the state in the Court of Appeal. He also prepared and presented extradition cases between the United States and Jamaica. Between 1984 and 1997, Justice Ducille acted as Solicitor General, served as Chief Prosecutor and Attorney General in Bahamas; Director of Public Prosecutions in Dominica and Chief Magistrate in Antigua and Barbuda. In 1997, he began his private practice.

    LOVE FM

    Gabriel Hope of Bernice Yorke Institute Leads in PSE Results
    The Primary School Examination Preliminary Results 2015 were released this evening by the Ministry of Education. Gabriel Hope, is the Top Performer. He scored 386 points and hails from Bernice York Institute of Learning. Love News spoke to Hope to get his reaction to finishing in the top position. Coming in second was Carrell Moralez […]

    AA Introduces Direct Flight to Los Angeles, USA
    A direct flight between Belize and Los Angeles was introduced on Saturday, June 6 by the American Airlines carrier to coincide with their 25th anniversary. The flight from Los Angeles landed this past Saturday at the Philip Goldson International Airport just before six o’clock while the first flight direct to Los Angeles, USA departed the […]

    City Mayor Moves Up to National Politics
    2014 saw the Belize City Mayor, Darrell Bradley, confusing the media on his political plans on whether he would have been seeking re-election at the Belize City Council or whether he would be going after his desire to be the Standard Bearer for the Caribbean Shores Division. At one point, we thought he was out […]

    Fonseca Says Politics Under UDP is Low and Dirty
    Fonseca also spoke on Ramos’ decision and his failure to inform the party and on the now pending bi-elections and how prepared the People’s United Party is. FRANCIS FONSECA “Politics under this United Democratic Party Government is the lowest and dirtiest I have ever seen it practiced in Belize and I believe all right thinking Belizeans […]

    Opposition Leader Casts Aspersions on Ramos but Concedes to Having No Evidence
    Earlier we told you of Ramos’ resignation from the House of Representatives. The letter of resignation has been accepted and the People’s United Party has responded. That response from the party came just after eleven o’clock this morning where the media gathered to hear the Opposition Leader speak on the current situation. According to PUP […]

    PUP Alleges Ramos Was Paid by UDP to Resign
    The resignation of Ivan Ramos from the House of Representatives has placed the People’s United Party in a position where the strength of the organisation and its leadership is once again up for scrutiny … but the PUP is not taking blame so easily as they are saying that this is a tactic from the […]

    Ivan Ramos Resigns and Exits Political Life
    Just six months after the People’s United Party lost the Cayo North seat in the House of Representatives, their seat for Dangriga is now vacant as Ivan Ramos has resigned and exited the political arena. With the details, we join Renee Trujillo.

    Family Woke Up to Gunshots Fired at Their Home
    A family from Belmopan are concerned after they came under attack on Friday night. Correspondent Fem Cruz has the story. FEM CRUZ “A family of three in the University Heights Phase 1 of Belmopan is devastated after their home and vehicle were shot at several times. According to the family they are trying to put […]

    Repeated Home Invasions in New Site Dangriga Have Residents Fearful
    A woman was attacked while at her home in Dangriga. Correspondent Harry Arzu reports. HARRY ARZU “A 35-year-old woman of Second New Site in Dangriga was brutally attacked last night while she was in her house sleeping. Reports here are saying that the perpetrator entered the house through a small window located on the […]

    PlusTV

    Coast Guard Honored for Bravery at Sarstoon
    “Civil, calm, but assertive,” those were the words used to describe the stalwart crew of Belizean seafarers who stood defiant against the Guatemalan navy until they were ordered to leave their reconnaissance mission to avoid further confrontation ...

    Preventative Diplomacy Only Benefiting Guats?
    “Preventative Diplomacy,” is the term used by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to describe the call for Belize’s Coast Guard to retreat from the Sarstoon Island after they were accosted by Guatemalan military...

    More Police Officers for Caracol
    12 officers of the law were inducted into the ranks of the Tourism Police Unit last week Friday May 29th at the Police Training Academy in Belmopan. All 12 of those constables have since been posted at the Caracol Archeological site located in the Chiquibul Rain Forest...

    Fatal traffic accident claims two lives
    Two men died in a traffic accident last night. At 8:30p.m. on Thursday June 4, police visited an area between miles 5 and 6 on the Hummingbird Highway where they saw a black motorcycle and a red motorcycle extensively damaged and facing each other...

    General Legal Council recommends Marcel Cardona Suspension
    Attorney Marcel Cardona, former Area Representative and rejected UDP has been recommended for one year suspension by the General Legal Council...

    Trio face major jail time and fines for drug trafficking
    Three men, two of whom have previous convictions for drug offences, face a heavy fall in relation to another bust of drug trafficking in the Cayo District for which they were convicted last week.  35 year old Richard Smith,  30 year old Kent Nunez and 29 year old Jason Philips were found with 17, 2...

    Found drugs and Drug trafficking in Belmopan area
    Police say they have arrested and charged Kurt Hyde with drug trafficking. On June 4, police conducted a search at the residence of 30-year-old Kurt Hyde of mile 43 on the George Price Highway which led to the discovery of a blue kit bag which contained 1,342grams of Cannabis...

    Caye Caulker Chronicles

    Caye Caulker Chronicles Offering Classified Ads For Free To Both Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye
    The Caye Caulker Chronicles is offering classified ads for free to the residents of Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. This is to facilitate cross island trade between the two communities. In order to place a classified ad just click on the “CLASSIFIEDS” tab on the main navigation bar.

    Miss Brianne Rubio Wins Miss Chiquitita
    We are sorry that we don’t have a clear photo of the winning Miss Chiquitita but nonetheless we offer our hearty congratulations to Miss Brianny Rubion for winning the pageant.

    Mayhem On Caye Caulker As Two Youths Go Into Police Custody Over Theft And Before Long One Is Dead
    Several youths living on the island of Caye Caulker were accused of burglary and theft and taken into custody by police, and within hours one was dead. There have been a string of burglaries on the island lately with several homes being broken into and items stolen. Sources on the island say the deceased, Gilbert Sotz, was detained early this evening when he disembarked from a water taxi. He was taken to the station by police where he was beaten while police demanded he tell them where the stolen items were. When he refused to talk, a plastic bag was allegedly placed over his head. When it was not removed in time, he suffocated. Another youth, Manuel Guerra, is said to be badly beaten. Frantic family members are said to be still trying to ascertain his current condition. Around ten persons are currently being detained at the police station over the thefts and burglaries.

    The Reporter

    San Pedro Tigersharks win 1st NEBL final
    There was little joy at the after party in San Ignacio as Cayo basketball fans lamented the top-seeded Cayo Western Ballaz’s 64-77 loss to defending champions, the San Pedro Tigersharks, in the first game of the National Elite Basketball League championship finals at the Sacred Heart College auditorium on Friday night, June 5. It was a tale of four quarters, and the Ballaz dominated the first half, with the NEBL’s Most Valuable Player of the regular season, Richard Troyer, draining in three 3-pointers to lead the Ballaz with 19pts, 17 boards for a 17-16 lead in the first quarter. Elvis Usher Jr followed suite with two 3-pointers for 14 pts, and Giovanni Lennan took the court in the second quarter to add 11pts, four boards; as the Ballaz took command of the ball game: 35-28 at intermission.

    Breaking Belize NewsPJ

    Teenager dies in police custody in Caye Caulker
    Reports reaching our newsroom are that residents of Caye Caulker are up in rage with Caye Caulker Police after a teenager died early this evening in their custody. Unconfirmed reports are that there are over 100 Caye Caulker residents outside of the police station protesting and police are firing warning […]

    Port driver admits striking partner during fight
    A driver for the Port of Belize will be sentenced for wounding his common law partner later this week. 50 year old Amon Taylor pleaded guilty to a charge of wounding 24 year old Special Constable Shanice Watler during a fight at their home. According to Watler, around […]

    Charged for attempted burglary
    Repeat offender Wababa Norales is before the courts again, accused of trying to break into a residence on Barracat Street in Belize City by kicking down the door. Norales entered a not guilty plea to charges of attempted burglary before Chief Magistrate Ann-Marie Smith today. According to resident […]

    Congratulations ‘El Bronco’ of Mexico
    By Charles Leslie Jr. The Belize Unity Alliance would like to congratulate Mr. Jaime Rodriguez, an independent candidate, on his recent win as Governor of the Mexican State of Nuevo Leon. He has helped to set a precedent and gives hope to the people, that electing independent, free-thinking individuals who are […]

    Brother charged for brother’s manslaughter death
    They were two brothers who lived together in a house on Guerrero Street in Belize City, but one allegedly pushed the other to his death during a fight. Today, 42 year old Michael Rowland, a laborer from Sandhill village, was read charges of manslaughter before Chief Magistrate Ann […]

    Dangriga by-election set for July 8
    The Government is moving quickly to take advantage of the sudden resignation of Ivan Ramos, Dangriga representative, calling a by-election for the seat to be held on Wednesday, July 8. The Governor General, Sir Colville Young, has signed a writ for election of a member to the House […]

    Attorney denies professional misconduct
    Marcel Cardona, accused of perverting the course of justice and bribing and conspiring with judicial officers, faces a reported one-year suspension to be affirmed by the Chief Justice after a report by the General Legal Counsel. But not only does Cardona say he was not aware of any […]

    Maurice Felix gets bail but will face murder charge after alleged victim dies
    On Friday bail of $15,000 was granted to Maurice Felix, charged with the attempted murder of Mark Gentle Vernon and his father Calvin Cumberbatch at their family home on Caesar Ridge Road. Felix was represented by Oscar Selgado while representative for the office of the Director of Public […]

    Belize joined to Guatemala on newspaper’s map
    Sharp eyes spotted an advertisement on the website for top Guatemalan newspaper Prensa Libre recently in advance of Guatemalan general elections in October and November which appears to join Belize to a map of Guatemala. The erroneous image appears in the ad for Decision Libre 2015, the newspaper’s […]

    Dangriga police investigates human remains discovered in burning vehicle
    This morning at around 12:13a.m, Dangriga police responded to reports of a vehicle on fire. They then dispatched to the Commerce Bight Road leading to the jetty where they saw a vehicle on fire and called fire fighters. The flames were then extinguished but while inspecting the vehicle, the burned […]

    PUP to discuss Ramos resignation
    PUP leader Francis Fonseca announced today at a hastily scheduled press conference that the party had moved on from former Dangriga representative Ivan Ramos who has resigned from the House of Representatives. According to Fonseca, while he likes and respects Ramos, he has made a terrible decision, of which he […]

    A man has perished in a vehicle fire in Dangriga
    Members of the Fire department and police officers managed to extinguish the fire. Upon making further checks, officials discovered that the driver was inside the vehicle at the time of the blaze. More will be posted shortly.

    Warm and relatively unstable conditions affecting the country
    The general situation calls for warm and relatively unstable conditions affecting the country. The outlook for the next 24 hours is for cloudy at times with a few showers and thunderstorms along the southern coast areas this morning moving inland this afternoon into tonight. Winds will vary between the east and […]

    Dangriga Police seeks assistance to identify chopped victim
    Dangriga police is seeking the assistance of the general public in identifying a male person who was victim of chopping incident in the Long Bank Community. Reports are that police responded to the call and upon reaching the scene, saw a Hispanic male person with his left arm hacked off and with several […]

    Hon. Ivan Ramos Resigns Dangriga Seat
    The National Assembly of Belize has issued a press release informing the nation about the resignation of the Honorable Ivan Ramos, PUP area representative for the Dangriga Division from the House of Representatives. According to the release, the letter of resignation was received this morning by Mr. Eddie Webster, the […]

    Ivan Ramos – Shades of Marcel Cardona
    By Delroy Cuthkelvin The assertion by a Deputy Leader of the Opposition this past week that the acceptance of public funds by Hon. Ivan Ramos on behalf of the constituents of Dangriga who elected him somehow constitutes a wrong and punishable act because it does not conform to his party’s position, […]

    Ivan Ramos did the right thing by resigning and now he has the last laugh
    By: Wellington C. Ramos All the people who come from Dangriga know the Ramos family well and the one that is most known out of all of them is Ivan’s father Carl Ramos better known as “Kiwi”. He was a quite, humble and dedicated individual who made it his business to […]

    Blogs

    World Oceans Day: 5 Awesome Underwater Sites in Belize
    These Underwater Sites in Belize will have you dreaming up your next Vacation! Enjoy these awesome underwater sites in Beautiful Belize to celebrate World Oceans Day 2015. 1. The Great Blue Hole 2. Hol Chan Marine Reserve 3. Gladden Spit 4. Turneffe Atoll 5. Swallow Caye Wildlife Sanctuary

    How to Make Sourdough Flour Tortillas
    I used my sourdough starter to make flour tortillas... no baking powder. Easy, delicious flat bread that goes well with everything.

    International Sourcesizz

    British airlines 'face multiple toxic air claims'
    Seventeen former and serving cabin crew are planning legal action against British airlines saying they have been poisoned by contaminated cabin air. The cases are funded by the Unite union which represents 20,000 flight staff. Workers believe they have fallen sick after breathing in fumes mixed with engine oil and other toxic chemicals. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says incidents of smoke or fumes on planes are rare and there is no evidence of long-term health effects. Uncensored safety reports submitted to the CAA, and obtained by the Victoria Derbyshire programme, show that between April 2014 and May 2015 there were 251 separate incidents of fumes or smoke inside a large passenger jet operated by a British airline. The BBC has, where possible, chosen not to include cases which could be blamed on an internal fault like a broken toilet or air conditioning system. The statistics do not include international airlines, such as Lufthansa and Ryanair, even when travelling in British airspace.

    Missions in a Belizean Paradise
    An 11 member team from Broadway United Methodist Church, led by Rebecca O’Brien, will be returning to Belize for the third time with Thirst Missions from June 6-14. The team will be serving in Belmopan, at the “Kings Children Home,” which is an orphanage in the Cayo District of western Belize. Many of the people speak Spanish even though English is taught in schools, and many of the people who reside in Belmopan have come from the neighboring areas of Guatemala, El Salvador and other Central American countries. Thirst Missions, based in Forest Lake, Minn., is the world’s leader in providing short-term mission trips to Belize, Central America. They take care of all the logistics and planning so the group can focus on ministry and relationships. Once in Belize, the Broadway UMC team will be working with the Kings Children Home. The Children’s Home is run under Christian principles and is open for any child that is in need of love, care and a home. The Children’s Home is run by wonderful people that were once helped by the home and are now grown men and women. They are placed throughout the home to fill up different positions based on their talents and the needs present. The Children’s Home is focused on music ministry, child restoration and preaching the gospel as points of emphasis to the children.

    Commentary: The Garifuna people and St Vincent and the Grenadines
    By Jose Francisco Avila. As descendants from Africans in mainland St Vincent and the Grenadines, who intermarried with the Caribs and Arawaks, the Garifunas or Black Caribs, are part of the unique cultures and melting pot of ethnicities that have their roots in the Caribbean. According to Dr Adrian Fraser, "The story of the Garifuna people is a unique one that needs to be told, since among other things, it is pivotal to understanding their position in Central America and also the history of St Vincent and the Grenadines; and indeed the rest of the Caribbean region in which St Vincent was one of the last outposts of Carib resistance.”[1] June is National Caribbean American Heritage Month; therefore, I’d like to share a historical timeline, which documents the efforts of the Garifuna people to reconnect with their ancestral homeland St Vincent and the Grenadines, “Yurumein” to become the subjects of our own history.

    Videos

  • World Pediatric | Helping Babies Breathe | Punta Gorda | Belize, 3min.

  • Belize Live Aboard pt 2, 12min. Scuba Diving Aboard the Agressor!

  • BTIA ORANGE WALK CHAPTER CELEBRATES WORLD OCEANS DAY, 3min. June 6th is observed as World Oceans Day. Here in Orange Walk the event was celebrated by the Belize Tourism Industry Association, BTIA, Orange Walk Chapter on Saturday. The event saw children of all ages gathering at the BTIA building located at the Central Park to paint their messages of keeping the world’s oceans clean.

  • Caye Caulker riot, 1min.

  • Caye Caulker riot part 2, 1min.

  • Mayan Temples Belize 2015, 4min.

  • Diving the Belizean barrier reef, 7min. The barrier reef in Belize is the second largest in the world. Towards the end of the video, I went chasing after a pair of eagle rays and burnt up most of my air by going too deep.

  • University of Arkansas Belize Community Development, 5.5min.

  • , 5min. A recap of our family trip for our grandparents 60th wedding anniversary on an island 70 miles off of the coast of Belize

  • Belize Dive 2015, 7min. Diving Turneffe Reef in Belize on May 27th, 2015. Filmed with a GoPro Hero 3+. I got a splitting headache on the first dive and came up 10 minutes early and my second dive only lasted 5 minutes for the same reason. I don't know if I was pause-breathing and did it to myself or if my equipment or air was bad (I'm betting it was the equipment). Everybody got to see and touch a nurse-shark on the second dive after I got on the boat. Grrrr.

  • You better Belize it HD, 6min.

  • Reefs for People – Our Reef (The Belize Barrier Reef), 1min. A few facts you might not know about this impressive jewel!

  • World Oceans Day: Celebrate With One Of The Best Videos Ever!, 4min. World Oceans Day, held every June 8th, is the United Nations-recognized day of ocean celebration and action. People all over our blue planet organize celebrations to support action to protect the ocean. This year, the theme is Healthy oceans, Healthy planet, and we’re making a special effort to stop plastic pollution. According to the UN, “The ocean regulates the climate, feeds millions of people every year, produces oxygen, is the home to an incredible array of wildlife, provides us with important medicines, and so much more. In order to ensure the health and safety of our communities and future generations, it’s imperative that we take the responsibility to care for the ocean as it cares for us.”

    June 8, 2015


    FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

    Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

    Specials and Events

    Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
    Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


    The San Pedro Sun

    Congratulations to repeat NEBL Champions The San Pedro Tiger Sharks!!
    They took Game 2 and the championship with a final score of 61-55!!!

    Ambergris Today

    San Pedro Tiger Sharks takes the basketball championship for a second year in a row
    Today's win against Cayo Western made the team the 2015 NEBL Champions. Congratulations!!!

    Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

    Ten day Weather Outlook for Belize
    Here is the ten-day outlook. Expect wet conditions this week, especially late Thursday through Friday and Saturday. Local flash flood conditions likely in the hilly areas on Friday and Saturday. Two tropical waves will cross Belize during the next ten-days. The first will reach the country this Wednesday morning, while the other tropical wave will approach the country on Friday. A low will evolved from the second tropical wave over Belize during Friday, and will then drift NNE over the weekend. A short-wave upper level trough in the southern and eastern Gulf of Mexico will provide outflow for the convective activity associated with the first tropical wave crossing the country, then an upper level high over southern Mexico and the NW Caribbean will favor strong uplift and outflow for the convection associated with the approaching, second tropical wave late Thursday night and Friday of this week.

    Ivan Ramos Announces Decision To Resign!
    Less than a month ago, Hon. Ramos announced his decision not to seek re-election & the PUP immediately announced the endorsement of Anthony Sabal. While the PUP made it seem like everything was good between Ramos and the Party, Ramos' harsh words led many to believe that he was pushed out. Less than three weeks following that announcement, reports circulated that Ramos accepted monies from GOB via Petrocaribe Funds for "Father's Day Cheer." Accepting the Petrocaribe monies is an action that the PUP has openly condemned, so Ramos' decision was seen as an open disregard for the Party's agreed position. Just last week, PUP Deputy Party Leader Julius Espat went on record to condemn accepting monies from Petrocaribe!

    Benque Archaeological Site
    Benque Viejo has a archaelogical site from which you can see the top of one of Xunantunich's temple. The site in Benque is currently being excavated.

    Caye Caulker Chronicles

    Std. I Students Visit Cayo And Learn About Iguanas
    The Standard I class of Caye Caulker R. C. School visited San Ignacio yesterday on a field trip, accompanied by home room teacher Mrs. Neirie Marin and some parents. The children spent the day at the San Ignacio Hotel. They took a tour of the Iguana Center where the learnt about iguanas and their natural habitat.

    The Reporter

    VIP launching “No to ICJ” educational campaign
    The Vision Inspired by the People (VIP) is launching a countrywide educational campaign to inform the public of the VIP’s position against taking the Belize-Guatemala dispute to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and reasons for its stance. According to VIP Public Relations Officer Robert Lopez, VIP representatives will make the rounds on the local media this week, explaining their position and why they believe that going to the ICJ is not in the best interest of the country. Lopez said the presentation they have prepared will also be made available for secondary and tertiary level schools, churches and other groups that want to understand the situation and what it means for them. Lopez said they will encourage each citizen to make their own decision.

    Weekend traffic accidents claim two lives
    Two separate traffic accidents over the weekend, one in Ladyville and the other in Hicatee Village, Toledo have claimed the lives of two men and left a woman injured. The first incident happened on Saturday morning at the Maskall junction in Sandhill, where 30-year-old Kayir Benavidez from Orange Walk Town was driving his Chevy SUV in the direction of Orange Walk when a Hispanic man who was running across the road suddenly stopped and tried to return to the side of the road, but ended up being hit by the SUV. Police later arrived on the scene and identified the man as 57-year-old Oscar Chacon from Burrel Boom. Chacon received extensive head and body injuries and died at the scene. His body was then transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) morgue where a post-mortem will be done.

    Breaking Belize NewsPJ

    PUP says Ivan Ramos Resignation was induced by UDP
    This morning, BMG was the first media house in Belize to break the story that Hon. Ivan Ramos was resigning from the House of Representatives. Since then, the story has gone viral on social media and has triggered the PUP to issue a press release on the matter. According to […]

    One injured and another perishes as a consequence of road traffic accident
    Around midnight on Saturday, Toledo police responded to a road accident in the vicinity of Hicattee Village, some 20 miles on the Southern Highway. Upon arrival, officials observed a gray four door Mazda pickup truck bearing license plate numbers SI-C-016655 with extensive damages to the driver side and front portion. […]

    Trio could face charges for Aggravated assault
    Three persons are in police custody pending investigations of an assault in Belize City. According to the report, a 36 year old under taker from Freetown Road in the old Capital told police that on Saturday around 1:25 pm, while socializing in his yard, a dark complexion male walked into […]

    Traffic Mishap claims the life of resident of Burrel Boom
    One man lost his life in a traffic incident that occurred in Ladyville on Saturday. According to the report, Ladyville police responded to the scene in the vicinity of Sand Hill village in the Belize District and upon their arrival saw a Hispanic man on the road side with extensive head […]

    UNO Gas station gets mugged of $1147.00
    On Saturday June 6th, Uno gas station was the target of an arm robbery. According to police reports, around 11:50pm, 2 masked men entered Uno gas station, located on #1 Philip Goldson Highway and held the cashier at knife point. Fearing for her life she handed over cash and cell […]

    Belize commended for Money Laundering lock down
    list of member countries at the forefront of combating money laundering and terrorist financing, reaching the highest level of agreement with international standards. Belize has been removed from the CFATF follow-up process and the International Cooperation Review Group’s (ICRG) review program after an assessment showed that we have improved our […]

    Will Ivan Ramos Resign from the House of Representatives?
    Reports reaching our news room are that Hon. Ivan Ramos, area representative for the Dangriga Division is on the brink of resigning from the House of Representatives. According to our sources, Hon. Ramos is upset at the PUP particularly Hon. Julius Espat who threatened to discipline him. We will have […]

    Free internet at Corozal’s central park
    Through a joint partnership with local government, the Government of Belize and BTL, Corozalenos are now benefiting from free internet at the central park, one of the Town’s biggest public spaces. According to Mayor Hilberto Campos, the initiative was brought up with the intentions to assist students that have problems […]

    Belize Elite Basketball League Finals
    The first leg of the grand finale in the NEBL Basketball tournament was played on Friday night inside the Sacred Heart Auditorium. Spectators packed the house and were witnesses to a night that can only be described as an intense and heated game. At the end of the […]

    Bradley will officially be endorsed as UDP standard bearer for Caribbean Shores
    Today, Mayor Darrell Bradley will be endorsed as the new standard bearer for Caribbean Shores during an endorsement convention in the City. But the real news is that current Area Representative for that constituency, Hon. Santino Castillo was not invited to the celebration. However, in an interview with Mayor Bradley […]

    Blogs

    A Gorgeous Weekend Newsletter: Carnival Set Up, The Leeward Side of Ambergris Caye & BASKETBALL Champions
    Lurking Around A Carnival: A carnival is in town at the Old Soccer Field/Saca Chispas at the back side of San Pedro. For the 2nd year in a row, the San Pedro Tiger Sharks – part of the National Elite Basketball League of Belize (Belize’s NBA) – competed against the Cayo Western Ballaz for the championship. 3 games. Our Tiger Sharks won in Cayo on Friday. And then yesterday….VICTORY…in a very tight game. Coach Rico helped the Shark roll up his pants legs and gave him a pep talk for the game. It probably revolved around one theme: Try not to pass out in there.

    On Ambergris Caye — change is gonna come
    You can’t escape change. Even on a Caribbean island. Some of it you can’t do much about — like the weather. Some of it is economic — like the end of the tourism season. And some of it is man made — like traffic. We’re heading into hurricane/rainy season and it is interesting how precise the timetable is — for the rain at least. Right on schedule, June 1, the clouds began moving in and the winds began to die down. It now rains, however briefly, at least once at night and occasionally during the day. This is a good thing since our water supply is almost entirely dependent on rain and our cisterns are nearly depleted. Likewise, well water is quite low and high in smelly rotten-egglike sulfurs. Flushing toilets are not a pleasant experience at the moment. Ah, island living. Until June, the wind was constant, day and night, a steady breeze from the east that brought with it relief from the heat, crashing waves on the reef, an end to mosquitoes and sandflies and, unfortunately, tons of sargassum and floating plastic that piled up on the shore with a relentless smelly density.

    Are Ethics a Secret to a Sustainable Society?
    The most important ethical question facing society and the scientific community today is whether we can prevent the collapse of global civilization in response to today’s “perfect storm” of environmental problems. That is, will (or can) we pay enough today to spare future generations from utter disaster? The interrelated crises of overpopulation, wasteful consumption, rapidly deteriorating life-support systems, growing economic inequity, widespread hunger and poverty, toxification of the planet, declining resources, an increasing threat of resource wars (especially over oil, gas, and fresh water), a worsening epidemiological environment that enhances the probability of unprecedented pandemics, and persistent racial, gender, and religious prejudices that make these problems more difficult to solve, represent the greatest challenge ever faced by humans. The urgency of finding answers is signified by the view of many scientists that society may have only a decade to initiate drastic corrective action, that this complex of interrelated problems is unrecognized by the elites who run the world, and that it has not yet generated a global “critical mass” public issue around sustainability. Civilization is fiddling while its life-support systems burn. The failure to address the increasingly obvious threats from climate disruption alone have clearly shown that scientific knowledge, even if widely presented to the public, can fail to produce adaptive behavioral change. One basic reason for this is that human beings have evolved wonderful mechanisms for observing and reacting to sudden changes, in part by mentally holding the environmental background constant to make the changes stand out.

    Macaw Guardian Interns
    Quick update from the field: Thanks to an amazing team collaboration between Friends for Conservation - FCD, under the leadership of Boris Arevalo, BWRC and our first "Macaw Guardian Interns" Katy and Lacey, Dr. LoraKim from One Earth Conservation (THANK YOU once more for all, and the pictures as well) and Marc-Andre from HARI we checked 11 macaw chicks in 2 days on the upper Macal and at Las Cuevas Research Station (LCRS). We found no serious health issues, gathered much needed data and samples, and our chicks in the field lab are doing amazing! More pictures later - but now back to class with the UMN group - Dr. I

    International Sourcesizz

    Arlington student heads to Belize to study wildlife conservation
    Lindsay Mosher of Arlington, a master’s-degree student in the Global Field Program from Miami University’s Project Dragonfly, will travel to Belize over the summer to study coral reefs, manatees, howler monkeys, jaguars and other wildlife, while learning the methods communities are using to sustain them.

    Videos

  • reLIVE adventures in Belize., 5min.

  • Guatemala e Belize, 4.5min. Nossa passagem pela Guatemala e por Belize

  • Hannah's Stable, Marin family ride, Belize, 4.5min. Listen carefully to what this baby says about what is for her the "prettiest thing in the history of anything"! Thanks for a wonderful day Santiago.

  • Zipline in Belize, 9min. May 2015 Carnival Magic Cruise: King David Tours Zip Line Adventure. It was a blast. This shows 5 of the 6 zip lines.

  • Reeling in a Barracuda in Belize (it's a contact sport), 1.5min. After a good fight in the mangroves, we get him in the boat.

  • LORD RHABURN'S DOG OF WAR & THE HOLLYWOOD MOVIE!, 6min. When the Hollywood film, Dogs of War, staged its epic filming in the former British colony of British Honduras now independent Belize in 1979, Belize most celebrated Calypsonian, the legendary Lord Rhaburn, dropped a classic Belizean calypso tune on the Belize music scene called, Dogs of War, named after the epic film itself. Rhaburn's Dogs of War, though not a part of the soundtrack for the film, became an instant hit across the country of Belize. The popular hit single became a track off the Lord Rhaburn Combo's eight song album release that same year.

  • HE CAPTIVATING DADDY TRACEY IS BACK ON THE SCENE!, 4.5min. The 1990's Belizean musical artists, Daddy Tracey, came on the Belize and Caribbean music scene in Los Angeles, California, and blew away everything that was Soca, Punta Rock, and Dancehall. His pulsating Punta Rock / Soca style captivated many of the young generation of Caribbean music lovers, and made him a big Belizean music superstar equal to none. The featured song, Gumption, that was one of the first tracks to be released off a four song album that was written by the brilliant Belizean songwriter, Eugene Thompson in collaboration with Daddy Tracey himself, was also produced by Belizean music legend, Clinton 'Junie' Crawford in 1992. Gumption and other hit releases on the Daddy Tracey album also became big hits in Belize, as well as taking the whole country by storm where all four songs became instant hits on the Belize music charts.

    June 7, 2015


    FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

    Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

    Specials and Events

    Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
    Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


    The San Pedro Sun

    Blue Tang Inn Awarded 2015 Certificate of Excellence
    Blue Tang Inn has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. Now in its fifth year, the award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor. Certificate of Excellence winners include accommodations, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a superior customer experience. “Winning the 2015 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence is a tremendous honor for the entire team at the Blue Tang Inn,” said Kristin Fisher, US Sales & Marketing Director for Blue Tang Inn. “We thank all of our guests who took the time to complete a review on TripAdvisor!” When selecting Certificate of Excellence winners, TripAdvisor uses a proprietary algorithm to determine the honorees that takes into account the quality, quantity and recency of reviews and opinions submitted by travelers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period as well as business’s tenure and ranking on the Popularity Index on the site. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

    Three Caye Caulker Police Officers awarded ‘Best Relief’
    Three Caye Caulker Police Officers have received compensation for their hard work. Woman Police Constable (WPC) Brittany Lopez, Police Constable (PC) Hallet King and PC Albert Lawrence of Caye Caulker Police Department (CCPD) Release #1 were awarded Best Relief for the month of May 2015. The officers demonstrated determination to up hold the law and protect the citizens and visitors of Caye Caulker Village. To recognize their achievement the officers were presented with $500 cash on Friday, May 29th during a short ceremony. “With the small force that we have in Caye Caulker, our officers always have to be on top of their game. That’s why it’s good when we can give them a little extra compensation for their hard work. I congratulate these three outstanding officers for making the Police Department proud by upholding the law and serving the community the way it should be,” said Officer in Charge of the CCPD, Kirby Palma. Unfortunately PC Lawrence was not present at the ceremony, as he recently sustained a fractured finger and is receiving medical attention.

    Stagnant Water from Unfinished projects becoming an eye sore
    Residents have voiced concerns over two development seawall projects to reclaim beaches, but instead have created unsightly stagnant pools and other issues. One development is located on the lagoon side of town core and the other is beachfront, south of town. Among the issues noted are the accumulation of garbage and eutrophication due to the lack of free flowing water. In an interview with The San Pedro Sun, Mayor Daniel Guerrero addressed the issue, stating that the developers are expected to complete the project soon, thereby getting rid of the eyesore. According to Guerrero, he has spoken to the developers of both areas, and they will be filling the area with sand to beautify the seawall. One of the areas, formerly known as the Sunset Grill, has recently been purchased after it was abandoned for some time by the previous owner. “We have spoken to the new owner and he plans on reconstructing the area and opening a restaurant. They have gotten the development concept approved by all necessary agents and are working on filling in where the stagnant water is. It will be fixed,” said Guerrero. Garbage has been accumulating at the Sunset Grill seawall since it was abandoned, but once construction commences, the area will be cleaned and beautified.

    Ricky Luna takes on Merida 2015 WOD Challenge and wins!
    Over the weekend of May 29th- 31st two athletes from Ambergris Caye traveled to Merida, Yucatan Mexico to compete in the Merida 2015 WOD Challenge. Head coach and Co-owner of WOD Zone Lucien Pollard and WOD Zone Coach Ricky Luna proudly represented Belize in the competition. At the end of some incredibly tough challenges, Luna ended up taking the top prize in the Intermediate Division. According to Pollard, WOD Zone found out about the event through the popular social media outlet Facebook. After contacting the organizers of the event, they were invited to join in the challenge. There were three different categories: scaled, intermediate, and RX. Intermediate competitor Luna was completely surprised with the results of his efforts. “I was not expecting to win at all. I felt nervous and excited, because we hadn’t competed before,” he said. “We had been on a break from the gym, so we went to this competition to see where we were physically. When I came in first, I was shocked!” The competition consisted of weight lifting, gymnastics and conditioning (cardio), and saw him take the top spot out of 75 total competitors.

    Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

    Two carriers on the Belize route now!
    With today's inaugural Los Angeles, California to Belize flight (Airbus 319) by American Airlines we now have two carriers flying the route. Here are both on the ground at BZE this morning. We wish our friends at American and Delta the best!

    21st Annual Coca Cola National Spelling Bee
    Corozal House of Culture's Coordinator was honoured to participate as head judge at the 21st Annual Coca Cola National Spelling Bee at the Corozal Community College this morning. Twelve bright, beautiful children took up the challenge with such confidence and grace. Congratulations to winner Aaliyah Leiva from Louisiana Government School of the Orange Walk District. Second place went to Mishtony Castillo of Christiline Gill Seventh Day Adventist School and third place to Aimee Gonzalez of Corozal Nazarene School, both of Corozal Town. A special thank you to Mr. Jahmor Lopez, Corozal District Principal Education Officer for the opportunity given.

    Tropic Air Flight 9N2300 (PASSENGER ACCOUNT & CLARIFICATION)
    I write to clarify the misreporting that has been transmitted subsequent to our airplane incident on Tuesday. This misreporting I understand has been the result of (as best I can tell) an errant account of events by the Coast Guard and a lack of updates and clarification by Tropic Air. While it is true that the Coast Guard did recover us from the widlife sanctuary and island near the crash site-the recovery did not take place twenty (20) minutes after the crash landing, nor was the recovery at the actual crash site. After surviving the crash landing ("ditching") the pilot -who ultimately pulled the two of us out of the aircraft as we had difficulties opening the passenger door as the plane was submerged and upside down- informed us that we would all need to swim to the island where the Audubon Society was stationed. This was approximately three (3) miles away from our crash site, according to the pilot himself. At this time we encountered increasingly poor weather; torrential rain and driving wind. As all three of us had no major injuries from the impact, were in good health and good swimmers (myself a former competitive swimmer and lifeguard), the pilot retrieved and inflated our safety raft.

    Punta Fuego Outstanding Fisher of the Year Award
    Punta Fuego is a fictional coastal village in Belize, where a young fisherman by the name of Richie is put to the test when deceit and danger come to his village. This drama is set to ignite the passion of Belizeans across the country as the villagers fight against injustices and corruption while struggling with the hardships of life on the fire point. In commemoration of International Fisherman’s Day, an event celebrated annually on June 29th, Punta Fuego will be presenting the hardworking members of Belize’s Fisheries sector with the “Punta Fuego Outstanding Fisher of the Year Award.” Nominations can be made by the public through a written letter with a maximum of 250 words, stating what makes the nominated person a responsible Belizean fisher. The letter along with a photo of the nominee addressed to “Punta Fuego” can be delivered to LoveFm on Slaughterhouse Road in Belize City or emailed to sharmanegarcia@yahoo.com. The deadline for submission is June 15, 2015 at 4pm and the winner of this award will be announced on Love FM’s Morning Show on July 3rd.

    Busy week at Belize Bird Rescue
    Quite a week! We had 11 intakes, 8 of which BBR rescued or picked up. We spent a total of 16 hours and 50 minutes on pick-ups (including waiting time) and travelled 590 miles of unforgiving Belizean roads. Our fuel costs vary from $750US to $1800US a month and are second only to our feed bill. Of the intakes, 5 birds are injured and 6 are babies (technically 2 are both). Our existing nursery and hospital space is getting rather crowded! Please consider making a (US tax-deductible) donation to our facility upgrade fundraiser, or help us spread the word by sharing this link: https://goto.gg/20581

    Hon. Santi Says Mayor Bradley Didn't Invite Him To Endorsement Convention
    As we told you last night, Mayor Darrell Bradley is going to be endorsed as the UDP standard bearer on Sunday. We badgered him yesterday about whether his predecessor, the sitting area representative Santino Castillo would be attending. Bradley told us he invited Castillo - but did not know if he would be there. He told us we would have to ask Castillo. We couldn't reach him - but those in his camp tell us plainly that Castillo received no invitation to the Bradley convention. Castillo, we are told, will be out of the country on personal leave this weekend so will not attend the convention which is a block away from his house at the Lopez Mateos park. Those we spoke to in the Castillo camp say that they feel it is an affront that the sitting representative was not invited - especially after Castillo graciously stepped aside to allow Bradley to ascend unimpeded to the standard bearer position.

    Two Faces of Belize Central Prison
    On Monday, we showed you a portion of our interview with 24 year-old Robinson Michael, the man who came fresh out of the Belize Central Prison to condemn the Kolbe Administration for corruption and advantage taking. That's a very serious charge to lay at the feet of the country's prison keepers, and so we held off on airing his allegations against Kolbe until we got an opportunity to speak with an executive of the prison to address his laundry list of allegations. That opportunity presented itself today, when our news team had a sit-down with the CEO and an accompanying tour of the facility. Daniel Ortiz has that story with allegations and counter allegations on both sides. Virgilio Murrillo - Acting CEO, Belize Central Prison "Kolbe Foundation is very much into maintaining a secure humane prison that is geared towards rehabilitation for successful re-integration of the inmates that come here. We are very much aware that incarcerating has a negative impact on families, particularly spouses and children. What we try to is as a captive audience we try to rehabilitate these offenders so that when they return to society they can transition successfully and remain crime free once they return to society."

    Espinosa Convicted of Manslaughter
    In 2007, Krismar Espinosa was charged for the murder of 24 year old mother Rachel Chun. And now, eight years later he has been convicted for manslaughter. On Wednesday in the northern session of the Supreme Court, after two hours of deliberation, a jury of 12 persons was unable to reach a unanimous verdict of guilty for murder - so they found him guilty of manslaughter. In September of 2007, Chun was believed to have been taken into an abandoned building in Santa Familia, sexually assaulted and then bludgeoned with a cement block. She was found days later, half naked and decomposing. She was last seen with Esipnoza in front of her home. He will be sentenced on June 18th.

    Marcel Cardona Says He Never Wrote Any Email
    Last night we told you about the serious complaint of professional misconduct against Marcel Cardona which was sent to the General Legal Council. The Council - we are informed - this week took the decision to suspend Cardona from legal practice for a year. That decision still has to be approved by the Chief Justice. You'll hear what Cardona has to say shortly, but first we got back to the evidence. As we told you last night - aCzechoslovakian woman, claims that Cardona took just under thirty two thousand dollars of her money - and claimed that he had to use twenty thousand to bribe authorities to release her son, Martin Muzikant. Here is the evidence she put forward:.. Now that's a very serious allegation, that Cardona as an officer of the court allegedly put in writing, that he would use a client's money to pervert the course of justice, while bribing and conspiring with a judicial officer.

    Maurice Felix Gets Bail
    Maurice Felix was accused by police of spraying gunfire towards the house of Pamela Cumberatch and injuring her son and husband. Those are two counts of attempted murder, one count of dangerous harm and use of deadly means of harm. This morning 30 year old Feliz was back at court, this time with Attorney Oscar Selgado to hear a bail application. Selgado was able to get bail of fifteen thousand dollars for the Gill Street associate. Justice Troadio Gonzalez ordered him to report to the Queen Street Police Station every Friday, and he must make no contact with the victims or prosecution witnesses and that he must attends all court adjournments. In court, the DPP's representative, represented by Senior Crown Counsel, Cecil Ramirez, had no objection to bail being granted to Felix.

    Fatal Motorcycle Accident In Stann Creek
    Two men are dead after their motorcycles collided on the Stann Creek Valley Road. Last night at around 8:30, 28 year old William Triguero was traveling towards Sarawee village on his motorcycle when he rammed into 32 year old David Mcpherson near miles 5 and 6: Both men received massive head injuries and died on the spot. 26 year old Lucita Chun of Hope Creek Village who was traveling along with Triguero received a large cut wound to the forehead and was transported to the Southern Regional Hospital and later to the K.H.M.H. where she was admitted in a stable condition. When we spoke to police this evening, they said that it seems that Triguero veered from his lane and crashed into Mcpherson. They also said that speed was a major factor in the accident.

    CARILED For Belize City
    Every year the World Bank compares nations for the relative ease of doing business. Belize does not do well on this rating - most recently this nation was rated at 116th. But, with the help of CARILED, the Caribbean Local Economic Development Project - municipal bodies on Belize City, San Ignacio and Belmopan hope to change that. CARILED officials are touring the country -and yesterday the mayor of Belize city told the media it's all about making it easier to do business:.. "To implement ways of ease of doing business, that's the whole purpose of the round table. What we want to focus on ways that all 9 municipalities in Belize can promote easy business during within the space.

    Major Jail and Fine For Accused Drug Traffickers
    Last week, we told you about the case in which 35 year old Richard Smith, 30 year old Kent Nunez and 29 year old Jason Phillips were all convicted of smuggling 38 pounds of marijuana in Belize. They got some stiff fines to pay in a hurry, and their attorney has gotten the Chief Magistrate to allow them pay their fines at a more lenient pace. Smith, who had 2 previous convictions for drug offences, was fined $15,000 and sentenced to 3 years. He was ordered to pay $3,000 by August 30 and the balance by March 30, 2016. If he defaults on payment he will serve 3 years. Nunez was fined $10,000 and sentenced to 3 years. He was ordered to pay $2,000 by August 30 and the balance by March 30, 2016. If he defaults on payment he will serve 3 years.

    Corozal Has Free Wifi In Central Park
    Corozal Town now has free wi fi in its Central Park. The initiative is spearheaded by the town board and BTL. Everyday students can access free wi-fi - but only for one hour per log in. The students said it's just fine by them:.. The program has been operational for a few weeks.

    Prensa Libre's Ad Shows Belize As A Part Guatemala's Map
    Guatemalan general elections are coming up in November, and if you want something that will really rub you the wrong way, check the ad for this awareness campaign that the PRensa Libre newspaper is running. It's a campaign called Decision Libre 2015, to educate voters. But, as you can see the map on the logo for the campaign is the wrong one! IT incorporates Belize as a part of Guatemala. This, observers say is just a symptom of how ingrained the deluded concept of Belize-Ownership is in that country. We have since seen other logos without Belize in the map. But this one is still up on their website.

    Medical Associates Vs. Hon. King?
    And in what may also be filed under false advertising, UDP Area Representative for Lake Independence Mark King has taken over a Belize Medical Associates Bust Stop in his area, and branded it with his name. Medical Associates has been maintaining the bus stop at the corner of the western highway and western avenue for five years now - so they were shocked today to see that King had taken it over. Medical Associates says they have a memorandum of understanding with the city council for the maintenance of upkeep of this bus stop. They say they will paint it over tomorrow.

    This Year's Top Spellers Are...
    Twelve district finalists competed in the 21st annual Coca-Cola National Spelling Bee today at the Corozal Community Auditorium. And, fitting for its northern setting, the top three finishers were all from the north. Our collegaues at CTV-3 spoke to them:.. AALIYAH LEIVA won FIRST PLACE by spelling the word "mitochondria". And MUSHTONI CASTILLO earned second by spelling "schnitzel."

    Preparing For Belize's First Jazz Festival
    While Jazz music may not be as accessible as reggae or pop music, it is the finest, most sublime display of virtuosity, impriovisation and soul in the world up music. And, now the directors of the 1st ever Belize International Jazz Festival want to expose Belizeans to this genre of music with the hope that Belizeans can learn more about Jazz. While Jazz is at the forefront of the festival, there will be a fusion of other genres, styles and variations of jazz music. The festival officially opened today and we spoke to the directors and two of the artists today at the Bliss. They told us just how big and important this festival is for the young Belizean artists and for cultural and musical development. The festival will last for 10 days. There will be an opening concert tomorrow at the Memorial Park which will kick off the festival - the festival will feature a range of musicians and bands from Cuba, Belize among other surprise appearances. Veteran Belizean American trumpet player Luciano Rosado says with this event, Belize has come a long way:

    LCOE JAZZ IN TUNISIA...
    And to get you in the mood for the festival, we close tonight with a little teaser from Rosado as he plays a verse from Dizzy Gillespie's timeless night in Tunisia:..

    Caye Caulker Chronicles

    Introducing the Miss Lobster Fest 2015 Candidates
    The Caye Caulker Lobster Fest Committee has announced the names of the candidates for this year’s Miss Lobster Fest competition. They are Miss Leah Canto, Miss Aricelli Cadle, Miss Shayenn Magana and Miss Alessa Madrill. We are very glad that we are not the judges for the pageant because we can honestly say we wouldn’t know which one to choose. They are all befitting of the crown.

    The Reporter

    American Airlines inaugurates new flight
    American Airlines inaugurated its newest flight route between Belize from Los Angeles on Saturday at the Phillip Goldson International Airport, as part of its expansion of routes in the Caribbean and Latin American region. Officials from the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) and representatives from American Airlines were on hand for the inauguration. As the plane landed and neared its stop it received its honorary water christening to commemorate its first landing. The BTB has welcomed the additional route saying it will continue to expand Belize’s growing tourism industry. As part of its expansion, American Airlines has added six new routes throughout Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America. This expansion includes Belize, as well as the Grand Cayman, Nicaragua, and Guadalajara and Monterrey in Mexico.

    Four new vehicles for San Pedro police
    The San Pedro Police Formation, through a donation from the Ministry of National Security, in collaboration with the San Pedro Town Council and the island’s area representative, will soon receive four new vehicles, valued over $100,000, to assist with operations on the island. According to Inspector Henry Jemmott, officer commanding San Pedro Police Station, the station will receive a Mitsubishi Montero, a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck and two golf carts. Jemmott said the golf carts are courtesy the Ministry of National Security and cost upward of $30,000 each, while the SUV and pickup truck are courtesy the San Pedro Town Council and Area Representative Manuel Heredia, respectively.

    Breaking Belize NewsPJ

    Early morning ladyville shooting leaves one man hospitalized
    Abraham Leslie, a resident of Myrtle Waight Street in Ladyville is currently hospitalized after a shooting incident in the wee hours of this morning, June 6th. Reports are that police were called to the BDF Medical Hospital and arrived at about 1:50a.m. Where they saw the 29 year old […]

    Australian hired as Belize’s new Olympic Sports strategic consultant
    Australian by birth, Dr. Davis received his MSc from the University of Oregon, his PhD from the University of Minnesota in USA and has worked as a , coach and high performance sport administrator. Since the start of his career in 1981, he has worked with countries including, Australia, USA, […]

    UK Prime Minister is fueled by FIFA scandal to fight corruption
    Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron will join U.S President Barrack Obama, along with other Prime Ministers in a G7 summit to be hosted at Schloss Elmau in the Bavarian Alps by Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel. Topics like climate change and sustainable development have been put at the […]

    Belize is top sugar producer in the Caribbean for the month of April
    Sugar accounts for 60% of Belize’s agricultural exports and with a thriving Belize Sugar Industry (BSI) that keeps improving every year, it comes as no surprise that it has reached another milestone. The Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) released a report this week, showing that Belize produced more sugar […]

    Conditions to become less moist and unstable today
    Conditions today are expected to be sunny with cloudy spells along with a few showers or thunderstorms over some coastal areas this morning, then inland this afternoon. Winds blows light and variable, becoming east to northeast at 5 to 15 knots later today. Sea state light chop. High temperatures today […]

    American Airlines Inauguration of new flight from Los Angeles
    American Airlines this morning launched its new non-stop service from Los Angeles, California, to the Philip Goldson International Airport here. The new service is expected to take advantage of the high population of Belizeans living in L.A., a key transport hub in the Western United States. American already services […]

    The Belize Times

    Petrocaribe Piñata!! – Leaked Documents Expose Secret & Unauthorized Uses of Petro-Caribe Loan Money
    Leaked Central Bank documents reveal that there have been hidden and unauthorized uses of tens of millions of dollars from the Petro-Caribe Loan Funds, as the Barrow Administration continues to administer the funds from the program like a piñata WITH ABSOLUTELY NO ACCOUNTABILITY OR TRANSPARENCY. On Monday morning, June 1st, Krem Radio Wake Up Belize Show’s fiery host Mose Hyde held up leaked documents on his radio/television show and explained that the documents spelled out serious flagrances in the manner in which the Government has been spending the Petro-Caribe loan monies. The documents revealed that the Government had used $20,000,000 (TWENTY MILLION DOLLARS) from the Petro-Caribe Loan money for the payment of salaries TWICE, in 2014 and 2015.

