March 9, 2019

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Delivery truck smashes Polaris golf cart
Robert Burrows, a Canadian businessman on the island is lucky to be alive after a huge delivery truck backed into his Polaris Golf cart on Saturday, March 2nd while on Coconut Drive. The truck caused extensive damages to the cart, but Burrows was able to get out of the vehicle with only minor injuries to the upper arm, chin, and top of the head. When police arrived on the scene, they reported seeing a white delivery truck crushing a Polaris Golf cart. According to reports, the truck driver, Marlon Aranda, began experiencing mechanical problems which caused him to lose control and collide with the Polaris.

SPHS female softball team are the 2019 Northern Regionals Champions
With hard work and determination, the San Pedro High School (SPHS) female softball team emerged victoriously and brought home the 2019 National Secondary School Sports Association (NSSSA) Northern Softball Regionals championship. Held on Saturday, March 2nd in Orange Walk Town, SPHS was represented by both male and female teams, as they competed against the teams from Escuela Secundaria Tecnica Mexico (ESTM) and Orange Walk Technical High School (OWTHS). Other schools in the competition included Muffles College and Corozal Community College (CCC). They were all fighting for the opportunity to represent the Northern Regionals at the anticipated NSSSA National Softball Championship scheduled for March 22nd and March 23rd in Independence Village, Stann Creek District.

International lawyer delivers legal opinion on the Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute
University of the West Indies’ Professor Stephen Vasciannie has delivered a legal opinion on the Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute as requested by the Belize Bar Association. The international law professor examined the territorial dispute concerning international law principles, evaluating its strengths and possible weaknesses for Belize if the matter reaches the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The legal opinion consists of a 52-page document that, in summary, gives Belize the upper hand by having a watertight case if the dispute is resolved at the ICJ. The legal opinion, commissioned by the Bar Association, is expected to influence the Belizean vote when the country decides on April 10, 2019, whether to take the Guatemalan claim to Belize to the ICJ.

Potential investors visit international airport site in northern Ambergris Caye
On Monday, February 25th, a group of potential investors visited the site of the proposed international airport in the Basil Jones Area, northern Ambergris Caye. Accompanying them was Area Representative and Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Honourable Manuel Heredia Jr. The group was in the country allegedly preparing paperwork to start the construction of the airport that will bear the name ‘Efrain Guerrero International Airport.’ However, those rumors were denied by Heredia, who told The San Pedro Sun that there is nothing official on the project and that it was just a routine inspection. Heredia stated that the group is actively involved in the hospitality and travel industry. They also visited other parts of Belize looking at other investment opportunities.

Misc Belizean Sources

Leticia Gallardo is our Young Belizean Entrepreneur!
Leticia has been an entrepreneur for more than 10 years and is the proud owner of 3 businesses in Camalote Village. At the tender age of 16, she started off ‘LG Jewelry’ from her parent’s dining room, making handmade jewelry to aid her financially while completing her degree in Pharmacy. After graduating Leticia aspired big and with the help of a small loan purchased a building to open her very own drugstore known as ‘LG Pharmacy.’ She was able to buy the first stock of her medications using the extra profit made from the sale of jewelry. That was the ambition and strategic planning that led Leticia to open ‘LG Book Corner.’ She recently donated books to the Special Envoy of Women and Children Little Free Library in Belmopan. She continues to think big and improve her businesses daily in every aspect she can, while still giving back to the community.

International Women's Day: Belizean Archaeologists
In recognition of International Women's Day, we'd like to remember and pay tribute to all the women archaeologists who have worked and are working in Belize. In particular, however, we'd like to single out the late Wendy Ashmore. Her pioneering efforts helped to change the landscape of archaeology not only in Belize but in the Maya realm. Let us celebrate her memory by sharing thoughts and memories of this formidable woman.

WOOD & RESIN HANDICRAFT WORKSHOP
March 18th - April 4, San Ignacio / Santa Elena House of Culture.

Draft Environmental Protection (Pollution from Plastics) Regulation, 2019 Available for Comments
The public and interested parties are hereby advised that the Draft Environmental Protection (Pollution from Plastics) Regulation, 2019, is available for review on the Department of the Environment (DOE) website at www.doe.gov.bz. The DOE requests that ALL comments on the Draft Regulation be submitted in writing using the Plastics Regulations Comment Sheet, also available on the DOE website. All written comments are to be submitted to the DOE via email at lawunit@environment.gov.bz no later than Thursday, 21st March 2019.

Frigate birds looking at dolphins
If you are ever taking a stroll on the beautiful bay of Corozal and you see the Frigate birds hovering over the water you can be sure that most of the time there is something in there they are looking at. Today it was dolphins.

Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce Hosts Validation Workshop under Consultancy “Support for Export-led Development in the Corozal District and Repurposing of the Free Zone”
To support growth in the Corozal District, the Government of Belize along with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) launched a Technical Cooperation Project titled “Support for Export Led Development in the Corozal District and Repurposing of the Free Zone” on 15th March 2018. The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce hereby announces as part of a major deliverable under this consultancy, a Validation Workshop of a “Draft Regional Economic Development Master Plan for Corozal” that looks at two main components under the consultancy: I. Free Zone review and repurposing and II. The preparation of an Economic Development Master Plan for the Corozal Region.

The Belize Youth Challenge is recruiting applicants for its 3rd intake!

Rotary Clubs Renovate Calla Creek Primary
6 Rotary clubs along with parents of students from Calla Creek primary school renovated some of the classrooms. Thanks, Rotary! "With members from six Rotary Clubs joining forces, and the faculty and parents of students from the Calla Creek primary school, many improvements were made to the school on Sunday, the 24th. Members from the Interact Club of Lincoln Woodstock, New Hampshire, and two members from the Rotary Club there, along with the Interact Club of Sacred Heart, the Rotaract Club of Benque, the Rotary Satellite Club of San Ignacio Benque Viejo and a member of the Rotary Club of San Ignacio, participated in painting desks and floors for the Infant 1 and 2 classrooms, putting up roofing to help keep the rain out of those classrooms and pouring a concrete floor for the covered eating area. Thanks to all for their service to each other and the school."

BELIZE FISHING REPORT: FEBRUARY 24, 2019 THROUGH MARCH 3, 2019
Warm and windy days with some cloud cover presented more challenging conditions this week. Bonefish were good for both large schools in 2 feet of water and larger individuals in shallow waters.

Nominations for Belize Woman of the year 2019

Maya Wedding Re-enactment Tickets now Available
Tickets now available for the Maya Wedding Re-enactment to be held on March 29th at 7pm- 9pm at the Santa Rita Archaeological Site. Includes: Experience of the Maya Wedding Re-enactment, Mestizo Dances, Pok Ta Pok Fireball Game, Light Maya Appetizer. Price: Adults- $20 Children- $5. To purchase tickets visit or contact: BTIA National in Belize city at 227-1144, BTIA Orange Walk at 661-3965, BTIA Corozal at 614-0672, Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College 423-3132, Don't miss out!!

Masquerade: A Journey Under the Sea
Saturday, April 6, 2019 at 6 PM – 11 PM at the Holiday Hotel, Hosted by Hope Haven. Masquerade is back! Take a journey under the sea and indulge yourself with great food, refreshing drinks, fun casino games, live music, and fabulous company, presented by the historic Holiday Hotel on Barrier Reef Drive! Formal attire is recommended, so break out your island best! This is the perfect excuse to get all dressed up. All guests will receive a welcome drink and a stack of chips, which can be used to play casino-style table games. The top chip holders at the evening's end will win some amazing prizes, with the top prize valued at $2,500!

Channel 7

Teachers Host National Forum on ICJ - Which Way Did The Crowd Lean?
The countdown to the April 10th Referendum on the ICJ continues, and today, the Belize National Teachers Union hosted a forum on it. Teachers from all across the country headed to the UB gymnasium in Belmopan to listen to leading personalities advocating for and against going to the ICJ. It was a lively 4 hour session where the teachers were given the opportunity to challenge these experts who have been out there spearheading opposing education campaigns.  They squared off today, with each other and the teachers.   Here are a few highlights from that marathon event:

Supreme Court Siding With PM In Battle With Judge?
Two weeks ago, the Prime Minister took a swipe at Supreme Court judge, Courtney Abel, and today the Supreme Court gave a guarded response, but one that actually seems to bolster the PM's position. In an address to the business community, the PM didn't name Abel, but said that a Supreme Court Judge had been "downright rude" to government's crown counsels.  Here are his remarks from February 21st.  Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister: "I stick absolutely faithfully to the requirement that we never questioned judicial integrity. But justice is not a cloistered virtue and when there is what appears to be unremitting judicial hostility, when this goes beyond mere impatient descends into downright incivility.

Free Of Murder After 9 Years
He's had a murder charge hanging over his head for 9 years, but tonight 27 year old Daniel Myvett is a free man - and he got free on a technicality. He and two other men were accused of the murder of Nigerian security guard Kimaru Olungandudu,In 2015,  his two co-accused were acquitted on a no case submission, but the jury was unable to reach a verdict for Myvett and a retrial was ordered. And that's where the technicality comes into play.  Today Justice Colin Williams agreed with Myvett's attorney, Leeroy Banner that he had waited too long for that retrial.  With that, he was granted a permanent stay of execution for his case - which amounts to an acquittal.  

Belmopan Robber and Associates Charged
Last night we told you about Wednesday's mid-morning robbery at One and One grocery store on Raccoon Street in Belmopan. The daring hold-up carried out with a fake gun was all caught on camera. As you can see in the video, the frightened cashier, Yan Hua Chen is filling a bag with cash and other items that the masked robber picked out for himself. Later on you see two women enter the store but quickly walk back out as the robber points the gun at them. The robber then fled.

Pou's Shooters Remanded
Yesterday, police said that they were preparing charges for the persons who they believe were involved in last weekend's shooting of Clinton Pou in Belize City. Well tonight, those men 18 year-old Criston Castillo, 19 year-old Glenford Hyde, and 18 year-old Raheem Faber are on remand at the Belize Central Prison. Castillo, Hyde, and Faber, who are all from Belize City, were arraigned today in front of Magistrate Christine Perrera.  Castillo and Hyde were arraigned on the charge of attempted murder, and Faber was arraigned on the offense of abetment to murder.

56 Year old Charged For Abuse of Toddler
56 year-old Baltazar Vasquez, a security guard from M and M street, is on remand tonight after he was charged for sexually assaulting a 5 year-old child. The incident allegedly occurred on Wednesday morning, May 6th. The mother of the child reported to police that she left her and her 2 other siblings at home, and she went to a nearby shop to change some money, so that she could give her daughter to take to school. She returned to find her daughter wiping her mouth with her hand, and she saw Vasquez standing suspiciously close to her.

Putting Women in Petal's Perspective
The Promoting Empowerment through Awareness for Lesbian and Bi-Sexual Women's group, PETAL hosted its 3rd annual women's forum today, quite fitting since it's international women's day. The forum title was "Our Bodies Our Selves: Examining the Age of Consent Dilemma in Belize". We spoke to one of the founding members of PETAL about today's discussion. Charrice Talbert - PETAL: "This is the 3rd year we are having the women's forum and every year we try to look at a national issue, we do know the age of consent is of concern, an issue nationally, the reason we focused on that this year is because there is a lot surrounding sexual violence, domestic violence, anything that concerns women..."

What's Important On Women's Day?
So as we said, it's International Women's Day and people all over the world are observing this day in their own way. Well, former Executive Director at the National Women's Commission Anne Marie Williams is promoting the day in the Guyana as well. She appeared on a show entitled CARICOM One and One and here is what she had to say. March is women's month and a number of events are planned.

The Cocaine Cargo in Ranchito
59 year-old courier service driver Henry Menzies, and 38 year-old Melvin Cal, a cargo agent for a local airline company, are out on Supreme Court bail after police allegedly caught them on Wednesday with over 3 kilos of cocaine. At around 3:24 p.m. on Wednesday, they visited the Ranchito Municipal Airstrip, and they reportedly spotted Cal handing over a bag to Menzies, who headed toward a white taxi van. They said that they intercepted Menzies before he reached the van, and they identified themselves to him as police. They searched the bag and found 3 folded short pants. When they unfolded the pants, they found that each item of clothing had a square parcel wrapped in transparent plastic. The cops then confiscated the items, which they suspected to be cocaine. The parcels had a combined weight of 3.146 kilograms about six and a half pounds. 

A Look at Light Manufacturing in Belize
Belize is a net importer, everything from mineral water bottled in Italy to cheese from Holland.  But, one company is pushing against that trend of importing everything.  Belize polystructure limited has forged into producing construction materials from styrofoam.  We found out more about their operations at mile five and half on the Western highway today: It looks like a bottle of sugar, but these little beads are actually the basic building block of these huge Styrofoam panels. They are churned and expanded in this unit and at the end of the process come out looking like this, blocks as big as monoliths which are then precisely sliced into panels that are the basic building blocks of polystyrene construction."

New Regs For Styrofoam and Plastics Ready For Rapid Review
And while Styrofoam is always environmentally questionable - the type produced at Belize Polystructure can be re-cycled. They also re-cycle foam packaging from major importers such as Courts.   And that's increasingly required under new environmental regulations - which is bringing sweeping reform to the use of plastics in Belize.   The Draft Environmental Protection Regulations have been published and you have a few days to give your input via email. This regulation concerns the pollution from plastics. In July 2018 cabinet approved the "Implementation Strategy and Action Plan to Phase-out Single-Use Plastics and Styrofoam Utensils, Transition to Green Products, and Promote Recycling".

The Free Zone In Transition
The Free Zone has been in a slowdown for years now - and on most days when you visit it's like a ghost town.  That's why today the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce held a Validation Workshop about Repurposing the Free Zone." A study looks at Redevelopment of the free zone to include an entertainment/tourism-focused Free Zone area; and a proposal to have a separate, nearby industrial area focused on Agro-processing exports that would all lead to a repurposed Free Zone linked to the Corozal district. 

NICH Leads Ruta Maya
Today was day one of the 2019 Ruta Maya competition and the NICH team led by repeat champion is the leader after day one.  The race started out at 7:00 from the Hawkesworth Bridge in Cayo and went to the first stop in Banana Bank.   The NICH team is three minutes ahead of Burn Box, and "Be Informed" - which is the ICJ team running in third. They can make up the gap during tomorrow's leg, which is the longest at 60 miles - and goes from Banana Bank to Double Head Cabbage. 

Channel 5

Teachers Come Out in Masses for I.C.J. Forum
Thousands of teachers gathered today at the UB gymnasium in Belmopan to take part in an I.C.J. forum fully sponsored and organized by the Belize National Teachers’ Union. The four-hour [...]

Disenfranchised Belizeans from Around the World and I.C.J.
There are thousands of Belizeans living and working outside of the country who will not be able to participate in the upcoming I.C.J. referendum.  Notwithstanding the criteria for eligibility that [...]

Re-registration Process Winding Down Ahead of Deadline
The deadline for re-registration is March eleventh and across the country eligible voters are making last-minute efforts to ensure that they are able to cast their ballots on April tenth.  [...]

