July 8, 2016

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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

Caye Caulker Lobster Festival: Original and Creative
The Caye Caulker Lobster Festival is the original festival that annually celebrates the Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus). Traditionally, the festival begins with the choosing of Miss Lobster Fest on Friday night, followed by fabulous parties throughout the rest of the weekend. However, 2016 was different, and on Friday, July 1st, organizers focused on the tasty lobster in the first-ever Lobster Cook-Off. Sponsored by Grace Kennedy Belize Limited, the cook-off had four teams of two preparing a lobster appetizer. After the first round of tasting, one team would be knocked out of the competition, and the remaining three teams would move on to the entrée round. Registered for the competition were teams Sip N Dip, Dirty McNasty, La Isla Cariñosa Academy and Team Hope. Providing some truly fun commentary was Belizean personality William Neal, who kept the crowd enthused all evening. Providing soothing sounds in the background was the Dynamix Steel Pan Ensemble.

BEL electricity rates increase
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) notified the general public that it has made and issued the ‘Belize Electricity Limited 2016 Full Tariff Review Proceeding Final Decision’ on Friday, June 24th. In the summary of the final decision, it approved regulated values, mean electricity rates, prices, fees and charges to be applied over the Full Tariff Period (FTP) starting from Friday, July 1st to Tuesday, June 30th 2020. The new mean electricity rate of 36.99 cents per kilowatt-hour means an increase of 5.7%. Social rate customers will pay 1 cent more per kilowatt-hour, but service charges among larger consumers such as commercial and industrial customers will increase from $100 to $125. Street lighting bills that are paid by the Government of Belize will increase from 40 cents per kilowatt-hour to 42 cents per kilowatt-hour.

Dia de San Pedo celebrations closes with Kayak Race
Dia de San Pedro 2016 festivities culminated on Sunday, July 3rd with a kayak race that saw nine teams paddling around the island in hopes of winning the grand prize. Participants competed in the Male, Female and Junior categories, racing from Boca del Rio Park to around the southern part of the island. Shortly after 10AM, kayakers went past the Sir Barry Bowen Bridge, headed to the leeward side of the island. They made their way through thick mangrove wetlands and circled round the southern portion of the island after navigating through a small channel that connects the lagoon and the Caribbean Sea. In a fast sprint, Team Paddle Shop comprised of Chris Guydis and Amado Cruz, crossed the finish line first, taking the top prize in the male category with a total time of 2:47:09. They received a cash prize of $500 along with their medals. In second place was Team Double Impact comprised of Wilberto Daniels and Kenrick Daniels who finished with a time of 2:51:45. They took home a cash prize of $400 and medals. In third place was Team Moringa A with solo member Earnie Martin who finished the race with a time of 2:53:25 and winning a cash prize of $300.

SIB releases quarterly report
It was report card day for Belize’s economy on Wednesday, June 29th, when the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) released the first quarter report of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for 2016. According to the report from the SIB, the rate of unemployment went down compared to the same period in 2015. However, it was not enough, as the country’s economy shrank by 2% in the first quarter of the year. The report also included information on the external trade statistics, as well as the Consumer Price Index, particularly for the month of May. According to the report, the inflation rate for the period this year is 1% higher. Overall, prices in the basic food market are also 1% higher compared to last year.

SPJC celebrates largest graduating class yet
The San Pedro Junior College (SPJC) held its 15th Commencement Exercise on Saturday, July 2nd at the Angel Nuñez Auditorium. Since its establishment in 2000, classes have grown significantly. This year, SPJC was proud to announce its largest graduating class yet. At 5PM, 50 proud students dressed in their cap and gowns marched to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance. This year’s theme was, “Nothing is really over until you stop trying,” and the Master of Ceremonies was Alex Nuñez. Gustavo Ellis, Dean of SPJC, gave the Dean’s Report, and Neima Gomez and Froylan Gilharry distributed the awards to students who had a GPA of 3.0 to 3.49. Jose Paz, Chairperson of the SPJC Board, gave the Chairman’s Address. Holding a GPA of 3.8 was the valedictorian for the Class of 2016, Zoraida Meza. She proceeded to give her valedictory address, and spoke about how learning is endless.

Ambergris Today

Republic of China (Taiwan) Supports Macaw Conservation in Belize
Last year the Forestry Bureau of the Council of Agriculture of the ROC (Taiwan) through its Embassy in Belize provided financial assistance for the conservation of scarlet macaws in Belize. This year, the Embassy has announced the further support of the program through a financial support of US$10,000.00. Scarlet Macaws (Ara macao cyanoptera) are the largest of the parrots in Belize, with a national population thought to be fewer than 200 individuals. It was once thought to occur over much of the central forested areas of Belize, but is now considered to be restricted to the Chiquibul/Maya Mountains area, with a nesting range concentrated in the Chiquibul Forest. The major threat to the survival of macaws in Belize has been determined to be poaching for the pet trade. To address this situation, FCD has been monitoring macaw nests annually for a period of 7 months.

Misc Belizean Sources

Weekly AgroMet Update and Outlook JULY 7 – FRIDAY JULY 15, 2016
An active tropical wave with strong outflow aloft will continue westward across northern Central America and southern Mexico tonight and on Friday, generating scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially over southern and western Belize. The seasonally, unsettled conditions will persist through the weekend and most of next week in association of a low level jet in the easterly flow over the western Caribbean and Central America and good outflow support in the upper atmosphere. A second tropical wave or perturbation in the easterlies is expected to cross Belize by Monday, generating more showery weather. Figure 1 below is the surface weather map for Thursday evening, showing the first tropical wave approaching Belize and Guatemala. A third tropical wave has entered the eastern Caribbean, and should reach Belize in the next five days.

Costa Maya 1996! Who remembers?
Maris Retolaza!!

With tourguide renewal coming up many people need a way to renew their first aid and or EFR cards, I can help
I am a Scuba and EFR first aid instructor. If you need any assistance with renewal, I would be glad to help. My fees start at $50.00. Inbox me to arrange something. You get a temp card first, and PADI will send you your actual card in a few weeks, the temp card is valid for use to renew your tour guide license.

BEL Apologizes to Customers in San Pedro Town for Extensive Power Interruption
Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) is extending an apology to residents of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, following an extensive power Interruption that affected the island from last night until earlier today. At 9:17 p.m. Wednesday, the entire island lost power supply, which required prompt response from BEL. A faulty substation breaker was identified as the cause, requiring technicians to re-configure the San Pedro substation to isolate the faulty equipment. Power supply was restored to all customers during the course of today. The Company’s technical personnel will remain on location overnight to ensure continued monitoring and support to the San Pedro team.

CRFM and Japan discuss new initiative for fisheries co-management and socio-economic survey
Milton Haughton, the executive director of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), met on Tuesday at the CRFM’s Secretariat in Belize City with Masaru Honda, team leader of the Japan-funded Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project (CARIFICO) and chief advisor in the Fisheries Department in Saint Lucia. “The CRFM welcomes Mr Honda to Belize to meet with us, and we thank the government of Japan for their continued commitment and support for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector of the Caribbean region,” Haughton said. Honda, whose ties with the Caribbean go back 17 years, when he worked with a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funded regional fisheries project implemented by the Caribbean Fisheries Training and Development Institute (CFTDI) in Trinidad and Tobago, said that he has enjoyed working with the Caribbean to foster the development of co-management arrangements with fishing communities.

Xunantunich Special Tour
This Sunday is the day to head to Xunantunich. Now that the BAAS is done, some of the presenters, like Dr. Jaime Awe, will be leading tours around the site. If you haven't been in a while, Sunday is the day to go.

Channel 7

Three City Murders In Five Hours
Three young men lost their lives in just 5 deadly hours in Belize City yesterday. First it was the broad daylight murders of 20 year old Tevin Palmer and 19 year old Devin Parham. Both were killed in the span of 1 and a half daylight hours. But the street carnage did not end there. It continued last night with the murder 22 year old Michael Lopez. We told you about the shooting in last night's news but did not know the extent of the injuries. Well, it turned out to be murder. He was gunned down in front of his house on Jones Street in the St. Martin's Area- the second killing in that area in just over a week. And the gang element was at play again in this latest homicide. Even though Michael Lopez was no gangster - in the present climate, just living in a certain area can get you killed. Emanuel Pech has the report.

Tevin Was A Target
And while Michael Lopez was the third and last person to be killed in the five hour spree of violence in the city, the first was Tevin Palmer, who is linked with the George Street Gang. Police believe that his killing was a retaliation for the killing of Ghost Town resident Geovanni Gentle last Friday. 20 year old Palmer was sitting on a couch in a cramped Castle Street bungalow, eating noodles, his guard completely down- when someone familiar with the home, pulled out a 9 mm pistol and fired at least five shots in his direction. Today the inside of that house is completely gutted because someone set it on fire last night - likely an act of counter - retaliation.

Crime Scene Home Torched
So as we told you the house was burnt down and police are convinced it was arson. It happened some 20 minutes after midnight- about 9 hours after the fatal shooting of Tevin Palmer in the same address. For their own safety family had fled the building immediately after the shooting- so no one was injured in the fire. But just why would anyone want to burn down the house of a recent crime scene? Well that is what police are still trying to figure out.

Chester: Jobs Won't Solve Crime
So, what we saw yesterday was a series of lawless gang retaliations for recent murders. Commander Williams says that part of the reason for the flare up is because he hasn't been having his meditation sessions with gangsters for a few weeks and that accounts for the upsurge. You'll hear more about that shortly, but first to ACP Williams's grim take on the ruthless law of the streets - which dictates that there will be shootings and death no matter what police do, or what jobs are given:... ACP Chester Williams - OC. Eastern Division South: "We will never be able to stop all the shootings, no matter what we do. If we have a police at every street corner, it still won't stop all the murders and I have always said, it is the hard truth. The current generation that is out there giving trouble, they have sentence themselves to death. They are like purging themselves and I think that as a society we have done them an injustice, we have lost them. It's just a matter of time and one of the only way we could stop this is to see how we can begin to work on the other generation coming up, so that they do not fall the way how the current generation has gone.

Mediation Matters
But mediation is more urgent than anger management training. Normally those sessions would be activated after any shooting to squash retaliation. But, recently, Williams has put them on pause, and he says that's a key factor in this latest spurge of violence. Williams says he is reactivating imminently:.. ACP Chester Williams - O. C. Eastern Rural North: "But we are regrouping and will begin to do our mediations again very shortly. We must do a mediation because things on the streets right now are really tensed. We have some intense rivalries taking place right now on Southside Belize City, between the different factions of the gangs and if we do not meet with them, it will get worse."

Southside Needs Rides
But while mediation is one thing - having police on the ground is another - and, in a backhanded dig at northside police, Williams says he has to play checkers to keep up with the various gang flare-up's - and that shortage of resources may have cost a man's life last night:... ACP Chester Williams - O. C. Eastern Rural North: "We are seriously short of human resources and we have to be playing checkers. So with what took place yesterday, I had to withdraw some resources from the Martin's area, because we have now Banak, George Street, Southside Kraal Road fueling. So I have to find a way how we can maintain presence in those areas as well. So, the area where this shooting took place, we have two patrols there, but I had to withdraw one yesterday to be able to cover the Banak and Curassow areas. So it is a serious issue in terms of human resources."

Customs Officer Gets Off Gun Charge
He's a customs officer who told police he needs a sawed off shotgun for his work, but police said that Emerth Flowers had modified a firearm without approval of the commissioner of police. The 48 year old was remanded to prison for two weeks in July of 2014, when he was first charged. Well today his case went to trial before Magistrate Corlon Mendoza and it was thrown out. That's after his attorney Anthony Sylvestre, submitted that section 33 of the Firearms Act under which Flowers was charged does not apply to him -because he is a customs officer. Section 33 says that the act does not apply to any person in the naval, military, air or Volunteer Forces or in the Police Department, or in the Prison or Revenue Services of Belize carrying or using any firearm or ammunition in the performance of his duties. Magistrate Mendoza concurred and dismissed the charge.

Police And Media Meet In the Middle
All this week, you've been hearing jawing in the press between this media house and the southside commander Chester Williams. Well, it was all building up to a police-media meeting which was held today. That's where both sides put it all out there The media complained about the inefficiency of the police press office - and the police complained about the media's sensationalism. Two hours later, after both sides had their say, a truce was agreed upon, and concrete undertakings were given by both sides. Williams was all smiles when it was done:.. ACP Chester Williams - OC. Eastern Division South: "I must say that I am very gratefully for the attendance of the workshop today with the different media houses. I think that it's the way to go, that when we have issues we bring it to the table and we discuss it and we see how we could arrive at solutions to address those issues. When we have personality clashing and personality issues and we are out there making statements against each other, it does not help us."

Reef Score Card
For the past 4 years, we've shown you the Reef Report Card, which is known in the conservation community as the Meso-American Eco-Audit. It's a comprehensive assessment of all the different countries, Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and what they are doing to protect the barrier reef system that spans the Atlantic coastline. Well, the local conservation community decided to grade the Belize Government on what they're doing to protect the 7 World Heritage Sites which make up a part of Belize's portion of the Barrier Reef. For 3 years now, Belize has been put on an endangered list of countries which may lose these important environmental treasures because not enough is being done to protect them. So, they launched the Reef Score Card. They've chosen the categories, of oil, mangroves, costal development, environmental regulations, fisheries, and the World Heritage Status Value.

City Crime Oft Displaced To Rural
In our first segment, we told you about the trio of murders that happened in just 5 hours. First, 20 year old Tevin Palmer was shot 3 times in the head yesterday around 3 inside his Castle Street home - that is on the Northside. Then, an hour and a half later on Cemetery Road, 19 year old Devin Parham was gunned down. But the bloodshed did not end there, 3 hours later, Michael Lopez was also executed in the St. Martin's area… The intense gang warfare in the city is terrifying, but it is not only city police and residents who are concerned. Today, Assistant Commissioner of Police for Eastern Division Rural told us they have to be vigilant as well because it is those same gang players who move into the rural areas.

Cops, Kids, & Crime
But apart from being alert and making sure city crime does not pollute the rural area, Ladyville police also have to make sure their residents especially the youth, do not get caught up with crime. Today Broaster told us about an innovative business program that can help young people jump start their careers. ACP Edward Broaster - OC. Eastern Division Rural: "The Rural Eastern Division would like to launch its major summer program for 2016 which is a job creation fair. We are inviting young people to come with a novel idea for a business that is not common to the society, where they can present it to the Small Business Development Center, who will be vetting the applications and select 10 of the best presentations for us to have a job creation fair here at Ladyville in the Jonessa Jones Park. This will be done on the 17th of August. The deadline for the applications will be 22nd of July and the grand prize will be 5 thousand dollars. Now, we have partnered up with Restore Belize and Small Business Development Center, so that they can administrate the 5 thousand dollars and give training to those individuals who apply to win this 5 thousand dollars grant that Rural Eastern Division is putting up as 1st prize. We felt that we needed to organize something that would assist young people in a positive direction amidst all the mayhem that has been going on for the past month or thereabout and we feel like something of this nature will enlighten young people and try to get them to think positive and on the right track in terms of thinking business oriented and so forth."

BEL Blackout Blankets San Pedro
San Pedro town had an extensive blackout which went from last night all the way through to today. The island's power went at 9:17 pm due to a faulty substation breaker. Sounds simple enough, but technicians had to re-configure the substation to isolate the faulty equipment. Power was restored to customers during the course of today. It's a major inconvenience for the country's major tourism hub, and BEL will be having a town meeting on Monday, July 11 to discuss power problems.

CODICADER Commences
The CODICADER Central American Championships have finally started and a number of sporting disciplines were played all over the country today, from the Basketball competition in San Ignacio, Football in Belmopan to Table Tennis in Belize City. But how did the Belize teams do on their first day? Well this morning at the Belize High School Auditorium the Belize Table Tennis Association advanced to the next round - the Belize boys beat Honduras and the girls beat Nicaragua. The Technical Director for the Association evaluated his team's performance so far. We also spoke to the participants who led the team to victory. Belize's Table Tennis Team will play double and single matches tomorrow.

Volleyball in OW
And the female volleyball team is also making Belize proud in Orange Walk. Today the team told our colleagues at CTV-3 how proud they are to have advanced and how confident they will continue to be throughout the competition.

CODICADER Gala Opening
And while the playing of the games is about the competition, the opening is a cultural showcase for Belize. That was held this afternoon at the Marion Jones Stadium in Belize City - and it was a proud moment for the minister of state with responsibility for sports, Elodio Aragon. It's the first time Belize is hosting the game and it wasn't easy - but today he told the media it was a most worthwhile undertaking:... Hon. Elodio Aragon, Jr. - Ministry of Youth. Sports, Culture: "It's exciting. I think at the end of the day when you see all the people came in from yesterday and to participate at the games for CODICADER. It's a good feeling to know that Belize is for the 1st time ever hosting CODICADER. I think that speaks well of Belize. I think it speaks well of sports and it makes me feel proud to know that we are doing this together. These are some of the events that we need to host. We need to be recognized. We need to be exposed to the rest of Central America as an active member Central America and I think that when we look at CODICADER this is just 1 opportunity that we get to showcase our athletes and to showcase to Central America that we are capable to host such events and I think that the kudos goes to all those who have assisted in one way or the other, because I'll tell you this is a big logistic work ...

Stopping Foreign Fishers And Gillnets In The Sarstoon
Earlier in the news, we showed you the Reef Score Card which the local conservationists launched to assess the Belize Government on how it is managing the World Heritage Sites. Well, at that same forum, it gave them the opportunity to offer their position on illegal fishing and the use of gillnets. Now, recently, you've seen a lot of that illegal fishing from the Guatemalan fisherfolk who go into Belizean territorial Waters north of the Sarstoon. Whenever we take trips to the River, we always encounter them fishing well inside Belizean waters, but at this time, nothing is being done to stop them. But, those Guatemalan fishermen make use of gillnets, which are dangerous to other marine animals which they don't intend to catch. A few weeks ago, we showed you a humpback whale which died in the sea in front of Barranco Village. It was trapped in gillnets for weeks before it finally couldn't fight anymore. Oceana Belize has been consulting the different groups in the south, and there appears to be a consensus, the Government should consider banning gillnet fishing in Belize.

B. Pope Gets 2 Year Ban For Steroid
He's one of Belize's elite cyclists and in March Byron Pope came forward and told us that he had tested positive for a banned substance. Well, today the Regional Anti-Doping Organisation has handed down its sanction against him. They have decided to sanction Pope with a two (2) year suspension effective February 29, 2016 to February 29, 2018. The prohibited substances are more than one grouped under Anabolic Androgenic Steroid.

Channel 5

Bullets and Bloodlust in Belize City: 3 Men are Shot Dead In Separate Attacks
A volley of gunshots broke the silence in an otherwise peaceful neighborhood within the Saint Martin’s area on Wednesday.  The fatal shooting would round out a bloody evening as three [...]

An Arrest is Made in the Murder of Devin Parham
The gangland execution of nineteen-year-old Devin Parham, moments after the murder of Tevin Palmer on Castle Street, is strongly believed to have been an act of retaliation.  Parham was dispatched [...]

Was Tevin Palmer Killed By Persons Known to Him?
This morning, Eastern Division North of the Belize Police Department called a press briefing to apprise the media on the investigation into the murder of twenty-year-old Tevin Palmer, who was [...]

Arson on Castle Street; Residence Where Chicha was Killed is Torched
Nine hours after the murder of Tevin Palmer inside a house on Castle Street, that same house was on fire in a case of arson, allegedly to do away with [...]

A Coordinated Effort to Stem the Recent Crime Wave in the Old Capital
It’s been a while since there was a murder on the north side of Belize City. But in that vicinity of Barrack Road and Castle Street, we’ve reported several shootings [...]

The Need for Continued Intervention in Gang Warfare
Since the shooting death of Giovanni Gentle in the wee early hours of Saturday, interventionists have not met with elements of Belize City’s feuding groups to stage a mediation.  It [...]

Eastern Division Rural Prepares for Gang Flare-up
The city is on high alert following the recent gang murders and threat of more retaliations to come, but that vigilance isn’t restricted to that jurisdiction. Commander of the Rural [...]

Emmerth Flowers is Acquitted of Firearm Charges
Customs Officer Emmerth Flowers is tonight a free man after he saw two serious firearm related offenses withdrawn. Less than two years ago, on July thirty-first, 2014, police charged Flowers [...]

Local Media and Police Department Hold Roundtable
This morning, representatives from various media houses converged at the Eastern Division South Headquarters on Raccoon Street to participate in a special intervention with the police department.  The purpose of [...]

A Reef Scorecard for Belize’s Barrier Reef System
Today, various entities dedicated to the important work of preserving and protecting our natural heritage presented what they are calling a reef scorecard. It’s all about getting Belize’s Barrier Reef [...]

Is There the Political Will to Improve Belize’s Rank on Endangered List?
The gist of the report card session today is that the government is doing some things right, but there is more that needs to be done, and more that needs [...]

G.O.B. Scores Poorly on Environmental Regulations
Of the six indicators, G.O.B. received the worst marks in the area of environmental regulations. Candy Gonzalez was scathing in her evaluation, and told News Five that recent projects have [...]

Are Environmental N.G.O.s Being Extorted?
And while developers have an impact on the movement by G.O.B. entities like the Department of the Environment, Gonzalez says there is also a definite impact on the N.G.O. community [...]

A First-of-its-kind Community Meeting is Held Online
Community Policing meets Social Media in the Rural Eastern Division…it’s a brand new concept which seems to have taken off in grand style. Faced with having to deal with a [...]

Summer Program for Kids in RED Jurisdiction
And the innovation coming out of the Rural Eastern Division doesn’t end with that community meeting. That formation is also looking to keep youths occupied over the summer, with a [...]

Healthy Living – Student Life Before and After Stella Maris Part II
Last week, we introduced you to three teens who were a part of the 2016 graduating class of Stella Maris School. It is a big year for the school as [...]

LOVE FM

CARICOM’s 37th Regular Meeting Ends in Guyana with Expressed Support for Belize’s Sovereignty
The 37th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) concluded yesterday in Georgetown, Guyana following two days of meetings among member countries. This regular session signalled the start of a new Chairman in the name of Honorable Roosevelt Skerrit, the Prime Minister for Dominica who took over from […]

Belize and Guyana Plan for Further Cooperation
Belize and Guyana have signed an agreement that seeks to deepen commercial, economic, technical and cultural cooperation. The agreement focuses on cooperation in the areas of trade, investment, tourism, energy, marine affairs, education, agriculture, sports, culture, security, youth affairs and other sectors that may be viewed as mutual interests by the two countries. The signing […]

Missing Cheque Leaves from BEST Cashed Out
Earlier today we told you of monies that went missing from the Belize Enterprise for Sustainable Technology (BEST). It turns out that monies are missing, the question tonight, however, is from where? Six cheque leaves had gone missing from a cheque book for BEST and three of them were reportedly cashed at Heritage Bank branches […]

Gunmen Apprehended for the Murder of Michael Lopez
Two men were killed within hours of each other yesterday in Belize City. That was not the end of the violence as at around seventy thirty last night, another life was lost. Twenty two year old Michael Lopez of Jones Street was executed, reportedly by two perpetrators on a motorcycle. Today, Assistant Commissioner of Police, […]

Yearwood Says No Need to Fear the Streets
This morning the police from Eastern Division North spoke about the murder of Tevin Palmer that occurred yesterday evening on Castle Street. Inspector Hilberto Romero, Officer in Charge of the Criminal Investigation Branch gave the details stating that the deadly shooting started at a social gathering. HILBERTO ROMERO: “At 3am or 4am on Wednesday July 6 […]

Castle Street Home Scorched Following Palmer’s Murder
Hours after the murder of Tevin Palmer on Castle Street, the house in which the deadly shooting occurred was burnt down. Police have confirmed that it is a case of arson and are looking for suspects. Inspector Hilberto Romero, Officer in Charge of the Criminal Investigation Branch spoke about the fire. HILBERTO ROMERO: “Initial investigation so […]

Investigators Say Recent Murders Are Linked; One Person Has Been Charged
Yesterday’s second murder victim was nineteen year old Devin Parham. Parham was heading home from socializing with his cousin when they both came under fire on Cemetery Road. Parham’s cousin fled the scene unhurt however, Parham was not so lucky. He received multiple gunshots and died on the scene. Today, Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester […]

Collaboration Begins with Media and Police
Today a successful event called “Media Dialogue” with the Eastern Division South Police and the media houses of Belize City was held. Five media houses were present including Love News. The meeting was to discuss the ongoing relationship between the two parties, sharing ideas, and finding solutions to concerns. Issues such as covering more positive […]

Musa Wants Meeting with PM Barrow
The slaughter that took place on the streets of the old capital yesterday has taken three young men in its wake and has brought on anticipation of further heat on the streets as well as criticisms towards the Belize Police Department. With social media being the popular platform for responses and commentaries on national issues, […]

Rural Police and RESTORE Belize Recruit Business Minded Youth
This morning, the Eastern Division Rural Police held a press conference to announce their new initiative to promote entrepreneurship among the youth of the Belize District. Assistant Commissioner of Police Edward Broaster spoke about the initiative. EDWARD BROASTER “ The Division partnered with RESTORE Belize in this initiative. Mary Vasquez, spoke about the importance for […]

Breaking Belize News

Byron Pope doped; suspended for two years
Cyclist Byron Pope is out of competition locally and within the region for the next two years, after he was suspended by the Results Management Authority of the Regional Anti-Doping Organisation (RADO-CAM). Pope, a former KREM Classic champion and contender, failed a test following the […]

Belize Government rated fair in protecting Barrier Reef
Belize’s Barrier Reef has been listed on the World Heritage Sites in Danger since 2009, and is tipped to remain there when the UNESCO World Heritage Committee considering the issue meets next week. So how is Belize’s Government performing in enacting and maintaining policies that […]

Fire destroys City home, Police suspect arson
Fire officials are combing the remains of a home on B Castle Street that was destroyed early this morning by fire. Heather Foreman’s home became engulfed by fire around midnight. The 40-year-old’s neighbor informed officers that he heard dogs barking around 11:30 and shortly after […]

Three shootings, three dead on Wednesday in the city
The Belize City Streets were stained in red on Wednesday afternoon and night as three separate shootings claimed three lives. The first is reported to have occurred at about 3:00 p.m. when Tevin Palmer, 20, was reportedly shot inside his house on Castle Street by one […]

Boy police rescued from drowning dies
There is sad closure to a story we reported last week, where three police officers who are members of the Eastern Division (North) Strike Team were commended by their commanders for rescuing a 12 year old boy from the waters of the Caribbean Sea, after he jumped […]

Eastern Division (Rural) teams up with RESTORE Belize on job creation fair
Do you have a creative idea for a business? Then you may want to apply to the Police Department Eastern Division and RESTORE Belize to see if your idea can win 5 thousand dollars. The results will be displayed in August at a job creation fair […]

Northside Police chase suspects in murder, arson
Police in Eastern Division (North) seek three suspects in connection with the murder of 20 year old Tevin Palmer of Castle Street of Belize City and a subsequent arson at his residence. According to Superintendent of police Hilberto Romero, the men they seek are intimates […]

Mexican Producers block borders with Belize
Belizeans interested in traveling to Mexico today may need to reschedule their travels as agricultural producers have planned a road block at the borders of Mexico with Belize today as a form of protest to their government. Reports indicate that the Democratic Farmers Union (Unión […]

Blogs

Kids can have fun here too!
For children, summer vacation = no school, which makes it the perfect time for those long family vacations. Summer camps offer the perfect opportunity for your children to enjoy their time off while learning new skills and cultures! The northernmost district in the Belize is known for its rich Mestizo culture and each summer, the Corozal House of Culture hosts their Summer Art Wave Camp with this in mind. Youth from across the district are invited to participate in this free program, aimed at rekindling their cultural ties. Divided into three separate workshops, Summer Art Wave has something for everyone. If you find yourself in the heart of the Cayo District, the San Ignacio & Santa Elena House of Culture will also be hosting a Summer Art Wave Camp. Their summer program will include a Corn Leaf Doll Making Workshop (runs from July 4th to 8th and recommended for children 15 and over); a Theatre and Breakdance Workshop (runs from July 18th to 22nd and recommended for children 12 and over); and a Creole Drumming and Rhythm Workshop (runs from July 25th to August 5th and recommended for participants between the ages of 9 to 24). For information on how to partake in any of these fun workshops contact 824-0783.

Top Gun At the Truck Stop On Ambergris Caye: I Certainly Haven’t Lost that Loving Feeling
Talk to me Goose. Few movies epitomize the 80s like Top Gun…Raiders of the Lost Ark, Breakfast Club, Splash, Working Girl, Raising Arizona. I love them all. As someone born in 1973, the 80s were MY decade. So when The Truck Stop announced that they were showing iconic TOP GUN for their Wednesday night movie, I was all in. It’s such a super cool place to watch a movie, grab an ice cream cone and a drink and as soon as the sun sets…it’s curtain time. First I had to find out my call name with this Call Name generator. Maverick, Goose, Iceman, Slider, Jester and Lt. Rebecca “Suitcase” Coutant. Ugh. Better than any movie theater I know. We got there early…to watch the sunset. The place was PACKED about an hour later. I went for an ice cream dinner and then settled into my seat. The waiter service is so great during the movie – for drinks and food. What a beautiful place to watch ONE AWESOME MOVIE.

International Sources

Outsourced joy shared in Belize
In the village of San Joaquin, Belize, a leaky tin roof attempts to protect a family from the incessant summer rain. Three children sharing a bed fantasize about seeing “Finding Dory” on the big screen, but the nearest movie theater is in Mexico. It was in this tiny village that I struck gold. The treasure I discovered on a recent mission trip to Belize wasn’t a souvenir I squeezed into my suitcase. Instead, I carried it home in my heart, a single message: the joy of the Lord is our strength. I saw this message in the raised, shaking hands of a Belizean woman praying for her brother to know the Lord and be healed. I felt it resounding in the mealtime laughter of my teammates after an exhausting day. I heard it in the fervent cries to the Lord of “Gracias, Señor! Gracias!” at a prayer service.