    Darrell Bradley, the Belizean Pinocchio
    Whenever Pinocchio lied, his nose grew longer and longer. Pinocchio’s Belizean counterpart, Mayor Darrell Bradley, has a similar fetish for lying, but when he lies, his lips grow longer and longer. In each television appearance, those that know Darrell Bradley and his conniving ways could easily detect the lies flowing from his lips. Whether he was denying that he gave a liquor license to his councilor buddy, Deon Leslie, to operate a bar/nightclub at BTL park where children recreate; or whether he was denying that he would serve out his full term as Mayor before abandoning city residents with a $50 million dollar debt, Darrell Bradley has proven himself to be one of the most untrustworthy politicians in modern day Belize, putting even the original “liad-man”, Dean Barrow, to shame.

    3 Men charged for weed hidden in Winnie the Pooh bag
    Three men were arrested and charged after Police authorities in Benque Viejo del Carmen searched the trunk of the vehicle they were travelling in and discovered a large quantity of marijuana hidden inside a Winnie the Pooh bag. The men, 43 year old Juan Garcia, who is a taxi driver of Dangriga Town, 29 year old Jose Majil Madre of Dangriga Town, and 21 year old Herson Gonzales, a taxi driver of Arenal Village, were travelling from Arenal Village to Benque Viejo and stopped at a Police checkpoint in Arenal Village. The passenger area of the vehicle was searched but nothing was found. It wasn’t until Police officers checked the trunk and peered into a large red and black Winnie the Pooh bag that they found illegal substance. Inside the bright coloured bag they found twenty-five parcels wrapped in black plastic bags that were tightly sealed by transparent tape. When the parcels were checked by the Police, its content was suspected to be cannabis.

    Petrocaribe $$$ wasted! – Crooked Tree Causeway Collapses
    It is not known how many tens of thousands of dollars from the Petrocaribe loans was hastily diverted for a Crooked Tree Causeway project, just in time for Edmund Castro’s Belize Rural North convention, but it certainly is clear that those monies have been wasted. The causeway, on which material was dumped for an elevation project, began falling apart following brief showers over the Belize District. Part of the stretch of road cracked and fell into the river, causing commuters to panic and become concerned about the safety of the passageway. While more monies will now be needed to repair the causeway, there are no indications that those responsible for the project are being properly supervised to ensure the best value for money. The residents are very sceptical of this and they believe that the causeway is hazardous and not suitable.

    Think About It
    The Guatemalan military and the Belize Coast Guard had a stand-off/face-off in the coastal waters down south. It happened at Sarstoon Island which is in Belizean territorial waters. The Guatemalan military patrol insisted that our Coast Guard leave the Island which on orders from the Prime Minister they reluctantly did. Put another way, Belize had to put its tail between its legs and slink away. This happened on Thursday 28 May 2015 and lasted for 26 hours. This is a full day plus two hours for the Guatemalans to have verified their position as to whether they were in our territorial waters or not. They knew exactly where they were and intentionally forced us to eat crow. Their Generals and Commanders are laughing at us. We are a laughing stock. We are proud to hear that our Coast Guard stood their ground. We thank almighty God that things did not escalate. The Belize government has wimped out of the matter. As they have done in previous situations. We are ashamed by our government. No one is asking them to start a war. We are asking that they do what any government would do in the circumstances. Lodge a formal protest, a strong one, each time Guatemala slips up or engages in these types of behavior. Six days after the Sarstoon Island matter the government has still not protested to Guatemala.

    Care or not to care
    As a supporter of the People’s United Party, I was only moderately interested in the outcome of last week’s convention in the Belize Rural North (BRN). The final tally of the votes however, piqued my interest to the point where I felt compelled to spend some time musing over the political paradigm and culture of not only BRN but of our country on a whole. Why do voters remain loyal to politicians and political parties even in the face of overwhelming evidence that they are corrupt? The convention held in the village of Sand Hill was to determine who would run on the party ticket of the United Democratic Party in the next General Elections. From all indications, those elections will be held sooner than later but that of course, hinges on the arbitrary decision of one man and one man only; the Prime Minister. I have long advocated for a set day for elections as is the case in the US where elections are held on the first Tuesday in November. Leader of the Opposition Francis Fonseca has already indicated being favorable to that concept and has gone further in promising a four-year term. This makes perfect sense and the idea that one man can, merely on whim and fancy, decide when, where and why to hold elections opens a wide door to manipulation and chicanery.

    ENDANGERING BELIZE
    Belize has been told to get off Sarstoon Island and told to leave from our territorial sea. On Wednesday 3rd June 2015, the Belize Coast Guard gave a detailed media interview on their rescue mission to Lighthouse Reef to assist in a Tropic Airplane that was forced to land with its pilot and two passengers in shallow waters. There has no full report to this nation by the Belize Coast Guard regarding a 26 hours face off with one, then two Guatemalan gun boats. This happened at the small Sarstoon Island in the southern waters of Belize. The confrontation started between 10:00 A.M to 11:00 A.M on the morning of Thursday 28 May 2015. Belize Coast Guard personnel had travelled by boat to Sarstoon Island to gather preliminary preparations for a base construction. A Guatemalan gun boat patrol was quick to approach and request the Belize Coast Guard to leave for violating Guatemalan maritime territory. According to Chief Executive Officer, Lt. Col. George Lovell, of the Ministry of National Security, the Coast Guard Captain told the Guatemalans it was they who were in Belizean waters and should leave. They did not leave. Lovell also said that in the afternoon the Guatemalan gun boat left and returned with a bigger boat and more military personnel. They insisted the Belize Coast Guard leave. If we are to believe this secondhand version from Lovell, the Guatemalans remained in close proximity to the Coast Guard and even began circling the Sarstoon Island.

    BTTA holds RF&G table tennis championships
    Over 50 players in 4 different categories contested the 2nd bi-annual RF&G table tennis ranking tournament hosted by the Belize Table Tennis Association at the Belize Elementary School auditorium on Sunday. After the round robin qualifiers in the morning, the top performers in each group advanced to a double elimination round in all categories. Carlos Cui won the A Division, 14-year-old Latrell Solis won the B-Division, John Del Cid won the C division, and Petie Usher-Matus won the Women’s division In the A Division, after some intense matches the day closed off with an exciting final that went down to the wire between Carlos Cui and Tyrone Tun. Carlos Cui won 3-2 just managing to edge out Tyrone in the finals set 13-11.

    Young Warriors, City Boys, Rising Stars & Bombers win in Smart Mundialito
    The undefeated Young Warriors, Rising Stars and defending champs City Boys all posted wins in Week 7 of the 2015 SMART Mundialito annual football tournament at the M.C.C. Garden in Belize City on Saturday. Ladyville Rising Stars vs. Carlston FC – 1-0 Goals by Elan White (2) Face of Belize vs. Ladyville Jaguars – 1-1 Goals by D’jon Canello, Mushay Grant Young Warriors vs. London Strikers – 1-0 Goal by Anthony Usher Brown Bombers vs. Third World – 3-0 (Default Win) City Boys vs. Hattieville Youth FC – 1-0

    Central Bank & DigiCell topple opponents in Interoffice Basketball
    The Belize Bank Bulldogs, Belikin, Digicell 4G, Central Bank and Central Health all posted big wins in the Belize City interoffice basketball competition at Bird’s Isle over the weekend Central Bank crushed Ready Call 81-66, led by Jacob “Snake” Leslie and Mark Swift with 21 points each. Dave Apolonio and Ed Baptist added 10 points each. Ready Call’s Raheim Franklin led his team’s score with 17 points and 6 rebounds. DigiCell 4G upset the defending champs Complex Generals 47-37, led by Raheem Staine with 15 points and Jason Lamb with 10 points. Complex’s Rhetton Belisle and Wilfred Richards scored 11 points apiece and Roman Williams added 5 points.

    The Petro Caribe Crutch
    Ever since 2012, the UDP Government of Belize has ceased to grow its recurrent revenue. The influx of the Petro Caribe Loan that has been provided by the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela via the initiative started by the late Commander Hugo Chavez, the government has gotten lazy. The revelation of the Statement of Government Account at the Central Bank of Belize clearly indicates that the UDP Government of Belize is technically broke. We say this because on March 18, 2014, the Barrow Government borrowed $20.0m from the Petro Caribe account to pay salaries for public officers (see Image 1. Also note that in December 16, 2014 another $20.0m was borrowed. In total the government borrowed $40.0m to finance recurrent operations. This was further confirmed by the Financial Secretary, Joseph Waight, in a television interview on Monday, June 1, 2015, where he claimed the government keeps finding itself in a cash crunch and therefore had to draw down on the Petro Caribe loan funds. He tried to explain that the draw down was a reimbursement for monies previously spent by the government on projects that were to be funded by the Petro Caribe loan, but the entire nation of Belize knows that is hogwash. How can the country be in a cash crunch and have liquidity to spend on Petro Caribe project at the same time? This has been the modus operandi of this Barrow administration. Just plain lazy and greedy for easy money.

    UDP Embraces Corruption!
    With almost unlimited access to Petrocaribe money and almost the entire UDP Cabinet backing him, disgraced UDP Area Representative Edmond Castro pulled off a win in the UDP’s Belize Rural North Standard Bearer convention held on Sunday, May 31st, 2015. This shows how much the United Democratic Party embraces corruption. Big time Ministers like Boots Martinez, Patrick Faber, John Saldivar, and Mark King brought their heavy brown paper bags to support Castro against a political novice, Pastor Dwight Tillett. While the strong show of support paid off for Castro, it left Belizeans asking whether something was wrong with the people of Belize Rural North. Castro must have been sharing red cool aid. In the weeks leading to the convention, Castro’s name continued to come up in scandals, keeping consistent with his political history. He recently appeared in Court in the defamation case which he brought against whistleblower Alvarine Burgess, but ended up admitting that he participated in a visa hustle. Castro then had to answer allegations that he was illegally occupying privately owned land, and he admitted that he was indeed cultivating cane on land that didn’t belong to him.

    PUP Hattieville Campaign Team Ready to Rumble!!
    PUP Belize Rural Central Area Representative Hon. Dolores Balderamos Garcia and her Hattieville campaign team are preparing vigorously for the upcoming general election campaign. On Saturday May 30th, team members attended a very informative and inspiring training session conducted by training expert and PUP stalwart Ms Merilyn Young. All the pointers and discussions were well received by those in attendance, who pledged to continue the on-the-ground visits and campaigning on behalf of their caring and hardworking PUP area representative.

    Consejo Takes Neighborhood Watch to a New Level
    We are a “different” Neighborhood Watch. Out of perceived necessity based on our distance from Police and Medical services in town and the need to have resources quickly available. We have developed the “Responder” program. Responders are our neighbors. They care enough about the community to have volunteered to respond when called upon. Sometimes in the middle of dinner and sometimes well after dark. While you may not always think we “do it right”, our responders are doing this because they are willing to help protect the community. Remember, we work with but, are not a replacement for the police or community medical services or NEMO. What we are is a first line of defense. Looking out for one another and responding as quickly as we can when called for a criminal situation, medical emergency, or a natural disaster. Our responders respond to events when a neighbor reports suspicious activity. We remind all residents that our community is safe because people are watching and not assuming “well it must be OK” we congratulate our residents for maintaining a vigilant attitude.

    Down Memory Lane – Respect to Mr. Gonzalo “William” Quinto
    Several weeks ago I posted on my timeline chronicling the Old Parr basketball teams. The sponsor of that team was Mr. Gonzalo Quinto. Mr. Quinto is known by many Belizeans for the above introduction but there are also many Belizeans, especially the younger generation who know little about Mr. Quinto and his Chinese friend Mr. Simon Quan. Mr. James Lee and several others were responsible for sponsoring and popularizing the game of Volleyball in Belize. Before I get to the volleyball piece I would like to highlight a couple of Mr. Quinto’s work and generosity which I believe he would not object to being promulgated. During our playing career, after every game and whether we won or lost (we did not lose many) his Canton Restaurant on New Road was closed to the public and opened solely for his players, their wives, girlfriends and most loyal fans who accompanied us after games. We were afforded whatever we wanted to eat and or drink all at his expense. Additionally we were each given a stipend as appreciation for our efforts. All we wanted to do was win for him and watch him flash his infectious smile as he hoisted the championship trophy four times out of five years before I migrated to the US. We were respectful and appreciative of his generosity. Small gestures like this had a profound effect on a poor boy from Plues Street. I’ll explain in closing.

    Keeping it real – We need less talk, more action
    Youth development is not a one night stand in which we launch a youth policy, romance our youth population with endless possibilities and then wake up with a hangover from excessive cocktail consumption. It has been two years and four months since the grand launch and celebration of a document that was to forever change the realities of our Belizean youth. Though vague in its approach to education, youth governance and economic opportunities people this policy contains the blueprint of our lives, it is all we have to dream from. To date, the only things that have tremendously changed for us are the quality of the streets on which young black men are murdered on. Since 2008 almost 1000 Belizeans have been murdered of which more than half are estimated to be youth. A crime occurs in our country every 23 minutes of which 34% occur in the Belize District, according to data from the IT unit of the Police Department. Of this amount the majority is reported on the south side of Belize City where ‘bars, pawnshops and gaming salons outnumber schools 25 to 1'.

    PUP Collet holds BBQ & Cowfoot Soup Sale!
    The food available at the BBQ & Cowfoot Soup Fundraising Sale held on Vernon Street by the PUP Collet Committee was delicious, but the vibes among residents and supporters who turned out to support was positive and upbeat. PUP Collet Standard Bearer Yasmin Shoman and members of her Committee were on hand to greet and chat with supporters.

    PUP Love in Esperanza! – PUP Cayo North East Celebrates Community’s 50th Anniversary
    It was a festivity like no other – residents of Esperanza Village gathered at the community center and football field to celebrate their community’s 50th anniversary in grand fashion. PUP Cayo North East Standard Bearer Orlando “Landy” Habet and his well-oiled Committee Executive organised a day of fun activities. It started with a football tournament for the athletes. The matches were competitive and finishing in the first place were the Esperanza Warriors. Second place was Los Tambos football club and Third place was Atleticos football club.

    City Administrator totals CitCo vehicle – Will taxpayers pay for damaged late-model vehicle?
    Belize City Mayor Darrel Bradley has come to the City Administrator’s defense after the City Council-purchased vehicle assigned to her ended up totalled along the Northern Highway after a trip to Chetumal. Bradley told Channel 7 News said that the Government’s vehicle policy gives him full and unlimited use of vehicles just “like a Minister” while his City Administrator, Candance Burke, also has access to her vehicle just like a “Minister’s Chief Executive Officer”. This explains where the Mayor gets his pig-headed attitude. He believes he should be treated like a Minister! But back to the City Council’s damaged vehicle. Burke and her family were apparently driving back to Belize City after going shopping in Chetumal, when the vehicle flipped around mile 14 on the Northern Highway and landed in the bushes, completely damaged. The Council tried its best to conceal the accident. There was no report of it to the Police, as far as we know. This is the second City Council vehicle assigned to Burke that has been badly damaged. The first one, a nearly brand-new Toyota Hilux, was crashed in December last year.

    Dolores and the PUP – Always working for Belize Rural Central
    Hon. Dolores continues vigorous outreach in BRC. On Tuesday May 26th Ms. Dolores presented a donation to the principal and teachers to the Hattieville Seventh Day Adventist Primary School to assist with the school’s utilities. She also delivered along with her staff several loads of hardcore material for the Belizean American Site, Farmer’s Site and Old Hattieville. The material will help residents significantly, as the rainy season approaches. Photos show handing over of cheque, delivery of material and visits with residents.

    Former Corozal Town Mayor Mario Narvaez Dies At 62
    Former Corozal Town Mayor Mario Ignacio Narvaez has passed away at age 62. Mr. Narvaez had been in hospice for about a year, receiving treatment for illness, and died about 9:45pm on Monday June 1, 2015 at the Star Medica Center in Merida Yucatan, Mexico. He was Corozal’s first Mayor, who was directly elected by the residents of Corozal Town after the law was revised in 1999 by the Law Revision Act, Chapter 3 of the Laws of Belize. Mayor Narvaez was elected under the People’s United Party banner to serve two consecutive terms by Corozal Town residents. Under his stewardship as Mayor, Corozal Town saw many developments and infrastructural projects that are presently creating benefits for the people of Corozal Town. The Gabriel Hoare Market brought great economic benefits; the completely refurbished Central Park; the relocation of the Slaughter House; paved streets using Town Council revenues, are just some of the great accomplishments done by one of the best Mayors Corozal Town had ever seen.

    Belize’s Shining Stars – Part 2 Featuring: Pallotti High School, Sadie Vernon Technical High School, Edward P. Yorke High School, Belize High School, Excelsior High School, Ladyville Technical High School, Anglican Cathedral College, and Toledo Community College
    The BELIZE TIMES’ continues its commitment to highlighting the top achievers among our young and bright high school graduates. We begin this week’s closer coverage with Pallotti High School on Princess Margaret Drive in Belize City. The venerable Catholic all-girls school will march up 63 more young women in their continuous and long-standing tradition on Sunday, June 7th, 2015 at the St. Joseph’s Church on St. Joseph Street, starting at 10:00 am. Leading them will be: 16-year-old Ms. Jasmine Myvett (Valedictorian, from 4 Arts, with an Overall Grade Average of 94%) and 17-year-old Ms. Soila Rodriguez (Salutatorian, from 4 Business, with an Overall Grade Average of 93%). The BELIZE TIMES sat with these quiet yet fiercely determined ladies at the school campus on Monday morning.

    Blogs

    San Pedro’s Ricky Luna ROCKS Merida Mexico’s 2015 WOD Challenge
    Crossfit was founded in 2000 in California – a combination of high intensity training, weight-lifting and more – and over the last 10 years has spread like fitness wildfire. And in the last two years it has really exploded in Belize. There is a gym in Placencia and two on Ambergris Caye – San Pedro Crossfit (north of town in the Boca Del Rio area) and W.O.D. Zone (just south). Both “boxes” or gyms are owned and run by Belizeans. In just two years, it’s taken over the island and classes at both gyms are filled with locals, expats and visitors. Fitness, healthy eating and constant Crossfit talk have taken over San Pedro. :) Just last weekend, members of the San Pedro, Belize WOD Zone headed up to Merida, Mexico for a competition. Keep in mind that the daily AVERAGE high for the month of May in Merida is 97 degrees. And the population of just that city is almost double that of the country of Belize.

    International Sourcesizz

    Scenario planning builds cooperative confidence
    They are the masterminds behind a prison riot and escape, a grounded maritime vessel and a transnational organized crime syndicate, but the men and women of the Ground Operations Team are only creating scenarios to test the 19 partner countries participating in Tradewinds 2015. The objective of Tradewinds, a combined, joint U.S. Southern Command-sponsored exercise, is to strengthen the capacity of nations in the Caribbean to respond to natural disasters, as well as land and maritime threats that include illicit trafficking. This year marks the 31st annual Tradewinds exercise. Phase one continues in St. Kitts and Nevis through June 9. Belize will host Phase two from June 15–24. Phase three is July 14-16 in Miami for key stakeholders and decision makers within the region.

    Eat, Play, Love
    Remember that dog? Cayo, the stray from Burns avenue, is now with her newly adopted owner in Alaska. This is a great story of a tourist bonding with a local potlicker, and with CAWS' help, getting the dog back home. Well worth the read. Thanks, CAWS! "After nearly a month, Cayo arrived in Juneau on an Alaska Airlines flight. Leach was there to meet Cayo and her handler, Mendi Antisdel, at the Juneau International Airport on Thursday afternoon. When the crate was unloaded in the baggage claim area, Leach was giddy with excitement; she had a friend drive her because she was vibrating with nervous energy. As soon as she could, Leach released Cayo from the crate and clutched the medium-sized, black dog to her chest. Cayo licked her face in greeting. Cayo is home now. Cayo has a happy ending. By Thursday afternoon she was wrapped up in a sweater by a fire, acclimating to a new life with colder weather but warm embraces."

    Videos

  • Best of Belize - Scuba Diving, 12min. Montage of my best scuba diving clips from Belize, April 2015. Hamanasi, Adventure & Dive Resort in Hopkins

  • Belize Scuba diving, 4min.

  • Belize, 4.5min. Video de los geniales dias que pasamos en Belize.

  • Hanging out with a Belizean Legend/Daddy Tracey, 3min. It was such a beautiful time hanging out with Daddy Tracey yesterday! Wow, he is such a great guy... Fridays at Daddy's Place is very special, you can hear music in the air from blocks away... I was so impressed with his mannerism, humbleness, very intelligent and street-wise. I knew Daddy Tracey from his early beginings here in Los Angeles -1990, but we were never close friends till now.... He is certainly one of the most amazing -down to earth person that i have ever met.. Absolutely..... Spending all of the evening at his house, i discovered that there is something spiritual about Daddy Tracey, he had about 100 visitors in less than the first 3 hours i arrived there. All his visitors appears to love and "near" worship him--- I see alot of happiness in his children eyes-- I got to share this... Every single person was happy -and of course later that night wah big Reggae PARTY Bruk out-- Actually i got home this morning at 6:30 am

  • Back to Belize 2015, 5min. My third trip in three years spending some time with the most beautiful and joyful kids of Belize :)

  • Belize beach theme, 7min. Way to much trash.......still working on the program.

  • Whale shark dive Belize 3/15, 6min. Whale shark dive out of Hopkins, Belize.

  • Belize 2015, 13min. ur 2015 Trip to Belize.

    June 6, 2015


    FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

    Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

    Specials and Events

    Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
    Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


    The San Pedro Sun

    Sushi Time at Las Terrazas
    With my partner in crime Janelle, we drove up the delightfully smooth paved road north past the bridge to our destination, the beautiful Las Terrazas resort. Chandra greeted us warmly, escorting us to a pavilion near the pool, where the sounds of Any and Pupo echoed beautifully. Our server for the evening, Edvin, took excellent care of us as we settled in, a refreshing drink in hand as we perused the sushi menu. We were intrigued at the list, especially when we happened on one that incorporated the lionfish! The Predator sounded most interesting, and, since we are all about doing our part for the environment, we decide to give that a try, along with a few other delicious-looking options. Chef Papi joined us for a bit, then highly recommended we start with the Cobia sashimi. Thinly sliced fresh cobia fish over a sauce of sesame seed oil, soy, ginger, scallions, a little lime juice and topped with fried rice noodles and Tobiko caviar and seaweed salad. I would say that was quite the introduction to our fabulous dining experience! So much flavor on a dish…Janelle, my little “I don’t like fish that much” companion seemed to have no problem downing some cobia! She was so impressed, she couldn’t wait for the next course!

    Los Catrachos take 2nd place in Xcalak Football Marathon
    The annual football marathon in the neighboring fishing village of Xcalak in Mexico was held on Saturday, May 30th as part of their 115th Anniversary celebration. The tournament saw the participation of four Belizean teams, two of which are seasoned San Pedro football teams. A total of six teams participated in the tournament: Xcalak, Mahaual, Chetumal, Sarteneja (from Corozal Town), Progresso (from Corozal Town) and representing San Pedranos, San Pedro Joker F C and Catrachos FC. While no island team brought home the championship, Catrachos FC did manage to claim the second place prize in the tournament. Catrachos were in the lead after beating Chetumal 2-0 and Sarteneja 1-0, which allowed them to automatically qualify to the finals. Catrachos FC faced off against Progresso in the finals. They played the full 90 minutes plus injury time, and still, the game ended in a draw. Both teams were not giving way for a score, but there had to be a winner. The next step was the penalty shots. At the start the penalty scores were even, however further in the game, Catrachos failed to capitalize and Progresso took the championship by a score of 5 to 4.

    Mayor Guerrero addresses San Pedro Town traffic issues
    Traffic conditions on the island have been escalating over the past few years, with residents becoming increasingly concerned about safety, especially that of their children. In order to alleviate the issue, The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) is taking several steps to ensure the congestion of traffic does not rise. In an interview with The San Pedro Sun, Mayor Daniel Guerrero detailed the measures that will be put in place to control traffic on the island. According to Guerrero, among the many steps being taken are allocating set parking space and reducing traffic flow in town core. “We are currently making arrangements to use the space adjacent to Saca Chispas as the set parking lot for town. We will be placing gravel and constructing cement dividers for parking slots,” said Guerrero. He further explained that the parking lot would work in conjunction with the new regulations for Pescador and Barrier Reef Drive. “We will soon be implementing several regulations to reduce the congestion in Front (Barrier Reef Drive) and Middle (Pescador) Street. We will only be allowing golf carts, pedestrians, bicycles and ATV’s in this area. No cars, vans, or trucks will be allowed to traffic this area. In addition, only 4-seater golf carts and motorcycles will be allowed to park on Pescador and Barrier Reef Drive.” Said Guerrero. He hopes that with these implementations, pedestrians, especially school children, will be able to move around effortlessly and safely.

    Honorable Manuel Heredia donates vehicle to San Pedro Police
    The need for more vehicles has been a major concern in the San Pedro Police Department (SPPD). With this in mind, the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation donated a 2008 Tacoma Toyota four door pickup to the SPPD. The much needed vehicle will be officially handed over on Saturday June 6th in a short ceremony with Area Representative and Minister of Tourism, Culture and Civil Aviation, Honorable Manuel Heredia Jr. Present Assistant Superintendent and Acting Officer in charge, Henry Jemmott welcomes the new attachment to their vehicular fleet. “It has been a long time needed for the department, especially in San Pedro. With this new vehicle we will go a long way in assisting and responding to the needs of the community within San Pedro,” said Jemmott. “We hope that this donation helps the police operate more smoothly. As the Area Representative, I want San Pedro to develop safely and to do that; we need to have the resources to support it. For a long time our police have worked with very little resources. I know that with the addition of these new vehicles, we will see a reduction in crime and have a safer island,” said Heredia.

    Ambergris Today

    Belize to Further Develop Olympic Sports, Hires Strategic Consultant
    In a press release the Belize Olympic & Commonwealth Games Association indicates that as it continues to advocate for sports development in Belize, more National Federations (NFs), Associations and Sport Governing Bodies are also looking for ways to develop coaches and officials, as well as ways to maintain strong, transparent, financial and governance management practices. Recognizing this need, the Belize Olympic & Commonwealth Games Association has hired a Strategic Consultant Dr. Davis who arrived on Monday, June 1st, 2015 for an initial visit. He has since met with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) Executive, National Sports Council and National Federations.

    Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

    Rescue 3.0 Meet Basil Jones
    He fell from his nest this morning. He will joining his sibling Robles at Belize Bird Rescue this afternoon. Our week has gone to the birds.

    Optinam North America
    hampionship sailing event for young Optimist dinghy racers (ages less than 15) . Four young sailors (2 girls & 2 boys) and their coaching staff, will represent our country at "Optinam" in Antiqua, July 1, 2015. We are very excited that this is happening for our youth! Jazmine Campos, from Corozal Town and our local Corozal Bay Sailing Club, is part of the team. We need your immediate help to get her and her team to Optinam. Jazmine hs been sacrificing school and practice every weekend. Let us all REWARD her efforts! If you have been meaning to give but haven't yet, now is the time! We've two more weeks to make the final push. Support Jazmine and Team Belize! All donors will receive a certificate of appreciation for their contribution and be recognized at our next regatta. Thank you!

    SUCCESS FOR BELIZE AT CFATF PLENARY
    On Wednesday, May 28, The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) determined that Belize successfully qualified to exit both the CFATF Follow-up Process and ICRG Review. To make this determination, CFATF and ICRG assessors conducted a robust review of the measures undertaken by Belize to address deficiencies in its regime to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. This review included scrutiny of the legislative framework and implementation of that framework by AML/CFT supervisors and the private sector. By exiting both ICRG Review and CFATF Follow-up Process, Belize now joins the vanguard of CFATF member countries who have achieved the highest levels of compliance with international standards. CFATF is an organisation of 27 jurisdictions of the Caribbean Basin that have all agreed to implement the international standards to combat money laundering and terrorist financing established by the Financial Action Task Force Recommendations (FATF Recommendations). Since 2011, Belize has been working closely with the CFATF to address the deficiencies identified in Belize’s AML/CFT regime. Those efforts were redoubled when, in November 2013, the CFATF issued a Public Statement identifying Belize as having strategic deficiencies in its AML/CFT regime.

    BOLEDO DRAWING for Friday, June 5, 2015: 75

    Poets Corner: Race
    By Abdulmajeed K Nunez. Western civilization started with the Greeks Continued with the Romans freaks Evolved today into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization cheats Extension of white Christian Crusaders Imposing their religion on the southerners Unprecedented white Christian dynasty Ruling for some two thousand years of history Last Week Russia celebrated its allies’ victory over the Nazis Top brass of the BRICS military joined with them in solidarity This brotherhood of nations Resisting Western civilization Who represent just over half the world population No western Europeans, just Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa They’ve dared liberating themselves from the white supremist structure

    Bamboo Bar Super Saturdays
    Bamboo Bar is under new management, and while it has the same name, it's a completely different bar. Great company, superb bartenders, excellent drinks - try their kamakazis or baby guinesses - and a cool vibe. Saturdays are their special days where they have someone from the community do something there. They have the Cuban Pig Roast last Saturday, and tomorrow will be trance with DJ Feel Awesome.

    SHJC 2015 Graduation
    Congratulations to all the 2015 Sacred Heart Junior College graduates. SHJC is celebrating 15 years of service to the community, and there were lots of happy graduates. Luis Carballo was the commencement speaker this year.

    Channel 5

    Marcel Cardona in Legal Pickle
    Former U.D.P. Minister and attorney Marcel Cardona is in big trouble with the General Legal Council of the Bar Association and allegedly faces the threat of a one year suspension [...]

    Says His Email Was Hacked
    Cardona says he feels that he has been denied a fundamental right by not having had the opportunity to mount a defence on his own behalf. Not only was he [...]

    Still No Notification from General Legal Council
    So what’s next for Cardona? Reports from sources in the Bar Association say that indeed there was a hearing and a recommendation to suspend him for a year. He told [...]

    2 Dead in Motorcycle Collision
    Two men are dead and a woman is hospitalized after an accident on Thursday night in Southern Belize. The collision of two motorcycles, traveling in the same direction, claimed the [...]

    Espinosa Guilty of Manslaughter
    An Orange Walk resident has beat a murder charge for the second time. He is Krismar Espinosa, whose trial concluded on Thursday before Justice Herbert Lord in the Orange Walk [...]

    Maurice Felix Out on Bail
    Well known street figure, thirty year old Maurice Felix was in the Supreme Court today to file bail application. The Belize City resident was before Justice Troadio John Gonzalez for [...]

    Civil Aviation Investigates Tropic Air Crash
    The Department of Civil Aviation is proceeding with an official probe into a plane crash earlier this week involving a Tropic Air flight en route to the Bay Islands of [...]

    Are Belize’s Skies Still Safe?
    As we reported in the wake of the accident, it is the second aircraft from Tropic’s fleet to plunge into the Caribbean Sea since December of last year.  We asked [...]

    Pilot and Passengers Questioned in Investigation
    On Wednesday morning, all three men were returned to the mainland after spending the night at Blackbird Caye.  They were then summoned by the Department of Civil Aviation to assist [...]

    SICB Rescinds Decision to Cut Quotas
    Two weeks ago the Sugar Cane Production Committee made a decision to review cane-farmer quotas, which resulted in a cut in a majority of them. Already faced with the prospect [...]

    Belize’s Fiscal Future Limited
    Diminished petroleum revenues and increased public spending is expected to result in only limited fiscal strengthening in Belize in the months ahead, despite rising non-oil government inflows.  Consequently, the country’s [...]

    Minister Elrington Speaks on Danny Conorquie
    Danny Conorquie was murdered in the line of duty back on September twenty-fifth, 2014. No one has ever been charged and as far as we know the Conorquie family is [...]

    Coming Soon – Belize’s First Helium Balloon Ride
    If you are to take a drive or walk along the Marine Parade in Belize City, there is an activity that is soon give you an adrenalin rush. The upcoming [...]

    Jazz Festival Opens in Belize City
    The first ever Belize International Jazz Festival opened with a live concert at the House of Culture in Belize City just moments ago. The first of its kind in the [...]

    Hundreds Participate in First Even Jazz Festival
    Three hundred and eighteen musicians, twelve engineers, nine international and eleven local bands have signed up and will take part in the festival. The ten-day kicked off this morning with [...]

    A Look Back at the History of the Belize City Museum
    On this Friday, we dig into our archives and flash way back with a 1994 story about the old prison. As you may know, that prison was located in the [...]

    LOVE FM

    Police Inspector Chooses Theme for September Celebrations
    The official opening of the September celebrations 2015 is about three months away but the wheels have begun spinning when it comes to preparations and planning. Of course, many of those preparations and planning do need a theme and so with that, the National Celebrations Commission has announced the selected theme for this year. That […]

    Organizer of Public Meeting Calls on Naysayers to ICJ
    Last year there was the start of what was to be a continuous education process as it pertains to the Belize/Guatemala issue. However, following the decision by Guatemala to not hold simultaneous referendum, there was a silence on the issue. However, with Guatemala back on board and with the amendments to the Special Agreement signed […]

    VIP Prepares to Take on Its Own Education Campaign on ICJ
    The Vision Inspired by the People, VIP, has been very vocal on several issues and one of them is whether or not Belize should participate in taking Guatemala’s claim to the International Court of Justice. The VIP position is a strong “NO” and they are sticking to it. The Party has notices that the Government […]

    Attorney Says He Did Not Bribe Judge
    Last night it was reported that attorney, Marcel Cardona, was recommended to be placed on a one year suspension following a complaint made against him. That complaint was made by Hana Belickova, a woman from Czechoslovakia in June of 2013. She reportedly filed an affidavit accusing Cardona of overcharging her in the thousands and using […]

    Collision of Motorcyles Leave Two Men Dead
    Two men are dead as a result of a motorcycle accident in southern Belize. Correspondent Harry Arzu reports. HARRY ARZU “Two persons are dead as a result of a road traffic accident that occurred on the Stann Creek Valley Road last night. Police here say that they were called out to an area between miles […]

    Belize Removed from CFATF’s Blacklist
    After coming under much scrutiny when Belize was listed as a country that had not been complying with addressing the deficiencies in the laws of money laundering, the Barrow administration has reason to celebrate tonight as they are now being commended and recognized for measures taken to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The announcement […]

    The Guardian

    Julius Espat attacks Ivan Ramos
    In December of 2013 Julius Espat practically begged the government to reimburse him cash from the Petro Caribe program for money which he claimed he had spent on some Christmas program which he would have held at the time. Of course he was asked to present the vouchers to prove his expenditure and was not able to do so and similarly the government was unable to reimburse him. We are not sure if this is what has him so ‘wrathed’ against the Petro Caribe program but whatever the case, he is upset with the program. But having been the first to try to access the finances from the PUP camp we could not have anticipated his reaction earlier this week when he lashed out against Ivan Ramos who too has accessed the program for finances to run a Mothers/Fathers Day program in Dangriga. Ramos requested finances which each and every representative is entitled to and was granted 25 thousand dollars to run his program. The difference with Ramos and Espat is that Ramos actually presented how he would spend the money while Julius just came up with a figure and could not back up how he had come up with the figure. After Ramos’ request and the granting of it, on Friday of last week the government of Belize made it public and that must have sent a chill down Espat’s spine. That is because the PUP (to the detriment of their less monied standard bearers) have decreed that no one should accept Petro Caribe money.

    Land for Citco employees
    Employees of the Belize City Council who have been employed with the city for three or more years will be the owners of land courtesy their employer. Mayor Darrell Bradley says that for the past two years he has been working on securing land for employees of the council and by next week he will have 209 parcels of land which will be distributed to employees of the council. According to Bradley the parcels measure 80 X 100 feet and are located at mile 14 on the George Price Highway in an area known as Tropical Park outside of Hattieville Village. For the sake of fairness, the parcels will be distributed to employees based on a lottery system to those employees who have had 3 or more years working at the Belize City Council. The mayor says that the initiative is part of the council motivating its employees, "the City Council Staff work hard and under harsh conditions and this is one way we can motivate them," stated Mayor Bradley.

    Jaguars ready for second round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers
    While the team has not yet been announced individually we have confirmed who the team of 24 is currently made up of. Those include Goalkeepers Woodrow West and Shane Orio, striker Deon McCauley. They will be complemented by other players including Elroy Smith, Ian Gaynair, Trevor Lennen, Dalton Ealey, Jordi Polanco, Denmark Casey, Andres Makin, Amin August, Devon Makin, Harrison Roches, Elroy Kuylen, Daniel Jimenez, Brian Hulse, Evan Mariano, Marlon Meza Khalil Velasquez and Radney Padilla, Marvin Centano, Delone Torres, Keith Allen and Najib Guerra. The national team, Jaguars, was officially presented at the FFB headquarters in Belmopan on Wednesday as they make preparations to face the Dominican Republic for the first game of round two of the World Cup Qualifiers in Santo Domingo on June 11. At the presentation the team was upbeat and members of the squad along with the coaching staff expressed confidence since the key striker, Deon McCauley is with the team. According to Assistant Coach Charles Slusher, McCauley has been playing with the team and has been working hard and has presented himself as a leader. McCauley's addition to the roster says Slusher takes them to the game with much more confidence. For his part McCauley says that he has been scoring goals both during practice sessions as well as during friendly matches and he is ready for play.

    National stakeholder consultation on regional coconut industry platform
    On May 27 and 28 the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and International Trade Centre (ITC) hosted a two day consultation workshop with more than 50 coconut industry stakeholders at the George Price Centre for Peace and Development, Belmopan. Mr. Ian Sayers, Head Product Sector Development, of the ITC traveled from Geneva, Switzerland to oversee and facilitate discussions on the targeted revival and expansion of Belize’s coconut industry, assisted by Mr. Maurice Wilson, Head Resource Mobilisation Unit from CARDI’s head office and Dr. Compton Paul, Coordinator of the CARDI/ITC Coconut Program. Mr. Anil Sinha, CARDI’s Country Representative in Belize, gave the opening address and chaired the opening ceremony. Mr. Roberto Harrison, Chief Agriculture Officer, Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture (MNRA) gave the feature address. Participating were members of MNRA, Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), Belize Bureau of Standards, Beltraide, Foreign Trade Directorate, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), International Regional Organization for Health in Agriculture (OIRSA), Development Finance Corporation (DFC) as well as many coconut stakeholders representing local coconut producers and processors, small and large, and the media.

    BRN Strongly Endorses ‘Clear the Land’ Castro
    Hon. Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro secured his most impressive political victory on Sunday, May 31, as he soundly defeated challenger Dwight Tillett by a three to one margin in the UDP Convention for Belize Rural North. “We journey on to defeat whatever Major disaster that might come,” said Castro immediately after he was declared the victor. “We will continue to deliver the seat for the United Democratic Party here in this constituency.” Castro credited the hard work of his committee for the massive victory. The well organized machinery had the compound of Guadalupe R.C. Primary School flooded with “Clear the Land” shirts at the 9 a.m. start time. The early lead at the polls took away any doubt that may have crept up in Hon. Castro’s head and by 11 a.m. the confident candidate declared to the media, “We know we have the best machinery in the country in terms of rural constituency and its showing out here today. Our committee is bringing out the people and from the time we started we’re two hundred ahead.” There was a steady flow of voters throughout the day. The atmosphere was like that of a bazaar more than an election. Music was blasting and people danced throughout the hot day. The people’s spirits were upbeat and the village “spirits” were flowing. For Castro it was a love fest – more than optics – the love was clearly visible. Inside the polling rooms the scrutineers were very cordial towards each other. They even shared food, snacks and other refreshments. Though their candidate of choice was different, the scrutineers made it clear that “we are all UDP”.

    Charlie Charlie Challenge: Can You Really Summon a Demon?
    "Charlie, Charlie, can we play?" That is the seemingly innocent question that begins a new "spirit-summoning" game that is taking the Internet by storm. The so-called Charlie Charlie Challenge is based on shaky science (the objective is to summon a malignant spirit from beyond the grave), but there are some real and powerful forces behind this parlor game, according to one expert. Here's how the Charlie Charlie Challenge works: players balance one horizontally aligned pencil on top of a vertically aligned pencil (essentially, in the shape of a cross). Both writing utensils sit atop a piece of paper divided into four quadrants. Two of the quadrants are labeled "yes" and two are labeled "no." Players then invite a spirit, Charlie, to play with them. If the spirit is feeling playful, the top most pencil will allegedly spin until it points to "yes." Then the players can ask Charlie other yes or no questions and wait for the pencil to move again. So what causes the pencils to spin of their own accord? Only one of the most powerful forces on Earth: gravity. In order to balance one object on top of another, the topmost object's center of gravity (a point where an object's mass is said to be concentrated) must be positioned precisely over the supporting object. In the case of the Charlie Charlie Challenge, players balance two long objects with rounded edges on top of one another. Naturally, these hard-to-balance objects have a tendency to roll around.

    Dr. Barnett has major presence in Freetown
    The Leader of the Opposition has great reason to be concerned these days, at it is not only because his party is in shambles and there are moves to dethrone him. His concern should be more focused on the fact that Dr. Carla Barnett is extremely active in the Freetown constituency. Ever since the announcement was made in January of this year, Dr. Barnett has been on the ground visiting her constituents and making every effort to improving the conditions of her people in the division. And part of her work has been to be accessible to her constituents; so not only is she constantly on the ground but she has also established an office which is fully functional since March of this year.

    Archaeological site in Benque Viejo del Carmen now being excavated
    A new excavation on an archaeological site in Benque Viejo del Carmen has begun. As part of the US Ambassador’s Cultural Preservation Grant fund, the preservation of the archaeological site now employs several Benque Viejo residents. On our most recent visit to the Benque Site, which is located by the Belize Water Services Ltd Pump in Benque Viejo, both Carlos Mendez and Merli Alfaro, as well as other workers were busy exposing the façade of a site that is now believed to have been the household of a rural Maya elite family. The archaeological site itself may have been part of a network derived from the ancient city of Xunantunich, which can be viewed about a kilometer to the northwest from atop a mound at the Benque site. According to George Thompson, Associate Director for Belize’s Parks Management, work began on the Benque Viejo site about a month ago to do regular excavation in an effort to expose the architecture. He said that the final step will be to conserve the site so that it becomes part of a heritage trail.

    PUP Area Representative accepts Petro - Caribe finances against the wishes of PUP leaders
    The PUP have done their absolute very best to discredit the Government’s Petrocaribe spending, suggesting the most nefarious of purposes, only to find out that one of their own has now come out in favor of the programs. He has gone a step further than that, and he has requested money to conduct one of his own initiatives. That opposition member is PUP’s Dangriga Area Representative, Ivan Ramos, who penned a letter to the Prime Minister, dated Monday, May 27. Ramos, writes, “In my expression of support for the Petrocaribe arrangement and the benefits to the nation deriving there from, I am, as the elected Area Representative for Dangriga, requesting to access the $25,000 you announced available to the Opposition Area Representatives, upon application.” He adds, “These funds, as per the attached budget, will be used to host my annual joint Mothers and Father’s Day event…” Being a man of his word, the Prime Minister and his Ministry released a statement confirming that an area representative from the PUP made the request, which was approved. Since no other applications have emerged, it follows then that Ramos is the area representative who was granted the funding.

    Santander settles land dispute with Valley of Peace Farmers
    Green Tropics, which has since been rebranded under the name, Santander Farms, has made a generous settlement with the 31 farmers of the Valley of Peace Village in the Cayo District. It involves huge parcels of land being given to those farmers, which is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, and instead of squatting on land to plant, these farmers will now be farming legally. It made the news in the entire press core when these 31 farmers accused Santander Farms in March 2014 of destroying over 150 acres of crops that they owned. Unfortunately, the farmers were squatting on Santander’s land and this dispute ended up in the court. PUP Politician Julius Espat was urging them to settle this issue only through the courts, which could have caused the dispute to drag out for months or years before being resolved. Fortunately, more intelligent and reasonable thinkers on both sides decided to sit down and resolve the issue peacefully and out of court through dialogue. The result of that is that on Saturday, May 29, Jose Rogriguez, the CEO of the Santander Group, handed over 160 acres of land to the President of the Agricultural Association of Valley of Peace, Ever Blandon. This land is located in Belmopan, and at the handing over informal ceremony, 22 of the 31 farmers were present to witness in person that they were now landowners.

    Attorney sued for statement against police officers
    Attorney at Law, Oscar Selgado, 45, was served with a notice of intended prosecution (NIP) on May 18, for a statement he made on national television in relation to a client who was charged with the murder for Jose Beltran, - a taxi man on the island of San Pedro. According to Selgado, his client Luis Campos alleged that he was assaulted by a team of police officers who were led by Senior Superintendent Edward Broaster. He said this on Channel 5 based on information given to him by Campos. According to Selgado, on the same night his client was allegedly beaten by police, he personally took Campos to the San Pedro Poli Clinic for treatment for his injuries and a doctor classified his injuries as harm. Selgado says that he has now placed the matter in the hands of his attorneys. Senior Superintendent Edward Broaster is suing Selgado on three grounds: one being that the alleged beating of Campos was not administered by him or with his knowledge; two that he did not say anything to Selgado’s client that he shared with Channel 5 and three that he did not serve under his command at any time when Selgado was a BDF Officer as he said on Channel 5.

    More Sporting Facilities to be upgraded this time in Southern Belize
    Two contracts for the rehabilitation and upgrading of sporting facilities in Southern Belize were signed on June 1 at the office of the Belize Infrastructure Limited (BIL). The contract for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Carl Ramos Football Field and Facilities in Dangriga Town was awarded to Hubert L. Usher & Sons Construction of Dangriga, Stann Creek District; and for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Toledo Union Field and Facilities in Punta Gorda Town, the contract was awarded to Coleman Construction Ltd. of Hattieville, Belize District. The estimated completion time of each project is 10 months. The contracts were signed by representatives of the respective companies, Minister of Works and Transport Hon. Rene Montero, and Ms. Christy Mastry, General Manager of BIL.

    Belize tops regional sugar production for April
    The Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) has announced that the top sugar producer in the region for the month of April 2015 was Belize, with 28,289 tons of sugar produced. Guyana produced 26,826 tons, followed by Jamaica with 25,862 tons and Barbados with 3,173 tons, for a total regional production of 84,150 tons for the period. Jamaica had topped the regional production in February and March 2015 respectively, while Barbados has just started production. The April figures pushed the year to date production for the current regional sugar crop to 393,357 tons. The SAC says it continues to focus on overseas markets with year-to-date exports to Europe totaling 220,309 tons, followed by 30,259 tons to the United States and 17,484 tons to CARICOM. SAC Chairman Karl James says that while there are challenges affecting sugar production in Jamaica, the production is going well in Belize and Guyana. The SAC Chairman also noted that the Association is well advanced in achieving its goal to boost supply to the CARICOM market.

    Jorge Gutierrez charged with attempted murder
    One day after celebrating his 18th birthday, Jorge Gutierrez was arrested and charged for the attempted murder of Luis Dominguez, 32. On Thursday, May 21, Luis Dominguez told police that he was riding his bicycle on JR Street when a Hispanic male he knows as Jorge Gutierrez pulled out a firearm and fired several shots at him. He was shot to the left side of the neck, shoulder and head. Dominguez was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial where he underwent lifesaving surgery. Police arrested and charged Gutierrez for Dominguez’s shooting. Gutierrez appeared before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith on Thursday, May 28. He was charged with attempted murder, dangerous harm with a deadly instrument, a firearm, and use of deadly means of harm. Gutierrez plead not guilty to the charges but due to the nature of the offenses bail could not be granted. He will be remanded at the Belize Central Prison until September 4 or until he can secure bail at the Supreme Court.

    Honduran Accused of Burglary with Intent to Rape
    Hondurans national Jose Gomez, 34, is on remand at the Belize Central Prison after bail was denied for charges of burglary and sexual assault upon an eleven-year-old girl in the Fresh pond area of Burrell Boom. In a report to police, the child’s mother said that sometime between 9 and 11 p.m. on December 4, 2014, they were asleep when her daughter was awoken by someone touching her. When the girl opened her eyes she saw a man rubbing her tummy and touching her in a manner that made her feel uncomfortable. He then jumped on top of her and that was when she screamed. This woke the mother and that was when Gomez jumped off her and ran through the door. The family knows Gomez from the area and implicated him in the report to police. He was later arrested by police and charged for two criminal offenses.