Another Accused Murderer Walks Free
Another accused murderer walked free of the charge today. Tonight, Daniel Myvett is at home with his family after attorney Leeroy Banner was successful in getting his case thrown out. [...]

Supreme Court Responds Tacitly to Criticism from PM Barrow
During the Prime Minister’s Business Forum on February twenty-first, the head of government took advantage of an opportunity to chide the court system, taking particular aim at a sitting judge.  [...]

Who is Funding Assad Shoman’s N.G.O.? Shoman Avoids Question
Many questions have been asked relating to Assad Shoman’s recently formed non-governmental organization. Citizens for the Defense of Sovereignty was formed less than three months ago and its primary objective [...]

Guatemala is Claiming ‘The Whole Sarstoon’
During the forum today, Ambassador Assad Shoman explained what steps will be followed if a YES vote is secured on April tenth. According to Shoman, Belize will exercise its rights [...]

What Happens if Belize Votes NO?
So what happens if there is a NO vote? Well according to Assad Shoman, there is no clear plan as to what steps will be taken. Shoman says he cannot [...]

Where is England in All of This? England is in England
One of the most repeated questions relating to Guatemala’s claim over Belize has to do with the historical role of England and future intervention. Some feel that Belize inherited the [...]

PETAL hosts 3rd Annual Int’l Women’s Day Conference
Today, March eighth, is International Women’s Day. The day is set aside to celebrate women and advocate for gender equality. Non-profit group ‘Promoting Empowerment Through Awareness for Lesbian and Bisexual [...]

Quality Poultry Business View Caribbean’s Cover Story!
Last month, we shared a story on the economic benefits of migrant-founded businesses like Quality Poultry Products in Spanish Lookout. The poultry producer was also recognized with a cover story [...]

22nd Annual Belikin La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge
The twenty-second Belikin La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge began today at the foot of the Hawkesworth Bridge in Santa Elena. Sixty-one teams of paddlers registered to take on one [...]

Sprucing Up Cleopatra White, Unicomer Style
A team of painters, all employees of Unicomer Belize, has been working diligently to give Cleopatra White Polyclinic a much needed facelift.  It is part of their annual celebration of [...]

The Newly renovated Hopkins Village Main Road
Earlier this week, the newly upgraded Hopkins Village Main Road was officially opened. The road was rehabilitated under the Banana Accompanying Measures Programme 2013, and was jointly funded by the [...]

Amandala

Guat civilians fired on BDF soldiers clearing plantation
Rumors have been swirling about an encounter on the Sarstoon River involving three boats, in one of which Minister of National Security, John Saldivar, was traveling. The rumors went as far as saying that the Guatemalan Armed Forces (GAF) fired on the Belizean flotilla. That, however, apparently was not the case. The BDF were fired upon by Guatemalan civilians, according to Minister of National Security John Saldivar. This afternoon, we were able to speak to the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of National Security, retired colonel, George Lovell, who confirmed that indeed, their boats were followed by the GAF at “a tactical distance.”

PUP leader and PAC chairman sue PM Barrow
Attorneys representing the Leader of the Opposition, Hon. John Briceño, and chairman of the Public Accounts Committee of the House of Representatives, Hon. Julius Espat, filed a fixed date claim at the Supreme Court Registry yesterday, Tuesday, naming Hon. Dean Barrow, Minister of Finance, and Joseph Waight, Financial Secretary, as defendants; as well as the Attorney General of the State of Belize, for the spending of $1.3 billion from the Consolidated Revenue Fund and the Petrocaribe Amendment Act 2015 without the approval of the National Assembly of Belize. The lawsuit is contending that the monies were spent in violation of the Constitution of Belize and in violation of the Finance and Audit Reform Act.

Number of murders for 2019, up to 5TH March: 24
Our records reveal that 24 persons have been murdered in Belize in the first 64 days of 2019. The most recent murder occurred in Belize City on Sunday morning, March 3. Police said that the 24th victim, Walter Beaton, a 48-year-old taxi driver of Reggae Street, drove up to his yard and was opening his gate to drive in his car when his killer, who was waiting for him in his yard, shot him multiple times. 2019 began on a terrible note, with five murders on New Year’s Day. Howard Coleman, 58, of Maskall, was chopped to death in his house at about 4:00 New Year’s morning.

Mother charged for prostituting daughter for food
In a shocking case of human trafficking, a mother has been charged after she reportedly prostituted her 14-year-old daughter to a 23-year-old man. According to police, the mother, 49, of San Ignacio Town, was charged for the crime of procuring a child for sexual exploitation. The woman reportedly allowed the man, Jeffery Perez, also of San Ignacio, to have sex with her daughter in exchange for food. Perez was also charged for the crime of child prostitution. The charges stem from an incident that reportedly occurred in late 2017.

PUP files constitutional challenge to the Special Agreement, seeks injunction to stop ICJ referendum
The People’s United Party (PUP) announced today, via a press release, that it has filed a claim at the Supreme Court, challenging the constitutional validity of the Special Agreement that the Dean Barrow-led United Democratic Party government signed in December 2008, committing Belize to hold a referendum to determine whether to take Guatemala’s claim to Belize’s territory to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). The PUP’s legal challenge is also seeking an injunction to stop the International Court of Justice (ICJ) referendum from being held on April 10 on the ground that there are no provisions in domestic law for the holding of such a referendum.

Legal opinion commissioned by Bar Association indicates strength and weakness in Belize’s ICJ legal case
The Belize Bar Association commissioned an independent legal opinion on the Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute from a ranking expert on International Law, Professor Stephen Vasciannie, CD, from the University of the West Indies. Professor Vasciannie submitted his opinion on February 26 to the Secretary of the Belize Bar Association, Leslie Mendez. Professor Vasciannie’s opinion on the Belize/Guatemalan claim highlights what he perceives as the strengths and weaknesses of both Guatemala’s case and Belize’s case at the ICJ.

Toledo F.A. 1st Division results
The Toledo Football Association (TFA) hosted two 1st Division games today at the Victor Sanchez Union Field. In game 1, Indianville defeated TCC by a score of 3 to nil. Justin Trapp, Francis Budna and Marlon Kus scored for Indianville. Theodore Lopez from Indianville, and Cordel Noralez from TCC were both ejected from the game. In game 2, Estrellas defeated Mavericks by a similar score of 3 to nil. Glenford Hines, Jr., Zidane Hines and Alex Terry scored for Estrellas. Glenford Hines, Jr. from Estrellas, and Liston Armstrong, Jr. from Mavericks were both ejected from the game.

Corozal F.A. U-tournaments weekly update
Another successful weekend! This is our fourth week of the ongoing youth U-Tournaments hosted by the Corozal Football Association (CFA) under the auspices of the Football Federation of Belize (FFB). Every week we are seeing the eagerness of each club wanting to compete and foremost develop on sportsmanship. On Saturdays our games start at 1:00 p.m., and on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. at the Ricalde Stadium. The schedule was designed this way to be able to accommodate parents to be more supportive to their children. Every week, players give their best and are always interacting positively.

Cricket Corner
A pleasant hello to all cricket players, fans and supporters! Under the auspices of the Belize National Cricket Association (BNCA), the Harrison Parks 2019 Cricket Competition continued over the weekend. Thanks to the sponsor of this year’s competition, Bowen & Bowen Ltd. There were some very interesting games played. I believe some brought tears; tears for gladness, and tears for sadness. Before I continue, take a look at the person in the picture (above). This good gentleman, Norman Hugh Donald Bennett, is being seen all cricket season, mostly at Lords Bank, when games are being played. Although he has not played in the big league, only in school, he loves the game.

Dangriga sports stats
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) National Amateur Women’s League (NAWL) tournament will continue this weekend throughout the country of Belize. The game that was postponed last week Saturday at the Carl Ramos Stadium because of the national female team’s friendly on the same day, will be played this Saturday, March 9, at the Carl Ramos Stadium between our home girls, Dangriga Pumas vs Ladies Freedom Fighters from Punta Gorda, commencing at 4:00 p.m. It’s a females southern derby!

Editorial: UDP recyclers
According to the design of our political system, our parliamentary democracy, it is the duty of the opposition party in the House of Representatives to keep the government on its toes. By design there are mechanisms to enable the opposition party to do just that; however, in our system, due to the way we conduct parliamentary democracy, such parts of the system are in dire need of a thorough oil job. Some of those parts are so out of use, little used, they are covered in rust. We know the parts that are set to enable the opposition party to force the government to perform honestly and efficiently, not because these parts work, but because there is a lot of complaining about them.

Keep protesting Guatemala’s bullying on the world stage
Dear Editor, It amuses me, although it’s not amusing, when leaders of our country tell us that the leaders of Guatemala agreed to go to the ICJ because they want to save face by not dropping their claim to Belize willingly, but being ordered by the ICJ to do so. Guatemalan president Jimmy Morales has publicly stated that Guatemala’s worst moment was when it lost Belize, but that there is still time to regain it.

Belize, let us revive “Ninth a’ March”
Dear Editor, In seven years’ time Belize will be observing 100 years since the passing of the greatest benefactor of our country. In 1926, Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss, fourth Baron of Portugal, visited Belize in his yacht. The sea king fell in love with the fishing climate and the people he had met. He fell ill and before passing, he sent for the governor of the colony and willed most of his fortune to the country. Without stepping ashore, he concluded that this beautiful country deserved the gesture. In his will he stipulated what the proceeds were to be used for.

Are any of the friends of Belize giving a enforcement guarantee?
Dear Editor, According to the 2008 Special Agreement between Belize and Guatemala, Article 38(1) of the statute of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) set out the applicable rules by which the ICJ will decide any and all legal claims of Guatemala against Belize. Since the Special Agreement set the terms of reference for the ICJ judges, close scrutiny of the agreement is vital. In article 2 of the agreement it states. “… and to determine the boundaries between their respective territories and area.” This statement is congruent with Foreign Minister Sedi Erlington’s comments that Belize has to go to the ICJ in order for our borders to be defined because the country doesn’t have any that are internationally recognized.

Hubert Enriquez writes Henry Gordon
Dear Senator Gordon, Re: In Search of TRUTH, Tuesday, March 5, 2019 Going through your column in the above issue of the Amandala, we observed that you quoted article 7 of UNGA Resolution 35/20 of 11th November, 1980, as follows: “Requesting the relevant organs of the United Nations to take such actions as may be appropriate. before the next session of the UN General Assembly as may be requested by the Administering Power and the Government of Belize in order to facilitate the attainment of independence by Belize and to guarantee its security and territorial integrity thereafter.”

Dangers to ICJ
First and foremost, before Belize takes the very serious step of going into this dangerously risky ICJ/Guatemala/Belize case, Belize needed to have undertaken some very in-depth studies, analyses, research and investigations into all the possible flaws, weaknesses and vulnerabilities Guatemala could exploit and use to justify its claim to Belize. It is a must for Belize to definitively survey, locate and demarcate its borders and territory. Belize must secure and fortify its intelligence and defense to repel aggression. Belize should also have undertaken similar investigations into the 1859 and all other Treaties, discussions, agreements and/or understandings with the other nations concerned in the case.

Remembering Derek Aikman between 1984-1992
There was a time in Belize when we thought that the PUP would rule forever. In that time the opposition was just a constitutional requirement; in 1969 we were almost not even that, the opposition NIP gaining just one seat out of the eighteen available in the House of Representatives. There was one radio station in the country back then, Radio Belize, and all they sang all day long were the praises of the Peaceful, Constructive Belizean Revolution under the PUP and their leader, George Price. Radio Belize’s announcers coddled George Price, as if he were a saint, and his ministers, even though a number of them didn’t go to church, were shielded by the glow of the great man’s halo.

The Belize writing conference—why attend?
When I learned that Belize would have its first-ever writing conference in 2018, I knew I had to participate. How could I not? I am a writer and I am from Belize. Even though I’ve lived in the U.S. longer than I’ve ever lived in Belize, Belize is my querencia; this is where my umbilical cord is buried. I felt that the Belize Writers’ Conference was offering me the best of two worlds—a week seaside in Belize and, at the same time, a week to devote to my writing in the company of like-minded people. I was among the first to register, and I was not disappointed. During my 40+ years as an educator, I have conducted my share of writing workshops, but after years of being the teacher, I welcomed the opportunity to be a learner once again. I figured that at the conference I would attend sessions designed to nurture my writing,

Holistic Analysis of a Yes Vote and No Vote on the ICJ Referendum on the Guatemalan Claim to Belize Territory1
The Referendum question (per Article 2 of the Special Agreement) on which Belizeans will vote on 10 April, 2019, reads as follows: “Whereas the parties request the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to determine, in accordance with applicable rules of international law as specified in article 38-1 of the statute of the Court, any and all legal claims of Guatemala against Belize to land and insular territories and to any maritime areas pertaining to these territories, to declare the rights therein of both parties, and to determine the boundaries between their respective territories and areas.”

BAHA issues African Swine Fever advisory
The Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) has issued an advisory on African Swine Fever (ASF). Not to be confused with swine flu, ASF poses no risk to human health, but can significantly impact the economy. According to the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE), “African Swine Fever (ASF) is a highly contagious haemorrhagic viral disease of domestic and wild pigs, which is responsible for serious economic and production losses.”

Help our children grow in Child Stimulation Month
The beginning of March signals the beginning of Child Stimulation Month, and this year’s theme is “Hug me, Listen to me, Read with me – Help me grow!” Child Stimulation Month is a reminder to Belizeans of how important early childhood education is. Parents are encouraged to go the extra mile to ensure their children are continuously learning, even before entering the classroom.

Orvin Wade sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Keisha Buller
Orvin Wade, 33, a mechanic, who has been accused of the July 10, 2015 murder of Customs officer, Keisha Buller, 25, was found guilty several months after the conclusion of his trial on July 24, 2018. On Monday, March 4, Supreme Court justice, Antoinette Moore, who heard the case sitting without a jury, sentenced Wade to life in prison, over 7 months after he had been found guilty. Wade, however, will be eligible for parole after he has served 25 years in prison.

Electrician, who went to pick up common-law wife, drops dead
A cell-phone video was made of a BERT ambulance crew on Newtown Barracks as they worked feverishly to save a man who had apparently suffered a heart attack. The almost 10-minute video captured in graphic details the effort made by the paramedics before the man, who had no pulse, despite an automated external defibrillator being used on him about three times, was put in the ambulance and driven away.

The Reporter

MASON MURDER TRIAL STARTS
On Tuesday, March 12t., five men accused of a gruesome murder which shocked and outraged the nation will appear in Court in Belmopan before Justice Antonette Moore to face justice. In July of 2016, William ‘Danny’ Mason and four men said to be in his employ – Terence Fernandez, Ashton Vanegas, Keiron Fernandez and Ernest Castillo – were arrested and charged for the murder of Belmopan pastor Llewellyn Lucas.