The American gymnastics superstar set to steal the show at the Rio Olympics
It was more than a decade ago when Nellie Biles looked out of the window of her Texas house and saw little Simone perched on the mailbox. This was, apparently, something that Simone liked to do to entertain her friends. “She would climb onto the mailbox,” says Simone’s mother, “and flip off the mailbox. I didn’t realize she was doing it.” Nellie grew up in Belize and came to Texas to study to become a nurse but had no sports background. Simone, who played no other sports, got into gymnastics because she was “hyper” (Nellie’s word) and because she loved it. “I tried to get her to do something else and she wouldn’t,” Nellie said. “[Simone] was very easy,” she added. “Always wanting to have fun. Not a pouty child.” The ease – or apparent ease – is very much a part of Simone’s appeal. Her floor exercise is full of bounces as much as leaps, with the occasional sashay and the more-than-occasional smile. In fact, in the middle of a routine at the P&G Championships, she winked at Shawn Johnson, who was sitting in the stands.

CARICOM to create new prime ministerial sub-committee on cricket
Effective governance of Caribbean cricket has long been an issue under the radar of Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders and incoming CARICOM chairman, prime minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, told media operatives at a press conference held at the end of the 37th regular meeting of the conference of CARICOM heads on Wednesday evening that, having discussed cricket, a new prime ministerial sub-committee will be created. “There were two before; one on governance issues and one of the larger issues confronting cricket… this is a new committee on cricket mandated to examine all matters relating to the development of cricket which is a very wide area of concentration,” Skerrit said. In March, Grenada’s Prime Minister Keith Mitchell threatened to step down as chairman of CARICOM’s sub-committee on cricket governance, after being at the forefront of spearheading efforts to affect the restructuring of the West Indies Cricket Board. He also endorsed the 2015 Barriteau Report provision, which recommended the immediate dissolution of the WICB.

Regional leaders planning global conference on likely banking crisis
CARICOM leaders are planning a global conference in the Caribbean “in the not-too-distant future” to assess appropriate responses to issues related to corresponding banking relationships. Regional countries have warned that corresponding banks, which enable the provision of domestic and cross-border payments and terminated in some jurisdictions, could adversely affect their economic development and have been making representations to countries such as the United States in a bid to reverse the trend. Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, who is leading the CARICOM initiative, told the Caribbean Media Corporation that his committee would be recommending to regional leaders at their annual summit that ended Wednesday in Georgetown the staging “of a global stakeholder conference” to bring all the players together. “We are also looking at the possibility of engaging different advocacy groups in the United States and Britain to ensure that we get across our message effectively,” he said, noting that the Caribbean’s position could be further enhanced with the various charities and foundations complaining of their inability to do business because of the corresponding banking situation.

Videos

July 7, 2016

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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

EKG machine arrives to San Pedro
As for the delay in the machine’s arrival, Westby clarified that Customs were not involved in the situation, and apologized to Belize Customs and Excise Department. “It was not Customs fault. Many people were involved in the process, and there was a lot of miscommunication. The equipment was shipped to Miami [Florida, USA], and the supplier assumed that the MOH was going to send it. I am only in charge of the technical specifications, and not of the shipping, but it was miscommunication with the shipping company. Once we figured out where it was, we shipped it to Belize,” clarified Westby. Dr. Larrinaga expressed her relief upon receiving the machine, glad to replace their version. “I feel really excited because we need this machine to perform important diagnostics. It’s much easier for the doctors to get a conclusion, and especially to avoid referring a patient to a private clinic if it’s not necessary.”

Miss San Pedro High donates backpacks to her school
Miss San Pedro High School (SPHS) 2016-2017, Faith Noel, embarked on a series of projects aimed at benefiting her school, as well as the community. One of her goals was to donate quality backpacks to fellow students who couldn’t afford it, and it was accomplished on Friday, July 1st. Noel, along with her mother Tammy Lemus and Sandy Point Real Estate Sponsor Daniel Hartin, sorted out a total of 89 backpacks. In addition to the backpacks donated to SPHS, Noel reserved 19 for the June 26th fire victims. The backpacks were handed over to Vice-Principal Conchita Flota and Counselor Alexis Guerrero, who both expressed their gratitude to Noel for being the first beauty ambassador to start such an initiative at the high school. According to Guerrero, students who are on financial aid or a scholarship will qualify for a backpack. Students will remain anonymous, and Guerrero stated that so far she has 66 students who will be receiving a backpack. Incoming freshmen were also given a questionnaire so the faculty could determine if they are in need of financial assistance.

Local Organizations and Businesses provide Funds to send over 100 Belizean Youth to Summer Camp
Green Reef, a marine conservation non-governmental organization, for the third consecutive year, will undertake a four week summer camp at Camp Basil Jones on North Ambergris Caye adjacent to the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve. The summer youth camp programme aims to promote conservation and preservation of the Belize Barrier Reef as we work towards youth empowerment in Belize. The camp is being spearheaded by Green Reef in collaboration with the San Pedro House of Culture (NICH), Hol Chan Marine Reserve, and the Department of Youth Services with financial support from the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), BelizeKids.org, Finn & Martini, Blackadore Caye Resort, Oceana, Hol Chan Marine Reserve and National Institute of Culture & History (NICH). One hundred campers ages 11-17 from all over Belize will have the unique opportunity to participate in this fun-filled adventure and experience the thrill of a lifetime at a week-long summer camp. Campers will pack their bags and head to a rustic beauty beachside retreat, where they will indulge in over-the-top competitions inspired by classic camp games, learn about Belize’s marine natural resources and create unique art and crafts from sustainable materials.

Ernesto Caliz wins the Dia de San Pedro Karaoke Competition
Dia de San Pedro is aimed at promoting history, culture, as well as the island’s rich tradition. After a week’s worth of religious and recreational activities, Honorable Louis Sylvester Sporting Complex hosted some entertainment with the annual Dia de San Pedro Karaoke Competition on Thursday, June 30th. This year’s competition saw nine contestants, hoping to win the first place title: Sergio Aguirre, Ernesto Caliz, Cece, Wilmer Rivero, Javier Castillo, Lisette Gutierrez, Elizabeth Hobarth, Gloria Najera, and Pawa. From romantics to pop to reggae, all performers showcased their musical talents on stage, and sang their selected renditions of their favorite artists/bands. The audience played a vital role in the process as they were encouraged to root on the contestants that delivered a good performance. Among the judges were Yolanda Parham of The San Pedro Town Council, Dion Vansen of The San Pedro Sun and Javier Gutiérrez of Banyan Bay Resort. After much deliberation, the grand prize winner of $750 cash was declared as Ernesto Caliz. Javier Castillo won the second place prize of $500, and Sergio Aguirre came in third place, winning $250.

International Costa Maya Festival Presents Miss Guatemala
The sixth contestant for the Reina De La Costa Maya pageant has been announced, and she is the beautiful Miss Guatemala. Maria Jose Larrañaga Retolaza is a vivacious people-person, with a particular interest in social work. She also enjoys horseback riding, boxing, modeling, as well as traveling – especially to beautiful beaches! She is excited to represent her beautiful country at the Costa Maya festival, and looks forward to a fantastic show.

Ambergris Today

Soccer Superstar Messi’s Tax Fraud Links him to Belize
Messi and Father sentenced for tax evasion connected to Belize - Barcelona soccer player superstar Lionel Messi and his father Jorge Horacio Messi were sentenced to 21 months in jail for tax fraud that includes links to Belize. The Barcelona court had found Messi and his father guilty of using companies in Belize, Britain, Switzerland and Uruguay to avoid paying taxes on 4.16 million euros of Messi's income earned from his image rights from 2007-09. The income related to Messi's image rights that was allegedly hidden includes endorsement deals with Danone, Adidas, Pepsi-Cola, Procter & Gamble and the Kuwait Food Company. Messi will appeal the charges and vowed to clear his name. He told the court during the four-day trial that wrapped up on June 4 that he trusted his father with his finances and "knew nothing" about how his wealth was managed.

Misc Belizean Sources

70 (really ?!?) As secret as Secret Beach--shhhh
If you are 2 busy, do a golf cart fly by, wave and shout out Happy Birthday. Please share with Gonzo's Friends that I have missed. 70 only comes once in a lifetime Thank God! clock Friday, July 15 at 5 PM, Sandy Toes Beach Bar & Grill

Framework Agreement Signed Between Belize and Guyana
Today, the nations of Belize and Guyana signed a Framework Agreement to deepen commercial, economic, technical and cultural cooperation between the Government of Belize and the Government of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana. Signing on behalf of the Government of Belize, was Minister of Foreign Affairs Hon. Wilfred Elrington, and on behalf of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, was Vice-President Carl B. Greenidge. Areas targeted to deepen cooperation include trade, investment, tourism, energy, marine affairs, education, agriculture, sports, culture, security, youth affairs and any other area deemed to be of mutual interest by the two countries. Guyana, also involved in its own boundary dispute, has been and remains a key ally of Belize, and has always maintained strong views in support of Belize on the Guatemala-Belize territorial issue.

Heads of Government of CARICOM, representatives of Heads of Government, CARICOM Secretary-General and Chile President (centre)
At the Arthur Chung Conference Centre on Tuesday 5 July, 2016

URGENT NOTICE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC, BELIZE - DEPARTMENT OF IMMIGRATION AND NATIONALITY SERVICES
The General Public is hereby informed that with effect from Monday 4th July, 2016, applications for the following services are to be made at the respective district station: Passports Nationality Permanent Residence Note: Only 24 hrs, 48 hrs and Five (5) days services will be provided at the Immigration and Nationality Services office in Belmopan. Time frame for processing of passports: For applicants residing in the districts:- The Immigration and Nationality Services will ensure the processing and return of approved passports within a period of three (3) weeks - (15 working days) Applications accepted for passports in the Cayo district in Belmopan will be processed within a period of four (4) weeks - (20 working days) (Efforts will be made to reduce this time frame at the Belmopan Office) Through the use of the services at the district offices, we will be able to improve service delivery.

DIA DE SAN PEDRO 2016
On Wednesday, June 29, 2016, the San Pedro Town Council hosted the opening ceremonies for the Día de San Pedro festivities. The opening ceremonies included a blessing by Bishop Christopher Glancy, the welcome address by Mayor Daniel Guerrero, remarks by Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr., keynote remarks by guest speaker, Mr. Francisco Verde and closing remarks by Councilor Hector "Tito" Alamilla. Opening night was all about the kids! After the speeches the mascots from Fiesta Mundo from Belize city gave a spectacular show for the children with their favorite characters, Caillou, Elsa, Peppa Pig, Minnie & Mickey Mouse. Following the show, Ozzy the clown was next on stage with his magic tricks! He also had some moms dancing on stage with their daughters - the fathers weren't so brave. On Thursday, June 30, 2016, the second day, the festivities continued with the annual Dia de San Pedro Karaoke Competition hosted by the Reef Radio. This year the competition included nine (9) contestants: Sergio Aguirre, Ernesto Caliz, Cece, Wilmer Rivero, Javier Castillo, Lisette Gutierrez, Elizabeth Hobarth, Gloria Najera, and Pawa. The competition consisted of two rounds were all nine participated and had the choice of one song per round.

CRFM and Japan discuss new initiative for fisheries co-management and socio-economic survey
Milton Haughton, the executive director of the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM), met on Tuesday at the CRFM’s Secretariat in Belize City with Masaru Honda, team leader of the Japan-funded Caribbean Fisheries Co-management Project (CARIFICO) and chief advisor in the Fisheries Department in Saint Lucia. “The CRFM welcomes Mr Honda to Belize to meet with us, and we thank the government of Japan for their continued commitment and support for the sustainable development of the fisheries sector of the Caribbean region,” Haughton said. Honda, whose ties with the Caribbean go back 17 years, when he worked with a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) funded regional fisheries project implemented by the Caribbean Fisheries Training and Development Institute (CFTDI) in Trinidad and Tobago, said that he has enjoyed working with the Caribbean to foster the development of co-management arrangements with fishing communities.

BEL crews continue to examine overhead power lines in San Pedro to determine cause of power interruption currently affecting the entire island
Additional crews from mainland Belize are being mobilized to arrive on island by 6:00am to locate fault and assist with restoration. BEL apologizes to customers for this power interruption being experienced since 9:17pm Wed July 6.

Power interruption 8:00am to 4:00pm, Thursday, July 7, Orange Walk
Pasture Street, Pasadita Street, Cristock Street, Santa Familia Street, Belize Road, Blue Creek Street, Sittee River Street, Boundary Road and Palmar, Chan Pine Ridge, Guinea Grass, Tower Hill, Carmelita and Santa Martha. BEL to replace distribution structures & re-conductor 2 miles of distribution lines in area.

Mount Carmel 2016 Alboradas
Alboradas will kick off today, and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church is having theirs this Saturday, July 9th, at 4:00am. The Benque House of Culture will have a traditional breakfast immediately after. "Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Monte Carmelo Alboradas Starting July 7- July 16th 2016 July 7th - Amy & Lindsay Jeffrey & Family July 8- Mount Carmel Primary School July 9- Benque House of Culture July 10-Lesbia G.Martinez & Family July 11-Mount Carmel High School July 12-Nahib Hernandez July 13-Aracely Castellanos July 14-BRC Printing Ltd July 15-Martha Guerra July 16-Dia del Pueblo-Benque Viejo Town Council"

BAAS 2016 Success
The 14th Belize Archaeology and Anthropology Symposium was a huge success. Some of the best minds in the field came to present their research. The San Ignacio Resort Hotel proved once again to be the best venue for the symposium. NICH Opening Festivities pictures here. Institute of Archaeology pictures of the event here.

The U.S. Embassy sends a shoutout to these young entrepreneurs at Caye Caulker Ocean Academy
For taking charge of their future and planning for their education. If you happen to be in Caye Caulker this summer check them out!

Amandala

Youth ages 14-24 hardest hit by unemployment and under-employment
The recently released results of the April 2016 labor force survey conducted by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) indicate that the national unemployment rate is down from 10.1% last April to 8% a year later. Whereas this represents measurable improvement in the rate of joblessness in the country, Belizean youth ages 14-24, and particularly young females—most of whom would like to work in the services sector—still have a much harder time landing a job. The survey results were presented by Curwen Arthurs, Statistician I, at a press conference last Wednesday. Furthermore, among the persons who do have a job, the rate of underemployment is most pronounced among Belizean youth, ages 14-24. This means that they do not work a full 35-hour week, which usually translates into lower productivity and lower earnings. The matter of youth unemployment is a major concern now, as many recent graduates will join the unemployment line with thousands of their peers in the 14-24 cohort.

US banks sever ties with Central Bank of Belize, Governor confirms
Since last April, Belize’s financial sector has been hit by the loss of correspondent banking relations (CBR), and ties with the country’s Central Bank—which pays foreign providers for goods and services for the Government of Belize—have also been severed by two foreign banks—Commerzbank and Citibank, the latter taking action only weeks ago. Last week, the IMF issued a discussion note captioned, The Withdrawal of Correspondent Banking Relationships [CBRs]: A Case for Policy Action. The report cites Belize as one of the jurisdictions where only a few CBR providers remain, and even the Central Bank faces difficulties maintaining correspondent banking relations (CBRs). The IMF report said that “…the withdrawal of CBRs has reached a critical level in some affected countries, which can have a systemic impact if unaddressed.” It also added that, “Coordinated efforts by the public and private sectors are called for to mitigate the risk of financial exclusion and the potential negative impact on financial stability.”

Remembering Clifton B. Arthurs
After learning in early May that Cliff had fallen ill in his San Pedro, Ambergris Caye home, and after a stint in hospital in Belize had to be hospitalised eventually in Phoenix, Arizona, I assumed that the fighter in him somehow would weather it all, and he would still be here today. I was wrong. On 28th June, 2016, Cliff transited to a higher plane. And, his caring and loving wife, Joanne, his friends in San Pedro and Belize City, his relatives and friends in Fountain Hills, Arizona; Houston; Wheaton, Illinois; and New York will sorely miss his great smile, infectious bonhomie and genuinely good company. Clifton B. Arthurs was a Victoria St. Northside, Belize City native. He left Belize, then British Honduras, in the 1950s for the US, lived and worked in Wheaton, Illinois, for many years, and retired to San Pedro, Belize, in the 1990s. “Mr. Cliff”, as I knew him as a child, was one of the few, if not the only Creole owner of a truly magnificent estate in Belize. He was loved and respected by most everyone in San Pedro; and because of this and his gracious mien, his sister-in-law, Mrs. Muriel Laing Arthurs, fondly rechristened him “Mayor”. At a time when a number of Diasporan Belizeans assume that Belize is either too dangerous and challenging, or too “up in the air”, to permanently return to, thanks to the Guatemalan Sword of Damocles and the general idiocy surrounding the various permutations on this issue, it is truly heartwarming when former Diasporans like Cliff return to the land of their birth and make a success of living there.

Heart of a champion – Kaina Martinez
Whenever we talk about athletics, and the various track and field events, the signature event is always the 100m. Who is the fastest? The great sprinters are always the primary showpiece at athletic meets. And that’s why we all know who is Usain Bolt – the fastest man in the world. There are many other events, and many great athletes, but the 100m champion is usually the biggest star. Occasionally, there emerges an outstandingly dominant athlete in another event, like Michael Johnson was in the 400m; but from Jesse Owens to Carl Lewis, to Asafa Powell, and Usain Bolt, we all keep our focus on the 100m. In the females, there was Florence Griffith Joyner, and for a while our own Marion Jones, before she ran into problems. Jamaican sprinters have dominated the sprints for some years, with Shelly Ann Fraser Price the big star recently. In Belize, our queen of sprinting is a young woman from Seine Bight Village in Dangriga, who burst upon the track and field scene almost a decade ago, and has been our female sprint champion ever since. Kaina Martinez is the reigning 100m champion and record holder for Central America, a record she has held for over four years, and which she broke recently at the Central American Championships in El Salvador, where she won gold in the 100m, the 4x100m relay, and silver in the 200m.

Channel 7

Gang Warfare's Wednesday Explosion: Tevin and Devin Killed In Northside/Southside Retaliations
Belize City residents in gang zones are wary of retaliations tonight after two ruthless broad daylight murders – which happened just an hour and a half apart this afternoon. The first happened at 3:00 pm on Castle Street – which is on the city's Northside near Douglas Jones Street. 20 year old Tevin "Chicha" Palmer – who is known to be gang affiliated – was inside his home when a gunman stormed in and shot him three times to the head. It was an execution reportedly in retaliation for the murder of Jeovani Gentle which happened on Saturday night. 31 year old Gentle was form a gang affiliated neighbourhood on Banak Street. Our reports say the hit is a gang-sponsored retaliation – which, invariably lead to other retaliatory attacks – which may have already started to play out. But keeping it on Palmer's story – he was notorious in the streets, and in 2014 – when he was on remand for attempted murder, his brother Gerald was murdered, supposedly to get at Tevin.

Lawless: Murder On A Busy Street At Rush Hour
And less than an hour and a half later – there was another gang related murder – this one happened on the open street in a busy area of town – and it was likely an act of immediate retaliation. The victim this time was 19 year old Devin Parham. Parham was walking home on Cemetery Road – right on forn of Habet Hardware with one of his cousins when a gun man opened fire on them from behind. His cousin escaped but Parham was shot dead. Police responded quickly and managed to arrest the suspected shooter and recover his weapon. That's a major plus, but it's a very worrying state of in-security in the city tonight. This evening we spoke to ACP Chester Williams about the tense atmosphere of the city streets where he stressed that situation is not as chaotic as we might think.

Man Killed in Head On Collision With Bus
A man was killed in a collision near Independence village. 48 year old Jose Majano was heading to Bella Vista last night after 7:00 when he slammed head on into a James Express bus. The bus took a hefty hit and Majano's Wingle is barely recognizable. Today we traveled to Independence to find out what caused this fatal accident. Jose Majano was well loved and respected in Independence Village. Although he was a full time electrician, he had another job, one which he loved, and that was to mentor the youth in the village and to always be available to lend a helping hand. Gloria Munoz - Sister: "My brother was very loving you know caring about everyone, every nephew, every niece and neighbours and co-workers." And last night, after work, in that same spirit of kindness and selflessness, Majano was giving his co-worker, 21 year old Kevin Zuniga a ride to his home in Bella Vista. But he never made it to the village because he collided head on with a James Express Bus on the Savannah Road. The 7:30 James express was heading to PG and was to stop at the terminal about 6 minutes away but that is when Majano, coming in the opposite direction slammed into the bus while overtaking a horse and carriage.

Another Fatal Bus Collision
And the fatal accident Majano's sister referred to happened on Saturday morning on the Southern Highway. It also involved a passenger bus. 18 year old Bella Vista resident Carlos Duarte was speeding to Independence Village in a van he stole from his boss when he hit a stretch of road known as "Nuts Curve." That is when he rammed head on into a D&C Bus. Today the police told us more about this collision. OC Sherlet Ramclam - Independence: "About 5:40 AM in the morning the police received a call of a fatal road traffic accident on the Southern Highway in an area we call Luck's Curve and the police went out there and there they found out one Carlos Duarte of Bella Vista Village was driving a minivan, blue in colour heading towards Independence. Approaching the curve he crashed into a passenger bus owned by D & C bus service which does run from Bella Vista to Placencia and at the time he was coming in speed on the wrong side of the road right into the driver. There's no way on a curve a driver could avoid an accident like that."

UDP's Fonso Won Obeah Trial
After almost 2 months of deliberation, Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin handed down his decision this afternoon in the libel lawsuit brought by PUP's Myrtle Palacio against the UDP's Alfonso Noble. And, the judge has ruled that Alfonso Noble and the Guardian did NOT disparage her character with his article entitled "PUP Secretary General Endorses the Use of Witchcraft in Politics". Palacio made the entire trial about the Garifuna Culture. She and her attorney Said Musa tried to convince the judge that Noble and the Guardian Newspaper disrespected her and her culture when they printed the article. In response, Noble and his attorney defended against the claim that she wrongly interpreted the article, and that he did not commit a libel since he was making fair comments as a reporter. Well, this evening, the judge agreed and dismissed the case, ruling that Palacio must pay $5,000 as court costs for this case she brought. This afternoon, when we spoke with him, Noble was said he was pretty confident that he would win:

Fonso Fights For Fifteen Year Old's Picture As Acceptable
But while Noble escaped that libel case unscathed, it appears that he may have made an editorial mis-step. 2 weeks ago, he published the name and photograph of the 15 year-old shooter who shot Police Corporal Alrick Arnold while he was trying to excape a failed execution attempt in front of the Queen Street Police Station. As you will remember, we also had the name a photograph of that shooter, but we did not reveal it because of our policy not to reveal the identity of defendants who are minors. Well, Noble and the Guardian did, and apparently he did not know that there is a law which makes it an offence to do so. This evening, he tried to convince our Amandala Colleague, Rowland Parks, that there is no such law: Reporter: "To the best of my knowledge that is a violation of the Juvenile act." Alfonso Noble - Defendant, Editor Guardian Newspaper: "No Perks you have it wrong there is absolutely nothing in the law that says you can't publish a minor's picture. This is a gentleman's agreement or an agreement between the media houses and the NCFC and those childrens..."

Fatback Stabbed In Back
50 year old Eugene Webster – well known as Fatback – is recovering at the KHMH tonight after his stepson stabbed him. It happened this morning around 3:45 at his Los Lagos home. Police told us more today:… ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "Where police visited the home of Eugene Webster and found him lying on the floor with multiple stab wounds. The ambulance service was summoned and they came and took Mr. Webster to the KHMH where he was treated and undergone operation and now he is listed in a stable condition. Investigation reveals that he was stabbed by his step son; we are currently looking for his step son. The scene was processed and we observed that there were 4 knives used in the stabbing. Mr. Webster was talking I must mention at the time the police arrived and explained to the police officers that it was his step son that caused the wounds to him."

Rural Cops Vs. MIT?
Ladyville police should be able to solve that crime easily enough, but they're having a hard time putting the pieces together in a vehicle shooting that happened between Sandhill and Gardenia. Reports say that the Mobile Interdiction Team – which floats between all police zones – set up a checkpoint some time over the weekend in Belize rural. At some point a private vehicle was shot – but Ladyville police simply ended up with the vehicle, no report and no explanation. Today OC Broaster said it has been reported to the Commissioner because something's amiss:…. ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "We have not gotten any report from the individuals involved in this case as it pertains to that particular incident." Jules Vasquez: "So Professional Standards Branch then suggests it's an internal something?" ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "Because of the fact that we've found out that incident may have took place. We reported that matter upward. I will not say we are having a productive engagement with MIT. I believe that some procedures were not adhere to as it pertains to that incident." The vehicle was reportedly found with a small amount of hashish but not much else.

PUP's Eamon Courtenay Goes On The Offensive Against BTL Settlement
Ever since Prime Minister Dean Barrow announced the full details of the final BTL settlement with the Ashcroft Alliance, the Opposition has been criticizing it as a very poor deal. You've already heard from Opposition Leader John Briceno, and PUP Area Rep. Kareem Musa, and today, the party dispatched senior counsel Eamon Courtenay who was a guest on the KREM Wake Up Belize morning talkshow. For almost the entire 7 years that this dispute has been dragging on in court, Courtenay been one of the lead attorneys representing the Ashcroft Alliance. Today, we spoke to him after the talk show about his issues concerning the BTL settlement. Here's what he had to say: Sen. Eamon Courtney - Attorney: "I believe that the settlement was not in the interest of Belize; I think it took too long. All the things that the Ashcroft Group of Companies were asking for they got and I cannot understand why it is after millions upon millions of dollars have been spent in legal fees and millions of dollars in interest have been accrued that we just go to Miami and concede everything on the BCB loan concede virtually everything on the shares and agree to pay it all within a year. I think it's a complete concession by the government and I think the people of Belize want an explanation at the exorbitant 550 million dollars that has to be paid."

BTL Could Benefit From Smart's CCJ Case
So, while that brings some kind of end to the current round of BTL litigation, we also asked him about ongoing case over the other telecoms provider, Speednet. As we've shown you, Smart took the Public Utlities Commission all the way to the Caribbean Court of Justice, the highest court in the land. They continue to dispute the 792 thousand dollar-fee that the PUC says that they should pay for a number of frequencies which they used to conduct their business such as phone calls, text messaging, and data. The case is now awaiting a judgment from the CCJ since Courtenay, who represented Speednet, and Fred Lumor, who represented the PUC, have already argued the case to completion. But, we've since learned a few interesting facts. Firstly, Speednet has not paid these licensing fees for the past 5 years, and so they owe the utilities regulator a total of 3.96 million dollars. Secondly, BTL, which has a larger customer base and a bigger communications infrastructure, has reportedly also not been paying these fees. So they could well owe a few million more than Speednet, since the PUC hasn't collected from them in that 5 year period due to this challenge brought by Speednet. Courtenay explained it in detail to us today:

Cops Removed Youths From Crime Scene
Earlier we told you about shooting death of Devin Parham –which occurred just 1 hour and a half after the murder of Tevin Palmer. Now one thing that played out as police were cleaning up the scene on Cemetery Road was the arrest of two young men who had arrived to observe the crime scene. Today we asked the South Side Commander about that uncharacteristic detention. According to ACP Williams, this is also a part of their south side intervention strategy. Emanuel Pech: "Sir just before police finished clearing out the scene, the one in Southside a couple of young men were taken into custody by police. Might this be another form of intervention method to secure these youth that are associated with the victim to prevent anything from escalating?" ACP Chester Williams - O. C. Eastern Rural North: "Yes and I have said that we have two types of interventions, we have voluntary interventions and we have interventions where we actually pick up the young men and we intervene. Yes we will have an intervention which will not be voluntary, I have directed that they be picked up and they be brought here."

Cops Need Public Cooperation To Solve Murders
And while still on the topic of these two daylight murders in the city, ACP Williams also commented on the persistent problem they have been having in South Side Belize City with witnesses who don't want to come forward. As we told you earlier police have suspects in custody for those two back to back daylight murders. But can police successfully arrest, charge and prosecute them? ACP Chester Williams - O. C. Eastern Rural North: "Like I said before to every murder that took place we know who the killers are but knowing who the killers are we can't go to the court and say my lord we know the killer is so and so and you must convict him. We must have the element from the society those persons who have witnessed these crimes who must go to court and become witness and give evidence so that the court can judge the person. The court cannot go by what we have heard on the streets, they must have witness before them testify in court that testimony will be challenged by way of cross examination and based on that the court will make a determination. So in the absence of the witnesses to be able to come forward and give statement to the police, the police cannot arrest."

2 Years & No Progress In Ramon Sr's Murder Investigation
Tomorrow, July 7, makes exactly 2 years since Ramon Cervantes Sr., the patriarch of the Cervantes Family in Orange Walk, was found murdered in the Orange Walk District. His body was found dumped in a secluded area on the Honeycamp Road. Well, the family is frustrated that the investigation has all but stalled. Information reached them that the police officer, who's handcuffs were suspiciously found restraining Ramon Sr.'s body., has reportedly gone back to work. As you would remember, that police officer faced only disciplinary charges, when the family wanted to have him investigated as part of the crime. That inflamed the family, and today, PUP Standard Bearer Ramon "Monchi" Cervantes, son of the the murder victim, granted an interview to our colleagues at CTV3 News. Here's what he had to say about the reports that this officer has apparently completed his disciplinary punishment and been transferred out to Belmopan:

CODICADER Athletes Arrive In Belize
Delegations that will be participating in tomorrow's CODICADER games began arriving in Belize yesterday. Today we met up with the contingents of Honduras and Nicaragua as they set foot in the country- some of them for the very first time. We spoke to a few of the athletes, who were excited for the first ever CODICADER Belize tournament. Guatemala is the only country that will not have representation at this year's CODICADER games – and, unofficially, we understand that's a boycott. Now as the organizers begin to set the stage for tomorrow's grand opening, the burning question on everyone's mind is this: will the Sports Council be able to pull it off? After all, when we spoke to Sports Council Director Ritchel Dominguez yesterday, he told us that they were short of as much as $300 thousand dollars for their targeted budget.