    Kenrick August charged for sexually assaulting his Ex
    Kenrick August, 35, is at the Belize Central Prison on remand for allegedly sexually assaulting his estranged common-law-wife. Allegations are that on March 10, 2015, he entered the woman’s home without permission, jumped on top of her and began to caress her private parts. In a report to police, the 29-year-old woman said that she was at home in bed when she felt someone climbing on top of her. She noticed it was her ex-common-law-husband who then said to her, “Mek weh talk about weh deh happen in a weh life.” He then said to her, “Mek ah get some ah this ting,” and that was when he began to rub her on her private parts. She began to struggle with him and that’s when her uncle, Glenford, came to her aid and hit August with a piece of stick to the back of his head. August then ran out of her house. The woman went to make a police report and August was arrested and charged with sexual assault.

    Shadir Marin remanded for firearm assault of DJ Vintage, he’s out on bail in a day
    Shadir Marin, 25, Manager of San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi, was remanded to the Belize Central Prison for pulling a gun at Eddison “DJ Vintage” Usher, 41, at a fundraising event at Hour Bar on April 11 of this year. Usher reported to police that he was playing music at a fundraising event for Captain Romi Badillo at Hour Bar when Marin allegedly drove over his wires for the system. He approached Marin and they got into a verbal exchange. According to Usher, Marin then lowered his vehicle window, pulled out a firearm and pointed it at him. Marin is the holder of a license for a firearm and after a police investigation was conducted he was arrested and charged for aggravated assault upon Usher. Marin was represented by attrney Lesly Mendez when he appeared before Magistrate Herbert Panton on Tuesday, June 2, almost two months after the allegations were made. He pleaded not guilty to the charge and due to the nature of the offense bail was denied. Marin was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until July 28 or until he can secure bail at the Supreme Court.

    Disabled man fined for 18 grams of weed
    Wheel chair dependent Berris Rowland was busted with weed on Monday, June 1, and wasted no time in pleading guilty to one count of drug possession. At about 2:30 p.m. on Monday, June 1, PC Andrew Rodriguez was conducting motorcycle patrol on West Collect Canal when he saw Rowland sitting in a wheel chair. PC Rodriguez says he noticed Rowland pushing something under the cushion of his wheel chair. He then approached Rowland and asked him what he had pushed under the chair. Rowland denied pushing anything under his wheel chair and that was when PC Rodriguez informed him that he would conduct a search on the wheelchair. PC Rodriguez searched the chair and found a transparent plastic bag under the seat cushion which contained a green leafy substance that proved to be 18 grams of cannabis. Rowland was arrested and charged for drug possession.

    Teenager dead, young girl crippled – accused men walk
    Phillip Wallace, 24, and Austin Underwood, 22, are free from charges relating to a February 2010 shooting that left Dorrell Williams, 19, dead and 7-year-old Janay Moguel paralyzed. On February 1, 2010, gunmen sprayed bullets at an enemy on Central American Boulevard; however, they missed the intended target and hit a number of innocent bystanders. When shots subsided, Dorrell Williams, Robert Howard, senior citizen Stephen Rhamdas and his granddaughter Janay Moguel had to be rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial for gunshot wound treatment. One day later, February 2, Williams was pronounced brain dead due to a 9 mm slug lodged in his head. Howard, Rhamdas and Moguel survived; however, the child has been left paralyzed. One of the bullets damaged her spinal cord which caused her left arm and two legs to become unresponsive.

    Cayo Western Ballaz faces San Pedro Tigersharks for Basketball Supremacy
    The National Elite Basketball League will enter into its championship round on Friday 5 June, 2015, with game one of its best of three series at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium in San Ignacio Town at 9:00 pm between the Cayo Western Ballaz the number one seed and the San Pedro Tigersharks the number two seed. The San Pedro Tigersharks reached the finals when on Sunday 31 May it eliminated the Belmopan Red Tiagaz in the third and final game of the series out at the San Pedro High School by the score of 67-57. The top scorers for the San Pedro Tigersharks were Darwin Leslie with 19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 5 steals, James Milton with 15 points, 9 rebounds, and a steal and Tyrone Edwards with 12 points, 1 rebound, 5 assists and 3 steals. For the Belmopan Red Taigaz, the top scorers were Farron Louriano with 12 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 assist and Jarrel Velasquez with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.

    Dr. Peter Davis in Belize to work on Strategic Plan for the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association
    The Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association is playing host to Dr. Peter G. Davis who has been hired to develop the Strategic Plan for the National Olympic Committee. Dr. Davis has worked in Elite Sport Management for over 30 years. Dr. Davis is originally from Australia. He earned his MSc from the University of Oregon and his PhD from the University of Minnesota in the USA. Dr. Davis started his career in elite sport in 1981 as an Exercise Physiologist for Nike Inc, working with some of the best Track and Field athletes in the world at the Athletics West Track in Club. Since that time he has worked at the Australian Institute of Sport, first as a high performance Exercise Physiologist, then with the “Olympics Athlete Programme” to help prepare Australian athletes for the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics.

    Belize Softball Federations names national junior girls softballers
    The Belize Softball Federation has announced the names of the twenty five junior girls’ softballers that will be trying out for 18 spots to represent Belize at the Central American Junior Girls Softball Championship scheduled for San Salvador, El Salvador from July 31-August 3, 2015. The players selected are from across the country and they are Shareeni Soberanis, Shanaya Soberanis, Rose Simpson, Renisha Richards, Ronicia Vernon, Shanae Williams and Ashira Harris from Cayo, Denika Noralez, Chelsea Young, Kelsy Robinson, Elma Wade, Sabrina Campos, Devonie Reyes, Ranisha Rhaburn, Zhanae Jex, Rebecca Nicholson, Lynese Alvarez, Jalecia Jones and Sherelee Nicholson from Belize Rural, Jasany Westby and Janel Conorquie from Orange Walk, Essenie Ciego and Jahshema Saunders from Belize City.

    Beacon halts the Belize Bank Bulldogs in Belize City Softball Competition
    The average of win-loss seems to have caught up with the defending Belize City Senior Female Softball Champions the Belize Bank Bulldogs when on Wednesday 27 May, 2015 the Beacon edged it out by the score of 6-4. The Beacon scored 2 runs in the top of the 1st inning when, second baseman Licia Ferguson single to open the game. She later advanced to second base on shortstop Mertell Bailey’s infield hit and scored when designed player Naoko Takahashi single to left field. Bailey who had advanced to third base on Takahashi single scored on left fielder Clarencia Jones’ single to left field. It was not until the bottom of the 3rd inning that the Belize Bank Bulldogs scored three runs on 5 hits and an error to take a 3-2 lead.

    Belize Telemedia maintains lead in Belize City Senior Softball Competition
    The 2015 Belize City Senior Female Softball Competition continued on Friday 29 May, at Rogers Stadium in Belize City. In the game played, the current leaders in this year’s competition Belize Telemedia Ltd. defeated the upstart Beacon by the score of 10-3. Belize Telemedia Ltd., batting in the top of the 1st inning, scored the 1st run of the game when catcher Earlene Belisle opened the game with a single to centre field and later scored on Christine Avila’s base hit. The Beacon batting in the bottom of the 1st inning scored when right fielder Licia Ferguson who has reached on a base on balls advanced to second base on a fielders’ choice and scored on centre fielder Astrid Jones run producing double. Meanwhile, Belize Telemedia Ltd. scored another run on two more hits to make the score 2-1. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, the Beacon scored 2 runs on four hits that drove its starting pitcher Kamini Smith from the mound in favour of Kenisha Sutherland.

    Looking at the numbers - Castro’s Convention
    On Tuesday morning I heard a lady caller to the Rise and Shine morning talk show ask the question “How will Edmond Castro win the next election with only 1612 votes he got on Sunday ?” The answer is as easy as he did in 2012 & 2008. No PUP or any other candidate besides Castro has ever gotten more than the 1612 votes he received on Sunday . So with those numbers Castro would have won every election in Belize Rural North since 1961 when the division was formed. One only has to check the Elections and Boundaries website to verify that. In 2012 Arthur Saldivar who worked BRN from the time when Maxwell Samuels ran dating back to the 1989 campaign to when he (Arthur) ran and even up to when he was dumped by the PUP was the most popular PUP Politician who ever ran for office in BRN. The results of the Election of 2012 proved that. Not only did Arthur operate politically at a high level for the PUP, he also lives in the area and has ties to the area . Such is not the case with the new PUP candidate Major Unknown who apart from being a newcomer to politics is a stranger to the area. By the time the next Election comes around he would not be in the area to establish a relationship with the voters who are spread out in the 28 or so villages of BRN.

    Elected to Disserve
    When the elections were called in 2012, the United democratic Party won by a very slim margin garnering only 17 of the 31 seats countrywide. The jury is still out on the outcome of this very narrow margin of victory. The People’s United Party lost the election but won 14 seats. Now that suggests that the people for whatever reason decided to give these 14 PUP representatives a chance to prove themselves. What a disaster that has proven to be. On the 21 October, 2014, a mere one year and seven months after the people elected him, the PUP representative for Cayo North Joseph Mahmud announced that he would not be seeking to be the standard bearer and contest the next general elections. A month later he made history when on November 24 he resigned as area representative triggering a bi-election which the UDP won handsomely. Thirteen days earlier on November 11, another area representative, Marco Tulio Mendez also announced that he was no longer interested in being the standard bearer for the people who had elected him in 2012. He remains the area representative but he is shrouded in controversy as he has been arrested, accused of some very serious offences. The never ending saga of ruinous events that have followed and continue to follow the People’s United Party left a bitter taste in the mouths of those who trusted and voted for them in the last general elections. This was demonstrated in patent form when the electors came out for the recent municipal elections and endorsed the work that United Democratic Party was doing and voted red all the way except for four councilors and a Mayor.

    Quiet hurricane season expected, CEMO prepared for worst case
    The Belize City Emergency Management Organization (CEMO) held a press briefing on Monday, June 1, to assure residents that the city is “prepared for a disaster”. June 1 marks the beginning of the hurricane season and according to the National Meteorological Service of Belize, “projections from the more reputable organizations that produce hurricane seasonal outlooks indicate that a below average to near average activity is likely this season”. Despite this forecast for a quiet season, the MET Service emphasizes the importance of “being prepared” in the event of a hurricane and CEMO is preaching the same. “We have been planning for a hurricane from the close of the last hurricane season,” says Mayor Darrell Bradley. Shortly after the close of last year’s hurricane season the organization looked at some of its weaknesses. Mayor Bradley says the main weakness identified was rescue workers’ inability to effectively care for people with special needs. It is a weakness that CEMO has been trying to fix for over two years now. Last year the council signed up over a dozen staffers for sign language classes so there should now be someone trained to communicate using sign language in every evacuation mission. Another weakness in the system was a lack of traffic control during evacuation periods. This is now the second year that a comprehensive evacuation system is available to be put to the test. Immediately after the Mayor issues an evacuation order, traffic personnel will be out to direct the flow of motor vehicles on a particular route. These routes can be seen on huge billboards across the city. In order to prevent traffic congestion by those heavy machine vehicles, companies will be instructed to move those vehicles out of the city as early as possible.

    Mose Hyde’s needless Petro Panic
    Kremandala’s media personality Evan Mose Hyde has taken an embarrassing and impolitic stance by suggesting to his radio listeners and television viewers that Government has in the past borrowed money from Petrocaribe to pay salaries and conduct debt servicing. His conspiracy was that the government had a crisis shortfall in its obligation to deal with recurrent expenditure, and that it broke the rules by using Petrocaribe Funds, which the arrangement between both the Belize and Venezuelan Governments does not allow for. He further suggested that Government was somehow trying to cover it up and not inform the general public. On their morning program called WUB Morning Vibes, Hyde and his co-host revealed a Central Bank document which stated that there were 2 transfers in March 2014 and March 2015 of 20 million dollars each. Those monies went from the Government’s Petrocaribe account to Government’s operating account. He interpreted that to mean that Government improperly used Petro money to pay salaries and other debt obligations. Well, the Ministry of Finance has clarified that it does not believe that he did so out of malice, but out of ignorance, and that if he had gotten a comment from the Government, he would have known that his interpretation was completely wrong.

    Public Service Information Day held in San Ignacio Town
    A public service information day was held on Friday of last week at the Cayo Welcome Center in San Ignacio Town. Public officers from various Government of Belize Ministries and Departments were present to educate members of the public on their various roles. At the yearly event, there were booths from the Belize Police Department as well as from the Ministry of Health, Education and others. Students from surrounding areas of San Ignacio took the opportunity to visit the various booths to learn about the functions of the different Government Ministries. The Hon. Charles Gibson, the Minister of Public Service and Elections and Boundaries was present last Friday and visited the various booths and meet with public officers. In a short ceremony at the Cayo Welcome Center the Hon. Charles Gibson was greeted by the various representatives from the Government Departments.

    Contract signed for water supply for Gardenia and Biscayne
    A total of 155 households in Gardenia and Biscayne, Belize District will soon have access to the supply of reliable potable water as a result of the Gardenia/Biscayne Water Supply Sub-project that is funded by the Government of Belize at a cost of $999,408.49 through a loan from the Caribbean Development Bank. This means that 78 households in Gardenia & 77 in Biscayne will significantly improve and enhance their quality of life in meeting their daily water needs such as drinking, washing, bathing and cooking. Equally important, the completion of the Gardenia/Biscayne Water Supply Sub-project also means the potential reduction in the vulnerability and incidences of residents and the villages to water-borne diseases; thus, making significant achievements in improving their quality of health, and by extension, the wider society of Belize. Belize Social Investment Fund (BSIF) steadfast in its commitment of building partnership is collaborating with (BWS) in implementing the Gardenia/Biscayne Water Supply Sub-project as part of its mandate to work in line with the Government’s poverty alleviation strategy in addressing the basic needs of Belizeans, and in particular in the areas of health, water and sanitation.

    FFB voted for Blatter as FIFA President but Blatter resigned
    Swiss Football administrator Joseph Sepp Blatter has resigned from FIFA, the biggest sport governing body in the world. That’s less than a week after being elected for his fifth term, in a candidacy that Ruperto Vicente, President of the Football Federation of Belize, voted for him also. Vicente and a group of FFB executive members flew to Zurich, Switzerland to attend the 65th Congress of FIFA, which was held on Tuesday, May 28 and Wednesday, May 29. In that congress, members of the football associations and federations from all across the world flew in to attend and cast their vote for the candidate they believe would win. Blatter was running against his opponent, Prince Ali Bin Hussein. That should have been the most newsworthy aspect of the congress, who would be elected. But, that’s the time when the United States Department of Justice decided to unseal indictable charges against 13 of the officials who were present at the time.

    Maurice Felix on Remand for Attempted Murder
    The notorious Maurice Felix, 30, is behind bars once again. Felix is on remand at the Belize Central Prison after he was arraigned for a shooting incident on Caesar Ridge Road that left two men injured on May 25. According to police, Mark Gentle/Vernon, 27, and Calvin Cumberbatch, 34, were sitting on the steps of their residence when a vehicle approached and two men jumped out. The men opened fire at Gentle and Cumberbatch with automatic weapons and then sped off in the vehicle. Gentle and Cumberbatch were shot multiple times and rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial for treatment. Cumberbatch was treated and released but Gentle was admitted to ward in a critical condition. Police investigation led to the arrest of Maurice Felix of #3550 Sanker Street.

    Al Jones busted with .38 pistol
    Al Jones, 25, is back behind bars at the Belize Central Prison after he was arraigned on Friday, May 29, for being in possession of an unlicensed firearm. According to police, Jones was busted with a firearm at around 7 p.m. on Wednesday, May 27. Police Constable Eric Reid, and other officers responded to reports of an individual being in possession of a firearm on Antelope Street, not too far from the Raccoon Street Police Station. When they arrived in the area, they saw Jones who fitted the description of the suspect given by control room. Reid says that when Jones saw the police he began to run. Police set chase after him and caught up with him shortly after. They found him in possession of a .38 Special revolver with a grey and black grip. The firearm was loaded with six rounds of ammunition. Jones was arrested and escorted to the police station where he remained for two days before being arraigned on Friday.

    Police in Cayo continue investigations into Roaring Creek murders
    Belmopan Police continue their investigations relating to the two recent murders near Roaring Creek Village in the Cayo District. 28 year old Edilberto Madrid, a resident of Roaring Creek was found decapitated and his body was also mutilated on May 26th about 200 yards away from the Agripino Cawich Bridge in the Young Bank Area of Camalote Village. While 51 year old Steven Hyde, was discovered grossly mutilated in the neighborhood at a private farm and in a shallow grave a day later. Belmopan Police now believe that both crimes are related and that the second incident was an attempt to cover the tracks of the first. “We want to be absolutely sure, that is why we are taking our time,” says Howell Gillett, Officer in Charge of Belmopan Police.

    Belize City primary schools football competition winding down
    une, 2015, in the only game played, St. Joseph Primary School blanked Belize Elementary School by the score of 2-0. The goals for St. Joseph School were scored by Sergio Andrade and Bjarne Gabourel. In the second game, Wesley Upper School won via the default route over St. Mary’s Primary School. In game three, Holy Redeemer School also won over James Garbutt Seventh Day Adventist School via the default route. In the only game in the girls’ category, Wesley Upper School also won via the default route over St. Mary’s Primary School. On Monday 1st June, in the first of three games in the boys’ competition, St. Ignatius School won via the default route over Ebenezer Methodist School.

    Amandala

    Belize rejects Guat claim over Sarstoon Island
    We have yet to receive a report on Guatemala’s official response to Belize’s protest note on the Sarstoon Island incursion by Guatemala’s Fuerza Especial Naval, a special arm of the Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF). We also have no information detailing the exchanges between the Government of Belize and the Government of Guatemala. Amandala tried to get a word with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who reportedly made the intervention at the official level with the Guatemalans, but he declined an interview. He said that enough has already been said on the matter. Last week, when we spoke with Col. George Lovell, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Natural Resources, we were not informed that the Belize Coast Guard had actually cut short its trip to the Sarstoon area because of the challenge by the Guatemalans. We asked Lovell why he did not explain this to us, and he told us that we did not ask. How we were supposed to know that the mission had been cut short, he did not say. Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington has said that they were supposed to stay for 10 days, but the Belizeans left on the second day of their mission, on orders by GOB because of the challenge by the Guatemalans. On the Love FM Morning Show today, Elrington was asked what Belize could lose at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), and in his response Elrington suggested that Belize could lose some of its remote island territory.

    Woman caught on surveillance camera burglarizing home, remanded to prison
    A woman who has previous convictions for crimes of dishonesty was remanded to prison this morning after she was arraigned on charges of burglary and handling stolen goods. Margareta Noralez Pech, 33, a housekeeper of 23 Amara Avenue, pleaded not guilty to the two charges when she appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. The allegation against Pech is that on May 29, she entered, as a trespasser, the home of Kelsey Musa, located at 10 Eyre Street, and stole an assortment of jewelry and other items valued at $3,235. Pech was unable to convince the court that she should be granted bail after the court prosecutor made strong objections why she should be remanded to prison.

    Pig thieves murder woman, 46
    A vigilant watchman of a pig farm on the More Tomorrow Road is now bereft of his common-law wife, Paula Zaharias, 46, the mother of his 5 children, who was shot in the head at about 1:30 this morning by one of three thieves who fired about nine shots at them in their house after the watchman caught them trying to steal pigs from the farm. The bandits then fled the area empty-handed. Paula Zaharias was taken to the Belmopan Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival at about 3:30 this morning. The pig farm, belonging to Michael Flowers, is located on the More Tomorrow Road about three miles from the village. Flowers told Amandala today at the farm that the caretaker, 51, whom he only knows as “Primo,” told him that he, Paula and their five children, ranging in age from 3 to 15 years, were in the farmhouse this morning at about 1:30 when he heard noise coming from the pig sty where the large pigs were kept.

    The placement of people on our flag “was a bad idea” – Former PM Manuel Esquivel
    Former Prime Minister Sir Manuel Esquivel told Amandala today that there is the need for the Belize flag to be standardized, with formal specifications documented for the colors of the flag, as well as the intricate design details which define it. At the time of Independence, he said, the flags were sewn and hand-painted in Belize. However, he told us that beyond talking about the specs of the Belize flag – which exists in an endless variation due to mass production by various establishments, perhaps beginning in the 1990s – the wise course of action would be to remove the men from the flag altogether. Although he agrees that such a move would be controversial, he said that to only portray a black and a brown man on the flag is hardly representative of the ethnically diverse people of Belize. Esquivel pointed to the fact that the Belize flag is the only flag with people on it – which, he told us, was “a bad idea.” When the national flag was being designed, he was one of the persons who sat on a committee comprised of persons from the People’s United Party and the United Democratic Party, tasked with coming up with a national flag. According to Esquivel, the forerunner to the flag was sky blue and it did not have any red on it. The thought was that it would be impossible to get Belizeans to rally together under a flag which clearly represented the ruling party at the time. So the solution was introducing some red – the color of the United Democratic Party.

    Hopkins wants demarcation and security of ancestral lands
    Hopkins Village chairman, Felix Miranda, has written Natural Resources Minister Gaspar Vega demanding that the Government of Belize cease to issue ancestral lands in the territory of Yugadan, the Garifuna name for Hopkins. The two-page letter to Vega also cites what Miranda identifies as ancestral farmlands: Salisa, Huhuti, Dunkin, Mudawa, Seidini, Newtown and Kachurugu, among lands that were allegedly “muscled by the Government without the free, prior and informed consent of the Garifuna Indigenous Peoples of Yugadan, Hopkins.” Amandala tried to contact Minister Vega about the letter, but we were unable to speak with him, so we left a message with his secretary. We also contacted Vega’s CEO, Sharon Ramclam, who told us that she was unaware of the letter but would look into the matter. Miranda wrote not just as chairman of Yugadan, but also as an activist member of Lawanserun Yugadan Corporation, a group of about 24 villagers formed for this purpose as well as to promote progress in their village. The group members include village council members, Hilaria Ramos, a trustee of Lawanserun, and Ashford Miranda. Uwahnie Martinez is the president of the group and Felix Miranda is the secretary.

    Vicente voted for Blatter
    The resignation of former longstanding International Federation of Football Association (FIFA)president, Sepp Blatter, which occurred yesterday, Tuesday, sent social media, not to mention the football world, into a frenzy. Although many influential stakeholders within that realm have been calling for Blatter’s resignationeven before the elections were held at the 65th FIFA Congress last Friday, May 29, in Zurich, Switzerland, Blatter won a fifth consecutive term amid massive corruption scandals which have surfaced within the international football governing body. During those elections, Football Federation of Belize (FFB) president, Ruperto Vicente – who had attended the event with two other FFB executives – voted for Blatter despite the revelations. While heading back out of the country on another footballrelated matter on Monday of this week, Vicente, in an interview with the media, asserted that he had voted for the embattled FIFA president because “he [Blatter] was up for development, and Belize needs as much assistance in development as possible, and so, we also put the challenge that it is now his responsibility to clean up the situation in FIFA.”

    C-Ray Cycling Club events – Saturday races and Youth Summer Series
    The C-Ray Cycling Club has committed to hosting races for all categories throughout the summer, on Saturdays. Races are held on the Boom-Hattieville road and start at 6:00 a.m. in front of Data-Pro, travel to Hattieville round-about, and return to finish in front of Data-Pro. Categories – Elite, Masters, Junior and Female. Three races have been held so far, and the current record is 53 minutes, held by Delawn Abraham. We invite ALL CYCLISTS to come out this Saturday, June 6, at 6:00 a.m. to participate. Registration is $5.00 per person. The races are led and followed by Police. Youth Summer Series The 2nd Annual C-Ray Youth Summer Series will commence on Sunday, June 14, on Marine Parade Boulevard and will be run on 4 Sundays – June 14, June 21, July 5 and July 19. All youths, ages 3-18 years are invited to come out and race! Registration is FREE. Helmet is mandatory. New Category: Mountain Bike / Beach Cruiser. Great prizes! Bring out the entire family!!

    Belize Jaguars prepare for 2nd round of WC Qualifiers
    After squeezing past the Grand Cayman national selection in the first round, the Belize National Men’s “A” football selection, the Belize Jaguars, are engaged in their final stages of preparations for an upcoming game against the Dominican Republic as part of the 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The first of the 2-game series will be played next Thursday, June 11, in the Dominican Republic, whereas the second match will take place at the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) stadium in Belmopan on Sunday, June 14. The team has been in training on their home field for the past 5 months, and today, the FFB called a press conference at their Belmopan headquarters to present the group of players and support staff who will make up the team in the second round of competition. Head Coach, Jorge Nunez, told the gathering that the 23 players are “in 100% top shape,” and since everyone has been “putting in their part” during workouts, he is “confident” that the team will advance after encountering the Dominican Republic team.

    2015 – 2nd Bi-Annual RF&G National Ranking Tournament
    The 2015 2nd Bi-Annual RF&G National Ranking Tournament was played this past weekend at the BES Auditorium, with some 50 plus participants playing in four different categories. In the A-Division, after some intense matches, the day closed off with an exciting final that went down to the wire between Carlos Cui and Tyrone Tun. Carlos won, 3-2, just managing to edge out Tyrone in the last set of the finals, 13-11. The final results were as follows: A-Division: 1st – Carlos Cui; 2nd – Tyrone Tun; 3rd – Nicholas Martin. In the B-Division, 10 players started out in the Round Robin Elimination groups, with the top 8 advancing to the Double Elimination Finals. This time around, #1 ranked Junior player, Latrell Solis played his first RF&G Ranking Tournament as an official member of the B-Division Category, making his way undefeated to the finals.

    Editorial: The turkey and the Sarstoon River mouth…
    On Channel 5 Wednesday morning, Belize Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington confirmed that it was Prime Minister Dean Barrow himself who on Friday morning, May 29, defused a standoff situation between armed elements of the Belize Coast Guard and armed elements of the Guatemalan Navy by instructing our Coast Guard to “stand down” from their positions on an island at the mouth of the Sarstoon River, an island which is clearly in Belizean territory. When this newspaper went to press on Monday night, June 1, this week, more than 80 hours after this border incident, which actually began at the Sarstoon on Thursday morning, May 28, the information confirmed on Wednesday morning by Elrington had, for whatever the reason(s), not been available to our assistant editor, Adele Ramos, when she wrote a front page story for our Tuesday issue titled, THE COAST GUARD – BELIZE’S NEWEST HEROES! At the time of this latest Sarstoon River incident, which lasted from Thursday morning to Friday morning last week, Minister Elrington had been in Guatemala City. He had been there for days. What he was remaining there for is not clear, because it was THREE DAYS BEFORE the Sarstoon standoff began that he had “signed a protocol to amend the ICJ special agreement, to permit Guatemala to proceed ahead of Belize to hold its national referendum on whether its unfounded claim … should be heard at the ICJ.” (pg. 1, Amandala, Wednesday, June 3, 2015.)

    From the Publisher
    Sunday’s UDP convention in Belize Rural North concluded with a massive triumph for the incumbent standard bearer/area representative, Hon. Edmond Castro, and a crushing defeat for the challenger, Mr. Dwight Tillett, who had reportedly been the chief executive officer in Castro’s Ministry for several years. In the aftermath of the convention, Mr. Tillett made comments which reflect irreparable disillusionment with, and estrangement from, Mr. Castro, and, to a certain extent, a loss of faith in his party. While he had appeared to retain his equanimity early on Sunday even in the face of the swarming masses of Castro supporters, it was only human for Dwight to feel, as shocking reality set in later, a sense of betrayal, certainly with the UDP voters and probably with his party. The Crooked Tree section of the Tillett family into which Dwight Tillett was born, first appeared on the national political stage in late 1973/early 1974 with two of Dwight’s older brothers being introduced as UDP general election candidates. These were Lionel and Kenneth, in the Corozal North and Collet constituencies respectively. (Strictly speaking, there was no UDP candidate in the two Corozal constituencies in 1974: Lionel in the North and Santiago Gongora in Corozal South were described on the ballot as representing the Corozal United Front (CUF), but they were understood to be UDPs.) The UDP had just been formally established under the de facto leadership of Dean Lindo in September of 1973, and when Lindo presented his two personable Tillett candidates, who had come in from their homes in Oklahoma to campaign along with their American wives, there was somewhat of a stir in local political circles.

    Youth activist Alberto Vellos writes
    Dear Editor, There is a tried and tested script for what occurred last week Friday here in Belize City. I know, for I have lived through the script too many times not to recognise when it’s happening. Here’s how the script goes: young people are gathered under the banner of a youth forum, they are encouraged by peers and adult advisors who promise that this will be “the opportune moment” to discuss their dreams and aspirations, and that this will be the defining call for change. They are then joined by the Minister of Youth who, most times, is neither young and does not understand nor share the most basic aspirations of our youth. Yet he/she attends and, right on cue, promises that our youth are listened to because “they matter” and are “important”, and of course because “they are the future”. The curtains are then lowered, and everything goes back to normal but the participants can Share and Like each other’s photos on social networks and feel good about the experience. As anticipated, that script played out last week at a “Youth Forum” held at the Gateway Youth Center under the auspices of the Ministry of Youth and for that reason I refused to be a part of it. I have seen and been a part of more than a fair share of these token-aimed and token-driven events. The result has been that after each meeting, I and many others were left waiting for the sweet-sounding political promises to be kept, for the adult advisors to take action on our behalf and for the future to arrive. None of the above ever occurred.

    Big Falls alcalde faces ouster attempt
    About 150 villagers of Big Falls, a village of about 3,000 residents, met in their village on Sunday, May 31, pledging to “overthrow” the alcalde of their village, Regino Hernandez, over a series of allegations which have been lodged with the Toledo Alcaldes Association (TAA). Lindley Ramclam, the chairman of the village, told us that he has no issues with the alcalde, whose purpose, he said, is to maintain law and order in the community according to the traditional system, while the village council, which Ramclam leads, is tasked with looking after community development. PGTV shared a video clip of the meeting with us, in which villagers are alleging that the village council had received $20,000 from Central Government but has not properly accounted for how the money was used. Also, a woman complained that the alcalde doubled her fine when she challenged him about why he was charging her $30, allegedly for telling a lie. The TAA, which has received a slew of written complaints, has consequently triggered a process of investigation which will ultimately reveal whether the complaints against Hernandez bear enough substance to prompt them to seek his removal. However, we were advised by Pablo Mis, representative of the Maya Leaders Alliance, an affiliate of the TAA, that the process is quite involved and the ultimate removal can only happen after a properly convened meeting at which the villagers themselves would vote on whether they want Hernandez to be removed as alcalde.

    52 apprentices graduate from ABTEC program
    Recognizing that skills training can equip youth in their quest to secure gainful employment, the American-Belizean Technology and Education Center (ABTEC), which is located on Regent Street in Belize City, has been assisting Belizean youths and adults to garner different vocational skills since January 2014. ABTEC operates on the principle that, “you don’t have to come from a place of privilege to accomplish great things”, and today the center held a graduation ceremony for 52 trainees from varied backgrounds who plan to prove that mantra to be true. When the event concluded, Amandala spoke to ABTEC’s deputy director, Stephanie Betancourt, who also serves as an IT teacher for the program, and she elaborated on the programs that they offer to the public.

    Santander and Valley of Peace farmers make amends
    Over 30 farmers from the Valley of Peace area in Cayo were granted ownership of 160 acres of land at a location next to the Santander farm in Belmopan since last Saturday, May 30. The goodwill gesture came after months of negotiations that took place in the wake of a crop dusting exercise that was carried out by Green Tropics, a subsidiary of the Santander Group, in March of 2014 which resulted in the alleged destruction of close to half a million dollars’ worth of vegetables belonging to the Valley of Peace Farmers Association. The farmers filed a lawsuit in response, but later received an eviction notice from the company which maintained that the crops were planted on its titled land. The matter went all the way to the Supreme Court, but now, the two parties have made amends and those 31 farmers have been gifted with their own titled land on the same property, not far from where they had originally settled.

    The Reporter

    Cardona responds to allegations of unethical legal practice
    Attorney Marcel Cardona responded to reports that he has been recommended for suspension for a year by the General Legal Council on allegations of unethical legal practices saying he completely surprised and wasn’t notified about any such occurrence. Cardona said the Disciplinary Committee of the Bar Association may have proceeded to make the decision but neither he nor the complainant were present at the meeting supposedly held earlier this week. According to Cardona, he still hasn’t been able to get any official documentation of the alleged decision made against him. He said he is currently awaiting confirmation on the issue. Cardona said he was shocked because when an accusation is made against someone’s professional reputation, especially an attorney, the accused should be given an opportunity to defend their self in person. Cardona said from what he has been able to gather there are two complaints against him by a past client. Cardona said on the allegation that he overcharged for his service that he is fully prepared to substantiate the value of service to the disgruntled client.

    Belize praised for anti-laundering laws
    The Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) and the International Cooperation Review Group (ICRG) have removed Belize from the CFATF follow-up process and the ICRG review program after assessing the measures undertaken by Belize to combat money laundering and terrorist financing. The review included scrutiny of Belize’s legislative framework and its implementation by Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Caribbean Financial Task-force (CFT) supervisors and the private sector. According to a government release, Belize now joins a vanguard of CFATF member countries who have achieved the highest levels of compliance with international standards. CFATF member countries have expressed congratulations to Belize for making such remarkable progress in a short period of time, having only starting work on strengthening deficiencies in the country’s system since 2011. Research shows that only the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands, who both only had minor deficiencies, were able to exit the follow-up in less time.

    Solar streetlights coming to Phillip Goldson Highway
    The stretch of road on the Phillip Goldson Highway from the Haulover Bridge to the Airport Road junction will soon have better visibility at night, through a government renewable energy project. Under the project, the Ministry of Energy, Science and Technology, and Public Utilities, along with various partner agencies will place solar-powered street lights along the road, which is known for being especially dark at night time. The project, valued at US $300,000, is funded by the government of the Republic of China -Taiwan. Chief Executive Officer in the ministry, Dr. Colin Young, explained this week that the project is only a pilot, but if proven effective, central government will consider rolling out the solar powered lights to other areas in the country.

    New Haulover Bridge for Belize
    Belize is to get a new Haulover Bridge, as well as a four-lane highway from Belize City to the new bridge. There is no exact time-frame for this development, but last week Prime Minister Dean Barrow made a start by signing a deal with the Caribbean Development Bank. Under this agreement, CDB will donate Bze $4.8 million to the project, which is expected to cost $29.7 million in all. The new bridge will ease the pressure on the existing bridge, which is the gateway to Belize City for the northern half of the country.

    Character Defamation: Alcalde and chairman say they will sue
    Regino Hernandez, the Alcalde of Big Falls Village in Toledo has said he intends to sue for libel, all those persons who made allegations against him of mishandling public funds. At a village public meeting last Sundaytwo persons stood up to accuse Hernandez of not providing accounting details of money which the Government had given the village council in 2013. The figure, they said, amounts to $20,000. In a telephone conversation with The Reporter, Hernandez reported this week that the councillor who called the meeting, did so on the premise to talk about communal land rights, an issue which he, the councillor supports, but which Hernandez opposes. Instead, the meeting took a different turn when certain persons accused the Alcalde of misusing public money and not providing accountability. Hernandez clarified that as an alcalde, he does not deal with the matters of the village.

    American sex offender caught in Belize
    Another American fugitive wanted for charges related to sexual offenses has been caught in Belize and deported back to the US to answer those charges. On Monday, David Long, 63, who is wanted in Shawnee County, Kansas was apprehended by US Marshals in Unitedville […]

    Cane farm helper crushed to death 
    Julio Macal, a cane farm worker from Xaibe Village, Corozal, was crushed to death on Saturday around 1 a.m., as he and his colleague, Ismael Camal approached the Tower Hill Sugar Factory to deliver cane. The two were towing a trailer loaded with cane […]

    Youth leaders raise their voices
    More than 100 youths and youth leaders from all six districts gathered at the Gateway Youth Center in Belize City for the first-ever Young Leaders Forum. The forum last Friday was held under the theme, “Youth: A Time for Equality in Decision Making.” The forum […]

    Body 2000 gym resolves trade license issue
    A leading Belize City gym, Body 2000, has resolved its trade licensing issue with the Belize City Council and re-opened this week after being forcibly shut down last week by City Council personnel and police officers. Mayor Darrell Bradley said he was not aware […]

    PUP vs Ramos (Pt 2)
    The deputy leader of the People’s United Party (PUP) Julius Espat, has opined that PUP Dangriga area representative, Ivan Ramos, should be disciplined for going against the party’s official position on acceptance of PetroCaribe funds from the Government. Ramos, who at the PUP’s last […]

    Belize tops regional sugar production .Less cane, more sugar!
    Belize produced more sugar for the month of April than any other Caribbean country, says a report issued this week by the Sugar Association of the Caribbean. The SACs data said that in April 2015, Belize milled 28,289 tons of sugar, followed by Guyana, which […]

    Predicted: a “dry” rainy season in 2015
    Forecasters in the Caribbean this week, are concerned about the effects that abnormally dry rainy seasons may have on the productive sector of affected countries. At the Regional Climate Outlook forum for the 2015 hurricane season, held in CASTRIES, St Lucia, forecasters warned that abnormally […]

    Editorial
    Santander, the Spanish owned corporation which is now completing Belize’s second sugar factory in the Cayo District, has just won the admiration and respect of the people of Belize for the way it has resolved the squatting problem created by members of the farming community of the Valley of Peace. […]

    Beef – it’s what’s NOT for dinner!
    Beef steak and ground beef may become prohibitively expensive for many Belizeans if prices continue to rise. Data from the Statistical Institute of Belize showed that from April 2013-April 2015 the average price per lb. of beef steak rose from $6.02 to $7.32. The average […]

    Guilty! Three men to serve three years in jail
    Three men are currently serving a three -year prison term after being found guilty of drug trafficking. The men, Richard Smith, Kent Nunez, and Jason Phillips were found near the Benque border on March 16, 2011 in a maroon-coloured car with 17,233 grams (about […]

    Kolbe saves $60,000 by switching bulbs
    The Kolbe Foundation, which manages the Belize Central Prison on the Boom/Hattieville Road, expects to save close to $60,000 a year ($5,000 a month) in electricity bills by switching to a new, energy-efficient lighting system on its compound. Chief Executive Officer at Kolbe, Virgil Murillo, […]

    Tropic Air plane forced to land at sea with passengers aboard
    The Civil Aviation Department has started its preliminary investigation into the accident involving a Tropic Air plane which made an emergency -landing in the sea in shallow water on Tuesday. The aircraft has not been recovered so far. Civil Aviation Director, Lindsay Garbutt told […]

    Breaking Belize NewsPJ

    Love FM’s “Punta Fuego Outstanding Fisher of the Year Award”
    Punta Fuego is Belize’s hottest radio drama, airing Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. and repeating on Sundays at 1:15 p.m on LoveFm radio. Punta Fuego is a fictional coastal village in Belize, where a young fisherman by the name of Richie is put to the test when deceit and danger come […]

    Attorney and magistrate to be suspended for unethical practices
    Two prominent members of the legal profession face suspension for reported unethical practices. One is a former area representative who admitted to bribing certain officials to ensure his client would get bail for minor offenses; the other is a long-time magistrate who is alleged to have used his […]

    Trio face major jail time and fines for drug trafficking
    Three men, two of whom have previous convictions for drug offences, face a heavy fall in relation to another bust of drug trafficking in the Cayo District for which they were convicted last week. 35 year old Richard Smith, 30 year old Kent Nunez and 29 year old […]

    Aaliyah Levia Wins National Spelling Bee Competition
    The 21st national Spelling Bee finals took center-stage today at the Corozal Community College Auditorium where hundreds of students, teachers and parents converged for the main spelling bee event. Twelve finalists representing the six districts went head to head in four rounds of intense spelling competition. After two rounds using […]

    Two vehicles collided this afternoon on Benque Road near Chuc’s Gas Station
    Reports reaching our newsroom is that two vehicles collided this afternoon around 1:47 p.m. near Chuc’s Gas Station on Benque Viejo Road. According to our sources, one of the vehicle is a black pick up truck that sells butane in San Ignacio Town. Police have been dispatched to the scene […]

    Major Archaeological find at Nim Li Punit
    The Nim Li Punit Archaeological site, located approximately 25 miles outside of Punta Gorda Town, has been the center of much hype in the archaeological world over the past few days. It was about 12 days ago that archaeologists and researchers found 8 pieces of Jade and 26 ceramic pots […]

    Fatal motorcycle crash on the Hummingbird Highway claims two lives
    Information reaching our news room is that last night around 8:30pm, police visited an area between mile 5 and 6 on the Hummingbird Highway where they encountered two motorbikes that were extensively damaged and facing each other. According to police reports, the motorbikes belong to 28 year old William Triguero […]

    Coast Guard Officers honored for bravery in last week’s standoff with Guatemalan Navy
    Last week Thursday and Friday, a confrontation and standoff between Belizean Coast Guards and Guatemalan Navy vessels, poured out from every media house and of course, Belize Media Group was among the first to bring you coverage of that incident. The confrontation occurred when a Guatemalan vessel was seen in […]

    “Belize Renewed, Confident, Competitive, and Committed” is this year’s theme for September Celebrations
    In just a few months, the infectious beats, drum rhythms and carnival vibes will flood the land of Belize as it will be celebrating its month of Independence. And in that light, the National Celebrations Commission of Belize has issued a press release with this year’s September Celebration Theme. According […]

    Belize Jaguars confident about victory in upcoming game against Dominican Republic
    Earlier this year, Belize’s National football team traveled to the Cayman Islands for a game that our Jaguars eventually won by the slimmest margin possible, earning a game against the Dominican Republic’s Los Quisqueyanos and keeping Belize’s dream of World Cup qualification alive. In the game against Cayman, […]

    39 year old Paula Garcia killed in pig robbery attempt
    The unexpected and saddening murder of 39 year old wife and mother, Paula Garcia, occurred in the wee hours of the morning yesterday, June 4th. Paula, along with her husband and 5 children, had just moved from Orange Walk to an area on the ‘More Tomorrow Road’ last […]

    Expect cloudy skies with a few showers the next few days
    General situation for today Friday is for Cloudy skies to be expected at times with a few showers and thunderstorms mainly along coastal areas this morning, inland this afternoon and in the south tonight. Wind blows at North to Northwest this morning changing direction to East to Northeast at 5 […]

    Blogs

    “Good Time” in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.
    My day yesterday started much as every day starts for me. I wake up! Then it’s to the kitchen (I do put some clothes on), kettle on and then the mug of black, unsweetened instant coffee. Mug in hand I then unplug the iPad Air and take both out to the veranda. The western one on the lagoon side. I then spend around an hour to ninety minutes catching up with what’s been going on in the world. Well, to be honest, not everything, just the bits that interest me. I then shower, shave, dress, pat Ziggy, kiss Rose goodbye (I have been known to get this in the wrong order) and head off for breakfast at Estel’s Dine By the Sea. During my time at Estel’s I normally give some thought as to what I plan to do for the rest of the day. What tasks I think I might like to tackle. I never put too many on my mental list because I don’t want to fail. I didn’t draw up the list yesterday though because I knew that we had Peter Lawrence’s (aka Pedro of Pedro’s Hotel) birthday lunch to attend at Caribbean Villas Hotel so I just spent a bit of time watching (it’s so much easier watching) Lloyd and Gonzalo working on the garden.

    Belize Recipe: Make a Cassava Crusted Snapper Fillet!
    Fish is quick in cooking, nutritious, and delicious when prepared simply. Chef Mario adds fresh kale and cassava that is organically grown at Chaa Creek’s Maya Organic Farm to give this recipe a deliciously rich flavour. Season the fish fillet with chef’s special rub, dip in plain all-purpose flour then milk batter followed by grated cassava well covered, fry in vegetable oil at medium high temperature until light brown color on both sides, place in kitchen paper to absorb any oil excess. Prepare the creamy kale sauce in a small sauce pan by adding a spoon of butter, garlic and kale, stirring constantly until kale is cooked enough then add the sour cream, adjust seasoning with kosher salt, black or white pepper and a splash of wine.

    Endurance training and Big beach party
    I remember when Andrew Milner founder of of the San Pedro Sailing club was sitting in our back yard years ago telling us about his dream to teach local island kids the art of sailing and how his plans were to find the Olympic quality sailors and get them to master a skill that will allow them to travel work worldwide. His dream was not without it’s struggles but he stuck with it and has come to help the kids win lots of trophies, and learn good sportsmanship and life skills. His write up below shows just the kind of quality he and the sailing school are dedicated to providing their kids. Further below that you will find details on their upcoming big beach party fundraiser happening this Sunday at Amber Beach Bar and Grill located at Caribbean Villas Hotel. It will be loads of fun and there are tons of great pries to win on as you will see when you make it to the list.

    Ambergris Caye’s Largest Development Brings Renowned Designer Amanda Lindroth On Board
    Mahogany Bay Village is the largest development to date on Ambergris Caye. Over sixty acres of land that is basically a blank slate. When complete, the property will feature private residences, a four-star hotel, bay and beach clubs, a general store, restaurants, a spa and a business center. And according to the plans so much more. I was quite smitten with the gorgeous furniture and woodwork, the simple but beautiful design and the fact that almost all of it was made in Belize by Belizean craftsmen with sustainable hardwoods. There is a huge team out by Belmopan, Belize constructing it all. Mahogany Bay, according to the Labor Department, is the 8th largest employer in the country right now with 160 to 180 Belizean employees working on the houses and the furniture. And the plans are grand…from the 200+ room resort (to be opened at the end of this year/beginning of next) to the 16,000 square foot Great House. And some of the best, in design, in sales and in construction are being brought in to do the job.

    International Sourcesizz

    Review: Airflo Chard's Tropical Punch fly line
    No type of fly fishing is more demanding on an angler’s fly line than tropical saltwater fishing. For the most part, this is a function of the physical conditions and the challenging nature of the species that tropical saltwater anglers spend most of their time targeting. For years, Airflo has been making my favorite saltwater fly lines. There are lots of very good saltwater lines out there these days, but in my experience, Airflo lines consistently shine in the tropics. At Belize’s Turneffe Flats, anglers spend part of their time chasing permit in one of the Turneffe Atoll’s lagoons, where large schools of permit frequently gather in water that is a few feet deeper than conditions that are typical on the flats. This often calls for considerably heavier crab or shrimp flies, in order to quickly get the fly down to the bottom where the fish are plucking at prey in the turtle grass. In these situations, when asked to do so, the Tropical Punch turned over these heavy patterns more effectively than other lines in the boat did. To be fair, turning over such heavy patterns is notably unpleasant regardless of the line running through the guides, but the Tropical Punch does make doing so noticeably easier.

    Redefining "Sustainability" as More, More and, Well, More
    Since its birth in 1987, for many, the term "sustainable development" has become synonymous with "less." "Sustainability" seemed to lock us into a static, zero-sum game of painful sacrifices. Facing finite or shrinking ecological limits, we felt forced to: ensure future food security only by inhibiting demands today; increase jobs and revenues only at the expense of wild nature; and restore wildness only by crimping economic growth. But this week, groundbreaking research redefines sustainability more positively. Two years' collaboration with university scientists revealed that, through a transition to sustainable fishing -- harvesting smarter, not harder -- the oceans can yield far more, across the board. Consider Belize, which suffered sharp declines in reef fish and conch; spiny lobster harvests shrank from 200 to 20 per day for many fishermen. Then two communities tried a new approach called "managed access", granting them secure rights to their historical fishing areas, and everything changed. Early adopters saw a dramatic decline in illegal fishing, fish populations rebounded, and fishing businesses grew. Fishermen became champions of nearby marine protected areas. Word spread up the coast until nearly all 3,000 fishermen wanted the same opportunities. Last week, Belize voted to take the approach nationwide in the next year.

    Students find learning opportunities from jaguars at Elmwood Park Zoo
    Norristown Area School District and Belize may be some 1,700 miles apart. But concern for the Central American country’s indigenous and endangered jaguars has made Belize a household name for students at NASD’s Cole Manor Elementary School in East Norriton. In fact, jaguars – the only American great cats as well as the largest spotted cats in the world – will be the centerpiece of CMES’s June 10 Academic EXPO. Folks familiar with the so-called Butterfly Effect know that theory is popularly reduced to the question “Does the flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?” With regard to the CMES EXPO, that question might well be reframed as “Did the plight of jaguars in Belize set off a creative learning storm in Norristown?” The short answer – it sure did.

    Videos

  • "Horrotch" in the making.., 1/2min. Masa with chaya, gonna be boiled for a while then will be taken out of the foil and into the pot of black beans

  • Shark dive in Belize, 1min.

  • Hopkins Belize Tours Animal Spotted Sittee River, 2min. One day while traveling with Charleton of Hopkins Belize Tours, We Spotted This Mammal On the Road, It Was Amazing.

  • Punta Fuego (Belize), 1min.

  • Belize Scuba with a Shark, 1min. Belize vacation scuba dive with a shark.

  • Our Belize Trip, 6min.

  • Philip W Goldson MZBZ BZE Belize Arrival Rwy 25, 1min. Maya Island Airways flight midday from San Pedro to Belize International airport showing the landing and taxi to the ramp and 4 USMC Sea Stallion helicopters refuelling en route.

  • Spotted eagle rays, 15sec. During the first dive of the 2015 long-term atoll monitoring activities the team were greeted by two amazing spotted eagle rays. Glover's Reef Research Station

  • MOYO HONEYMOON, 4min.