BELIZE AND THE ICJ: WHAT WHEN WHY AND HOW
[Assad Shoman - A column by Citizens for the Defence of Sovereignty (CDS)]. The International Court of Justice, ICJ, was established as the legal organ of the United Nations after World War II in 1945, and the UN Charter states (Art. 94): “If any party to a case fails to perform the obligations incumbent upon it under a judgement rendered by the Court, the other party may have recourse to the Security Council, which may, if it deems necessary, make recommendations or decide upon measures to be taken to give effect to the judgement.”

TRADE, TRADE AND MORE TRADE !
By: Major Lloyd Jones (Ret’d). On February 28th the Ministry of Economic Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce [why do we have to give these ministries such long names?] launched Belize’s first ever National Trade Policy. The Policy is well thought out and well crafted; and it has the potential to jump start Belize’s economy if the government ensures its implementation.

Are Air-BnBs Crippling the Hotel Industry?
With the onset of technology and the ‘accommodation’ industry becoming more competitive, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is struggling to standardize short-term online rentals such as Airbnb and other similar service providers that keep expanding to meet the rising consumer needs. Airbnb is defined as an online platform that allows homeowners to temporarily lease or rent out their homes or rooms to visitors at a reduced cost. This type of service caters to tourists who are seeking an authentic experience by living among locals and basking in the culture while at the same time taking advantage of the reduced price tag.

CORRECTION “ROGUE-ARTICLE” Appeared On reporter.bz
The Reporter Newspaper takes this opportunity to apologize to the Chinese community and any person or entity which may have been offended by an article which was placed in error on our website. The paper, by virtue of its mandate and commitment to provide information to ALL, welcomes diversity in opinions from our weekly columnists. While their opinions many times are not those of the Reporter’s management, we accept the paper has not survived as long as it has by merely pushing our views on the people.

National Trade Policy Launched
By Dyon Elliot– Belize Chamber of Commerce. “In any case, yes, that is what the Trade Policy is to us at the BCCI: Hope. It reflects our hope that there will be more proactive and genuine consultations as it pertains to responding to those international obligations that impact any of those Guiding Principles and identified Policy Pillars."

Belizean To The Bone
By Osmany Salas. I finally published my position on how I will vote on Referendum Day. (I wrote about why I will vote “Yes” in the February 27 and March 3, 2019, issues of The Reporter.) The reactions to my article have been mixed, ranging from full support and appreciation to complete disagreement with my views.

LOOK AT THIS – March 8th.
At the Tropical Education Center, TEC, we received numerous complaints about the way a Belizean parrot is being inhumanly kept in captivity in the village of Camalote. And those complaints are valid. Look at the photo. This red-lored parrot lives in squalor each and everyday.

EDITORIAL – March 8th
By Mr. Henry Lawrence, What more do we need to do to prove to Belizeans that it is perfectly safe for us to take our case against Guatemala to the ICJ? We have demolished the Guatemalan argument about Uti Posidetis by showing that she did not inherit any Caribbean coastland from Spain, because Belizean Baymen were in full occupation of all of Belize before Guatemala became an independent nation in 1821.

BELIZEAN WANTED IN MEXICO
According to a report in a Quintana Roo based online periodical, reporterosdebanqueta.com, Mexican authorities are on a hunt for Belizean Amado Gonzalez, aka ‘El Beliceño.’

The Worlds Toughest ‘CANOE Rive Race’ – La Ruta Maya – Belize
AND THEY’RE OFF ! , In the worlds toughest Canoe River Race. This year some 61 teams in eight categories are participating in the 22nd. annual Belikin La Ruta Maya River Challenge. This stretch is the second longest of the 4 day race is 49 miles, and will end at Banana Bank.

Breaking Belize News

US Congress introduces legislation to sanction Guatemalans facilitating corruption
The United States Congress has introduced the “Guatemala Rule of Law Accountability Act,” which requires President Donald […]

An inside look at Professor Vasciannie’s Legal Opinion on Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute
Expert on international law, Jamaican former UWI Professor Stephen Vasciannie, in a 52-page opinion produced on February 27, […]

Export development workshop held today in Corozal
The Government of Belize along with the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) launched a Technical Cooperation Project […]

Security guard facing long jail sentence for molesting a 5 year old girl
56 year old security guard Baltazar Vasquez is accused of assaulting a five year old […]

Chief Justice reaffirms supremacy of judiciary
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Kenneth Benjamin has issued a rare, but civil response to […]

Robbers busted with fake gun and stolen items
Authorities quick response led to the detention of 3 thieves and a fake gun. On Wednesday, […]

Draft plastic pollution regulation 2019- now available for comments
The Government of Belize today advised that the Draft Environmental Protection (Pollution from Plastics) Regulation, 2019, is […]

SICA pledges support to Taiwan
Despite several countries severing ties with the Republic of China (Taiwan) in favor of the People’s Republic […]

Belize attends SICA meeting in Guatemala
Belize was among the countries represented at the meeting of the Central American Integration System (SICA) for […]

La Ruta Maya River Challenge 2019 kicks off in San Ignacio
Early this morning, hundreds of spectators joined the participating teams in Cayo for the start of one […]

Sister cries for justice for slain brother
In May 2011 popular taxi driver, Errol “Lighter” Ferguson, was killed near the Complex building on Mahogany Street. […]

Minister of National Security says Belize would welcome British military base
Following reports that England is considering plans to build a post-Brexit military in the Caribbean, preferably Belize, […]

Belize celebrates International Women’s Day
Today, March 8, 2019 is International Women’s day and is earmarked to celebrate the holistic achievements of […]

Our Territory; Not The People
By: Dr. Gerald Zuniga. The essence of Guatemala’s claim or interest over Belize is more than clear. At least that is what the Constituents made clear. It is in their Constitution. It is in the third paragraph of Art. 19 Transitory […]

My thoughts on International Women’s Day.
By Lisa Shoman: One day, women of Belize will take our rightful place in our nation’s anthem. I’m not satisfied with pledging “our manhood “ to our liberty, when I have spent my adult life in the fight for the liberty of our nation and the rights for our fellow Jewelizeans […]

LOVE FM

The people behind La Ruta Maya Challenge
Earlier we took a look at day one of the La Ruta Maya River Challenge and as the teams take a break and prepare for the second leg of the race, we take a look at what it takes to put the race together. More so, we look at some of the key elements of …

BNTU and Ministry of Education still to close negotiations
Correspondent Fem Cruz also asked Smith to provide an update on the negotiations between the BNTU and the Ministry of Education on the matters of Hardship allowances and proposal 22. In a recent interview with Minister of Education, Patrick Faber, the two parties are cooperating and more discussions are to be had.

BNTU monitors situation of teachers at Bishop Martin High School
The Belize National Teacher’s Union is currently following the progress of the situation of teachers at Bishop Martin High School. The BNTU was alerted of the issues faced by teachers at the institution when they staged a strike. Teachers, at least seven of them, have not had their employment records updated since they began teaching …

Belizean is named as leader of gang of robbers in Mexico
The Mexican media, Reporteros de Banqueta reports that Mexican authorities have identified a Belizean man as the alleged leader of a band of robbers that have been preying on people in Chetumal and Bacalar. In its report, it states that the Public Safety Director in Bacalar has identified Amado Gonzalez, a Belizean as the leader …

Blogs

Body, soul and belly, Maruba Beach Klub at Secret Beach caters to them all!
While each establishment along the beach is rich with tropical charisma, Maruba Beach Klub takes it up a notch with not only a cool vibe, tasty food, and delicious libations, but also a full-service spa that overlooks the gorgeous Caribbean seascape. Established by longtime hospitality and wellness gurus Alexandra and Franziska Nicholson from the renowned Maruba Resort Jungle Spa in Maskall Village in the Belize District, the sisters have been treating guests to unforgettable accommodations and wellbeing experiences for decades. Situated on the second floor above their bar and restaurant, the spa is an open area overlooking the gorgeous expanse of azure waters and enjoys a cool and refreshing breeze.

San Pedro Carnival – A Pause for Reflection
This year the first great Carnival event gave me something different and I can credit San Pedro House of Culture for that. The night took me back through the years not only with San Pedro Belize Carnival history. It also had me reflecting on my life in Belize and past Carnival celebrations. I thought about my photographer friend Karen Brodie too, another Canadian immigrant. I bet she never dreamed just how much she would impact history by moving here and capturing hundreds of colorful Carnival pictures. As well as other important topics such as The Golden Years Project, which was another great house of culture event. There was a good turn out for the exhibit. Mito Paz, Brenda Henkes, and crew did a fantastic job (as always) of honoring San Pedro Carnaval 2019 with the first big event followed by 4 days of fun in the town center.

Tour The West Side of Ambergris Caye, Beaches and Sandbars, with Belize BBQ Boats
The west side of Ambergris Caye is hot. H. O. T. With the crystal clear calm shallow gorgeous blue waters, hundreds of visitors flock there a day. And the only spot you can reach by road is the Secret Beach area. And while Secret Beach is awesome – and there really is something for everyone out there – it can be a bit crowded. Especially if you dream of a trip – just you and a few close friends enjoying the waters without a soul in sight. Perhaps a cold beer…some fresh ceviche and a unicorn tube to float on. Wait…what? A unicorn tube to float on? YES! Though you can also pick a floating peacock or a more manly toucan.

International Sources

Belize's Quality Poultry Products featured in digital magazine Business View Caribbean

7 Reasons to Vacation in Belize
When I had the opportunity to visit Belize, a small nation nestled on the eastern coast of Central America, I’ll be honest: I wasn’t sure what to expect. Unlike its better-known neighbors, Mexico and Costa Rica, I hadn’t heard much about this small nation that sidles up to the Caribbean Sea. Still, I decided to take the trip — despite having just suffered a serious ski injury. However, I felt like the warm waters of the Caribbean, lush jungles and ever-present sunshine that awaited me in Belize could be just what the “doctor” ordered. Plus, with snow piling up in my hometown, I knew it was just the right time to escape late February’s winter doldrums.

A New Way to Stay in Belize
Far from the beaches of Placencia or the energy of Ambergris Caye, there’s another side of Belize: the jungle. The destination’s rugged interior is filled with adventure — and now there’s a new way to experience it. Adventure hotel The Lodge at Chaa Creek has debuted a new eco-destination called the Macal River Camp. While staying at the camp has been possible for some time, this is the first time Chaa Creek is officially marketing it for travelers.

Monday, March 11: Belize
It’s Anthony Everett’s turn to escape the New England cold. His destination: Belize, a tourist destination known for the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. There he meets Lil Alphonse, who convinces him to swim with sharks and sting rays; Ben Popik, a Brooklynite turned Belizean who transformed several shipping containers into the popular restaurant The Truck Stop; Lucy and Mick Fleming, creators of a jungle eco-retreat; and Fidelio Montes, Junior, a road scholar who takes Anthony on a tour of the country’s Mayan sites. Plus, we meet the owner of a yoga studio who used to live in Needham - until our traffic and weather drove her to Belize.

Videos

La Ruta Maya

March 8, 2019

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Holy Cross Anglican School hosts groundbreaking for ‘House of Grace’
Holy Cross Anglican School (HCAS) held a short groundbreaking ceremony for its new House of Grace on Sunday, March 3rd. Present at the groundbreaking was the Right Reverend Philip S. Wright; Anglican Bishop of Belize Brian Ostenso; Chairperson of the HCAS Education Foundation Freddy Trejo, and Founders of HCAS, Francis and Vernon Wilson. House of Grace, as the new building will be known, is named in memory of Grace Williams, the first principal of HCAS. The plan is to create a comfortable, welcoming space for clergy from mainland Belize or from all over the world. Modest overnight accommodations for up to three people will provide a place for rest, meals and quiet reflection. The location on the Holy Cross property will facilitate interaction with students and enable the clergy staying there to easily be part of the larger San Mateo community since lodging is quite costly in San Pedro.

DJ Matrix wins Belikin Belize DJ district/cayes preliminary competition
TJ Martinez will be representing Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker at the national Belikin Belize DJ competition set for March 22nd in Dangriga Town, Stann Creek District. TJ, who goes by the stage name DJ Matrix, won the opportunity to participate in this event after competing in the districts/caye preliminaries held on Saturday, March 2nd in San Pedro Town. DJ Matrix competed against four other island DJs (DJ Shifta, DJ Sherman, DJ Fly, and DJ Garcia) emerging victorious after five rounds of intense musical mixing. The island DJ is now preparing to compete against the best DJs in the country at the finals where the grand winner will walk away with a prize of $3,000.

Copa San Pedro 2019 Closing Season heads into ninth week of action
This weekend was full of football action at the Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro Town as Copa San Pedro 2019 Closing Season continues. The current standings have Legends F.C at the top of the chart with 21 points, followed by Los Catrachos F.C with 18 points, and Fambo Boys F.C with 16 points. Following the top three teams are Terror Squad F.C with 15 points, Caye Caulker Islanders F.C with 14 points and G Strikers F.C with 12 points. Captain G F.C has 11 points, Vince Assassins seven points and Ambergris Hopes has three points. Yet to make it on the chart are Genesis F.C and Island Sharks F.C.

BVA 2019 Beach Volleyball Tour Stop #1 hosted in San Pedro
The Belize Volleyball Association 2019 Tour ‘s first Stop was held at Gill-E’s Pour House in San Pedro over the weekend of March 2nd to 3rd. The tournament saw the participation of ten male teams from across the country, including Corozal Town, Belize City, San Pedro Town, Caye Caulker and Orange Walk Town. After a long weekend of intense matches, Joseph Carnegie and Jaylen Manzanero placed third after defeating San Pedro’s Jason Cabral and Gaby Nunez by winning two sets out of three (21-18, 11-21, 15-13). The championship match saw Belize City Francis Hauze and Michael Jenkins coming out victorious over Gustavo Moratoya and Aldair Pena by winning all three sets (21-19, 16-21, 15-11).

Ambergris Today

Environmental Clearance For Collection & Disposal Of Sewage Waste
Any person or company engaging in the collection of sewage waste from businesses or households are hereby notified that you are required to obtain Environmental Clearance from the Department of the Environment (DOE), in accordance with the environmental laws of Belize. Any person or company that disposes of sewage waste in any unapproved site is committing an offence and is liable for prosecution.

NEMO Receives Equipment From Mesoamerican Project
Minister of National Emergency Management, Hon Edmond Castro, has received on behalf of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) valuable equipment from the Mesoamerica Integration and Development Project, in line with the Mesoamerica Network for Integral Risk Management (RMGIR). The project handed over one (1) Hp ‘Pro-book’ laptop and one (1) Dell Optiplex desktop to the minister on February 28th, 2019. The project will see the sharing of map layers from various Ministries of Government on one platform focusing on disaster risk management.

Misc Belizean Sources

Monthly Weather Summary, February 2019
February typically marks the beginning of the dry season for the country. Temperatures normally start increasing as the month is characterized by a warm easterly to southeasterly surface airflow. Whatever limited rainfall that occurs during the month is typically associated with one or two cold fronts, prefrontal trofs, shear lines and low level easterly wind surges. February 2019 started off mainly fair and characteristically dry across the country. Except for light isolated showers over the south during the first week of the month, very little rainfall occurred across the remainder of the country. Highest one day rainfall total based on automatic weather stations data was over Punta Gorda on the 3rd when 16.6 mm of rainfall was recorded. The low levels were dominated by a dry easterly to southeasterly flow during the period while a dry subsident pattern prevailed at the upper levels.