Belize's Ahmadiyya Muslims Condemn Radical Islamist Terror Attacks
Today one of the Muslim communities in Belize City, Ahmadiyya, invited us to their headquarters as they celebrated the end of their 30 day fasting period. An event they call Eid-ul Fitr. After a brief prayer, they celebrated with a big feast, something many of these in the Muslim community look forward to, after 30 days of neither eating nor drinking during daylight hours. So while the Muslims celebrated this Holy day with a feast, this celebration comes at a troubled time for followers of Islam. Just this week members of the so called ISIS group coordinated attacks in Istanbul, Baghdad and the Prohpet’s Mosque in Medina. The president of the Ahmadiyya community in Belize spoke to us about the growing political stigma against Muslims around the word.

Channel 5

Late Afternoon Bloodbath Leaves 2 Belize City Men Dead
The police department, in separate jurisdictions, is working overtime tonight to quell the late afternoon violence that has erupted on the north and south sides of Belize City.  The first [...]

Another RTA Near Mango Creek Claims Life of Well-known Electrician
There was yet another fatal road traffic accident in southern Belize. On Tuesday night, a well-known electrician and father of two from Independence Village lost his life after the pickup [...]

Carlos Duarte Dies in Weekend Accident at Nuts Curve
There was a second fatal road traffic accident under the jurisdiction of the Intermediate Southern Formation of the Police Department. It occurred on Saturday morning and also involved a passenger [...]

More Accidents in Independence: Police Look at Interventions
That’s a total of three fatal accidents in southern Belize since the weekend, two in the Independence area alone. But Inspector Ramclam says that there have been many other traffic [...]

Eamon Courtenay Chides G.O.B. Over B.T.L. Settlement
On July twelfth, ten working days after the decision of the Permanent Court of Arbitration was handed down, G.O.B. will need to make a payment of about one hundred and [...]

Why Didn’t Government Challenge Validity of Accommodation Agreement?
The Prime Minister has vilified the Accommodation Agreement signed between B.T.L. and the P.U.P. administration of 2005. In fact, it’s been a main platform of every government campaign since 2008. [...]

Courtenay Says Trust is for Non-government Organizations, Not G.O.B.
At his press conference last week, Prime Minister Barrow claimed sweet victory and vindication on one particular point of the settlement – a claim that G.O.B. will have total access [...]

Should Eamon Courtenay be Criticized for Defending the Ashcroft Group?
So with all that said, can Courtenay himself be criticized for coming out so strongly against the settlement when he was one of the lead attorneys in the protracted litigation? [...]

S.S.B. C.E.O. Comes Under Fire from Within; Contract Won’t be Renewed
There is trouble brewing at the Social Security Board tonight, at the highest levels. First, there’s a memo indicating that C.E.O. Richard Flowers has opted to not renew his contract [...]

Chester Sets the Record Straight on Police and Media Relations
Is there a falling-out between the media and the Belize Police Department?  On Monday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, during a routine press brief, was openly critical of our [...]

Fatback is Stabbed by His Stepson in Los Lagos
Los Lagos resident Eugene “Fatback” Webster is currently at the K.H.M.H., listed in stable condition after he was stabbed to the neck, back and arm by his twenty-one-year-old stepson. It [...]

MIT Officers Accused of Opening Fire on Fleeing Vehicle, No Report Filed
There is also a curious case in the Rural Eastern Division’s jurisdiction, and it allegedly involves the elite Mobile Interdiction Team. What we do know is that there is a [...]

Did MIT Personnel Extort Chinese Businesspeople?
There’s another incident allegedly involving the MIT, and again, there is practically no official information. What we have heard, unofficially, is that in the past few days the MIT was [...]

Smart Awaits CCJ Decision on B.T.L. Case
Eamon Courtenay is also the attorney for Smart, currently waiting for a judgment in a case against the Public Utilities Commission at the Caribbean Court of Justice. It involves the [...]

Emergency Medical Technicians Participate in Refresher Courses
Emergency Medical Technicians from across various occupations are completing a refresher course this week.  The review program is put together by the Belize Emergency Response Team.  According to National Coordinator [...]

BERT Provides Training Opportunity for EMTs
Walter Santos, an EMT employed at Belize Natural Energy Limited, is among the group of technicians.  The update, he says, is necessary since his line of work in the oil [...]

Police Department Awards Outstanding Belize City Cops
The outstanding men and women of the Belize Police Department from various precincts across Belize City were awarded today for exceptional work in community policing and other aspects of law [...]

Young Athletes Arrive for CODICADER Games
Today, delegations from several Central American countries arrived in Belize to join their colleagues who will be participating in the CODICADER Primary School championships over the next week. It’s been [...]

LOVE FM

Two Mid-Afternoon Murders Leave 19 and 20 Year Old Dead
The gang warfare in Belize City has claimed two lives in one afternoon. The first incident occurred sometime after two o clock this afternoon where twenty year old Tevin Palmer was executed inside a friend’s house on Castle Street. A witness spoke to Love News and told us at the time of the incident, she […]

Courtenay Speaks on BTL Arbitration as a PUP Senator and Not Ashcroft’s Attorney
Today marks one week since the Prime Minister, Dean Barrow called a press conference to present the figures of the BTL Arbitration Award. With a total of over half billion dollars having to be paid out as a result of an out of court settlement that the Prime Minister agreed to with Lord Michael Ashcroft, […]

Accommodation Agreement Should Have Been Challenged, Says Senator Courtenay
It has been almost eleven years now since the famous Accommodation Agreement was signed in September 2005. Yet, the 31-page document remains alive as the debt it has brought to the country is an unprecedented half billion dollars. Prime Minister, Dean Barrow has laid the blame squarely on the Said Musa administration of 1998 to […]

PM Settled with Ashcroft Instead of Waiting for the CCJ to Rule
As you may or may not know, Prime Minister Dean Barrow did not wait for the final ruling of the Caribbean Court of Justice when it comes to the Belize Telemedia Arbitration Award matter. He resorted to meeting with Lord Michael Ashcroft overseas and they both came to a settlement. But had the Government waited […]

Electrician Succumbs in Road Traffic Incident
A road traffic accident sometime around seven o’clock last night has left one man dead and three other persons injured. The incident occurred on the Savannah Road on the Southern Highway, between miles 39 and 40. Independence Police reports that upon arrival at the scene, they saw a horse and carriage on the right hand […]

Belize Hosts CODICADER Games for the First Time
This morning delegations from Nicaragua and Honduras arrived in Belize for the Central American Council of Sports & Recreation (CODICADER) games. The games this year is a historic moment for Belize since it is the first time the country is hosting the regional games. The team from El Salvador is also in the country as […]

Athletes Arrive in Belize for CODICADER 2016
Over a thousand team members and technical staff were to come in today for the CODICADER Games but there has been a drop in attendance. Ritchel Dominguez, Director of National Sports Council says they have not met their budget as yet. RITCHEL DOMINGUEZ “We can’t say that we are short financially right now, what we […]

Chief Justice Rules Against Myrtle Palacio, Former PUP Sec Gen
This afternoon just after two o’clock the case between Alfonso Noble, the Editor of The Guardian Newspaper and the former Secretary General for the PUP, Myrtle Palacio wrapped up in the courtroom of the Chief Justice, Kenneth Benjamin. It is a story that began unravelling back in December 2014 when Palacio made some comments on […]

Cervantes Family Wants Closure on the 2014 Murder of Their Patriarch
The murder of Ramon Cervantes Senior in Orange Walk Town came as a shock to the community, friends and relatives on July 1, 2014. The incident also brought on an unprecedented political war particularly between Ramon Cervantes Jr and Gaspar Vega. Today, the Cervantes family issued a press release with the hope that some closure […]

Belize Youths Rank High in Getting Into Trouble with the Law, Says Drug Report 2016
A 130-page report was recently released focusing on the prevalence of drug use in 13 Caribbean countries as well as other contributing factors to drug use. The subjects who filled out the questionnaires were secondary and tertiary school students from a specific area of each country. For Belize, over one thousand nine hundred young persons […]

Breaking Belize News

Illegal immigrants charged in recent incidents
Two immigrants living in Belize illegally have been charged in separate incidents. First, Honduran 35 year old Jesus Santos was charged for theft after he was caught red handed stealing from a parked bus in the city. Allegations made against Santos is that yesterday, July […]

Murder and Shooting in Belize City
Belize City was rocked by two shooting incidents within hours of each other this afternoon. We start on Castle Street where a man was reportedly shot dead as he slept in his home. That incident took place around 2:30 this afternoon. We are told […]

CARICOM HoG meeting winds down, Belize hands over to Dominica
As the 37th CARICOM Heads of Government meeting winds down in Georgetown, Guyana, Prime Minister Right Honorable Dean Barrow’s six-month term as chairman ended on Monday night in favour of Prime Minister of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit. Among the major issues being tackled are correspondent banking relationships and American […]

CODICADER Games 2016 open on July 7th
The CODICADER (The Central American Council of Sports & Recreation) Games 2016 will be hosted by Belize and will open officially on Thursday July 7th at the Marion Jones Sports Complex in Belize City. Young athletes between the ages of 6 to 12 years from […]

GOB: We won’t pay another award
The Government of Belize must find 190 million dollars to see off that massive first payment to the Ashcroft Alliance. There appears to be a dispute over whether most of the money will be paid in Belize dollars from local reserves and domestic borrowing, or […]

Teens binge drinking, smoking tobacco and marijuana in high quantities
A report from the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs which compiles a comparative analysis of drug use among high school students in 13 Caribbean countries cites high rates of binge alcohol drinking and smoking of tobacco and marijuana among Belizean youths. Almost two thousand students between […]

Messi sentenced for tax evasion connected to Belize
International football star Lionel Messi, along with his father, was sentenced by a court in Spain on Wednesday to 21 months in jail for tax fraud. The prison sentence, however, is likely to be suspended since Messi is a first time offender and the conviction is for […]

Traffic accident on the Southern Highway Claims 1 life
A traffic accident that occurred last night has claimed one life. The accident involved a pickup truck and a passenger bus and happened near Independence in the vicinity of the junction to Punta Gorda. According to information received, another person is in critical condition. We […]

Blogs

San Pedro, Belize Hodgepodge: Orchids, Lingerie and An AMAZING Clean-Up
Yesterday was a GORGEOUS hot day…one to take a walk to town. I live almost 2 miles south and am WITHOUT vehicle. I’m not a biker – I’d rather NOT arrive somewhere drenched in sweat, I’m a walker…or a taxi taker ($7bzd to town) or one who will readily accept a ride from a passing golf cart. Yesterday, just a minute or two up the road, I stopped in to Grand Colony Island Villas to see if the summer orchids were out. And they were… Lots of these – they stick out on long branches from the plant and dangle in the air. Outside a friend passed and I hitched a ride to town. Passing the Roman Catholic School and the guy who sells fruit outside. This week’s specialty is kinep. On the south corner of Middle Street is a new store – lingerie and…adult items in San Pedro. And just yesterday I was wondering (with the NY bagel shop and the FIFA football field) what else? Star’s Island Fantasy. It’s a really nice shop with a wide array of items – from cotton pjs to more racy sets. Ladies who live here know that finding undies and bras is TOUGH – they have great things here.

International Sources

NOAA Outlook for Central America July 7 - 13, 2016
In the last seven days, seasonal rains continued throughout Central America, however below-average totals remained prevalent across many anomalously dry regions. The highest weekly precipitation accumulations (>300mm) were received throughout some areas along the Atlantic coastline of Nicaragua. Other regions receiving high rainfall totals include the Gulf of Honduras region, Pacific facing departments of Guatemala and throughout El Salvador. Other areas received lighter, below normal, rainfall. These include western Nicaragua, central Honduras, and the higher elevations of Guatemala. Since the end of May, seasonal dryness continues to remain entrenched across many central regions of Guatemala and Honduras. Though many of these areas have experienced a normal number of days of rain during this span, several weeks of below-average totals have led to many areas experiencing between 50 to 80 percent of their normal rainfall accumulation over the past three months.

BELIZE FISHING REPORT: Week of June 26th – July 2, 2016
A quiet week at the lodge giving us all time to get to know the guests even better! Alexander returned to El Pescador after being here just 2 months ago. Luckily he brought his good luck charm ( Ivy). Ivy loves the yoga class down the beach, reading by the pool and welcoming Alexander back from a hard day of tarpon fishing. Two tarpon to the hand for Alex this trip, so I would say it was a great success. Mike and Craig were also successful when it came to the silver king.

Will Fortis Inc Run Out of Steam Soon?
The stock of Fortis Inc (TSE:FTS) reached all time high today, Jul, 7 and still has $74.81 target or 68.00% above today’s $44.53 share price. This indicates more upside for the $12.67B company. This technical setup was reported by Barchart.com. If the $74.81 PT is reached, the company will be worth $8.62B more. Trading stocks at an all time highs is usually a winning strategy. An all time high points to a stock which has the most positive fundamentals ever. Even thought the pullback rate is high, if correct risk management is utilized, investors can trade very well such events. The stock increased 0.68% or $0.3 on July 6, hitting $44.53. About 1.14M shares traded hands or 22.71% up from the average. Fortis Inc (TSE:FTS) has risen 20.06% since November 27, 2015 and is uptrending. It has outperformed by 20.13% the S&P500. Out of 8 analysts covering Fortis Incorporated (TSE:FTS), 7 rate it a “Buy”, 0 “Sell”, while 2 “Hold”. This means 78% are positive. Fortis Incorporated has been the topic of 13 analyst reports since August 4, 2015 according to StockzIntelligence Inc.

Videos

July 6, 2016

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

Fisherman drowns in Northern Ambergris Caye while fishing
The San Pedro Police Department have confirmed a drowning incident that occurred on Monday, July 4th along the northern coast of Ambergris Caye. 32-year-old Guatemalan National and resident of San Mateo, Noel Polanco, was fishing with a John Carlos Castillo when he drowned. Polanco was transported to San Pedro Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His body is now at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City, where a post-mortem examination is scheduled to take place to verify the cause of his death. According to an official police report, Polanco and Castillo were fishing in a kayak, when all of a sudden the kayak began taking in water. When they tried to bale the vessel, the kayak turned over. According to accounts from Castillo, Polanco was in the water swimming for about 30 minutes before he became tired and went under. He was found about five to seven minutes after going under water. He was rushed to the Polyclinic where he was pronounced dead on arrival. No signs of injury were observed on the body, and foul play was ruled out. Polanco is survived by a host of family and friends.

Misc Belizean Sources

BELIZE HOTEL ASSOCIATION HOSTS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The BHA held its Annual General Meeting on Thursday June 30, from 1:30 PM- 5:30 PM, at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza in Belize City. Present were members of the BHA and other Tourism Stakeholders and guests who came from across the country, to receive information on the activities of the Association during the past year, and to listen to the dynamic guest speaker, Mr Frank Comito CEO of the Caribbean Hotel Association. Also in attendance were Mrs. Karen Bevans, Director of Tourism- BTB, Ms. Karen Pike, Director of Marketing- BTB, HE Ambassador Oliver del Cid, Ambassador of Belize in Mexico, Mr. Abil Castaneda, CEO- Ministry of Tourism, and Mr. John Burgos, Executive Director of the BTIA. Mrs Leisa Carr-Caceres, President of the Belize Hotel Association gave the President's address, followed by the Financial report, by Mrs. Shakira Oxley Tsai. Master of Ceremonies was Mr. Ernesto Vasquez, who kept the audience entertained and the meeting flowing with his energy and enthusiasm.

Paint N Splash
Join us to paint this abstract octopus on July 7th, Thursday @1:30. For our regular customers please bring your sharpie markers and detail brush. Hey Guys don't flip painting will still begin at 2 but I am making the time advertised 1:30 so that I have time to prep for last minute show ups. If you are officially signed up painting will begin punctually at 2. Try and bring a rag please.

2016 Caye Caulker Lobster Festival
Some really nice pics of Lobster Fest here

Ocean Academy welcomed San Pedro High School's Principal and Department Heads
For a site visit to learn more about our initiatives in social enterprise, personal education plans, applied learning class curriculum and the Ubuntu internship network. After a lunch meeting with Ocean Academy's Principal Curry, the SPHS team went out with two Ocean Academy students to experience firsthand Kayak with Purpose. We hope this is the first of many collaborations between our island schools.

Order Your Basket at La Isla Cariñosa Academy
Another basket completed, freshly made; this one is a laundry basket with cover ($80). If you order, we can make and deliver to you. You can even stop by and see it made. Need a tortilla basket, trash basket, laundry basket, fruit basket, bread basket or basket for anything. Any shape and size. Order and we will deliver in a day or two. Call 226-0101 or 668-7512 to order.

Power interruption 6:00am to 2:00pm, Sunday, July 10Entire San Pedro, Ambergris Caye. BEL to conduct critical maintenance & testing of equipment & replace power transformer at the San Pedro Substation.

Trade Market Components Seminar
The Belize Bureau of Standards and Belize Agriculture Health Authority will be some of the presenters today, Wednesday the 6th, at the Trade Market Components working session to be held at the Cayo CET. It starts at 9:00am.

Fiesta de Nuestra Señora de Monte Carmelo- Alboradas
Starting July 7- July 16th 2016 July 7th - Amy & Lindsay Jeffrey & Family July 8- Mount Carmel Primary School July 9- Benque House of Culture July 10-Lesbia G.Martinez & Family July 11-Mount Carmel High School July 12-Nahib Hernandez July 13-Aracely Castellanos July 14-BRC Printing Ltd July 15-Martha Guerra July 16-Dia del Pueblo-Benque Viejo Town Council

Channel 7

Bze Teens Binge Drinking And Tobacco Use Among Highest in 13 Nation Caribbean Survey
We all know drinking and smoking is almost a rite of passage for some high school students - but a new study shows how alarmingly widespread alcohol, marijuana and tobacco abuse are among teens and pre-teens. It is a report from the Inter-American Observatory on Drugs which compiles a comparative analysis of drug use among high school students in 13 Caribbean countries. Belize participated fully and almost two thousand students between the ages of younger than 14 and older than 17 were asked a long list of questions about drug usage habits. The 132 page report is loaded, but some of the statistics that jumped out at us include this one about binge drinking - which means having had five or more alcoholic drinks in the last two weeks. 21.9% of the Belize respondents said it had happened once, 16.4% said it had happened two to three times, while 6.4% said it had happened four to five times - which is the highest amongst any of the 13 countries. And then there's heavy binge drinking which is defined as four or more binge drinking episodes in 2 weeks. Guyana at 17.1% and Belize at 13.6% are the countries with the highest prevalence of heavy binge drinking. Moving now to cigarettes, Belize's respondents were also among the very highest in terms of who all had tried cigarettes. A third of the respondents, said they had tried a cigarette in their lifetime Belize was also among the highest when asked about using alcohol in the past month. Just about a third of the respondents said they had - which tied Dominica for the highest incidence.

Deviant Lab Tech Gets Three Years
48 year-old Albert Genitty, a medical technician who was employed at a NHI clinic in Belize City, is at the Belize Central Prison tonight. He's spending his first night of a 3 year sentence after being convicted today in the Magistrates Court of sexual assault on a patient. The victim, a 27 year-old woman, testified that on January 23, 2015, she went to the NHI clinic to give a blood sample. She says that Genitty convinced her not only TO give the blood sample, but also a vaginal swab. She told the court that while Genitty was supposedly taking the swab, he had his head between her legs, at which point, he tried to perform oral sex on her. She said that she realized what was happening, and she pushed him away. The Manager of the clinic also testified in the trial that Genitty is actually a phlebotomist, and his responsibilities are to only collect blood samples. The Manager testified that at no point is he authorized to perform vaginal swabs, though he does have the training to do so.

More Charges For Jex Jr
More charges were brought against Paul Jex Jr. today in court. Those include aggravated burglary and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary. Yesterday, Jex Jr. was only charged with rape. These charges are all in connection with the brutal home invasion at Sarkis Bou Nahra's Burrell Boom mansion in December 2015. As we told you, DNA results sent back to police from Miami confirm that Jex raped the main not Tyrone Meighan. So the rape charges brought against Meighan will be dropped. Police are still waiting more DNA results to find out which other man sexually assaulted the maid. Jex has been remanded until September 15.

Jingo Jimmy & The Genocidal Military
Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales and his foreign minister Carlos Raul Morales are in the habit of calling the BDF "unprofessional" - but what military values do they really uphold? President Jimmy Morales is being criticized for some very controversial comments on Sunday, July 3, when he praised the Guatemalan Army, calling their work "exemplary". As we've reported, this is the very same Army which carried out the genocide of over 200 thousand Indigenous Guatemalans during the 1960-1996 Civil War, a period of military repression in that country. He was speaking at an official ceremony for Celebration of the Guatemalan Army Day. Seen here, Morales was photographed marching with very senior military officials including his Defense Minister, Williams Mansilla, who's on his right, and General Juan Manuel Perez, the Chief of the Guatemalan Armed Forces, who at the front in the far left of your screen.

CARICOM, Cari-gone
Last night in Georgetown, Guyana, Belize formally handed over the rotating chairmanship of CARICOM to Dominica. Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who was acting as the interim chairman, did not attend the opening ceremony of 37th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government. He was represented by Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington, who handed over chairmanship to Dominica's Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit. Belize has been acting as chair for the last 6 months, when the American Tier 1 banks began ending their corresponding banking relations with domestic banks in a number of Caribbean Nations. AND, while that threat to the CARICOM financial system worsend, the big issue right now is how will Britain's exit from the European Union affect the Caribbean.

GOB Deflects
The Prime Minister didn't attend presumably because as Minister of Finance he has to oversee that massive first payment to the Ashcroft Alliance. It's 190 million dollars, and Government has to pay it through the use of reserves and domestic borrowing. It's not going to be easy - and the only simplifying factor is that a large chunk of it can be paid in Belize dollars - as part of the settlement with the Ashcroft Alliance. But can it really? We've heard reports which say that the Alliance is demanding that it be paid in US dollars - which would open the way for another dispute with government. And to add to all that, there's still unsettled business between Government and the Ashcroft Alliance. There is still a pending dispute in a US court where Belize may have to pay the Alliance over 80 million dollars. Last week the Prime Minister said that one they will not pay:..

Chester The Jester Or Jules The Fool?
Turning now to media news, last night you may have heard Assistant Commissioner Chester Williams go on his spiel against our News Director Jules Vasquez. He accused Jules of sensationalizing crime. Now, no harm, no foul, we take his criticism at face value - but Jules Vasquez says that what worries him is the apparent fracture in police media relations - which showed again last week when the Commissioner of Police took a shot at Amandala and Channel 5. Jules discussed it today:.. Jules Vasquez: "His statement and the remarks of the Commissioner the previous week, indicates that there are a very serious fracture, a rift in the relationship between the media and the police. Now, there has always been antipathy or a disharmony between these two groups, the media and the police. To some extent we have to be adversarial, but to have two of the most senior officers, the number one in charge and the number three or four in charge, make such extraordinary go out of their way to make attacks on the professionalism and the conduct of the media within one week. I think it's certainly is caused for concerned and lamentation that something has to be mended in this relationship and I would have hope that that would have happen today. Mr. Williams, we've been exchanging emails about this very same lack of harmony and Mr. Williams had indicated that today, he would have the media at the police station to aired out our grievances and move forward."

ASR Comes Through For CODICADER
Last week it was BWS that was making a generous financial contribution to the CODICADER initiative. Today ASR decided to pitch in with a sweet donation- as sweet as sugar you could say. A grant of $12,500 dollars was handed over today at a very brief ceremony at the National Sports Council Office in Belize City. William Neal, the Communications and Government Affairs representative for ASR/BSI was present to hand over a check which will be used to cover costs of purchasing sweat-suits for the kids representing Belize at this year's CODICADER games. William Neal - Comm./Gov. Affairs. ASR/BSI: "Generally ASR is one of the companies especially in Orange Walk, that whenever there are any sporting events or any community events that is approached very often for funding, they have a committee that looks at where the monies will serve the communities best and generally because we work with farmers who are, in terms of a localized area, either from Orange Walk or Corozal, we look at maximizing that. This year we looked at where it would have the most impact and definitely contributing to this initiative twelve thousand dollars plus. It was definitely something that we saw as worthwhile given the fact that we do have sports being organized but it's not with an international flair that would expose our young people to competitions and competitors from throughout the region. So, we thought that this would be a worthwhile initiative to support."

CODICADER Effort Still Short 300K!
So while hosting the games is one thing, participating and even competing in the tournament is quite another. So it begs the question, are the Belize delegates well poised and ready to take on the players from the region in their own home court? We asked Dominguez today about the players in the Belize roster and if he believes that this roster will ensure that a few medals remain at home. Here is what he told us. Ritchell Dominguez - Dir. National Sports Council: "Yes all rosters have been in yesterday, was the deadline for every country to send in their rosters and we vet them. What will happen this evening is that we are going to share different rosters with different countries. Belize is going to check El Salvador, El Salvador is going to check Honduras and this is what is going to happen this afternoon. I know we'll be up late this evening to vet them but we are ready and willing to go." Emanuel Pech: "That's 1 thing to host the event, it's another to participate and to actually compete in the event. Are you satisfied with the roster that you have that we will be able to show a little competition in these games?"

CODICADER Opening Rich With Talent
And while that generous donation will help the teams gear up for the games, NICH is also preparing for their grand opening show for the CODICADER Games on Thursday. Now usually, all the formalities of an opening ceremony are exhausting but the Communications and Marketing Officer from NICH told us today that the show they have planned will blow you away. Holly Edgell - Comm. and Mktg. Officer, NICH: "Belize and there's never a dull moment it seems when you come from June through the end of the year and one of the next things coming in our calendar is sports related but NICH has a role in it. So, that is the Codicader opening ceremonies on Thursday and the reason why we are involved is that the institute for creative arts is producing the entire opening ceremony. So, this is not going to be just some kids coming in, sing the national anthem and go home. This is going to be a show that really embraces the children from all over Central America. Remember, these are kids, these are ages 6 to 11. So, these are young kids who are coming really for sportsmanship for participating and it might be their 1st trip out of their home country and for Belize players this may be for the first time competing on the international level.

Senator Stays Low In Manslaughter Trial
38 year-old Elario Eligio, who was charged with manslaughter for the death of his drinking buddy, John Myers walked free today after he was acquitted. Eligio was accused of punching Myers in the face, which caused the 52 year old to fall to the ground. He hit the back of his head, and the force of the impact killed him. Well, after waiting for his trial for 4 years, Elijio was prosecuted by Crown Counsel Kileru Awich. The prosecutor tried to prove that that on February 27, 2012, Elijio caused the death of John Myers. The main prosecution witness took the stand and refused to cooperate. That happens every day, but that main witness was Senator Ashley Rocke, and in the immediate aftermath of the incident, Senator Rocke gave police a written statement that he saw the entire thing through his church office window. But, when he was to provide those details to the court today, he didn't cooperate.

American Airlines, Britain To Belize In Same Day If You Can Bus' Through ICE
For decades visitors travelling from Europe to Belize have run into a hurdle. To get here they have to spend an overnight in Miami or Houston, or Newark, Cancun or any of the other US hubs connecting to Belize. But American Airlines says they are changing that with a new flight that launches in November from Heathrow Airport on London. It doesn't fly directly from London to Belize - but the new afternoon flights departing from London Heathrow will have a few hours' connection in Miami onto Belize City. We stress, it is not a direct flight, and anyone who's travelled knows that with flight delays, and long TSA lines, a few hours for connection is often not enough. We're told that the PGIA may also have to activate an extended hours operation at the PGIA - which is also not a sure thing. Nonetheless, the flight launches on 4th November 2016, to coincide with Belize's tourism season. It will operate four days a week on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

It's Not The Singer, It's The Song
Over $35,000 will be given as prizes for this year's National Song Competition. The submission period has opened and people are already uploading their songs in both the Carnival Song and Patriotic Song category. Today Communications and Marketing Officer from NICH Holly Edgell told us more about the expectations of this year's song competition and what you can do to come out on top. The deadline for submission is July 22nd. You can submit your songs and vote for your favorite songs on mynationalsong.bz. If you have any questions you can email ica@nichbelize.org or call 2272120. For the senior category 1st place walks away with $10,000 , a trophy and an opportunity to produce a music video. For the Junior category , 1st place gets $4,500, a trophy and the music video and 2nd place is $1,000 and a trophy. Make sure to submit your songs by July 22nd. On a final note, the Junior are advised to email or call to get help to pick a song and to get prepared for the big stage.

Camping Experience In The Hood
If you've heard anything about the fund raising initiative called Harvest for Kids, then you'd know what what BCE is. It's the Belize Camping Experience and today they were on the ground conducting full week camps for kids across the country. We joined them today in the Jane Usher area. BCE is hosting 6 to 7 camps this summer.

Mischievous Man Fined
33 year-old Alvan Myvett, who went to the police station and reported that he was held up by armed thieves, was fined today after he admitted that he made the entire story up. Myvette, who works at Bluefield Range Caye, reported to police that on June 26, while he was at the fishing camp owned by his boss, 8 robbers, 2 of whom were armed, held him up at gunpoint. 8 days later, he went back to the police station and told the police that he made it all up. So, they charged him with the offense of mischievous act. When he was arraigned today, he pleaded guilty to the charge and told Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer that he recanted the report because he didn't want innocent people to get hurt. For the fiasco, he was fined $150 to be paid by August 15, or he will spend 1 month in jail.

Belize Kids: Weed Widely Used
At the top of the news we told you about the comprehensive study on alcohol, tobacco and illegal drug usage among Belizean teenagers and pre teens. The figure for binge drinking and tobacco use were most alarming for Belize - which, worryingly, led the region in those areas. Well, what about marijuana, the study shows it is the most widely used illegal substance among youths in the Caribbean. Almost one quarter of the nearly two thousand respondents said they have used marijuana in their lifetime - which is on the high side when compared to other countries. It was lower in Jamaica where small quantities of marijuana is legal. Belize's students also ranks high for having used marijuana in the past year, with even 10% of 14 year olds and young saying they had used in the past 12 months. Usage was higher amongst males.