  • Spotted Eagle Rays in Belize, 1/2min.

  • Spotted Eagle Rays in Belize, 1min.

  • Cave Tubing in Belize... without the tube, 10min. This was one of the coolest things I have ever done! We were supposed to float leisurely down the river on our tubes. But that seemed a little boring haha, so we jumped off and swam most of it : ) Glad there was someone else there willing to give up their tube with me. Would you believe Bailey and I only met each other only 5 days prior?

  • Earthbag construction of a two story round building with a root cellar in Belize, 18min. Jaime Marin describes his experiment with building an earthbag root cellar in Belize. Using the most cost effective resources available at hand to develop a minimalistic but effective source of shelter and infrastructure for this transitional home project for children at Barzakh Falah in Georgeville, Belize. The project uses volunteer labor as it gets closer and closer to completion and minimal funds solely for materials. You will not find any embellishments to their buildings but the focus is more on erecting functional structures that will receive their own personalization as time goes on by the inhabitants it will serve. This is totally a local initiative and much thanks is given to all the earthbag community out there. This is a little we can give back of what we've learned thanks to all of you in the hopes it will help others in return. Also thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who have literally poured their grain of sand into bringing us this far. The video provides an overview of the building process including details on the foundation, bagging process, architectural support, and useful tools of the trade.

  • A Look Back At The History Of The Belize City Museum, 4min. On this Friday, we dig into our archives and flash way back with a 1994 story about the old prison. As you may know, that prison was located in the heart of the city, where the Museum of Belize now sits. Parts of the structure were retained for the museum and now serve as a point of history on the museum tour. This story takes a look back at history.

  • Coming Soon - Belize's First Helium Balloon Ride, 2.5min.

    June 5, 2015


    FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

    Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

    Specials and Events

    Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
    Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


    The San Pedro Sun

    Aurora Garcia-Saqui: Maya Healer and Entrepreneur
    We may move away, stay away, or run away, but our backgrounds remain with us no matter how far we are. This is the story of my aunt Aurora Garcia-Saqui, an entrepreneurial Yucatec Maya woman who married into a Mopan life, and has managed to artfully balance both cultures into one successful, happy life! Many years ago, five sisters lived in a small village called San Antonio in the Cayo District. Surrounded by mountains, forest and wildlife, but still remote from the bustle of the main town, the Garcia Sisters had discovered something unique and befitting their artistic nature: carving on slate. The soft black rock lent itself to sharp tools, allowing images to be carved into its surface, and soon, there were full images showing up in sharp relief, getting more and more intricate as the girls’ skill manifested. The stones’ edges remained rough, but their smooth façade shone after polishing. Aurora, second-born daughter, soon put her marketing and entrepreneurial skills to use. “We had no idea how much people would like our art. We went to the market in town on Saturdays and soon enough, people began buying,” said Aurora. The market she speaks of is considered one of the largest and busiest in Cayo, and sees hundreds of locals and travelers passing through making purchases. “I remember one day we were just about to get up; it was about five in the morning, and we could hear a vehicle pull up, beeping loudly.” It was a van full of tourists who wanted a piece of slate carving for themselves; word had spread. “We had no idea how ideally situated we were. Our little village is in the right spot for visitors to pass through on their way to the Mountain Pine Ridge, and Caracol…” Business began booming, and the Garcia Sisters became legendary within tiny Belize.

    Verdes FC to represent Belize at CONCACAF Scotiabank Champions League
    Belizean football team, Verdes FC will be representing the country at 2015/16 Scotiabank the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Champions League (SCCL). Verdes FC is the national champion with the best aggregate record in the 2014–15 season. Their participation in the SCCL will allow them the privileged opportunity of attempting to qualify as the CONCACAF representative at the 2016 FIFA Club World Cup. The 24 participating teams were sorted into groups on Monday, June 1st during a ceremony at the New World Symphony Center in Miami, Florida, USA. Teams in each group will participate in a round-robin, home-and-away, four-game format. The first round of the tournament will take place between August and October of 2015, after which the eight first place teams will advance to the quarterfinals, scheduled for early 2016. Schedules for the first round of games will be announced in the coming months. Verdes FC is based in Benque Viejo del Carmen Town in the Cayo District. They captured the Premier League of Belize Championship in May 2015 after defeating the previous champions, Belmopan Bandits FC.

    Queen Conch Season closes one month early
    The Queen Conch (Strombus Gigas) fishing season has come to a close a month early. As of Monday, June 1st no one will be allowed to legally consume or be in the possession of conch meat until the season reopens in September 30, 2015. The early closure of the season is to safeguard the sustainability of the product as recommended by the Belize Fisheries Department under the Ministry of Forestry, Fisheries and Sustainable Development. The closure of the season is in accordance with the Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations under Statutory Instrument number 54 of 2012 (Regulation 24.A). The public is reminded that no person or establishment shall have in possession any conch during the closed season in accordance with Regulation 6 of Principal Regulations (Chapter 210’s of the Laws of Belize – Revised Edition 2000-2003). Due to the early closure, a grace period of one month will being given to allow cooperatives to consume or dispose of all Queen Conch in their possession. Restaurants and individuals have a grace period of eight days. After the grace period, anyone found in possession will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

    Environmental partners band to fight illegal Wildlife Trade
    The illegal trade of wildlife is a plague for the entire globe, driving several species of flora and fauna to extinction. The poaching of countless species has become a key concern for many governments, including that of Belize. In Belize alone, the killing and harvesting of certain species of trees and animals for the financial gain of a few is destroying our forest and marine ecosystems. From parrots, turtles, jaguars and even Rosewood, Belize faces serious illegal wildlife trade. As such, several partners in conservation hosted an illegal wildlife trade seminar on Monday, June 1st in Belize City. Part of the bi-national collaboration to eradicate wildlife trafficking in both Belize and Guatemala, the seminar discussed initiatives to counter this problem. Local environmentalists, nonprofit organizations, government officials and the media converged at the Coastal Zone a Management Authority and Institute Training Room for the seminar that started at 2PM.

    Support Food Drive for a worthy cause
    San Pedro Belize Red Cross (SPBRC) will be hosting a food drive on Saturday, June 6th in order to build stock for the San Pedro Food Bank. The drive is being held in collaboration of the 26-person vacation volunteer group from Toronto, Canada called “Sperro” and the San Pedro Food Bank. Both cash and food items will be collected. All proceeds will benefit the less fortunate residents of Ambergris Caye. The community’s support is much needed for this worthy cause. Volunteers will be outside of select stores and businesses to accept donations. “Next time you are hungry, think about how it would feel to live life being hungry much of the time. Join together and help us feed those who need it,” said SPBRC member Laurie Norton.

    Ambergris Today

    Local Mother-Daughter Team Participates in Bahia Fest Fashion Show
    Two proud Sanpedranas got the oppotunity to model at an international fashion show at the Bahia Fest, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico in April. Bahia Fest is organized by Jorge Carillo and Rocio Santos - owners of Revista Mujer Total. Thirteen-year-old Gracie Brown, daughter of Barbara and Eduardo Brown, has been attending modeling school in the city of Chetumal where her agency gave her the oppotunity to participate in this year's Bahia Fest Fashion Show alongside her mother. The beauty duo, representing San Pedro, Belize, modeled gorgeous clothing from Mexican designers such as Enrique Polanco, Martin Lopez and Medran and Amaro.

    Amazing Crash Survival as Pilot Safely Puts Plane in Caribbean Sea
    Full details as to why the Tropic Air flight from Belize’s international airport to Honduras had to make an emergency aqua landing in the middle of Caribbean Sea are still unknown, but after the aircraft experienced engine failure, Pilot Denfield Borland was able to save the lives of his two passengers (and his) as he glided his aircraft into the coral-filled waters of Belize. After radioing in his situation, Borland was able to glide his aircraft for a few minutes and safely set down his aircraft in the blue waters between the Turneffe and Lighthouse Reef atolls. Tropic Air’s flight route from Belize to Roatan, Honduras is almost entirely over water; the flight takes you over a scenic view of Belize’s Great Barrier Reef. As luck would have it, the aircraft went down in an area where there is shallow water where there is a joint Belize Coast Guard and Park Rangers station from the Audubon Society. The crash site was about 14 miles east of the coast guard’s base at Calabash Caye and 4 ½ miles northwest of Half Moon Caye. The three men were rescued within 20 minutes of the incident; there were found on top of the aircraft that was still floating in the water, partially submerged.

    Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

    Free wireless in Corozal Central Park
    Free wireless internet access is now available in the Corozal Central Park and the rollout will continue across the country!

    Western Ballz Host Tiger Sharks in Finals
    The Western Ballaz are once again in the NEBL finals, as are the Tiger Sharks. This year, since the Ballaz have a better record, they host first, and the big game is tomorrow night at the SHC auditorium. Come out and support the best team in the league. Go Ballaz!

    Here is the complete listing of activities forthe Belize INTL Jazz Festival

    Theme for the national Celebrations
    A BIG Thank you to everyone who submitted entries in this year's search for the theme for the national Celebrations this year. We are please to announce this year's winner....

    Belize Economic Analysis - High Public Sector Wage Bill Will Temper Fiscal Consolidation - JULY 2015
    BMI View: Weak oil revenues and elevated public spending will result in only modest fiscal consolidation in Belize in the coming quarters, despite rising non-oil government inflows. As a result, the country's debt dynamics will remain precarious, with a persistent risk that the sovereign could struggle to access capital markets or even face a credit event. Belize will slowly narrow its fiscal deficit in the coming years, after posting its largest shortfall in a decade in the first three quarters of Fiscal Year (FY) 2014/15. While a surge in tourist arrivals and stronger agricultural sector growth will bolster revenues, revenue growth will be tempered by declining oil prices. Coupled with a rising public sector wage bill, this underpins our forecast that the country will post a 3.3% of GDP shortfall in FY2015/16, after ending this fiscal year (which runs from April 2014 to March 2015) with a deficit of 4.2% of GDP. With the fiscal dynamics poised for slow improvement, and US monetary tightening likely to temper investor enthusiasm for Belize's debt, we expect refinancing the debt will become increasingly challenging in the coming quarters. Moreover, given the country's elevated debt burden, and low level of foreign reserves, we acknowledge the risk that any significant external shocks could precipitate a credit event.

    Island Watercolor Group Art Show & Sale
    June 7th, 5pm, San Pedro House of Culture

    Satellite Clinics in Toledo Receive Solar Energy Capacity to Improve Health Service Delivery
    The Santa Theresa and Pueblo Viejo Satellite Clinics in the Toledo District are now being provided with electricity through solar power energy systems. The system for the Pueblo Viejo Clinic was installed today, June 4, while the Santa Theresa Clinic system was completed on May 28, 2015. The clinics received Solar Photovoltaic Systems, a form of alternative energy supply, since both villages currently do not have electricity. Installation at each site included a two kilowatt solar array with aluminum mounting. The work was done by Southern Solar Solutions at a total cost of BZ$143,000. The systems will be able to provide lighting throughout the buildings and power for up to five desktop computers and two laptops, refrigerators for vaccine storage, medical equipment, and general appliances such as fans, lamps and microwaves. Funding for the purchase of the systems and installations was provided by the Japanese Social Development Fund Project (JSDF) through the World Bank.

    BOLEDO DRAWING for Thursday, June 4, 2015: 97. FANTASY 5: 22 38 10 17 6 W

    Sewanee University of the South Professor Jonathan Evans and students on Las Cuevas Road observing macaws in Chiquibul
    We are grateful to all the Universities that visited us and stayed at Las Cuevas Research Station.

    RIP Mayor Mario Narvaez
    Mario Ignacio Narvaez, the former two term mayor of Corozal and the last mayor from the People’s United Party to serve in that district, passed away earlier today, June 2. Narvaez was mayor in the late 90’s and early 2000’s when he won two consecutive terms under a PUP slate. Mr. Narvaez was sick for a few years until his passing this afternoon.

    Miss Lobster Fest 2015-2016
    4 lovely ladies vying for Miss Lobster Fest 2015-2016. Dates June 26, 27 & 28, 2015

    Channel 7

    Coast Guard Personnel Honoured For Standing Up To Guat Jingoism
    They stood up to the Guatemalan Navy on Sarstoon Island like true Coast Guardians; they didn't flinch, and they didn't run for cover - and today 10 Coast Guard officers were honoured for their courage. As has been widely reported, one week ago on Thursday, they had a face off with the Guatemalan Navy on Sarstoon Island. That's the southern edge of Belize's territory - but the Guatemalans told them to move. The Coast Guard held their ground - and nicely told the Guatemalans that the island is in Belize and they should move. This, even though the 10 Coast Guard officers were outnumbered - and the Guatemalans were making aggressive boating maneuvers from their naval base nearby. It was a super tense situation, but it was defused with firmness, clarity and uncommon aplomb by the Coast Guard personnel. Today, in recognition of their grace under pressure, those officers received high honors of a commendation from their Minister and Commandant today. The press was not invited but the Government Press Office was there:

    Judicial and Legal Services Recommends Attorney Cardona's Suspension
    He once wore a hardhat in the House of Representatives - but that won't save Marcel Cardona from the pounding his professional reputation will take after the Judicial and Legal Services Commission recommended that he be suspended for a year. The severe recommendation is based on a complaint from a Czechoslovakian woman, Hana Belickova who filed an affidavit in June of 2013 saying that Cardona took just under thirty two thousand dollars of her money - and claimed that he had to use twenty thousand to bribe authorities to release her son, Martin Muzikant. In April of 2013, Muzikant had been charged for unlawful possession of a passport and escaping from police - and pleaded guilty on April 23rd. Cardona told the family that there would be a fine of one thousand dollars, plus another five thousand for bail on the escape charge, plus legal fees. That's fine enough, but then he took it into another area when he put in writing these words: "Your son asked me to do whatever…to get him out of jail. I have contacted someone who is very close to the magistrate….the person told me he arranged everything in advance to get your son to get bail today…however it is costing about twenty thousand dollars….to get officials to agree to give him bail" end quote.

    Did Magistrate Hurl Throw The Case Because of Personal Reasons?
    And there is another scandal breaking in the judicial and legal circles, which involves a judge acting improperly and unethically. He's Magistrate Hurl Mervin Hamilton who sits as judge in the lower court in Corozal Town. We've since confirmed that he was found guilty of using his authority as Magistrate to favorably influence the outcome of a case, which had an obvious appearance of bias. A complaint emerged back in 2013 in which a female he was romantically involved with had a case in the Belize Family Court. This female was in a legal dispute with her husband over maintenance and the access to their child. Our information is that this affair was happening when the case went to court, and it found its way to Magistrate Hamilton's desk. We're told that he was asked by his peers to recuse himself on an appearance of bias, but he went forward anyway as the judge in the case. We're told that he decided favorably for the woman he was involved with, and when her husband found out, he complained formally against the Magistrate to the legal community. That's when the Chief Magistrate got involved, gathered all the necessary evidence and forwarded them to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission, which is chaired by Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin.

    Woman Murdered In Front of Family By Pig Thieves In More Tomorrow
    There was a murder on the outskirts of More Tomorrow Village, a quiet area off the Western Highway, just before the City of Belmopan. It happened this morning just after midnight when a farming family from Orange Walk was awoken to armed bandits trying to rob their new boss of his pigs. Our news team was in the area today, and Daniel Ortiz found out that a mother and wife was shot and killed in front of her children and husband inside her new home: Daniel Ortiz reporting This farm, with the house in the distance, is located at about 2 miles on the road to More Tomorrow Village in the Cayo District, just outside of Belmopan. This area looks peaceful, but at around 1:00 this morning, that house became the scene of a violent shooting which left one woman dead. She's 39 year-old Guatemalan Paula Garcia, who came to live here with her husband and children last week Saturday. 5 days later, her life was taken from her.

    Tropic Air Plane Still In Sea
    The Tropic Air Cessna 182 is still in the sea near Halfmoon Caye. The company and the Civil Aviation Department are making preparations to move it - but not timeline has been set. Once it is moved, Civil Aviation will go ahead with a preliminary report into the emergency landing. That preliminary report should finish sometime next week. The single engine Cessna 182 had two passengers and a pilot on board when it experienced engine failure on Tuesday at 4:17 pm. It was headed for Raotan and the pilot was able to steer the plane without any engine power to a shallow area in the sea where he landed safely in the water. No one was hurt, and a joint Coast Guard and Audubon team was able to rescue all three by a few minutes after five.

    The Full Story Behind The Biggest Find Since The Jade Head
    Archaeologists are still buzzing from the very major find that was made 11 days ago at Nim Li Punit in the Toelod District. As we told you last night archaeologists and researchers found 26 ceramic pots and about 8 pieces of jade at the Nim Li Punit Archaeological site about 25 miles away from Punta Gorda. These artifacts were found in tombs on the site. But there is one particular artifact that has stunned researchers and that's the jade pendant: it is described as the second largest carved piece of jade ever found in Belize and probably in the entire Maya World. Last night we showed you a very brief snippet of the story so tonight we bring you the full feature. We take you to Nim Li Punit where an ancient story is reveled for the first time. Anselmo Cholom has been a Site Ranger here at Nim Li Punit for about 2 years. He takes this stone pathway every day to inspect and maintain the grounds. It's a small site celebrated in history as the residence of a group of elite Maya families who first settled there between 100 - 250 AD. There are about 3 main plazas a Ball court used for the scared Maya Ball Game. And what is known as a Counsel House. But Anselmo isn't taking us on a private tour of the site.

    Was Mayor "The Decider" On Petrocaribe Funds in Cari Shores?
    On Sunday, Belize City mayor Darrell Bradley will be endorsed as the UDP candidate for Caribbean Shores. But, as the old saying goes, he didn't get there alone. Sure, he can thank his family and friends, but he also has to thank Petrocaribe. Like a few other select UDP Standard Bearers he's gotten access to funds for his divisional constituents through the Mother's day Cheer programs. Now when we say access, we don't mean he got any funds; he absolutely did not. But he did have a say in how those cheer funds were directed, to whom - he admitted as much today - which led to a whole big argument - it's fun, enjoy:.. Reporter "Sir did you personally asked for the Mother's Day cheer money?" Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor "No, you think that I go to the Ministry of Finance?" Jules Vasquez "It's done through Minister Martinez. That's what the Prime Minister said." Reporter "And that you received it." Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor "No. in relation to this. This is what I will say. Funds..." Reporter "That you received." Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor "Yes. In relation to saying that we have an input in that, people will have a certain argument, a significant argument because I have listen to a lot of it in terms of the bail and the legislation. Lots of things about Petrocaribe. A lot of it is political fluff. The ultimate beneficiary is residents in our community, that I have an input in relation to that. I don't think that there's a difficulty with that."

    Mayor Bradley Dismisses Hon. Espat As "Political Fluff"
    And while he doesn't agree with us - he also doesn't agree with PUP Deputy Leader Julius Espat. Espat told us on Monday that he doesn't feel the city has been accountable with the paving of streets - you'll here his criticism and the mayor's response:. Hon. Julius Espat "They say they are completing, they say 100 streets, but with the money and no accountability we could probably be paving 500 to 1000 streets. We need to know." Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor "Every single thing has been done in a way that accords with good administrative practice and that has been transparent, so that any kind of general suggestion with lack of accountability, no disrespect to him but I just put that as political fluff. Point to me in relation to one thing. Say that we don't have an audit. Say that we don't have this. Say that we don't have that. Say in relation to the tender. Just don't go out there because everybody likes to bash a politician."

    For Bradley, Even PUDP Politics Is An Airy Affair
    But forget all that high tech governance talk - Bradley has got an election to win! And that is won on the ground, right? "mano a mano," head to head, PUP versus UDP, in the world series of politics….right? WRONG! Bradley says even his political contests are airy affairs of governance and getting the work done - here's how he explained it:.. Bradley's endorsement convention is on Sunday at 4:00 pm at Lopez Mateos Park.

    Beach Ball Over Belize?
    This morning there was a major visual anomaly on Belize City's Coastline - it's a huge balloon hovering above the Marine Parade Roadway. We stopped by to see what it's about - and ended up going for a ride. Jules Vasquez reporting It looks like a giant beach ball hovering above the coastline of Belize City - but it's actually a massive helium balloon - the initiative of a new company on the Marine Parade called Belize Balloon Rides: Max Galas, Belize Balloon Rides "Behind you is this beautiful balloon in the sky is a helium tethered balloon. What it means? is it is a balloon very much like the balloon you get at the children's parties that are tied to the hand of a child and are just elevated because of the gas being lighter than air and its helium. Helium is a non-flammable gas that occurs naturally. So what we do is that we full up the balloon with helium with gives it a suitable amount of drag. It's able to pull up. Underneath it is a gondola. It has a basket that people can enter into the basket and in total silence with mechanized parts in the moving up process, the balloon slowly elevates itself. This is a very simple apparatus, which means that actually it's safe in its simplicity and balloons has been around for a very very long time. The helium that's in the balloon is not flammable. It's not a hot air balloon there's no flames pulling it up, there's nothing burning so it's a very very simple thing."

    A Theme to Think About
    The theme for this year's September celebrations has been selected: it is: "Belize Renewed, Confident, Competitive, and Committed." Inspector of Police Ricardo Chi is the one who came up with it. It will be the backdrop for all the activities during the month including the 217the Anniversary of the Battle of St. George's Caye and the 34th Anniversary of Belize's Independence. The National Celebrations Commission sent a release today stating that "The commission encourages and invites all Belizeans, individuals, organizations and school to incorporate the theme and its significance into their preparations for the National celebrations. There were 147 entries in total for this year.

    Channel 5

    Mother of 6 Murdered in More Tomorrow
    There has not been a murder since the gruesome killings in Roaring Creek at the end of May. But in the early hours of this morning, a woman was killed [...]

    Coast Guard Officers Honored for Standing Ground Against Guatemalan Navy
    A special ceremony was held earlier today to honor ten brave officers of the Belize National Coast Guard who were involved in a standoff with the Guatemalan navy. That confrontation [...]

    Minister of National Security Commends Bravery Displayed by Coast Guard Unit
    Present for the occasion was Minister of National Security, John Saldivar, who commended the officers for their bravery in the face of adversity.   John Saldivar, Minister of National Security [...]

    Magistrate Suspended from Bench in Corozal Court
    There is no doubt a shortage of magistrates and just on the brink of that situation, a magistrate was suspended from duty for one month effective this past Tuesday. While [...]

    Did Mayor Bradley Act Illegally by Using Petrocaribe Funds for Mother’s Day Cheer?
    Transparency and accountability on how the Petrocaribe monies are spent have become the rallying cry in many sectors. Just recently, residents of the Caribbean Shores were among those who enjoyed [...]

    Mayor Bradley Responds to P.U.P. Deputy Leader’s Comments on Transparency at City Hall
    Another issue addressed by the Mayor had to do with claims that there is a lack of transparency and accountability at the City Council. Earlier this week,  Deputy Party Leader [...]

    Archaeologists Unearth Tombs at Nim Li Punit
    A major discovery has been made at the Mayan site of Nim Li Punit in Toledo where an archaeological dig is in progress.  Professor Geoffrey Braswell, an anthropologist with the [...]

    …Ancient Pottery and Jade Ornament Discovered
    Director of the Institute of Archaeology, Dr. John Morris, acknowledges the breakthrough as significant to the Maya civilization, particularly within the context of the story being told.  That account has [...]

    Darrell Bradley’s Campaign Trail in Caribbean Shores
    This coming Sunday, the United Democratic Party will be having a convention in Caribbean Shores where Belize City Mayor, Darrell Bradley will be officially endorsed as the standard bearer for [...]

    Will Santi Support His Cause?
    According to Bradley, several former and current Caribbean Shores soldiers and other officials from the U.D.P. hierarchy will be at the convention this weekend.  But is the mayor getting the [...]

    Mayor Bradley on His Political Opponent in Caribbean Shores
    As standard bearer for the U.D.P. in the upcoming general elections, Darrell Bradley will be facing the P.U.P.’s Kareem Musa. Both by profession, are attorneys, live rather successful lives, and [...]

    Jack Warner Vows to Expose Sepp Blatter’s Involvement in FIFA Corruption
    The controversial FIFA executive Jack Warner has made Interpol’s most wanted list after being named in an indictment, along with thirteen other senior officials from the international sports organization, a [...]

    CARILED Introduces Ease of Business in Belize City
    The Belize City Council today held a press conference at City Hall today to basically give a report card on where the country currently stands in respect of CARILED funded [...]

    Breaking Down Barriers of Doing Business in Belize. Is it Cultural or Institutional?
    Belize, according to a recent CDB survey, is nationally ranked at one hundred and nineteen when it comes to the ease of doing business. The barriers of doing business easily [...]

    Healthy Living Visits a Karate Summer Camp
    Within the next few weeks, students countrywide will be out for summer break. Of course, the children are looking forward to the break, the parents, though…not so much. If you’re [...]

    CTV3

    Marcel Cardona On The Hot Seat
    And from a magistrate we go to an attorney who is also in the hot seat tonight. He is not other than the very vocal Marcel Cardona former U.D.P Area Representative for Orange Walk East. Cardona is being accused of using conduct unbecoming to his profession and a complaint has been filed against him to the Judicial and Legal Services Commission. The complaint was filed by one Hana Belickova from the Czech Republic. In the affidavit Belickova states that back in 2012 Cardona was defending one Martin Muzikant before the Corozal Magistrate Court in a criminal case for misdemeanor charges one escape from custody and two possession of passport not entitled to have. In a letter presented as evidence by Belickova it shows that Cardona emailed Belickova informing her that on Tuesday April 23rd 2012 they would be going to court to try to get her son Martin Muzikant out on bail. In the email Cardona states that he has contacted someone close to the magistrate in order to carry out her son’s instructions which at that time were to do anything to get him out of jail. In the email Cardona indicates that it will take $20,000 to get Muzikant out on bail. That’s bribery of the judiciary system.

    More Witnesses Testify For Noh Mul Case
    Day three of the Noh Mul case was heard at the Corozal Magistrates Court before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith today. But still there is no verdict. The process has been a long one as witnesses, most of them from the media take the stand one by one to be questioned by the prosecution and then cross examined by attorney for the defendants Bryan Neal. At the end of today’s hearing three witnesses had taken the stand and the case was adjourned for June 9th. Since the beginning of the case, the defendant’s Denny Grijalva and his wife, owners of Demar’s Stone Company Javier Nunez foreman of Demar’s Stone Company and excavator Operator Emir Cruz have been in court. They are yet to take stand.

    People's Stadium In Dilapidated Conditions
    And while we were covering the district final games at the People’s Stadium football field today, we could not help but notice the dilapidated state of the changing rooms. Upon further checks, the facility which was constructed by the Belize Natural Energy Trust several years ago, is not serving its purpose. The ceilings are falling apart, the facility is flooded, the stalls broken, and the stench of urine and feces were overwhelming. Our calls placed to find out more led us to Chairman of the National Sports Council in Orange Walk Town, Derick Gillett. Gillett told us that the facility was never handed over to the council by the Charitable Trust and since its construction, has been targeted over the years by vandals. And with public scrutiny mounting, Gillett says the council plans on renovating the entire area in the coming months. We’ll keep monitoring this story….

    Corozal City Magistrate Suspended
    Tonight, Magistrate Hurl Hamilton who sits as judge in the Corozal Magistrate’s Court is the center of public scrutiny as he was found guilty of using his influence to manipulate a family court case. From what we have been able to gather, a complaint which arose back in 2013 claims that a female Hamilton was having a romantic affair with had a case in the Belize Family Court. This female was in a legal dispute with her husband over maintenance and the access to their child. Our information is that Hamilton and the female were romantically involved during the time of the case, which landed on his desk. Best information reveals that he was asked by his peers to disqualify himself on an appearance of favouritism, but he went forward and listened to the case and gave a ruling.

    Krismar Espinosa A Free Man
    Today, at the Northern session of the Supreme Court, a jury of 12 found 26 year old Krismar Espinosa not guilty for murder but guilty of a lesser charge for manslaughter. Viewers may recall that in September of 2007, Espinosa was accused for the murder of 24 year old Rachel Cicely Chun. Chun’s badly decomposed body was removed from an unfinished concrete house on Santa Familia Street in Orange Walk Town. At the crime scene, a bloody cement block, which was believed to be the murder weapon, was also found. That same day, Krismar Espinosa, an Orange Walk resident, who was only seventeen years old at the time, was arrested since he was the last person Chun was seen with and due to the conversations he had following the murder. Espinosa was remanded to the Belize Central Prison. Sentencing was set for June 18th, 2015.

    LOVE FM

    Coast Guard Officers Recognized for Bravery on Sarstoon Island
    A group of Coast Guard officers were honored today for the part they played in an incident at Sarstoon Island last week. As we reported, a contingent of Belize Coast Guard personnel were on Sarstoon Island when they were approached by Guatemalan Naval Officers who ordered them to vacate the island. The officers stood their […]

    Belize Coast Guard Expanding in Numbers and Structures
    Yesterday we told you of the Belize Coast Guard and their initial assessments being conducted down at the Sarstoon Island to construct a Forward Operating Base. But that is not the only works being carried out under their umbrella as currently construction works have begun next door to the Belize Coast Guard headquarters on the […]

    Enforcements of ICJ Rulings: How Is It Done?
    Elrington was also asked to explain what enforcement strategies are in the place once a decision is handed down by the ICJ. WILFRED ELRINGTON “The International Court of Justice doesn’t have a police force that could lock you up. It’s always diplomatic pressure being brought so that if we get a clear ruling from the […]

    Foreign Minister Speaks on What Belize Stands to Lose at the ICJ
    The Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute has been at the forefront of several newscasts particularly even more so since the signing of the amendments to the Special Agreement between both countries on Monday, May 25, 2015. Today, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington was a guest on The Morning Show who discussed the matter at length. With […]

    Caretaker’s Wife Killed by Alleged Swine Thieves
    Belmopan Police are investigating an early morning murder in More Tomorrow Village. According to family members of the deceased, it was an apparent robbery that ended up in murder. Correspondent Fem Cruz has the story. FEM CRUZ “Belmopan CIB continues their investigation into a number of murders here in the Cayo South area; the latest […]

    Espinosa Convicted of 2007 Manslaughter
    25-year-old Krismar Espinosa was found guilty of manslaughter yesterday in the Supreme Court following an incident in 2007 that claimed the life of a young girl from Punta Gorda. On September 16, 2007, former Police officer, Julius Cantun led the investigation into the brutal murder of a young Rachel Cicelly Chun of a Punta Gorda […]

    Thieves Target Grocery Store in Dangriga
    Yesterday we reported that thieves targeted a primary school in Dangriga. Last night a business establishment was the target as we hear in this report from correspondent Harry Arzu. HARRY ARZU “Benguche Store located here in the Benguche area of Dangriga was robbed once again last night at about 7:45. Desmond Cansio, a Special Constable, […]

    Civil Aviation Investigates Crash Landing of Tropic Air Plane
    Yesterday evening just after four o’clock a Tropic Air pilot was forced to crash land the 4-passenger Cessna 182 plane he was flying to the Roatan Bay Islands in Honduras when he experienced an engine malfunction. Fortunately, neither of the two tourist passengers was injured and there was rapid response from the Belize Coast Guard. While our attempts at getting comment from the management of Tropic Air were futile, we did speak with the Vice Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, Commander Elton Bennett. “At about 4:45pm we received information from Civil Aviation that a small Tropic Air aircraft went down between Turneffe and Lighthouse Reef atolls. Upon receiving the information we immediately deployed our rescue team from Calabash Caye Forward Operating Base which is just about 13 miles west of that location. We also deployed a search unit that was based out of Halfmoon Caye along with the park rangers from the Audubon Society. At exactly 5:05 – 12 minutes after receiving the information the search unit retrieved the three survivors from the plane which was still a float in the area and took them to safety at Halfmoon Caye. Later on that evening a coast guard vessel transported them back to the Turneffe islands. The casualty investigation will be done by civil aviation they have the authority to conduct aircraft accidents. I know that they have investigators on the scene now doing their investigation. At this time for us it’s just a rescue operation. All three passengers were in good order there were no medical issues to report.”

    Government Moves to Install Operating Base at the Sarstoon
    The incident between members of the Belize Coast Guard officers and Guatemalan Naval officers near the Sarstoon Island in southern Belize has been an issue of concern for many and while Belize’s Ministry of National Security has contacted their counterparts in Guatemala regarding the issue and are still awaiting a response, Love News spoke to Vice Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, Commander Elton Bennett on what the Coast Guard officers were doing on the island. “As a part of the Coast Guard strategic development we saw the need to establish a forward operating base at the entrance to the Sarstoon; this would have been a joint operating base along with the Belize Defense Force and this is just on the territorial boundary between Belize and Guatemala. So the Coast Guard was tasked to conduct a reconnaissance in the area in order to site the most suitable location to erect the forward operating base and this was what the Coast Guard patrol was doing in this area. The Forward Operating Base will guarantee national presence twenty four hours in the entrance to the Sarstoon. This will be able to address cross border issues in terms of illegal fishing, contraband, illegal migration and also territorial stands on Belizean territory so it will a multi task forward operating base, an initiative of the Government of Belize to address those issues that are developing in the southern area of the Sarstoon.”

    PlusTV

    Deon McCauley’s Confident About Goals Vs. DR
    If you are up to speed with the latest news concerning Belizean football you’d know that after a long embarrassing episode between star striker Deon McCauley and the FFB executives, the Belize’s top scorer finally returned to Belize on April and has since been training with the A team...

    Jaguars vs DR: Belize’s Selection
    It is that time of the year again, when the football hype starts picking up momentum as we near the second round of the 2018 Gold Cup Qualifiers which is to be played against the Dominican Republic in a two leg match...

    Questions on Petro Caribe spending
    PertoCaribe funds are set aside for infrastructure and the development of the country. Or is it? In recent news, scandalous media reports have been made that $20M has been used from the PetroCaribe fund to pay off salaries...

    Investigation continues into plane crash
    Tonight the investigation continues to try and determine just what caused a Tropic Air airplane to go down yesterday in the Caribbean sea near Halfmoon Caye. Investigators have narrowed it down to engine failure. Now according to John Greif, president of Tropic Air, and we quote, “Our airplanes get ...

    Four shooting incidents reported in Belize District overnight
    There were four shooting incidents in the Belize District between last night and this morning.  Two of those shootings occurred in Belize City while the other two were in Mahogany Heights and Ladyville. Thanksfully no one was killed but four persons were injured...

    Magistrate under investigation for inappropriate behavior
    For a while now, the Magistrate’s Court countrywide has been short of magistrate’s and several magistrates have had to commute on a daily basis to other parts of the country to lessen the load brought down on the already congested and backed up system...

    Shadir Marin granted supreme court bail
    Tonight, 25 year old Manager, Shadir Marin, who runs San Pedro Water Express is out on bail of $7,000 which was granted to him this afternoon by Supreme Court judge, Justice Troadio “John” Gonzalez in the Belize City Supreme Court...

    Prison officer is charged with possession of controlled drugs
    Today a prison officer was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court charged with the offense of possession of a control drugs, to wit, 31 grams...

    Woman charged with jewelry theft
    33 year old Margarita Pech has been convicted four times previously for crimes of dishonesty ranging from handling stolen goods to burglary and theft. Again, she faces another such charge, this time burglary...

    No one charged for Gruesome Roaring Creek Murders
    It’s been a couple weeks since the gruesome murders of Steven Hyde and Edilberto Madrid, and no one has been charged.  They were found mutilated and decapitated...

    Caye Caulker Chronicles

    The British Honduras Barrier Reef in the 1960s: A Memoir By Ray Auxillou
    Back in the 1960´s , I was in the prime of my life, in my middle to the late 20´s. There was little or no information in the world, on the seas and fisheries of the Western Caribbean Sea. I published a few things and the next thing I knew I was getting letters from all kinds of international organizations from different countries. It seemed nothing was known then, of coral reefs, marine biology, or very little, for vast swaths of the tropical seas of the world, as far as marine biology went. With the assistance of AID, Agency for International Development, from the USA, the Ministry of Natural Resources in the UK, tropical research department, and the department in the USA called nowadays NOAA ( the Pascagoula, Mississippi base for their research ships, in a long period of a decade or more, by slow mail ( there was no internet back then ) I turned myself into a curious self educated marine biologist. The above agencies sent me all kinds of books and pamphlets on every subject under the sun, to do with the things I was researching. Eventually I published not only magazine articles, but also some mimeographed books, I made on the island of Caye Caulker. There was not much in the way of affordable, or modern printing equipment in the British Colony at that time. Caye Caulker was a barrier reef island, with 90 fishing families at that time. Today it is a thriving 3000 population, TOP WORLD CLASS tourist destination. British Honduras back then was often quoted as being one of the remote four corners of the world. Available only by aircraft for a few UK Colonial Department visitors.

    Breaking Belize NewsPJ

    JSDF projects grants $6 million for malnutrition in children
    The (JSDF), through the World Bank, addresses alleviating malnutrition in children ages five and under, improving basic structural upgrades to health posts, and strengthening health services through mobile clinics and community health workers. Since signing onto the JSDF Project in 2011, Belize has been benefiting from BZ$6 million in total […]

    Bradley says he did not take Petrocaribe funds
    At his press conference several weeks ago in discussing payments made for the Mother’s Day cheer program, Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Dean Barrow confirmed that several non-representatives of the United Democratic Party (UDP) received funds totaling $50,000 for their programs. These include recently elected standard bearers […]

    Jury of 12 finds Krismar Espinosa not guilty
    Today, at the Orange Walk Supreme Court, a jury of 12 found 26 year old Krismar Espinosa not guilty for murder buy guilty of a lesser charge of Manslaughter. In September of 2007, Espinosa was accused for the murder of 24 year old Rachel Cicely Chun. Chun’s badly decomposed body was […]

    Accused thief and burglar in court
    45 year old Philip Neal of Periwinkle Street is accused four times over of theft and attempted burglary in separate incidents. Neal was charged for two counts of theft this morning in relation to thefts from Chinese businessman Yuan Sheng, who lost a sack of rice, a rice […]

    Prison officer pleads guilty to possession of controlled drugs
    Officer at the Kolbe Foundation Mario Sho was read charges of possession of a controlled substance on Wednesday and pleaded guilty before Magistrate Ladonna John despite claiming he was set up. The prison officer reported for work on Tuesday night and while being given a routine check fellow […]

    Shadir Marin out on bail
    Earlier this week 25 year old manager of San Pedro Express Water Taxi Shadir Marin was charged with aggravated assault via firearm of a disc jockey, Edison Usher. Usher had accused him of pulling out a firearm on him when he went to confront him for running over […]

    Cayo Police investigates murder of female Guatemalan National
    A 39 year old Guatemalan woman died of gunshot wounds in the Cayo District early this morning. According to the husband of Paula Garcia, he heard several gunshots around 1:00a.m this morning after which he saw that his wife had been injured. When Cayo police visited the Flower Farm area, […]

    Belize gaining International attention for sustainable fishing practices
    An article entitled: “How Belize is tipping the scales for sustainable fishing worldwide,” posted yesterday, June 3rd, 2015 by Amanda Leland on an American website, commends Belize for good fishing practices and setting a trend for other countries to follow. This article, on the “Environmental Defense Fund” website (www.edf.org), reads: […]

    ICT Pulse’s 2015 update of internet speeds and pricing reveals relatively high prices in Belize
    Since 2011, technicians at ICT Pulse have been tracking fixed internet broadband speeds and pricing across the Caribbean, updating findings and highlighting some of the changes that have occurred since their last assessment in 2014. Just as last year, 19 Caribbean countries, including Belize were a part of this year’s […]

    Municipalities work on easing business stress
    The Caribbean Local Economic Development Programme (CARILED) is working with the nine municipalities of Belize to promote ease of doing business. Belize is currently ranked 119th in the world for ease of doing business and the blame lies on cultural and institutional malaise which is slowly being lifted. […]

    Jack Warner to reveal all despite fears – Is Bertie Chimilio and the FFB connected?
    One of the latest scandals rising from amidst the FIFA corruption involves former Vice President and a bribe of U.S $10 million he allegedly received from South African Officials in exchange for the country being awarded the 2010 World Cup host. Warner who has been accused of racketeering, wire fraud, […]

    Blogs

    Why do you think this baby Yucatan parrot is smiling?
    Robles is a Yucatan parrot or yellow-lored parrot (Amazona xantholora) , a critically endangered species that is native to the Yucatan and Belize. He’s a brave little bird that made a lot of friends and managed his first flight from northern Ambergris Caye to Belmopan. After his journey he rested comfortably in the capable hands of Belize Bird Rescue. After a long day like his, you would be smiling too. Robles started his life in a hollowed out dead coconut tree. His mother Polly and partner had been seen flying, squawking in the area of the tree for a few weeks prior to the nest being spotted on our a daily dog walk. She would usually hide inside the nest. The only time she would pop her head out was with loud sounds or by calling out her name, Polly.

    Exactly what is a ‘lost’ day in Paradise?
    Writing about a lost day in Paradise is kind of like writing about inefficiency in government. It is hard to make it sound new or interesting. Just the same, yesterday was sort of a lost day during which I traveled great distances and accomplished very little. I hitched a ride to San Pedro Town with Rose in her golf cart, on her way to her 10 a.m. Pilates class at Zen Belize. My plan was to catch the 11 a.m water taxi to Belize City. By any international standards I was way too early which means I had plenty of time for a banana-coconut colada smoothie and banana muffin with black coffee chaser at Latitudes Cafe. Actually, I take back what I said. I was productive.

    A Fun Retirement in Belize’s Placencia Peninsula
    When Steve, 58, and Kathy Wade, 61, from Myrtle Beach, first visited Belize’s Placencia peninsula almost 12 years ago they were smitten with the friendly locals, tropical vibe, unspoiled beaches, and blue Caribbean, so they decided to make the move. They made the right choice. Over the years, development and more tourists and expats have come to the area. And services have improved to keep pace. You can get high-speed internet everywhere. The road was completely paved four years ago and real estate has boomed with new developments being put in up and down the peninsula. Placencia is now firmly on the map for those seeking retirement in a place where the locals speak English, the weather is always warm, and wearing no shoes is no problem. “The only thing I miss from home is family and close friends, but we do stay in touch,” says Kathy.

    Fall in Love: 6 Astonishing Photos of Belize Jungle Weddings!
    These 7 astonishing photos will inspire you to book your wedding ceremony in the jungles of Belize. Imagine your wedding ceremony held amidst exotic flowers and flirty birdcalls in the tropical rainforest of Belize, or atop an ancient Mayan Ruin rising out of the plush jungles as you stand on limestone, treaded centuries ago by Mayan high priests and royalty. Or perhaps you prefer having huge, iridescent blue morpho butterflies released into nature as you exchange vows and savour that very special kiss.

    Be Ye Famished, Buckos?
    Dinner at the Chef’s Table. We had been hearing a lot of great things about the Chef’s Table at Pirate’s Treasure. It’s just north of town, not too far from us, our friend Maresha is the owner/chef and we like food. We are especially interested in trying new menu items that aren’t necessarily considered “typical fare”. Pirate’s Treasure serves the horribly intrusive, albeit beautiful, reef-dwelling lionfish. See? It’s so pretty. And DELICIOUS! Notably due to Maresha’s amazing “grub cookery”. She made us Lionfish jerky.

    Just A Beautiful Summer Day on Ambergris Caye, Belize
    A few days on the mainland, then two rainy gray day in San Pedro and then WOW! Yesterday was absolute Belize Caye perfection. I was up north and took a short walk around Rojo Beach Bar and their neighbor, Mata Chica Resort and here’s what I saw as the dark clouds moved out and the sea was left glowing neon blue. It is almost time for the hermit crab adults to emerge from the jungle and lay their eggs in the water. Last year it happened in this area around the beginning of July…

    International Sourcesizz

    The Garifuna People & St Vincent and the Grenadines
    As descendants from Africans in mainland St. Vincent and the Grenadines, who intermarried with the Caribs and Arawaks, the Garifunas or Black Caribs, are part of the unique cultures and melting pot of ethnicities that have their roots in the Caribbean. According to Dr. Adrian Fraser "The story of the Garifuna people is a unique one that needs to be told, since among other things, it is pivotal to understanding their position in Central America and also the history of St. Vincent and the Grenadines; and indeed the rest of the Caribbean region in which St. Vincent was one of the last outposts of Carib resistance.”[1] June is National Caribbean American Heritage Month; therefore, I’d like to share a historical time line, which documents the efforts of the Garifuna People to reconnect with their Ancestral Homeland St. Vincent and the Grenadines, “Yurumein” to become the subjects of our own history.

    The British United Kingdom Supports Project to eradicate Wildlife Trafficking in Belize and Guatemala
    Ambassador Dickson launched a three year project aimed at eradicating cross-frontier wildlife trafficking in the Chiquibul-Maya Mountains eco-region of Belize and Guatemala through strengthened intelligence, law enforcement and prosecution, and improved awareness to deter trade in highly endangered parrots. The British Government is financing part of this project with £389,911 from 2015 to 2018 with funds from the Department for International Development (DFID) and the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). Other participants in the initiative include the US Department of Interior and the Governments of Belize and Guatemala. The implementer, Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), will work with local civil society organizations to mobilize improved coordination between governments by supporting national, bilateral, and multilateral initiatives that protect emblematic species, conserve natural resources, and propel economic alternatives for rural communities on targeted wildlife trade routes.

    Wild Fisheries: New Hope for the Blue Economy
    What is the blue economy? Hundreds of people from around the world are gathered this week in Cascais, Portugal at The Economist’s World Ocean Summit 2015 to answer this question and discuss ways to catalyze growth in this important sector. Historically, capture fisheries have been the leading edge of the blue economy. Communities, businesses, and cultures have been built on fishing the abundant resources of the sea. Today fisheries contribute more than $270 billion to global GDP. But overfishing is pushing fish populations toward collapse and an emerging view is that fishing is an industry in rapid decline. If nothing is done, the doomsayers will be right: collapsing fisheries will compromise the livelihoods of some 38 million fishermen and women around the world and take away a key protein source for 3 billion people. Science and experience from around the world demonstrate that the oceans are resilient and can rebound when fishing is sustainable. Countries including Australia, Belize, Chile, Denmark, Namibia, Norway, and the United States are reversing overfishing, reviving coastal communities, and bringing the oceans back to life. For example, in Belize fishermen and government officials are taking sustainable fishing nationwide. Just last week the cabinet voted to adopt “managed access”, which grants small-scale fishermen secure rights to their local fish resources in exchange for adhering to science-based limits on catch and no-fishing areas. Early adopters of the approach in Belize are already seeing a dramatic decline in illegal fishing, rebounding fish populations, and more stable fishing businesses. This is a far cry from the norm when some fishermen reported sharp declines in spiny lobster catches from 200 to 20 per day. Struggling fishermen up and down the coast led the charge in calling on the government to spread the new approach in hopes of a better future.

    Saving Jamaica's coral reefs
    THE Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Centre for Marine Sciences (CMS) at the University of the West Indies will today, World Environment Day, launch a US$350,000-project aimed at restoring the island's coral reefs and ultimately providing applicable information and techniques to other countries in the region experiencing similar challenges. The 18-month endeavour, dubbed the Coral Reef Restoration Project, will see the CMS undertaking a series of research activities to, among other things, mitigate coral depletion, and identify and cultivate species that are resistant to the ravages of the impact of climate change. In addition to climate change stressors, the reefs are being depleted due to human-related factors such as population growth, over-fishing and pollution. "We had always assumed that the reefs would recover naturally," said Marcia Creary, principal project investigator. "However, this productive and diverse ecosystem which is the source of food, medicine and coastal protection, is in jeopardy. The alarm has been raised, coral reefs need our help and they need it now." Coral reefs, with their diverse range of marine plants and animals, are critical to much more than just the beautiful underwater vistas for which Jamaica and the wider Caribbean are famous. It is estimated that their depletion negatively impacts the productivity of fisheries, coastal protection, tourism and other related areas to a value of US$5 to US$11 billion per year.

    American Airlines’ New Caribbean Flights
    American Airlines has officially launched its latest Caribbean expansion. On Thursday, the carrier launched flights from Miami to its newest Caribbean destination, Barranquilla on the Caribbean coast of Colombia. One June 5, the carrier launches what will be four weekly flights between Miami and Martinique (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays). On Saturday, the carrier launches Saturday service between Dallas-Fort Worth and Grand Cayman, along with Saturday and Sunday flights between Los Angeles and Belize City. American’s regional expansion has ramped up as competitor JetBlue has significantly increased its reach in the wider Caribbean Basin.

    Eating the Caribbean’s Rarest Lobster
    In the days of my father as a fisherman, one in every one thousand lobsters caught was a slipper lobster. The meat is almost identical to that of the spiny lobster.
    Sleeper lobster. It’s called that because it sleeps so far below the surface. Or so we thought. The waiter presented a lobster unlike any we had seen — a long, dark-brown, prehistoric-looking creature who dwelled 2,000 feet below the surface. After a little tableside research, it turned out it was called a slipper lobster, named not for its bedtime but for its shape — that of a long, flat slipper. Here at Le Pressoir, one of the best restaurants on Grand Case, one of the Caribbean’s great food streets, this was, too, a rarity. The Chef, Franck Mear, explained that this lobster came in about six times a year. It comes in without notice, served only by the luck of the waves.