The ICJ Decision—A Question of Risk, by Tony Rath
We are getting close. The most important decision of our young country is about to be made—by us. The referendum to decide if Belize will go to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to settle the 150 year dispute with our neighbor to the west is little more than a month away. And if you are like me, you still haven’t made up your mind which way you will vote. Most people I talk with agree on what is at stake. It is clear that a YES vote will send us to the ICJ ending the 150 year dispute with Guatemala over our borders. What is not clear to many is if that dispute will end with our current borders intact, or part of our country amputated. A NO vote keeps the status quo. Our borders will remain as they are, but the pressure and antagonism from Guatemala may continue till the next special agreement or treaty or skirmish occurs. Or a peaceful “cure” may be found by the next generation of leaders in both countries.

BURNING OF DON JUAN CARNAVAL 2019
Lots of great photos.

ICJ Presentation by the Rotary Club of Corozal
Wednesday the Corozal House of Culture hosted an ICJ Presentation by the Rotary Club of Corozal. The Belize Ambassador to Mexico, Oliver del Cid, was the presenter.

Point Progresso ExPat Event
Monday, March 11th, Progresso Village, from 11am to 5pm at Point Progresso, Progresso Villege. A gathering for fun, International food, music, boat rides, buggy tours in Little Belize Mennonite Community, business booths of local products, services and opportunities, sharing of information and stories, cultural events, wine tasting. Funds for soft drinks, juices, and pastry benefit the local school. Info by SMS 661-2844, or Facebook.

BTB at ITB Berlin 2019

On this International Womens Day, I Salute Doña Matilde Gotay And her descendants
Matilde Gotay was part of a group of young Garifunas led by Celestino García, who left the port of Trujillo in January 1810, heading west in search of new adventures, becoming the first significant number of inhabitants to arrive to settle in the mouth of the Cangrejal river in what became the City of La Ceiba, Atlántida in Honduras. Don Celestino García founded, the first Garífuna village with the name of Peru, becoming the first human settlement in the current municipality of La Ceiba. Towards the end of 1810, Francisco Núñez (Respectfully Called Papa Núñez), founded the village of Shatuye in honor of the legendary Garifuna Chief Joseph Chatoyer. With time the name of this village was modified by removing the “h”, becoming Satuye as it is known today.

Mother's Day Extravaganza in San Pedro!
Save the Date! Saturday, May 11, 2019!

San Pedro Carnaval 2019
The painting, the dancing, the fun of it all. San Pedro's Most Unique Cultural Festival

Jim Dalton in Belize
Thursday, March 14, 2019 at 6 PM – 9 P, Palapa Bar and Grill. Come out and enjoy some great music, food and drinks out over the Caribbean. Jim Dalton is a Colorado-based singer, songwriter, and musician. Dalton is the lead guitarist for the Tempe, Arizona rock band Roger Clyne & The Peacemakers, a band formed after the break-up of The Refreshments. He also fronts the Denver-based alt-country band the Railbenders, and co-founded the Hickman-Dalton Gang with Johnny Hickman of Cracker fame. His live solo shows are known for their loose, fun, sometimes serious, and bawdy nature. He has had the privilege of opening for Jason Isbell, Lukas Nelson, Joe Ely, Jimmy Dale Gilmore and other Americana artists.

El Pilar and the Forest Garden Exhibition in Corozal
The Exhibition will be displayed for the Entire month of March. The public is invited to come and view.

"Beauty Bites Beast"
Ellen Snortland will be showing her film "Beauty Bites Beast" at the Corozal Civic Center on Saturday, March 30th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Beauty Bites Beast flips ideas about female helplessness, as women and other at-risk folks undertake the transformative experience of learning verbal, emotional and physical empowerment based self-defense. How often can you say with certainty that a movie will save lives? This one already has! Please invite all the girls and women you know to see this powerful film. Entrance fee is $5 for students and $10 for adults

Corozal Public Library celebrating WOMEN'S MONTH

Ladies Night at the Wood House Saturday, March 9th

Belize Student Choir Tour
Let’s make it a family fun outing at the Mae Gordon Park on Saturday, 9th March from 7-8pm.

Carnaval Exhibition 2019

Paradise Theater playing this weekend
Mary Poppins, Aquaman, Ben is Back, Clovehitch Killer

Belizean Heroes You Don't Know About
Every day, Belize’s population add a few more people. Every day, we are challenged to feed, house and employ more and more Belizeans. Every day, we have to address the issue of poverty and improving the welfare of thousands of Belizeans in the rural areas. All this we have to do with finite natural resources. The officers at the Ya’axche Conservation Trust in Toledo are leading the way. They are working with hundreds of farmers and their families to improve their lives using the natural resources right around them while at the same time, doing so without degrading those very same resources. As a matter of fact, they have been reclaiming land resources that have basically been written off. The fact that they carry out this monumental task quietly on a daily basis is what makes them heroes in my book.

Channel 7

PG Pyro Petrifies PG
Last month, we told you about the 3 separate cases of arson in Punta Gorda Town where residents woke up from their beds only to find their vehicles either burning or already destroyed by fire. Police have been looking for a still-unknown, serial arsonist. But while they search he or she has struck again. Last night, 2 more residents living on same street in that southern town were targeted. The cops told us today about the vehicle and the motorcycle they found burning early this morning on Front Street: ACP Joseph Myvette - Head, NCIB: "This morning, sometime after 4:30 a.m., police were called to Front Street in Punta Gorda where, upon arrival in front of the home of Joseph Supal, a Honda CRV vehicle was seen engulfed in flames. The front portion was damaged..."

Capital Cops Quick To Catch Armed Robbers, Recover Cash and Weapon
Tonight, three persons are in custody in Belmopan after they allegedly robbed a Chinese store this morning. It happened at around 11:00 am at "101 Store" on Raccoon Avenue - in the Tiger Town area. Capital cops were quick to respond and with great coordination, they caught one female with the weapon, which is a nine millimeter pistol. They also arrested two men - after setting up a road block, and caught one of them leaving town on a James bus.

Registered US Sex Offender Held In San Pedro For Immig. Offence
Tonight, the Immigration Department in San Pedro has this man, American, Robert Brent Haynes detained. He is a registered sex offender in Texas where his record shows two charges for indecent sexual contact with a child: one case stems from the year 2000, involving a 9 year old, and another case in 2006, involving an 8 year old. And while he is a registered sex offender in Texas, he is not accused of any such crime in Belize. Still, the Immigration department picked him up at his sister's restaurant in san Pedro Town this morning.

DPP Says No Evidence On Alleged Gangster Killer
He was accused of killing a senior member of the Ghost Town Gang, but, tonight, Kevin Bodden is a free man. Police caught the 25 year-old in September of last year after a three month manhunt and charged him for the murder - which happened in May. And then, he escaped from the cops and went on the run for another 3 weeks. Bu he ended up back at the prison on remand for murder and his case was called up for a routine adjournment today before Senior Magistrate Tricia Pitts-Anderson.

Alleged Border Robber Zandon Myers Showed Up To Police Station Day After Robbery?
On Monday's news, we told you about the 4 men who police charged for the daring early-morning armed robbery at the Corozal Border. Police say that 29 year-old Eugene Myers, 23 year-old Zandon Myers, 23 year-old Randolph Crawford, and 21 year-old Joshua Hall were among the group of 6 men who went to the border on Thursday morning, and robbed the money changers of over $15,000 in various currencies. They are all at the Belize Central Prison on a bevy of criminal charges, but the mother of Zandon Myers is alleging that police wrongly charged him for this incident.

Cops Say They Have Evidence On Zandon
We also got a chance to ask the Head of the National Criminal Investigations about the allegations being raised by the Zandon's mother. He said that police have evidence against him as well: Reporter: "Mr. Zandon Myers, his family is suggesting that was detained the day after, and not intercepted one the day of the crime itself. Can you confirm?" ACP Joseph Myvette - Head, NCIB: "Yes, indeed, he was being sought immediately after the robbery, and he was caught some time - I cannot confirm yet whether or not it was the other day. But yes, I know that he was being sought."

FFB: National Team Players Suspended After Fight
The aftershocks of that ugly fight on the Isidoro Beaton football pitch on Monday night are still being felt. The FFB this evening announced that two national team players who were involved in the fracas will be suspended for 6 months. Norman Anderson and Jarret Davis will face 6 months suspension from all National team activities. A statement form the FFB says "President...Sergio Chuc takes this opportunity to express his discontent with both players who are also National Team players." Chuc also commends Kerry Gonzalez for exemplary conduct during the altercation.

Police Reveal More About 18 Year Old's Murder
A little more is known tonight about the gruesome murder of pregnant 18 year-old, Joan Gabourel, the Valley of Peace villager, whose nude body was found mutilated last weekend. She left her home on last week Tuesday evening, and she was supposed to attend a function and then spend the night a friend's house. That was the last time she was seen alive; 2 days later, a search party found her body near a cane field not far from a property which belongs to a relative. But, no arrests have been made, and so, at today's police press briefing, the cops were asked about a few details about the murder that have emerged:

The Post-Accident Death Of Octogenarian
The press also asked police for an update about the traffic accident in which 86 year-old Gudelia Estevez was knocked down. As we told you, about 2 weeks ago, Estevez was walking her 8 year-old grandson to school at St. Ignatius. While they were crossing the intersection of Amara Avenue and Dean Street, she was hit by a pickup truck driven by Martin Reyes. She passed away yesterday morning at her Ebony Street home, and so, we asked police today if that means that the driver may be facing a more serious charge. Here's how they answered that:

Erasing Hate Crimes in Belize
For most of us here in Belize crime is crime, whatever the motive is. But, there are different types of crimes, one being hate crimes, and it has several dimensions to it. A hate crime is a prejudice-motivated crime which happens when someone targets another person or persons because of their membership in a certain social group or race. We don't hear much about hate crimes in Belize and one of the reasons is because there is no specific legislation that addresses these acts.

Opposition Files Suit Against PM
The PUP has taken out a lawsuit against Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Financial Secretary Joe Waight for breaching the Finance and Audit Reform Act. The problem - according to the PUP - is what are known as General Revenue Supplementary Appropriations. According to the PUP - these must be approved by Parliament before money is spent, but the standard practice is to bring the supplementary after the money is spent. Here at 7News we have observed this as the standard practice going back over PUP and UDP administrations. But, the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Julius Espat says its wrong and it has to stop. He spoke to the press today:

Sydney Ellis Wants Answers For Beatdown
Since Monday, we've been telling you about the bizarre case of Richard Ellis. He says that last week Thursday, he was assaulted, and stabbed, and he has the injuries to show for it - and, looking at this picture, we won't argue. Police initially charged Tanesha Payne for it, but as we told you, all charges were withdrawn against her yesterday in the Magistrate's Court. She is free and clear, but the question remains. Who did it, and will anyone be prosecuted? Ellis insists that someone must answer for his injuries.

The Launch of The Lucky Turtles
Attorney Steve Perrera may make his money in the courtroom, but he spends a fair amount of his ideas and resources on Belize City where the barrister has emerged as a latter-day benefactor. Perrera is the one that first came up with those "Belize" signs by the sea that have been immortalized on a thousands of Facebook posts. And now, in concert with Unitedville artist Eduardo Herrera he's putting up tourist friendly carvings across the city.

Police Association and Commissioner In Power Struggle
Last night you heard Commissioner of Police Chester Williams go after Chairman of the Police Association, Corporal Eldon Arzu. He says Arzu has refused a directive from the last Commissioner of Police to produce audited accounts for the Association. Williams says Arzu wrote back saying that he wouldn't do it. Well that's not quite so. Tonight, we have seen the response from the police association.

Kicking a Man While He's Down
Yesterday, we also asked Commissioner Williams about that police officer in San Pedro who was caught kicking a unconscious man on the ground. Police constable Tyrell Rowley was charged for wounding but in his statement, he claims he was defending himself in a hostile situation. Rowley says he went to break up a bar brawl and got numerously attacked, where one of the bar patrons even tried to take his weapon. He and his fellow officer fought through the crowd and were then caught on camera engaged in that excessive beatdown We asked the Commissioner if he did fairly consider the state of mind the officers were in after coming under attack:

The Referendum Wisdom of Sir Manuel
We spoke to former Prime Minister Sir Manuel Esquivel on Tuesday about his position on the ICJ - which is an emphatic yes. He says it's the simplest choice Belizeans will ever have to settle the centuries old dispute, but is he concerned about the significant "no" sentiment that's out there? He said his party, the UDP is pushing its supporters for a yes, but they are not the bloc of voters that matter most in this referendum:... Sir Manuel Esquivel (Rt. Hon) - Two Term Prime Minister: "I think certainly on the UDP side, as far as I can tell, it's pretty much a yes."

PUP CITCO At Year One
One year ago, the PUP's slate was elected to the Belize City Council in one of the most memorable political upsets of the past decade or so. And right now, they are throwing a party at the Battlefield Park. Yesterday, we asked Mayor Bernard Wagner to speak about his council's highlites in its first year. But like every council or team, there are challenges. Apart from the financial ones, there are the internal frictions as witnessed with councilor Micah Goodin. But Wagner took a diplomatic approach today saying that no councilor will be left out and that the focus has to be team work.

City Shooting Still A Mystery
At today, police press conference - the police also had an update on the weekend shooting of Clinton Pou in Belize City. Insp. Wilfredo Ferrufino - CIB: "Since yesterday, we had detained several persons, and the investigation is ongoing. We are pretty much certain that before the end of the day, there will be charges levied on at least 2 of those persons detained."

Tennis Assoc.: Kranium Concert Out of Bounds
The dancehall artist Kranium is having a concert at the MCC tennis court on Saturday but the Belize Tennis Association is demanding that the Sport sCouncil change the venue. A Letter from President Samira Musa Pott says the tennis court should be used only for tennis. She says past experiences have shows that concerts cause damage to the court. She asks, how will we ever make progress if we do not respect our facilities?

Channel 5

Julius Espat: “The Prime Minister is not listening to anybody”
Tonight there are more details about a suit against the government. Leader of the Opposition John Briceño and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Julius Espat have launched a lawsuit [...]

Budget Reading Push Back; Espat Says it is Unacceptable
The fiscal year ends on March thirty-first, which means government has to present a budget for the new financial year.  Espat also touched on the upcoming budget. According to Espat, [...]

Kendis Flowers’ Alleged Killer is Acquitted of Murder Charge
Less than a year after the murder of Ghost Town boss, Kendis Flowers, the accused gunman walked free this afternoon from the courtroom of Senior Magistrate Tricia-Pitts Anderson. The notorious [...]

Elario Elijio is Freed of Manslaughter Charge
Tonight forty-year-old Elario Frank Elijio was also freed after an appeal filed against him in February of this year challenging his acquittal was discontinued. Elijio had been acquitted of the [...]