Sugar Situation
Earlier you saw us speaking with William Neal as a representative of ASR/BSI. Today we asked him a few questions about the sugar cane season in the north ended last week Sunday. And while it wasn't a very good crop season, it certainly is, if nothing else, a wakeup call for farmers and producers a like to tighten up especially now with the new changes to the European market. William Neal spoke to us briefly about this matter today. William Neal - Comm./Gov. Affairs. ASR/BSI: "In terms of a figures we do have...I am not a figures person. This has not been a bumper year when compared to last year in terms of production and we know definitely in terms of prices on the world market, last year it was 70 dollars plus. This year it's only 40 something dollars plus. We still don't have a final figure as yet, but compared to where it was last year we've seen a sizable decrease and it just begs for efficiencies to be increased in terms of a sustainability for the industry itself and particularly not only for the mill, but also for the farmers as well. So, it's a great opportunity for us as we prepare for 2017 and the changes within the EU regime to actually go back and look at the industry collectively and see how interconnected we are and what would be the best steps to look at, for example, harvesting and delivering, that's still a very antiquated system. Whether we move to mechanized farming or harvesting and whether we can do a better job of bringing the cane to the mill and make it more efficient."

Channel 5

An Arson in Mahogany Heights; Is it Related to the Murder of Jasmine Petillo?
A family of eleven in Mahogany Heights is tonight homeless after the place they called home was gutted by fire this morning. Sometime around five a.m., Elstwin Willoughby, his wife [...]

A Sense of Normalcy One Week After Devastating Fire on La Isla Bonita
It has been a little over a week since a devastating fire in San Pedro virtually leveled an entire block near the heart of the downtown area.  The inferno gutted [...]

Compre Family Mourns Deceased High School Teacher
Tonight, Roaring Creek resident and teacher, twenty-eight-year-old Jodine Gill and her thirty-year-old colleague Dania Portillo remain hospitalized at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, recovering from varying degrees of injuries sustained [...]

Vice Principal Says Several Attempts Were Made to call for Ambulance
At five-thirty this evening, the administration of the Belmopan Comprehensive High organized a vigil at the school compound as a remembrance for Escoto. Residents, as well as former students, are [...]

Sports Council Receives Much Needed Donation Ahead of CODICADER Games
With the start of the 2016 CODICADER Games less than three days away, final preparations are being made to ensure that Team Belize maintains the best chance of excelling in [...]

ASR Says Donating to Sports Council is Worthwhile Initiative
The cheque was presented to the National Sports Council by Communications Director William Neal.  According to Neal, ASR/B.S.I. decided to make a contribution towards the initiative primarily because it will [...]

How Ready Is Team Belize for CODICADER Games?
The opening ceremony for CODICADER 2016 will be held at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex on Thursday evening and is being organized by the National Institute of Culture and History.  [...]

Belize Relinquishes Pro Tem Chair of CARICOM to Dominica
CARICOM Heads of Government are currently in Georgetown, Guyana for the thirty-seventh Regular Meeting. In addition to regional matters up for discussion, Belize will also be handing over the chairmanship [...]

Elario Elijio is Acquitted of Manslaughter Charge
Today, thirty-eight-year-old Elario Elijio walked out of Supreme Court a free man after four years on remand for the death of John Myers in 2012. Elijio and Myers were drinking [...]

A Female Cop is Assaulted Outside of Popular San Ignacio Nightclub
A female Police Officer is tonight recovering from injuries she received when a group of persons assaulted her. WPC Tracy Stevens was doing extra duties at the Blue Angels Nightclub [...]

A Phlebotomist at NHI is Imprisoned for Sexual Assault of Patient
Albert Genitty, a phlebotomist employed at the NHI clinic in Port Loyola, will spend three years behind bars after he was convicted today of sexual assault of a customer at [...]

Paul Jex Jr. is Remanded for Rape of Burrell Boom Woman
More than six months after he was charged for a sensational home invasion in Burrell Boom, Paul Jex Junior is back behind bars, charged with rape during that same incident [...]

Smart Hosts Annual Football Summer Camp
School is out and summer camps are in.  Across the country, various organizations are hosting recreational events for children who are presently on vacation.  Over the next few weeks we [...]

LOVE FM

CARICOM Heads of Government Talk BREXIT in Guyana
Belize’s Foreign Minister, Wilfred Elrington is heading a delegation to the 37th regular meeting of CARICOM Heads of Governmnt which is taking place in Georgetown, Guyana. While there, Minister Elrington was able to update journalists from the Miami Herald, Associated Press and the regional media, on the Belize Guatemala differences and also the derisking challenges […]

Former Guat Minister Suspected to Be Hiding in Belize
Last month saw three senior Cabinet Ministers of Guatemala arrested on charges of corruption as authorities looked for two others. The ministers reportedly served under the former President, Otto Perez Molina who has denied the charges of money laundering and conspiracy. Tonight, Love News understands that Guatemalan authorities may be looking to find the former […]

Remembering Renigius ‘Jess’ Flores
Easter 2016 was one of the final performances carried out by 57-year-old, Renigius Flores who went by the stage name, Jess Flores. Flores passed away on June 21 after falling ill in May. His contribution to Belize’s industry was significant with many who can recall him for his lead singer position with the Babylon Warriors. […]

The Legality of Sex Work and Public Perspective
Some weeks ago we brought you the story on the advocacy work being done on behalf of women who would like to have prostitution be looked upon and embraced as an accepted form of employment. We told you of the organization Tikkun Olam and their work being done with funding from an agency in Latin […]

Bus Catches Fire As Passengers Board to Travel
This evening a fire broke out on a J and J bus that was loading passengers at the Belize City Bus Terminal. Information we received is that the bus was almost full and a wire under the bus caught fire and caused the commotion. Ana Gonzales, a passenger who was in the bus at the […]

AA Flights Go Direct to the UK From Belize
With Belizeans having business and family members over in the United Kingdom, the recent announcement of a direct flight to the UK by American Airlines is a welcoming initiative. According to an online publication, the direct flights will begin in November 2016 and will not warrant overnight connections in the United States or Mexico. The […]

Amandala

Paul Jex, Jr., 21, charged for rape
Paul Jex, Jr., one of 18 persons who are facing criminal charges in relation to the December 3, 2015 home invasion in Burrell Boom of the residence of Lebanese Consul General Sarkis Bou Nehra, appeared today, Monday, at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court and was charged with one count of rape stemming from that same incident, in connection with which he had previously only been charged with handling stolen goods. Initially, when the incident occurred, police had charged Tyrone Meighan with the rape that allegedly occurred during the home invasion. The rape charge against Meighan, however, was withdrawn two weeks ago, his attorney confirmed on Friday, July 1, and it appears that the rape charge that has now been brought against Jex is based on forensic evidence linking him to the rape victim. (See story on page 7 in Amandala.)

Ishaida Brooks, 22, wins false imprisonment claim
Supreme Court Justice, Madam Shona Griffith issued her ruling this morning in civil claim number 389 of 2015 brought by Alrick Smith, Sr.; Sandra Casey; Leon Smith; Tamica Smith and Ishaida Brooks against the Attorney General. The five persons named in the lawsuit had filed a claim of false imprisonment and malicious prosecution in respect of an incident involving Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) police officers who had found a gun at their residence in July 2014, for which they were all arrested, charged and imprisoned. The family had just returned from the funeral service for Myron Smith, the youngest member of the family, who had been murdered days before. While they were in their yard, two young men whom police were chasing ran into their house, and when the police followed them and searched the house, a .9mm handgun was found under a mattress in a bedroom.

32 stitches in face for abused woman
A Roaring Creek woman has had 32 stitches put in her face after she was beaten all night and struck in the face with a beer bottle by her jealous boyfriend. The victim, 23, reported to Roaring Creek police that her boyfriend of eight years and father of her 5-year-old daughter physically abused and terrorized her for almost a day in their Roaring Creek home. The victim’s mother has since posted images of the victim and her attacker on Facebook. The mother told Amandala that the incident transpired after another female approached her daughter’s boyfriend and suggested that her daughter (the victim) was being unfaithful to him. Her daughter’s boyfriend then returned home enraged on Wednesday evening and began to physically and verbally abuse her daughter.

Giovanni Gentle, 30, shot to death
Police say that Giovanni Gentle, 31, of Banak Street, was shot multiple times at the corner of Turton Lane and Regent Street West at about 2:30 Saturday morning, July 2. Police reports are that Gentle was riding his bicycle on Regent Street West, and as he turned into Turton Lane, a lone gunman approached him from behind and shot him about 6 times in the back and head. The gunman then escaped into the surrounding area. Police took Gentle to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival. In a press brief held today at the Racoon Street Police Station, ACP Williams, Commander of Belize City Southside Police, told reporters that their investigation led to two persons, who have been detained.

Michael Salazar shines with two goals in first start for Montreal
Michael Salazar got to live out his dream in his first MLS start for the Montreal Impact. Drawn into the lineup with superstar striker Didier Drogba sidelined by a leg injury, Salazar scored his first two goals in six league games for Montreal, which overcame a two-goal deficit for Saturday’s 3-2 victory against the New England Revolution at Stade Saputo. “Yeah, no pressure,” said Impact coach Mauro Biello. “He knows it’s about understanding your defensive responsibilities and expressing yourself offensively, play simple and get in the box. He scores in practice and I’m glad he was able to score tonight.” Salazar, selected in the second round of the 2016 MLS SuperDraft (No. 24 overall), scored his first goal 40 minutes in, cutting New England’s lead to one after Revolution striker Kei Kamara’s brace left the Impact trailing 2-0 in the 33rd minute.

Winty J (Vincent Johnson) – my life: Part 4
W: A no like use the word “luck”…. A like say “blessing”, because dat da di only ting it can be, yo know? I happen to get enrolled in Holy Redeemer without a transfer paper. No school no do dat… Part 4 A: What! So dehn no even know weh yo come from… W: No! Holy Redeemer don’t know weh I come from… Dehn tek me een… A: Who da mi di principal, then? W: Sister Magdalena… I could never forget… Sister Magdalena… and then yo had one weh name Francine… she used to teach right upstairs of Vogue (the store downstairs on Queen Street, near Swing Bridge foot), wid Sarge and all dehn bwai weh mi deh eena Standard Six… Dehn bwai mi eena bigger class than me, Sarge… A: I thought it was Sister Xavier who was principal then…? W: Yer who, Sister Magdalena was the principal at dehn time deh… and her second… well, the lady who was teaching Standard Six mi rough… dis one beat you wid i hand… dehn call ahn Francine.. A: (Laughs) Yaa, I know Sister Francine, Vasquez, yes, she no di joke… W: Dehn time ya now, ball di play back da Garden deh… no Garden, ball used to play da Garden eena di evening… A: Da Back Yaad…

Editorial: What now, brown cow?
Every year at budget time in March, Belize’s economic reality is exposed in that we import a lot more than we export. We are in a permanent deficit situation. We spend money we don’t earn. Belize has been living above its means for decades. When they read their budget speeches, our Prime Ministers, who are also our Ministers of Finance, explain to us that they make up the shortfalls in Belize’s revenue through various loans and grants. The budgets are debated, and then they are passed. Life goes on. We have seen that in the two most critical areas of our socio-economy, which are education and health care, our society is not doing very well. In fact, for the majority of our citizens, education and health care may be considered desperate aspects of life. Most Belizeans are not able to educate their children well enough to prepare them for gainful employment, while any sickness and old age inevitabilities constitute financial emergencies for the majority of Belizean families.

http://amandala.com.bz/news/publisher-301/
As we view the wreckage of the Belizean economy in the wake of the recent, devastating Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) financial judgments, our major party politicians have been pointing fingers at each other. Belize just held general elections eight months ago, and our voters returned the United Democratic Party (UDP) to office for a third consecutive term. The nature of our parliamentary democracy has been such that we have seen Prime Ministers call general elections as many as 17 months before their five-year terms were scheduled to end. The UDP, for instance, could have ruled until March of 2017 on the basis of the five-year term of office they won in March of 2012. They chose, instead, to go to elections in November of 2015. But we have never seen a vote of “no confidence” in the House of Representatives or violence in the streets force a Prime Minister to call general elections early. Theoretically, these things are possible, but they have never happened in Belize.

Mariposa proprietor protests against BTB proposals
Dear Editor: I want to thank Amandala for publishing the BTIA-Cayo Chapter press release in the June 29 issue. That release articulates the wide range of concerns that have alarmed many of us in the tourism industry. The beauty of Belize embraces its natural wonders and the warmth of its people. Based on the BTB proposal, our government would have us transformed into a limited series of international class five star resorts that are affordable and attractive to a small number of wealthy travellers. We would have no affordable accommodations for the average adventure travellers (BOTH FOREIGN AND LOCAL) who have been the lifeblood of the Belize tourism industry to date. Less than 15% of the proposed requirements involve health, safety or any other arguably appropriate topic of regulation. For example, BTB proposes to regulate the furnishings and decorations in hotel rooms, the role of personnel, the colour of linens, and literally hundreds of items that are beyond the purview of reasonable or typical regulation.

Breaking Belize News

Man walks from drinking buddy’s death!
A 9-member jury under the direction of Justice Troadio Gonzalez this afternoon formally acquitted 38 year old Elario Elijio of manslaughter in the death of 52 year old John Russell “Junior Lamb” Myers. Before directing the jury, Justice Gonzalez had upheld a submission of no case to […]

Watchman makes false report about gun assault
33 year old Alvan Myvett, a watchman who gave a false report that he was held up at gun point, was fined $150 today by Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser after he pleaded guilty to a mischievous act. He was given until August 15 to pay. If he […]

Health worker guilty of sex assault
48 year old Albert Gennitty has been convicted of unlawful sexual assault on a woman visiting a National Health Insurance Clinic last January. Magistrate Ladonna John handed the phil-le-bo-tom-ist 3 years in jail. The accuser states that she was to give a blood sample at […]

Paul Jex remanded on rape charge
21 year old Paul Jex, Junior, has been told that he must re-apply for bail at the Supreme Court on a charge of rape levied on him on Monday. Until he does, he has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison, after being charged with rape […]

Alrick Smith family loses majority of gun claims in court
Supreme Court Justice Shona Griffith has delivered her judgment in the case of Alrick Smith Senior of Giles Street, a construction worker, and his family: wife Sandra Casey; son Leon Smith; daughter Tamica Smith and niece Ishaida Brooks. The five were charged over a 9-millimeter […]

Murders down on Southside in first half of 2016
ACP Chester Williams has declared the first six months of 2016 in South side Belize City the least deadly in three years. Approximately 15 murders have taken place up to the end of June, reported as ten less than the same time period last year. We […]

Paul Jex charged with rape in Abou-Nehra home invasion case
In December of 2015 we reported on an investigation into the home invasion in Burrell Boom at the residence of Belize’s honorary consul to Lebanon, 77 year old Sarkis Abou Nehra. The savagely beaten caretaker and his spouse were held up by no less than […]

Fair weather to prevail
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is calling for generally fair weather to prevail over most areas of the country. The 24-hour forecast is for mostly sunny skies today and cloudy at times later tonight. Only isolated showers or isolated thunderstorms are expected with a few more […]

Blogs

Original and Creative: Caye Caulker Lobster Festival
The Caye Caulker Lobster Festival is the original festival that annually celebrates the Caribbean Spiny Lobster (Panulirus argus). The lobster extravaganza kicked off on Friday, July 1st with a Lobster Cook-off sponsored by Grace Kennedy Belize Limited. Four teams of two showcased their culinary expertise, creating amazing lobster dishes at the Palapa Gardens. Providing some truly fun commentary was Belizean personality William Neal who kept the crowd enthused all evening. Providing soothing sounds in the background was the Dynamix Steel Band. After the competition, islanders and visitors alike crowded the stage area where Belize’s Queen of Soca, the inimitable Ernestine Carballo would perform. Full of energy and verve, Ernestine sang some of her biggest hits, even bringing some audience members onstage to join in the dancing and camaraderie.

A Trip South of Town: New York Bagels AND A FIFA Football Field???
Saturday morning, I took a trip south of town about a mile or so – to the area that I believe is technically called San Pablo. Just south of the airstrip but north of the DFC area on Ambergris Caye. I had two stops and both pretty exciting and pretty freakin’ CRAZY for this “small” island. “Small” in quotation marks because this island grows in size seemingly every day. More traffic, more construction, more people, more businesses. But that’s not what I’m talking about today. I’m talking about something near and dear to my heart, my “last food” before execution – a bagel and cream cheese. NO! It is not just bread shaped as a donut…it’s a delicious chewy, dense delight with a brown baked outside. Boiled then baked. Making good bagels is no easy feat. We now have a bagel shop! Open from 8am to 3pm and located next to Caye Coffee in the building that used to be the Sausage Factory. Or…if you have no idea what I’m talking about, look for the signs as you head south of town.

Enjoying a Slower, More Fulfilled Life on This Affordable Caribbean Island
Diana Moore and Tim Nutley are thrilled to be living on a Caribbean island. “Our lifestyle now is ‘chillaxed’, as people here say. We are no longer working long hours and then trying to get everything done on the weekend,” says Diana. “We like living here for simple reasons. The atmosphere is awesome. No one is in a hurry. There are no automobiles here. We get around on bikes. So there’s no polluted air or road rage.” Prior to moving, Diana (48) and Tim (52) had spent most of their lives in Indiana, a 30-minute drive south of Chicago. Tim worked as an operating engineer. Diana was in the HVAC industry. During the week they worked long hours. Weekends were spent catching up on home maintenance projects and a list of errands. Little time was left to socialize with friends and neighbors…and year after year they braved it through the frigid winters… In 2011, Diana and Tim took their first vacation to Belize. On their second trip they visited the charming island of Caye Caulker. Diana says, “We fell in love with this quaint island.” And they realized they could adjust to this type of lifestyle. After a few more vacations they moved fulltime to the island with Ruben, their pet Chihuahua.

International Sources

Local woman ready for Belize adventure
Jerusha Matthews is studying and working with monkeys, jaguars and other exotic animals in Belize as part of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship summer program. In this Q5 she talks about what she hopes to take away from the experience. Jerusha Matthews is studying and working with monkeys, jaguars and other exotic animals in Belize as part of the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship summer program. In this Q5 she talks about what she hopes to take away from the experience. 1. Jerusha, what are you most looking forward to about this unique travel opportunity? Why did you choose Belize and what will you explore when not working? I am really looking forward to some of the hands-on activities we’ll be doing. For my large animal veterinary course, we’ll get a chance to assist with spays/neuters with the veterinarians there. Being that I will be applying for vet school and graduate school in the next few months, this will be a great opportunity and make me feel more prepared.

The culture of Belize: Marinette High School students experience Central America
Nearly two dozen Marinette High School students recently had the opportunity of a lifetime. After traveling to Belize in June, 21 high schoolers were immersed with the Mayan culture and atmosphere of the country. Along with teachers Cathy Smiley and Ted Rauch, the group was able to explore the Mayan Ruins in Blue Creek and snorkel in South Water Caye. “These kids were challenged both mentally and physically,” Smiley said. “They were pushed. Sometimes they were in tears and struggling, but I think once they got through it, it was such an accomplishment. It gave me goosebumps seeing them from the start of the trip until the end. They could have done anything.” Belize is a small country in Central America, located south of Mexico and east of Guatemala on the western Caribbean Sea. Before traveling to Belize, Smiley and Rauch emphasized that the trip wasn’t a vacation. In fact, after completing educational goals that the students set for themselves, they earned one semester of science credit. Education targets for Blue Creek included learning the Mayan culture and rainforest ecology, as well as some community service work. In South Water Caye, students learned, researched and identified marine life, monitored solid waste and journaled daily.

Iguana Squad medical, dental mission to Belize a success
The Iguana Squad with 23 team members from First Baptist, Second Baptist, Fellowship Bible, Arkansas Children’s Hospital, Hendrix College, Conway Nazarene Church, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Conway Regional Medical Center provided medical and dental care for a small village in Belize, Central America from May 28 to June 5, 2016. Team members included Julia Chambers, ARNP; Anne-Jillian Clements; Kyle Cochran; Elizabeth Cole; Marcie Cole; Kynnadee Efird; Ronnie Faram, DDS; Ashton Fisher; Jayme Jeane; Kenneth Kolb; Angi Lewis; Madeline Lewis; Steve Lewis; Donna Magee; Dr. Jimmy Magee; Aaron New; Joanie Roberts; Dr. Tom Roberts; Sam Roberts; Ashley Smith; Pete Thiels; Barry Williams and Savannah Williams. A clinic was set up in Succotz, Belize at the local Nazarene Church, with assistance from Pastor Eric Reyes. Dr. Tom Roberts, orthopedic; Dr. Jimmy Magee, pediatrician at ACH/UAMS; and Julia Chambers, ARNP provided medical care for 1,327 people in a four-day medical and dental clinic. Ronnie Faram, DDS of Oklahoma provided dental care and extracted 62 teeth. Angi Lewis of Conway was the hygenist.

Belize - Sugar output crosses 132,113 t as of June 19
Belize Sugar Industries milled 36,693 tonnes of cane during week 28 (June 13-19) of the 2015/16 crushing season, down from 44,603 a week earlier and compared with nil in the same period a year ago when the crushing season had already ended in May, th

Anglers of the Caribbean, Part II: Meeting Captain Jack
Earlier this summer, my wife and I enjoyed an unforgettable adventure in Belize — a trip made all the more memorable by the do-it-yourself fishing charter I wrote about in Part I. In three days of fishing off Turneffe Atoll, I caught more than a dozen ocean species. From bonefish and barracuda to snappers, grunts and trunkfish, I never quite knew what my next catch would be. But of all the fish I tangled with in the Caribbean, my absolute favorite was the bar jack. I did most of my fishing on and around the resort pier. Using some snorkel reconnaissance — a nifty trick I’d like to try on freshwater — I learned that most fish stay pretty close to the pier, using the wooden, barnacle-covered structure as protection from rolling waves, big barracudas and hungry frigate birds. But the bar jack is a different animal. The locals have an island name for them that means “wanderer,” and it’s a spot-on nickname. Whereas many species hang out in the same area all day, small schools of bar jacks will suddenly appear, frantically hunt down any small baitfish in the vicinity, and then move on down the coast like a pack of marauders. I was jigging for snappers one morning when my first group of bar jacks came through. I quickly reeled in and tossed my white squid lure out in front of the school. One jig. Two jigs. WHAM! The biggest fish in the school pounced on the squid, and chaos ensued. Jacks are tuna-like, lightning-fast muscle torpedoes. This was a good-sized fish, roughly 20 inches long. It zipped and zagged through the water, making every attempt to wrap my line around the pier. As it swam, other jacks, snappers and toothy needlefish gave chase, creating an almost comical scene as they darted to and fro.

Videos

July 5, 2016

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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

Mexico & Central America’s Leading Destination
The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is thrilled to announce that, for the second year in a row, Ambergris Caye has been named Mexico & Central America’s Leading Destination at the 2016 World Travel Awards, which took place on July 1, 2016, in Lima, Peru. The World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel tourism and hospitality industry. Today, it is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire. Nominees were selected by the World Travel Awards advisory committee, which consists of more than 2,700 media titles and influential tourism figureheads. The short-list was then published and the global industry, as well as travel consumers, were asked to vote for whom they deemed were the best in each category. Votes were limited to one per person, per category. The winner for each category was the one with the most votes.

Obituary: Javier Francisco Arceo
avier Francisco Arceo, Don Fashico but the name that fit you best of all our Tati. Tati no hay sufficiente palabras para decirle cuanto lo quiero. I am fortunate to be raised by a most admirable man who made sure to be that one constant in my life to nurture me, watch me grow and to cheer me on in whatever I did. My Tati Fash will forever hold a place in my heart. The countless early morning fishing trip to the trampas that I was so fortunate to be allowed to go on. Being thrown into the middle of your fish trap by Tio Galento upon your command. Playing in your boat la Monica amazed at the fish all the way up to my knees. I can still hear Mama Vilma Scolding me to go bathe while I felt so proud to witness and be part of that special lifestyle and club you were part of.

Letter to the Editor: Can cisterns save the day?
Dear Editor, On the TV Newscast from Channel 5 Belize, from June 27, on the San Pedro Town fire, with Fire Chief Ted Smith’s comments are reminescent of the famous Donald Rumsfeld explanation of the Iraq War problems: “As you know, you go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.” Having a national fire department, like a national police department, can be both good and bad. On the one hand, the entire country is served. On the other, it is sometimes served poorly in certain regions. Ambergris Caye has certainly outgrown its two battered engines and small cadre of professional firefighters. But as Chief Smith points out, in a country with limited resources — you can expect limited resources. How many more times can citizens be expected to save the day with the heroics of the bucket brigades? Or even our own dedicated firemen — with such limited resources and manpower — what happens the next time a fire erupts behind the commercial canyon walls in our very dense downtown? What if they can’t get access? A friend wrote to me asking about firefighting infrastructure — you know, fire hydrants. We may never reach that level of sophistication but how about firefighting cisterns?

Ambergris Today

New Board of Trustees Appointed for Hol Chan Marine Reserve
A new Board of Trustees for the Hol Chan Marine Reserve was appointed by the Honorable Gaspar Vega, Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development. In making the appointments, Minister Vega asked that the new Board focuses on continuing to build on the accomplishments of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve to make it a first class reserve by ensuring that rules of the reserves are adhered to along with continued monitoring of its marine flora and fauna. Minister Vega has tasked the new Board to also focus on marine education for both local and international visitors by initiating with private and public sectors, plans for an improved visitor centre which will include an aquarium focused on the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site since 1996.

25 Years Ago - Is Coconut Water Still Free on Ambergris Caye?
In the good old days of San Pedro, everyone could drink coconut water without paying one cent. Let us look at the facts of these situations. It used to be the practice that we could pull coconuts all along the coast of Ambergris Caye within the 66 feet of public public domain. Of course nobody walked about with a measuring tape, so we all were free to pull down coconuts to drink everywhere on the island. Furthermore most people had coconut trees in their yards therefore coconuts were readily available, all this without paying one cent. Today it costs anywhere between $10 to $15 for a gallon of coconut water. Children in San Pedro learned to speak Spanish from their parents. There being no television on the island, children went up to entering the primary school with no knowledge of English. It was at this point that teachers introduced the new language and it was certainly difficult. At times teachers recurred to speaking in Spanish in order to be understood, but on a positive note, children also did not learn Creole, so they learned proper English.

Ambergris Caye is Mexico & Central America’s Leading Destination
The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is thrilled to announce that, for the second year in a row, Ambergris Caye has been named Mexico & Central America’s Leading Destination at the 2016 World Travel Awards, which took place on July 1, 2016, in Lima, Peru. The World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel tourism and hospitality industry. Today, it is recognized globally as the ultimate hallmark of quality, with winners setting the benchmark to which all others aspire. Nominees were selected by the World Travel Awards advisory committee, which consists of more than 2,700 media titles and influential tourism figureheads. The short-list was then published and the global industry, as well as travel consumers, were asked to vote for whom they deemed were the best in each category. Votes were limited to one per person, per category. The winner for each category was the one with the most votes. Director of Tourism, Karen Bevans, commented “We are very excited about this win. It’s the second year in a row that we are able to bring home this top award, despite being up against other formidable contenders from much bigger destinations. This win is a testament to all the hard work of those who are either directly or indirectly involved in tourism. We all have a role to play because our visitors’ experience is determined by every interaction they have when they are here. This is a win for Belize and the BTB congratulates all Belizeans for the success we have been accomplishing in the Tourism Industry.”

Misc Belizean Sources

Caye Caulker Musical Summer Camp
We would like to take this opportunity to thank those who sponsored our little ones for this years Musical Summer Camp. Your assistance means so much to us and we are truly blessed to have you as sponsors. From all of us a huge THANK YOU and many more blessings.

LA ALBORADA - JUNE 28, 2016
On Tuesday, June 28, 2016, San Pedro Town celebrated La Alborada which means, greeting the dawn in front of the Saint Peter statue at the San Pedro R.C. Church. A day before the St. Peter’s Day/Dia de San Pedro is celebrated, the House of Culture in collaboration with the San Pedro R.C. Church host La Alborada which consists of music, dances and some history of why we celebrate our patron saint, Saint Peter. This year was no exception, as the patron was celebrated with melodious marimba music, vibrant dances by the San Pedro Dance Academy, a display of information on the day and pictures of the past, and a serenade by Elina Palma and San Pedro’s very own mariachi, Javier. The event also consisted of addresses given by the director of the San Pedro House of Culture, Mr. Guillermo Paz, Hon. Manuel Heredia, Minister of Tourism & Civil Aviation, Father Scott of the San Pedro R.C. Church and a Guest Speaker who shared a bit of history of the celebration of Dia de San Pedro.

Happy U.S. Independence Day from the U.S. Embassy in Belize!!!!
Checkout some photos from our annual Fourth of July party.

Channel 7

Was Geovanni Gentle Roughly Killed For A Dangerous Dalliance?
31-year-old Geovanni Gentle was gunned down near the corner of Regent Street West and Thurton Lane on the wee hours of Saturday morning. He had just left a dance at the Loyal Endeavor Lodge where police believe he;d had some kind of encounter with a female. And as he was heading home on his bicycle he was ambushed and killed - police say he was killed because of jealousy. Our journalist Emanuel Pech has the details of that report. 31 year old Geovanni Gentle lay here on the concrete pavement on Regent Street West clutching his wounds after he was fatally shot. ACP Chester Williams - O. C. Eastern Rural North: "Sometime around 2am, on Saturday morning police were called to Regent Street West near its intersection with Thurton Lane, that is right where the lodge hall is, as information was received of shots being fired in that area." Police wouldn't say just how many shots were fired, but reports are that as much as 14 expended shells were recovered from the scene. Reports are that the gunman emerged here from Thurton Lane and released a barrage of bullets at Gentle.

17 Year Old Girl Stabbed 57 Times in Revenge Killing
Police say they are very close to wrapping up Jasmine Petillo's murder case. She's the 17 year old who was stabbed 57 times and then thrown in a ditch in Mahogany Heights. Police have confirmed that Petillo's murder is linked to the June 2015 slaying of Desmond Usher better known as "Mumuch". The reports are that it was Petillo who had lured Usher to his death by phone and a year later, Petillo was the victim of a revenge killing. Well, police have made major progress in this case by finding the house in which Petillo was killed as well as one of the suspect's bloodied suit of clothing. Today police gave us more details and also addressed the element of gang retaliation. ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "We have been doing significant investigation into that matter. We have identified the house in which we believe the young lady was killed. We have also managed to extract blood samples from the house which will be sent to the lab for DNA testing and that will give us the way forward in terms of charges and what have you in respect to that murder case. We have also found bloody clothing in another location which was discarded by another suspect and we are looking for an additional suspect where we will be doing DNA swab as well and sent to the lab for testing."