    Videos

  • Lberty Children's Home Belize, 2min.

  • HELLA Epic Honeymoon Part 1 of 3, 15min. Welcome to our EPIC honeymoon in Belize! After flying from Alaska, we took a helicopter from the airport straight to our villa at Ka'ana Resort in San Ignacio, Belize, Central America. The next day, we took a trip on horse back to Xunantunich, a Mayan ruin site just an hour outside of our resort. On our way back, we sat down and had a private picnic on the side of a beautiful river with all sorts of interesting snacks, beautiful iguanas and howler monkeys calling to each other from just across the way. So many more amazing things happened in these first days but there's only so much we can share in one vlog, so be sure to watch the next ones! There's a lot more fun to come! WHERE WE STAYED: Ka'ana Resort in San Ignacio, Belize

  • The Great Blue Hole Belize, 4min. Blue hole Highlights June 2015.

  • Belize Zipline, 6.5min.

  • Caye Caulker, 3min. This little Gem was a highlight of our whole trip. Belize baby.

  • Back to Belize 2015, 4.5min. My third trip in three years spending some time with the most beautiful and joyful kids of Belize :)

  • Belize Tube Caving, 7min.

    June 4, 2015


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    Specials and Events

    Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
    Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


    The San Pedro Sun

    Tropic Air Cessna 182 makes emergency landing in Lighthouse Reef Atoll
    Three people safely survived an emergency landing that occurred on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 2nd. The Tropic Air Cessna 182 destined to Roatan, Honduras experienced malfunctions shortly after departure from the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA) resulting in an emergency landing approximately one mile south of Half Moon Caye in Lighthouse Reef Atoll. In the aircraft was the pilot and two passengers, who were quickly rescued by the Belize Coast Guard. According to initial report, the flight departed around 4:30PM being piloted by Denfield Borland with passengers American National Arthur Rogiers and Honduran National Eddie Bodden on board. At around 5:17PM, the control tower at the PGIA received a distress call stating that the single engine aircraft was experiencing difficulties and would not be able to reach its destination. Borland communicated that he would attempt an emergency landing at the airstrip in Half Moon Caye. The senior pilot was unable to make it to Half Moon Caye, but managed to make an emergency landing in a shallow area near the island. Belize Coast Guard officials and Belize Audubon Society Rangers stationed in the area were quickly deployed to the area, and shortly after, they rescued the pilot and passengers. They were transported to Blackbird Caye until all logistics were sorted.

    Territorial Dispute continues to cause controversy between Belize and Guatemala
    Maritime disputes between Belize and Guatemala continue, as the Belize Coast Guard (BCG) and Guatemala Navy had an altercation on Thursday, May 28th. Reports surfaced that Guatemala officials demanded BCG to move from an area they were working on in the Sarstoon Area. The issue is that BCG were in Belizean territory and it was the Guatemalans who were trespassing, and as such they stood their ground and didn’t not move. Shortly after the incident, the Government of Belize (GOB) sent out a diplomatic note of protest to the Government of Guatemala. No official statement has been released from either government, but Guatemalans are accusing BCG to have been in their waters. Initial reports indicated that BCG were working near Sarstoon Island where a base is to be constructed, when they were approached by the Guatemalan Navy. Claims are that the Guatemalans demanded the Belizeans to evacuate the area as they were in Guatemalan waters. But the area were the confrontation occurred was in Belizean waters, and as such, BCG responded to the Guatemalan Navy stating they were the ones intruding. The Guatemalans left but later returned with a larger force, making the same demands again. BCG did not back down, and after a verbal exchange, the Guatemalan Navy left.

    Obando’s Hot Panades- Good Stuff!
    Everyone’s been talking about a little panades shop on San Pedro Town’s “back street.” From what I hear it’s been frying and dishing out what islanders have been calling some of the best panades they’ve tasted. So of course, being captive to my taste buds, you know I had to try! When the munchies called the other night, I decided to take a little stroll around the corner to sample some of Obando’s Hot Panades! I gotta admit, the delicious smell that filled the air as I drew near reminded me of why I loved panades so much. Normally sold at either $0.25 to $0.50 for one, these babies were being sold at a dollar a pop! Why?! Well I was about to find out…We took our pick of fillings from chicken, fish, beans and an unusual filling- cheese. This I had to try! I ordered up eight dollars worth, four dollars chicken and four dollars cheese. (Hey, I have a healthy appetite, and one needed to taste properly….for….research purposes!) So I strolled back home to enjoy these babies in the convenience of my casa. And let me tell you these were not your averaged sized panades, these were significally larger and when paired with the spicy cabbage sauce, they were yummier with every bite. To my surprise the cheese ones were a total hit! But then again- why did this surprise me? I love cheese.

    San Pedro Tiger Sharks are headed to the NEBL finals!
    On Saturday, May 30th, the defending champions and the #2 seed entering the playoffs, the San Pedro Tiger Sharks travelled to the University of Belize Gymnasium in Belmopan City to take on the Belmopan Red Taigaz. The defending champions went in confident, but after a stunning match, the Red Taigaz managed to defeat them with a 64-58 point victory. With this loss, the San Pedro Tiger had to return home for the third and final match of their playoff journey. On Friday, June 5th the Cayo Western Ballaz will host the San Pedro Tiger Sharks at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium in San Ignacio Town at 9PM for the first leg of the NEBL finals. Game two of the finals will take place on Saturday, June 6th at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium in San Pedro Town. Both teams will battle for the coveted $20,000 cash prize and bragging right for the 2015/16 NEBL year. If the finals are tied one a-piece, then game three will take place in San Ignacio Town, where the NEBL 2015 Champions will be crowned. The two teams have previously squared off in the NEBL finals, so this should make for an exciting match! Fans are reminded that all games have a live webcast with the game scores, play-by-play analysis and the box scores for all games. Fans can follow every game live on the NEBL’s webpage, as scores are in real time. The NEBL webpage also contains news, team standings and player statistics and it can be found at www.nebl.sportingpulse.net.

    Killianie Sosa is Miss Chiquitita 2015 – 2016
    The Miss Chiquitita pageant is held as a fundraiser for the San Pedro Pre School every year. This year, five little beauties participated with the hopes of capturing the tiara and the title of Miss Chiquitita 2015-2016. Shortly after 8PM on Saturday, May 30th, the event kicked off at the Honorable Louis Sylvester Sporting Arena (Saca Chispas). A dance presentation featuring Miss Chiquitita 2013-2015 and the contestants: Alieah Moreira, Adriana Briceño, Seydi Medrano, Killianie Sosa, and Iansy Gordon, opened the event, setting the bar high for a night of entertainment and grace. The five judges would definitely have a challenge in deciding who would be the new Miss Chiquitita, as all the girls glowed on stage. Saskia Alejos, Victoria Meyer, Gonzalo Salinas, Ovel Leonardo, and Miss San Pedro Michelle Nuñez certainly had their hands full judging the girls on their poise, talent, and performance. After the introduction dance, each girl had the opportunity to introduce themselves to the audience, before leaving the stage and preparing for the swim suit segment. While they got ready the San Pedro Dance academy then took over the stage and performed Cuba Libre. The break San Pedro Jabowakees also delighted the crowd with their fantastic break dance moves.

    Ambergris Today

    Belize Public Service Day
    Was celebrated today in San Pedro as awards were given out to all Public Services for their hard work towards the community. Speeches were delivered by Mayor Daniel Guerrero and Senator Charles Gibson. Students visited their booths where they were informed about different services on the island. This year’s theme states “Commitment Empowerment and Industriousness, Cultivating a Habit of Selfless Service to all Belizeans”.

    Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

    Description of Belize Flag and National Symbols
    The Belize flag and Coat-of-Arms were derived from a replica of the ancient Baymen’s flag of Belize. The Baymen’s Flag was light blue and carried the Coat-of-Arms of the Settlement (consisting of two Negro men, the shield, mahogany tree and motto on a white background). The new Flag of the colony was introduced to the People of British Honduras on 1st February 1950 by the People’s Committee. One Year and three months later, on 30th April 1951 this flag was adopted by the People’s United Party at its first ever convention and a resolution decided to take steps to bring the flag into common and official use as the Official Flag of the Country. This flag contained an amended version of the Baymen’s Coat-of-Arms (consisting of a Mestizo Man and an Afro Man, the shield, mahogany tree and motto on a white background encircled by a wreath of leaves).

    Fundraiser Planned to Support Pet Care and Belizean Youth Participation in an International Championship Regatta
    In lieu of gifts, Caribbean Villas is using Pedro’s 60th birthday as an excuse to throw an all-out lollapalooza of a fund raiser for his two favorite charities: the San Pedro Animal Foundation and the San Pedro Sailing Club. Regardless of what you think of him, these are two extremely worthy causes. At noon, Sunday, June 7, Amber Beach Bar and Grill will begin the transformation into “party central.” Cool J’s band will cook up their hot Caribbean style of music, while aromas of a succulent pig roasting nearby mingle with those of hot dogs and burgers on the grill and tempt taste buds to succumb. Minions are at this moment gathering a myriad luxurious raffle prizes and auction items. Some of the latter will be part of a silent auction; others will be offered in Chinese auctions.

    Set of keys lost on pink Carabina hook
    Set of keys lost on pink Carabina hook. Somewhere between the Post Office and Escalante. $150BZD Reward for its safe return. Please contact the San Pedro Sun if found @ 226-2070.

    Ride Across Belize 2015
    Ride Across Belize 2015 kicks off today! Bring your bikes and join the Ride! Ride for a worthy cause! Stage 1 Corozal Town - Belize City

    Mangroves
    Mangroves act as Natural Storm Barriers against flooding from storms and hurricanes but are disappearing fast. Although protected by Belize laws, our coastline can still suffer in quality and function when the population fails to respect the environment near the marsh and coastline areas. Mangroves--the uniquely salt-adapted trees and shrubs that line our tropical and subtropical coasts, the critical membrane between land and sea--are disappearing at faster rates than virtually any other ecosystem in Belize. In Corozal, our town council supervisor explained that the council has embarked in clearing and pruning some of the overgrown mangroves along the bay that often harbour loiterers of many sorts. A particular area on 1st Avenue has been reduced to its roots by machetes and chain saws. He explained that this is so because this is an area where a female was raped four months ago. The situation is a Catch-22 since the mangroves that benefit our coastline from erosion may also be undermining our seawall. According to sources, mangroves are some of the most productive, complex, and beneficial natural wonders of our country. They act as filters for our water supply, reduce erosion, serve as nurseries for commercial fisheries, provide opportunities for recreation, nurture vital marine biodiversity, and can act as "carbon sinks," which reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    Jamal arrived with the manatee this evening
    and it is now settling into the pool. Tomorrow we will have a much better idea of its chances. Thank you to all who reported this animal or helped catch it or drove it here, to all of the Wildtracks volunteers who put their hands up when we asked for observers for tonight's portion of the first 24 hour watch, and for our Local Wildtracks Team who stayed late to provide lifting power for moving this manatee to the pool. Thank you also to all those boat drivers who watch out for manatees, who pay attention to No Wake Zones and who boat conscientiously in the manatee-rich waters in front of Belize City.

    The Belize International Jazz Festival
    Its almost here are you ready for it? The Belize International Jazz Festival Kicks off this weekend with a welcome concert on Friday at the House of Culture ($20.00) come see Errolyn Walen and Omolewa Osain band and Saturday there is a FREE FREE FREE Concert at the Memorial Park with bands toooo many to Mention but check out the flyers....book the date...see you at these EVENTS!!! Its not stop Jazz Fusion starting Friday right up to June 14th! its the first ever BELIZE INTL JAZZ FESTIVAL!

    BOLEDO DRAWING for Wednesday, June 3, 2015: 16

    DIA DE SAN PEDRO FISHING RODEO
    Register Now!

    Belize to receive US$2.4 million in grants from CDF
    The prime minister of Belize, Dean Barrow and the chief executive officer of the CARICOM Development Fund (CDF), Lorne McDonnough, signed an agreement in Belize City recently for two grant agreements: US$2.3 million for the construction of the new Haulover Bridge, a key conduit of the Northern Highway; and US$162,000 to support energy efficiency projects for the private sector. The CDF’s grant contribution for the construction of the new Haulover Bridge estimated to cost US$9.0 million in total will be co-financed by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and the government of Belize. The other grant will be managed by the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) and disbursed to firms to retrofit their operations and install solar power generation to make them energy efficient and competitive. The prime minister, in welcoming the commitment of the CDF to Belize’s development, underscored the trail being blazed with the first co-financing initiative between the CDF and the CDB. He also recalled the three other CDF-funded projects in Belize. This included a concessionary loan with a grant component to the DFC.

    Notice from NICH
    All Cave sites are open. All archaeological reserves are open.

    EDGAR X RICHARDSON FAREWELL REMEMBERED!
    Belizean Legends want to take this time to reflect on the farewell of a beautiful Belizean, Edagar X Richardson, the younger brother of the legendary Lee Richardson who along with George Cadle Price and Philip Goldson formed the Peoples United Party. Edgar was a beautiful human being, who was also a member of UBAD in Belize, and BREDAA in Los Angeles, California. He will always be remembered. Seen here is the legendary UBDAER, Rufus X, WUB popular KREM Talk Show Host, Mose Hyde, the legendary UBADER, the late Ishmael Shabazz, and Belizean photographer, Norman Reneau who attended his farewell ceremony. Live on Edgar!

    JC ARZU: AN ORIGINAL OF BELIZE KREM RADIO SINCE 1989!
    Since the inception of KREM radio in 1989, the legendary 'roots radics' broadcaster, JC Arzu, was one of the pioneering voices of the grassroots radio station in Belize City called KREM Radio. His smooth but attractive voice of reason came across powerfully compelling to his radio audience, and the music he played was straight up roots music that reflected the Lake I, and surrounding Southside of Belize City folks who were just simply common people who love their city. JC Arzu and his eclectic broadcasting style, was just simply a brother who did his own thing to please his many radio listeners. He has become solid like a rock, and a stone of many stones that has built the mighty Kremandala. Bless up JC!

    Wildlife trafficking in the Chiquibul Forest
    Thanks to the Forest Department, WCS, UKAid and DEFRA, a planning session was held at Log Cabins to finalize FCD’s strategy to combat wildlife trafficking in the Chiquibul Forest.

    Channel 7

    How Did It Happen?: Sea Rescue Of Airplane Passengers
    Yesterday, we told you how three persons escaped unharmed after a Tropic Air Cessna 182 crash-landed in the sea between Turneffe Island and Lighthouse Reef. At 4:17 pm, Pilot Denfield Borland called the air traffic control tower at Ladyville to tell them his single engine had failed – and he would have to ditch the plane – an aviation term meaning land it in the sea. The plane was headed to Roatan, Honduras so it was up a few thousand feet. The pilot used that height to glide for at least five minutes and find the safest, shallowest area in the sea to set the plane down. It sounds simple enough, but it must have been a harrowing experience for his two passengers as they descended without power into the open sea. But, everything worked out right, the pilot guided the plane safely to shallow waters, and a rescue team from the Coast Guard and the Audubon found them safe and sound within minutes. The Deputy Commandant of the Coast Guard told the press today what his officers encountered when they arrived at the crash site: Commander Elton Bennett – Vice Commandant, Coast Guard "Yesterday at about 4:45 we received information from civil aviation that a small tropic air craft went down somewhere between the turneffe atolls and lighthouse reef atoll. We informed and dispatched our unit from the forward operating base just out at calabash caye - and we also deployed the joint unit that we had stationed at half-moon caye with the park rangers from the audubon society.

    Twenty Footballers Bound For The DR
    Tonight at FFB Headquarters in Belmopan, the National Football Team, the Jaguars are huddled, preparing to play in the Dominican Republic next week in the round two of the world cup qualifiers. The team scraped past Cayman in the first round, but are hoping for better in round two. Why is that? Well, the intangible is Deon McCauley, Belize’s only world class striker who has proven himself extraordinarily adept at scoring in World Cup Qualifiers. Today the team was introduced to the media and we found them confident and upbeat:… Jules Vasquez reporting…. Give or a take a couple, these are the twenty men who will be representing Belize in the Dominican Republic this Thursday in Santo Domingo at the Estadio Olimpico Felix Sanchez. Deon Mcauley is the major addition to the roster: Deon McCauley - Striker "I'm fitting in very good right now, everybody welcome me back, happy for me to be back. I'm also happy to be here, happy to be able to help the team. The chemistry is good, everything is going good, scoring goals in practice and in practice matches. Everything is going fine so far."

    Belize Backed Blatter, So What Now?
    And while the group organising the National Football selection held their press conference at FFB headquarters in Belmopan today – they strictly did not want to talk about FFB or FIFA affairs – public relations officer John Palacio made that crystal clear in a disclaimer to the press: Aaron John Palacio - Public Relations, FFB "Today's press conference is not about any money factor and just have to make mention who the president pull for at FIFA and so on and so forth. Today's press conference is on showcasing guys who will be representing this country. So any personal FIFA this, FIFA that, check stubs this - not today." Palacio repeated that warning twice, saying he didn’t want any stone throwing. We played along because we knew that the person who could and should answer hose questions was at the airport where our camera was waiting. That is FFB President, Ruperto Vicente. He voted for Sepp Blatter at the FIFA Congress last week – and then Blatter, surrounded by scandal announced that he would be stepping down.

    Some Guys Don't Do Jail, They Just Get Bail
    Last night, we told you how 25 year-old Shadir Marin, the manager of San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi, was jailed after being accused of pulling a gun on a man. Well tonight, he is out on bail after applying to the Supreme Court. After spending only one night behind bars, Marin’s attorney, Senior Counsel Godfrey Smith, applied to Justice Troadio Gonzalez on the premise that he has a reputation of good character with no criminal history. Smith also submitted to the court that Marin is a hard worker who must remain employed to provide for his pregnant girlfriend. Also, an affidavit from a well-known Justice of the Peace was submitted to the Court, in which the JP swore to Marin’s good character. Crown Counsel Portia Staine had no objections to bail, and so, after consideration, Justice Gonzalez granted Marin bail of $7,000 with conditions. He must report to the Queen Street Police Station once a week, and he must not be arrested or charged with any other offences while on bail, or else it will be confiscated.

    Mystery Of The Jade Pendant Unveiled At Nim Li Punit
    Archeologists and researchers have made a monumental discovery at the Nim Li Punit Archeological site in Toledo. 26 ceramic pots and about 8 pieces of jade were found in a tomb at the site. Today the Director of the Institute of Archaeology Dr. John Morris invited us to share in this find – which is almost as significant as the iconic jade head. Professor of Anthropology, Dr. Geoffrey Braswell is leading the dig and he told me more Dr. Geoffrey Braswell - Professor of Anthropology, University of California, San Diego "The palace is build in two stages. The first about 400 AD and about 800 it was remodelled we think because one quarter of the building has fallen so they needed to remodel it. Inside that remodel while they were working, they found an early tomb which they probably knew about but didn't expect to hit. So when they finished the final version, they rededicated the tomb, they moved bones around, the made all kind of offerings. Including, we have a bowl full of fingers, probably people cut off their own fingers as sacrifices. We have a lot of evidence of bloodletting the leaving of valuable artefacts. And finally they created the second tomb, they major find of this year.”

    BNCG: How It Really went Down At The Sarstoon Showdown
    Last week Friday, it made major news when the Guatemalan Naval patrol got into a confrontation on Sarstoon Island with the Belize Coast Guard. As we told you, the Coast Guard patrol was on the island doing reconnaissance when the Guatemalan patrol accused the Coast Guard officers of being within Guatemalan Territory. As we told you, the island is considered to be squarely in Belizean territory, and so the Coast Guard officers stood their ground twice when the Guatemalan officers returned. In the second confrontation, the Guatemalans suggested to the Belizean officers that they don’t want any trouble, and that the Coast Guard officers should leave the area. So, what actually happened? That’s what we got a chance to ask the Deputy Commandant of the Coast Guard, and he confirmed that his officers did not retreat, nor were they ordered to retreat: Commander Elton Bennett – Vice Commandant, Coast Guard "We were given a mission to conduct a recognisance including recognisance on the island, that was accomplished. We were given an order to extract after that recognisance was completed. So the mission as it related to the recognisance, that was completed. To start with that, we were not given an order to withdraw. We extracted under the conditions that the national security ministry along with foreign affairs would continue to dialogue with the Guatemalan counterparts to deal with that issue."

    Fear Of Flooding In Tiny Towns And Cities
    On Monday, we showed you how the City Council and the City Emergency Management Organisation have increased their activities in preparation for this year’s hurricane season. Well, they were back at it today in the first of a 2-day symposium on flood mitigation. They are preparing for the eventuality that at some point during the season, Belize City will have to deal with flooding, possibly more than a few times. CEMO teamed up with City Hall, the Pan-American Health Organisation, Oceana Belize and The Princess Ramada Hotel to host flood specialists and government officials from all across the country to discuss how each organisation deals with flooding. One of the organisers told us how collective wisdom can wick flooding: Wayne Usher - CEMO Liaison Officer "It's flood mitigation, it's impact on mitigation talking on how do we deal with mitigating the effects of flooding in Belize City. And for this we've brought in people all over the country. For example we have presenters from as far away as Dangriga. We have from Orange Walk and we have from Belize City of course.

    Riding For A Reason
    This morning, the Belize Social Security Board held the first stage of its 11th annual Ride Across Belize where participants and volunteers ride over 300 miles from Corozal Town, all the way to Toledo. They do it for charity to raise money for worthy causes, and they do it for the fraternity of the ride. Our news team was there to greet the riders today when they completed stage 1, Corozal to Belize City, 84 gruelling miles at a breezy pace. The coordinators say it’s more than just a ride, it’s for a great cause: The ride raises funds and the Social Security Board matches that amount with a ceiling of up to $25,000 to be donated to two charities.

    The Sign Says Slow Down
    The Road Safety project along the George Price highway has seen that thoroughfare upgraded with all kinds of signage, reflectors and re-surfacing. Brightly decalled highway patrol vehicles can also be seen monitoring traffic on the road. And now there’s one more element: Radar Speed signs. These interactive signs provide a real time readout of the speed of oncoming vehicles. The LED array makes the driver very aware of his speed – and it is designed to serve as a deterrent to high speed driving, similar to a speed bump. Of course, it’s only one side of the equation, and enforcement of speed limits is the other…and so far that has been lacking. The signs are called Safe Pace Radar Signs – and they are donated by the Road Safety Unit, which is funded by a 14 million dollar loan from the CDB. The signs only appear to have a two digit display which would only display speeds up to 99 miles per hour.

    Football Star Ronaldinho and Belize
    As we told you on Monday’s Newscast, members of the Verdes Football Club went to Miami to conduct the draw in the first ever Champion’s League Tournament that Belize will participate in. It’s a big deal for Belize because local footballers will get to play against big name players who they’ve only seen on TV. Today, when they returned from the Champion’s League workshop one of the Verdes staffers told us that Belize will play against a team which will pit them against Famous Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho: Marvin Ottley – Technical Director, Verdes FC "Our draw in group C and we draw on top of the boards so it's a possibility we might play at home first. We're grouped with Carretero FC from Mexico and San Fransico FC from Panama." Daniel Ortiz "Talk to us about - have you done any research on these teams? What is Verde FC's ability to defeat them when time comes?" Marvin Ottley "Well, on Sunday I had a chance to look at Carretero FC in the finals against Santos. A game which they won but Santos won the first game by a bigger goal score. We have to gather as much tape as possible to make ourself better prepared and we believe we have a chance to advance out of this first round, so that will be the big job for us."

    Rules For FIFA Match Will Be Enforced At World Cup Qualifier
    The FFB Stadium will also be the venue for the return match of Belize’s world cup qualifier against the Dominican Republic. That happens on Sunday June 14th – which is father’s day. But, we’ve got one piece of advice for fathers, if your kids give you a nice pen on that special day – don’t take it to the game. That’s only one items on a long list form small change to bottle caps that can’t be seen at a FIFA match:.. Victor Briceno - Security Chief "Anything that can injure someone - that's why some people might not understand why we took away pens, pencils, small stuff - bottles, perfume bottles those stuff will be taken away. Main reason because they can be used a projectile, they can be used in the heat of chaos people will use that as weapons. I know they will have some bars selling beverages, they will be selling water and soft drinks in their bottles. However what will occur with that because these with full content and the cover can become a projectile. You will be sold the soft drinks or water in the bottles, however the tops will be taken off."

    Gardenia Gets Watering
    Edmond Castro just won his convention by huge numbers, so you can’t really accuse him of electioneering when he signed a contract for Gardenia and Biscayne to get water supply. A total of 155 households in both villages will benefit from the million dollar project. Speaking at the Social Investment Fund Headquarters, the Chairman of Belize Water Services told the Government Press office that it’s part of a bigger picture: Completion of the project is scheduled for June, 2016. The project will include the installation of transmission and distribution water mains in Gardenia Village from miles 20 to 23 to the BWS water grid

    Pech To Jail For Dishonesty
    33 year-old Margarita Pech, who has 4 convictions for crimes of dishonesty, is at prison tonight after she was taken to court for charges of burglary and handling stolen goods. She told the court that she did it because a man held her at knife-point and forced her. It happened last week Wednesday. According to the allegation, Pech broke into the home of a 17 year-old female, located at 14 Eyrie Street, and stole jewelry and fashion jewelry amounting to $3,235 in value. The maid of the house, who saw her in the house, called the police. The police reported that when they apprehended her she had some of the stolen items, mostly fashion jewelry, in her possession. She was subsequently charged with burglary and handling stolen goods, and when she was arraigned today, she pleaded not guilty. She claims that a man took her at knifepoint to the house and told her that she if did not burglarize it he will cut her up. She said she handed the stolen items to the man and he gave only fashion jewelry to the police.

    Channel 5

    Coast Guard Provides Further Details on Tropic Air Mishap
    Tonight, there are further details and exclusive images of a Tropic single-engine aircraft which dipped in the Caribbean Sea soon after it departed the Phillip Goldson International Airport in transit [...]

    Airline Company Tightlipped on Crash at Sea
    Interestingly, Tropic Air has remained fairly tightlipped about the incident, not offering much by way of a brief release on the company’s Facebook page.  On the other hand, Borland told [...]

    Vice Commander Elton Bennett Says Coast Guard Stood Its Ground Against Guatemalan Navy
    The Belize National Coast Guard and the Guatemalan Navy were involved in a lengthy standoff on the Sarstoon Island last Thursday. Information has been provided about the incident by the [...]

    Coast Guard Personnel Extracted from Sarstoon Island Following Lengthy Standoff
    As we said, there seem to be varying accounts of the directive given to the coastguard unit by the Ministry of National Security.  Vice Commander Bennett categorically maintains that the [...]

    Elrington Confirms that Sarstoon Island is in Belize
    This morning, we asked the Foreign Minister of Belize about the location of the island from where the coastguard was extracted. According to Wilfred Elrington, he got a situation report [...]

    Did Guatemalan Navy Provoke Confrontation with Coast Guard?
    William Neal, this morning, pressed Foreign Minister Elrington if the Guatemalan navy acted in provocation since it was well within Belizean waters.   William Neal, Host “So, when ordinary Belizean [...]

    Shadir Marin Granted Bail After Being Remanded for Firearm Offense
    Tonight, twenty-five year old manager, Shadir Marin, who manages the San Pedro Water Express is out on bail of seven thousand dollars granted this afternoon by Supreme Court Judge, Justice [...]

    F.F.B. Unveils National Team Ahead of Dominican Republic Home & Away Series
    The Belize national team leaves for Dominican Republic on June ninth for a world cup qualifying game. That game will be held on the eleventh at two p.m., Belize time. [...]

    How Prepared Are the Jaguars to Face the Dominican Republic?
    Recently, a friendly international match was held between the Dominican Republic and Cayman national teams. That outing saw DR score six goals on Cayman. Now, it is known that team [...]

    …And Deon McCauley Confident in Scoring Against the DR
    Star striker Deon McCauley, however, is confident and says that he can guarantee at least one goal against the team from Dominican Republic. McCauley spoke about the chemistry with the [...]

    Verdes Prepares for CONCACAF Champions League 2015
    In more football news, Belize will be participating in the CONCACAF Champion’s League 2015 where Verdes F.C. has been drafted to Group C of the annual competition.  On Monday, twenty-four [...]

    FIFA Without Sepp Blatter – What Does It Mean for Belizean Football?
    Newly re-elected FIFA President Sepp Blatter shocked the football world on Tuesday when he announced his resignation amid massive corruption scandals within the international governing body.  Blatter’s departure will not [...]

    Sedi Sets the Record Straight on Artificial Borders
    This morning, when we spoke to the Foreign Minister, we also raised the issue of a statement he made some time ago that angered various sectors of the population. It [...]

    Belize is Second Slowest in Broadband Internet Speed in the Caribbean
    A report on fixed Internet broadband speeds and pricing across the Caribbean shows that Belize has consistently remained as head of the class as it relates to pricing but in [...]

    Margarita Noralez Pech Remanded into Custody for Burglary
    Tonight, thirty-three year old Margarita Noralez who also uses Pech as her surname was taken to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court to answer to two criminal offenses for Burglary and [...]

    Ride Across Belize Rolls Into Old Capital
    It’s that time of the year again, when Social Security take the lead and ride across Belize. It is all for a good cause and this year they are looking [...]

    What’s the Status of F.F.B.’s Finances?
    And one more issue on the F.F.B.’s press conference… Its president, Ruperto Vicente, wasn’t present because he had not yet arrived from Miami where he headed a delegation to the [...]

    ABTEC Graduates Fifty-five Students in Business Technology
    The American Business Technology and Education Center (ABTEC) is preparing students for work by developing their proficiency in specific trades. It’s all in an effort to help the trainees to [...]

    CTV3

    Belize Tops Number One In Sugar Producer In The Region
    Belize has been ranked as the top sugar producer in the region. The announcement was made by the Sugar Association of the Caribbean, SAC. The report indicates that in April, Belize produced more sugar with 28,289 tons. Guyana followed with a little over 26 thousand tons, Jamaica with a little over 25 thousand tons and Barbados with 3, 173 tons. The total regional production is at 84, 150 thousand tons for April. In this sugar crop, the total regional production stands at 393,357 thousand tons of sugar. The SAC says it continues to focus on overseas markets with year-to-date exports to Europe totaling 220,309 tons, followed by 30,259 tons to the United States and 17,484 tons to CARICOM. The report also indicates that Jamaica has topped the regional production in February and March this year but adds that there are challenges affecting production in that country. In Belize and Guyana however, production is reported as going well. Meanwhile, Barbados has just started production. Along with the report, the SAC reports that the Association is well advanced in achieving its goal to boost supply to the CARICOM market and expect this trend to continue.

    Belize With The Most Expensive Internet Rates And Most Slowest In The Region
    This year’s regional Information and Communications Technology (ICT) survey shows that Belize still has the most expensive internet rates and the broadband speed is still lagging behind. Despite this fact, the report indicates that Internet prices are decreasing across the Caribbean. The report states that under International Telecommunications Union standards, between 1.5 and 2 Mbps is considered the threshold speed for classifying an Internet service as broadband. Of the 19 countries surveyed, 13 countries offer the lowest download speeds of 2 Mbps and under. ISPs in Aruba, Belize and Guyana are still offering Internet plans with advertised download speeds of 256 kbps. Sixteen countries offer broadband packages with a maximum advertised download speed of at least 8 Mbps. The lowest advertised price was recorded in Trinidad and Tobago, at $22.15 USD, followed by Grenada at $24.48 USD and Curacao at $24.55 USD. The report says at the opposite end of the spectrum, the highest prices for a 2 Mbps plan was $69.49 USD in Belize, and was followed by the Antigua and Barbuda at $62.20 USD. And as the Internet becomes increasingly important across the Caribbean, the telecoms providers themselves are continually adjusting and refining their offerings in that market.

    Taking A Look At The Charlie Charlie Epidemic
    The “Charlie Charlie” game, believed to be a Mexican demonic game has taken over the world it seems, as reports from all corners of the globe keep popping up on the internet. These reports are often about possessed school children or children who are being bothered by some demonic spirit. While some reports indicate that the origin of the game is not certain, it seems that the thrill that comes with playing the game has won over thousands of children, particularly school children who have dared to play the game. It has now reached Belize but it appears that schools are not about to play any games whatsoever with the school children as at least two schools have suspended its students for allegedly playing the game. The first school on record to suspend students is Nazarene High School where students were caught playing the game at school last Thursday. The first form students were suspended as was one student at the Julian Cho Technical High School. Reports indicate that the school’s administration has decided to suspend the student for playing the “Charlie Charlie” game on the basis that it does not tolerate nonsense. Reports have been filed from Veracruz where students were claimed to be possessed by a demon after playing the game. Meanwhile in Jamaica, the ministry of education has issued a ban on the game ordering the close monitoring of students to ensure that they do not engage in what is widely viewed as a demonic game.

    National Spelling Bee Finals to Take Place In Corozal
    A champion speller will be crowned on Friday as the National Spelling Bee Finals will take place in Corozal Town. A total of twelve finalists are making their last minute preparations for the big day. Representing Orange Walk Town are Jafet Munoz from Trial Farm Government School and Aaliyah Leiva from Louisiana Government School. Students representing Corozal are Aimee Gonzalez from the Corozal Nazarene School and Mishtony Castillo from the Seventh Day Adventist School. The event is one organized by the Bowen and Bowen Group Ltd and the Ministry of Education for the past 21 years. Last year’s champion, ten year old Shanalee Gayap of Solid Rock Academy in the Stann Creek District was the youngest speller in history. The 21st Annual Spelling bee finals will commence at 9:30am at the Corozal Community College Auditorium. We’ll have full coverage and bring you the winner in Friday’s newscast.

    Noh Mul Case Continues At Corozal Magistrate's Court
    Today day two of the Noh Mul case was heard at the Corozal Magistrates Court before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith. At the end of the hearing two witnesses had taken the stand and the case was adjourned for tomorrow when It is expected that most witnesses called by the prosecution will take the stand and be cross examined by attorney Bryan Neal representing the defendants Denny Grijalva and his wife owners of Demars Stone Company, Javier Nunez foreman of Demar’s Stone Company and excavator Operator Emir Cruz. All of the defendants were criminally charged for destruction of Noh Mul an archaeological monument that sits in the area of San Juan Village in the Orange Walk District.

    LOVE FM

    Belize Recognized as Top Sugar Producer in the Caribbean for April
    Belize has been recognized as the top sugar producer in the Caribbean region for the month of April 2015. The announcement came from the Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC). According to the online article, Belize produced twenty eight thousand two hundred and eighty nine tonnes of sugar for the period mentioned, followed by Guyana, […]

    Artifacts Uncovered at Maya Ruin in Southern Belize
    A major discovery was made at the Nim Li Punit archaeological site located at Indian Creek Village, 25 miles out of Punta Gorda on the Southern Highway. Correspondent Paul Mahung was there and has the story. Many of the pieces found will be displayed in the Visitors’ Center at Nim Li Punit while the […]

    Football Federation Needs Money to Play in the DR
    As you saw, twenty three players were presented to the media but not all of them will make it to the Dominican Republic. According to the FFB that is because of a lack of finances. According to the team coordinator, they will be seeking the public’s assistance. RUPERTO VICENTE “Well we have to look at […]

    Verdes Football Team Returns Home to Prepare for Upcoming Matches
    Several members of the Verdes Football Club flew out to Miami on Monday to take part in the draft for the Champion’s League Tournament. The Verdes team was chosen as the representative team for Belize after winning the 2015 Premier League of Belize Tournament. Today the team returned and we caught up with Marvin Ottley, […]

    First Graduates of Media Arts Academy Presented
    Almost two hundred students from several primary schools on the south side of Belize City gathered at the Bird’s Isle in Belize City this morning to receive their certificates of completion along with refreshments after they completed a seven month engagement with the Media Arts Academy Program that falls under the Love Foundation. Deborah Straughan-Sewell […]

    Former Court of Appeal Judge to Belize Passes
    Final tributes were paid yesterday to a former sitting judge on the Court of Appeals panel who served in Belize during a part of his career. 85-year-old, Boyd Humbert Glouster Carey died in his home in Florida, USA on May 11 and a memorial service was held at the Providence Methodist Church in Jamaica. Carey sat as a […]

    Potable Water Project For Gardenia and Biscayne Underway
    A hundred and fifty five households in the villages of Gardenia and Biscayne in the Belize District will benefit shortly from a government funded project geared at making potable water more accessible to the villagers. The Gardenia/Biscayne Water Supply Sub-project comes at a cost of $999,408.49 through a loan received from the Caribbean Development Bank […]

    Woman Tells Judge She Was Forced to Burglarize Home
    Thirty-three year old Margarita Pech, a woman with four convictions for crimes of dishonesty, became an inmate of Belize Central prison today when she appeared before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser and was arraigned on charges of burglary and handling stolen goods. Pech pled not guilty to the charges although she was seen in the house […]

    PlusTV

    Caused the Sarstoon Stand Off?
    On Friday we told you about a standoff between the Belize Coast Guard and the Guatemalan Navy that lasted almost 26 hours...

    CEO Lovell Clarifies Elrington’s “Border Comment”
    In an interview last week with the Ministry of National Security, CEO Colonel George Lovell concurred that despite the Foreign Minister’s border comments, or at least the media’s interpretation of the Foreign Minister’s border comments, Belize has clearly defined maritime borders...

    13th Senator case goes to Supreme Court
    On September 30, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin will hear preliminary arguments pitting the country’s Leader of the Opposition, Francis Fonseca, against Prime Minister Dean Barrow over the issue of the appointment of a thirteenth member of the Senate...

    Body 2000 battles CitCo over trade license
    On Friday, Body 2000 Health and Fitness Gym on Coney Drive was visited by police to enforce a stop order issued by the Belize City Council for non-payment of trade licenses. The gym’s owner claimed to have paid $3,000 for this year’s fee but was unable to produce a receipt...

    Belize and Guatemala team up to end illegal wildlife trade
    Animals and plants, both exotic and commonplace, are regularly traded across borders and the extent of this illegal trade has been estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars...

    Hopkins Mango Festival held
    It was “mango everything” on display this past Saturday by the seaside in Hopkins Village as it hosted the annual Mango Festival. Originally introduced to the West from India, there are 400 varieties of the mango, of which Hopkins and Belize claim about 20...

    Green Tropics and farmers reach out of court agreement
    The Santander Group of Companies is giving land to the farmers in fulfilment of their part of a compromise agreement with the Agriculture Association of the Valley of Peace...

    Water taxi manager charged over firearm altercation
    The manager of San Pedro Express Water Taxi on North Front Street is in prison tonight, accused of pointing a firearm at a man he was having an argument with. Police have charged 25 year old Shadir Marin with aggravated assault with a firearm against disc jockey Edison Usher, also known as DJ Vint...

    Drug Traffickers caught by police
    On Monday June 1, police conducted a search at the residence of 46-year-old Luis Alberto Cardenas of Belize/Corozal Road in Orange Walk. There, the cops found two black bags containing 200 grams of Cannabis. Police arrested and charged Luis Alberto Cardenas for the offence of Drug Trafficking...

    Ammunition found in socks
    Another search led to the discovery of ammunition with no gun license. On Monday June 1, police along with Special Branch and K9 Unit conducted a search at the residence of 23-year-old Floyd Neal of Young Bank Road, Camalote Village...

    Sepp Blatter Resigns!
    Sepp Blatter resigns as FIFA’s president after a 17 year old tenure dogged by corruption scandals four days after being reelected as head of football’s world governing body. Blatter urges FIFA’s congress to organize an election for his successor at the ‘earliest opportunity’...

    Verdes to face Mexico and Panama in Champions League
    On Monday evening in Miami, Florida, Belize’s Premier League champions Verdes FC of Benque Viejo learned their opponents in the 2014-15 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League...

    Tropic Air plane crash lands in sea
    A Tropic Air plane, crash-landed on the open sea about 6 to 8 miles south of Blue Hole...

    Breaking Belize NewsPJ

    Woman charged with jewelry theft
    33 year old Margarita Pech has been convicted four times previously for crimes of dishonesty ranging from handling stolen goods to burglary and theft, faces another such charge, this time burglary. Pech is accused of breaking into the house of 17 year old Kelsey Musa at Eyre Street […]

    National Meteorological Service advises on 2015 hurricane season
    The National Meteorological Service of Belize issued a press release on Monday, June 1st to address the Belizean public on the start of the Hurricane season 2015. It states that this season will see below average to average activity, meaning the chances of a hurricane affecting us is […]

    The fight to end worldwide illegal wildlife trade
    The extent of the illegal trade in wildlife – both animals and plants – has been estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars. Belize’s experiences are largely tied to Guatemala and the incursions of peasants over the western border and into the Chiquibul National Park […]

    Espat and PUP plan to take Government to court over PetroCaribe Funds
    People’s United Party (PUP) deputy leader, Julius Espat who spoke about Ivan Ramos receiving PetroCaribe monies, spoke again yesterday about taking the Government of Belize to court on the grounds that it is using these PetroCaribe Funds for the “wrong” reasons. In an interview with another media house, […]

    Placencia Police searches for Devon Logan
    Placencia police is currently on the hunt for a man by the name of Devon Logan for drug charges and child abandonment after he escaped from a police patrol on Sunday night. Reports say that Logan was stopped and searched by police on Sunday night, May 31st 2015 […]

    Four shooting incidents reported in Belize District overnight
    No less than four shooting incidents have been reported in the Belize District in the span of several hours. In Belize City on Tuesday night around 10:00 p.m. police responded to reports of a fight on Angel Lane. 20 year old Porshan Pipersburg of Gabourel Lane was in […]

    Tropic Air plane crashes into sea
    On Tuesday evening a Tropic Air flight en route to Roatan in the Bay Islands of Honduras crash-landed near the Blue Hole in the Lighthouse Reef Atoll. Around 4:15 the Cessna 182 four-seat single engine aircraft began experiencing engine problems and senior pilot Denfield Borland made a distress […]

    PUP Deputy Leader speaks about Ivan Ramos receiving PetroCaribe monies
    It has been countless times that we have seen the leader of the People’s United Party (PUP), Francis Fonseca, on our television sets speaking negatively about the PetroCaribe Funds and how it should be used. The PUP clearly stated that the PetroCaribe monies were not to be used […]

    Does Former Guatemalan Vice President own assets in Belize?
    Over the past few weeks, the pressure has been mounting for Guatemala’s President, Otto Perez Molina to resign with thousands of citizens protesting every weekend due to the corruption that has led to the arrest and resignation of many government officials. As far as we know, those scandals […]

    Julian Cho High School suspends student for playing ‘Charlie, Charlie’
    The game “Charlie Charlie” which has racked up millions of views on the popular internet site ‘YouTube’ has sent waves of panic across the country over the past few weeks. As you may know by now, the game involves two pencils placed in the shape of a cross […]

    Blogs

    Tiny Miss Emma And Her Organic Farm : Both are Belize National Treasures
    I can’t believe that it took me 8 years in Belize to visit Miss Emma’s Garden and Restaurant. This tiny lady and her farm are a national treasure. It may seem a bit off the beaten path but it’s easy to find. At about Mile 16 on the Southern Highway, just about 15 minutes past the Hopkins junction, turn in at the Sanctuary Belize sign. A mile or two down a wide dirt road, you’ll cross a little wooden bridge. Take the first right and head up to the guard booth…you’ll have to sign in and dip the bottom of your feet in bleach. To keep pests out of the area and the shrimp farm beyond Miss Emma’s. Miss Emma is a 74 year old Filippino woman with more energy than most young adults. She came to Belize in 1992 as the chef for the Taiwanese Ambassador and has been here ever since. Her gardens and orchards are beyond stunning and she may just be the most generous woman that I’ve ever met. Her restaurant is filled with memorabilia with photos of her with Prime Minister Dean Barrow and George Price…

    International Sourcesizz

    Here’s What Happens to Exotic Birds When Their Owners Can’t Take Care of Them
    Parrots and other captive birds are now some of the fastest-growing group of displaced animals in the United Sates. These birds, who can live to be 70 or 80 years old in the wild, often need more care than their owners can provide. Oliver Regueiro, who grew up in Venezuela where parrots and macaws are a regular sight, was introduced to the potential perils of exotic birds as pets while watching a documentary on television. “I remember seeing them on the side of the road,” he wrote via email. “So for me that was normal—boy was I wrong!” After watching the documentary, Regueiro began researching and learning more about the issues many of the birds face and decided to start small and local, contacting two sanctuaries in Washington State where he lives: Zazu’s House Sanctuary and Mollywood Avian Sanctuary. “I went to meet with one of them and after seeing the birds and their condition I was sure that’s where I had to start,” he wrote. Once he got permission to photograph the birds, he spent a couple of weeks preparing for the shoots and then two days photographing at each sanctuary. The result, “Earthbound,” is a series of portraits of the birds along with a brief biography of how they ended up at the sanctuary. “I was amazed how unique they are,” he wrote. “They have well defined personalities. The way they look at you, you feel they are looking into you. It’s a really deep look.”

    2015 update of Internet speeds and pricing across the Caribbean
    A 2015 update of fixed Internet broadband speeds and pricing across the Caribbean, and a brief comparison with our 2014 results. As the Internet becomes increasingly important across the Caribbean, the telecoms providers themselves are continually adjusting and refining their offerings in that market. Since 2011, we, here at ICT Pulse, have been tracking fixed Internet broadband speeds and pricing across the Caribbean. We are updating our findings, and highlighting some of the changes that have occurred since our last assessment exercise in 2014. The methodology employed has remained unchanged from last year’s exercise, and we have maintained country pool of 19 Caribbean countries as highlighted in the sections below. Data was collected from the websites of widely used Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the countries covered. To the extent possible, two ISPs were examined in each country (Table 1), and the exercise focussed on fixed/wired (non-dialup) Internet services, and on service plans for domestic/residential customers.

    Belize It!
    Mary and her husband had planned a dream vacation to Belize. It was the top priority on their bucket list of places to enjoy together after retirement. Last March, after 40 years as a teacher in Stone Mountain, Georgia, she finally arrived in the country they both had hoped would be a shared paradise. But she had to come alone, after burying her life partner just two months before. As she related her experience as we sat outside at a sunny Belizean bar and restaurant, there was no hint of what would have been understandable melancholy. She elected to sell most of their worldly possessions, including a five-bedroom house. She worked through the vehement skepticism expressed by her adult children that she could go it alone in Central America. But Mary has fallen in love again. Not with another man, but with a simplicity and vibrancy of life she hasn't felt since her childhood. It's the eternal human quest to find contentment and happiness that lured my wife Lisa and me to Belize. It's a country of unmatched natural beauty and ethnic diversity — and equally visible abject poverty. With a government that's borrowed itself to the hilt, Belizeans exist without unemployment insurance, food stamps, and welfare programs. You could consider it a laid-back version of rugged individualism. Their motto is, "Take care of your needs first and your wants become secondary."

    How Belize is tipping the scales for sustainable fishing worldwide
    Belize just redefined marine conservation, entrusting its fishermen with a nationwide system of multi-species fishing rights for all its coastal fishing waters. This landmark decision is a victory for communities on Belize’s Caribbean shore, allowing fishermen to create more food and jobs on land by replenishing more life and diversity in their seas. But Belize’s move also has implications for the rest of the world. The government blazed a pioneering trail, with a powerful example that may prove a tipping point for sustainable harvests of coastal fisheries anywhere. Belize raises the bar when it comes to marine conservation. The extraordinary Belize Barrier Reef, second in size only to Australia’s, hosts a rich diversity of mangroves, corals, seagrass and cayes teeming with life. Offshore life also brought onshore health. As 3,000 fishermen harvest spiny lobster, conch and reef fish, they nourish Belizeans with an important source of healthy, locally-produced animal protein.

    Former Olympic skiier and fly-fishing great Andy Mill and son Nicky will co-host the 2015 Belize Tarpon Tagging Expedition
    from Aug. 15-22 at the El Pescador Lodge. Anglers are invited to help tag fish and support research by the University of Miami’s Tarpon and Bonefish Research Center. For more information, call Adam Marton at 312-440-1200 or email Adam@fieldworkersclub.com. More than 40 species of fish are targeted through Nov. 30, with divisions for men, women, junior anglers (ages 10 to 14) and Pee Wees (under 10 years old). The Key West Fishing Tournament strongly encourages the release of game fish. All participating anglers receive certificates noting their catches and qualify for a variety of prizes. keywestfishingtournament.com

    Videos

  • Funeral of Romaldo N. Badillo, 1min. Although this was recorded at a very sad occasion, the funeral of Romaldo N. Badillo, it shows the rich culture and treasures of Belize. Here ,Romi's cousin pays tribute to him in an ancient Mayan song, as per Romi's request, if he would die. Sadly we grieve.

  • TRAPPED (A short film) | Katyani Mehra, 3.5min. This is a short movie made by some students at Sacred Heart College in San Ignacio, Belize. This is showing identity theft.

  • BSI/ASR WEEKLY CROP REVIEW WEEK 18, 3min.