Murder Victim’s Belongings Found; Police Looking for a Suspect
Since last week we’ve been reporting on the brutal killing of a young, pregnant mother Joan Gabourel from Valley of Peace, Cayo. She went missing and was found dead several [...]

2 Robbers Still Hospitalized; 1 Suspect Claims Wrongful Detention
On Wednesday, a number of cops were honored for the capturing of six robbers who held up money changers at the northern border a week ago. Those cops happened to [...]

S.S.B. and C.W.U. Meet to Discuss Issues
On Monday members of the Christian Workers Union, who are employees of the Social Security Board, participated in an organized in-office show of solidarity against the administration of the Board. [...]

Police Looking for a Suspect in PG Double Murder
At the weekly press brief today, police also said that they are actively investigating the double murder that happened last month in Punta Gorda that claimed the lives of Kevin [...]

A Vehicle and Cycle are Torched in PG
Last month at least three vehicles were intentionally set on fire in Punta Gorda. Police have been trying to solve the case of the burning vehicles but they haven’t had [...]

Police Awaiting Post-Mortem to Determine Charges for the Death of Senior Citizen
A post-mortem conducted today on eighty-seven-year-old Gudelia Estevez lists the particulars of death as sudden non-cardiac death with acute pulmonary edema with saddle pulmonary embolism. But the death certificate also [...]

Several Persons Detained for Clinton Pou’s Shooting
Today police say that they may have Clinton Pou’s shooters in custody. Several persons were detained for the shooting that left Pou with injuries to his left hand and chest. [...]

BAHA on High Alert Following African Swine Fever Outbreak in Asia, Africa, Europe
The Belize Animal and Health Authority has put in place precautionary measures to protect the country from African swine fever. It is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease of domestic [...]

Beautifying Belize City One Statue at a Time
Over the past few weeks, various works of art, sculptures depicting the wildlife of Belize, have been popping up at parks and other recreational spaces across the city.  Today, a [...]

Legislation to Address Hate Crime on the Drawing Board
There are no official records on hate crime, but acts of violence and hostility against individuals and groups are known to occur.  In fact, just about anyone is vulnerable.  Policy [...]

Special Envoy Reacts to Social Media Comments on her Office
Following the release of sex tape of news anchor Indira Craig and the video of a student in uniform performing oral sex, there was a release issued by the Office [...]

Are the Brits Planning to Set Up a Military Base in Belize?
The Brits are reportedly looking to expand their military presence in the Caribbean.  They have confirmed as much, but it is left to be seen where they will increase their [...]

Saldivar Says Squatting Will Not Be Tolerated in Belmopan
Since last week we’ve reported about a house that was knocked down in the Salvapan area of Belmopan. The owner, Nicolasa Cus, is reportedly squatting on land owned by the [...]

Detention Cell Block under Major Renovation
The disturbing images of the detention cells at the Queen Street Police Station went viral last month. Those images were captured by an interdicted cop Darrel “Tutsi” Usher who was [...]

Culture in the Park, Artists & Musicians Takeover Battlefield Park
If you visited the downtown area of the city, you were treated to Belizean music and arts. The two-day event is being held to promote Belizean artists at the Battlefield [...]

Breaking Belize News

Kevin Bodden, accused killer of “Ghost Town” gang boss Kendis Flowers, escapes murder charge
Twenty-six-year-old Kevin Bodden, the man accused of the murder of reputed gang boss Kendis Flowers, Junior, the […]

Battle of exes was made up, court drops charges
Earlier this week we reported that a Belize City woman was being accused of grave offenses […]

Eighteen months jail for firearm
Twenty-year-old Ian Williams will spend the next eighteen months as a guest of the Belize Central […]

Prosecutors drop appeal against Elario Elijio
The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has discontinued an appeal filed against the […]

Philip Goldson: Was he ever pro-ICJ publicly?
As the April tenth, 2019 referendum draws nearer, both sides of the argument have marshaled their […]

Belize bids farewell to Derek Aikman
Family and friends of the late Derek Aikman gathered at the St. John’s Cathedral this afternoon […]

Who is to blame for Venezuela’s problems? Part 1: The case against the United States
As the fight for power in the South American country of Venezuela continues, Breaking Belize News is […]

PUP sues PM Barrow for breach of Finance and Audit Reform Act
The People’s United Party (PUP) informed today that Leader of the Opposition, John Briceño and […]

US student choir to perform at Music Ambassador’s Belize choir tour
The Office of the Music Ambassador, Shyne Barrow, has issued a statement informing that as a […]

Belize CITCO celebrates one year anniversary
Today, the Belize City Council is celebrating its one year anniversary of serving the residents […]

Three men accused of Errol “Lighter” Ferguson murder walk free from court
A trio of brothers accused of the May 2011 murder of taxi driver Errol “Lighter” […]

Accused of killing his neighbor, murder trial ordered for Manuel Pacheco
Jeweler Manuel Pacheco, 58, has been sent to the Supreme Court to be tried for […]

Building for the Future – Paving the Road to Development
The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Breaking Belize News. […]

CNN is smitten with Belize
CNN is the latest in a growing number of international media houses to feature […]

Guatemalan Armed Forces follow Belize’s National Security Minister’s tour on Sarstoon River
Belizeans are preparing for a historic national referendum that will be held on April 10th. On […]

Guatemalan civilians open fire at BDF soldiers at Cadenas
Minister of National Security, John Saldivar is conducting a tour of Belize’s borders with Guatemala. Last […]

Woman, 86, dies after being hit by a car in Belize City
Eighty-six-year-old Gudelia Estevez died yesterday morning. Estevez and her 8-year-old grandson were knocked down on February […]

LOVE FM

25 TO LIFE – FOR STABBING KEISHA BULLER 54 TIMES
Ervin Wade stabbed his ex-common law, 25 year old Keisha Buller to death on July 10, 2015. Buller’s grandmother and her child were both present at the home on George Street in Benque Viejo when Wade stabbed her about 54 times. She collapsed on the street outside the home and succumbed to her injuries. Wade …

Punta Gorda Pyro Strikes Again
Three vehicles had been torched in Punta Gorda in February. It appears that a pyromaniac has sought pleasure from the flames and continues to do so. Another vehicle and a motorcycle were burnt to a tinder during another late night incident. Toledo Correspondent Paul Mahung reports on the Punta Gorda pyro. Paul Mahung Toledo Correspondent: …

Belmopan Cops thwart Robbery
There was a robbery in the Tiger Town section of the Capital today. Quick response from the police led to the recovery of the items stolen from “One on One” Grocery Store. Love News Belmopan correspondents Pauline Tillett and Oufemio Cruz reports on how the cops solved the crime. Pauline Soberanis Tillet: “Based on the …

Police Commissioner Visits Dangriga Police Formation
Police Commissioner Chester Williams has been working on crime strategies to offset the different types of crime that beleaguers our country. Part of his methodology includes making changes to the management structure and also having a physical presence at various formations. Today Commissioner Williams spoke to some officers who work in the culture capital. Dangriga …

Senior Citizens Get the ICJ Education
April 10 is the day we decide as a country if we let the International Court of Justice in The Hague decide how to end Guatemala’s unfounded claim. In the Capital, senior citizens are being informed on the merits of Belize’s case. Belmopan correspondent Fem Cruz reports on what the seniors had to say about …

The Beetle that can damage sweet Honey Profits
The small hive beetle, Aethina tumida is a beekeeping pest that causes damage to comb, honey, and pollen. A beetle infestation can cause even the most humble bumble bees to abandon their hive. Beetle larvae can also tunnel through combs of honey, feeding and defecating, causing discoloration and fermentation of the honey. The risk is …

The Love Foundation’s Comic Sheet Creation
The Love Foundation held a comic sheet creation workshop via funding from the US Embassy in Belmopan’s anti corruption campaign. According to Cayo Corresponent Oufemio Cruz, students from different schools in Belmopan participated in the training session. Fem Cruz: “Today at the George Prince Center for Peace and Development in Belmopan the Love Foundation held …

La Ruta Maya River Challenge 2019 sets off
The La Ruta Maya River Challenge kicked off earlier tonight in Cayo. The annual event first began in 1998 and has blossomed into one of the biggest annual sporting events in the country. It brings together hundreds of Belizeans to take part in and witness four days of endurance of the elements on the River. …

One man is wanted in Gabourel homicide case
Police today say that they are following several leads in the homicide case of 18-yearold Joan Gabourel. The pregnant teen was found dead near a cane field off the Valley of Peace Road last Saturday where police believe she was killed around the same time she went missing, four days before. ACP Jospeh Myvett says …

Women’s Day: “Balance for Better”
Tomorrow is being observed as International Women’s Day, which is being celebrated under the theme “Balance for Better”. The significance of the day is to celebrate the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women around the world. Love news spoke with Cynthia Williams, Executive Director of the National Women’s Commission, who said that women …

Police taking a second look at traffic incident after Gudelia Estevez dies
The death of 86-year-old, Gudelia Estevez, who died twelve days after she was hit by a vehicle, may result in additional charges for the driver of the vehicle, 49-year-old Martin Franklin Reyes. Wilfredo Ferrufino of the Crimes Investigation Branch says the investigation has shifted with the passing of Estevez …

PUP files suit against Prime Minister Dean Barrow for illegal spending
The People’s United Party PUP is taking the Prime Minister Dean Barrow and the Financial Secretary, Joseph Waight to court for illegal spending. This week the Leader of the Opposition John Briceno and Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Julius Espat filed a lawsuit …

Health officials take action to avoid an outbreak of Dengue
The Pan American Health Organization, PAHO, has alerted countries in the region to make preparation for a possible outbreak of dengue, which is a disease caused by a virus that is spread by a mosquito. Here in Belize, the health authorities are making the necessary preparation in the hopes of preventing an outbreak …

Corozal Police bust two men with close to seven pounds of cocaine
Two men are found with just under seven pounds of cocaine in Corozal. The men were caught on Tuesday by officers who were at the Ranchito Village Municipal Airstrip. Officers observed two men; one was handing a bag to another and upon seeing the police, the man with the bag hurried …

FFB suspends football players for fighting during a game
The Football Federation of Belize has sanctioned players that were involved in the University fight and shooting incident at an ATLIB football game. Following the incident between the University of Belize and Galen University students on Monday March 5, 2019 …

Blogs

Half Day Bird Watching Boat Tour
Recently Lorna McKenzie-Pollock invited my 2-month roommate Heather and I to go birding. Unfortunately, I was on call to help a friend that day. Since some of my readers have been asking about birding options, Lorna happened to be one of them, wanting a unique activity for visiting company. I asked her if she was willing to give a short review on the tour she had found afert getting my self guided options. Stay tuned for a future write up the list of DIY places I told Lorna to go birding.

THE ULTIMATE BELIZE ITINERARY (7 DAYS IN AMBERGRIS CAYE, CAYE CAULKER, AND HOPKINS, BELIZE)
With both pristine beaches and lush jungle terrains; fascinating history and UNESCO World Heritage sites; incredible food and friendly people; there is little left to be desired out of a tropical destination like that of Belize. My Belize itinerary in 7 days will show you the best of what Belize has to offer, from the islands to the rain forest and everything in between. Perfect for first-timers, this guide will help you experience the best of Belize in as little as one week. The small Central American country of Belize is nestled in between Mexico and Guatemala, but has a distinct Caribbean feel compared to its Latin surroundings. Your trip to Belize will take you by surprise, and may just end up as one of your favorite travel destinations. Get ready to fall in love with the beauty and wonder of Belize.

GUIDE: Caye Caulker, Belize
Chances are, if someone starts talking about Caye Caulker, “Shark-Ray Alley,” “KoKo King” beach and “The Split” are going to be among the first phrases out of their mouths. (Shoot, guess I just perpetuated that trend.) Well, this isn’t that kind of guide — mostly because I didn’t DO the first two (I’m really bad at being a tourist), and the idea of needing a tour guide to tell you about the third is more ludicrous than a Belizean street without potholes.

International Sources

Wildlife traffickers thrive on Guatemala’s murky border with Belize
The siege by wildlife traffickers in the forests on the border between Guatemala and Belize has become so intense that local environmentalists have resorted to extreme measures. Some under trees, keeping watch over the nests of scarlet macaws (Ara macao), and other residents have taken on the responsibilities of law enforcement officers in the area while calling for an increase in the security presence. Although official figures indicate that poverty levels approach 60 percent in the border region between the two countries, some individuals here make vast amounts of money by illegally trading in local wildlife and plant species, selling them internationally to the highest bidder. But wildlife trafficking is not the only illicit trade in the area: Locals also report a near-constant flow of drugs along the length of the 965-kilometer (600-mile) border.

Belize Sugar Industries Limited’s $8 Million Loan
The Inter-American Investment Corporation (“IDB Invest”) as lender, closed on a $10 million secured loan to Belize Sugar Industries Limited, a corporation organized and existing under the laws of Belize (“BSI”) as borrower. The proceeds of the loan will be used by BSI to finance fixed investments to increase its production of direct consumption sugars in Belize.

HOW TO SPEND 5 DAYS IN BELIZE FOR $500
Over winter? Us too. But a tropical vacation has a habit of breaking the bank. That is, until you look at travel budgets for migrating south to Belize. The tiny country is often forgotten, but Belize has everything a starry-eyed traveler on a budget could ask for — warm weather, thriving culture, great food, historical sites, and of course, stunning beaches. Our winter getaway guide gives you the best of two different worlds. Encounter the rainforest of San Ignacio — a city surrounded by ancient Mayan ruins — and then adventure to the backpacker’s island of Caye Caulker — where the saying Belizean saying, “go slow” really hits you when you realize you’ve spent the whole day on the beach drinking Belikin (the beer that’s just about everywhere in Belize). A week-long trip to sunny Belize might be in your budget with a little planning—and you’ll leave feeling just as refreshed and lighthearted, if not more, than that trip to Hawaii that was out of your price range.

Escapes: Battle the blues with a break in Belize, an antidote to soggy SoCal
Katie Quirk has traveled all her life. “When I was a kid, my parents took three months off from work, pulled me and my brother from school, and traveled with us around Spain, France, England and Ireland,” she said in an email. “I was 12 and had some basic French, so my parents assigned me to find housing each evening…. That experience made language and exploring other cultures real to me.” She wanted the same for her children, who often list “travel” among their favorite hobbies. “My children occasionally comment that they wish our family were a little more ‘normal,’ ” Quirk said. “In particular, they wish they could go to Disneyland or Disney World at least once in their childhood. There are times when our style of travel certainly challenges them,” which she has documented in articles for the L.A. Times on family trips to Nicaragua and Guatemala

Belize Automobile Market Trends, Outlook and Growth Opportunities 2019 to 2025
Belize Automobile Market report is a collection of pragmatic information, quantitative and qualitative estimation by industry experts, the contribution from industry connoisseurs and industry accomplices across the value chain. Furthermore, the report also provides the qualitative results of diverse market factors on its geographies and segments. Geographical diversification model remains one of the main strategies of leading automobile manufacturers to ensure profitability in high investment and R&D expenditure scenario. Both large players and start-ups are aggressively focusing on connected and autonomous driving vehicles in the country. Strong government focus on encouraging automotive industry in the country is an important driving force for Belize. However, stringent environmental regulations on pollution and carbon emissions are necessitating heavy investments.