Dead End in Handyman Murder
And while police have significant leads in this recent Mahogany Heights murder, how about the murder case of 55 year old handy man Lyndon Murrillo? He was shot twice in early June while riding his bicycle home from work. Police say they are still looking for one suspect and can't release a motive at this time. ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "We have one suspect that we are looking at. Right now we are trying to gather evidence to lay charges on that suspect at this time." Courtney Weatherburne: "So he is detained?" ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "No he is not detained." Courtney Weatherburne: "In terms of any motives into the murder?" ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "I would not want to get into the motive of that at this time."

Teacher Got Distracted While Driving, Lost Life in Accident
A well known Spanish teacher from Belmopan Comprehensive High school, Dunia Escoto, died in an accident on Friday evening. Escoto and 2 of her close friends - also teachers, Jodine Gill and Dennya Portillo were heading back to Belmopan from a Dangriga road trip. But Gill - who was driving - got distracted by one of her friends and lost control of the vehicle causing it to flip near mile 35. Gill got serious head injuries, Portillo suffered a broken leg while Escoto was fatally injured. This picture was taken on the road trip before the accident. This is not the first "Compre" teacher who has died in an accident. Another was Science teacher Carlisle Grinage. He died in an accident in 2010 while returning from a staff retreat.

Family Fights For Justice Against GSU Mass Arrest
You may remember the Smith family. They're the Belize City residents who were hauled in as a big group by the Gang Suppression Unit and remanded to prison. That's after a gun was found in their house back in July of 2014. It was particularly distressing for them because they were in mourning and police hauled them in while they were holding a repass for their murdered loved-one, Myron Smith. The entire ordeal started when the GSU were chasing 2 young men suspected of having a weapon, and one of them dashed into the Smith home on Giles Street, stashed the gun in one of the rooms and tried to hide from the police. The cops found the gun and because of the old Firearms Amendment Act 2010 - which has since been changed due to the public outcry - the officers arrested all 7 persons who were at home - basically, the entire family. One of the defendants, a 17 year-old minor, wanted to plead guilty, but the Senior Magistrate warned him that doing so would not free the others.

COLA Complains About NTUCB
For the past two weeks, the activist group COLA has been stepping out and stepping up its public presence - criticizing the Social Security investment in BTL and BEL, and blaming the government for mismanaging the costly BTL nationalization. And while President Geovanni Brackett has gotten a lot of air time, not much has been accomplished. Today, Brackett held another press conference to tell the media that he's demanding an explanation from the NTUCB on why their representative on the board voted in favour of the 55 million dollar BTL and BEL investment:.. Geovannie Brackett - President - COLA: "I think the NTUCB by extension needs to give a thorough explanation to this country. Why is it that they voted the way they vote and why is it that it was done so quickly and also we at COLA would want to know if that was presented to the Social Partners on the SSB Board, why weren't they given a leak at least to the media to say these are the reasons why. I think that the NTUCB before that sale is completed should either revisited their voting or give a thorough explanation to the public as to why and to explain to us was there that thorough consultation that the NTUCB normally takes."

Police Withdraw Rape Charge Against Tyrone Meighan Based On DNA
The 2015 Sarkis Bou-Nahra home Invasion case is still very much open. Although 19 persons have been charged with a number of offenses ranging from aggravated burglary to conspiracy to commit rape, police say that test results they have gotten back from a DNA lab in Miami have changed the course of the investigation in regards to the rape of Bou-Nahra's maid. The results say that it was Paul Jex Jr. who raped the maid not Tyrone Meighan. But there might be a second man involved in the sexual assault. Police gave us more details. ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "We want to update you all on the investigation of the aggravated burglary of the Bou-Nahra residence which occurred the 4th December, 2015. We had taken samples for DNA purposes which was sent to the DNA lab in Miami and we got back the results and the genetic profile that was sent linked Paul Jex to the rape of the female at the Bou-Nahra residence and he has since been charged for rape, aggravated burglary, theft, conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit rape.

Kieran's Killer Still A Mystery
Turning now to an update on a murder last week Thursday night. That when 2 young men- 20 year old Kieran Morrison and 18 year old Kent Brooks Jr- were gunned down in front of a yard on La Croix Boulevard. Morrison died shortly after, while Brooks still remains at the hospital in a critical condition. Police had initially detained two persons for that fatal shooting, but both have since been released. As it turns out police have been unsuccessful in gathering statements from witnesses - a recurring problem: ACP Chester Williams - O.C. Eastern South Division: "Yes we had two persons detained indeed and those persons has been released and like we always say the difficulty getting people to give statements. While we may know who are the perpetrators of those acts, we cannot go with what we know. We must go to court with empirical evidence and we do not have that. So based on that, they were released."

ACP Chester "Ketch Feelings" About Gayle Researchers
But ACP Williams wasn't only talking about crime today, he also had a passionate take on the current state of the media and social research. To explain we have to go back to last week Wednesday when we told you about the news book called "Like Bush Fire." It's based on a comprehensive report made in 2010 that takes a look at male social participation and urban violence in Belize. The authors and publishers went on a media tour to promote their work. But in the process, ACP Williams took offence to some of the things that were said about the police department based on the report. Today he lashed out at the researchers calling them unprofessional and criticized this media house for having some sort of cynical interest in keeping the crime rate high. ACP Chester Williams - OC. Eastern Division South: "I take offense to the fact that my officers are out there every day working their butts off to ensure the safety of people on southside Belize City and to reduce crime, to quell situation between gang and to see someone just come from nowhere and try to say, oh the police are doing foolishness...

The Place Called El Pilar, Confidence Building Through Archaeology?
On Friday's news, we took you deep into the Annual Belize Archaeology and Anthropology Symposium. That's where the local and international academics converge every year for to discuss the work they've been doing along side NICH. And while the symposium had them sitting in a conference hall, their work is in the field, digging in the dirt for clues to the ancient past. But, one archaeologist's work on an ancient site is very connected to the present. That's Dr. Anabel Ford, who discovered the El Pilar Site in the early 80's and has been working there for at least three decades. Located 7 miles west of Bullet Tree Falls village, this site sits in both Belizean and Guatemalan territory. The work of Dr. Ford and her team is somewhat complicated by the politics surrounding Belize Guatemala cross-border relations. But for years, she's been able to navigate the often tricky cross border politics to restore and preserve this very important Maya site. And, yesterday, she even got a number of Ambassadors, Government officials, an OAS Observer, and even a Supreme Court judge to go trekking through bad road, bad weather, and deep into the jungle just for a special ceremony.

Father of Deceased Man Calls On Cops
The Camalote community has been waiting for justice after Akeem Thimbrel and his cousin Shawn Lopez were gunned down in May. But residents are running out of patience because they say the police have not given them any substantial updates on the case and no one has been charged as yet. Today Akeem's father came to our studios pleading to the police for answers. He says if the police do not step up other angry residents might step in and that is the last thing he wants. Ervin Thimbrel - Akeem's Father: "One of the things that we struggle with is that I have to be the anchor for my entire family, not only my immediate family, but the extended family who are grieving right now. So, as a pastor it is not easy, it's very difficult but I have to find something to say to my wife and to my other children and to people who come to us. There are members of the community who come to us in tears and we have to find comforting words for them whilst we, ourselves are grieving."

Mystery Shooting In Lord's Bank
A 17 year old male was shot in Lord's Bank on Friday night and police have no idea who shot him and why. It's really a mystery shooting because Micheal Aldana was just driving along the Lord's Bank road when he heard a gunshot. It was only until he reached a friend's house that he realized he had been hit to the arm and knee. Police say they do not have much information in this case. ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "There was a shooting on the 1st July around 10:30, where one, Michael Aldana was seen at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital suffering from a gunshot wound to the left side of his arm and left knee. He is claiming that he was driving on Lord's Bank Road when he heard a single gunshot and felt a burning sensation and didn't realized that he was shot until he arrived at a friend residence. We are looking at this matter and investigating it."

ACP Williams Says Crime Down
And before he got all bent out of shape about the media and crime, Assistant Commissioner Williams discussed crime figures for the southside. From January 1st of this year to the end of June there were a total of 15 confirmed murders in South Side Belize City. That may sound alarming, but ACP Williams says when you compare this same period to the previous three years, the figures are down significantly. ACP Chester Williams - O.C. Eastern South Division: "I am pleased to say that January - June 2016, when compared to the same period 2015, 2014 and 2013, is the least deadly period for Southside Belize City. Despite the critics who are saying that our efforts has not been working and that it's a mere coincidence according to some experts out there. So we are happy to know that what we are doing is working and we know that no matter what we do we can't stop all crimes. Even American who have all the sophisticated equipment to fight crime, they have mass shooting and several killings, so we are a small nation. We are still developing."

Channel 5

Is Jealousy a Motive in the Weekend Murder of Belize City Resident?
Another Belize City youth has fallen victim to the relentless spate of gun violence in the Old Capital.  Tonight, police are saying that the weekend murder of Giovanni ‘Blege’ Gentle [...]

Kent Brooks Jr. Remains Hospitalized after Deadly South Side Shooting…
Eighteen-year-old Kent Brooks Junior remains bedridden at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after being shot last Wednesday.  During the deadly incident which occurred on La Croix Boulevard sometime around eight-thirty [...]

Police Maintain Presence on La Croix Boulevard
While a pair of men had been detained following the deadly shooting, they have since been released from custody.  Williams says the challenge is getting witnesses to provide investigators with [...]

Homicide Probe Leads to Location of Jasmine Petillo’s Murder
The house in which seventeen-year-old Jasmine Petillo was murdered has been identified. Today, the Rural Eastern Division of the Police Department held a press briefing in Ladyville to announce that [...]

Who Killed Lyndon Murillo? Police Say They Are Close to an Indictment
While one person has been detained for the murder of seventeen year old Jasmine Petillo, police are yet to lay charges on a suspect in the murder of Lyndon Murillo, [...]

8 Months Later, Paul Jex Jr. is Charged for Rape after Home Invasion in Boom
Today, exactly seven months after the aggravated burglary of the home of Lebanese Consul, Sarkis Bou-Nehra, Rural Eastern Division Police are looking to charge four additional suspects. In fact, a [...]

A Shooting in Lord’s Bank Leaves Teenager Injured
Ladyville police are also investigating a shooting on Friday night in the Lord’s Bank Community. Seventeen-year-old Michael Aldana alleges that while driving a green Range Rover on the Lord’s Bank [...]

There’s a Bump in the Road in Investigation into Crooked Tree Shooting
Meanwhile, police are facing a roadblock in their investigation of another shooting incident that occurred last Tuesday night at the Crooked Tree junction on the Phillip Goldson Highway. Twenty-five-year-old Belize [...]

COLA Remains on the B.T.L./S.S.B. Offensive
Last Wednesday, Prime Minister Barrow held a press conference to explain the Belize Telemedia Limited arbitration award, as well as government’s interest in selling its shares of B.T.L. and Belize [...]

Patrick Rogers Says Nationalization of B.T.L. was Grossly Mishandled
According to Rogers, the final cost of acquiring B.T.L. is considerably more than what the previous government had agreed to when it signed on to an accommodation agreement with the [...]

B.P.P. Disses Government for Proposed Referendum Amendment
The Belize Progressive Party has issued a stern release condemning the Barrow Administration for announcing its plan to amend the existing Referendum Act.  A revision of that piece of legislation [...]

Fatal Road Traffic Accident in Toledo District Claims the Life of a Woman
A deadly collision involving a pair of vehicles in the Toledo District claimed the life of a young woman on Sunday evening.  The accident which occurred approximately fifteen miles from [...]

Another Woman is Killed in RTA on Hummingbird Highway
There was another fatal road traffic accident over the weekend. On Friday evening, just after four o’clock twenty-eight-year-old Jodine Gill, a teacher of Roaring Creek Village, was driving her 2004 [...]

Chester Versus Sociologists in a Battle Over Gang Intervention Methods
The unremitting spate of crime and violence among rival groups is a social phenomenon which continues to grip Belize City.  The problem has been observed keenly from the perspective of [...]

Would Social Scientists Work with Police Department to Tackle Gang Violence?
According to ACP Williams, despite a fundamental difference in philosophy, he is still open to working with the team of social scientists.   ACP Chester Williams, O.C., Eastern Division South [...]

A Vigil for Slain Camalote Youths, Community Demands Answers
On Friday night, exactly two months after the murder of Camalote youths, Akeem Thimbriel and Shawn Lopez, residents organized a vigil near the Westar Gas Station in the village. The [...]

Belize is Top Tourist Destination 2 Years and Counting
There is good news for the tourism industry tonight. For the second year in a row, Ambergris Caye has been named Mexico and Central America’s leading Destination at the 2016 [...]

Taste of Belize, a Culinary Experience Like no Other
After a hiatus, this Saturday, Muffles College Auditorium in Orange Walk will come alive for the Taste of Belize event and its signature competitive culinary show. Chefs, bakers and bartenders [...]

Football and Basketball Stats with James Adderley
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.   Saturday night brought out the big time showdown between Infotel and Belize Telemedia at Bird’s Isle. As the BDBA [...]

LOVE FM

Ambergris Caye – Still the Top Destination in Mexico and Central America
2016 is seeing Belize garner its second consecutive win as housing the leading tourist destination in Mexico and Central America. Ambergris Caye having won the 2015 award has once again topped the polls for 2016 World Travel Awards for which an official ceremony took place in Lima, Peru on Friday, July 1. The Belize Tourism […]

Police Continues to Follow Leads Into the Murder of Lyndon Murillo
On June 9, Lyndon Murillo, a resident of Mahogany Heights was gunned down in front of a grocery store. The fifty five year old was shot twice; one to the leg and one to the back which exited through his chest. Reports were that a vehicle drove pass Murillo and a gun man opened fire […]

Police Prepares Against Violent Retaliations in Hotspots
Last week Wednesday a shooting on La Croix Boulevard left one man, Kerian Morrison dead and another, Kent Brooks in a critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, today gave an update on the on-going investigation and the increase of police activity in the St. Martins Area. CHESTER […]

Crime Is Down on the Southside, Says ACP Williams
In speaking with the media today, Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams spoke about the murder rate in the division he commands, stating that compared with last year; there has been a decrease in murders in South Side Belize City. CHESTER WILLIAMS ” Police statistics show that there were 27 murders in the first half […]

ACP Williams Responds to Critics
Last week prominent sociologists made comments concerning interventions routinely held by the Police Department Eastern Division south, which Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams commands. These comments struck a nerve with the ACP who took the time to respond to them today. CHESTER WILLIAMS ” Williams made bold inquiry into the research on the gang […]

PM Barrow Hands Over CARICOM Chairmanship on July 4 (CARICOM DAY)
As Americans celebrate their 240th anniversary of their independence today, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is celebrating its 43rd birthday. On July 4, 1973 the founding fathers of CARICOM entered into the Treaty of Chaguaramas which led to the formation of the Caribbean Community. Of all the member states, Guyana is the only country that declares […]

COLA and BPP Say NO to SSB Investment in BTL
Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action, COLA held a press conference this morning to continue discussion on the 55 million dollar investment that the Social Security Board is considering putting into the Belize Telemedia Limited. COLA persists in denouncing the transaction saying it will negatively affect the Belizean public and they are calling on the […]

Jeovanie Gentle Murdered in the Old Capital
In the early hours of Saturday morning, Jeovanie Gentle was shot and killed. Gentle had been attending an event at the lodge situated at the intersection of Regent Street West and Thurton Lane. This morning Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams expounded on the details and motive of the murder. CHESTER WILLIAMS “ Police believes […]

Breaking Belize News

AA flies from UK to Belize in November
Just in time for Belize’s “high season” in tourism, residents of the United Kingdom can fly to Belize’s Philip Goldson International Airport for the first time without having to connect overnight in the U.S. and Mexico. Beginning in November, American Airlines will introduce new afternoon outbound flights […]

CARICOM meets in Guyana; Elrington represents Belize
Minister of Foreign Affairs Honorable Wilfred Elrington; CEO in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Sylvestre; and Belize’s Ambassador to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), His Excellency Daniel Gutierrez, are representing Belize this evening at the meeting of heads of Government of CARICOM taking place in Georgetown, […]

Ambergris Caye wins prestigious award second year straight
Ambergris Caye has been named Mexico & Central America’s Leading Destination for the second year in a row at the 2016 World Travel Awards. The award ceremony was held on July 1 in Lima, Peru. Belize Tourism Board (BTB) Director of Tourism, Karn Bevans said: “We are very […]

COLA, BPP hook up to discuss BTL agreement
Before becoming Political Leader of the Belize Progressive Party (BPP), Patrick Rogers was a member of COLA, and today the two organizations joined in condemning the Arbitration Award on behalf of Belize Telemedia Limited. Rogers stated that the award is the last straw in a series […]

Police operations seize gun and drugs
In two separate operations over the weekend conducted by the Belize Police K9 unit and members of the North Side Strike Team in Belize City, police were able to seize drugs and a firearm. The first operation was conducted at an empty lot in Belama Phase […]

Seventeen-year-old boy recovering from gunshot wound
A 17-year-old boy is today recuperating at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) after he was shot to his left leg on Friday around 11:30 p.m. Initial investigations have revealed that the teenager was walking near the BTL office on Price Barracks road when he heard what sounded like […]

Belize City police investigating latest murder
Today there are more questions than answers for a family mourning the untimely death of a loved one. Thirty-one-year-old Jeovanie Gentle was gunned down on July 2 a little after 1:00 a.m. while riding his bike at the corner of Regent Street and Thurton Lane. According to […]

Blogs

Ambergris Caye is Mexico & Central America’s Leading Destination
La Isla Bonita has done it again! Ambergris Caye has captured the hearts of thousands and taken the World Travel Award for the 2016 Mexico & Central America’s Leading Destination for the second consecutive year. Of course, we already know we live a jewel, but it’s nice when the world recognizing it as well! The 2016 World Travel Awards took place on Friday, July 1st in Lima, Peru. The World Travel Awards was established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence across all key sectors of the travel tourism and hospitality industry.

Belize is SO Different: And Here’s Why…
I was just reading an article talking about Caribbean vacation destinations and it states: Another major problem…is that the islands mostly offer the same thing, so they simply take tourists from one another. Today the Cayman Islands is a hot destination, siphoning off high-end tourists from Barbados and Bahamas. And tourists travelling on a budget (my category) often search for cheap tickets and go from there But you don’t just pick Belize based on a cheap ticket. Though TICKETS this coming season…fall and winter…are as low as I’ve seen them in 10 years. Belize is different. WAY DIFFERENT. Sure, we are technically a Caribbean vacation destination. Well…partly. But it is SO MUCH more. We’ve got beaches and tiny sand cayes, we have gorgeous blue water and sunny, warm temperatures. But here are some reasons why I think Belize is not part of that interchangeable “Caribbean island mix”.

Hanging out with the Liberace of Lobster on Caye Caulker, among other pursuits
After an especially eventful week on Ambergris Caye, with the San Pedro LobsterFest, the weeklong feast of Saint Peter, a huge downtown fire, and a firetruck getting stuck in sand responding to another fire, what’s a bunch of blokes to do but grab a boat and cruise on over to the Caye Caulker LobsterFest on Sunday morning. When you’ve got to get away, Caye Caulker is the place. Yes, that does sound odd, when you live on a tropical island that thousands of people have marked on their calendars as their dream get-away spot. Even Paradise gets to be too much after a while. So, Caye Caulker. A smaller, quieter, less-dirty version of Paradise. Well, quieter most every other day of the year, except this one. And Saturday. And Friday.

International Sources

New American Airlines flights from the UK to Belize without overnighting
From November, Britons will be able to fly return to Belize City without an overnight connection in the US or Mexico, making this Central American destination more accessible for the first time. Launching on 4th November 2016, in conjunction with the start of Belize’s high visitor season, new outbound flights will operate four days a week on Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday while new inbound flights will operate daily. Both will fly all year round. American Airlines will introduce new afternoon outbound flights departing from London Heathrow (LHR), with a few hours’ connection in Miami (MIA) onto Belize City (BZE), as well as new morning and midday inbound flights, again connecting for just a few hours in Miami.

Mexico teachers protest: Food airlifts to relieve Oaxaca blockade
Mexico's air force has been flying tons of grain into Oaxaca state in the south of the country to deal with dwindling food supplies caused by roadblocks set up by protesting teachers. Officials say 108 tons of corn will be delivered by the end of the weekend. Last month, eight people were killed in Oaxaca in clashes between the demonstrators and police. The protesters oppose reforms that allow the federal authorities to remove teachers who fail evaluation exams.

Cayo Castillo Chronicled
Cayo really steals the show in this travel article from the San Francisco Chronicle. It's pretty comprehensive as far as attractions go. 3 of the 5 places to stay mentioned in the article are in Cayo: San Ignacio Resort Hotel, Ka'ana(which was just in an article about wellness travel), and Caves Branch. The Guava Limb Cafe and Pacz Tours are also specifically mentioned.

50th Benque Fiesta Calendar

Videos

July 4, 2016

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

Successful Lion Fish tournament in Caye Caulker Lobster Fest 2016!

Letter to the Editor: Felipa Carrillo says Good-bye
To the town of San Pedro: After 4 years, I am saying good bye to all of you. I, Mrs. Felipa Carrillo, “traffic warden”, formally advise the general public that today July 1, 2016, I am resigning from my post at the San Pedro Transport Department. I would like to thank you all for allowing me to work along with you the public. Foremost, a big ‘thank you’ to The San Pedro Town Council for giving me the opportunity to work with them; I really appreciate it. Yours sincerely, Mrs. Felipa Carrillo

Doctor Love: Wanting More and One The Edge
Dear Doctor Love, I have a guy friend who grew up as my neighbor. We have been friends all the way through high school up to now and our only feelings towards each other have been as friends. It is almost an older brother, younger sister kind of thing. I just got word that his girlfriend is probably going to move to the island. All of a sudden I am jealous because I know things are going to change between me and him. I have always avoided them when she came out to visit him here so I would not have to see them together. Now I feel like I need to take him out of my mind completely by getting involved with someone. That way what I feel won’t get in the way of our friendship. The problem with this idea is that I can’t find anyone else that I want. What should I do? /s/ Wanting More

Obituary: Javier Francisco Arceo
Javier Francisco Arceo, Don Fashico but the name that fit you best of all our Tati. Tati no hay sufficiente palabras para decirle cuanto lo quiero. I am fortunate to be raised by a most admirable man who made sure to be that one constant in my life to nurture me, watch me grow and to cheer me on in whatever I did. My Tati Fash will forever hold a place in my heart. The countless early morning fishing trip to the trampas that I was so fortunate to be allowed to go on. Being thrown into the middle of your fish trap by Tio Galento upon your command. Playing in your boat la Monica amazed at the fish all the way up to my knees. I can still hear Mama Vilma Scolding me to go bathe while I felt so proud to witness and be part of that special lifestyle and club you were part of. I will miss our conversations of your childhood days on the island with your mom. The fishing stories that no one could ever measure up to. Sitting and listening to you as you predict the weather by simply looking out on the horizon. The look on your face as you talked about your children and all their accomplishments is one that I will not forget.

Letter to the Editor: The Citizens are saving the day
Dear Editor, On the TV Newscast from Channel 5 Belize, from June 27, on the San Pedro Town fire, with Fire Chief Ted Smith’s comments are reminescent of the famous Donald Rumsfeld explanation of the Iraq War problems: “As you know, you go to war with the army you have, not the army you might want or wish to have at a later time.” Having a national fire department, like a national police department, can be both good and bad. On the one hand, the entire country is served. On the other, it is sometimes served poorly in certain regions. Ambergris Caye has certainly outgrown its two battered engines and small cadre of professional firefighters. But as Chief Smith points out, in a country with limited resources — you can expect limited resources. How many more times can citizens be expected to save the day with the heroics of the bucket brigades? Or even our own dedicated firemen — with such limited resources and manpower — what happens the next time a fire erupts behind the commercial canyon walls in our very dense downtown? What if they can’t get access? A friend wrote to me asking about firefighting infrastructure — you know, fire hydrants. We may never reach that level of sophistication but how about firefighting cisterns?

Wolfe’s Woofer: Mayday! Mayday!
“Boom!” was the sound of our plane bouncing in an air pocket. “Help! Mayday! Mayday! Dis plane gon crash! Help!” That was the sound of Juan Lopez, my traveling companion. He was seated next to the pilot who was knocked out cold and wedged into the pilot’s seat. We were flying from Playa del Carmen, Mexico back to Chetumal in a little three-seater Mexican plane. I woke up to see the pilot crumpled up in his seat, out like a light. “Dis pilot hit his head and he ain’t awake!” Juan yelled at me. A heavily accented voice came over the radio saying, “We have heard your Mayday call. This is the control tower. Calm down and don’t worry about anything. We are going to explain how to land this plane step-by-step. First, sir. Do you speak Spanish?”

Ambergris Today

Pic of the Week - Into the Deep Blue Hole of Belize
Finnish photographer and video communications expert Viljami Väisänen is currently enjoying his student exchange and travels in Central and South America. We share his Instagram post as he recently went diving the Great Blue Hole of Belize.

Misc Belizean Sources

La Isla Cariñosa Academy Caye Caulker 1st Graduation Commencement Exercise
On Thursday, 30th June 2016, LICA presented its 1st set of graduates: seven Level 2 preschool students and one Standard 6 student. With our first theme of "Dive into Success," students, parents, special guest, and community celebrated with us. It was a very lovely day. Thanks to all LICA teachers who assisted in preparing for this historic event, we sincerely appreciate our team. We want to wish all our graduates the best in their next level of learning. We want to extend sincere appreciation to our guest speaker, Ms. Alma Eiley. We want to thank the community for their continuous support. We will continue to deliver a quality education to our wonderful Caye Caulker children. CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

Caye Caulker Lobsterfest 2016
Photos...

Poets Corner: The Best!
By Abdulmajeed K. Nunez. Winning votes In Belize is a joke People believe in hanging on to politician’s shirt coat The mentality of street man Dah fi be dependent pan politicians No politicians have ever ran the business of this nation They are all about winning elections Weed, rum, sand or cash in hand Belizeans know not what they worth Politicians bait them then pretend to come to their comfort The culture politicians fashioned Is that they are lords over their minions Fifty dollars and a truck of sand Aspiring politicians need to bun this custom Youth are not fully empowered Youth Council noh is not rated supported Youth are citizens to come Elders want to hold on to power til thy kingdom come “The best is yet to come”

Heavy Metal Night at Soul Project
Soul Project was the venue Saturday night for the Angels and Demons Tour, where 5 metal bands rocked Cayo.

International Sources

Jahvillani looks to Belize
Jahvillani is banking on his ‘combination’ with a popular Belize artiste to introduce him to Central American fans. Love Fi Party is the song he did with DJ Fuego, who has a strong following in his country. Produced by Church Street Records in Belize, the song was recently released digitally. “We met through Facebook an’ him sey him woulda like do a song so we did,” said Jahvillani. “It woulda nice to get in dat market.” Central America has a vibrant reggae circuit. Countries like Costa Rica are a thriving scene for Jamaican acts. Known for songs such as Get Rich Or Die Trying, Gun A Bus’ and God And Dem, Jahvillani (given name Dujohn Edwards) has been recording for four years.

CARICOM Heads To Tackle Correspondent Banking Threat
From their boardrooms in London or New York, international banks could destabilise Caribbean economies if they decide to end their correspondent banking relationships (CBRs) with local financial institutions in order to reduce reputational risks and comply with international regulations against facilitating the funding of criminal organisations. Under that acknowledged immediate threat, the leaders of 15 Caribbean Community (CARICOM) countries will today open their latest series of talks with a clear objective to come up with solutions to protect their vulnerable economies. Already, Belize has faced a significant curtailment in the relationships its local banks have with large institutions in many other countries. In a statement issued 72 hours before the opening of the 37th Regular Meeting of the Conference of Heads of Government, the CARICOM Secretariat noted that "if all correspondent banking relations are withdrawn, the region will be isolated from the rest of the world and will be unable to carry out some of the most basic of bank transactions". It added that "critical services, including remittance transfers, international trade, and the facilitation of credit card settlements for local clients, among other services, will be affected".

Videos

July 3, 2016

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

WCS & CRFM award 3 Fishers of the Year 2016
Cesar Munoz of Sarteneja Village, Corozal district was awarded as the 2016 Fisher of the Year, while Mrs. Guadalupe Lampella of Punta Gorda and Juan Munoz of Sarteneja were recognized as outstanding Fishers of the Year as Belize celebrated World Fishermen’s Day on Wednesday, June 29, the feast day of St. Peter, which is observed as a public holiday in many other countries. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism awarded these three Fishers of the Year in a ceremony at the Coastal Zone Management Institute in Belize City on Wednesday morning.

Solani Graniel returns from International Pageant
Beautiful Solani Graniel has returned from competing in her first international pageant, “Miss Caribbean International Roots Pageant”, in Colombia, South America. From June 21st to June 26th, her schedule was hectic as she worked on her tactics for the grand finale of the pageant. Graniel shared her excitement and experience with The San Pedro Sun, detailing how well-received the contestants were from their arrival to the grand finale. While Graniel did not come back with the crown, she is thrilled to have experienced this pageant. The pageant took place on Sunday, June 26th, and walking away with the title of Miss Caribbean International was the host town, Providencia, Colombia’s contestant. Although Graniel did not win the grand title, she took second place in best fantasy dress. She feels honored to have represented Belize, specifically San Pedro.