  • THE HEALTH HAZARDS OF GARBAGE, 4min. We told you about the Town Council’s efforts to turn Orange Walk Town into a cleaner community. While that is all great news, we wondered about the health hazards of garbage and the manner in which it is disposed of. Here is a brief look at the health risks and how these are minimized in our community.

  • Belize 2015, 4min. Recap video of our recent live aboard on the Sun Dancer II Fleet off the coast of Belize.

  • The National Anthem of Belize sung by the children in Santa Elena., 3min. I was so lucky to go to Belize for One Library at a Time to put a library into a school in Santa Elena.

  • My Pledge to Belize by the children in Santa Elena., 1min.

  • Belize 2015 Shark Ray Alley, 2min.

  • Belize River Valley Watershed, 12min. Muscle Creek. DAM Blocking the flow of Fresh Water.

  • Belize, 8min. This video is about my schools trip to Belize to teach kids about physical activity and nutrition. We also built on an addition to the kitchen on days we weren't teaching.

  • Cacao Fest 2015 in Punta Gorda, Belize - Belize In America, 3min. DAY ONE: Wine & Chocolate Garbutt’s Marine, Joe Taylor Bridge area, Punta Gorda Town This is a night of Indulging in fine wine, decadent chocolate and tasty hors d’oeuvres all complemented by the musical sensations of the Caribbean Roots Band from Corozal Town, Belize. DAY TWO: Taste of Toledo Front Street, Punta Gorda This is the Day Two of the Cacao Fest event in Punta Gorda, Belize. The main street is crowded with vendors, visitors and an array of cultural foods, Chocolate exhibitors, crafts for sale & live music entertainment all day long! FREE entrance! DAY THREE: Grand Finale Julian Cho Technical High School Grounds

  • Fire Leadership for Protected Areas, 10min. TIDE and the Southern Belize Working Group with support from the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) hosted a firefighter training workshop in the Deep River Forest Reserve of southern Belize. Students learned strategies to safely conduct prescribed burns.

  • The Peregrine Dame Season 1 Episode 1 Belize, 22min. Belize, from Mayan ruins to Caye Caulker, host Rachel Parsons explores the tiny Central American country solo, meeting new friends along the way.

    June 3, 2015


    FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

    Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

    Specials and Events

    Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
    Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


    The San Pedro Sun

    THREE Mainland Destinations You DON’T want to Miss
    Mainland Belize is a great place to become one with your wild side. Teeming with miles and miles of lush rainforest and amazing freshwater creeks and rivers, there’s a ton of things to see and activities to do! If you aren’t committed to a scheduled itinerary, I promise you’ll enjoy checking these places out: Caves Branch Outpost at Jaguar Paw, St. Herman’s Blue Hole, The Belize Zoo.

    Island Academy holds Graduation Ceremony
    “Graduation Season” is back and schools across the island are gearing up for the grand occasion. Kicking off the season is The Island Academy (TIA) which held its 20th commencement exercise, on Friday, May 29th. Eight students marched to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance to receive their Primary School Diplomas: Faith Edgar, Charles Worthington, Emil Nuñez, Dorian Sanchez, Tahryneh Codd, Katie Maxon, Katherine Salinas and Sasha Flores. Family and friends all gathered at the TIA campus to celebrate the students’ scholastic accomplishments. Class teacher for the graduates, Lisa Anderson Welcomed everyone to the morning’s event. Before the graduation speeches, there was an award ceremony for the top students from each grade level. Top students, from all levels, were awarded in various categories; including remarkable reader, creative writing guru, and excellence in mathematics, science and even citizenship. The students were called to the podium to receive their awards from their respective teachers, while proud parents looked on to their children as they were recognized for a job well done.

    Ambergris Today

    Former NBA Star Etan Thomas on Motivational Fatherhood Tour Belize
    Restore Belize and NICH are hosting Etan Thomas, former NBA Grizzlies player, this week as he speaks to Belize’s youth on the importance of fatherhood in his Motivational Fatherhood Tour which include motivation sessions on Tuesday, June 2 and Wednesday, June 3 at the Bliss Institute for Performing Arts. This event is being sponsored by the Belize City Council, Radisson Hotel, Portofino Resort, Chamberlain Consulting and Belizean to Dah Bone! Etan arrived in Belize along with his beautiful wife Nicole where they met with the press at the airport’s VIP lounge, hosted by the BTB. Etan Thomas is known as the poetic voice of his generation, a portal of our future, a poet, activist! He focuses on the importance of Fatherhood rising to the ultimate challenge as the key to molding a new and positive generation.

    Belizean Farmers Receive Land from The Santander Group
    On May 30th, 2015, CEO of The Santander Group, Mr. Jose Rodriguez handed over 160 acres of land to the president of Agricultural Association of the Valley of Peace, Mr. Ever Blandon. The exchange took place at the parcel location on the Santander farm in Belmopan and 22 of 31 farmers who are also receiving this land package were present. The Santander Group began work on their 20,000 acres of land in 2012 and became aware that farmers had been occupying some 43 acres of land, centrally located on their property. Acknowledging that this local farming community would be displaced from their livelihood, The Santander Group began seeking solutions to arrive at a settlement. Through negotiations with the Agricultural Association of the Valley of Peace, The Santander Group made significant efforts in arriving at terms for an agreement that would allow for these farmers to have their own titled land on the same property, not far from where they had originally settled.

    Killianie Sosa Crowned Miss Chiquitita 2015
    Miss Chiquitita pageant was the highlight of the weekend in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, as one lovely contestant was crowned with the 'mini' beauty queen title. On Saturday, May 30, 2015, a large and excited crowed gathered at the Louis Silvestre Sports Complex to witness five lovely girls take on the stage vying for the crown of Miss Chiquitita 2015. The night was filled with great entertainment by the San Pedro Dance Academy, San Pedro Jabawakees and Yaka's Elite Dancers. Five lovely delegates took on the stage and competed in three segments: introduction dance, talent and evening wear. The talent segment was the most entertaining part of the pageant as all contestants portrayed skits and dances of the beautiful birds of Belize.

    Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

    Women Vendor Exhibition and Forum 2015 (WVEF 2015)
    The International Trade Centre (ITC) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brasil) announce the Women Vendors Exhibition and Forum 2015 (WVEF 2015); 2nd and 3rd September in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This premier business event links women vendors to markets by providing training, improving skills and facilitating meetings with buyers. Previous events held in China, Mexico and Rwanda, facilitated thousands of business to business (B2B) meetings where business transaction agreements were signed; click here for an insight into the WVEF experience!

    Nohoch Che'en closed, Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) has high water

    Belize Fishing Report: May 17th – May 25th, 2015 Report
    A nice quiet week at the lodge with some great guests, good weather and awesome fishing. Permit fishing was off the charts perfect this week far exceeding the normal rates. Perhaps this is the year of the permit in some obscure Mayan calendar?

    Rescued bird, Belize Bird Rescue
    This gorgeous male white-front baby was rescued by a caring group of people. They found him on the ground at night with his claws buried so tight into the grass that they had to dig him out! We are almost positive from the musky smell on him that his nest was attacked by a snake. This is one lucky baby, to have escaped the snake and then to have been discovered before any other night critters snacked out on him. Congratulations on your rescue Becky, Bailey, Skylar and Claudine. And a big BBR welcome to Ceviche

    BOLEDO DRAWING for Tuesday, June 2, 2015: 23. FANTASY 5: 38 20 12 18 13 M

    Getting reacquainted
    Last year, a small, orphaned manatee calf arrived at Wildtracks, and met Mitch - at that time, our youngest on-site volunteer. Mitch, along with the other other Wildtracks and support volunteers, played a large part in providing 24 hour emergency care and post emergency support to this orphaned calf in the days and weeks that followed his rescue. In recognition of the dedicated care from Mitch, the volunteer (his willingness to take on night shifts, double shifts, early morning shifts...) the calf was named Mitch. A year later, and the two Mitchs have met up again...both a little older and hairier, but basically the same at heart. Both are doing well!

    Channel 7

    Tropic Air Cessna Crash Lands In Sea, Pilot & Two Passengers' Escape Unhurt, Rescued
    Tonight three people are lucky to be alive after the Tropic Air Cessna they were travelling in experienced engine failure, and crash-landed in the sea between Turneffe and Lighthouse reef. But, the Captain, Denfield Borland showed remarkable grace under pressure and safely ditched the plane in a shallow area near to an island - where the Coast Guard and Belize Audubon Rangers were able to rescue him and two passengers. The Civil Aviation Department has confirmed that the distress call came into the control tower at the PGIA at 4:17 pm from a Tropic Air Cessna 182 headed to Roatan. Pilot Borland told them that the single engine Cessna was experiencing difficulties and would not be able to reach its destination or any other airport, and would be making a water landing in the vicinity of Half Moon Caye. Civil Aviation immediately activated the Coast Guard stationed at the Turneffe Atoll and the Belize Audubon Society - which operates a station at Half-moon caye. It is estimated that the plane went down at around 4:45, and at 5:09 PM, the joint team found the pilot and two passengers - reportedly on a safety raft which was onboard the plane.

    Shadir (Finally) Faces The Music
    Tonight, a man who police really didn't want to charge is behind bars. Shadir Marin, the 25-year-old manager of San Pedro Express Water Taxi was remanded to prison today on a charge of aggravated assault with a firearm. We say they didn't want to charge him because police took eight weeks to arrest him - and that's only after he turned himself in today. The story first came to public attention 5 weeks ago, Edison Usher came to our studio to complain about the police - he said they were dragging their feet in arresting Marin after he threatened Usher with a firearm on Saturday April 9th. It happened at a charity fundraiser in front of witnesses. Usher was the DJ - and he tried to stop Marin from driving over his cables. He told us Marin didn't take kindly to the rebuke and pulled a gun on him: Edison Usher, Assailant Charged "At that time I don't know if he was drinking or if he was angry at something or whatever the case might be. At that time he took out his gun and pointed it at me and told me to move the 'F' out his way. After the report was made, they took a week to make contact with this guy.

    Leon Manhandles By the Long Arm Of the Law
    After spending 6 days in police custody, Leon Soberanis was released yesterday evening. According to Soberanis, he was detained by police on Wednesday in San Ignacio Town for a warrant he had already served jail time for. He was later transported to Belize City at the Queen Street Police Station where he was told that he is wanted for the robbery of M&M's Construction on the Phillip Goldson Highway. But no charges were brought against Soberanis - even though he was detained for 6 days. Here is his story. Leon Soberanis; Detained by police for 6 Days "The police locked me up at Benque from Wednesday. They don't have anything on me but now they say I owe court and when I reached Belize City here they said I am wanted for some robbery. They didn't charge me for the robbery but after that they just hold be at the police station for so many days for a warrant they said I would have to go to jail and I know I have already did my time there." Monica Bodden "Yesterday I understand that you were sent up to Hattieville prison." Leon Soberanis; Detained by police for 6 Days "Yes, they sent me to jail. I already did my time at the jail. That warrant was already served and I told the police that I already served my warrant."

    Belize Backed Blatter Right Up To The End
    Last night, we showed you our interview with the President of the Football Federation of Belize, Ruperto Vicente, about his experience in Zurich, Switzerland last week when the Swiss authorities descended on the FIFA congress and arrested 14 senior officials in connection with the biggest corruption scandal in FIFA's history. He also confirmed yesterday that FFB voted for incumbent president, Joseph Sepp Blatter - who was returned for a fifth term as president. That's the man who has presided over a period that American law enforcement alleges that the organization was involved in racketeering, wire fraud, and money laundering to rig the voting process for different countries to win the bids to host the World Cup. Well today, Sepp Blatter shocked the football world when he announced that he would resign from the post he was only just elected to, in the wake of the corruption scandal which rages on all over the football world. This morning, he announced it at a press conference in Switzerland; here's a short excerpt:

    Santander Makes Generous Settlement With Farmers
    It made news last year when 31 farmers from Valley of Peace accused Santander Farms - known then as Green Tropics - of destroying over 150 acres of crops. It caused a protracted back and forth which ended up all the way in the Supreme court. Well, today, the multinational company announced that it has settled with the farmers by giving them huge parcels of land to farm on. That happened on Saturday when the CEO of the Santander Group, Jose Rodriguez, handed over 160 acres of land to the president of the Agricultural Association of Valley of Piece, Ever Blandon. That land, according to Santander's statement is located in Belmopan, and at the handing over event, 22 of the 31 farmers were present to witness for themselves that they have now become landowners. The land is valued at 320 thousand dollars, and not only did Santander survey it, they cleared it, and created an access to a water source for the farmers to start growing their crops. The land titles from the Ministry of Natural Resources are reportedly on the way, and the company has committed to paying the stamp duties for the transfer of titles to the farmers.

    Just Out Of Jail, Man Condemns Kolbe
    34 year-old Belize City resident Robinson Michael was only just released from prison last week Friday after serving 7 years in jail for a number of offences, including unlicensed firearms, and obtaining property by deception. After being on lockdown, you'd expect Michael to go home, relax and enjoy his freedom, but no, he has decided to on the offensive against the prison, its administration and what he sees as maladministration and advantage-taking. 3 hours after being released, he came to our office to grant us an extensive interview to outline a catalogue of what he says are systematic abuses. It's a 40 minute long interview, and some of his comments we're unable to air at this time for legal reasons, but he did bring up a topic of a facility inside the prison. This facility, according to Michael, is in a state of disrepair, and it has caused a security breach which allowed a prisoner to escape recently. He's referring of course to Emmanuel Willoughby, who escaped from prison in December of last year, and was on the run for almost 2 months. In that extended interview, he claims that the prison administration is negligent in housing inmates in this rundown facility: Robinson Michael - Former Prison Inmate "The Prison has a facility that is called the Administrative Segregation, where they - it is divided into about 4 categories. It is also used as a quarantine for inmates who have contagious sickness such as tuberculosis and others.

    How To Rescue An Antillean Manatee
    Today an adult Antillean manatee was rescued off the Burdon Canal. It had been badly cut by a boat propeller and a team has been trying to rescue it from Sunday but couldn't - until this afternoon. We found with Manatee researcher Jamal Galvez and his team off the Western highway and they told me how challenging it was to rescue this one. Courtney Weatherburne reporting A 12 foot skiff, a 300 foot long and 30 foot deep net and a blue pickup truck: all the equipment needed to barricade this adult male manatee. These prominent white slashes on his back that can be seen from beneath the murky canal water, are his scars. And this team has been trying to rescue this animal since Sunday after residents from the Belama area alerted them to the injured manatee. Jamal Galvez, Program Coordinator, Belize Coastal Zone Management "We try capture it on Sunday and we didn't and he came in here yesterday. We tried yesterday all day and this animal is quite a tricky guy. Despite injured, he is quite a tricky guy, so we came back today because we see this animal is in need of assistance and it wouldn't have been possible without a lot of people. I mean Sea Sports was offering a boat, Action Belize and all these volunteers out here from OCEANA."

    American Man's Death, Homicide Not Suicide, Warrant Issued For Wife
    On Christmas Day, 2014, Ladyville police said 66 year old American retiree Timothy Patrick Mcnamara killed himself with his wife's licensed 9 millimeter pistol in tiny Boston Village. But now the suicide has been ruled a murder, and police have issued a warrant for the arrest of Mcnamara's 43 year old wife. She is Channon Nessi, and back in December 2014 she told police that she had her husband had a misunderstanding over money and when she left him outside, he shot himself once in the head. As of last week Friday, May 29, Ladyville police, with the assistance of interpol, issued a warrant for her arrest. Police say this is after intensive investigation by a team of officers including ballistics work.

    Placencia Weedist Bolts, Left Baby With Babylon
    Placencia police are looking for an accused drug peddler who they say escaped from them on Sunday evening - and left his infant child in the police's hands. He's 39 year-old Devon Dale Logan, and according to police he was busted with a small amount of marijuana on the on the peninsula. At around 5 p.m., he was seen leaving an area of the village which is known for drug activity, and he was with his 7 month-old baby son. The officers detained him with the drugs, and they placed him and his son in the vehicle. They say that while they were moving off to drive him to the police station, he jumped out of the moving vehicle and ran away, leaving his 7 month old baby behind. When he is caught, he will be charged with drug offences, as well as abandonment of a child. But, police intelligence is that he is hiding out in Belize City. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to contact the nearest police station.

    Etan And The Kids
    Last night we showed you Etan Thomas's arrival in Belize. The former NBA journeyman power forward is a motivational speaker - who focuses on fatherhood, not fast breaks and free throws. He'll be speaking to mixed audiences throughout his time here, and today it was to a group of high schoolers - who, honestly, were more interested in stories about Steph Curry than they were in his positive message. But they did hear what he had to say; here's what they told me about it:.. Rosaline Williams, Maud Williams High School "It really inspired me because I didn't grow up with a father and in my world, I think you would always need a father in your life, but now that I have grown up I see it differently. I don't think I need a father because I could rise up by myself without a father and with my mom" Joshua Jacobs, Ladyville Technical "One of the main motivation that he talk about is that when you come up from a ghetto family, that does not mean you have to stay in there. You could get out. You have other people or friends that will take you towards the wrong parts but it's up to you to get out of negativity. Everyone will have both negative friends and positive friends, but at the end of the day it's up to you."

    Is Hon. Julius Leading The PUP Astray?
    Last night on 7News, you heard PUP Deputy Party Leader Julius Espat appear as the party's chief disciplinarian - saying Dangriga Representative Ivan Ramos who has accepted Petrocaribe funding form the government should be disciplined - and the same goes for any other PUP who accepts funding. Indeed, he is not the party leader, but Espat has Francis Fonseca's blessing when he speaks, and when he acts - as he has against Petrocaribe. He's taking the government to court over a programme that has won popular support, by virtue of the major outlay of infrastructural work. But, fighting against it has become an article of faith for the PUP. We asked Espat if it's worth it taking on a programme that - recent election results suggest - the voters approve of: Jules Vasquez "The two main fights you've taken on is public accounts. You've gotten nowhere with that and its been an enormous waste of time and..." Hon. Julius Espat - PUP Cayo South "In your opinion?" Jules Vasquez "Yes it has." Hon. Julius Espat - PUP Cayo South "Okay." Jules Vasquez "I mean in terms of the real objective results - nil - for all your..." Hon. Julius Espat - PUP Cayo South "No, I'm just asking if it's your opinion." Jules Vasquez

    A Fun run For Over 200
    Over 200 athletes and runners of all ages participated in the annual Olympic day run organized by the Belize Olympic and Commonwealth Games Association in downtown Belize City on Sunday. They ran a circuit course starting at the Scotiabank parking lot on Regent Street, turning at the Mule Park into Albert Street, down to St. John's Cathedral and back to the finish line by the Brodies hardware division; with the open, senior masters and 14-19 years athletes running 2 laps, while the primary school runners and Infants ran one lap. COMING IN 1st was the winner of the Bob Lightburn half marathon earlier this year, Albert Davis, with Eric Donis of San Pedro - 2nd. 3rd was Belize's triathlon representative to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Kent "Bob" Gabourel. 1st woman to finish was Belize High School principal Jamie Usher, winning 1st Female Masters. Horizon Academy's principal Dian Maheia was the second Masters and 3rd Masters female was perennial runner Teresita Grajale.

    Tropic Air Down
    As we told you at the top of the newscast, three persons are lucky to be alive tonight - after their plane crash landed in the sea between Turneffe and Lighthouse reef. The plane is a single engine, four-seater Cessna 182 - something like this one - but with Tropic Air logos. It was flying form Belize City to Roatan when it experienced engine failure and the pilot had to ditch the plane, meaning land it in the sea. He reportedly had time top coast down and choose a shallow area where he and his t3wo passengers were rescued unhurt about half hour after their crash landing. They are reported n good condition tonight and were last known heading to Blackbird caye for transfer to Belize CITY.

    Channel 5

    Tropic Air Plane Goes Down
    A Tropic Air craft plunged into the Caribbean Sea today. On board were the pilot and two passengers, who are tonight lucky to be alive after the aircraft went down [...]

    Helicopters Were Just Passing Through; No Need for Alarm
    Just after twelve noon today, four helicopters heard and seen flying relatively low in Belizean airspace. We have since learnt that the aircrafts are from North Carolina, U.S.A. and had [...]

    Petrocaribe Used To Bail CPBL?
    The Petrocaribe Fund and now the Petrocaribe Loans Act have been in the headlines for the controversy it is generating. The recent revelation that the funds were used for salaries [...]

    Fin Sec Says Petrocaribe Only a Temp Loan For CPBL
    When we checked with the Financial Secretary Joseph Waight on Monday, he pinpointed that the monies would be made available to CPBL as a temporary loan.  And that arrear, as [...]

    PM Did Say That G.O.B. Would Bail CPBL, But Would It Have Been Petrocaribe Funds?
    At a conference on April twenty-ninth, the Prime Minister identified an issue within the citrus industry involving a lack of working capital for farmers who are yet to receive the [...]

    A Visit to Sarstoon Island
    From proud Rio Hondo to Old Sarstoon…sounds familiar? Well it should, but right about now the Sarstoon is patrolled twenty-four hours by personnel at a Guatemalan outpost on the banks [...]

    Crooked Tree Causeway Falling Apart?
    A News Five team is just back from the Sarstoon Island in southern Belize where a confrontation took place just last week between Guatemalan navy officers and the Belize National [...]

    American National Wanted for Husband’s Death
    With the assistance of Interpol, the local police department has issued a warrant for Channon Nessi, the common-law wife of American retiree, Timothy Patrick McNamara, who died on Christmas Day [...]

    Russell Hyde and Other Suspects in Roaring Creek Murders Released!
    It’s been several days now since the sensational murders of Roaring Creek residents Steven Hyde and Edilberto Madrid, and no one has been charged. Both men, an associate and a [...]

    Ministry of National Security is Working to Tackle Crime
    There has been a serious spike in murders this year, even as there continues to be a decrease in other crimes. It’s a serious problem for the Ministry of National [...]

    Forensic Lab and DNA Testing Will Soon Be a Reality in Belize
    One of the major thrusts is strengthening the forensic capabilities of the Police Department. Just a few weeks ago, twenty-seven police personnel were certified as international scenes of crime officers. [...]

    Santander Makes Peace with Valley Of Peace Farmers
    Santander is keeping the peace with Valley of Peace, well the farmers, at least. You may remember that over a year ago, Santander, then known as Green Tropics, destroyed close [...]

    Wheel Chair Man Charged For Drug Possession
    A Belize City man, who is not sure of his age, but claims he is twenty-three years old and is confined to a wheel chair was dragged to court today [...]

    Shadir Marin Charged For Aggravated Assault on DJ
    Manager of San Pedro Belize Express Water Taxi, Shadir Marin, is tonight spending his first night behind bars after he was remanded on a single charge of Aggravated Assault with [...]

    Sepp Blatter Resigns from FIFA Presidency
    F.F.B. President Ruperto Vicente is quoted in sections of the media saying that he voted for Joseph Sepp Blatter, the incumbent FIFA President. According to Vicente, who was in Zurich, [...]

    Mangoes Galore At Hopkins Mango Fest
    The mango season is one that is highly anticipated; and at last it is finally here. There are a number of succulent and juicy mango varieties in Belize and most, [...]

    CTV3

    Tropic Air Plane Plunges Into Sea At Half Moon Caye
    Late this evening, Tropic Air’s Cessna 182 en-route to Roatan Honduras being piloted by Captain Denfield Borland suffered mechanical problems and plunged into the sea. Best information to our newsroom is that the flight was taking two passengers identified as Arthur Rogiers, an American national and Eddie Bodden, a Honduran National. Fortunately, all three survived the crash. Reports are that at 4:17pm the control tower at the Philip Goldson International Airport received a distress call from the pilot who indicated that the aircraft was experiencing difficulties and would not be able to reach its destination or any other airport and would be making a water landing in the vicinity of Half Moon Caye. We understand that the department immediately activated search and rescue procedures. The Belize Coast Guard stationed at Turneffe Atoll immediately dispatched a vessel to the last know position of the aircraft and in addition the Belize Audubon Society which operates a station at Half Moon Caye was contacted.

    Flooding On Bethias Lane
    The 2015 Hurricane Season got off on a wet note and today the downpours continued throughout Belize and in Orange Walk it was no exception. The downpours have put to the test the newly rehabilitated Philip Goldson Highway and already there are problems arising. This includes flooding due to uneven or haphazard construction. A few weeks ago Bethia’s Lane, one of the town’s most trafficked streets, was flooded causing quite a mess for the homes and businesses that occupy that area. In an effort to address the many concerns, the Town Council had to evaluate the problem. Mayor Kevin Bernard says they are cleaning up the mess left behind by the contractor of the rehabilitation project…. KEVIN BERNARD – Mayor, OWTC “Thinking that it was one of the culverts that was damaged, we had gone in and replace that culvert and everything, that was fixed, we also saw that down on slaughter house street there was a private landowner that put in small culverts in the drain where the water actually flows and the council had gone to remove it, today we had a heavy down pour again and the same problem we had businesses that were flooded...

    John McAfee Gives a Black Eye To Belize
    Belize is again cited for corruption in the international press. An article on Noticieros Televisa, issued on June first states that several countries are facing political crises due to corruption, which could be detrimental if no measures are taken by respective countries. The article lists countries where corruption is rampant and starts with Mexico and then Belize. The case used to showcase such corruption is that of the estranged US citizen John Mcaffee who has accused the Prime Minister of rampant corruption. According to the article, Mcaffee accuses Prime Minister Dean Barrow of stealing eighty million dollars he had donated for projects within Belize. Now that is what Mcaffee is saying and he has also accused the police and government of other crimes against him.

    Former Mayor Of Corozal Town Passes
    Sixty two year old Mario Ignacio Narvaez, former two term mayor of Corozal and the last mayor from the People’s United Party to serve in that district, passed away earlier today, June 2. Narvaez was mayor of Corozal from 1991 to 1993 and from 2000 to 2006 when he won two consecutive terms under a PUP slate. Among his many accomplishments was the completion of the sea wall along the Corozal Bay, the complete refurbishment of the Central Park, Gabriel Hoare Market and the reclamation project of land in front of the Social Security building located at the entrance of Corozal. Narvaez had been battling with kidney failure for quite some time and yesterday while being treated in Merida, he passed. We extend our deepest sympathies to the Narvaez family.

    Teachers Of San Francisco R.C. School Bring The Gold Home for The Festival Of Arts
    A few weeks ago, we brought you highlights of the first ever Teachers Festival of Arts where they presented to the public their talents in the form of skits, drama and dance. And last week Friday, the winners of that event represented the district in Belize City. We are happy to report that the Orange Walk District did well as the San Francisco RC School took first place in dance at the national level. Today, we spoke with the team who told us about their winning 80’s Dance Mix performance… PERCIVAL GIDEON – Teacher, Upper Division “We had nobody to tell us how dance will go but we have very talented teacher here; first we have teacher Elizabeth, teacher Maria Pech, teacher Christianny, we have teacher Gilda who is not here and so we put our resources together and the other teacher love it, now the festival of arts came around in the month of May, a Teachers Festival Of Arts, and so other teacher said well why don’t you present your item, your dance and then one teacher pick it up and did the logistics and then we went ourselves into practice and then we went for the Teacher’s Festival of Arts and that was on May 30th and there we won the most outstanding dance there were 13 presentations and we won in the category of dance and we were told there that we could present the same item at the national level and we did that on May 29th and there we had 17 presentations and we all got the first prize, the cash prize.”

    LOVE FM

    Man Escapes Police and Leaves Infant Child Behind
    Police in Placencia have issued a wanted bulletin for 39 year old Devon Dale Logan who escaped police custody leaving his 7 month child alone. Police say that they were on mobile patrol on Sunday evening when they came across Logan who had his seven month old child with him. Logan was reportedly coming from

    Espat Says Ivan Ramos Should Be Disciplined over PetroCaribe Monies
    Area Representative for Dangriga, Ivan Ramos was duly elected in 2012 in Belize’s General Elections with just over two thousand votes … but despite his victory at the polls, his party, the PUP made some moves that saw Ramos removed as the Standard Bearer for the Dangriga division. That announcement of his removal came on

    Tropic Air Flight Lands in Belizean Waters
    A Tropic International Plane crashed into the sea this evening. On board were three persons, the pilot, Denfield Borland, and passengers, Arthur Rogiers, an American national and Eddie Bodden, a Honduran National. Fortunately, all three survived the crash. We were told that the plane left the Phillip Goldson International Airport at 4:30 pm and was

    BDF Commander Dispels Rumors of Guatemalan Flag on Sarstoon Island
    While the four helicopters flew above, there were rumours circulating that Guatemalan nationals were on the Sarstoon Island erecting their national flag thus claiming it their own. The speculations, comments and excitement flooded some social media pages and turns out that while we at Love News set out to verify these reports, so did the

    US Helicopters in Belize’s Airspace Explained
    There were concerns around the country earlier today as four helicopters were seen in Belize’s airspace just around eleven o’clock this morning. While it is known that our local military do have relations with the US military, we didn’t take it for granted and we sought the Commander of the Belize Defense Force, Brigadier General

    Ready Call Centre Celebrates 10th Anniversary
    The Ready Call Centre was one of the first companies to open its doors, introducing the business process outsourcing industry in Belize. Today, they are celebrating their tenth anniversary. Renee Trujillo was there this morning and here is what she found out.

    PlusTV

    Clear the land Castro Clears Conventions
    Belize Rural North UDP supporters from all 25 villages came out on Sunday May 31st to elect their UDP Standard Bearer through a closed party convention.The distinction between Edmundo Castro’s supporters, and Dwight Tillett’s supporters was very recognizable. Castro’s supporters wore red shirts with white markings and Dwight’s supporters wore white shirts with red markings. A total of two thousand one hundred and seventy people, out of five thousand eight hundred registered voters of BRN, came out to cast their votes. But before we get into the results of the ballots, we hear from the supporters on both sides of the race including Hon. Boots Martinez who showed up to lend his support to his cabinet colleague.

    Castro’s Crooked Tree Causeway Bruk Up
    In the forefront of Castro’s political campaign were some street works in Belize Rural North which Castro had facilitated with the help of some good old Petro Caribe monies of course. One such work is the upgrading of the Crooked Tree causeway that links the village of Crooked tree to the Phillip Goldson Highway across

    FFB supports Blatter, does not support corruption
    Following a series of indictments of top regional football officials in several confederations including the North, Central American and Caribbean Confederation known as CONCACAF, members of the 65th General Congress of the International Federation of Football Associations, re-elected president Joseph “Sepp” Blatter to a fifth term on Friday. He won the vote by 133 to

    The truth about Gold Cup cheques
    Will the truth ever be known about the financing of the National Team that participated in the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup? There has been a back and forth between now-former vice president of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB), Rawell Pelayo, and his boss, Ruperto Vicente. When Pelayo was detained by U.S. authorities on entering

    Belize City declared “ready” for hurricane emergencies
    Today is the start of the 2015 hurricane season. While below-average activity is expected, it only takes one to cause major disruption. As the country’s largest population center and with the most experience of the threat of hurricanes, Belize City is a focal point and the Central Emergency Management Organization (CEMO) a division of the

    Big Falls Alcalde Booted Out!
    The Villagers of Big Falls, in Toledo, recalled and booted out the alcalde on Sunday May 31st and are also calling for the removal of the village chairman. The reason behind this move was because of alleged 20 thousand dollars that were not accounted for. About 150 people gathered at the community center to have

    2015 Cancer Walk draws huge crowd
    It’s not unusual for organizers of the annual Cancer Walk from Ladyville to Belize City to claim that each successive event is the biggest ever, because it usually is. But the distinction is clearly reserved for this year’s journey, which saw over 5,000 participants run, ride and walk the nine miles from Celina’s to the

    Ex-NBA player to speak to Belizean youths
    Former NBA basketball star and born-again Christian Etan Thomas is on a visit to Belize to speak to youths. Thomas played 11 seasons for the Washington Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks before embarking on a career of public speaking and poetry writing. Thomas says he is looking forward to giving a unique perspective […]

    Amandala

    Controversy over $40 mil from PetroCaribe for salaries
    The spending of PetroCaribe funds has been hotly debated in the recent months, particularly in light of new legislation which empowers the Minister of Finance, Prime Minister Dean Barrow, to contract PetroCaribe debt and to spend those funds without prior approval from Parliament, even when the amount exceeds the $10 million threshold. While Prime Minister Barrow commits to introducing legislative amendments later this month (or in early July) to appease the concerns of social partners, another controversy has erupted over information which suggests that the Government has used the PetroCaribe funds—which Barrow told our newspaper last month could not be used to cover recurrent expenses, such as healthcare costs—to pay salaries. While the information leaked to Mose Hyde, host of the KREM WUB Morning Vibes, shows a drawdown from the Government’s PetroCaribe account at the Central Bank for $20 million in March 2014, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight disclosed to our newspaper that there was a second such drawdown this year, in March 2015. He said that he did not imagine, at the time that he made the requests to the Central Bank, that the matter would garner so much public attention.

    “Clear the Land” beats Dwight Tillett in BRN convention
    A sea of red T-shirts dominated the landscape around the area of Guadalupe Roman Catholic School in Sandhill, Belize District, from early this morning, as hundreds of voters from the 28 villages of the Belize Rural North turned up to cast ballots in a convention to select the United Democratic Party (UDP) standard bearer for the next general elections. The incumbent area representative, Hon. Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro, Minister of State in the Dean Barrow-led UDP administration, fought off challenger Dwight Tillett, a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Castro’s former campaign manager. One did not have to wait for the ballots to be counted to determine which way the political wind was blowing; the optics on the ground were a clear indication of the likely outcome: Castro’s supporters, decked out with their red T-shirts declaring, “We deh with Clear the Land,” dominated the polling area for the entire day.

    Students face suspension for “Mexican demon” game
    The principal of Nazarene High School, Elisa Seguro, has confirmed to Amandala that a group of first form students are being suspended for taking up what has been dubbed, “the Charlie, Charlie Challenge,” in school last Thursday, amid what has proven to be a mysterious global wave over social media to promote an activity which purportedly summons up “a Mexican demon” using what has been described as a rudimentary form of the Ouija board. We know that the so-called game, which challenges players to call up “Charlie,” asking if they can play with the demon or not, has been introduced among students in several schools at both the primary and secondary school levels, and spiritual leaders have been called in to speak with and pray for students. The pencils, which are balanced on top of each other over a cross with quadrants that have “yes” and “no” options written alternately in each quadrant, should rotate to a particular answer when the player asks “Charlie” a question, such as what will happen in the future.

    The Coast Guard – Belize’s newest heroes!
    Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington told Amandala that on Thursday, May 7, he had had “a long conversation” with Lt. Commander Elton Bennett of the Belize Coast Guard, after the Coast Guard official heard Elrington’s comments, broadcast on radio, claiming uncertainty over where Belize’s territorial waters end. That conversation, we understand, lasted over an hour, but Commander Bennett was clear, that there is no question in his mind over where Belize’s territorial waters are located. That position was also clear in the minds of a contingent of 10 Belize Coast Guard personnel—who were scouting Belize’s southern border with Guatemala for a good location to erect a forward operation base (FOB), for surveillance at the Sarstoon—when they were approached by 9 Guatemalan naval officers, who had invaded Belizean waters with their weapons drawn, to order the security officers to vacate Sarstoon Island. Sarstoon Island is clearly inside Belize’s territorial waters, and the Coast Guard officials defiantly and valiantly stood their ground when that incident unfolded around 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, May 28, 2015. Commandant of the Belize Coast Guard, Admiral John Borland, contacted Ret’d Colonel George Lovell, Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of National Security, to alert him of the situation.

    Date set for 13th Senator case filed by Opposition
    A brief hearing was held in the Supreme Court of Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin this morning on the matter of an application filed by the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Francis Fonseca, against Prime Minister Dean Barrow, seeking to have the court to order him to sign into law the Statutory Instrument for the installation of a 13th Senator that is enshrined in the 6th Amendment to the Belize Constitution. Attorneys from both sides, the applicant and the respondent, have agreed that on June 8, the respondent will file an affidavit and then on July 31, both sides will exchange written submissions. The hearing of the case is set for September 30, before the Chief Justice. Since the 6th Amendment to the Belize Constitution was signed into law, all of the provisions of that law have been enacted, except Sections 7 and 9, which set out how the 13th Senator is to be appointed.

    CEMO says it’s ready for 2015 hurricane season
    The 2015 hurricane season began today and in recognition of the potential threats that might be faced during the upcoming months, the City Emergency Management Organization (CEMO) held its yearly press conference at City Hall to discuss noteworthy hurricane preparedness strategies for city residents, as well as its plans in case of any such natural disaster. According to CEMO chairman, Mayor Darrell Bradley, the organization commenced its preparations in January of this year when the 13 hurricane shelters across Belize City underwent inspections to evaluate their readiness. Bradley said that the primary purpose of the shelters – which include 5 on the north side and 8 on the south side of the city – is for “safety and not comfort”, and if there is a need to use these structures, they will be opened on an incremental basis depending on the severity of the storm.

    When will the MCC be fully ready for use?
    The MCC Garden – which, for at least five decades, has been the primary football venue in the Old Capital – has been mostly inoperative since June 2014 when it was closed for repairs by the National Sports Council (NSC). The works were required mainly due to damages from non-sporting events which were held on the football pitch, and were initially scheduled to be finished almost a year ago, in August 2014, which would have been in time for the start of the Premier League of Belize (PLB) semi-pro football season. Today, nine months later, the grounds remain in poor condition, and when the media caught up with the Minister with responsibility for Sports at an unrelated event this morning, he asserted that despite a few setbacks, the MCC should be ready for use within the next month and a half or by the second week of July. He said, “We were waiting on a few competitions that were happening to be finished for us to do the excavations for the lighting because the wiring goes underground, and so we didn’t want to upset the competitions that were happening. They are about finished now, so we’re looking to start the excavations and erect the light poles for the MCC.”

    Verdes to face San Francisco FC (Panama), Queretaro FC (Mexico)
    Belize’s national football champion Verdes FC was represented in Miami today at the Official Draw for the next CONCACAF Champions League tournament. Below are excerpts from a report by concacaf.com. MIAMI (Monday, June 1, 2015) The Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) conducted this evening the draw for the 2015/16 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League (SCCL), at the New World Symphony Center on Miami Beach, sorting the 24 participating clubs into eight groups of three, for the eighth edition of the continental championship in its current format… The groups will be contested on a round-robin, home-and-away, four-game format, running August – October. Only the eight first-place teams will progress to the quarterfinals, which will kick-off in early 2016.

    Smart 13 & Under Week 7 results; 4 more weeks to 4-team playoffs
    If you haven’t been to the MCC Grounds on a Saturday recently, you have 4 more weeks to see some amazing young talents emerging in Belize City football. With 12 teams in the Smart 13 & Under Football Tournament 2015, there are 11 weeks of regular season, as all teams are active every Saturday, with (20-20) games beginning at 9:30 a.m. This past Saturday, May 30, Week 7 games were played; and with only 4 more weeks of regular season remaining, the race is really hot for the top 4 spots in the playoffs. (See standings below; our apologies for missing standings columns in our report last week) In game 1 on Saturday, Elan White struck twice, to give Rising Stars the 2-nil win over Charlston FC. Game 2 was a 1-1 draw between Face of Belize and Ladyville Jaguars, as Mushay Grant shook the net for Face of Belize, while D’Jon Canelo tallied for the Jaguars.

    NEBL Finals tip off this Friday in San Ignacio
    The NEBL, 2015 season is bouncing to its closure, as the best-of-three Finals will tip off this weekend in San Ignacio Town. Semifinal matches saw a record crowd in Dangriga, while the defending champs had to play a Game 3 to decide which of the two teams would advance to the Finals. Fans are reminded that all games have a live webcast with the game scores, play-by-play analysis and the box scores. Fans can follow every game live on our webpage, as scores are in real time. The NEBL, webpage also contains news, team standings and player statistics, and it can be found at nebl.sportingpulse.net. On Friday night, the #1 seed, Cayo Western Ballaz (2-0) will host the #2 seed and defending champions, San Pedro Tiger Sharks (2-1) at the Sacred Heart College Auditorium in San Ignacio Town, as these two teams square off in Game 1 of the NEBL Finals. The game will commence at 9:00 p.m. Game 2 of the Finals will be on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. at the San Pedro High School in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, as the two teams will battle for the coveted $20,000 cash prize. If the series is tied at 1 apiece, then Game 3 will be back in San Ignacio Town, where the NEBL 2015 Champions will be crowned.

    Editorial: The Jewel: is it worth it?
    In many ways, the British Hondurans who began migrating to live and work in the United States fifty and sixty years ago were making an intelligent, realistic decision. Back then, British Hondurans, especially those who lived in the population center/capital city, were of the opinion that Belize was mainly a swamp, and that their future and their children’s future lay up north, where the eagle flew in the largest economy in the world. When some of those Belizeans began coming home to visit back in the 1970s and 1980s, they essentially returned as conquering heroes and heroines. When Belizeans return home from the States these days, however, they do so quietly, without fanfare. What has changed? The British Hondurans who stayed in Belize when the work force began migrating, were mostly older or younger than the migrants. To an extent, these were people who had no other choice. The few who had an opportunity to leave but still decided to remain in Belize, may have been romantic, instead of realistic. Who knows?

    From the Publisher
    The difference between primitive groupings of people and sophisticated organizations is that primitive groupings are heavily dependent on identifiable, charismatic leadership, whereas sophisticated organizations develop internal constitutional guidelines which make it so that, functionally, the organization is greater than its individual leadership. The collection of Icaiche Maya who were fighting against the armed forces of the colonial British here in 1872 were heavily dependent on the leadership of Marcos Canul, so that when Canul fell in battle in Orange Walk, the Maya were, for all intents and purposes, defeated. This had probably also been the case with the Caribs in St. Vincent when Joseph Chatoyer was killed in battle in 1795. On the other hand, the great business corporations of the world, even though they are always producing exceptional leaders, such as the case with Apple and Steve Jobs, lose such leaders from time to time and yet their business goes on as usual.

    Belize tops regional sugar production for April
    The Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) has announced that the top sugar producer in the region for the month of April 2015 was Belize, with 28,289 tons. Guyana produced 26,826 tons, followed by Jamaica with 25,862 tons and Barbados with 3,173 tons, for a total regional production of 84,150 tons for the period. Jamaica had topped the regional production in February and March 2015 respectively, while Barbados has just started production. The April figures pushed the year to date production for the current regional sugar crop to 393,357 tons. The SAC says it continues to focus on overseas markets with year-to-date exports to Europe totaling 220,309 tons, followed by 30,259 tons to the United States and 17,484 tons to CARICOM.

    Breaking Belize NewsPJ

    FFB President speaks on trip Belize delegation’s trip to Zurich Switzerland
    Executive members of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) returned from Zurich, Switzerland on Sunday evening where they witnessed many of FIFA’s high level officials being arrested on charges of wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering. The Belize delegation traveled to Zurich last week and participated in the 65th FIFA […]

    20-year-old’s amazing Ocean Cleanup idea
    Chrisbert Garcia: Founder and CEO of The Ocean Cleanup, Boyan Slat, announced that his organization will be deploying a world first by next year – the first system to safely remove plastic waste from oceans. With an estimated 300 million tons of plastic being produced and thrown away every year and 5 trillion pieces of it estimated […]

    Water taxi manager charged over firearm altercation
    The manager of San Pedro Express Water Taxi on North Front Street is in prison tonight, accused of pointing a firearm at a man he was having an argument with. Police have charged 25 year old Shadir Marin with aggravated assault with a firearm against disc jockey Edison Usher, […]

    13th Senator case goes to Supreme Court
    On September 30, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin will hear preliminary arguments pitting the country’s Leader of the Opposition, Francis Fonseca, against Prime Minister Dean Barrow over the issue of the appointment of a thirteenth member of the Senate. The United Democratic Party (UDP) had presented amendments to the […]

    Former Mayor of Corozal Town Passes away
    Mario Ignacio Narvaez, the former two term mayor of Corozal and the last mayor from the People’s United Party to serve in that district, passed away earlier today, June 2. Narvaez was mayor in the late 90’s and early 2000’s when he won two consecutive terms under a PUP slate. […]

    Dangriga Men Busted with Drugs in Benque Viejo
    Police in Benque Viejo Del Carmen have arrested three persons for drug trafficking: Herson Gonzales, a taxi driver of Arenal Village, Juan Garcia, a taxi driver of Dangriga Town, and Jose Majil Madre of Cocoa Street in Dangriga Town. According to police, the trio were stopped at a […]

    Helicopters flying over Belize NOT Guatemalan Helicopters
    Belizeans are finding it quite alarming to see strange helicopters flying all over the country. In an interview with B.D.F Personnel, we were informed that the helicopters flying over the country mainly in the southern area and Belize City are those of the U.S. Military who are in Belize […]

    Verdes drawn with teams from Mexico and Panama in Champions League
    Belizean champions Verdes FC will play San Francisco of Panama and Queretaro of Mexico in Group C in the preliminary stage of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League later this year. The draw held in Miami, Florida, pitted 24 teams against each other in eight groups of three, with […]

    Sepp Blatter steps down from FIFA
    The New York Times has confirmed that president of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA), Joseph “Sepp” Blatter, has announced he will step down from the post as soon as an Extraordinary General Congress has elected his successor. Blatter was elected to a fifth consecutive term this […]

    Eden Seventh Day Adventist High School Graduation 2015
    On Sunday May 31st 2015, Eden Seventh Day Adventist High School celebrated their graduation ceremonies with eighty five student’s graduation in various disciplines including Business and Sciences. Their guest speaker was Mrs. Carol Babb, Valedictorian Ezekiel Olivar, Salutatorian Reannie Garbutt and 3rd place Maria Ruiz.

    Belize, A Country Of Institutionalized Corruption
    By Richard Harrison Whenever the laws of a country make it impossible for people to make an “honest” living, then the individuals and businesses have no choice but to make a “dishonest” living. In this case, honest is interpreted to be abiding by the laws…..dishonest is evading and/or avoiding the law….corruption. I. […]

    Luis Cardenas charged for Drug Trafficking
    Orange Walk Police have arrested and charged 46 year old Luis Alberto Cardenas for the crime of Drug Trafficking. On June 1st, around 6pm, police conducted a search at the residence of Cardenas on Belize Corozal Road where they discovered two black bags containing 200 grams of cannabis. Cardenas was […]

    Belmopan Area Teachers showcase their Talents
    Fun, Laughter, and mind-blowing are some of the words used to describe the performances presented by the teachers from the Belmopan Area Schools at the newly renovated Belmopan Civic Center. It was a night of “show weh you got up” as teachers entertained with music, dance, and drama. This […]

    Goodbye to High School Years
    The Valedictorian, Leslie Arevalo, reflected on her years of sacrifice and accomplishment. She urged her classmates to press on and achieve their goals. Salutatorian Oleyni Melinda Parez expressed her gratitude to the teachers and sponsors who gave her the opportunity to achieve her education. She was one of […]

    Hurricane Watch 2015
    Tropical Weather Outlook. Tropical Cyclone formation is not expected during the nest 5 days on the North Atlantic, the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Tip of the Day: To begin preparing for a hurricane, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan.

    US Fugitive caught in United Ville
    David Long, better known as “Lung”, a US fugitive was caught in Belize over the weekend. Reports are that Long had settled in the small community of United Ville when US Marshals caught up with him. Long, was a wanted fugitive in the Shawnee County in Kansas on the charges […]

    Blogs

    Stops Along Belize’s Scenic Hummingbird Highway: Miss Bertha’s, The Blue Hole, Marie Sharps and More
    Belize is a small country with a handful of main roads – the Northern Highway, the Western Highway, the Southern Highway and the gorgeous Hummingbird over the Maya Mountains. For about 55 miles, it twists and turns, rises up and plummets. Through a few villages, untouched jungle in the highlands and miles of citrus in the valleys. The road was only fully paved in 1994 – and there are still handful of one laned bridges left over from the days when this was used almost primarily for citrus transport down to Dangriga. It’s a gorgeous road. But my usual viewpoint is from the bus window. A lovely view for sure…but a mode of transportation that makes it impossible to jump out everywhere you want to stop. So with this trip down to Hopkin’s Mango Festival, we rented a car and stopped…quite a bit. Let me show you where (and add a few things in from previous trips). I highly recommend taking this drive and being leisurely about it.

    5 Belize-Inspired Drinks to Make at Home
    One of my most popular articles is the recipe for Panty Ripper – an easy-to-make Belizean drink that is famous. I imagine, after a couple weeks of being back from Belize, someone remembers how enjoyable the drink was and decides to look it up. Actually, they might not even love the taste and just want to re-create it for friends since it reminds them of their unforgettable vacation. The truth is that it doesn’t matter, I’m just glad it’s being made all over the world. However, it’s about time I share a few more delicious cocktails with you guys. For this, I enlisted the help of Marco, he is currently a talented bartender at The Lodge at Chaa Creek and man oh man, can he make good drinks. Check out the interview and enjoy making the following Belize-inspired Cocktails. What are your top five cocktail drinks to prepare? Blue Morpho, Dragon Fruit Mojito, Jungle Remedy, Sorrel Colada, Dragonfly. Click for photos and recipes!