Videos

March 7, 2019

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, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

San Pedro Pirates draw 1-1 against Verdes F.C
In the eighth week of the Premiere League of Belize (PLB) 2019 Closing Season, the San Pedro Pirates faced San Ignacio’s Verdes F.C at the Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro Town on Saturday, March 2nd. It was a tight match which saw both teams drawing. Despite not winning, the San Pedro Pirates remain in the first place position of the PLB rankings for the second consecutive week. For their next match, the San Pedro Pirates will travel to Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District to go up against Freedom Fighters on Sunday, March 10th. The game is scheduled to begin at 4PM at the Victor Sanchez Union Field. Anyone interested in accompanying the Pirates as a fan can contact 608-6396.

San Pedro Tiger Sharks lose first home game against Dangriga Dream Ballers
Despite having played an offensive game that saw the strength of the San Pedro Tiger Sharks, the Dangriga Dream Ballers managed to keep an eight-point lead to seal an 86-78 victory over the island team. Held on Saturday, March 2nd at the San Pedro High School (SPHS) Auditorium, the game marked the first home game for the Tiger Sharks, and was their opportunity to climb back to first place in the National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) Tournament, having lost it to Dangriga. The re-match did not go well for the island boys, and after this loss, they remain in second place with the Dangriga team leading the current NEBL’s standings. The San Pedro Tiger Sharks will take a break this weekend, but the NEBL tournament continues with the games on Friday begin at 9PM, and on Saturday at 8:30PM.

SPHC host ‘El Gran Carnaval de San Pedro’ exhibit
The San Pedro House of Culture (SPHC) opened their Carnaval Photography Exhibition on Friday, March 1st. The annual display showcases the traditional “El Gran Carnaval de San Pedro (The Great Carnival of San Pedro)” which traditionally takes place three days before Lent. Prior to the exhibition, a Carnaval fashion show was held showcasing the history of El Gran Carnaval and what attendees should expect to see during the festive days. Mistress and Master of Ceremony were Julia Martinez and SPHC President Guillermo ‘Mito’ Paz, who gave a brief history of each comparsa before they stepped on the runway.

Ambergris Today

Carnaval 2019 Day Three - Colorful Carnaval
Carnaval 2019 ended with a bang as the two comparsas group gave it their all and danced their hearts out! Dona Flora's Group theme was "Colorful Carnaval" and they wore brightly colored costumes and head pieces and were in full carnival spirit! The Barbies without fail shook what their momma gave them. They were in high spirits singing and dancing and having so much fun entertaining their audience. It was a great way to end this year's Carnaval... Here are pics of the last day of Carnaval ...enjoy!

Belize’s Prevail Combat Club Win MMA Matches In Chetumal
Youths from Prevail Combat Club win exhibition MMA Matches in Chetumal Two young Belizeans from the youth MMA program at Prevail Combat Club participated and won Exhibition MMA matches in Chetumal, Q. Roo, on Saturday, Mar 2, 2019. The event was labeled as the 1st Annual Contact Sports Festival. In the First Match Jared Ramos, 15 defeated Jonathan Hernandez, 17 years old training with PEP Chetumal. In the 2nd Match Trenton "K-City" Hulse 13 years old, defeated Johan Rivero, 15 years old also from PEP chetumal. Congratulations to Jonathan and Trenton!

Misc Belizean Sources

National Heroes and Benefactors Day
National Heroes and Benefactors Day (previously known as Baron Bliss Day) is a public and bank holiday in Belize celebrated on March 9. This year, the holiday will be given on Monday March 11, 2019 giving us Belizeans a three day holiday of fun in the sun! The Weekend is full of cultural traditions and festivities, with the main commemorative event being the wreath laying ceremony at the Baron Bliss Grave. Other highlights of the weekend include the annual harbor regatta which is a sporting event consisting of sailboat races and the annual Kite festival, where families, children, young and old, get together to create and build fun kites in all shapes sizes and colors to decorate the sky! The Ruta Maya Challenge is also traditionally held on this weekend, and it consists of a four day canoe race, the longest of its kind in Central America.

CARNAVAL FIESTA! 2019

Family Pool Day at Escuela Secundaria Técnica México
Saturday, March 9th, 10am-4pm ESTM Pool. Family Pool Day at Escuela Secundaria Técnica México (ESTM) Pool Grounds. Karaoke competition, pollo brujo, dip, hot dogs, and lots to eat and drink. Entrance fee: Adults $3, Children $2.

FCD Environmental Youth Group Emergency Meeting
Our Acting President of the FCD Environmental Youth Group is calling an Emergency Meeting this Saturday March 9, 2019 from 9:00am to 12:00pm. All youth members are asked to please confirm and those who are interested in joining please contact us through our Facebook page. Transportation will be provided for those in Bullet Tree and San Ignacio. Venue will be confirmed later.

Chargé d’Affaires, a.i. Keith Gilges and the Embassy representatives recently traveled to the Chiquibul
We visited the Caracol Archaeological Park, the Chiquibul National Park and the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. Dr. Allan Moore and Nich Belize colleagues, as well as Dr. Chase of University of Nevada - Las Vegas, warmly welcomed us at the Caracol Archaeological Reserve, Belize and expertly guided us through Caracol—the most extensive Maya site known in Belize. We appreciated the beautiful, expansive view from the top of Caana—the highest temple, which rises over 140 feet above the jungle floor. At the Las Cuevas Research Station, Rafael Manzanero and Derric Chan of the Friends for Conservation and Development - FCD Belize emphasized the vital importance of the Chiquibul National Park and its Forest Reserve as Belize’s major source of fresh water, clean air, wildlife reserve, and critical place for research and education. The FCD representatives highlighted their efforts, challenges, and success stories in balancing biodiversity protection while contributing to sustainable development and regional security and cooperation in the Chiquibul.

COMPARSAS DAY 1

CARNAVAL PAINTING AND COMPARSAS 2019 - DAY 2

PAINTING AND COMPARSAS DAY 3

Belize Birding for Conservation Tour
Attention bird lovers! This is an amazing opportunity to bird with the BEST! You're in for a ONCE IN A LIFETIME experience while supporting conservation work in Belize. Here is your opportunity to bird Belize and support our conservation work. Our Annual Birding for Conservation Tour is from August 4-13, 2019. All proceeds go directly to our Hawk Watch and Raptor Certification Program. We visit many premier birding locations and have a chance to see nearly 300 species, targeting Yucatan endemics and many other gems found in Belize.

Paint N Splash
See you this week at from 2-4pm Thursday. This week we will be learning how to paint an underwater scene from a photograph.

Reef Week Movie Night, "Shark Tale"
Reef Week 2019 Caye Caulker BTIA Presents MOVIE NIGHT. We will be showing Shark Tale Date: Friday, March 8, 2019 Venue: Vega Inn & Gardens Time: 6:30 pm FREE SNACKS SEE YOU THERE!

Corozal Town Council Easter Bash
Easter Sunday flyer, mark your calendars. EASTER BASH - April 21st. Pin it on your diary. More details will be available as the date approaches.

Corozal District Reef Week Poster Competition!

Charge D' Affaires Of The Embassy Of Qatar Visits NICH President Sapna Budhrani
At 9:00 AM an exploratory meeting was held between Mr. Tariq Al-Othman, Charge de Affaires of the Embassy of Qatar in El Salvador and Sapna Budhrani, President of the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH). The purpose of the meeting was to initiate and discuss ways of developing a diplomatic relationship between both countries reinforced by culture. After the meeting, NICH provided a guided tour of the Museum of Belize and Ms. Budhrani presented Mr. Al-Othman with a small gift of appreciation for the visit.

Channel 7

PUP File Action to Block ICJ Referendum
The PUP has filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court trying to stop ICJ Referendum from going ahead on April 10th. Their claim is based partially on the legal opinion from the attorneys: Anthony Sylvestre, Richard "Dickie" Bradley and Kareem Musa. They argue that the 2008 Special Agreement has not paved a clear path to the ICJ because the Government has made a major misstep. These attorneys say that if the ICJ rules that Guatemala should get some of Belize's territory, the ruling could not be brought into effect to re-define Belize's borders without a constitutional amendment.

GAF Trails Security Minister Up Sarstoon
And from that ICJ matter at the Supreme Court to ground zero for this territorial dispute which is the Sarstoon River - Belize's southern boundary. National Security Minister John Saldivar went up that river on Friday to tour BDF outposts along the river. It's a part of a routine national tour of all security facilities and outposts. But the Sarstoon is the only part of Belize's sovereign territory where Guatemalan armed forces shadows Belizean military as they go about their duties. So did they also follow Sadivar, who was in a fleet of Coast Guard and BDF vessels? That's what we asked him today when we met him at another event:

British Base For Belize?
And while Guatemalan encroachments unto Belize territory - both terrestrial and maritime - remain a security threat, there's an X factor, and that's the British. For many years before independence, they had a fixed security presence. And, according to the left leaning newspaper out of the UK, The Morning Star, the British are talking about setting up a military base in Belize. Late last year, British Defiance Secretary Gavin Williamson told the Sunday Telegraph that he and was looking for new opportunities to expand Britain's "presence" in the Caribbean. The discussions for a location centered on Guyana and Montserrat.

Frowns All Around on Football Fracas
We also asked Saldivar - to put on his hat as a sports team owner - about the ugly football fracas that happened at Isidoro Beaton Stadium two nights ago. That's the home field for his Belmopan Bandits and on Monday night the University of Belize and Galen University football teams were playing a match for the ATLIB tournament when a fight broke out. Off duty police officers pulled their weapons to and one of them fired warning shots to defuse the situation. One of the players happens to be on Saldivar's Bandits and he discussed it today as did the Police Commissioner:...

Hon. Saldivar: Cus's Gotta Go
< b>We also asked Saldivar to put on his hat as area representative for Belmopan. There's a tense situation that's been playing out in Maya Mopan with squatter Nicholasa Cus. RECONDEV says she squatting on their lands and has resisted all notices to move. But, she claims to have been there for 12 years and has invested so much in the land. She is being backed up by the Belmopan PUP committee. Today the UDP Rep Saldivar says he sympathizes, but she has to go:...

Cops Rewarded and Recognized
Lately, we've been hearing a lot about brave deeds done by police in the line of duty. Whether it was one cop chasing down a gunman and his accomplice in PG, or 10 cops pursuing those 6 border robbers who were using an assault rifle - the police have been doing outstanding work - even as lawlessness always seems to be on the rise. Today 15 of those cops were recognized and rewarded for their bravery and commitment. 7News was at the Queen Street station for the ceremony:..

Good Cops/Bad Cops
And so it is with the police department it seems that it's often one shot of bravery, and two shots of bribery, or some unscrupulous type of behaviour. That's what it was in Ladyville on Monday when it was discovered that 6 police officers had allegedly raided a bag of shirts - which had been taken off a bus. The 6 officers, 5 males and one female were held in the Ladyville detention cell for 24 hours and then released. Williams says some type of disciplinary action will be exacted:...

Inspector Assault Being Dealt With Internally
And while Williams is determined to charge those cops, he's not so eager to see charges brought against a police Inspector. That officer is accused of assaulting a constable. It allegedly happened in public when the constable allegedly failed to salute the senior officer and spoke to him disrespectfully. The case has been lingering for weeks - and while reports to us say that constable asked for court action, the COMPOL says otherwise:..

Police Association Takes COMPOL to Court
And while Compol Williams wants the police to resolve that one internally, he may have to resolve a dispute with the police association in open court. That body has filed for judicial review of. Statutory Instrument which Williams signed in January. It amends the police association rules by limiting any chairman to two terms only. That would put current chairman Eldon Arzu over the limit. The association doesn't like the SI and is seeking judicial review. Today, Compol Williams made it clear he was not happy with Chairman Arzu:.. Chester Williams- Police Commissioner: "In order to see how we can strike a balance, we'll serve as the present for two years and then you come back into core policing that you can continue to develop yourself. I see that being the reason for the instrument and I had no issue with it..."

Zebra Crossing For Crooked Tree
Viewers may remember the tragic story of 20 year-old Alma Flores, a resident of Crooked Tree Village. In August of 2017, she was killed in a traffic accident at the junction between the Phillip Goldson Highway and the Crooked Tree Road, which is located at mile 31. The residents of the village don't want to see any more pedestrians get knocked down while crossing the highway. So, more than a year and a half later, they've finally convinced the Government to put a crosswalk to allow pedestrians to safely walk safely from one side of the road to the other. It's one of those zebra crossings. The villagers were hoping for a pedestrian ramp, but still, they're say they will be satisfied with that for now. Today, they invited us out to the crossing. The villagers told us that they're hoping that motorists will drive more carefully through the area:

Tanesia Cleared
On Monday's newscast, we told you about the very strange case of Tanesia Payne, the resident of Flamboyant Street who was charged with grievous harm and use of deadly means of harm. Her ex-common-law husband reported to police that she had him beaten up and then he was stabbed by 2 men. But it turns out, the elaborate tale was a false allegation. Her ex-common-law husband, Richard Ellis, reported to police on that on February 28th, he went to Payne's house, located at 2 B Flamboyant Street. He said that while he was there, he was beaten and stabbed multiple times by two persons who came out of a room.

No Manslaughter For Myers
An appeal 40 year-old Elario Elijio, who was acquitted of manslaughter, has been discontinued by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions. Eligio was charged with manslaughter for the death of 52 year-old John Myers, who is also known as "John Lamb". Myers died on February 27th, 2012, after a man punched him in the face, in front of a Chinese shop on Mahogany Street in Belize City. He fell and struck the back of his head on the ground; the blow killed him instantly. Police investigated the case, and they eventually charged Elijio with manslaughter for Myers' death.

A Summit To Share Data
Today at the Radisson, it was all about networking on data use and data sharing. The Belize Association of Planners hosted a summit entitled Improving the Data Ecosystem for Governance Decision Making in Belize. SIB personnel, Urban developers and GIS consultants among other stakeholders presented at the event. Here is more about how impactful this collaboration will be for residents. Carolyn Trench-Sandiford, President, Belize Association of Planners: "I think one of the challenges we face is development takes place, it is dynamic, it takes place over time but it often takes place in sectors so different people are doing different things on their own and we are not collaborating..."

New Style of Police Booth
As policing strategies change, vehicle checkpoints are becoming an increasingly common presence across Belize City. It's bad news for police who often have to base their operations beneath ragged tents - with no restroom. There have been isolated efforts to upgrade with the sponsorship of small wooden huts - but the one we saw today on Central American Boulevard near Faber's Road, is the best yet. It was sponsored and donated to police by the Young family - who saw the police languishing in their area and sought to help by making a major difference:...

Rehabilitating "Pisshouse"�
And while private sponsors are helping police upgrade the VCP booths, the Ministry of National Security is the one paying for the major rehabilitation at the Queen Street police station. As we've reported, police corporal Darrell tutsi Usher blew the whistle on his own department when he was detained there pending a criminal investigation. The pictures he posted on Facebook showed detestable un-hygenic conditions. That seems to have lit the fire under the police top brass which shelled out big bucks for works which started a two weeks ago. Today, Compol Williams said that the work which is happening now had nothing to do with the Facebook post - he already had it planned:..