National Song Competition announced
To kick off the 2016 September celebrations, the National Celebrations Commission (NCC) issued a press release with details regarding the National Song Competition on Thursday, June 23rd. This program is an opportunity to highlight Belizean vocal talents, creativity, showcase Belize’s diversity, and national pride. As such, the NCC is inviting all musicians, performing artists, and amateur musicians to submit their songs by Friday, July 22nd at 5PM. The competition is open to all Belizeans, both juniors and seniors. Groups may enter, but will be treated as one entity. In the senior division (ages 18 and older), $10,000 and a trophy will be awarded for 1st place. The first place prize will include a music video, and an opportunity to represent Belize in the region. A prize of $3,000 and a trophy will be awarded to the second place winner. In the junior division (ages 17 and under), $4,500, a trophy, and a music video will be the given to the first place prize winner. A prize of $1,000 and a trophy will be given to the runner up.

Highlighting the Vulnerability of Belize’s Meso-American Barrier Reef
There is the possibility that the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System could be placed on the list of World Heritage Sites in Danger, according to a World Heritage Committee (WHC) draft decision released on Friday, June 10th. The document was released by the United Nations Educational and Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in the Desired State of Conservation Report after several deadlines to meet required indicators outlined by UNESCO had been missed. The decision took place regardless of the Government of Belize’s commitment to ensure their continued protection programs of Belize’s Barrier Reef System along with its other World Heritage Sites.

Misc Belizean Sources

2016 Caye Caulker Lobster Festival
Lobster Lobster Lobster Fest!

Canillita: Orange Walk Town & San Pedro
July 8 – July 9. ABDIEL TAPIA Actor / Escritor de Canillita Panama City, Panama Teatrista profesional: Actor, Director, Productor, Diseñador de sonido, diseñador de luces, diseñador gráfico... El teatro es mi trabajo y mi placer..

Caye Caulker Lobsterfest 2016 is a blast!!!!

Meet Miss Guatemala, Maria Jose Larrañaga Retolaza
The International Costa Maya Festival is excited to announce its sixth contestant vying the title of Miss Costa Maya International 2016. Maria Jose, likes to share with family and friends, share with kids and elderly persons (social works) in foundations, horseback riding, box, catwalk modelling, go to the beach and travel.

The Placencia Breeze July 2016
Pg 3 BTIA news Pg 7 POV Porkapalooza Pg 9 Kaina Martinez / Irahuna Dancer / New Seine Bight Village Council Pg 10 Whopper of a Fish Story / Results of Tourism Development Study Pg 11 The Shak Spotlight / International Yoga Day Pg 12 Police Workshop Pg 14 Placencia Sailing Club Pg 15 & 18 Placencia BTIA Members Pg 16 & 17 Placencia Peninsula Map Pg 20 Placencia Peninsula Happenings Pg 21 Calender of Events Pg 22 Lobsterfest Events Pictures Pg 24 Graduation Pictures / Bookbag Santa Pg 25 Belize Audubon Society Pg 26 Community Corner Pg 27 PHS News Pg 28 Raffle Prize Winners Pg 29 PVC Fishing Tournament / Lobster Competition Pg 30/31 Paid Listings / Rotary News July

Breaking Belize News

Murdered Belizean minor found on the Mexican side of the Rio Hondo
Orange Walk Police and Mexican authorities are both investigating the murder of 17-year-old Dustin Cortes, a resident of San Felipe Village in the Orange Walk District. Cortes’ body was found floating on the Mexican side of the Rio Hondo and was retrieved by Mexican police earlier […]

Traffic accident claims another life
A late Friday evening traffic accident claimed one life. The incident happened sometime around 4:00 on Friday afternoon along mile 35 on the Hummingbird Highway when Jodine Gill, a 28-year-old teacher, lost control of her maroon 2004 Nissan X-Terra SUV while she was heading to Belmopan. […]

Blogs

YOLO! 24 Tatas Cruise to Caye Caulker, Snorkel with Sharks & Have “The Best Day Ever”
Yesterday, I was honored to be invited on a girls’ trip with Island Dreams Tours on the HUGE boat YOLO. 12 ladies from Idaho celebrating their friend’s one year recovery from breast cancer. Leave the guys at home…head to Ambergris Caye, Belize for 10 days at the Blue Tang Inn and celebrate friends and family and life. What could be better? We boarded YOLO at about 8:45am and after a short briefing, review of the bar menu and a challenge accepted to try one of each cocktail, we were off. The trip includes snorkel stops at Hol Chan Marine Reserve (TURTLES!), Shark Ray Alley, brunch, snacks and 2 hours on Caye Caulker. We also stopped for a dip on the way home.

Lock in Your Piece of Paradise on Caribbean Caye Caulker
Relaxing in a lounge chair, on the expansive sandy beach of Caye Caulker’s eastern shore, a refreshing breeze tickles my skin, providing a reprieve from the mid-day heat. Frigate birds glide overhead, buoyed by a constant salty sea breeze. My gaze follows the avid kite surfers as they bounce along the sparkling sea, their colorful sails billowing as they acrobatically turn mid-air. I’ll never tire of this idyllic Caribbean scene. Caye Caulker is a tranquil, charming, laidback little island. It still looks and feels genuinely Caribbean. It’s small, with only 2,000 residents. The roads are composed of packed sand. Residents navigate the island on bicycles, or on foot. ”Go Slow” signs greet you at regular intervals. The signs here are charming, quirky, and colorful. There are no flashing electric neon signs. You’ll see no cars or trucks…and few golf carts. Strolling along the village’s main street, which runs tandem to the beach, is a delight. You’ll pass a series of inviting B&Bs, guesthouses, and small condo buildings, all painted in lively Caribbean colors such as orange, purple, powder blue, yellow, and lime green. Each establishment is infused with the owner’s personal touch. The same is true of the beach kiosks. Each small, quaint shack offers tours, treats, liquid refreshments, or local art work.

One stuck firetruck highlights San Pedro’s needs for more firefighting options
A fire at Aji’s Tapa Bar & Restaurant‘s palapa bar on North Ambergris Caye, Thursday night, brought out the San Pedro firetruck. It got stuck in the sand in front of Paco’s Tiki Bar, just north of Aji’s, as it tried to find access to the waterfront eatery. The restaurant was already repairing the fire damage on Friday and restaurant operation has not been halted by the fire, according to a neighbor. The operation of the firetruck, however, was halted in the sand until Saturday morning. The truck was seen heading south for home around 10:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Bringing the right equipment to the right fire is important — but everyone knows that the options are limited to two trucks for the San Pedro Fire Station, the pumper and the big wagon (seen here). Ironically, my friend and a San Pedro civic leader Amanda Syme recently relayed a timely and cost-efficient suggestion for bolstering the fire department’s options during a Facebook conversation. She said this suggestion came up in a recent Emergency Management meeting. Said Amanda: “On the island, a natural water source is typically nearby and other areas often have swimming pools. The pump (at left) that was used to pump water from the sea helped immensely and could provide two hoses. The cost of the pump is only $15K BZD.

Belize Tourism Statistics and Visitor Market
A couple years ago I wrote an article on who visits Belize the most. Since some time has gone by, I thought it would be great to write an update – the update includes Belize tourism statistics of 2015 and a visitor market share analysis. The analysis may benefit potential visitors and hotels/ tour operators looking to promote their businesses. Market share analysis reveals that almost 3/4 of visitors to Belize are from the US, followed by Europeans with 12% and Canadians with 7% (figure 1). Examining the top 10 US visitors by State reveals that most American tourists come from Texas and California (figure 2). These US travelers usually love the outdoors and enjoy experiential travel. However, it must be noted that this data is only from the overnight tourists who visited Belize in 2014. As was discovered in the market share analysis (figure 1 & 2), individuals who visit Belize are primarily from the USA, particularly Texas and California. These travelers usually love the outdoors and enjoy experiential travel. Therefore, Belize’s target audience can be categorized into three types of travelers that are from the US: outdoor travelers, cultural explorers, and adventure challengers that are looking for soft (i.e. scenic walks, swimming) and hard (i.e. diving, hiking, spelunking) adventures. Individuals are primarily educated, between the ages 35-55, and are from middle and upper-middle class backgrounds.

Placencia, Belize Lobsterfest 2016!!!!!!!
I feel like at almost every annual event, people say, this was the best one yet!!! Besides some rain, I heard the same rumblings about this year's Placencia Lobsterfest. If you weren't able to make it, here are some pictures from last week's event!!! Thank you CBC's own Sue Vasquez for capturing all these fantastic pictures!

Top Travel Photos and Videos of Belize for June 2016
Were you traveling Belize for the month of June? If the answer is yes, we are pretty sure you were blessed with amazing weather for hiking in the forests of Cayo, snorkelling with rays and nurse sharks at Shark Ray Alley, and enjoying the wide array of lobster dishes now available with the opening of Belize’s Lobster Season. This past weekend saw the culmination of both the San Pedro and Placencia Lobsterfest’s; events that drew hundreds of travelers to experience competitive cookouts, beach parties and musicians. Our team will have a recap of both festivals, including the Caye Caulker Lobsterfest which ends this Sunday, in our next blog. With all the festivities and events that took place, we were impressed with the sheer number of travel related posts on Instagram featuring Belize! From the thousands of travel photos and videos that were taken, we have chosen several that we believe truly highlight the Belize Experience. Without further a-do, here's our list of the "Top Travel Photos and Videos of Belize for June 2016.”

International Sources

The gay conundrum: Does this destination deserve my money?
“Every person who has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any person … shall be liable to imprisonment for 10 years.” This is a quote from the Belize criminal code, one of the first things you read when you Google “LGBTQ rights in Belize.” My first step when planning a trip begins with this kind of quick reference check to determine how gay-friendly the destination is. I get a chart that outlines how the country rates on this tier of human rights. It lists the legalities of same-sex sexual activity, marriage, union recognition, whether there are anti-discrimination laws on the books in employment and other areas, whether LGBTQ people can adopt a child, serve in the military, etc. More often than not, these charts are a sea of red Xs not green checkmarks – and that’s true for a lot of the Caribbean countries many Canadians visit without blinking. “Don’t go there! They throw us fags in jail,” a friend of mine said recently, only half-jokingly, when the subject of a trip to St. Lucia came up. He was referring to the fact that the island – just like Belize and dozens of others – still considers same-sex sex illegal, with a penalty of up to life imprisonment. Happily, this is not enforced. So why is it still on the law books?

Even scientists take selfies with wild animals. Here’s why they shouldn’t
One of the great things about being a biologist is getting to work in the field and connect with wildlife. Through my career, I have enjoyed many unforgettable close encounters with various species, including turtles, birds, marine mammals, invertebrates and a lot of fish, especially sharks and rays. My research program also has a strong focus on citizen science. I use data collected by recreational scuba divers and snorkelers to describe marine animal populations and conservation needs. Therefore, I work closely with the tourism industry. Because of these connections, I am often asked to advise on best practices for tourists interacting with wildlife. In response I tell them that scientific studies have documented how unnecessarily handling or getting too close to wild animals can have lasting consequences – including causing stress which can interfere with their feeding or mating success. Reflecting on my own experiences, however, I recognize that I and many of my peers have not always followed those best practices. Sure, we need to have close encounters with wildlife to do our work, and we have the necessary training and permits. We often have reason to photograph animals in the course of our research – for example, to quickly capture information such as size, health, sex, and geographic location. But we do not have permission, or good reason, to engage in recreational activities with our animal subjects – including restraining them for selfies.

An Indigenous Mom Explains Why She Doesn’t Register Her Kids with the Government
We went down to Belize, to train with the Mopan Mayan midwives. The Indigenous people there have tons of knowledge, they've each birthed 400, 500 babies. One is coming up in a couple weeks to do workshops on womb massage and a few different things. They also use sweat lodge in a lot of their birthing practices—pre and post-natal. There are things that I know we did here, too. Whenever I go into any other community I always ask: are there traditional midwives practicing? That's something really important because there's so much knowledge out there. That's what I want to do in our own language, is find out what the name is—woman's doctor, woman's healer—whatever it is in our language so we can start to revive that in our nations.

Mangoes destroy cancer, blast fat, reduce cholesterol, and more
Despite being a member of the Anacardiaceae family (as are poison ivy and poison oak) and therefore producing the irritating chemical urushiol, the mango has a much better reputation than its renowned rash-inducing relatives. Most people do not come in contact with mango vines or tree sap, harboring high urushiol concentrations, and only a few susceptible individuals react negatively to mango skin; therefore, a majority of the population has everything to gain and nothing to lose by eating the nutritious and delicious mango. The several ways it is credited with improving health include the following: Although it has substantially fewer antioxidants than the acai berry or pomegranate, its high fiber and vitamin C content together with its several phenols and enzymes give the mango promising anti-carcinogenic properties (9). Consuming pectin, the form of fiber found in mangoes, lowers the risk of developing gastrointestinal cancers (9, 12). Vitamin C protects against free radical damage, also reducing cancer risk (13). When colon and breast cancer cells were exposed to mango extract (containing the active ingredient gallotannin, a polyphenol) by Texas AgrLife scientists, the cells stopped growing and dividing and began to systematically die (1). Because the division of these cells was halted, scientists believe mangoes may prevent cancers by interrupting the process by which mutant cells proliferate to form cancerous growths (1).

Videos

July 2, 2016

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

Community spirit shines through tragedy
The humanitarian spirit of La Isla Bonita has been heart-warming, as the island community quickly came together to assist the fire victims that left 88 homeless. Businesses entities, individual volunteers, non-profit organizations – everyone stepped up to the plate and have been going non-stop. The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC), along with many volunteers headed a massive clean-up campaign in the immediate area as soon as authorities gave the okay. The SPTC has also being hosting meals for the fire victims and volunteer workers at the Town Hall Conference Room. Those affected can stop by during breakfast, lunch hours, and at 8PM. So far, Elvi’s Kitchen, Rojo Bar and Lounge, The Sandbar, Blue Water Grill, El Popular of Orange Walk, and Ramon’s Village has provided food relief assistance. The SPTC advises that anyone who is interested in donating food to drop off warm meals at the conference room. While the clean-up is in its final phase, the community continues ensuring that the affected families are well taken care of. Besides the assistance from the Government of Belize through the National Emergency Management Organization, many local stake holders and Non-Governmental Organizations on the island have joined forces to raise donations for the fire victims. The San Pedro Lions Den, the Belize Red Cross San Pedro Branch, Leos Clubs, Projects Abroad, San Pedro Food Bank, Saga Humane Society, San Pedro Cancer Society, AIDS Commission, Reef Radio and Lighthouse Radio Station have been busy coordinating the aid coming to the island.

San Pedro’s preschoolers graduate
Graduation Season is nearly done, as over the past week, five pre-schools’ students joined the proud list of 2016 graduates. First to hold their graduation exercises was Holy Cross Anglican Preschool on Thursday, June 23rd. 28 children from Teacher Blake’s preschool class received their diplomas during a ceremony at the San Pedro Lions Den at 5PM. Led by Ayoni Esquiliano, the ceremony saw Delvi Flores giving the welcome address. Vice Principal Olivia Tasher presented diplomas, and the vote of thanks was done by Helen Melendez. On Saturday, June 25th, ABC Preschool held their graduation ceremonies at 3PM. Diplomas were given during a Catholic mass at the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church, after which graduates and their families moved to the Angel Nuñez Auditorium for a celebratory party. This year’s graduation ceremonies were very special as it marked 25 years that ABC Preschool has been under the administration of Principal Wilfredo Alamilla.

The Belize Bird Rescue launches children’s book
The Belize Bird Rescue (BBR) recently launched a children’s book titled ‘Zack and Kiki’s First Big Adventure: The Great Escape.’ The colourful illustrated book is suitable for children ages 8-12 and is available for purchase online. All profits of the sales will support the BBR, a Non-Governmental Non-Profit rescue, rehabilitation and release centre for indigenous birds of Belize. The book was written by Nikki Buxton and illustrated by Karin Harvey. “One of the reasons why we did the book was to try to instil some empathy to children about the feelings of parrots, and how it affects them when they are removed from their natural habitat,” said Buxton.

San Pedro celebrates Dia de San Pedro
Dia de San Pedro is officially on June 28th, and the San Pedro House of Culture (SPHC), along with The San Pedro Town Council put together a series of activities to celebrate this grand occasion. The annual week-long event honours St. Peter (San Pedro), the Patron Saint of Fishermen of the island, and San Pedranos, along with those who have adopted the island as their home, come together annually to thank their patron for another bountiful year. Festivities started on Monday, June 20th at the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church, where the SPHC hosted ‘The Alba,’ (first light before sunrise) and provided a fisherman breakfast early in the morning. Following a week of Novenas (a devotion ceremony consisting of prayer) and Exhibitions, on Tuesday, June 28th the anticipated ‘La Alborada,’ (the eve of Dia de San Pedro) took place at 8PM in front of the St. Peter’s statue at the Catholic Church. Both Guillermo ‘Mito’ Paz and the Honourable Manuel Heredia Jr., welcomed the crowd and gave a brief history of the life of Saint Peter and why it is so important to keep the tradition alive. Afterwards, hundreds of enthusiastic viewers enjoyed the cultural presentations by the San Pedro Dance Academy and the Alma Beliceña Marimba group from Soccotz Village. There was even a serenata (serenade) to St. Peter by Javier Castillo’s Mariachi.

Ambergris Today

Green Reef Receives PACT Grant for Summer Youth Camp in July
Green Reef, a marine conservation NGO, was awarded a PACT Environmental Support Grant to undertake a four week summer camp at Camp Basil Jones on North Ambergris Caye adjacent to the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve. The Summer Youth Camps is being spearheaded by Green Reef in collaboration with the San Pedro House of Culture (NICH), Hol Chan Marine Reserve, and the Department of Youth Services with financial support from the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), Belize Kids, Blackadore Caye Resort, Oceana, Hol Chan and NICH. One hundred campers will have the unique opportunity to participate in this fun-filled adventure and experience the thrill of a lifetime at a week-long summer camp. Campers will pack their bags and head to an idyllic beachside retreat, where they will indulge in over-the-top competitions inspired by classic camp games, learn about Belize’s marine natural resources and create unique art & crafts from sustainable materials. The environmental education curriculum at the summer camp will entail a training course on the Introduction to Coral Reef Ecosystems and Threats for primary schools children. The course will focus on the primary ecosystems of the coastal and marine environment, Belize’s marine protected areas and the world heritage site, reef fish identification, the life history of sea turtles, and threats to coral reefs and marine life.

Misc Belizean Sources

Official Rules for the NCCO's first annual National Climate Change Youth Video Competition
Find the Official Rules for the NCCO's first annual National Climate Change Youth Video Competition below. For further information please feel free to message us via Facebook or call the NCCO at 828-5960. Remember, all youths between the ages of 18-30 can participate in the Competition by submitting a video featuring his or her actions to address Climate Change within their community and Belize.

NATIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE YOUTH VIDEO COMPETITION!!!
The National Climate Change Office (NCCO) is embarking on its First National Climate Change Youth Video Competition. This competition will allow Belizean youths the opportunity to showcase ways in which they are implementing concrete actions in their communities to address Climate Change. Youths between the ages of 18-30 are eligible for entrance into the competition. See flyer attached for further information. Submission Date is Friday, July 22, 2016 no later than 4:30 p.m.

Letter: Brexit to exacerbate Belize's downward economic spiral
The $445+ million arbitration judgement for BTL, the $325 million waste of PetroCaribe funds, and the $55 million from SSB are a few of the blatant, in-your-face, evidence of the present government’s mismanagement of the economy in the name of maintaining power at any cost. There are no medium or long-term gains from any of these bad decisions for our ailing economy and frustrated people, and the recent Brexit only serves to compound this dire situation. Great Britain’s exit from the European Union means that Belize, the rest of the English-speaking Caribbean, and the ACP will now have a diminished power position when negotiating trade matters with the EU. The adverse effects on the UK economy includes the weakening of the pound sterling, now at a 30-year low against the US dollar, that will likely cause a reduction in importation of products such as bananas and sugar, and cause British tourist to switch away from visiting our region. This negative external shock is a clarion call to all Belizeans to recognize the significant present danger of our worsening economic trajectory, with the Statistical Institute of Belize reporting a further contraction of our economy and an ever-increasing trade deficit.

UPDATE: SAN PEDRO FIRE - JULY 1, 2016
As the week comes to an end, the site of the fire has been completely cleared off and fire victims have been receiving much help from businesses and friends from all over Belize. Most of the affected families have received mattresses, stove tops, blankets, food items, water, toiletries, and other items. On Thursday, June 30, the Reef Radio hosted a radiothon and managed to raise a whopping $172,928.90 Belize dollars. Thanks to everyone who helped during the radiothon and those who donated. Also on Thursday, June 30, the San Pedro Fire Department was on the site to wash off the ashes from the street. The San Pedro is so grateful for all the assistance it has received from everyone - whether you donated money, clothes, food, helped for the cleanup or even your time - THANK YOU! Thanks to the restaurants and volunteers! You guys rocked! Thank you San Pedro, Thank you Belize!

SUMMER CAMP 2016 IT'S A GO...
Green Reef, a marine conservation NGO, for the third consecutive year, will undertake a four week summer camp at Camp Basil Jones on North Ambergris Caye adjacent to the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve.The summer youth camp programme aims to promote conservation and preservation of the Belize Barrier Reef as we work towards youth empowerment in Belize. The camp is being spearheaded by Green Reef in collaboration with the San Pedro House of Culture (NICH), Hol Chan Marine Reserve, and the Department of Youth Services with financial support from the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT), BelizeKids.org, Finn & Martini, Blackadore Caye Resort, Oceana, Hol Chan and the National Institute of Culture & History (NICH). One hundred campers ages 11-17 will have the unique opportunity to participate in this fun-filled adventure and experience the thrill of a lifetime at a week-long summer camp. Campers will pack their bags and head to an idyllic beachside retreat, where they will indulge in over-the-top competitions inspired by classic camp games, learn about Belize’s marine natural resources and create unique art & crafts from sustainable materials.

World Culture Band at D Catch
The World Culture Band is going to be playing at D Catch on July 4th. What a way to ring in their new location(intersection of Joseph Andrews and Bullet Tree roads). Best of all, it's free! "D' Catch proudly presents The World Culture Band! Performing live here at D Catch this coming 4th July 2016! Be sure to stop by for dinner and drinks! There is no admission fee! D' Catch, celebrating our foreign neighbors with good food, good drinks and great music!"

Summertastic Art Workshops
The Benque House of Culture has a lot of great Summer Workshops planned. "Launching our Summ-tastic Art, Culture & History Sessions this summer! For more details inbox, visit us or call us at 823-2697! Learning can be fun & educational in the name of CULTURE!"

Channel 7

Human Trafficking Victims Slapped With Immigration Charges While "Coyote" Runs Free
Last night on the news we told you about the Trafficking in Persons report from the US State Department which spoke about the Victims of trafficking in persons and their, quote "fear of detention or deportation (making) them reluctant to communicate with law enforcement." Well that's just what 17 Salvadoreans may be facing. We told you about the group earlier in the week. Belize Rural police found them jammed in a van travelling between Ladyville and Gardenia. They were heading from the Western border to the north - but today they were charged, while the person smuggling them - the so-called "coyote" was set free!! 14 of them, 10 men and 4 women pled guilty to charges of failure to produce a visitor's permit when they appeared today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser. They were each fined $1,000 and were ordered to pay forthwith. They were told that if they were unable to pay the fine they will serve 6 months imprisonment and an order has been made for them to be deported to El Salvador after they have either paid the fine or served the time. Three minors - aged 11, 15 and 4 - weren't taken to court, and the Social Department will deal with their case.

Was Dustin Stoned To His Death In Mexico?
Last night on the news you heard the officer commanding for Orange Walk say that 17-year-old San Felipe resident Dustin Cortez is believed to have drowned. That's what he says Mexican police told him. They're in charge of the case because his body was found on their side of the Rio Hondo. But, the family insists the case is far from closed and tonight new information suggests that he may have been viciously stoned on the Mexican side and that led to his death. They say, this information is coming from the Mexican police. They are preparing to transport the remains to the family in San Felipe. Still, there is little closure for the family tonight because there are still a lot of questions surrounding Dustin's death. This is what his mother told our colleagues at CTV3 news yesterday.

Shooting Victim Very Critical, No Charge Yet
Tonight police are still grappling with the murder case of 20 year old Kieran Morrison, while 18 year old Kent Brooks continues to fight for his life at the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital. As we told you last night, Morrison and Brooks, two very close friends were hanging out in front of Morrison's house on La Croix Boulevard when a single gunman appeared and fired several shots in their direction fatally injuring Morrison. We were told that at least 5 shots caught him. Kent Brooks is said to have a slim chance of survival. He was shot once, but the bullet went through his side and damaged several of his internal organs. He underwent surgery on Wednesday night and the family told us today that the doctors are preparing to perform another surgery tonight. As for the investigation police have not yet brought any charges.

Will BTL Debt Bomb Detonate The Economy?
For the past two days all the news has been about Government's half a billion dollar baby, BTL and the very costly settlement with the Ashcroft Alliance. And while the bottom line figure is staggering, what about paying it all back? Government has to pay a total of 454 million dollars. It paid 65 million last year, as partial settlement, so that leaves 390 million dollars outstanding. Half of that has to be paid within 10 days of the judgment, and the other half in a year's time. Government will have to scramble to come up with all that cash - and to do so it has to resort to domestic sources, namely treasury bills. But will it be a shock to the economy, with government crowding out available liquidity. We asked the Prime Minister about it on Wednesday - and we also have a comment from the Leader of the Opposition:... Jules Vasquez "Isn't the government, by issuing more paper, stagnating the economy, forcing the stagnation of the economy by sapping up all the available funds in order to pay its debts and in so doing depriving the commercial banking sector of those funds which would in the normal course be on lended for, one hopes, developmental growth purposes? That sort of thing."

Lamp Posts Topple At Municipal
Three lamp posts fell across the road at the Municipal Airstrip sometime early this morning, causing a black out in that area. Now all operations at the airstrip depend heavily on electricity, and that includes everything from the printing of flight receipts, to the cataloging of flights, to even communicating with the pilots. Fortunately the two major airlines - Tropic Air and Maya Island Air - fired up their generators and maintained services without interruption, although their online booking feature was down for a while. BEL personnel were dispatched to the area last night and have since been working overtime to get the situation resolved. But just what caused the lampposts to topple in the first place? No one could really tell us for sure, but one of the theories was that it had to do with the natural course of erosion, compounded by recent works on a drainage system along the street side.

Urbie Free To Fly
He may have run a few "red lights", but Detective Constable Urbie Alamilla keeps hitting those greens. The cop who was charged for discharging a firearm in public got free on bail last week, and this week his attorney Dickie Bradley successfully argued for one of the terms of his bail to be waived. Bradley appeared before Adolph Lucas today to ask the court's permission to allow Alamilla to travel outside Belize. Bradley, who made the application, explained that Alamilla was granted vacation leave before he was charged with discharging a firearm in public and he had already bought travel tickets for himself and his family. The Crown, represented by Crown Counsel Janelle Tillett, did not object to Constable Alamilla leaving Belize but asked that he furnish the address in the US where he and his family will be staying and provide a copy of his travel itinerary.

Archaeology Symposium: From Punta Ycacos To Caracol
On Wednesday, we told you about the 14th Annual Belize Archaeology and Anthropology Symposium, which has been taking place all week in San Ignacio. It's an opportunity for all the researchers working with NICH to come together and discuss the progress in the work that they've been doing either within the remote communities, or at different Maya sites. At this week's Symposium, we got an opportunity to see just how many partnerships between NICH and friendly universities it actually takes to keep the work going at Belize's archaeological sites. Daniel Ortiz has that story: Daniel Ortiz reporting: Since the beginning of the week, archaeologists and anthropologists from all over the world have been attending the Belize Archaeology Anthropology Symposium.

Getting Garbage Gone
Picking up garbage is never fun, but two organizations made it so and they were awarded today. On May 21st the BDF Youth Cadet and BEL participated in the Department of the Environment's highway cleanup campaign. The volunteers went along the highway from Belize to Benque collecting bags of garbage and this morning there was a short ceremony to honor them for their hard work. Environmental Officer Celi Cho told us more about this initiative. Celi Cho - Environment Officer: "When we were organizing the highway clean up, we thought about having 2 categories of prizes that volunteers can win a prize for 1; was for who brought out the most volunteers and who collected the most bags just to give them an incentive to want to come out apart from the whole volunteerism come out and at least get something back. So, what happened is that the BDF cadets, they come out every time we ask and they won the category for bringing out the most volunteers, because they are a large group and they come out. Then the Belize electricity limited they won the category for collecting the most bags. The highway clean up walk for a green Belize we are trying to bring more awareness for why it is important to keep our environment clean. Why not to litter? When everybody throws garbage out of the buses or the vehicles it collects. When we have a lot of garbage it creates a big health problem for the country apart from an environmental problem because it can cause water pollution and with a health problem, garbage attracts pests which carries bacteria and can get illness from. So, it creates a lot of problem, garbage on a whole. We always try to educate the public why it's important to keep Belize clean and healthy. It's for our own benefit."

Police Bike Auction Moved 30 Bikes
Last night on the news, we showed you the stampede by city residents at the Queen Street Police Station to get up front for the highly anticipated police auction. Well, about 300 bicycles were auctioned yesterday, but that all day event was still not enough to get rid of everything! So this afternoon the police held day two of the action and the last 35 bicycles were gone in minutes along with everything else. As for the raffle, Lord's Bank resident, Alanie Grinage, walked away with the Red Wingle.

RAV 4 Raffle Finished
And another vehicle raffle was held today - this one for the 2016 RAV 4 raffled by the General sales Tax Department. Security Firm supervisor Delsie Smith won it. She told us that she put in 30 to 40 tickets. She isn't sure what she will do with the vehicle yet. It has a retail value, duty paid of over one hundred thousand dollars.

The Prince Of Brukdown
Cocono Bwai is back on the news tonight, this time with a brand new album release- actually his first. The last time we spoke to 19 year old Cecil Jenkins Jr, who goes by the name "Cocono Boy", it was to talk about his new song Dengue Fever, which seems to catching like, well, fever. Today the brukdown prince visited our studios to speak about this his latest 10 track album. Cecil Jenkin's is inviting all residents to come out to the Battle Field Park tomorrow on Saturday where he will be promoting his CD, signing autographs and doing what Cocono Boy does best, promiting himself. You can purchase a copy of his CD for $20 dollars Belize.