    Commentary: Belize has always claimed full rights to territorial waters but enforcement is a problem
    By Wellington C. Ramos. According to international law many countries claim their 12 miles of territorial waters and enforce their jurisdiction over it. There is also a 20-mile and the EEZ zone for drilling and other rights that Belize can control in their southern border with Guatemala and Honduras. Then comes international waters. Belize would like to do the same but the Guatemalan claim is standing in the way. Guatemala has claimed the whole or part of our country for years now and there is no end in sight. If Guatemala was to drop its claim, then they will be landlocked and have no access to the Atlantic Ocean for their commercial and military vessels. Guatemalan vessels have always and continue to traffic through Belizean waters without any action taken by the Belizean government. Is there a secret agreement between Great Britain, Belize and Guatemala to allow their vessels to traffic through our territorial waters? If there is then it should be made public to the Belizean citizens. The failure of the Belize government to stop these vessels to continue travelling through Belize waters gives me the impression that there is an agreement. Or, Belize may be allowing Guatemala to use their waters as a good neighbour policy to avoid increasing tensions over the Guatemalan claim.

    International Sourcesizz

    Tradewinds 2015 commences in St Kitts-Nevis
    A brief ceremony at Camp Springfield, the home of the St Kitts-Nevis Defence Force, launched Tradewinds 2015 on Sunday. Phase I of Tradewinds 2015, the maritime phase, will run from May 31 through June 9. The ceremony was attended by representatives from the participating countries and local government officials who heard welcoming remarks from Lt. Colonel Patrick Wallace, Commander of the St Kitts-Nevis Defence Force. Wallace challenged the participating countries to embrace the training, use it as an opportunity to build capacity in their respective agencies, and embrace the challenges and benefits of working with partner nations. He added, “Tradewinds is a great opportunity to build lifelong friendships with service members from other countries,” and spoke of his personal experiences.

    What if the Magic Lies in Making Others Feel Important?
    Upon returning from a medical mission trip to the third world country of Belize a few years ago, I found myself with moments of feeling both breathless and speechless. I had never encountered such raw, unadulterated love and gratitude. The experience was so transformative, I wondered how I could ever justifiably articulate it to anyone. People were grateful for the simplest things, and I had never encountered such beauty. I witnessed a middle-aged man cry upon receiving treatment for an eye infection after having experienced years of discomfort. The man with the eye infection is only one example of countless touching moments, however I noticed one surprising common denominator throughout our week of treating various conditions: More than the relief from their pain or ailment, each person treated seemed most healed by one simple thing: We had taken time out of our lives to make them important.

    The 24 hottest honeymoon destinations right now
    Where a couple decides to honeymoon is a personal choice. For some, paradise is lounging on a beach with soft white sand and clear aquamarine water surrounded by palm trees. For others, it’s roaming the streets and enjoying the charm of a romantic city like Paris. Either way, chances are you’ll find an ideal honeymoon spot in our list of newlywed destinations that are trending now. A mix of jungles and Caribbean sea shores, honeymooners in Belize can explore both Mayan ruins and marine life. There's also the secluded island of Cayo Espanto, which is tiny but chic and will give couples some quality alone time.

    Prolonged Drought Leaves Caribbean Farmers Broke and Worried
    St. Lucian farmer Anthony Herman was hoping that next year he’d manage to recoup some of the losses he sustained after 70 per cent of his cashew crop withered and died in the heat of the scorching southern Caribbean sun. But on June 1, the beginning of the Atlantic hurricane season which coincides with the rainy season, the 63-year-old man, who has been farming for four decades, received “frightening” news about weather conditions in the region over the next year or so. The 2015 wet season in the Caribbean, which runs from June to November, has been forecast to be drier than normal and a similar prediction has been issued for the 2016 dry season. This follows on a drier than normal dry season in 2015. “It is frightening,” Herman tells IPS on the sidelines of the Regional Climate Outlook forum for the 2015 hurricane season being held here June 1-2. He said there is probably going to be less rainfall accumulating for much of the region, even as The Bahamas, Belize and The Guianas are expected to see higher rainfall as a result of El Nino.

    Toilets and how we are going wrong
    The known use of toilets goes back, way back, to ancient Egypt. Ever since the first royal use—and the comfort throne was first intended for royalty—man has been trying to build a better toilet. In a world of squat toilets, foul public restrooms, and austere water closets, middle and upper-class American bathrooms are almost temples to our bodily functions. They’re rivaled only by our kitchens—another room given little thought in most other countries—in setting world standards of opulence. The next time you visit Central America, you might want to stay with a Mayan family in Toledo, Belize, a cultural experience well worth the time and effort. You’ll live for a couple of days or a week with warm, kind people who live much as they have for the last century. Just don’t expect American Standard! Here the toilet was a 6" PVC pipe sticking out of the ground (one assumes a pit was below) and surrounded by shower curtains.

    Videos

  • Miss Chiquitita Pageant San Pedro 2015, 9min. Miss Chiquitita pageant was the highlight of the weekend in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize, as one lovely contestant was crowned with the 'mini' beauty queen title. On Saturday, May 30, 2015, a large and excited crowed gathered at the Luis Silvestre Sports Complex to witness five lovely girls take on the stage vying for the crown of Miss Chiquitita 2015.

  • Summer of Sports Program, 4min. On Thursday, May 21 the Government of Belize announced its Summer of Sports Program, a new initiative funded by PetroCaribe. Here’s what our Belmopan Weekly team learned of the program ...

  • Blue Hole Dive-Belize, 9min. A dive in Belize's famous Blue Hole, numerous sharks. The little cave system is between 130 and 140 feet. The dive computer is not happy about this.

  • Shark Ray Alley San Pedro, Belize, 4min.

  • Jen Chapman on Wake Up Belize: Putting lionfish on the menu, 12min. BV's Belize Country Coordinator, Jen Chapman, talks to Wake Up Belize about lionfish! We're running jewellery making workshops using lionfish spines and fins.

  • Pete, Patty, Erin, and Dan's Belize Adventure, 14min.

  • Taiwan Scholarship Presentation 2015, 4min. The official 2015 scholarship program briefing for the Embassy of the Republic of China in Belize and Belize-Taiwan ICDF Program scholarships was held .

  • Half Moon Cay, Belize 2015, 16min. La segunda parte de nuestros viaje: Half Moon Cay, Belize 2015, Gracias por su participacion en una aventura mas de Scuba Excite!!

  • The Orange Walk Town Council, efforts in getting and keeping the town clean, 5min.

  • Coast Guard rescued three survivers from plane crash, 2min.

  • Villagers call for removal of alcalde in Big Falls Village, 6min.

  • GSL Belize 2015, 3min. High lights of GSL trip to Belize 2015

  • Amazing kids in Santa Elena, Belize, 3min.

  • Honeymoon in Belize, 3min. Highlights from our Honeymoon in Hopkins, Belize.

  • ReefCI Diving Highlights in Southern Belize - March 2015, 2min. Tom Owen's Caye, Belize. With ReefCI

    June 2, 2015


    FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

    Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

    Specials and Events

    Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
    Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


    The San Pedro Sun

    Lobster Fest is Upon Us!
    As an ode to our crustacean friend, Belize hosts not one, but THREE festivals to celebrate the yummy lobster! Lobster Festivals take place in San Pedro Town, Caye Caulker and the Placencia Peninsula. With each destination receiving its fair influx of eager lobster lovers, it’s clear to see why Lobster Fest is one of the country’s largest celebrations. With countless lobster dishes such as lobster ceviche, fritters, dip, curry lobster, tacos and much,much, more, there’s always enough, and you can even come back for seconds! Don’t forget the live music, paint and glow parties and pageants that are all a part of the grand festivities! This year’s highly anticipated festivals include San Pedro’s very own week-long series of events! From June 14th-20th, there will be lobster-themed activities to whet your appetite for the super-fun block party taking place on the 20th. Placencia’s Lobster Fest commences on June 19th-21st while the Caye Caulker Lobster Festival will take place from June 20th-28th. If you are in the area and have the opportunity to attend any of these festivals you surely won’t regret it! With so much happening, we’re looking forward to them, you should be too!

    Congratulations, students of Caye Caulker’s Ocean Academy for an amazing year of awards!
    Ocean Academy was founded in 2008, offers innovative programming designed to develop the unique attributes and goals of each student through Personal Education Plans. OA has evolved into OA’s SEaTIDe: Center for Social Enterprise, Technology, Innovation, and Development, and focuses on developing innovators and change makers. First Place, PwC Innovation Challenge, for Hire Belize Mobile App Solution to Youth Unemployment. Heidi Curry, Valbona Bushi, Buddy Magana, Adaly Cartagena, Kevin Tzac, Ismael Florian, Sam Liu, Ashtasia Ovado, Shola Babb. Sagicor Visionaries Most Creative and Innovative Project Award for Mangrove Action Plan with Mobile App. Patrick Lorenzo, Adrienne Rogers, Daya Ramos, Kenisha Veliz, Buddy Magana, Sarah Requena. November 2014. International School Enterprise Challenge’s Award for Best Business Plan in North America and the Caribbean for Fish with Purpose. 1250 schools from 83 countries participated. April 2015.

    Conch Season is Closed
    In accordance with the Fisheries(Amendment) Regulations under Statutory Instrument number 54 of 2012 (Regulation 24.A), the Fisheries Administrator hereby informs fishermen and the general public that the Conch Fishing Season will be officially declared closed from June 01st, 2015 to September 30th, 2015.

    Five Story Buildings to be allowed in certain areas of Ambergris Caye
    For years, developers on Ambergris Caye were not allowed to construct buildings with more than four stories. But due to the increase in property value, Area Representative Manual Heredia Jr. has indicated that after serious discussions, the Government of Belize, through the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, are allowing buildings to have as much as five floors. This is to allow developers to utilize their property to its maximum potential while allowing for landscaping. A couple of existing developments across the island have already been approved to build five floors. In order to get approved, Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) must be made to confirm that the area of the development can sustain the extra weight and to ensure that a solid foundation can be achieved. “A couple of months ago, it was decided that in view of the rising property costs, developers were building in the full square footage of their property. They were not leaving any place for greenery, and we don’t want this to happen because we want to continue promoting a natural ambiance. The change that has been made is not that significant. While we are allowing buildings to go up an extra floor, they still have to adhere to a set height that the building cannot exceed. The new regulation is only allowing for four feet more than the originally set height of 38 feet. Any building that goes up to five floors will have to have a flat roof,” said Heredia.

    Garbage Transfer Station soon to be operational
    The SPTC has detailed a number of ways in how they were handling the garbage issues on the island. Deputy Mayor, Gary Greif highlighted the progress in the main areas of concern, along with a system to minimize garbage all over. Greif also spoke of the long – awaited garbage transfer station. Once it becomes operational, the island’s garbage will be taken to the mainland for proper disposal instead of burning at the dumpsite. Presently the SPTC counts with two trash compactors, four dump trucks, and two regular trucks. There will be the addition of two new pickups to clean the new road up north where the pavement reaches Blue Reef Resort. The SPTC intends on beautifying the sides of the road both north and south. The new vehicles will take care of all the garbage during the day from all the parks and all of the drums on the street. “We just purchased five hundred drums and we will place them maybe fifty feet from each other, so there will be enough garbage drums on the island,” Guerrero stated. “We are also adding around eight new people to the sanitation staff. Then we are also visiting the pre-schools, the primary schools, high school and the junior college to try and educate students on the garbage situation. We want to create video clips for the younger students, from Primary and High Schools that will be shown at the Paradise Theatre from time to time,” said Guerrero. These educational clips will also be featured on the local TV station, radio, and major media houses of the island, and of course through respective social media channels. In the upcoming weeks, Mayor Guerrero is meeting with the business community to share and discuss ideas how to best address issues that affect La Isla Bonita.

    Ambergris Today

    Pic of the Week - Would You Marry A Mermaid?
    Photographer Jose Luis Zapata, in his blog post, asks if anyone would marry a mermaid. In his latest photo shoot he explains how Michael Harris takes a deep breath and meets the love of his life underwater to ask her to spend the rest of their lives together. It was a fairytale engagement photo shoot in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Congratulations to Laura and Michael on their special engagement in Belize.

    Hurricane Outlook 2015 – El Nino Could Make for Below Average Season
    Today, Monday, June 1, 2015, marks the start of the 2015 hurricane season. Projections from the more reputable organizations that produce hurricane seasonal outlooks indicate that a below average to near average activity is likely this season. In terms of named systems the range runs from as low as 6 to a high of 11 named systems. The average number of named systems for the 1981 to 2010 period is 12. The range for hurricane activity predicted for 2015 lies between 3 and 6. These reflect values at and below the average of 6 hurricanes. Outlooks on intense hurricane activity (category 3, 4 and 5) indicate between 1 and 2 major hurricanes. The average number of major hurricanes is 2. The predictions for an average season can be attributed to two factors. Firstly the El Niño phenomenon which is the abnormal warming of the Pacific Ocean, usually has a suppressing effect on tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic Basin. That phenomenon has a high probability of developing and reaching moderate intensities during this season. Secondly, the source of energy for tropical cyclones is the warm ocean temperatures. Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea are also forecast to be just about average.

    Island Spelling Bee Champ Prepares for National Competition
    He has been a staple at the local island Spelling Bee competitions and proven to be one heck of a speller. This year he is one of only 12 finalists from around the country to be competing in the 2015 Coca-Cola National Spelling Bee Finals taking place on June 5, in Corozal. Elias Zetina will be proudly representing San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. Elias lives in the DFC area with his parents and one brother and attends New Horizon SDA School. After winning the Zone 5, 21st National Coca Cola Spelling Bee elimination held in Ambergris Caye, he went on to place in the Belize District meet (regionals competition) where he advanced to the National Finals! Ambergris Today discovered that this hardworking young man is very dedicated to his craft and a star student at this school. Elias attends a daily coaching session for no less than one hour (which often runs into extra time) and then reviews at home with his parents before going to bed. Both of his parents work with Elias on the weekends, looking up word origins, difficult to spell words and review the required spelling list. The Spelling Bee study time is on top of his regular class schedule, his PSA test preparation and final exam preparation. He is one hard working young man.

    Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

    CJC Eagles Environmental Club and Oceana Belize cleaning up the Miami Beach area in celebration of World Oceans Day
    JOIN US!!!! On Saturday, June 6, 2015 the CJC Eagles Environmental Club and Oceana Belize will be cleaning up the Miami Beach area in celebration of World Oceans Day which is June 8th. This year's theme, "Healthy Oceans, Healthy Planet" is a reminder that we must keep our waters clean if we want to live in a healthy planet, especially since about 71% of the Earth's surface is covered with water. We will meet at the Roundhouse to begin at 8:00 a.m. and will clean up until 10:00 am. Bring trash bags and rakes to assist in this initiative. If we can get enough help, we will also clean the Mangrove Park. We can all make a difference by doing our part! Who's with us? Keep Corozal Safe and Clean!

    CLOSURE OF THE CONCH FISHING SEASON
    In accordance with the Fisheries (Amendment) Regulations under Statutory numbers 54 of 2012 (Regulation 24. A), the Fisheries Administrator hereby informs fishermen and the general public that the Conch Fishing Season is officially declare CLOSED from today June 01st, 2015 to September 30th, 2015. The public is reminded that NO person or establishment shall have in possession any conch during the closed season in accordance with Regulation 6 of Principal Regulations (Chapter 210’s of the Laws of Belize – Revised Edition 2000-2003. The Department hereby makes a special appeal to fishers and the public, to uphold the Fisheries Regulations in regards to conch and other marine products, and urges all responsible citizens to call the Department at 224-4552 / 2033-2623 to report any infractions. The Department can also be reached by email at fisheries_department@fisheries.gov.bz . The public is assured that all information communicated to the Fisheries Department will be treated with the strictest of confidence.

    A New Joint Utility Office opens Monday, June 1 in Placencia at Belize Water Services Office
    o provide a full range of services to customers of Belize Electricity Limited. In addition to accessing BWS services, BEL customers will be able to pay electricity bills and make requests for BEL services. Opening Hours: 8:00am – 12:00pm and 1:00pm – 5:00pm, Monday to Friday. Phone: 523-4036 or toll free: 0-800-235-2273.

    PRESS RELEASE NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICE: 2015 HURRICANE SEASON
    Start of the 2015 Hurricane Season: Today, Monday 1st June marks the start of the 2015 hurricane season. Projections from the more reputable organizations that produce hurricane seasonal outlooks indicate that a below average to near average activity is likely this season. In terms of named systems the range runs from as low as 6 to a high of 11 named systems. The average number of named systems for the 1981 to 2010 period is 12. The range for hurricane activity predicted for 2015 lies between 3 and 6. These reflect values at and below the average of 6 hurricanes. Outlooks on intense hurricane activity, i.e category 3,4 and 5, indicate between 1 and 2 major hurricanes. The average number of major hurricanes is 2. The predictions for an average season can be attributed to two factors. Firstly the el Niño phenomenon which is the abnormal warming of the Pacific Ocean, usually has a suppressing effect on tropical cyclone activity in the Atlantic Basin. That phenomenon has a high probability of developing and reaching moderate intensities during this season. Secondly, the source of energy for tropical cyclones is the warm ocean temperatures. Sea surface temperatures in the tropical Atlantic and Caribbean Sea are also forecast to be just about average.

    Coconut Stakeholder Workshop
    Formation of Belize Coconut Stakeholder Platform: On 27 and 28 May 2015 Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute (CARDI) and International Trade Centre (ITC) hosted a two day consultation workshop with more than 50 coconut industry stakeholders at the George Price Centre for Peace and Development, Belmopan. Mr. Ian Sayers, Head Product Sector Development, of the ITC traveled from Geneva, Switzerland to oversee and facilitate discussions on the targeted revival and expansion of Belize’s coconut industry, assisted by Mr. Maurice Wilson, Head Resource Mobilisation Unit from CARDI’s head office and Dr. Compton Paul, Coordinator of the CARDI/ITC Coconut Program. Mr. Anil Sinha, CARDI’s Country Representative in Belize, gave the opening address and chaired the opening ceremony. Mr. Roberto Harrison, Chief Agriculture Officer, Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture (MNRA) gave the feature address. Participating were members of MNRA, Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA), Belize Bureau of Standards, Beltraide, Foreign Trade Directorate, Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA), International Regional Organization for Health in Agriculture (OIRSA), Development Finance Corporation (DFC) as well as many coconut stakeholders representing local coconut producers and processors, small and large, and the media.

    Why Eco-Development is the Answer for a Sustainable Ambergris Caye, Belize Real Estate
    The public got surprised on the eco-plans of Hollywood actor and environmental activist, Leonardo DiCaprio in turning his $1.75 million-worth Blackadore Caye Island into a resort. The plants and animal life, as well as the biodiversity of the island, will be restored, preserved and protected. Half of the 104 acres wild and unpopulated land will feature 68 villas, 48 estate homes, a private clubhouse and other luxurious amenities while the rest will remain as protected wildlife. With these eco-friendly plans of DiCaprio in healing the island where mangroves will be replanted, invasive species will be replaced with native species, the soil and habitat will be enhanced and additional armature for the reef and fish breeding will be created; time will surely come that other nations will convert their islands towards the principles of eco-tourism. In fact, this eco-development program should be done now because the great climate change is threatening the sustainability of islands and coastal areas around the world with ocean acidification, rise in sea levels and habitat pressures. And among the many islands and coastal areas that should be given much attention, the Ambergris Caye in Belize should never be left out. Belize is a country known for its richness in plant and animal wildlife. And though there are plans for expanding the real estate market in Belize with Blackadore Caye current restoration process ongoing, it is best to have eco-development in the real estate market of Belize for some reasons.

    Enforcing Belize rights to its territorial waters
    According to international law many countries claim their 12 miles of territorial waters and enforce their jurisdiction over it. There is also a 20-mile and the Exclusive Economic Zone for drilling and other rights that Belize can control in their southern border with Guatemala and Honduras. Then come international waters. Belize would like to do the same but the Guatemalan claim is standing in the way. Guatemala is claiming the whole or part of our country for years now and there is no end in sight. If Guatemala was to drop their claim, then they will be land locked and have no access to the Atlantic Ocean for their commercial and military vessels. Guatemalan vessels have always and continue to traffic through Belizean waters without any action taken by the Belizean government. Is there a secret agreement between Great Britain, Belize and Guatemala to allow their vessels to traffic through our territorial waters? If there is then it should be made public to we the Belizean citizens. The failure of the Belize government to stop these vessels to continue travelling through Belize waters gives me the impression that there is an agreement. Or, Belize may be allowing Guatemala to use their waters as a Good Neighbor Policy to avoid increasing tensions over the Guatemalan claim. These are the type of discussions that our leaders from the political parties should be discussing to educate us about the Belize-Guatemala dispute.

    Belize tops Regional Sugar Production for April 2015
    The Sugar Association of the Caribbean (SAC) has announced that the top sugar producer in the region for the month of April 2015 was Belize, with 28,289 tonnes. Guyana produced 26,826 tonnes, followed by Jamaica with 25,862 tonnes and Barbados with 3,173 tonnes, for a total regional production of 84,150 tonnes for the period. Jamaica had topped the regional production in February and March 2015 respectively, while Barbados has just started production. The April figures pushed the year to date production for the current regional sugar crop to 393,357 tonnes. The SAC says it continues to focus on overseas markets with year-to-date exports to Europe totaling 220,309 tonnes, followed by 30,259 tonnes to the United States and 17,484 tonnes to CARICOM. SAC Chairman Karl James says while there are challenges affecting sugar production in Jamaica, the production is going well in Belize and Guyana. The SAC Chairman also noted that the Association is well advanced in achieving its goal to boost supply to the CARICOM market.

    Contracts Signed for the Rehabilitation and Upgrading of Sporting Facilities in Southern Belize
    Two contracts for the rehabilitation and upgrading of sporting facilities in Southern Belize were signed today at the office of the Belize Infrastructure Limited (BIL).

    Clarification on Uses of PetroCaribe Financing
    The Ministry of Finance wishes to clarify the misunderstanding that arose in a certain section of the media this morning in consequence of a Central Bank Statement document relating to GOB’s PetroCaribe account. That Statement discloses two transfers, in March 2014 and March 2015, of 20 million dollars each from GOB’s PetroCaribe account to GOB’s operating account. The Financial Secretary’s instruction to the Central Bank made clear that the money moving from the PetroCaribe account to the operating account would be used from that operating account to meet GOB’s continuing salary and debt service commitments. The Media House in question interpreted that to mean that GOB was borrowing from PetroCaribe to meet a crisis shortfall in its accounts that left it unable to pay salaries. Furthermore, it was alleged, GOB was acting so as to conceal from the public both its payroll crisis and its improper use of PetroCaribe funds.

    Mr. Wilfrido "Fido" Badillo passes away
    Mayor Daniel Guerrero, the San Pedro Town Council and Staff would like to extend its deepest condolences to the Badillo family on the passing of Mr. Wilfrido "Fido" Badillo. May his soul rest in peace.

    Launching of the “MEN AT WORK ART EXHIBIT”
    The National Institute of Culture and History through the Corozal House of Culture requests your kind presence at the launch of the 4th annual Men at Work Art Exhibit. The exhibit will showcase a wide variety of disciplines by twelve Corozal artists, offering the community an inside look into their lives and passions. Please join us for a night of creativity as we honour our talented men this Saturday June 6th beginning at 7:00 p.m.

    Intelligent Art Exhibit
    Festival of Arts 2015...

    San Pedro Red Cross, Sperro, SP Food Bank and Saga FOOD DRIVE
    San Pedro Belize Red Cross (SPBRC), their 26 person Toronto Volunteer Vacation group called “Sperro” and the San Pedro Food Bank are joining together to hold an island wide food drive this coming Saturday, June 6th. Watch for volunteers outside participating stores and businesses listed below, who will be accepting donations of food and/or cash. Next time you are hungry, think about how it would feel to live life being hungry much of the time. Join together and help us feed those who need it. All food will go directly to the food bank, cash donations will be split between San Pedro Red Cross and San Pedro Food Bank. Saga will receive a donation of all Pedigree pet food collected.

    Taste of Toledo Street Fair – ICYMI
    The 9th Annual Chocolate Festival of Belize was held this past weekend (May 22nd – 24th), in the charming town of Punta Gorda, Toledo. This 3 day event was designed to raise awareness of the Toledo District as a responsible tourism destination, and to extend the tourist season. Over the years, the festival has helped improve the lives of many families, whether through direct employment in the tourism industry, or through the 'ripple effect,' spreading money throughout the District. While we could not make it to the Wine and Chocolate night held on Friday, May 22nd which typically features live music, fine wine, Belizean chocolate, and Belikin's specially brewed Chocolate Stout or the Grand Finale on Sunday, May 24th which highlights cultural, musical performances and dances, cacao drinks and dishes and crafts by local artisans, we did make it to the Taste of Toledo Street Fair held on Saturday, May 23rd. The pedestrian-only street fair was an all-day event held on the Front Street in Punta Gorda town, which featured cultural displays and areas showcasing Toledo's five main ethnic groups: Kriol, Maya, Garifuna, Mestizo and East Indian. Each area displayed art, food and music from their respective cultures.

    CORAL COVER ON AMBERGRIS CAYE
    Coral reefs are among the most biologically diverse and complex ecosystems on Earth. Belize is home to the largest portion of the Meso-American Barrier Reef System. The need to preserve this valuable national heritage is becoming more and more evident. The World Resource Institute (2009) estimated that coral reefs in Belize contribute approximately $395-$559US in goods and services each year. The financial dependence on a healthy reef system is particularly evident in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, where tourism development is rapidly increasing. The Hol Chan Marine Reserve has been consistently collecting data on coral reef health since 2005. Coral cover has seen changes over time within the Marine Reserve. The 1998 coral bleaching event, and hurricane Mitch have dramatically reduced coral. In more than 18 years coral cover has not managed to recover to same level it was prior to 1998.

    Channel 7

    Petrocaribe $$$ For GOB Payroll?
    The Petrocaribe funds are set aside for development and infrastructure programs - by now that has been drummed into the collective conscious. But what happens when the government starts using Petrocaribe funds to meet payroll? That's what this document shows it did in March 2014 and 2015 - twenty million dollars each time. The document was exposed on KREM's Wake Up Belize morning show today - and it is a transaction report for government's general operating account. Indeed it shows that in March 2014, twenty million dollars was transferred from the Petrocaribe funds to meet mid-month salary commitments. That same thing happened in March 2015. Now, government has strictly stated that it will not, cannot use Petrocaribe funds to meet recurrent expenses such as salaries. So how then did this happen? That's what we asked the Financial Secretary today. Via telephone from Belmopan, Joe Waight told us that it's all a misunderstanding of how government finances work - specifically the consolidated operating account, which is used to cover all government payouts:

    PUP Deputy Disses Hon. Ivan For Making Petrocaribe Pitch
    But, if it is an addiction, then the PUP's own Dangriga Representative Ivan Ramos probably has it too. That's because last week Wednesday he broke party ranks asked Government in writing for Petrocaribe funds for his division. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Ramos gave a glowing endorsement of the programme saying he supports it and the benefits to the nation from Petrocaribe. He then went on to ask for twenty five thousand dollars for a joint fathers and mother's day programme. Today, Deputy Leader Julius Espat - who has been leading the charge against Petrocaribe - said Ramos made a wrong move and should be sanctioned for it:.. Hon. Julius Espat - PUP Cayo South "As a party we had a policy put forward that we would not accept Petrocaribe funds. That's quite clear. What the Hon. Ivan Ramos did, is his decision. I believe it was a wrong decision. I believe he should be discipline because we have rules and regulations and if we form part of an organization - that is the least that should be done. But that's my personal opinion. I am not thinking as Ivan Ramos. I do not know the pressures that he comes under. I know the ones that I do and I can only speak for myself."

    Belize For Blatter; But Why?
    Last week in Zuriuch Switzerland, the biggest sporting organization on the planet was shaken to its core when 14 high level officials of FIFA were arrested by Swiss Police at the 65th Congress in Zurich, Switzerland. The men are detained under indictment for racketeering,wire fraud, and money laundering - which investigators say, all sprang from corrupt practices which were employed to get different nations to win the bid to host the World Cup. Executive members of the Football Federation of Belize were in Zurich for the meetings. So did we support Sepp Blatter? President Ruperto Vicente only just returned yesterday evening told us he did. He was heading back out of the country this morning on another football related matter, and we managed to catch up with him to ask him what influenced the vote, and what he thought when he saw the Swiss Police officers pouring into the hotel: Daniel Ortiz "Were you at all concerned for your safety seeing the Swiss police arresting persons? Did that cross your mind when you saw them coming up?"

    Ruperto VS. Rawell, Who's Truth -Telling About Cheque Stubs
    Vicente himself is coming under fire in the home front from former Senior Vice President Rawel Pelayo, who resigned following his conviction in the US for narcotics charges. Vicente told the press in March of last year that the Federation was unable to audit the expenditure of publicly donated funds for the 2013 Gold Cup appearance. That's because according to Vicente, the cheque stubs for all that money was in Pelayo's suitcase when he was detained in Houston by US authorities. When last week's FIFA story broke, Pelayo took to Facebook and posted, quote, "The President (Vicente) knows for a fact that I have no check stubs. Someone thought I wasn't coming back so soon, and now probably wish(es) I was still there." End Quote. We took the opportunity to ask about that post and its implications, and here's what Vicente had to say: Daniel Ortiz "Mr. Rawel Pelayo has posted an update on his Facebook page saying that he doesn't have any cheque stubs for the gold cup expenditure and we remember you suggesting that he did. Somebody has been untruthful and that's his position. So who is it? Is it you or is it him that he's telling this particular lie?"

    Castro Dominates Convention With Record Victory
    In the weeks leading up to yesterday's UDP convention in Belize Rural North, the two time representative, Incumbent Standard Bearer, Edmond Castro had been under continued fire, dogged by scandal and suggestions of wrongdoing and law breaking. That's not the type of press any candidate wants in the last few days running up to a convention. So, yesterday, Castro went into the convention with those allegations of wrongdoing in the periphery, and came out with his biggest win ever. Our News Team was there, and Daniel Ortiz found out how he did it.: Daniel Ortiz reporting Guadalupe RC School in Sand Hill Village was swarming with political activity yesterday as Incumbent Edmond Castro went up against his former political ally, Dwight Tillett, in an open convention for Belize Rural North.

    Police Charge Felix For Shooting Up Ms. Pam's House
    Last week, we told you about the Caesar Ridge road shooting which resulted in the hospitalization of 27 year-old Mark Gentle, and 34 year-old Calvin Cumberbatch, who are, respectively, the son and husband of Pamela Bennett-Cumberbatch. Well, police have made an arrest in that shooting, and that man is at prison tonight. He's Maurice Felix, a resident of Gill Street, and today he was arraigned before Magistrate La Donna John. He was read 2 counts of attempted murder, 2 counts of dangerous harm, and 1 count of use of deadly means of harm this morning. Due to the nature of the offences, he couldn't be granted bail, and he was remanded to the Belize Central Prison.

    City Ready For Hurricane Season
    The hurricane season began today and the city council and City Emergency Management Organization held a press conference at City Hall to re-emphasise the importance of hurricane preparedness. Now, we see the hurricane preparedness commercials on the television, hear the announcements regularly over the radio and not to mention the daily weather report. While all that plays a crucial role in keeping the public updated during the hurricane season - having a detailed and efficient city emergency plan is equally important. Today the Mayor of Belize City outlined the major areas of focus: Darrell Bradley, Belize City Mayor "The shelter management scheme is something that we treat very carefully so that when somebody comes into a shelter again there under the concern and control of CEMO, so that we look very very closely at safety, security issues, and comfort even. We look at our ability to ensure that the persons bring the necessary resources to the shelter so that that is something that always do at an incremental basis. There will never be any situation where you will see all shelters open just like that. So that we are trying to keep the public very up to date and informed in relation to how we also treat with the emergency from a management and organizational stand point including the management of resources. One of the things that we like to emphasize in relation to the shelter is that our emphasis again is on safety, the prevention of loss of life and the prevention of loss of any property that is brought within the shelter, so that our primary concern is safety and not comfort."

    Trade Licensing, The Toll Taken
    As we told you in our last newscast, Belize City's most popular and posh gym, Body 2000 was forcibly shut down on Friday afternoon by police - by order of the city council. Several gym members couldn't finish their afternoon workout session and expressed their dissatisfaction because of the abrupt shut down. But don't blame city hall; apparently, the owner of the gym didn't pay his 2015 trade license. Today we spoke to the mayor about it and although he doesn't delve into the case with Body 2000, he says this is a representation of a broader issue concerning the trade license law. Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City "Well I can't explain in relation to that business, but I can say that at a certain period through the year usually it is at this period when you're going to a second quarter that there's a lot of emphasis at the city council on collection of outstanding both property and trade license. So that we have done a tremendous job in trying to ensure that we are able to have reasonably respectable rates of collection of both property and trade. Our trade collection rate is about 97% which is very high for the country and even very high internationally in terms of region that we have a very high collection rate.

    Illegal Trade In Wildlife Knocking on Belize's Door
    Most of us probably don't think very often about the illegal trade in wildlife and forestry, but every day in the Chqiuibul, poachers are after scarlet macaws, baby tapirs, exotic timber, and Xate. But the truth is -= it's not that bad in Belize, not yet at least. And that's why the Wildlife conservation society held a half day seminar today: to make Belize aware:... There have been 7 cases of illegal trafficking in Bolivia, 6 of them linked to China. The experts say that Rosewood trafficking is one of the fastest growing areas of illegal trade and is fuelled by international organized crime rings.

    Shawnee Suspect Caught
    7News has been informed that US Marshals caught an American fugitive in the western village of Unitedville. He's David Long aka "Lung", and he's is wanted in the Shawnee County, Kansas on the charges related to the Violation of the Offender Registration Act - which is reserved for sex offenders. We've been trying to get in contact with Belmopan police for additional information, but we've been unable so far.

    Crushed By Cane Truck
    The cane harvest has claimed a life. A can truck ran over Julio Macal early on Saturday morning. It happened at around 1:15 when Xaibe residents, Ismael Camal and Julio Macal, were towing a cane trailer. Macal was checking something underneath the rear wheel of the trailer when Camal drove the truck forward, crushing Macal and causing him to be dragged by the rear tires of the trailer causing his death. CTV-3 in Orange Walk reports that cane deliveries start at 6:00am and cane farmers know that they should be there one hour early for delivery to the mill. So, no one knows for sure why the men were at the delivery line at that time, or if they were under the influence of alcohol as has been rumoured. Police have issued a notice of intended prosecution to Ismael Camal for causing manslaughter by negligence.

    Que Viva Verdes! In Champions League
    Last year, it was a major letdown for football fans and an embarrassment for the FFB when the Belmopan Bandits were yanked out of the CONCACAF Champion's League at the very last minute. That was because the FFB stadium's football pitch was not ready by the deadline that FIFA gave. It was finally finished late last November, and so Belize finally got to send a football club to participate in the Champion's League this year. Several Members of the team flew out to for Miami where the League's draft will take place. Before they boarded their flight, we got a chance to speak with one of Verdes FC's senior staffer and President Ruperto Vicente about Belize finally participating in the Champion's League. Viewers will remember however that Marvin Ottley was the contractor who failed to get the FFB football pitch ready in time for the last Champion's League Tournament. And now his team is going after winning the 2015 Premier League of Belize Tournament, which is the deciding factor in who represents Belize. Since this issue broke in the news, Ottley has not made any comment, and so today we asked about it. He told us that it wasn't the right time to disclose what the circumstances, which led to the field not being ready:

    Former NBA Player in Bze. Not Here for Free Throws or Fast Breaks, But Fatherhood
    Etan Thomas played nine seasons in the NBA - and tonight he's in Belize. But he's not here to talk about free throws and fast breaks; the retired power forward wants to talk to men about fatherhood. He arrived this morning at the invitation of Restore Belize and NICH. He told us why Fatherhood is more important than basketball:.. You can see Thomas speak tomorrow night at 7:30 at the Bliss Center. Call Restore Belize 223-1269 for tickets or you can see it live here on Channel 7.

    Sports Upgrades For The South
    Belize Infrastructure Limited has signed contracts for two major sporting facilities to be upgraded in the South. Today two contracts were signed for the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Carl Ramos Football Field and Facilities in Dangriga and the Toledo Union Field and Facilities in Punta Gorda. Both projects should be completed in 20 months. The Carl Ramos Football field project was awarded to Hubert L Usher and Sons while the Toledo Union Field project was awarded to Coleman Construction Ltd of Hattieville. They should both finish in ten months. The contracts were signed by representatives of both companies, as well as Minister of Works Rene Montero, and Christy Mastry, General Manager of BIL.

    A Big Fall For Alcalde of Big Falls
    Our news room learnt this evening that the Alcalde of Bill Falls Village in the Toledo District was forcibly removed by his people yesterday, and the villagers have decided that the also want the elected chairman to vacate the post as well. Our colleagues from PGTV report that a large gathering of the village, about 450 or more called a meeting and decided that the Alcalde has overstepped the authorities of his office. We are told that within the Mayan Community, an Alcalde administers justice against alleged offenders, but he must allow for villagers to act as police within the community. We understand that the grievance that the villagers had with this former alcalde was that he was conducting his own arrests instead of using the authorized people. He was removed yesterday, and another village meeting must be done to install a new alcalde. In relation to the Chairman, there is an allegation that he received money on behalf of the village and there is no accounting for it at this time. To remove the chairman is a bit more difficult since he was elected under the local government statutes.

    Coro Cops Caught This
    On Friday at the end of the news, we told you about a group of high powered weapons that Corozal police got in a one day sweep of Carolina Village, Cahn Chen village and Corozal Town. But because the police report was late in arriving we never got to show it to you. Since it's not everyday that we see weapons of this caliber taken off the street, we'll look at them tonight. They include: a 9 millimeter pistol with five Live rounds of ammunition, a .45 Pistol, a stash of live rounds, and in Chan Chen Village, a MAK 90 AK-47 Rifle with Magazine.

    Channel 5

    GOB Clarifies PetroCaribe Salary Scandal
    Were Petrocaribe monies used to fund salaries for government employees, and in secret? Well that’s the assertion which rang out on the airwaves this morning. According to documents leaked from [...]

    Use of PetroCaribe Funds Without Accountability Is Unlawful, Says Julius Espat
    On the opposition side, P.U.P. Deputy Leader and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Julius Espat, is suing the government over the Petrocaribe Loans Act; this afternoon he chimed in [...]

    PetroCaribe Funds Are Being Used Contrary to Finance and Audit Reform Act
    E arlier this evening, Espat consulted with his legal advisors after reading the release issued by government clarifying the uses of Petrocaribe financing.  This is in light of a lawsuit [...]

    Elrington Says PM diffused Sarstoon StandOff
    n another pressing issue; on Thursday there was a confrontation between Coast Guard personnel and a Guatemalan naval patrol on an island in the Sarstoon. The Coast Guard was there [...]

    Why Was There A Stand Off? Blame it on the Territorial Dispute!
    Even though we were told by National Security that the Coastguard did not retreat and held its own, the Foreign Minister says that the situation was defused when Coast Guard [...]

    What happened after Belizean Coastguard were ordered out of waters?
    So our Belizean military personnel were ordered out of Belizean waters, but what happens next? What does it mean for future Coast Guard operations in our waters? Will our Coast [...]

    Father’s Day Cheer Gets Ramos in Hot Water!
    P .U.P. Dangriga Area Representative Ivan Ramos recently requested monies from government as part of the Father’s Day Cheer.  The request for twenty-five thousand dollars to be distributed among his [...]

    Mayor Says CITCO Is Accommodating Body 2000
    On Friday afternoon, a team of city council personnel, accompanied by police officers, descended on the popular Body 2000 Fitness Center on Coney Drive and proceeded to shut down the [...]

    Belize City Man Charged With Indecent Assault
    This morning, thirty five year old Kenrick August, a construction worker and disc jockey was arraigned in the courtroom of Magistrate Ladonna John on a single charge of Indecent Assault.  [...]

    Disgraced Former VP of Guatemala Owns Assets in Belize?
    There is an interesting story coming out of Guatemala where President Otto Perez Molina is under pressure to resign following major scandals of corruption that are rocking his government. But could [...]

    Thousands Walked the Walk for Cancer!
    Cancer has touched the lives of almost every Belizean in some way – and on Saturday thousands united to raise awareness of the deadly disease. It was a massive show [...]

    Etan Thomas Here To Motivate!
    etired NBA Player Etan Thomas is in Belize to motivate Belize City youths. The former Washington Wizards player is on a motivational fatherhood tour which will have him address youths [...]

    Castro Cleared Dwight Tillett Out of the Way; Three Votes To One
    All eyes were on the United Democratic Party constituency convention in Belize Rural North this weekend, where incumbent Edmond Castro was challenged by Dwight Tillett. In the weeks preceding D-Day [...]

    Hurricane Season Will be Average to Below Average
    Today is the start of the hurricane season in the Atlantic which runs through to November thirtieth and is predicted to be below average to average. Chief Meteorologist Dennis Gonguez [...]

    CEMO Presents Plan of Action for June 1st-Nov 30th
    With the start of the 2015 Hurricane Season, the City Emergency Management Organization, CEMO, has once again kicked into high gear, readying itself in the event of natural disaster.  This [...]

    Hurricane Shelters for Hurricane Season!
    Councilor Phillip Willoughby who has been instrumental in hurricane preparedness also spoke on the utilization of designated hurricane shelters.    Phillip Willoughby, City Councilor “I would like to take this [...]

    Illegal WildLife Trade; Belize & Guat to Put An End To It!
    Wildlife crime is a big business and it is operated by multinational, risky networks.  Wildlife, that is animals and plants, are trafficked much like illegal drugs and arms, and very [...]

    Weekend Sports With James Adderly!
    Good evening, welcome to Sports Monday, I am James Adderley.   We take you out immediately to the UB Gymnasium where the Belmopan red Taigaz hosted the defending champion San [...]

    CTV3

    Corozal Police Retrieve High Caliber Fire Arm
    In other crime news coming out of Corozal, on Friday, police made a discovery of several firearms and ammunition. Authorities say they have been conducting several sweeps in the Corozal District that have yielded positive results… in this case, even a high powered rifle was removed from the streets. “On Friday 29th May, Corozal police followed up on information which lead to the discovery of three firearm including an assault rifle and 70 9mm rounds, the firearms found are: one 9mm pistol, one .45 pistol, and one aka 47 assault rifle no one was there when the firearm was discovered and it was label as unknown property.”

    Traffic Mishap Leaves Two With Minor Injuries
    The second road mishap occurred around 4:00 on Sunday evening on the Philip Goldson Highway between miles 78 and 79 of the Corozal District. Unlike Macal’s unfortunate demise, the occupants walked away from the mishap with little injuries. Deputy Commander at the Corozal Police, Sergeant Peter Serano told us more via telephone today. “As a result of information, police lately responded, on arrival on the scene a grey and black Mitsubishi Outlander with license plate BZ- C-50777 was seen in a ditch on the right side of the highway travelling towards Corozal town with extensive damages to the front a rear of the vehicle, police investigation so far reveals that around 3:55pm two persons were travelling in the vehicle when the driver lost control and ended in the ditch, both persons received minor injuries and complained about pain on chest and back and they were transported to the Corozal hospital and the vehicle was licensed and insured and the scene was processed and at present the investigation continues to that matter.”

    Witnesses Take The Stand For Noh Mul Case
    After waiting for trial for close to two years today the case against Denny Grijalva, his wife Maria, his foreman Javier Nunez and excavator operator Emir Cruz for the destruction of the Noh Mul Archeological Site began at the Corozal Magistrates Court. The case is being heard before Magistrate Hurl Hamilton and today three witnesses called by the Crown Counsel represented by …Banner took the stand and were also cross examined by the attorney of the defendant’s Bryan Neal. After hearing the testimony of the three witnesses Magistrate Hamilton ….adjourned the case to Wednesday June 3rd when members of the media are expected to take the stand.

    Espat Demands Accountability And Transparency With The Petro Caribe Funds
    While some are satisfied with Waight’s explanation, the Chairman of the Public’s Account Committee Julius Espat is not buying it. Espat has always been a vocal piece for the People’s United Party when it comes to the manner in which the Petrocribe monies have been allocated by the Government. And today, after the statement had made its rounds, he was asked for his views on the issue. Espat says the Central Bank statement justifies what he has always been preaching in the House of Representatives when asking for accountability, transparency and honesty. “The only way that you can trust a government that they come clear and that they show the outcome and they have not an this is just one clear example of what is happening we are getting information after the fact, maybe that is why they passed the law saying that they will do thing and then come to the house afterwards for us to ratify because they don’t want us to be able to have dialogue and debates on the issues before they make a decision and that is where I feel that we are failing...

    GOB Uses Petro Caribe Money To Pay Public Servants
    The elusive and grandiose PetroCaribe program remains in the spotlight tonight. That is because a summarized Central Bank statement of transactions from the Ministry of Finance has been circulating in the media ring and tonight comes with many raised eyebrows and a Government release to satiate the critics. Viewers may recall that in countless press conferences of the Prime Minister, he has categorically stated that the Petrocaribe money will be used solely for infrastructure and social programs. But the statement from Central Bank shows otherwise. It shows that the Ministry has been servicing debts and paying mid monthly salary commitments of several millions of dollars between February and March of 2014. Doesn’t seem right, right? But there is a rationale behind what the transactions are showing on the bank statement says Financial Secretary Joseph Waight. The statement discloses two transfers, in March 2014 and March 2015, of 20 million dollars each from GOB’s PetroCaribe account to GOB’s operating account. And to that Waight says the Government is simply reimbursing themselves for money already spent…in the media this process is known as “juggling funds”.