86 Year Old Accident Victim Dies
86 Year old Accident victim Gudelia Estevez died early this morning at her Ebony Street home. About 2 weeks ago, Estevez was taking her 8 year old grandson Nicolai Tun to his school St. Ignatius. As they were crossing the intersection of Amara Avenue and Dean Street, driver Martin Reyes knocked them down in his pickup truck. We spoke to Estevez's granddaughter about her sudden death.

Pook Brothers Cleared, Years Later
The brothers: 30 year-old Michael Pook, 29 year-old Ryan Pook, and 26 year-old Adrian Pook, all charged for murder, are free men tonight after their attorneys convinced Justice Colin Williams to grant a stay of proceedings against them. Up until last month, when they were granted bail, The Pook brothers had been on remand at the prison for 7 years and 9 months. They were charged with the May 2011 murder of the taxi driver, Errol "Lighter" Ferguson, which occurred near the complex building on Mahogany Street.

A City of Culture
Culture in the Park: it is a city council initiative where artists and musicians can express themselves and show off their talent to the public. It opened today at the Battlefield park and Mayor Bernard Wagner told us what's the bigger idea. It continues tomorrow at 8am and ends at 3:00.

Channel 5

P.U.P. Files Legal Challenge of 2008 Compromise
The People’s United Party filed two weighty claims this week. First, the Special Agreement. This morning papers were delivered at the Supreme Court in which the P.U.P. is seeking a [...]

Did the Senate Really Validate Special Agreement in 2016?
While some argue that the Special Agreement is legit because it went to the Senate, Bradley and the legal team are of the view that Foreign Minister Elrington did not [...]

‘Dickie’ Bradley Explains Injunction to Postpone I.C.J. Referendum
The claimants in this case are parliamentarians: Rodwell Ferguson, Mike Espat, Oscar Requeña, Julius Espat and Cordel Hyde, as well as Anthony Mahler. The filing of the claim and its [...]

P.U.P., PAC Chairman File Suit against Finance Minister Dean Barrow
In 2015, Prime Minister Dean Barrow was forced to pass the Petrocaribe Loans Act retroactively. This was after it was pointed out that the hundreds of millions of dollars that [...]

P.U.P. Seeks Permanent Injunction against Current and Future Minister of Finance
Espat explains says that the claim is seeking a permanent injunction restraining PM Barrow as Minister of Finance and second defendant Financial Secretary Joseph Waight from authorizing the allocation and [...]

Accident Victim Gudiela Estevez Succumbs 2 Weeks Later
Now to a traffic fatality…eighty-seven-year-old Gudiela Estevez passed away this morning, exactly two weeks after she and her grandson, eight-year-old Nikolai Tun, were knocked down at the corner of King [...]

Pook Brothers Are Released from Prison
After languishing behind bars awaiting a verdict for more than three years, a trio of siblings got their freedom today. The Pook brothers: Michael, Ryan and Adrian, walked out of [...]

Manuel Pacheco Committed to Stand Trial for Murder
Well-known businessman, Manuel Pacheco of Pacheco’s Jewelry, will have to stand trial at the April session of the Supreme Court for murder. That was the outcome of his Preliminary Inquiry [...]

Police Association President Vs Commissioner of Police
There are internal issues brewing at the Belize Police Department. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams is bucking heads with the President of the Police Association. This is because President, Corporal [...]

Police Association to Take ComPol to Court
But is there some hanky-panky going on with the dues collected by the police association? Police officers have reportedly been asking for accountability and that hasn’t been forthcoming. Today, Commissioner [...]

B.P.D. Working to Root Out Rogue Cops
Some two weeks ago, the top cops were singing the praises of officers who are going above and beyond the call of duty even when their lives are at risk. [...]

Ladyville Cops to Face Disciplinary Charges over Stolen T-Shirts
Police officers attached to the Ladyville formation are being accused of stealing t-shirts. Yes, you heard right—t-shirts. According to reports, cops seized a bag of t-shirts that was on a [...]

Belize City Council Accomplishments, 1 Year after Taking Office
This Friday will make the first anniversary since P.U.P. Mayor Bernard Wagner and his team took office at the Belize City Council. While the mayor has met many challenges, today, [...]

Mayor Wagner: More Infrastructure and Social Programmes to be Rolled Out
Going into its second year and with a budget reflecting his commitments, Mayor Wagner says that residents can expect more infrastructure works as well as social programmes being rolled out. [...]

Minister of National Security Visits Sarstoon; GAF Showed Up but Didn’t Create Any Trouble
Last week Minister of National Security John Saldivar went on a tour in the south to inspect security facilities. On Friday, the tour kicked off with a visit to Barranco [...]

New Police Booth on Boulevard
Today, the Belize Police Department inaugurated a new police booth on Central American Boulevard in Belize City. The booth was donated by the Young family of Way Printing Company. This [...]

Cops Recognized for Bravery in the Line of Duty
The Police Department took time today to honour a set of brave officers who risked their lives to get their jobs done. The officers were rewarded for their work in [...]

Minister John Saldivar Weighs In on Shooting at Football Match
On Monday night, a fight broke out at Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan. It happened during a football match between Galen University and the University of Belize. When the fight [...]

ComPol Says Firing Shots at Football Game was Regrettable – but Students are Responsible
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams also commented on the matter. He says that while it is regrettable that a firearm was used, he believes that the officers may have responded [...]

San Jose Succotz Residents Concerned over Extremely High Water Bills
Discrepancies in water bills have more than two dozen families in San Jose Succotz in Cayo irate. Residents say that their most recent bills from Belize Water Service are extremely [...]

Improving the Data Ecosystem for Governance Decision Making in Belize
A one-day summit dedicated to enhancing governance accountability was held today in Belize City. Stakeholders from the private and public sectors were engaged in discussions on the many aspects of [...]

The Reporter

Squatters & Supporters Rumble With Police In Belmopan
On Friday, tempers flared in Belmopan after Recondev sent heavy equipment to break down the home of a woman from Maya Mopan who was squatting illegally on a piece of land.

Min. Of National Security & Compol, Comment About Ballgame Firearm Incident
On Monday night students from Galen and the University of Belize who were playing football at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan engaged in an all-out brawl. That led to off duty Police Officers pulling weapons and one of them firing his weapon.

Police Dept. Improving Resources For In The Field Officers
Police this morning officially opened a brand new 14 X 12 Police Booth, equipped with bathroom facilities and cameras, on Central American Blvd.

Man Found Motionless In Front Of Pickwick – Near Casino’s
A man was found motionless on the sidewalk in front of the Pickwick compound on Newtown Barracks at 1:00am this morning March 6th. and according to reports, the man is Steven Calbert Murillo, 42, had gone to pick up his common-law-wife at a club nearby.

Breaking Belize News

School teacher awarded prestigious sports instructor scholarship
Career school teacher Wayne Casimiro, known for his outstanding contribution to physical education and sports in […]

Household Budget Survey wrapping up, says SIB
The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) is preparing to close the data collection section of the ongoing […]

Belize~ The Status Quo Elite, ICJ and bad mind
The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Breaking Belize News. This […]

Person cured of HIV, still no viable cure for mass production
The recent news that someone was cured of HIV in London, still does not mean that […]

Belize’s House of Senate Is Not Sovereign
The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Breaking Belize News. […]

U.S. Embassy’s Chargé d’Affaires visits Chiquibul
United States Embassy of Belize’s Chargé d’Affaires, Keith Gilges and Embassy representatives last week traveled to […]

Belizean and Guatemalan youths join hands in conservation
On March 3, members of Belize’s Friends for Conservation and Development Youth Environmental Group (FCD YEG) […]

Baptist Pre-School commemorates Culture Day 2019
Belize is a melting pot of cultures and every year, school children from pre, primary, secondary […]

PUP mounts challenge to Special Agreement in court
The People’s United Party (PUP) announced today that is has filed a legal challenge of the 2008 […]

Moody’s gives Belize B3 rating, says outlook stable
Moody’s Investor Services, in its latest report on Belize, affirmed a B3 rating, which according to […]

LOVE FM

Summit on “Improving the Data Ecosystem for Governance Decision Making in Belize”
The Belize Association of Planners, BAP, in collaboration with the Research Triangle International hosted a summit on “Improving the Data Ecosystem for Governance Decision Making in Belize”. Carolyn Trench-Sandiford, the President of Belize Association of Planners told the media that the project allows for an exchange of data and collaboration among key stakeholders to promote …

Police Association takes Commissioner of Police to court
The Police Association is taking the Commissioner of Police Chester Williams to court. Corporal Eldon Arzu, the president of the Police Association is seeking judicial review of the decision of made by the Commissioner to amend the Police Association rules. That change stipulates that quote, “no member of the police department shall serve as chairman …

Refurbishing of holding cells at the Queen Street Police Station almost complete
In late January, pictures of the unsanitary conditions of the holding cells at the Queen Street police station flooded social media. They were taken by Corporal Darrel Usher who was detained along with his brother and kept in the cell for some forty hours on accusations of assault. But somehow he kept his cellular phone …

86-year-old woman dies days after being hit by truck
86-year-old, Gudelia Estevez, passed away early this morning at her home in Belize City, twelve days after she was hit by a vehicle. The grandmother and her 8-year-old, grandson, Nikolai Tun, were knocked down as she was taking him to St. Ignatius Primary School just after eight o’clock on the morning of February 22. It …

Police top brass say officer commended for braking student brawl at football match
The Minister of National Security John Saldivar has confirmed that the man who pulled out a firearm and fired shots during a brawl at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan were off duty police officers. It happened on Monday night during a football match between students of Galen University and the University of Belize. A …

Mayor Bernard Wagner reflects on first year in office
It has been one year since the People’s United Party, PUP, garnered sufficient votes to unseat United Democratic Party, UDP, from City Hall, breaking the UDP’s winning streak. Mayor Bernard Wagner told Love News that one of their major accomplishments in their first year is the repairing of streets. Bernard Wagner Mayor of Belize: “Stand …

15 police officers awarded for bravery in line of duty
It was all good and positive news from the police today as they inaugurated a much needed police booth in the Port Loyola Area in Belize City and, in a separate event, the high command recognized the outstanding work of police officers. The police booth, located along Central American Boulevard is a twelve by fourteen …

Blogs

Carnaval in San Pedro and Court in Belize City
Oy yesterday was a long, long long long day. An early morning golf cart ride to town, 1.5 hour water taxi to Belize City for a 10:30am court date. It is the very first stage in the Cayo Rosario matter. And I’ll leave it at that. But please note – if you ever go to court in Belize City, you will not be allowed in the court room without covered shoulders. I had to run across the street to buy a sweater. Here are all my pictures from yesterday. Starting with Carnaval in San Pedro, the remains of Day 2…

My Eight Craziest Adventure Tours In Belize
Belize is full of adventure. Such a small country but you can be at the Second Largest Reef in the world on one day and then spelunking deep within a limestone cave the next. There are so many different tours and trips that you can take on your trip to Belize – some more popular and some very customized and personal. Here is a list of some of the craziest adventure tours I’ve been on. For such a chicken, I’m getting better and better at this stuff! 1. Rappelling The “Black Hole” Drop 2. Night Snorkeling 3. Natural Waterslide At Cockscomb Jaguar Preserve 4. Ziplining Belize’s Longest Zip Line and Waterfall Rappelling at Bocawina Park 5. Climbing to The Top of The Tallest Building at Lamanai and then Coming Down 6. The Belize Zoo 7. Diving or Snorkeling the Great Blue Hole 8. THE ATM CAVE

International Sources

Besotted with Belize: Top reasons to visit the Central American gem
Despite its impressive Mayan ruins and inviting climate, bite-sized Belize has long been overshadowed by Mexico and Costa Rica for sun seekers looking for an affordable winter escape. Recently, however, an influx of new hotels and airlines adding non-stop flights to Belize seem to be a clear signal that the country's status as an under-the-radar retreat won't last much longer. Now's the time to check out what this tropical haven has to offer before the buzz on Belize gets even bigger. Whether you're an amateur archaeologist, an animal lover, an adrenaline junkie or a sand-and-surf devotee, here are some of the top things to do in Belize.

Archaeologists Discover "Elixir Of Immortality" In Ancient Chinese Tomb
Bottoms up! Archaeologists in China have discovered a 2,000-year-old bronze pot that contains a yellow liquid once believed to be an “elixir of immortality.” Although, as the concoction was discovered in the tomb of a dead person, it’s presumably not very effective. When the vessel was first unearthed back in October 2018, researchers assumed the yellowish liquid was an alcoholic drink as it had an "aroma of wine." However, further research showed that the 3.5 liters of liquid is actually made of potassium nitrate and alunite, just like the ancient recipes for the “immortality elixir” written about in an ancient Taoist text. "It is the first time that mythical 'immortality medicines' have been found in China," Shi Jiazhen, head of the Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology in Luoyang, told Xinhua.

The 5 Best Beaches Of The World
Who doesn’t want a break from the mundane life and just vanish to a stunning and peaceful place amidst water, tiny and pretty marine animals? There is so much to explore in this ‘small’ world. Nature presents us ‘n’ number of beaches with azure water which are undoubtedly romantic as well as adventurous getaways. Here we present before you a list of 5 top recommended beaches for marine lovers:- Ambergris Caye, Belize: Belize’s largest island, Ambergris Caye ranks pretty high when one thinks of luxurious beaches on Earth. You can witness blue aqua water till the horizon and tons of beautiful white sand spread over miles.

Cuello Mayan Ruins
Excavated by archaeologist Norman Hammond and his team from 1975 to the late 1980s, Cuello has become a conundrum for the scholastic community. When Hammond first published radiocarbon dates for the Cuello site, the discovery mired the fields of Mesoamerican Archaeology and Mayan Studies in a deep controversy: it was, according to the data, the oldest Mayan site excavated to date. Many scholars were quick to dismiss the report as inaccurate, and several more were, at the very least, hesitant to accept the findings as valid. An alternative method of dating the site was also employed, which involved analyzing the ceramics found and placing the site within a distinct technological “phase” based on similar pottery found at other sites. This, however, only deepened the mystery of Cuello’s age, as the results from the relative dating of the ceramics were mixed. Debate over the approximate age of Cuello still persists, with estimates ranging from 2600 BC to 1200 BC.

Neither Monsters, Nor Extraterrestrials: What They Found at the Bottom of the Great Blue Hole of Belize
The researchers observed that the hole is divided into three “layers”, each with different characteristics. The most superficial looks like the typical Caribbean waters, but then as the depth increases, the water stops being crystal clear. “It’s like going through clouds or smoke,” said Price. In the deepest layer there is no light or oxygen, so they could observe species that had fallen there and had been preserved , in addition to the mysterious traces “In the hole itself there is not much life, because there is not much exchange of water, “Price said. However, they were able to observe some sharks . The mission also served to create a 3D map of the hole.