Agro Forestry Access
The Ya'axché Conservation Trust is trying to promote agroforestry in Southern Belize. The trust partnered with the University of Missouri and the University of Belize- Environmental Research Institute in hosting a three day training workshop for Belizean farmers in the South. According to the Conservation Trust, this is a first step toward increasing knowledge and implementation of agroforestry in the country. Christina Garcia, the Executive Director of the Conservation group explained more about the program. Christina Garcia - Ya 'axche Executive Director: "We had farmers from within the Mayan Golden Landscape but we also had the participation of the extension officers from the ministry of agriculture. So they too were involved with these trainings. We've been reviewing topics such as agroforestry, the design of a particular plot. We touch a little bit on the marketing aspect of agroforestry and participants were mainly involved in terms of developing a case study, particularly for a farm that belongs to one of the participant, one of the farmers and basically they have incorporated a pasture along with agroforestry. So, we are looking more at the sylviculture, pastoral sylviculture within that agroforestry system but basically enhancing how more or less that system could be better developed in terms of encompassing different timber, different saplings, different fruit trees, how we can make this farmer farm basically sustainable and shaping it into something that could become a model."

IMF Says Central Bank Lost Two Correspondent Banks
Earlier on we told you about the effect that paying the big bill for BTL will have on the national debt profile. And while that's one major problem affecting an economy which already showed negative growth in the first quarter of 2016, another is the continuing, and worsening problem with correspondent banking relations. The IMF issued a report yesterday which notes that, quote, "Only two of (Belize's) nine domestic and international banks (representing 27 percent of the banking system's assets at the end of March 2016) have managed to maintain Correspondent Banking Relationships with full banking services" End quote. It also discloses that The Central Bank of Belize has also lost two of its correspondent relationships.

Disaster Preparedness
14 thousand residents of Stann Creek benefited from a one year Taiwan funded initiative on Community Preparedness and Resilience. The program was led by the Pan American Development Foundation in partnership with the Government of Taiwan and Belize. Throughout the year, PADF trained local emergency response teams in Dangriga and Hopkins, engaged students and teachers in 7 schools with climate change programs and disaster risk reduction, launched eight public awareness campaigns on fragile ecosystems, strengthened early warning systems in the communities, partnered with UB in expanding its GIS Center, and even engaged students in field work. Yesterday the program officially closed with a ceremonial thank you. PADF and Taiwan have been partnering with countries throughout the region in addressing emergencies and natural disasters.

Channel 5

Female Minor Was Stabbed 52 Times
A gruesome discovery was made on Wednesday morning in Mahogany Heights. Seventeen-year-old Jasmine Petillo was brutally stabbed multiple times before her body was dumped in a ditch behind the community, [...]

Social Scientists Say Gang Interventions Are Not Working
A recent murder on LaCroix Boulevard in Lake I suggests that a longstanding feud between the PIV and bakaland gangs is escalating. These turf wars, rivalries and retaliations have accounted [...]

ACP Chester Williams Responds – Stop Talking and Start Helping
Those comments have not been taken well by those on the ground doing the interventions. Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams struck back in his own unique style.   ACP [...]

Fifteen Arraigned in Human Smuggling Ring
Fifteen persons, including ten Salvadoran men, a Belizean farmer and four Salvadoran women were today arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court for different offenses mounting from an alleged smuggling [...]

Central Bank Loses Citibank to Derisking
For the past couple months, the issue of de-risking has been placed on the backburner as other pressing national issues, including the Sarstoon and the B.T.L. arbitration award, have taken [...]

Don’t Blame It on the PUP, Says Briceño
The arbitration award will continue to dominate conversations for the next little while, perhaps escalating even, as people begin to recognize the enormity of a four hundred million dollar debt, [...]

PUP Says the UDP is Fostering a Perfect Economic Storm
Apart from claiming that the half-a billion dollar payout for B.T.L. is a deal and a victory, the Prime Minister has gone on record to say that they will not [...]

Will the PUP Count Lord Ashcroft as an Ally?
And then there’s the man who is walking away with the half a billion dollar payout. Lord Ashcroft has been a messiah and a pariah, a friend and a fiend [...]

The PUP Will Not Re-Engage in Guatemala Talks
The Sarstoon River remains a question mark. There are no official rules of engagement or protocols. As far as News Five has proven, civilians cannot go in there. We’ve been [...]

How Will Brexit Affect the Caribbean?
British withdrawal from the European Union, widely referred to as Brexit, follows the United Kingdom European Union membership referendum.  It is a non-binding vote that took place last Thursday in [...]

Historian Explains Caribbean Links to England’s Rise to Power
From a historic perspective, the Caribbean, according to Vice-Chancellor Beckles, has been central to England’s rise to power.  He contextualizes the history of England’s involvement in the region.   Sir [...]

Beckles Says Brexit Will Have Adverse Effects on the Region
Those in favor of leaving the E.U. say that it would allow the U.K. to better control immigration, thereby reducing pressure on public services, housing and jobs.  It would also [...]

AAA Security Employee is Lucky GST Raffle Winner
Triple ‘A’ Security employee Delsie Smith is the lucky winner of the G.S.T. Grand Raffle. At two o’clock this afternoon, her name was successfully chosen from thousands of tickets and [...]

GST Commissioner Says Raffle Met its Goals
The raffle was done to give back to the community as part of the tenth anniversary celebration of the General Sales Tax Department. Commissioner Betty-Ann Jones told News Five that [...]

Unlmtd Promotes New Video
Today, Belizean musician Bernard Cayetano, street name Unlmtd, stopped by our studio to promote a new video. He’s based in Belize City’s Lake I, and isn’t exactly a stranger on [...]

PlusTV

One killed, another critical following late night shooting
20 year old Keiran Morrison is dead and a 17 year old lies in critical condition at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital following a shooting on La Croix Boulevard in the Lake Independence area of Belize City last night. Reports are that the victims were hanging out in front of the deceased’s h...

Accommodation Agreement compensation won’t go to Ashcroft
Prime Minister Right Honorable Dean Barrow yesterday said the accommodation agreement portion of the final BTL arbitration award totaling 114.6 million dollars is not to go to the former shareholders. Instead, it will be paid in Belize dollars and is to remain and be spent in Belize. According to th...

PUP does not accept PM’s olive branch over Guatemala
Yesterday you heard Prime Minister Right Honorable Dean Barrow extend the olive branch to the People’s United Party (PUP), which pulled out of any negotiations over the Sarstoon protocol and other Guatemala-related matters unless and until Government changes their tune on engagement with the Republi...

Over 100 LBS of Weed confiscated after pursuit
Last night, a high speed pursuit led to the apprehension of 19 year old Maynor Leonel Portillo, and 47,174grams of Cannabis, that’s more than 100 pounds of marijuana. Wednesday night , 29th of June, a checkpoint was being conducted at mile 54 on the George Price Highway when a small Toyota Car sped ...

Belmopan Police Aid San Pedro Fire Victims
The Belmopan police are sending nonperishable goods to the people who fell victim to the San Pedro fire that happened over the weekend. Several businesses were destroyed and over 20 families were left homeless due to the fire. The Belmopan Police decided to lend a helping hand to the victims of the ...

Ride Across Belize 2016 kicks off
The Ride Across Belize Fund Raising event started in 2004 as a public relations tactic for the Social Security Board, but has since grown into one of Belize’s biggest fund raising events in the country. The 13th Annual Ride Across Belize kicked off yesterday as a little over 125 cyclists rode ...

16 year old stabbed to the back in Cayo
A 16 year old boy was stabbed to the back during a brawl in Santa Elena. On Wednesday 29th June 2016 about 8:30 p.m., 16year old Jonathan Valdez, Belizean student of Santa Elena Town, was along with four of his friends at the race track in the Trapiche Area of Santa Elena Town, when a second group o...

Amandala

Girl, 17, found murdered in Mahogany Heights
At about 10 o’clock yesterday morning, a farmer who was walking in the bushes behind Mahogany Heights, near Mile 30 on the George Price Highway, came upon a horrific sight. What he saw was the body of a young girl, near a ditch, semi-nude and wrapped in a quilt, with multiple stab wounds to her upper body. Police and villagers identified the body as that of a 17-year-old girl of the village, Jasmine Petillo, who was well-known, and a leader of the Mahogany Heights Carnival Band. She was found lying face down. Police believe that she was killed elsewhere and disposed of in that area. Petillo’s mother told police that at about 3:00 yesterday morning, Wednesday, when she got up to get ready to go to work, her daughter was at home sleeping. She then left home and walked to the bus stop, and that was the last time she saw her daughter.

Family Court sentences repeat violator to $12,000 and 5 years
An ex-Belize Defence Force soldier, who has built a horrifying catalogue of acts of violent, domestic abuse against his ex-common-law wife and mother of his children, totally disregarded a Belize City Family Court order of protection on multiple occasions and was slapped with a 5-year prison sentence and a robust court fine when his cases concluded at the court on Tuesday, June 28. The 5-year prison sentence and $12,000 fine that Family Court Magistrate Natalia Carter levied on Rennick Baizer, 32, is not the end of his legal entanglement. Baizer still has a criminal charge for wounding pending at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, based on a complaint Shawna Gillett, 28, his children’s mother, filed with police. Baizer appeared before the court to face charges for three different violations of the protection orders the court had given Gillett against him since their separation. The court’s $12,000 fine was the penalty for one of his violations of the protection order; for the other violation, Baizer was sentenced to two years.

Half-a-billion bucks for BTL!
The saga surrounding the exorbitant cost of telecommunications liberalization in Belize—which has ballooned because of the tumultuous and litigious landscape that emerged after the Government of Belize moved in 2001 to end the telecommunications monopoly—still has some observers awed with disbelief. The country’s premier telecommunications provider, Belize Telemedia Limited (formerly Belize Telecommunications Limited) has endured privatization, liberalization, and a series of government-brokered deals and takeovers—and Belizeans are still counting the cost. Seven years ago, when the Government of Belize took control of Belize Telemedia Limited from a group of companies controlled by British billionaire Lord Michael Ashcroft, Dunkeld, one of his Turks and Caicos companies, triggered foreign arbitration claiming between $300 million and $600 million.

Gang shooting leaves 1 dead, 1 with slim chance of surviving
While one man lies in the morgue, another lies in bed fighting for his life at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) after another night of street violence. Kieran Morrison, 20, and Kent Brooks, Jr., 18, were both socializing at the Morrison’s residence on Lacroix Boulevard shortly after 8 p.m. on Wednesday when a gunman exited a grey car and fired several shots at the duo. Morrison sustained injuries to the head and neck, and died as a result of these wounds, while Brooks, who was shot in the stomach, remains in a critical condition. According to the Commander of Eastern Division South, ACP Chester Williams, this incident was gang-related. At this time, we are unable to confirm that in fact, these two young men were involved in gang activity. However, information to Amandala suggests that both men were the latest casualties of a feud that began some time ago between the Bloods of the Peace in the Village (PIV) gang and the Backa Lands Crips (BLC).

Belize offers quid pro quo to Guatemala
The Government of Belize has softened its stance on a demand which Guatemala made three years ago, in March 2013, for Belize to change its referendum legislation to remove the 60% minimum voter participation required for the referendum on whether the border controversy between the two countries should be adjudicated at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Speaking to the press on Wednesday, Barrow said that Belize’s Foreign Minister, Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington, had indicated that the international community and in particular the Group of Friends which has been funding the office of the Organization of American States (OAS) at Belize’s western border with Guatemala “is getting impatient,” as they feel not enough progress is being made toward the ICJ referendum. Barrow said that it is not Belize’s fault, adding that “We are ready to go just about whenever”—suggesting that Belize could very well go to the polls before Guatemala does.

US sex predators prey upon Belize’s children with help of their relatives, says US TIP report
The US State Department released its 2016 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report on Wednesday, June 29, on 188 countries and territories—and Belize was ranked for the second consecutive year on tier 3, the bottommost tier. The report points to child sex tourism, facilitated by Belizean relatives, as well as cross-border trafficking for prostitution between Belize and Guatemala and exploitation by even some law enforcement officers. “The UN Special Rapporteur on Trafficking in Persons reported family members facilitate the sex trafficking of Belizean women and girls. In tourist regions, foreign child sex tourists, primarily from the United States, exploit child sex trafficking victims,” the report said. The report also points to a case where a Guatemalan girl was trafficked from her home country to Belize, where she was exploited for sex by persons who include a law enforcement officer.

http://amandala.com.bz/news/mundialito-games-o-w/
Four Mundialito games were played at Louisiana Football Field on Sunday, June 26. In game 1, Belize bombed Croatia, 9-0, with goals from Alex Alamilla (6), Joel Briceno (2) and Edrei Bobadilla (1). In game 2, it was Germany, 5-1, over Argentina. Germany got goals from Jemario Sanabria (2), Jesse August (2) and Obed Perez (1); while Eladio Ku scored for Argentina. Game 3 saw Holland with the 5-1 win over Spain, courtesy of goals from Angel Ico (4) and Armando Chirinos (1), while Spain’s only goal was by Narciso Cruz. And in game 4, Colombia edged Mexico, 2-1, with a goal each from Miguel Uh and Henry Cordero, while Denilson Tzul got the sole tally for Mexico.

Belikin 8-Ball Tournament – Belmopan update!!!
The Belikin 8-Ball Tournament in Belmopan saw six matches played in the past week, with the following team and individual results. Sunday, June 26: At Mike’s Cue Club, Special Effects defeated Barrio Fino, 3-2. For Special Effects, Erwin Woodye won Cyrus Mira, 4-1; Edmund Guy shot sharply over Victor Orellana, 4-1; and Clifford King beat Brian Mira, 4-2. For Barrio Fino, it was Amir Paquil running Rony Ramos, 4-2; and Stanley Mira edged Dean Flowers, 4-3, after Dean made a huge comeback, but could not get over the hill, as Stanley finished with a beautiful and sweet shot. At Intentalo Bar, Las Flores blanked Set-Up, 5-0. Marvin Yam won Floyd Thimbrel, 4-2; Julio Hernandez won Juan Hernandez, 4-1; Juan Gusman won Ruben Ruiz, 4-3; Jose Alvarenga won Kenny Arnold, 4-3; and Salvador Orellana put the icing on the cake over Vincent Huang, 4-1. At Capital Entertainment, BRC Shooters won Twin Stars, 3-2, in a tight match. For BRC, Oscar Avelar won Moises Aguirre, 4-3; Tim Banman continued to look good, as he won Mario Lopez, 4-3; and Duane Garbutt reeled in Roberto Sanabria, 4-2. For Twin Stars, Erwin Paredes showed he is the bigger brother, as he won Elder Paredes, 4-2; and Jose Palma did the same over his younger brother, Noe Palma, 4-2, as they play on different teams.

Smart 13 & Under regular season ends
–It was a day of many possibilities on Saturday, June 25, at the MCC Grounds where the final day of the 2016 Smart 13 & Under Mundialito regular season would decide from among 4 contending teams, which one would get the fourth and final spot in playoffs. City Boys (23 pts), Brown Bombers (19 pts) and Hattieville Riverside Boys (17 pts) were already sure of their playoff berths. Meanwhile, Young Warriors (11 pts), Ladyville Rising Stars (13 pts), Collet Strikers (13 pts) and Carlston FC (14 pts) were all in the hunt for the final spot in the top-4 playoffs. To keep their playoff hopes alive, Young Warriors opened the action with a 3-0 victory over Heights FC, with a goal each from Kaylen McFoy, Anthony Usher and Jeffrey Young. The win gave Warriors a total of 14 points, with a +4 goal difference.

Editorial: The power versus the people
Every now and then, the veil of purity over the face of the power structure in Belize is drawn aside, for one reason and another, and the Belizean people can see the portrait of Dorian Grey: we can see the reality of the oppression, the injustice, and the collaboration with regional and international white supremacy at the highest levels of our society. In the last week or so, there are two different cases of the power structure’s veil of purity being drawn aside, and it was for those Belizeans with eyes, to see. These are the matters of The Reporter editorial of last weekend and the exclusion of the lady sprinter, Kaina Martinez, from Belize’s Olympic team for Rio de Janeiro 2016. Let’s begin with Kaina. When you rise from amongst the people to become a star in Belize, it is not a development which is viewed with favor by Belize’s power structure. This is because the power structure in Belize is jealous of its power, and the power structure, although it is very, very well entrenched, becomes nervous. The reason for their nervousness, we submit, is because they know their positions are derived from family, from favor, from connections, from Buckingham Palace, and so on, and not from talent. The power structure in Belize is fearful of talent, and they always seek to crush native talent, no matter the danger of their bureaucratic perfidy’s being exposed. In a country like the United States, on the other hand, for all America’s evils, they welcome stories of young citizens rising from anonymity to fame: the Americans see it as proof of equal opportunity in America. But, the power structure in Belize doesn’t cut black youth any slack, as we would say. Belize is bogus.

Winty J (Vincent Johnson) – my life
A: You didn’t have any contact with the music world at that time? W: No. No. ’65, now. Now my music thing will come on now. After, around ’65… I would leave school now. PART 3 W: Now, let me finish the school thing first… let me get back to Baptist. I went to Baptist for a little while, and then my parents moved south. And then I was transferred to Wesley. My fourth school now, you know. You hear me? I’m at Wesley School. So, when I look back, at the things I used to do in school, like for instance: every 2:30, you know after 2:30 they give that 2:30 break? We don’t go back in class! So now, when I grow up now, I ask myself, how those teachers allowed this? A: Well, some schools, the very small infants would go home 2:30, but the older ones would leave at 3:30 p.m. W: But this is (Standard) 4 or 5 we are in now, you know. We should be there till 3:30. And what do you think we are doing? We’re looking for mischief. Me and a brother named Pennel. Now, he was my “bom bally,” you know. Well, the Pennels lived right beside Wesley School. Their yard was right, like inside Wesley School. They didn’t have to walk any distance to go to school, just walk right through the fence into school. And there were a lot of Pennel brothers.

From the Publisher
A day or two after I had put together the column which appeared in our midweek issue (reproduced for today), I realized that there are many Belizeans, younger ones, for whom the column would not have had an impact, because they would not have known how big Ydigoras Fuentes was in the lives of British Hondurans in the later 1950s and early 1960s, and how scared we were of him. When the Americans overthrew Jacobo Arbenz as president of Guatemala in 1954 and replaced him with Carlos Castillo Armas, the process was not democratic. But when Castillo Armas was assassinated in 1957, Ydigoras Fuentes won an election to become president in 1958. In those Cold War days, the U.S. State Department didn’t mind if you were a dictator and how brutal you were, as long as you were anti-communist, but if you had been democratically elected and you were anti-communist, this was the ideal. Fuentes entered Washington’s good books. Ydigoras knew more about Belize (British Honduras) than the average Guatemalan president, because he had been the governor of neighboring Petén between 1927 and 1929. He had also been Guatemalan Ambassador to London, and “recovery” of the Belize territory was always a big issue for him. The old timers in Belize claim that Ydigoras had a Belizean sweetheart in Benque, and that was why he tried to cross over from Melchor into the colony one time. He was stopped by a Police Sergeant Neal on our side. Ydigoras was president from 1958 to 1963, and the border incident, I’m almost positive, occurred during his presidency.

Open letter to Hon. Elodio Aragon, Jr.
The Editor, Amandala. Belize City. Dear Sir, Please afford us, the undersigned, newly-elected Village Council Chairman and Councillors of Chan Pine Ridge Village some valuable space in your prestigious newspaper to formally and publicly invite the area representative for Orange Walk East, Hon. Elodio Aragon, Jr., to collectively work with us in the development of our young village as per his mandate as an Area Representative and Government Minister so dictates. Our landslide victory this past Sunday speaks volumes of the change that our villagers were clamouring for and it is hence high time that party politics not be given the priority that it is traditionally afforded whenever teams and slates of the Opposition surge victorious in these rural political races. Our commitment to our people will remain resilient and unbendable always having in mind that not only will we toil the soil to accomplish ALL our manifesto promises but to go the extra mile in cementing a closer bond with our elderly, the poor and our youth. The support of Hon. Aragon will certainly be welcomed in these areas; after all, the people of Chan Pine Ridge are deserving of a few dollars of the over $6,000.00 monthly subvention that Hon. Aragon gets for the upliftment of Orange Walk East, which includes Chan Pine Ridge Village.

18 solid reasons why Belize should not go to the ICJ
1. The ICJ does NOT guarantee that Belize will remain with all its territory intact as it is since Belize became a Crown Colony in 1862 and after it became Independent in 1981. 2. Going to ICJ is like buying lottery (boledo). We may win but we may LOSE. We have proof of many court cases where injustice prevails; the innocent are found guilty and the guilty walk away free. We stand a good chance of winning; however, IF WE LOSE, WE WILL LOSE OUR LAND. Our country is too much to lose. We simply cannot, and will not take that chance. 3. Belize is a sovereign nation member of United Nations. Even Guatemala accepted this fact although reluctantly. Guatemala cannot be trusted because they always change their position in their claim with time. 4. The determination of the Belizean people WAS, IS, AND WILL always be: To be a Sovereign and Independent Nation with ALL ITS TERRITORY INTACT. 5. Neither Guatemala nor Spain ever occupied or settled in Belize, NEVER. Guatemala has NEVER EVER had legal rights over the territory, nation of Belize.

Spike in food and fuel prices push prices up for May 2016
After an overall drop in consumer prices in 2015, consumer prices continue on an upward trend in May 2016, which saw an overall increase in prices of roughly 1%—the highest since the year began. Price increases in food were the most pronounced, followed by price increases in fuel. The first five months of this year saw an inflation rate of 0.4 percent. Angelita Campbell, Statistician II at the Statistical Institute of Belize presented the latest information on Belize’s consumer price index, as of May 2016. “For the fuel prices, we realized fuel prices have been the highest since the start of the year, so that’s something that stood out to us,” Campbell said. Some meat prices are also notably higher. Campbell said that prices have been trending up since late last year, and that has been consistent since December 2015.

Breaking Belize News

Central Bank plays down loss of another correspondent banking relationship
Belize has lost another correspondent banking relationships (CBR), between the Central Bank and Citibank of the United States. But according to Central Bank Governor Glenford Ysaguirre, Belize’s financial stability continues unaffected and, as with the previous departures, Citibank cited as its reason that Belize does […]

Accused “coyote” set free
The man police alleged earlier this week aided and abetted 14 Salvadoran men and women to enter Belize, aiming to get to Mexico, left court this afternoon a free man after his charges were withdrawn. 22 year old Anivar Alvarenga, self-employed vegetable vendor from Valley of Peace, […]

“DJ Busch” in trouble over fight
Earlier this year, popular disc jockey James “DJ” Busch was accused by cousin and close friend Marlon Chavez of beating him up for nothing at their deceased friend’s wake. Those charges were dismissed at the request of the complainant; however Busch is once again before the […]

Blogs

Benque celebrates its Golden Fiesta!
The largest religious celebration in Belize has to be the Benque Fiesta. And this year, the festival got just a bigger! The annual extravaganza held in Benque Viejo del Carmen Town, Cayo District, honors their patron saint Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Nuesta Señora de Monte Carmelo) and this year celebrates its 50th anniversary. In honor of the golden achievement, preparations are underway for a can’t-miss event. With traditional marimba bands, local food and drinks, games, mechanical rides, cultural presentations, sports events, and dance nights, Benque Fiesta has something for everyone. The commemoration of the patron saint lasts for a period of about 16 days, starting with solemn religious celebrations prior to the main festival. The focal point of the festival is Saturday, July 16th, when there is fun for all ages. This year’s Benque Fiesta will see activities being held from Thursday, July 14th to Sunday, July 17th. Don’t miss it!

International Sources

The top 5 countries to move to (that are not Canada) if you hate the election results
Searches for "How can I move to Canada" have spiked during this presidential election. Ever since the Vietnam War, Canada has been a beacon of refuge for castoff Americans. But there is a major drawback to moving north: Canada's winters often look like the "Star Wars" blizzard scenes on the ice planet Hoth. So if you're hatching an escape-plan should your presidential pick not win, you might want to consider going south and follow the sun instead. Here are five of best options should your plan ever become a reality: Nowhere in the Western hemisphere will you be able to remove yourself from the long arm of government better than Cayo, Belize. Far from the coastal locations that Belize is known for, Cayo consists of Belize's lush, mountainous interior. Water and sunshine are in no short supply, which makes it easy to grow fruit, vegetables and herbs. With a few solar panels, Cayo is ideal for becoming self-sufficient and living off-grid.

CARICOM heads to tackle de-risking, Brexit
When Caribbean Community (CARICOM) heads of government meet in Georgetown, Guyana, next week, they will do so against the background of a number of threats to the region’s financial and economic stability. Chief among these are the threats posed by international banks limiting or terminating their relationships with regional financial institutions, and the yet to be determined implications of the British decision to leave the European Union (EU), a key partner in the Community’s development. The Brexit vote has sent Britain and the rest of the world into a tailspin. The pound sterling fell in value to the lowest in 30 years, and international financial markets took a downturn, as the implications hit home. The Caribbean is not immune from the potential fallout, and economists and politicians alike are assessing the situation. The majority of CARICOM member states were former colonies of Britain, which was a key ally of the region within the EU.

PUP Says the UDP is Fostering a Perfect Economic Storm
Jul 1, 2016 Apart from claiming that the half-a billion dollar payout for B.T.L. is a deal and a victory, the Prime Minister has gone on record to say that they will not have a difficulty making the first payment of two hundred million dollars. According to Briceño, the P.M. may not have a difficulty making that payment, but Belizean taxpayers certainly will. John Briceño, P.U.P. Leader “We’re going to show exactly how the government has been raiding the Central Bank – just having the Central Bank just printing money so that the government can be paying their bills. Our debt is going to go up, our cost – because we have to pay interest, is going to go up. The liquidity in the system is going to be sucked out because the government is taking that liquidity out of the system, so that when the time comes for the economy to try to rebound they are going to find themselves in trouble because there’s going to be no liquidity in the banks, and that then could have an even worse effect for us in the years to come. Our foreign currency reserves are being drained. As we know, sugar is in trouble, citrus, bananas, shrimp…all of those – the Statistical Institute of Belize pointed out yesterday that our economy shrank by 2% in the first quarter.

Videos

July 1, 2016

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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

Guatemala is exploiting the Chiquibul National Forest: An eye-opening account from photographer Tony Rath
The on-going Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute has extended to our Chiquibal National Forest. Located in the south-western region of Belize, the Chiquibul Forest includes the largest cave system in Central America, the Caracol Maya Site, and the Chiquibul River, which provides water to 40% of Belize’s population. Professional photographer Tony Rath ventured once again to the Chiquibul, where he witnessed first-hand the destruction of our forests at the hands of Guatemalans. The exploitation of our valuable natural resources is cause for much concern to Belizean conservationists. There is only a small group of dedicated Belizeans risking their lives each day for the protection and conservation of the natural resources of Chiquibul, all 1,073 square kilometers of it. They are called Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD), and at present, their main concern is the agriculture encroachment and gold-panning by illegal Guatemalans. On September 8, 2014, Rath detailed his first foray into the Chiquibul. His harrowing experience included a shootout between illegal Guatemalan loggers and seven members of the FCD. His expose of that experience declared that “Belize is at War, without even knowing it.” The initial article generated a lot of buzz, and incensed many patriotic Belizeans.

Third annual Public Service Fashion Show
The third Annual Public Service Fashion Show took place on Saturday, June 25th at Señor Marlin’s Beach Bar. Featuring office wear and high fashion outside the office, the show was well-received by an enthusiastic audience. The DJ kept the tunes going as models strutted the runway, showcasing the different uniforms from various government offices. Following that following segment, the models graced the runway in the latest summer outfits from Foreva Fancy Boutique. The ‘Glitz and Glamour’ segment followed by much applause. During intermissions, the models entertained the crowd with various dance numbers, and raffling of some great prizes. The last segment of the night saw the models showcasing pieces from the ‘Victoria Secret,’ collection. The grand finale gave attendees a glimpse of what is available at Foreva Fancy Boutique, especially for the summer season. Capping off the show was another dance number by all the models.

Congratulations to the Castillo’s Hardware Father’s Day Raffle Winners
Castillo’s Hardware Limited often honors different holidays by holding raffles that give back to their customers. In honor of Father’s Day, Castillo’s raffled three items. For every $50 purchase or payment on account, customers got a ticket in the barrel, hoping to win either the first prize of a Bosch Construction Saw, the second prize of a Makita Hammer Drill, or the third prize of a Stanley Tool Box loaded with tools. On Friday, June 17th, the three items were raffled, and the lucky winners are: Robert Bailey (1st Prize), Chris Rivero (2nd Prize), Mr. Moh (3rd Prize). Castillo’s Hardware Limited is the go-to store for electrical, paint, plumbing and household appliances, offering the best value for all your construction needs. They are located on Pescador Drive just before the San Juan Roundabout, and can be contacted via phone at 226-2303 or email: cas.hardware@btl.net

Recognizing some of the Faces of San Pedro’s worst Fire tragedy
In the early hours of Monday, June 27th, a huge fire engulfed several businesses and homes on Pescador Drive. It was a devastating blaze that left over 88 residents homeless. They are grandparents, parents, children, husbands, wives, friends…and as a community we realize their plight could just as easily been ours. It’s hard to imagine the terrifying experience of surviving such a disaster, and some of them were kind enough to share their harrowing experience with us.

GOB to pay $388 Million – final settlement to Ashcroft group for Telemedia shares
GOB pays off Ashcroft-3The Government of Belize (GOB) will pay the former owners of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) Bze$388 Million for the shares which GOB acquired in a public interest in 2009, Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow announced at a standing room only press conference at the Belize Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize City on Wednesday, June 29. Government Ministers, Chief Executive Officers, UDP Senators and other scions of the Barrow administration, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight and BTL Chairman of the Board Nestor Vasquez flanked Barrow as he announced the final decision handed down by the arbitration panel to which Telemedia’s former owners had submitted the settlement of their claim. Financial Secretary Joe Waight crunched the numbers: the arbitrators ruled GOB should pay Bze$265 Million for the acquired shares, of which GOB had paid $65 million in a partial preliminary settlement last September. So GOB still owes $190 Million, and the interest payments would come to another $198 Million, for a total of $388 Million. Waight cautioned that because of legal fees and other costs yet to be finalized, the final total might be closer to $395 Million.