    LOVE FM

    Former NBA Star In Belize to Speak on Fatherhood and Its Importance
    Former NBA star, Etan Thomas who was once attached to the NBA Grizzlies arrived in Belize this morning along with his wife. His presence in Belize comes after motivational sessions were organized by various organizations that are aimed at promoting and pushing the importance of fatherhood. Our reporter, Janine Ayuso was at the Philip Goldson […]

    Cancer Walk 2015 Reflects Increased Awareness
    The month of May was set aside as cancer awareness month. A number of activities took place including talk shows and a symposium. One of the most anticipated event is the annual cancer walk which took place on Saturday. Reporter Hipolito Novelo takes a look back at the event. Amidst Pressure and Allegations Clear The Land Remains In BRN
    Belize Rural North Area Representative, Edmund Castro has been the subject to a series of allegations of wrongdoings in the past …. but even amidst the allegations he remained the Standard Bearer for the UDP in the Belize Rural North division. The convention was held this past weekend. With a look at the predictions and […]

    Hurricane Season Opens: National Emergency Unit Says Belize Is Prepared
    Today the 2015 Atlantic hurricane season began and the Belize City Council along with the City Emergency Management Organization unveiled the city’s preparedness and evacuation plans. According to forecasters at the National Meteorological Service, outlooks indicate that a below average to near average activity is likely this season. Indicators are that there might be between […]

    Credit Rating Agency Says Belize’s Debt Ratios Are Stabilising
    Moody’s Credit Rating agency has issued a report predicting acceleration in regional economic growth for this year as well as 2016. According to the report, the tourism industry in the Caribbean is recovering and with the sustained low oil prices, there is an improved outlook. However, the report did state that concerns over high debt […]

    FinSec Says PetroCaribe Monies Are Not Used to Fund GOB’s Operational Expenses
    The topic of PetroCaribe Funds seems to be one that has taken on a life of its own. It has become a household name and an issue that has come under heavy criticism over the last few months. Those criticisms continued today on a local talk show where the withdrawal of PetroCaribe monies were said […]

    Sporting Facilities in Southern Belize to Get Facelift
    Southern Belize will be benefiting from rehabilitated sporting facilitates as two contracts were signed today in Belmopan, Cayo District. The contracts seek to have the Carl Ramos Football Field and its Facilities in Dangriga upgraded. Works on that project have been contracted to Hubert L Usher and Sons Construction of Dangriga, Stann Creek District. Further […]

    Red Cross Builds Its Team of Instructors
    The Belize Red Cross hosted a three day training on First Aid Trainers at the Belize Institute of Management for some 22 volunteers from all district branches and HQ. It concluded yesterday and Volunteer, David Sobers told us more DAVID SOBERS “Well some of the methods are new to them because we are using the […]

    PlusTV

    Belizean Coast Guard and Guatemalans have standoff in Belizean waters
    The Belize Coast Guard, Belize’s naval military force, had a standoff yesterday and today with the Guatemalan military personnel in Belizean waters. As incredulous as that sounds, Plus News was able to confirm those reports with the CEO in the Ministry of National Security today, Colonel George Lovell. According to the CEO, the timeline of […]

    Police share initiatives to address Roaring Creek Crime Issues
    The Belmopan murder statistics for the year 2015 have tripled since last year when there were only five recorded murders in the Belmopan Jurisdiction. In the villages of Roaring Creek and Camalote alone, the murder count is already up to 8 and we are just in the middle of the year. It also can be […]

    More delays for sporting grounds in Belize City
    Belize City’s residents continue to chafe at being denied access to several of the popular sporting facilities which have been closed for renovation. The news tonightis that the MCC Grounds and Marion Jones Sporting Complex are partially open and in use however there are still major developments to be done to both facilities. Sports Minister Herman

    Youth leadership forum promises solutions
    The dynamic youths leading Guidelight Productions came onto the local scene with a bang in February when they broke up a car overlaid with hurtful messages in Battlefield Park. Their next project is no less ambitious: more than 120 youths meeting today at the newly christened Gateway Youth Center. This youth talk shop, according

    Munchie Cervantes Still Motivated
    Ramon Munchie Cervantes Jr. the People’s United Party Candidate for Orange Walk North goes against the United Democratic Party Candidate Gaspar Vega whenever the General elections are called. He was on Plus TV’s Rise and shine Show earlier this week where he spoke about his motivation to continue in the political arena even after his

    Ramon Cervantes on Burning ASR Cane Fields
    During that discussion on Rise and Shine, Cervantes was asked to comment on the ongoing case of Efrain Alpuche, personal body guard for the Cervantes family, and his alleged involvement in the burning of BSI’s sugar cane fields. Ramon Cervantes Jr. – PUP Candidate Orange Walk North “The reports I got, was that, who

    Tobacco trade and effects on youth targeted on World No Tobacco Day
    While certain segments of the population are pushing for the decriminalization of certin amounts of marijuana, Belize’s health authorities are turning their attention today to the problem of an already legal drug, tobacco. According to the most recent international survey on drug use, some 12.3% of Belizean youth aged 12-15 have taken up tobacco smoking,

    Police seeking suspect in Roaring Creek Murder
    Belmopan Police are actively seeking 24 year Timroy Neal, of Roaring Creek Village, for questioning in connection with murder. Police could not disclose which murder specifically as it would jeopardize the ongoing investigation. At 16, Neal was accused of stabbing and killing Elriquez Orellano another 16 year old of Roaring Creek village, but after a

    FIFA allegations, arrests, and re-elections
    Sepp Blatter has been re-elected as the president of FIFA in a vote that was overshadowed by corruption allegations and numerous arrests. Blatter was running against Prince Ali Bin al-Hussein who forced a second round of voting but decided to fall out of the race. Due to this falling out, Blatter was named President of […]

    Breaking Belize NewsPJ

    Ex-NBA player to speak to Belizean youths
    Former NBA basketball star and born-again Christian Etan Thomas is on a visit to Belize to speak to youths. Thomas played 11 seasons for the Washington Wizards, Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks before embarking on a career of public speaking and poetry writing. Thomas says he is […]

    Verdes headed to CONCACAF Champions League
    Verdes Football Club, national champions of the Premier League of Belize (PLB) are participating in the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League later this year. Team officials headed out to Miami, Florida for the official draw to take place later today. Verdes, also known as the “Green Machine,” posted a […]

    FFB supports Blatter, says it does not support corruption
    Like many football leaders, today president of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB), Ruperto Vicente, returned from Friday’s general congress of the International Federation of Football Associations (FIFA) in Zurich, Switzerland, to face a blitz of questions concerning why nearly two-thirds of voters re-elected incumbent Joseph ‘Sepp’ Blatter […]

    2015 Cancer Walk draws huge crowd
    Organizers of the annual Cancer Walk from Ladyville to Belize City claim that each successive event is the biggest ever and it usually is. But this year’s journey was especially significant; it saw over 5,000 participants run, ride and walk the nine miles from Celina’s to the Belize […]

    Primary School Students in PG benefit from volunteer classes
    Belize has a literacy rate of 84.1% which is relatively good compared to parts of Asia and Africa that have more illiterate people than literate ones but compared to other Caribbean countries like Barbados that has 99% and Cayman Islands with 99.7% of their populations being able to […]

    Maurice Felix charged for attempted murder
    Police have arrested a familiar name in connection with the attempted murders of Calvin Cumberbatch and Mark Gentle, father and son resident at Caesar Ridge Road. Maurice Felix from Gill Street, accused but never successfully convicted along with brother Emory of the murder of Mitchum Heredia in 2004, […]

    GOB responds to Petrocaribe concerns
    This morning KREM Wake Up Belize Morning Vibes hosts Mose Hyde and India Camiel discussed documents reported to be leaked from the Central Bank which suggested that the Government of Belize had spent $20 million of Petrocaribe funds on continuing salary and debt service commitments. That’s not true […]

    Doppler Radar still not Functional with Hurricane season upon us
    It has been almost seven years now since the multi-million dollar, monstrous Doppler radar was handed over to Belize through a European Union project to track the weather in a more efficient manner. To much surprise, the Radar has not been functional since arriving in the country due to […]

    Belize City “Ready” For Hurricane Season 2015
    Belize City Mayor and chairperson of the Central Emergency Management Organization (CEMO) Darrell Bradley declared Belize City ready for the hurricane season after months of preparation and collaboration with national and non-governmental emergency Management organizations. According to Bradley, the City’s contingency plans are in place for use of shelters and […]

    Wildlife Conservation Society partners with FCD to offer seminar on illegal wildlife trade
    Chrisbert Garcia Reporting: With Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) quickly growing as a global issue, more countries have started to become affected including Belize. In 2013, the Forestry Department confiscated multiple Jaguar hides in San Pedro Town with each having a black market value of over $3000, confirming that IWT is already […]

    Showers across Belize marks the beginning of the Hurricane Season
    The dangerous non-frontal, low pressure, large scale storms called hurricanes are spawned over the eastern Atlantic from the warm tropical waters and develop a highly organized circulation. Hurricanes are classified as tropical depressions when wind speeds are less than 64 knots, and full blown hurricanes once they reach sustained winds […]

    Blogs

    Snorkeling at Silk Cayes – Placencia, Belize
    The water is so clear that there are at least 5 shades of blue at the different depths. Then the island is completely surrounded by coral reef, and variety pack of colorful fish. The reef is a good depth to enjoy with just snorkel gear. Everything around the island is either just below eye level, or free dive-able.

    San Pedro to Xcalak! Yeehaw!!
    “Wanna go to Mexico? We’re heading to Xcalak tomorrow.” “Xcalak? Ok? How do you spell that? I’ll need to Google it.” Xcalak, or Xcalac (pronounced ish-kalak) is in Quintana Roo and part of the Costa Maya. Here is a map of the area. Do you see that little piece of land below Xcalak? That is Ambergris Caye, Belize. It is said that Xcalak and San Pedro have always been similar fishing villages, however, San Pedro has blossomed while Xcalak has remained “old school”. The locals will tell you that there is a story behind its lack of progression. Apparently, a group of men/people got really drunk one night, grabbed the local priest in town, rid him of all of his clothing and threw him into the Caribbean. Afterward, the priest toweled off, contemplated his next move and decided to curse the town and then he left. Anyway………It’s about an hour and 15 minutes boat ride from San Pedro Town and we headed out at around 10:00am. Action Divers and Adventures provided their time and boat for this journey. They are so GREAT! Staying within the reef, we headed out on the back side of the island. It’s only about 10 miles from Belize to Xcalak. When you actually get to Mexico, you get to travel through this absolutely gorgeous split between the two countries. On the left is Mexico…..On the right is Belize.

    Hopkins 2015 Mango Festival: Infectious Fun and Amazing Food in A Magical Village
    The small village of Hopkins is known for a few things…the amazing location and long stretch of beach, the Garifuna culture and…the abundance of mango trees. Walk down the main road of the village and some of the older trees are bursting with hundreds and hundreds of one of the world’s most delicious fruits. The mango. So when I saw that the local chapter of the BTIA was reviving the Mango Festival and making it bigger and better…I wanted to be there. MANGOES! And with games, food, crafts, music and the world renowned Garifuna Collective performing (many in their home village), I knew it was going to be a special event.

    International Sourcesizz

    Luxury girls' getaway offers guests free flights from Austin to Belize
    Ladies, it’s time to pamper yourselves. If you’ve found yourself in a rut and are looking to awaken the mind, body and soul, consider partaking in Reset Retreat, a unique women’s wellness retreat that takes a holistic approach to its comprehensive program. The Austin-based company, started by three adventurous women, is offering a luxurious getaway for women to reset in Ambergris Caye, Belize. The exclusive island excursion includes staying in a beachfront cabana, nutritious breakfast, lunch and dinner, daily yoga, life coaching, massage and spa treatments, town exploration, and local charitable activities. “Amergris Caye is stunning, has unique adventure activities, ranks high on the safety scale from the U.S. State Department and is extremely close to the United States,” explains Reset Retreat co-founder and Austinite Cierra Savatgy-King. “We saw Amergris Caye was frequently listed as one of the best luxury vacation spots and knew that it would provide an excellent setting for our guests to decompress.” Savatgy-King met Reset Retreat co-founders Natalie Jenkins and Crystal Veness on a week-long sailing trip in Croatia. “We started to discuss our struggles with personal expectations, not feeling ‘good enough,’ feeling stuck in life and the difficulty of changing negative patterns. Things so many women feel, but rarely discuss openly,” says Savatgy-King.

    Videos

  • Blue Dolphin, Ambergris Caye, Belize, 3.5min. Vacation Rental north Ambergris Caye

  • I met Fuego the Tapir at the Zoo in Belize, 2min. We got to go visit the zoo and Fuego the Tapir was quite popular!

  • CANE FARMER SQUASHED TO DEATH WHILE SLEEPING UNDER CANE TRUCK, 2min. A cane farmer from the Village of Xaibe in the Corozal District suffered a horrific and painful death over the weekend as he was dragged by a loaded cane truck while at the queue. It was an unfortunate incident that many believe could have been avoided. Today as the family of Julio Macal mourn his death more questions than answers remain in the case.

  • Saint Francis Xavier Credit Union annual general meeting 2015, 2min. The Saint Francis Xavier Credit Union held its annual general meeting over the weekend where officials shared successes achieved over the last year. Our News team stopped in and here is a look at what the institution has achieved since it first begun serving the Corozal community.

  • Mary Hill Primary School May Pole Fair 2015, 3min. Mary Hill Primary School held its annual May Pole Fair on Sunday. The event is one where community members and school children can enjoy a day of culture, sports, and food.

  • Belize - May 2015, 41min. Here is a video edit I put together about a trip down to Belize for 10 days with some awesome friends for my 30th birthday. Enjoy!

  • Permit Hopkins Belize Near Blue Grounds, 1min. Jack Trout With A Permit On Caught In Southern Belize On A Bauer Crab, Unfortunately The Camera Was Turned Off Before Permit Was Landed So This Is Part One, Check out Part Two At - vimeo.com/128549109

  • Belize Mission Trip Promo, 5min.

  • French Family Belize May 2015, 3min.

  • Belize Caves, 3min.

  • Belize Trip 2015, 3.5min. Over the summer, we were invited to crash our buddy's Honeymoon in Belize. Here is a quick video of our trip. Enjoy!

    June 1, 2015


    FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

    Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

    Specials and Events

    Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
    Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials


    The San Pedro Sun

    Team Manchester United U-13 says Thank You!
    Through this means, Team Manchester United U-13 would like to thank Mr. Elito Arceo and the following exemplary businesses who have assisted and continue to believe in our youth: Suya Tours, Gecko Graphics, Caribeña Enterprises, Caliente Restaurant, FC’s Aluminum, F&S Golf Carts and the community who supported us as we traveled to represent San Pedro at the Under-13 marathon held in Cayo. This event would not have been possible without your assistance, so from the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU.

    Letter to the Editor: Atlantic Bank ATM Machines
    As a resident of San Pedro Town for past years, there are inconveniences that from time to time affect the people of this community but one thing I am noting is the lack of Automated Teller Machines by Atlantic Bank Limited. This Bank operates on one ATM for an island of about 20,000 citizens. There are countless times that our people are inconvenienced by it either, not having any money or just plain shortage of ATM’s on the island. On behalf of the people of this community, we are rallying to the cause for the bank to at least include a second one (more will be better). It is a huge inconvenience as people get off work tired and it is depressing that one has to wait in a long line, many a times in the hot sun, just to find out that there is no cash on most times. We are hoping that something can be done to provide some type of relief for our hard working people of this island, who are contributing, productive citizens.

    Wolfe’s Woofer: Catch A Monkey
    “What in hell was that? Was that a monkey?” I asked. “Of course, it was a monkey,” my friend Bob replied. “You’re in Costa Rica and this country is full of monkeys.” Sherry and I had finally gotten away for a three-day weekend. At the jungle resort where we stayed, I met Bob, from the U.S. who had been there for a week. We were kicking it back at poolside and drinking a few afternoon beers together when the monkey suddenly raced across the deck, grabbed my drink and sprinted for the jungle. “I’m going to catch that monkey and teach him a lesson,” I said, as I jumped from my chair. “Oh, sit back down,” Bob said. “All you’re going to do is get frustrated and lose your dignity. A man cannot chase a monkey in a dignified manner. Besides, you couldn’t catch him.” “I suppose you could.”

    Mesa Cafe Awarded 2015 TripAdvisor Certificate of Exellence
    Press Release – Mesa Café – May 27, 2015 – Mesa Cafe, located at Vilma Linda Plaza in San Pedro, Belize, this week announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. Now in its fifth year, the award celebrates excellence in hospitality and is given only to establishments that consistently achieve great traveller reviews on Trip Advisor. Certificate of Excellence winners include accommodations, eateries and attractions located all over the world that have continually delivered a superior customer experience. “With the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence based on customer reviews, the accolade is a remarkable vote of confidence to our business and our continued commitment to delivering restaurant quality food and service, in a relaxed cafe environment. Winning the Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence is a true source of pride for the entire team at Mesa Cafe and we’d like to thank all of our past guests,” said owners Sheldon and Joanne Florence. “Trip Advisor is pleased to honor exceptional hospitality businesses that have received consistent praise and recognition by travelers on the site,” said Marc Charron President, Trip Advisor for Business. “By putting a spotlight on businesses that are focused on delivering great service to customers, Trip Advisor not only helps drive increasing hospitality standards around the world, it also gives businesses both large and small the ability to shine and stand out from the competition.”

    Police Report
    Theft: 63-year-old Thomas Vidrine reported that on Friday, May 22nd at about 3:15AM he received a call from 26-year-old Julio Rafael Ruano telling him that his boat was being stolen. He immediately got up and grabbed his licensed .38 special revolver and went outside, when he reached outside, he saw that his boat was about 20 feet away from the dock where he had it secured.
    Sexual Assault: On Saturday, May 23rd at 12:20PM a mother and her 8-year-old daughter visited the San Pedro Police Station and reported that earlier in the day, while the child was lying in a hammock at her grandmother’s house located in the DFC Area, her grandfather sexually assaulted her. She further stated that he had sexually assaulted her on several occasions since June 2014.
    Drug Trafficking: On Wednesday, May 27th at 1:30PMs, acting on intelligence from San Pedro Special Branch and Criminal Investigation Branch, a team of Caye Caulker Police headed by PC #577 Santiago Tun conducted a searched on 54-year-old Raul Rafael Rosado whom was seen leaving with a brown manila envelope from the Caye Caulker Water Taxi Terminal in Caye Caulker Village.

    Doctor Love: Relationship Disagreements
    Dear Doctor Love, My girlfriend and I plan to get married in eighteen months. We have been together for a year already and we only have one problem. When there is a disagreement there is only one answer. That answer is whatever she decides. She will not settle for anything less. If we disagree on the phone she will hang up and not answer. If we are at my house she leaves. At her house she makes me leave. Things only get right when I admit that I am wrong. This becomes harder and harder to take as I know I cannot be wrong that often. I am one of those people that thinks things through instead of just acting on what I feel. This also seems to be happening more frequently. During the first six months that we were together it happened about three times. Since then it has happened seven times. I tried explaining that we have to face issues together and we cannot always run away from them. What’s going to happen when we are married and she can’t run? She would not come with me but I went to see a counselor at Family Services. At counseling they said that she needs to learn how to fight fairly. They said that I need to stop telling her how to behave because it puts her in a childlike position where she “must behave”. She resents it and then runs. They said next time state my case but don’t try to make her accept it. Listen to what she says and come up with a compromise. She was out the door long before I stated my case. What are your thoughts on this?

    Misc Belizean Sourcesmzz

    Ten day Weather Outlook for Belize: Sunday, May 31, 2015
    The models are indicating that we will see the some rain duirng this working week. The updated GFS & GFS-MNSPRD forecast models (6:00 am, May 31, 2015 run) are still resolving an upper level trough extending North – South across the central Gulf of Mexico moving eastwards over the next 72 – 120 hours. This upper level trough is expected to interact with an approaching tropical wave that will be in the extreme NW Caribbean within the next 72 hours (See Figure 1 – 3 below; Wed., June 3, 2015). These features will bring moisture and instability over the NW Caribbean and Belize, resulting in widespread showers with thunderstorms this week. This activity will start as early as Monday and Tuesday of this week, with heavier precipitation on Tuesday night and Wednesday, especially over the northern half of the country and over the coast and sea. A low will move offshore Belize on Wednesday, and is forecast to gradually drift NW towards western Cuba by Friday morning. The low will continue NW as the upper level trough picks it up and steers the low towards the western Atlantic. Some areas of central and northern Belize could receive 1.5 to 2 inches of rainfall with higher amounts locally along the coast and the central highlands. The activity will decrease later on Wednesday, but the persisting moisture and instability will result in more outbreaks of showers through Friday and Saturday, but decreasing on Sunday.

    Guatemala Did Not Inherit Belize From Spain, Because Spain Never Occupied, Owned Or Settled Belize
    Guatemala claims to have inherited a Spanish claim to Belize based on the legal doctrine of UTI POSSIDETIS - a doctrine that is NOT by any means universally recognized in international law. Consequently Pope Alexander VI, one of the most controversial Popes, issued on May 4, 1493, a papal bull granting official ownership of the New World to Ferdinand and Isabela of Spain. (By the way Pope Alexander VI was a Spaniard, he was from Jativa a town near Valencia, Spain) To these monarchs, the Pope declared: "We of our own motion, and not at your solicitation, do give, concede, and assign for ever to you and your successors, all the islands, and main lands, discovered; and which may hereafter, be discovered, towards the west and south; whether they be situated towards India, or towards any other part whatsoever, and give you absolute power in them." He also included Portugal giving a portion on a specifically demarcated zone. However, this papal disposition was never subsequently recognized by any other European power. Yet Guatemala says it inherited these rights from Spain; this is Madness!!! We do know that in 1717, 1730, 1754, 1779, and finally 1798 Battle of St George’s Caye, a total of FIVE SPANISH ATTACKS ALL CAME FROM YUCATAN MEXICO to remove British settlers. CAPTAIN GENERAL FROM GUATEMALA REBUKED BY SUPERIORS FOR MOUNTING MILITARY EXPEDITION INTO THE AREA WAS REMINDED THAT AREA FELL UNDER JURISDICTION OF THE GOVERNOR OF CAMPECHE – ADMINISTERED BY THE YUCATAN CAPTAIN GENERAL. SO GUATEMALA HAD NO JUSISDICTION OVER BELIZE. Belize was under the Captain of Campeche administered by the Captain of Yucatan! Of one thing we are sure Spain NEVER occupied Belize.

    No to ICJ-Belize/Guatemala Dispute
    Vision Inspired by the People, unconditionally upholds the right of our Belizean nation to self-determination along with our sovereign territory as defined in our 1981 independence constitution. We declare that this God given right of nationhood is not subject to negotiation. It is on the basis of this right that VIP views as gravely misleading and perhaps treasonous, the efforts of Belize’s current government to hold a referendum that could lead to the ICJ, altering Belize’s borders from those defined in our 1981 independence constitution. VIP hereby declares that Guatemala’s claim to Belizean territory is illegitimate, outdated, mutually counterproductive and downright immoral. This claim directly conflicts with the goals of the United Nations to finally eradicate the remaining ills of colonialism. The Guatemalan government has never occupied or exercised sovereignty over Belizean territory. We are reminded that the Spanish government which may have had a claim to Belizean territory under the unjust establishment and growth of colonialism was a non-voting member in the United Nations vote for Belize’s independence. This conscientious position by Spain not to participate in the vote was a fitting end to any and all claims on Belizean territory that were based on colonial principles.

    The Back Door Of Belize
    John Mcafee: A few people have doubted my frequent visits to Belize over the past two years. Anyone who knows me, of course, knows full well that I come and go as I please. My usual place of entry is what I call "The Back Door Of Belize". It is a tiny immigration station across the river from the Mexican village of Union. Union, by the way, has a population of 61 inhabirants. The village in the Blue Creek district of Belize, across the river, where the immigration station is located, has, as best I can ascertain, a population of 8. It is an ideal entry point for someone like myself, or indeed for anyone who can't be bothered with the formalities associated with leaving one country and entering another. At night everything is closed, even the boat ferries. The river at that point, however, is very shallow and one can wade across it in a matter of seconds. I have never done this at night since I have an irrational fear of crocodiles, and people disappear into their bellies with great regularity in this region. Call me a coward if you wish. Sticks and stones....as they say. Once across the river, I engage the sole immigration agent (who doubles as a policeman) in an animated one way discussion, entirely in German, while gesticulating wildly with my arms and pointing at the sky with an expression of horror. (I use different techniques each time of course, but this occurred during my last crossing). When he looks up to see what is terrifying me, i tug on his shirt sleeve and point with equal horror at his shoes. After a few cycles of this I grab the bewildered agent by the shirt sleeve and frantically urge him, using my best sign language, to go inside and lock the door. Finally, I throw up my arms in exasperation, reach in my pocket, hand the man a US $20 bill, shake his hand, walk calmly into the dirt road, get into a vehicle that has been waiting for me, and drI've off. I have no clue what the agent thought about the entire affair, but I got a huge kick out of it.

    A New Grad’s Guide to Job Interviews
    t’s graduation season, and for many new and soon-to-be grads, that means it’s job-hunting season, too. But if you’re new to job interviews, don’t panic. Start with this quick visual guide to everything you need to know: How to prepare, what to do (and what not to do), and what to expect during those 40 minutes (on average) you’ll spend on the hot seat. Then, why not read up on more of our great job search advice? Check out our tips for interview etiquette, eight looks that land the job, and our all-in-one interview prep guide.

    Expression of Interest Notice: Participate in a Seminar on Angel Investor Engagement Training for Entrepreneurs
    The Caribbean Export Development Agency (Caribbean Export) is inviting regional start-up companies and high growth potential MSMEs to participate in the first staging of its Angel Investor Engagement training for regional entrepreneurs. There will be a series of three trainings, the first to be held in Barbados on, June 22nd, 2015 for entrepreneurs located in Barbados, Trinidad, Guyana and Suriname. The other two will take place in Jamaica (to cover entrepreneurs in Jamaica, Belize, Haiti, Dominican Republic and The Bahamas) and Saint Lucia (to cover the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States OECS countries). The dates and venues for the trainings to be held in Jamaica and Saint Lucia will be announced at a later time. Please note however that entrepreneurs from all CARIFORUM Countries (Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago) are required to apply for the training using the deadlines indicated in this Expression of Interest notice. This training will sensitize, educate, and train regional entrepreneurs in global best practices methods of engaging angel investors for investment.

    THE TALENTED BERNIE MACK: BELIZEAN ARTIST & ACTOR!
    Belizean talent Bernie Mack has become a household name among Belizean artists and entertainers in the Belize artistic community at home and abroad. He stands out as one of the only few Belizean artists that has played significant roles in many international films and movies, and a sought after talent from the shores of Belize. Belizean Legends look forward to see many more from this 'Belizean to the bone' artist extraordinaire and actor. Do yo thing Bernie!

    THE OTHER SIDE OF CLINTON 'PULU' LIGHTBURN!
    Many Belizeans know Clinton 'Pulu' Lightburn as Belize's most celebrated athlete and basketball player of his time, but rarely get to see the serious side of Pulu, the Social Commentator. Seen here in a rare appearance on the most popular KREM Radio in Belize City doing a segment to a radio show, Pulu has become an outspoken Belizean against injustices in Belize, and a voice for the downtrodden and the disenfranchised children and young people of Belize on a whole, and Belize City in particular. Go tell it on the mountain Pulu, we 'overstand' where yo coming from!

    JORGE BABB: THE BELIZEAN LIBERACE!
    When I first watched Jorge Babb played an organ in 1973 at his parents home at Cinderella Plaza in Belize City, I was 'blown away' to say the least. He played a double decker organ with bass pedals at the foot, and played both harmony on the keys and bass lines on his foot at the same time. Though he had no music training, and was just a raw Belizean talent, Babb could stand out among many other Belizean musicians quite easily and hold his own. He was very young at the time, maybe about 13 years old, and played with a kind of confidence rarely seen by many other Belizean musicians of his time. Jorge was not a band musician per se, but a solo act that played with a kind of flamboyance we only see in the late American pianist, Liberace. Belizean Legends is proud to feature this incredible Belizean musical talent, and hope to present more on his music soon. Yo bad Jorge!

    SUPER G: THE 'SUPERMAN' PUNTA ROCK ARTIST!
    Many may not agree, but the entertaining Punta Rock artist changed Punta Rock entertainment in the 1990's and beyond to fit a more younger as well as middle age generation of Punta Rock fans in Belize, the Caribbean, and the United States. Super G became one of the most requested Punta Rock artist of his time, traveling to the U.S. out of Belize to perform more frequently than any other Belizean artist and Punta Rock stars of Central America. Keep doing your thing Super, let the world know that a Punta Rock Superman has been born!

    BELIZEAN ARTIST PUPA CURLEY & SOCIAL COMMENTARY!
    When the song Crack Is A Killer hit the Belizean radio airwaves at home and abroad, the name Pupa Curley became synonymous with Belizean social commentary, and was the most powerful statement any Belizean artist could have made in 1989 in Los Angeles, California and Belize. The deadly crack epidemic which gripped the United States, the Caribbean, and Central America, especially Belize, had destroyed the lives of many well to do american politicians, and Belizean black youth, and became an instant reminder that the so-called war on drugs had taken many a casualties and prisoners alike among poor and disenfranchised folks around the world. COMING SOON on Belizean Legends is the incredible story of one of Belize's most outspoken artists, Pupa Curley, (Curlin Arnold). Stay tune!

    ELIHUE FLOWERS & UNDER THE TREE WE FLOURISH!
    (The Belizean patriotic song reminisces the Belizean in the diaspora song of longing for the Belizean homeland). The classic Belizean vocalist, Elihue Flowers, has become a household name in the Belizean musical spectrum. His stylistic voice on the track, Under The Tree We Flourish, reminds many of Belizean heritage how soulful Belizean music was in the 1970's. The patriotic song that depicts the multicultural heritage of the Belizean people, is still a big hit in commemorating Belize's festivals and independence day celebrations. Elihue, as he is known by many, lives in Los Angeles, and became one of the Caye Records recording artists, a Belizean music label that is the brainchild of Belizean, Patrick Barrow, and which became popular in the 1980's recording many other Belizean artists like the legendary Andy Palacio, Anthony Richards, Pupa Curley, Brother David, and many more. The Belizean musical artists has since retired, and is remembered for contributing his silky vocals to the realm of Belizean music.

    CTV3

    GOB Sends Diplomatic Note Of Protest To Guatemala
    Reports are that yesterday, the Belize Coast Guard was approached by a Guatemalan Navy Ship and asked to move out of the Sarstoon River. Viewers may recall that the Belize Coast Guard is building a command center in that area in southern Belize. When the BCG refused, we understand that the Guatemalan Navy Ship left, but a bigger ship returned seeking to expel the Coast Guard from what is Belizean territory. We have not been able to confirm the exact details of this stand-off but it comes in the wake of the signing of the amendments to the special agreement on the territorial dispute of both countries. Late this evening, the government of Belize sent a diplomatic note of protest to Guatemala following the incursion into Belize's territorial waters in Toledo by a Guatemalan Naval Patrol. Twice on Thursday morning, Guatemalan Navy Patrols confronted a Belize Coast Guard team that was working on Sarstoon Island well within Belize's territory and attempted to eject the Belizeans from the area. The Belizeans stood their ground and the incident is now the subject of the diplomatic note of protest sent from Belmopan to Guatemala City.

    Belizean Caught In Crew Of Illegal Immigrants By Mexican Authorities
    Mexican authorities are reporting that a Belizean was caught among fifty illegal immigrants that made it into Mexico undetected. The report indicates they were caught at the Cancun International Airport at around two thirty on Wednesday afternoon in flight 4210 heading to Reynosa. It appears that all individuals were able to pass through the international airport undetected. It was only when immigration officials got onboard the plane and asked for traveling documents that they were caught. According to the report, they were headed to Reynosa and Tamaulipas. Among them were twenty-three persons from El Salvador and eighteen from Cuba. Fiver others originated from Guatemala, two from Honduras, one from Granada and one person was a Belizean. All fifty were taken into custody.

    Belize Coast Guard Receive Training In Maritime And Land Operations
    A team from the Guyana Defence Force Flagship has departed from St. Kitts/ Nevis to participate in Exercise Trade winds where one of two phases will be carried out in Belize. Exercise Tradewinds is a United States Southern Command sponsored training exercise held annually in the Caribbean and has two phases –Maritime and Land Operations. The Maritime Phase is scheduled to be held in St Kitts Nevis from May 30- June 9, 2015. The Land Operations Phase is scheduled to be held in Belize from June 14-24. The team is made up of 4 Officers and 36 Other Ranks from the Coast Guard, and 3 Other Ranks as supporting staff drawn from across the Force. The aim of Exercise Tradewinds is to help Caribbean nations to be better able to counter land and maritime security threats such as human smuggling and trafficking in illegal weapons and ammunition.

    Noh Mul Case Goes To Court On Monday
    The seemingly willful destruction of the largest natural Mayan monument in northern Belize made international headlines in May of 2013 when it was discovered that a construction company owned by UDP Orange Walk Central Standard Bearer, Denny Grijalva, had been pillaging the ancient archaeological site to obtain material for road fill. Since the news broke and as a consequence, Grijalva’s company was charged with one count of removing parts of an ancient monument, and one count of causing the destruction of an ancient monument. The case was being handled in the Corozal Magistrate's Court for the past 2 years, but at the last adjournment the sitting Magistrate decided after consultation with the prosecutor and the defence attorney, that the case should be transferred to the Belize City Magistrate's Court. In that last hearing, the defendants asked their attorney to apply for transfer of the case from Belize City back to Corozal, away from the media capital. And that is where we are at with this very important case that has been dragging in the courts for years. But this morning, witnesses were summoned to court to meet with the prosecution where they reviewed their initial witness statements. The case will now move to Corozal and is set to commence on Monday, June 1st. We’ll have the developments in next week’s newscast!

    Caye Caulker Chronicles

    Caye Caulker, Belize Tourism Pioneer, Ray Auxillou: A Tribute
    There were three KEY people that started the TOURIST BUSINESS in the colony of British Honduras. You have to remember there were no roads to speak of in the Yucatan, Mexico, or even Guatemala at the time. The THREE KEY pioneers of tourism in British Honduras were: Bert Foreman, a lobster trap fisherman around Seargants Caye who eventually built his own Caye, called Foreman´s Caye. He ran British Civil service types coming to the colony out of the Fort George Hotel of the time; Ray Auxillou who used this small 24 foot, homebuilt, 7 hp Volvo Penta diesel cabin cruiser boat on weekends out of the Bellevue Hotel, and John Grief with his tiny 3 passenger Cessna 172 out of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. In the early 1960´s my tourist charters, were oil people, Jaguar- Boone and Crocket trophy hunters, drug smugglers killing time waiting for their airplane marijuana loads, DEA agents chasing them and investigating me and eventually the business picked up with lawyers and doctors out of Texas, Louisiana and Detroit with the Michigan for Alliance Program. My best earner was 13 years being the operator of the University of Corpus Christi, Marine Biology Department winter 3 week student group. I made cheap money, about $6000 Bz, but it paid for the whole year in those days.

    Belize Lobster Season Set To Open June 15
    The Belize lobster season is set to open on June 15th. For many coastal dwellers, lobster is one of the succulent delicacies enjoyed as part of the coastal lifestyle. Scientifically known as Panulirus Argus, the Caribbean Spiny Lobster is celebrated in festivals all over the country right after the season opens. Because lobster is considered a commercial species, a fisherman’s license is needed to trap and catch these crustaceans. However, there are some legal details even lobster aficionados should note and insist upon. If you are thinking of enjoying lobster tails, they must weight a minimum of four ounces to be legal. If you are thinking of enjoying a whole lobster, the body of the lobster from the center of the eye to the starting of the tail (vernier caliper) must measure three inches or more. The Fisheries Department will be actively monitoring fishermen and establishments who trade lobster. Individuals or restaurants with lobster below the minimum prescribed sizes will be charged for being in possession of undersize lobster. The charge carries a fine of around $20 for each undersized tail or whole lobster. Lobster season ends on February 14, 2016.

    You’ve Got To See This Reef Week Belize 2015 Video Shot On Location With Ragamuffin Tours!
    Host of Wake Up Belize, Mose Hyde and his crew from KREM TV took to Belize’s Cayes with Caye Caulker’s Ragamuffin Tours as part of Reef Week Belize 2015. The journey showcased the beauty and value of Belize’s barrier reef, with guest marine biologists from Oceana Belize and Blue Ventures on board. This is one of the nicest videos we’ve seen. We hope you enjoy it, and feel free to share it around!

    Caye Caulker Lobster Fest Set For June 26 – 28
    The 21st Annual Caye Caulker Lobster Fest has been set for the weekend of June 26 – 28th. It has traditionally been set for the last week of June. This year’s Lobster Fest promises to be bigger and better than ever. Caye Caulker’s lobster fest has been so popular it has spawned imitations in both Placencia and Ambergris Caye. The original idea for the Lobster Fest came from the traditional fishermen on the island who thought it would be fitting to hold a celebration to honor the crustacean which has nurtured, fed and educated many Hicaqueno families. As usual, the festivities will begin on Friday night with the picking of Miss Lobster Fest. The line up of contestants is scheduled to be released shortly. Things heat up progressively after the pageant, with DJs and live acts performing throughout the night and weekend. Activities are also scheduled during the day. The highlight of the festival is the devouring of the crusty crustacean in just about every imaginable treat you can conjure. There is stewed lobster, barbecued lobster, curry lobster, lobster ceviche, whole lobster, lobster panades and just about lobster everything.

    Conch Season Set To Close on June 1, 2015
    If you are thinking of enjoying one of the staple delicacies of Caye Caulker, conch ceviche, or the other staple of Caye Caulker, conch fritters, you’d better get hopping! Conch season is set to close on June 1, 2015 — Monday — and will not reopen again until October 1, 2015. There will be no more ceviche or conchs fritters available. The variety of conch most harvested in Belize is the Strombus gigas better known as the Queen Conch. The harvesting of conch infuses an estimated $11 million into the country’s GDP annually.

    Hurricane Season Hasn’t Officially Started, But We Already Have Our First Storm
    Hurricane Season hasn’t officially started yet. The official hurricane season set by the National Hurricane Center in Atlanta, Georgia doesn’t begin until June 1. But that hasn’t stopped the first hurricane of the season, Hurricane Andres, from making its presence known. Hurricane Andreas is churning well west of Mexico in the Eastern Pacific and no threat to land. Although predictions have called for below average number of storms in the Atlantic, this should be a wake up call that nature doesn’t have boundaries. It does what it wants. Therefore, we must take every precaution to stay vigilant and prepared for the next several months as we wind our way through the season.

    The Reporter

    Cancer walk draws more than 5,000 participants
    Over 500 citizens took part in Belize Cancer Society’s annual cancer walk on Saturday from Ladyville to Belize City, aimed to create awareness among our population of the ravages of cancer. The majority of the participants this year were youths, while the rest were cancer survivors and/or families of cancer patients. According to Laura Longsworth, president of the society, the funds raised in this year’s event will go towards establishing a cancer program to help with assisting children with cancer. Longsworth expressed regret that currently Belize still does not have a program to help cancer patients access treatment and with assistance to help cover the costs.

    Incumbent Edmund Castro is UDP’s standard bearer for next general elections
    The United Democratic Party’s (UDP) incumbent in Belize Rural North, Edmund Castro has retained his popularity for his party and was selected as the UDP’s standard bearer in that constituency. At a convention on Sunday in the area, Castro won three times the number of votes over his challenger, Dwight Tillett – a former chief executive officer who served under Castro. Over 2,000 people voted, and Castro got just over 1,500 votes, compared to Tillett’s 500 plus votes. Castro, who had come under scrutiny a few times and was exposed for having taken grants when he was minister responsible for civil aviation, led an aggressive campaign heading into Sunday’s convention.

    Mental health medication shortage at an end
    Patients in Belize who suffer from mental conditions such as schizophrenia and bi-polar disorder can now receive medication at eight different locations in the country, after the Ministry of Health (MOH) ended the shortage of mental health medications. Chief Executive Officer in the MOH, Dr. Peter Allen explained that the medication Resperidone is now available after the ministry sorted out the difficulty it had procuring the medicine. “Because they are controlled and controlled not just by national legislation but by international legislation,” Allen said, “we’re having problems with the supply, because we couldn’t simply go over to for example, Mexico, buy some and bring it over.” Allen also explained the the shortage, was the result of the ministrfy expanding is mental health services. The ministry he underscored traditionally had only one physiatrist.

    PUP’s Ivan Ramos requests PetroCaribe funds for Father’s Day cheer
    Ivan Ramos, the People’s United Party’s (PUP) area representative for Dangriga has gone against his party’s official position to refuse PetroCaribe funds from the government. The government’s Press Office issued a release on Friday, announcing that the Ministry of Finance has approved the disbursement of $25,000 to Ramos, who had submitted a formal request to the Prime Minister, with a budget attached for an upcoming Fathers’ Day event he has planned. Ramos, who publicly chided his party for what he termed as some of its members being engaged in “idle talk”, also lashed out at the party earlier this month, implying that its leadership had forced him to step aside to make way for career educator, Anthony Sabal, as the party’s next unchallenged standard bearer for Dangriga for in the next general elections.

    Breaking Belize NewsPJ

    It Is Time For Exceptional Leaders
    By Charles Leslie Jr. Martin Luther King, Jr., was assassinated on April 4, 1968. Iowa elementary school teacher, Jane Elliot, wanted to explain discrimination to her third-grade class. She decided to divide her class into two groups: browned-eyed students and blue-eyed students. She announced to the class that brown-eyed students were […]

    Hopkins Mango Festival a treat for the senses
    It was “mango everything” on display on a sunny Saturday by the seaside in the budding tourism destination and Garifuna stronghold of Hopkins Village. The Annual Mango Festival was well and truly revived, not only as an economic boon to the community of […]

    Edmond Castro Wins in Belize Rural North
    Information reaching our news room is indicating that Hon. Edmond Castro has won the convention in Belize Rural North. According to unconfirmed reports, Castro obtained 1612 votes and his opponent, Dwight Tillett received 537 votes. There were 21 rejected ballots.

    Fatal Traffic Accident in Corozal
    Information reaching our news room is that there was a fatal traffic accident in Corozal just now. According to reports, the injured passengers are still waiting for the police and ambulance to arrive at the scene. This is a developing story and we will be updating it shortly.

    Did South Africa bribe FIFA with a U.S $10 million payment?
    FIFA, which is the world’s governing body for the sport of football, has been in turmoil for the past few weeks with officials getting arrested for charges ranging from money laundering to fraud. The election for a new FIFA President was held on Friday Sepp Blatter was re-elected to serve […]

    TCC holds prom for graduates
    Graduates of the Toledo Community College (TCC) held their first prom celebration in five years on Saturday night at Belcampo Lodge just outside Punta Gorda Town. TCC, which has approximately 1000 students, pioneered the tradition in the South as a reward for students’ hard work; however, the school […]

    UDP select Belize Rural North Standard Bearer
    The convention to select a standard bearer for the United Democratic Party in Belize Rural North is underway at the Guadalupe Roman Catholic School in Sand Hill Village, Belize District. Incumbent and Minister of State Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro, in his second term, is being challenged by […]

    Eye witnesses to take stand in court tomorrow against D’mars Stone Company
    Eye witnesses are scheduled to take the stand on Monday, June 1st at the Corozal Magistrate Court in the NohMul case against D’Mars Stone Company Limited. On June 28th, 2013, owners of the company Denny Grijalva and his wife Maria, along with foreman Javier Nuñez and excavator operator Emil Cruz, […]

    World No Tobacco Day 2015
    The global tobacco epidemic kills nearly 6 million people each year, of which more than 600,000 are non-smokers dying from breathing second-hand smoke. Unless we act, the epidemic will kill more than 8 million people every year by 2030 with more than 80% of these preventable deaths being among people […]

    PUP Representative receives monies from PetroCaribe Funds
    At a press conference the People’s United Party held 2 weeks ago, the party leader, Francis Fonseca and his counterparts were questioned about allegations regarding PetroCaribe Funds being requested by a PUP representative. The PUP, which has been firmly standing against the use of PetroCaribe Funds, denied that any such […]

    Blogs

    Climate Myths & Human Rights
    Four decades ago, climate deniers spread the myth that there were flaws in the scientific studies showing that humanity was changing the level of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere. Three decades ago, that myth became untenable, but another myth arose, one casting doubt on the finding that those gases could alter climate in a significant way. Two decades ago, in the face of an overwhelming scientific consensus, the dominant myth shifted a little: those gases could warm the planet but their effect on climate would be minor compared to natural climate variation. Last decade, many deniers accepted that human caused climate change would dominate natural variation, but spread the myth that the consequences to society would be acceptable. Now, with compelling evidence from around the world of unacceptable damage from climate warming, the most spiteful myth of all has emerged: the costs of preventing future catastrophic warming will be more painful than the cost of suffering global warming.

    Heading From San Pedro To Hopkins For The Mango Festival, V.I.P.
    Saturday, May 30th, was the Hopkins Village Mango Festival. Gorgeous, grand old mango trees line the street of the little village and I’ve always wanted to be there when they ripened. Plus the festival, which has happened sporadically and sometimes a bit half-heartedly in the past, was being revamped…more sponsorship…bigger and better. PLUS, the Garifuna Collective performing for the last time before they embark on their US tour. This group is a national treasure in my mind. Time to head off the island (Ambergris Caye) and down to Hopkins. And this time, rather than my usual water taxi to bus to bus experience, I was rolling VIP. Tropic Air PLANE on a gorgeous morning to the Belize Municipal Airport…

    My Belize Trip Went to Hell…
    It took a trip to hell to show me all the heavenly delights Belize has to offer. It’s probably not the hell you’re thinking of, and I didn’t get there the way folks usually do. This particular hell is Xibalba, the Maya underworld. And I got there on a raft. My wife, Suzan, and I love scuba diving, and Belize has always been a favorite destination. The second-longest reef on the planet runs along Belize’s Caribbean coast, and the diving is world class. On all those dive trips, I realized that there is much more to Belize than the vacationer favorites of Ambergis Caye and Caye Caulker…but we were there to get wet, so we never spent much time in the interior of the country. Until, that is, Suzan got the notion to explore some caves after some research on the Maya of Belize. (The Maya still occupy Belize, by the way…the incredible ancient cities might be covered with jungle, but the people themselves never left. They live all over the country.)

    Destination Weddings & Honeymoons in Belize
    Laid-back and friendly, this tiny English-speaking Central American nation tucked beneath Mexico has become the quiet star of eco-adventure destinations. This nature-lover’s Eden offers accommodations ranging from rustic (but comfortable) lodges to luxurious boutique resorts. Spend your days sunbathing on a tropical isle, or hole up in a jungle ecolodge and watch the howler monkeys playing in the forest canopy. Expect the proverbial midday ‘tropical downpour’ (which tend to end as dramatically as they begin) during the rainy season of June to October. Wedding Requirements: Most resorts will guide you through the advance submission of the usual documents (certified copies of birth certificates and passports, etc.) and license fee ($100 if you’re in the country for three days before the wedding, $250 for 24 hours before). A simple courthouse ceremony will set you back an additional five bucks. Ceremony sites include beaches, rainforests and even the splendor of ancient Mayan sites. (Apply in advance to the Institute of Archaeology to get permission.) For more information, visit travelbelize.org/honeym.html.

    International Sourcesizz

    The Future of Belize Real Estate in DiCaprio's 'Restorative' Plans for Blackadore Caye
    The Oscar-nominated “Wolf of Wallstreet” star, Leonardo DiCaprio and his colleagues are planning to open the world’s first ‘restorative island’ in Blackadore Caye, Belize. The 'restorative island' will be considered as the greenest island resort in the world once it reached its completion date of 2018. This eco-tourism project is designed with sustainable building techniques where the surrounding ecosystem will be restored and regenerated as it reverses the effects of climate change. Thanks to the biologists, ecologists, scientists, architects and engineers who will be working hand in hand, the eco-project of DiCaprio will be a dream come true. For Mr. Leonardo DiCaprio who is also an environmental activist. Buying the Blackadore Caye Island with a land mass area of 104 acres which is wild and unpopulated off the coast of Belize, is a great way to promote the future of eco-tourism and green building through ‘restorative island’ development project. He strongly believes that climate change threatens the 'islands and coastal areas all over the world where the rise in sea levels, ocean acidification, and habitat pressures’ happens. However, with this project implemented, it will lead a new way in eco-tourism, green building, and development, as well as human development where the attempts to restore the environment will be truly beneficial. The resort’s design to heal the island includes mangrove replanting, invasive species replacement of native species, soil and habitat enhancement and creation of additional armature for reef and fish breeding. The other half of the island will remain as a protected and preserved wildlife. And with this restorative island project that will feature 68 villas, 48 estate homes, and private clubhouse with luxurious amenities no doubt that it will create a bigger impact on the Belize real estate market. That is because Blackadore Caye happens to be in the west of Ambergris Caye and is in the east of Belize mainland.

    Land Conservation: A Real Estate Trend in Central America
    Acquiring large plots of land for the purpose of protecting ecosystems and preserving nature is one of the latest trends in real estate, and the Central American region is very attractive in this regard. Philanthropists such as business mogul Sir Richard Branson and former US Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson are involved in the direct funding of environmental conservation projects; others such as film director James Cameron, actor Ian Somerhalder and musician Lilly Allen use their star power to raise funds that benefit environmental conservancy, but others prefer a more hands-on approach. 8,493 acres nestled in the beautiful and vibrant coast of Belize are fully authorized with a master plan for up to 4,500 dwelling units (hotels, condominiums, villas), a marina with up to 400 boat slips, a golf course and a private airport of up to 7,000-foot runway. Only 6 miles away from Leonardo DiCaprio’s dashingly beautiful Blackadore Caye, the value of this amazing property is its top location. Situated in proximity to the world famous barrier reef and being the closest land stop from Ambergris Caye, this property is complemented by existing tourism.

    Exercise Tradewinds 2015 begins with opening ceremony
    Exercise Tradewinds 2015, a multi-national maritime security and disaster response exercise in the Caribbean, began with an opening ceremony to welcome the participating 19 partner nations May 31 at Camp Springfield, St. Kitts. Tradewinds is a combined and joint exercise, which helps build the capacity of nations in the Caribbean to better respond to natural disasters, as well as land and maritime threats that including illicit trafficking. Phase One is being hosted by the St. Kitts and Nevis Defence Force (SKNDF) and will take place in and around the islands May 31 through June 9. The exercise gives participants the opportunity to learn more about partner nations so that service members learn what to expect if they are deployed to other islands and nations, said Lt. Col. Patrick E. Wallace, commander of SKNDF. “I stress that the knowledge and skill that comes from this exercise is essential,” said Wallace during the ceremony. “However, just as important, is the strengthening of multi-national relationships.”

    Videos

  • Caye Caulker Lobster Fest 2015, 1min. The Caye Caulker Lobster Fest is held yearly the last week of June to celebrate the beginning of the lobster harvest. It is a 3 day festival which this year will begin on June 25, 2015.

  • Groepsreis Belize - Sun Dancer - dec 2016, 5min.

  • Moray and Lionfish chase, 1min. Rare sighting of a Moray eel going after lunch.. we were all rooting for it!

  • Belize, 4min. EF Tours with McCutcheon High School 2015

  • The Road to Cuello, 10min. The Road to Cuello is a short documentary chronicling Professor James Fitzsimmons first archeaological season at the realitvely unkwnown ancient Mayan site know as Cuello. Cuello, located near the town of Orange Walk in Belize, is unique though as it's ruins have never been excevated. Shot in Middlebury, Vermont and Orange Walk, Belize.

  • Belize Nation Anthem in Maya Yucatec by U Puksi'ik'al Maya, 3min. Belize Nation anthem in Yucatec Maya ... sorry for the video Quality but it sounds beautiful, done by the Orange Walk Maya Group U Puksi'ik'al Maya of Yo Creek Village ... lets be proud maya brothers and sisters Belize Nation Anthem in Maya(Yucatec Maya

  • Belize Hog dance done in Palmar, 2min. this is a traditional Yucatec Maya/Maya Mestizo dance done in Belize by the villagers of nuevo San Jose Palmar.

  • Konshens Performing at Riverside Tavern Belize City (2013), 2min.

  • Belize 2015 Photo-Journal, 7min. A collection of photos taken while studying abroad with the GIS in Belize program from Georgia State University.

  • Belize Snorkeling 2015, 5min. I had the opportunity through a work trip to spend a week in Belize. Even though I was on my own, I managed to get out and spend 2 days snorkeling and several days visiting ancient ruins.


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