Ambergris Today

El Fogon Wins Best Lobster Dish at San Pedro Lobsterfest
It was El Fogon’s Belikin Beer Battered Lobster with Orange Ginger Rice that captured the first place trophy at this year’s tenth annual San Pedro Lobsterfest during an exciting night of judging, lobster sampling, new lobster inspired cocktails, super desserts including lobster cheesecake and ice cream and plenty of musical entertainment. Winners of Lobster Fest 2016 Best Lobster Dish: El Fogon - Belikin Beer Fried Lobster, Finn & Martini/El Jefe - Three Cheese Lobster & Spinach Empanadas, Elvi’s Kitchen - Veggie Lobster Empanadas with Smoked Gouda Lobster Cheese Sauce.

Misc Belizean Sources

SBDC Workshop: INTRODUCTION TO BUSINESS TAX
Presented by: Mrs. Carol Baird and Mrs. Annisa Perdomo. Post/Teaching Description: Tax Officers, Income Tax Department. Location: BTEC Building, ITVET Campus, Belize City. Workshop Date: July 07, 2016. Time: 9am to 12 noon. Income Tax was enacted in Belize in 1924 and remained in that basic form up to July 1998, when Business Tax was introduced. The Legislation is now called "The Income And Business Tax Act", with an effective date of January 1999 in its current form. The Act is divided into three parts with Income Tax under Part 1, Income Tax on Profits arising from Petroleum under Part 11 and Business Tax under Part 111. This Information session will help you understand the ACT in details.

Agriculture Course in Israel
Honorary Consul General of Belize, Mr. Yoram Naor, Deputy Director General of Israeli MFA and Head of MASHAV, Ambassador Gil Haskel, Mr. Tony Carlito Chulin, Cotton Tree Greenhouse, Belize and Director of MASHAV's Training Department, Ambassador Mattanaya Cohen. Mr. Chulin participated in an Agriculture Course in Israel.

Southern Belize Communities Better Prepared for Natural Disasters - Taiwan and PADF training program benefits 14,000 residents
The Pan American Development Foundation, in partnership with the Government of the Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Government of Belize, held its Capstone Conference for its Community Preparedness and Resilience Project today at The Pelican Beach Resort in Dangriga Town. Thousands of residents of coastal Belize are better prepared for extreme weather and the effects of climate change after a yearlong program funded by Taiwan and implemented by the Pan American Development Foundation (PADF). Through the Community Preparedness and Resilience initiative, launched in July 2015, PADF assisted over 14,000 residents of Belize’s Stann Creek District in preparing for and responding to disasters.

Mr. Cliff Arthurs passes away
Mayor Daniel Guerrero, the San Pedro Town Council and Staff would like to express our deepest condolences to the Arthurs family and friends on the passing of Mr. Cliff Arthurs. May his soul rest in peace.

Cayo Road Safety Initiative
The SISE Town Council and local police met with a road safety consultant to start the Road Safety Operational Plan. "June 28, 2016 - Twin towns: San Ignacio and Santa Elena road safety stakeholders were actively engaged and displayed a high level of commitment in the process towards a workable plan which should be completed by ending September 2016. The Road Safety International Consultant, Ms Mavis Johnson, worked along with key partners to commence in the drafting of the Road Safety Operational Plan. We extend our appreciation to each of them!"

The Belize Travel Trade team taking part in this years' JG Black Book Colorado Roadshow.

Angel Navidad is bound for Harvard University
Ambassador Moreno had the opportunity to meet with Angel Navidad, a Belizean student bound for Harvard University this fall. Harvard University is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts (US), established 1636, whose history, influence and wealth have made it one of the world's most prestigious universities. We are so proud of his achievement, and look forward to hearing more stories like this from other hardworking young Belizean students pursuing higher education. They are Belize's future! About Angel Navidad: He graduated from Bishop Martin High School in Orange Walk in 2013 and St. John’s College in 2015. He has excelled in distinct achievements, including winning the Sagicor Visionary Challenge, a ‘STEM’ (science, technology, engineering, and math) regional competition. During the challenge, he was the team leader for the project called “Coconuts for Life”, and the Coconut Ecology Park impressed judges like Russlynn Ali, head of the XQ Super School project.

Channel 7

Kieran Killed, Companion Critical
There was another murder on the south side of Belize City last night. This time the victim is 20-year-old Kieran Morrison. Reports say Morrison was shot 5 times and died on the spot - while his friend was shot once and is still clinging to life at the KHMH tonight. It happened last night in the Saint Martin's area- a zone that- while gang ridden - had been dormant for a while. In fact it has been nearly a year since the last murder there. So what triggered last night's murderous attack? Today Emanuel Pech went looking for answers. The familiar sound of gunshots was heard in the St. Martin's area of Belize City around 8:30 last night. The victims this time were 20 year old Kieran Morrison and 18 year old Kent Brooks. At the time the two were hanging out here in front of Morrison's house on La Croix Boulevard. Then out of nowhere, a single gunman emerged from a vehicle and fired several shots in their direction. Residents report hearing as many as 7 gunshots go off.

Teenaged Shooting Victim Needs Blood
Now as we told you, one of the victims of this deadly shooting is 18 year old Kent Brooks. He is currently admitted at the KHMH and, according to doctors, his situation is very dire. He underwent his first surgery last night and is slated for another this weekend. But the teenager will need a lot of blood. That is why the father today appealed to blood donors and the general public to assist the family in raising 8 pints of blood. Kent Brooks Sr., Father of shooting victim: "This morning when I left from the hospital and saw the doctor, they said he's in a critical condition. They did a surgery on him from last night when he went in and he lost a whole lot of blood so he needs 8 pints of blood. The doctor told us that the condition he has is like a 20-30 percent chance of survival because the gunshot he got was serious that disrupted some of his organs.

17 Year Old Stabbed For "Mumuch"?
Today police confirmed the reports surrounding 17 year old Jasmine Petillo's murder. She was stabbed to death on Tuesday night and her body was found after 10:00 Wednesday morning in a ditch near her house. Now as we told you, the family and residents suspect that Jasmine's murder is connected to the June 2015 killing of Desmond Usher better known as "Mumuch". But that is just one aspect of the investigation. Today police gave us more details. ACP Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural: "Yesterday about a little after 10, we received information of a female body that was found. The police responded and upon arriving they discovered what was later on identified to be Jasmine Petillo, 17 years old, a domestic of #1Q Mahogany Heights, with what appeared to be multiple stab wounds to the body. We are currently investigating that matter, we believe that it has something to do with the death of Desmond Meyers that occurred a year ago. We're investigating this matter, we have some leads that we're working on and we may have some updates next week as to the progress of this investigation."

MIT Makes Move On Marijuana
The Police Department's Mobile Interdiction Team is known for its random highway checkpoints and one of them paid off big time last night: they caught a man with over 100 pounds of weed near Teakettle Village. But it wasn't easy - they had to chase him! Here's how it played out. At 9:00 pm, a beat up taxi station wagon heading towards Belize City blew past a MIT checkpoint in Teakettle at mile 54. The officers set chase and caught up with the driver in the Arizona area of Teakettle two miles down an old logging road. The driver, 19 year old Maynor Portillo, dashed out of the car and tried to run away but the police quickly caught him. The team searched his car and found 2 sacks of weed amounting to 104 pounds. The sacks bore markings saying it originated from Guatemala.

Teen Found Drowned, Not Decapitated In Rio Hondo
Yesterday morning word went out that a man's decapitated body had been fished out of the Rio Hondo near "La Union" - which is the northwestern border with Mexico. The body was on the Mexican side so it didn't make news on Belize, initially. But it is in the headlines tonight because the dead male is a 17 year old from San Felipe Village in Orange Walk. He went missing the day before, and the family had to go to the Chetumal Morgue to identify him by his clothing. But, it turns out he wasn't decapitated - and no foul play is suspected. The Officer in Charge of Orange Walk explains:.. Selvyn Tillett, OC, Orange Walk Formation: "There was a body indeed but it was floating in Mexican territory. There was nothing we could have done at that moment. Later on yesterday evening a female from San Felipe reported that her son Dustin Cortez, a teenager from San Felipe village had left with friend to La Union on a motorcycle from since Sunday and hadn't returned as yet. The description given to us by Dustin's mother fit that of the body seen floating in the river. As such orange walk police informed Mexican authorities of the report where the family of Dustin will need to go across on the Mexican side and try to identify the body. According to Mexican authorities, it appears to have been drowning. People have mentioned earlier something about his face, but apparently his face was damaged because it seems that fish had bitten his face."

PUP Blasts Barrow Administration for Half a Billion Dollar BTL Bukkut
Last night you heard the government's hard spin on the final price of the BTL Nationalization. Government's bottom line puts it at over 450 million dollars, the total for the shares and interest. But the government argues that the whole package is worth 775 million dollars - when one factors in the savings to consumers and taxpayers. But, not surprisingly, the PUP isn't buying it. And, for the opposition, it's not just a knee jerk rejection - the party held a press conference today to pitch a deeply felt position: Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Deputy Leader: "Well if we look at what they have paid out, its approximately 557.5 million dollars which is about a little more than half a billion dollars and what the true value of the company is and you get that by the shares that they are putting the value to the company and the amount of shares that you have. So that's gives you the company approximately a million dollars. That leaves you with a loss of 450 million dollars approximately."

Accommodation Agreement Asides
But the government says a big chunk that cost - fully 60% of the price of the shares - is the fault of the PUP. It's called the Accommodation Agreement and that inflated the share price by 3 dollars and 38 cents per share - to a total of about 153 million of the 255 million dollars in share value that government now has to pay. The accommodation agreement dates back to 2005 - when the then PUP government was trying to secretly get someone to cover the cost of some Intelco Properties which Social Security had (also) secretly guaranteed. So, they invited the Ashcroft Alliance to step in and take over the 19.2 million dollars in debt. The Alliance had them on the hook - and to make sure they stayed hooked, a secret accommodation agreement was crafted. Among other things, it guaranteed BTL a 15% rate of return, and tied the hands of the PUC. John Briceno was Deputy Prime Minister at the time but he never knew about it - in fact, today he told us that ten years later, he still had not read it! And today he said the Barrow Administration is just trying to deflect blame by using the accommodation agreement:...

The Speednet Carve-Out In The Accommodation Agreement
And while Briceno points to the punishment of the electorate, he doesn't get off so easy. That's because his family part owns the other phone company, Speednet. That company - which also has the Ashcroft Alliance as a major shareholder - gets special mention the accommodation agreement. The agreement says, quote, "no persons other than BTL and Speednet…will hold an individual license to legally carry on, conduct, or provide telecommunication services." It's a special carve out in a very special agreement, and today, Briceno bristled when we asked if he had the standing to condemn this latest BTL payout when his family's company was involved in the Accommodation Agreement:... Hon. John Briceno, PUP Party Leader: "It has been no secret that my family in involved in a company with the competition against BTL - SPEEDNET. They got no special concessions from the government of Belize, they got no tax exemptions from the government of Belize and thirdly, I was unaware of that agreement. You knew that. You've ask me this before Jules if I knew about the agreement. You know I did not know about the agreement. So then how then can you ask whether I have a moral authority to speak? Of course I have moral authority. I am the Leader of the Opposition, I am the leader of this party and we have to hold Dean Barrow and the UDP accountable for the folly that is costing that country hundreds of millions of dollars."

Action At The Auction
A crowd of city residents stampeded through the gates of the Queen Street Police Station this morning, and it wasn't to make mass complaints or to visit their loved ones in lock down, they were there for the auction. The police auctioned off a number of items from old rusted bicycles and motorcyles to household appliances. But it was more than just the auction, today was a full fun day with a Red Wingle raffle and an all day fair. Northside Public Relations Officer Fitzroy Yearwood told us about today's initiative. Insp. Fitzroy Yearwood, PR - Eastern Division North: "First of all this is the most highly anticipated auction. as you know this is our first for this year and we had to do a lot of planning because it coincides with our all day fair event and the raffle of our Police Wingle Pickup that should take place 7:30 tonight."

US Trafficking Report Blasts Government
Today, the US gave Belize another "F" for its progress against human trafficking. For the second year in a row, Belize continues to be listed as a "Tier 3" country - which means that, by the interpretation of the US State Department, the Belize does not meet the minimum standards and is not making significant efforts to do so. So, just to make it clear, countries that do the most to fight human trafficking are listed in Tier 1. Those that do the least - are listed in Tier 3. Belize is the only tier 3 country in Central America. The report notes that there are 17 pending cases from previous years, but for 2016, no new prosecutions have started, even though law enforcement raids increased when compared to last year's number. Though it does not specify, the TIPs report says, quote, "The government did not investigate or prosecute any public officials for alleged complicity in human trafficking-related offenses, despite reports of a significant level of official complicity." End quote.

PUP Says 7News Got Special Sarstoon Pass
Today at the PUP press conference, we also asked them about the party's position on the Sarstoon. As we've reported, the opposition has pulled out of Belize - Guatemala talks saying that the current approach is futile and misdirected. But, what about the Sarstoon? Yesterday the Prime Minister suggested that things were back to normal - and pointed to the trip 7News made there a week ago when we received no harassment. Well, today PUP Leader Briceno said we must have gotten a special pass:... Hon. John Briceno, PUP Party Leader: "I think that Daniel got a special pass, the pass that we got, yes, to go to the Sarstoon. But I think that Wil mentioned that he attempted to go and he was stopped. I have to check that, I am not sure about that. But I am told that he attempted to go and he was stopped by the Guatemalans. Obviously you have to get a pass, you have to speak to the Prime Minister, then Prime Minister will call Guatemala and then Guatemala will give us permission to visit our own country, which we find unacceptable."

Summer Funner With Tourism
It's coming up on Independence Day in the USA, which means the summer tourism season opens tomorrow and the Belize Hotel Association members are ready for tourists to come pouring in for the next couple of months. And just to make sure the members are on the same page for this season, the association held its Annual General Meeting today at the Biltmore. President Lisa Carr-Caceres outlined the major areas that were discussed and the importance of tourism in Belize. Lisa Carr-Caceres: "What we're doing right now is mostly dissolving the current board and re-electing a new board that will start out year which basically starts tomorrow July 1st and runs through next year June 30th. This basically is when we start our year, we still accept applications for membership and we'll be doing that throughout the month of July. We're happy to say that most of our members have already renewed their membership, so this is just a benchmark of where we're starting the year off and ending our previous year."

Scotia Scholars Smile With Supercop
For the past 10 years, Scotiabank has been providing needy primary school students with scholarships to continue their education. It's part of their Bright Future Program, and today 77 deserving children accepted their scholarship grants at a ceremony at Scotiabank's Albert Street in Belize City. To keep them motivated to remain in school, the bank staff invited the Eastern Division South's Police Commander, Chester Williams as a guest speaker. After the Ceremony, we got a chance to talk to the country manager about their reasons for keeping this program alive: Scotia Bank Representative: "It's a scotia bright future where we ensure that we participate in the country's activities. Scotia bank is big unto two really key initiatives. Initiative number one is health, initiative number two is education. You can't have a healthy population not being educated and vice versa. Every year we participate in this function where we give a number of scholarships to kids who are transitioning from the junior school to high school. To date we have given over 750 scholarships since the inception of the program."

Cruel Summer For Cops
Summer is here and while kids and teens get to play or relax, for the police department, it means more work making sure those idle hands don't end up doing...well you know what idle hands do... So police are keeping the child curfew in effect, but their youth intervention efforts are not limited to the curfew hours. The South Side Commander spoke to us about an incident involving kids and a known gang figure that took place yesterday during daylight. ACP Chester Williams - O. C., Eastern South Division: "I will tell you that just yesterday we brought in 7 little boys, the oldest probably about 12 years old, this was during the day, who were involved in a little activity where a major gang player came and wanted to rescue them because obviously their tied to him. We withdrew the kids from here and we got the parents and social people involved. Again the objective is that we want to be able to stop these little kids from associating with these gang members. While the current gang members are so adamant about killing out each other, we believe that the only way we can bridge or to stop this madness is to slow down the recruitment. So that when they kill out themselves, there will be no one to take over for them."

Third World Camp
Now while the police continue their intervention efforts , the Third World Flower's Sports Education Club also continues its efforts in getting kids off the streets and onto basketball courts and football fields. The program has been running for the past 17 years - and while it's an annual struggle to get the finds for the camp, they have managed to expand the program. The camp started this week at the Third World field on Vernon Street and 120 kids have registered. Today we stopped by to check on the progress and also learnt that the camp deals with much more than just sports. Now as we said the organizers have had a hard time finding sponsors for the three week program, so if you are interested in pitching in by way of donating monies or equipment you can get in contact with the coordinator Deon Flowers at 607-8585.

After The Fire, The Philanthropy
It's been 4 days now since that terrible fire in the heart of downtown San Pedro, which left 88 persons homeless after 17 buildings caught fire, 11 of them totally destroyed. Well, today, bulldozers and other heavy equipment were working all day to clean up the block between Pescador Drive, Buccaneer Street, and Black Coral Street. That's where the fire took hold and razed the buildings to the ground. Apart from the clean-up campaign, the humanitarian efforts continued today with the San Cas Group of Companies pitching in and donating groceries to the 88 fire victims. And, as viewers remember, Area Representative Manuel Heredia Jr. told us that they were going to organize a radiothon to raise money to assist those affected. Reliable reports tell us that it started early this morning, and when it closed about 2 hours ago, the organizers managed to secure pledges totaling almost 173 thousand dollars. We're also told that the San Pedro Lions Club has also collected approximately $30,000, and that's funds separately generated, apart from the radiothon.

PC Assi Esta Bien
Yesterday Precinct 3 honored their officer of the month for June. PC Regino Assi was awarded for his excellent police work and dedication. WE spoke to Assi's commander and she told us why he stood out among the rest. Assi also told us about his daily motivation as a cop. He received a certificate and money from Zitro Western Union.

Reggae All Over The World
If you're a lover of reggae music, you probably don't need any excuse to listen your favorite Bob Marley, Dennis Brown or Aswad song. But, the rest of the Reggae World has decided that on July 1 of every year, they will celebrate International Reggae Day. That's tomorrow, and Belize will participate for the first time. The Coordinator of International Reggae Day in Belize, Kwame Scott, told us what local reggae listeners will be treated to: 34 of the 35 countries will have concerts - Belize is the only one, which is its first year of observance will not.

Channel 5

P.U.P. Says B.T.L. Isn’t Worth a Fraction of Cost to Taxpayers
Following Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s presentation and spin of the Arbitration Award for B.T.L. on Wednesday, the Opposition issued a release entitled the Cost of Barrow’s Arrogance. Government will be [...]

PM Barrow Says $97 Million BCB Settlement is B.T.L.’s Liability
And while he claims things are going downhill at the utility company, Briceño says it’s going to get much worse since apparently B.T.L. will be made to take on the [...]

G.O.B. Explains Source of First $200 Million Due in 8 Days
In our previous newscast, we brought you the basics of the Arbitration Award presented by Government – as a victory and as vindication. To recap – the total award, including [...]

P.U.P. Deputy Says Cost of B.T.L. Won’t Benefit Belizeans
The assertion by government that payment of at least the first two hundred million due in days will be pretty much a piece of cake is no consolation to P.U.P. [...]

Was 7 Years of Litigation Necessary?
B.T.L. was appropriated in 2009, and the approximately two hundred million dollars in interest alone is the result of there being no settlement of the matter until the arbitration panel’s [...]

P.U.P. Leader Says Matter Could Have Been Settled Long Ago
Briceño disagrees, vehemently, stating that only the previous owners and the Barrows have benefitted from the appropriation of B.T.L. and from the PM dragging the matter out for seven long [...]

Man Killed and Another Injured in Wednesday Night Shooting
Another youth has lost his life in the urban gang warfare that has erupted once more in the Old Capital. At about eight-thirty on Wednesday night, Kieran Morrison and his [...]

ACP Williams Says parents Must Play Role in Fighting Crime
But according to Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, police intervention is not expected to deter murders, but minimize the occurrences of these bloody crimes. Strategies are now being put [...]

G.O.B. Explains Access to Funds for Projects to Benefit Belizeans
Back to the issue of the arbitration award for the nationalization of B.T.L….During his presentation on Wednesday, the P.M. claimed victory, particularly because of his own remixed accommodation agreement with [...]

P.U.P. Says Funds Will Belong to Ashcroft, not to G.O.B.
But is it a cross between an outright lie and a crude attempt to put lipstick on the proverbial muddy pig? P.U.P. Leader John Briceño says the PM is speaking [...]

Briceño Defends Moral Authority to Discuss Arbitration Award
Does P.U.P. Leader John Briceño have the moral authority to speak about the arbitration award? That was the question put to him by a reporter today at the press conference. [...]

2016 Sugar Cane Crop Closes
The 2016 sugar crop closed on Sunday and the numbers show that the crop was a healthy one and even though there was a small reduction in sugar production, the [...]

Will Sugar Roads Ever Be Fixed?
The deplorable conditions of sugar roads remain an issue for caneros in the north.   Every season they experience major setbacks during the course of extracting cane from their farms.  Despite [...]

Stevedore Missing for a Week
Thirty-four year old stevedore Tylon Gladden has been missing for almost a week. His mother Geraldine Brown came to News Five’s Studios on Coney Drive making a public plea for [...]

Healthy Living – Student Life Before and After Stella Maris
Last Wednesday evening, nineteen proud students donned their gold caps and gowns; they eagerly strut across the podium to collect their well deserved diplomas. Their excitement and those of their [...]

LOVE FM

PM Extends Invite to PUP; Briceno Says Things Need to Be Different
A few weeks ago the Leader of the Opposition announced that they are pulling away from the Belize Guatemala negotiating team after being excluded time and time again from meetings on the issue. Prime Minister was asked to weigh in on this issue. DEAN BARROW ” Today, Briceno responded to the Prime Minister’s comments saying […]

Kieran Killed 4 Months After His Brother Was Shot
One man is dead and another is hospitalized following a shooting incident last night in Belize City. Last night at around eight thirty, twenty year old Kieran Morrison and eighteen year old Kent Brooks Jr. were socializing on La Croix Boulevard in the Lake Independence area when they came under fire from a sole gunman […]

Lake Independence Area Sees First Homicide in 90 Days
Last night’s murder in the Lake Independence area was the first in about three months. Police and residents say the area had been quiet for some time. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams spoke of the efforts being put into that area of the city. CHESTER WILLIAMS Resident Kimberly Michael who was on scene […]

Global Giving for the UWI
Today, the University of the West Indies in Belize launched their Global Giving Week initiative. The event was hosted by the Ministry of Education, and attended by Governor General, His Excellency, Sir Colville Young. The Campaign was officially launched with greetings from UWI’s Chancellor, Sir George Alleyne and Vice-Chancellor Professor Sir Hilary Beckles via video […]

PlusTV

P.M. claims Progress made on Sarstoon
Belize remains on tenterhooks for a solution to the Sarstoon. In the more than 30 days since the lifting of the Public Safety Act Regulations-Sarstoon Order, several media houses have visited the area with mixed results. But Prime Minister Dean Barrow cites the regression of Guatemala’s aggressive b...

Belizean Economy shrinks by 2% in first quarter
The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) released a battery of economic statistics during a press conference today in Belize City. The big headline is that the economy shrank 2 percent in the first quarter, primarily due to a slowdown in agriculture, marine production and manufacturing, which form ...

Belize had it right in Istanbul, says P.M.
Since the leak of the Guatemalan statement emphatically declaring that it had not agreed that Belizean citizens had “untrammelled access” to the waters of the Sarstoon, Foreign Affairs Minister Wilfred Elrington has been publicly branded a “liar” and a “traitor.” Today Prime Minister Dean Barrow c...

BWS sponsors scholarships and sports
Belize Water Services Limited (BWS) has entered a four-year partnership with RESTORE Belize to sponsor its “I am Belize” scholarship program for needy students, to the tune of 40 thousand dollars for the next four years. The state-owned water company also gave a check for 5 thousand dollars today to...

Woman murdered in Mahogany Heights
A woman’s body was found in the small community of Mahogany Heights near mile 30 on the George price Highway. The body had multiple stab wounds and police say they believe they know who it is but final identification has not yet been made. While the body was discovered early this morning, police bel...

Man shot at Crooked Tree junction
A man is recovering from gunshot wounds he sustained in a shooting incident which occurred on Tuesday night. Reports are that Steven Palacio was shot as many as five times sometime around 8:00 p.m. last night while he was near the entrance of Crooked Tree Village on the Phillip Goldson Highway. Pala...

Human Traffickers intercepted
What appears to be a human trafficking activity was intercepted on Tuesday night in the country of Belize. Reports are that police intercepted a gray van travelling from the Cayo District to the North of the country. Plusnews understand that 18 Salvadorans and 2 Belizeans were in the van at the time...

Chopped child succumbs to injuries
One of the children attacked by a machete wielding madman has died as a result of the injuries he received during that attack which occurred in Yo Creek village last Friday. 13 year old Danny Choc was battling for his life at the KHMH died on Tuesday afternoon. As we have reported, 35 year old La...

Breaking Belize News

P.M. claims progress made on Sarstoon but Sarstoon protocol comes before anything else
Belize remains on tenterhooks for a solution to the Sarstoon. In the more than 30 days since the lifting of the Public Safety Act Regulations-Sarstoon Order, several media houses have visited the area with mixed results. But Prime Minister Dean Barrow cites the regression of […]

PUP take down final BTL settlement
The People’s United Party (PUP) says it is not fooled by the face-saving effort put up by Prime Minister Dean Barrow yesterday following the announcement of the BTL Arbitration Award – and Belizeans should not be either. Barrow’s arrogance, according to PUP leaders, will not […]

BPP says BREXIT further pushes Belize’s economy in a downward spiral
Belize’s economy is in dire straits, according to the Belize Progressive Party (BPP). The country’s debt has shot up over the recent years while its economic growth keeps plummeting, it said adding that the recent BTL arbitration judgement of almost $500 million adds unwanted economic […]

A Belize-flagged oil tanker smuggling fuel stopped in Libya
An oil tanker “under the flag of Belize” and its crew were intercepted in Lybia on Tuesday as it attempted to smuggle fuel. The Belize-flagged Temeteron oil tanker is reported to be loaded with 5,227 metric tons of illicit diesel fuel and was intercepted by Azzawiya and […]

Fair weather to prevail
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is calling for mainly fair weather conditions that will prevail over most areas. The 24-hour forecast is for sunny skies with a few cloudy spells today and cloudy at times tonight. Showers or thunderstorms will generally be isolated, except for […]

Two shot in Belize City
Breaking Belize news has been informed that two young men were shot sometime after 8:00 last night on Lacroix Boulevard in the Gungulung area of Belize City. Information is still sketchy at this point but sources indicate that of the two young men shot, one may have […]

Blogs

Lamanai Maya Site: Another Way To Go, a Huge New Venture and LOTS to See
Lamanai is one of the largest and most beautiful Maya sites in Belize. And the location is just spectacular. Lamanai is located on the largest body of fresh water in Belize – the New River Lagoon. The river is the longest that is entirely in Belize and wells up from fresh water springs. The gorgeous lagoon, lined with grasses, lily pads and crocodiles, is 30 miles long and DEEP – as deep as 90+ feet in spots. It is also the heart of colonial settlement in Belize due to fertile land and the fresh water running to the sea – an excellent conduit for the early logging business. But the Maya knew that for centuries. As early as 1500 BC, Lamanai, the oldest continuously populated Mayan site, was perfecting agricultural techniques and doing some pretty amazing things. Last weekend, I received an invitation from a tour company called AyinHa Adventures – I had never heard of them but had chatted before with Blanca when she was at a different location. Would I like to go to Lamanai with them? Ummmm….YES! This time, I would take the San Pedro Belize Express water taxi to Belize City – and be picked up on arrival. We would take a new way to Lamanai, visit the Baboon Sanctuary and, as I found out, a ton more…

International Sources

IMF says some small countries could suffer as banks cut ties
Major global banks' elimination of correspondent banking relationships could threaten growth and financial stability in some small countries, the International Monetary Fund said in a report released on Thursday. IMF researchers found that smaller states in Africa, the Caribbean, Central Asia and Pacific islands have been among the most affected by global banks' decisions to withdraw some of these relationships, known as CBRs. Among reasons for the moves, they cited banks' desire to reduce risks associated with money-laundering or terrorism financing, to comply with international sanctions or reduce regulatory compliance costs that had made such business unattractive. The reductions in CBRs could lead to fewer channels for some countries to receive remittances from overseas workers and for business transactions in dollars or other reserve currencies, and could ultimately hamper lending and economic growth. In Belize, the IMF study showed that only two of the nine domestic and international banks serving the country have managed to maintain full correspondent banking relationships, forcing others to turn to non-bank providers of payment services. It added that even Belize's central bank has been cut off by two global banks.

Caribbean countries expanding share in $130 billion global seafood market
Caribbean economies are poised to benefit from a region-wide initiative to expand seafood market share, through the implementation of food safety measures to enable countries to get a bigger piece of the global pie, worth an estimated US $130 billion annually. Caribbean countries, including the Bahamas, Belize, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, are now capitalising on a coordinated approach to broaden the gateway to the growing market. CARIFORUM (the Caribbean Community Caricom and the Dominican Republic) now exports about US $400 million worth of fish and seafood annually. Belize and Jamaica are two Caribbean seafood exporters already tapping into markets controlled by the European Union (EU) – a tough market to access because of stringent standards that require countries have systems in place to ensure that their exports are not only safe for consumption but also free from harmful pests and pathogens. In the case of Belize, which has traditionally exported shrimp to the EU, it is moving to export conch to that market for the first time, according to Endhir Sosa, senior food safety inspector, Belize. Sosa was among the 18 professionals from CARIFORUM who recently received management training on sanitary and phytosanitary measures (SPS) in Iceland. The training was offered under the capacity-building component of an EU-sponsored project to implement SPS Measures under the 10th European Development Fund (EDF) regime. The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA) and the Caribbean Regional Fisheries Mechanism (CRFM) are collaborating to implement the fisheries component of the project.

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