BPM calls on prime minister to back off from judiciary
In a recent statement to the media, the prime minister of Belize the Honorable Dean Oliver Barrow, called out and publicly excoriated Senior Justice Courtenay Abel for what he described as “ruling against the Government of Belize over and over and over again.” The prime minister went on to state that the Senior Justice had on more than one occasion humiliated legal officers representing the government to the extent that those officers feel intimidated by him. According to the prime minister he has lodged a complaint with the chief justice against the senior justice Abel.

Videos

March 6, 2019

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Carnaval 2019
"Mejorando la Tradicion" - San Pedro's 4-day Carnaval celebration is underway!

Child Stimulation Month begins in San Pedro!
As is customary, Child Stimulation Month opened with a festive parade through the main streets of San Pedro Town on Friday, March 1st. Under the theme: “Hug me, Listen to me, Read with me, Help me Grow!” the island’s preschoolers, along with their teachers and parent(s)/guardian(s), commemorated the significance of early childhood education. Participating Preschools included: San Pedro Preschool, ABC Preschool, Isla Bonita Preschool, San Pedro Shining Stars Preschool, Brighter Tomorrow Preschool, Holy Cross Preschool and Little Angel’s Preschool.

Ambergris Today

San Pedro Carnaval 2019
The painting, the dancing, the fun of it all. San Pedro's Most Unique Cultural Festival

Rhea Gomez Celebrates Quinceaños
Sergio and Zennia Gomez formally presented 15-year-old Rhea Gomez to society as a young lady in the community at her Quinceañera birthday party that was celebrated on Saturday, March 2, 2019. After her special mass at the San Pedro Roman Catholic Church, family and friends celebrated at a reception held at El Patio Restaurant. It was a magical evening under a musical theme as per Rhea's love of music. Happy Birthday Rhea Gomez.

The Barbies Make It To Carnaval Day Two!
Carnaval Day Two saw two comparsas the ever popular Barbies (Men's Group) and Dona Floras Group. Dona Flora's Group took us back in time as they danced as Flinstones. Great music and much fun was provided by these dancing ladies. The Barbie's (Mens Group) entertained in their dresses and colorful wigs and danced along the tune of "Baby Shark". These two comparsa groups danced through the main streets of San Pedro and are getting ready to put up their last show this evening. If you have missed out on the fun be sure to catch it tonight as it is the last day of Carnaval. Here are a few pics and videos of Carnaval 2019 Day Two!

ACES To Host “A Taste Of Belize” Charity Gala & Auction
Ambergris Caye Elementary School proudly presents their “A Taste of Belize” Charity Gala & Auction! - At this, our fourth Charity Gala & Auction, we hope to raise both awareness and much-needed operating and scholarship funds for ACES. Because it is a nonprofit organization, all donations to the school are tax deductible, and all proceeds will directly benefit ACES and its students. Ambergris Caye Elementary School (ACES) is a non-denominational community-based private school on Ambergris Caye. Since its establishment in 2009, ACES has enthusiastically embraced the amazing cultural and ethnic diversity that makes up our wonderful island and promotes awareness and respect among our students.

Cherish And Protect The Land We Call Home
Everything in this world we use comes from the ocean in some way. The air we breathe, the water we drink, the food we eat like those delicious fish fillets, lobster, conch, and shrimp dishes. Even the products we use day to day would not be possible without the ocean. That's why the issue of ocean pollution is so important and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. We depend on the ocean for so much in our lives, without it we would surely become extinct. People seem to think that since the ocean is so large and vast, we can dump as much waste as we would like into it, and it will never have an effect on us. However, since we have been polluting the ocean as far back as Roman times, the evidence of ocean pollution becoming a major problem is all too clear.

Canine Distemper Is A Threat To Your Puppy And Dog
The Veterinary Association of Belize advises the general public that veterinary clinics in Belize, particularly in Belize City, are reporting an increase in outbreaks of Canine Distemper. This disease of puppies and dogs is often fatal and those that survive have permanent, irreparable nervous system damage. All dogs are at risk but puppies younger than four months old and dogs that have not been vaccinated against the disease are at increased risk of acquiring the disease. Puppies and dogs often become infected through airborne exposure.

Misc Belizean Sources

RUN FOR A CAUSE! Half Marathon/10K Run
Organizers of the 1st ever Ambergris Caye Half Marathon & 10K Fun Run/Walk scheduled for April 6th, 2019 are now accepting runner registrations. This sporting event seeks to garner support from international and local runners, in an effort to raise money for educational scholarship opportunities for the islands’ underprivileged youths and to provide medical and emergency relief to needy families. The Half Marathon will kick off at 5:15am followed by the 10k walk/run at 6am from the entrance of Banyan Bay Suites on Seagrape Drive, on the abovementioned date.

Corozal Cleaup last weekend
The newly formed Hall's Lay Out Neighborhood Watch Committee came out in full force this weekend on a site evaluation and clean up campaign in the Hall's Lay Out area. The group consisted of members of the Police Department, CCC & UB students, Youth Cadet Corp, Teachers residents of the Hall's Lay Out area and members of the Corozal Town Council. We pledge to continue working and supporting these initiatives for the benefit and safety of our people.

Cayo Live Well Festival!
Secure your booth spaces and be part of the Cayo Live Well Festival! Contact the BTIA Chapter at cayo@btia.org!

Crocodile Research Coalition visits San Jose Succotz and Benque Viejo
The CRC has amazing day with preschools in San Jose Succotz and Benque Viejo villages. The preschoolers learned about crocodiles and what they can do to protect and conserve them. A super fun way to kick off the week.

Kurt Burgess reaches 1000 Career Rebounds
Congrats to San Pedro Tiger Sharks player Kurt Burgess on this milestone in the most Elite Basketball league in this country.

Reading: Popol Vuh
Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 6 PM – 9 PM, Wildfire Artzmosphere 1 Waight St. Embarcadero Plaza, San Ignacio San Ignacio. Hosted by Wildfire Artzmosphere. Want to know more? Join our Community Reading of this ancient, wondrous, cosmology of all things Maya. If you are interested in actually reading a section, please message us.

Reef Week Fair 2019
It's that time of year again! Our Reef Fair is happening on Friday, March 15th at the Central Park in Orange Walk Town from 9AM-3PM. Come out for a day filled with games, food, art, music, and reef-minded educational booths! See you there!

Ya’axché hiring Communications Consultant
We are securing the services of a Belizean Communications Consultant to implement Ya’axché’s EU/ICCO Forest Governance Communications and Visibility Plan. The consultancy is for a period of 46 working days over a period of 20 months for the project “Nuestra Tierra-Nuestros Bosques: Gobernanza Forestal de Pueblos Indígenas y Comunidades Forestales en REDD+ y FLEGT.” Deadline to submit application is Friday, 15th of March 2019. Kindly follow the link below for more details on this consultancy.

Child Stimulation Month
Playing and communicating with your child is important from birth; contributing to their optimal survival, healthy growth and development! In commemoration of Child Stimulation Month, we will be highlighting recommended activities for all ages of children.

Best Carnaval Inspired Booth
Congratulations to Nayobie's Hope For Children Project on winning the Best Carnaval Inspired Booth at the Carnaval Fiesta!

CARNAVAL PARADE 2019
The first ever Carnaval Parade was a great success, even though we had little participation. Leading the parade was Mr. Panny Arceo with El Torito followed by the vibrant Titans Mas Band. The parade also consisted of former Miss San Pedro titleholders, as well as former Reina del Carnaval titleholders along with Mrs. Flora's group. The cartoon mascots was the crowd's favorite as they danced with the people on the sides. And ending the parade was, Nayobie's Hope for Children who were full of energy. Thank you all for participating and we hope next year we can have more participants to make it a more bigger and more exciting parade!

BELTRAIDE meets with representatives from The State of Qatar to discuss new avenues for investment in Belize
Belize Trade and Investment Development Service (BELTRAIDE), represented by our Executive Director, Dr. Leroy Almendarez, met with Ms. Margaret Juan, Chargé d’affaires at the Embassy of Belize in El Salvador, Ms. Jenny G Iglesias Zablah and Sr. Tariq Othman Fakhroo, officials from The State of Qatar today to discuss the exploration of new investment avenues in Belize. This meeting sought to identify key areas of business interest in Belize that would generate the most investment and also discussed the plan to have two investment missions between Belize and Qatar to propel this initiative.

New palapa's are being built at Rainbow Beach in Corozal

Corozal Municipal Spring Bazaar
A new and fresh initiative to promote and support our local artisans, local vendors and our business community at large. This event will take place at the Corozal Central Park, join us and support our business community.

Validation Workshop of the Draft Economic Development Plan for Corozal
Important Notice: Stakeholders are invited to attend a Validation Workshop of the Draft Economic Development Plan for Corozal to be held on Friday, March 8th at the ITVET Conference Room, Santa Rita Heights from 1:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Please confirm your attendance with Carmen Sosa at policy.officer@itc.gov.bz

Kumbh Mela 2019
Thanks Government of India for inviting Belize to the Kumbh Mela 2019 Thanks so much for granting me the opportunity to represent Belize at the Kumbh Mela in New Delhi, India. The experience I gained is filled with priceless memories which have inspired me to appreciate the great cultural heritage of faith and spirituality displayed wholeheartedly by devotees of different countries and people of different ethnic backgrounds at the Kumbh Mela. Congrats to our Corozal delegation. You have made us proud.

Vegetable Grafting workshops
Our Fulbright Scholar Bruce Hicks held the first ever Vegetable Grafting workshops at the University of Belize, Central Farm #UBCF Campus. Vegetable grafting creates stronger crops that in return reduces pesticide use, increase yields, extends the crop season and ultimately increases farmer profits. The two workshops saw the participation of farmers, educators, staff from the Ministry of Agriculture, Land and Fisheries and students from the University of Belize. The Fulbright Program

“Honduras Chronology”
If you have the time or willpower to read the 1829 Almanac of British Honduras from cover to cover you will find a section called “Honduras Chronology”. It is basically a section that gives a chronological list of historical events that happen in or were connected to British Honduras; however, many of the statements lack enough details for the reader to develop the real story associated from what was stated. The author may have assumed that the reader would have known what he was writing about and did not realize someone would be reading his book 160 years later. Case in point, a historical event which happened on March 24th, 1824, the Almanac stated: “The notorious Colonel Low, one of the equally notorious Sir Gregor Mcgregor’s Marquis’s arrives in Belize”. This short statement does not give the reader any idea of the magnitude and suffering that was associated with the name Gregor Mcgregor and what was his connection to British Honduras.

Channel 7

Belmopan Murder Attempt, But Why?
A 56 year old tour guide was shot last night in the Maya Mopan area of Belmopan -. Courtney Weatherburne spoke to him and area residents to find out what might have been behind the attempt on the life of Clement Mangar Senior:.. Clement Mangar's friends are perplexed as to why he was shot last night. Voice of: Friend: "I don't know if he has enemies but he is a nice person to us neighbors because he always like hang out with us, anything he has he shares with us so I don't know why really they wanted to do this to him."

Man Shot In Home Invasion
Tonight, a family from Ladyville is trying to recover from a frightening home invasion. 2 masked gunmen barged into the place where they should have been safest, and shot the man of the house in the stomach. Around 10:00 pm, 35 year-old Jeffrey Eligio, his common-wife and 3 of their 4 children were at their home in the La Milpa Area of Ladyville when someone started knocking persistently on their door. Eligio went to the door with a knife in hand, but opened it to a man with a gun who shot him in the stomach. Our news team went to Ladyville, and we spoke with his common-law wife about the terrifying experience. Daniel Ortiz reports:

Two Charged For Prostituting/Trafficking A Child
The US State Department Belize currently lists Belize as a "tier 3" country for human trafficking. It's the lowest ranking and fewer than 5 countries in the hemisphere are ranked so low. Last year's report says that Belize as a country "does not fully meet the Trafficking Victims Protection Act's minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so." Well, the police department is reporting tonight that they've made a major arrest for a human trafficking case, which they say involved child sexual exploitation.

No Charges Yet For Teenager's Murder
Police have made no arrests for the murder of 18 year old Joan Gabourel. As we told you, the pregnant teenager was hacked to death and found on Saturday night. Investigators are looking at various angles, including the possibility that it may have been motivated by a family dispute over land. But, while persons were detained, they have been released. And, in Corozal, no additional charges have been brought against the alleged border robbers. Yesterday four men were arraigned on dozens of charges - but two more who were arrested have not been arraigned. As we understand it, one of them is in the hospital in a very serious condition.

Esquivel Says Yes To ICJ
Belize has had four Prime Ministers in its history - and now, all three who are still living have come out saying they will vote yes to the ICJ. Right Honourable's Said Musa and Dean Barrow have made their positions well known - and, now, Right Honourable Sir Manuel Esquivel has done the same. Today at his home, the 78 year old Esquivel told Jules Vasquez why his long history with the Guatemalan claim tells him this is the best and simplest opportunity Belize will have to end the dispute: Sir Manuel Esquivel (Rt. Hon) - Two Term Prime Minister: "A yes without any hesitation." Jules Vasquez, reporter: "Explained to me why you have arrived at such a hard and fast position?"

G. Price Billboards Going, Going...
So, now that we know what Sir Manuel, Said Musa and Dean Barrow will vote on the ICJ, what would George Price say? Well, there is no known quotation from Price on this issue, but the Government's referendum unit has used his image and words to suggest that he would support putting country before party. They've put up a billboard in English and Spanish using a quote from Price; it says, "National Interest must override party politics." Seems generic enough to not offend anyone, but - according to a report - the Usher family has asked that Price's image and likeness not be used in the campaign. And, mysteriously, one of the billboards near Ranchito village has disappeared.

What Do Guatemalans Expect Out Of ICJ?
And, keeping it on the ICJ, last night we showed you our interview with Belize's Ambassador to Guatemala Alexis Rosado. He's heading the national education campaign on the ICJ issue - and he's embraced the expert opinion on the Belize - Guatemala dispute commissioned by the Bar Association. They retained one of the the region's authorities on international law, Professor Stephen Vascianne, And while the 42 page Vascianne report validates Belize's official position - what about Guatemala? All the opinions we have seen rubbish their case. So, do they know something we don't, or are they simply using the ICJ as the easiest way out of a thorny domestic situation? As Belize's man in Guatemala, we asked Ambassador Rosado:

A Firearm Fracas At Football Game
Football fans from Belmopan witnessed a dangerous brawl last night at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium where University footballers got into a fist fight on the football pitch. Things escalated when 1 person pulled out a firearm to break up the fight, and started discharging the weapon in public. Cell phone footage captured of the incident shows players from Galen and the University of Belize on the field, about to face off due to some sort of disagreement. And at the height of the confrontation, persons from both sides started throwing punches, until 1 person on the field pulled out a gun and fired 2 gunshots into the air.

The Cus Land Controversy
Earlier in the news we told you about Clement Mangar's shooting and how it may be related to an evolving land issue in Maya Mopan. Well, it is a story we hear about all too often, it's the tale of a squatter fighting to stay on parcel of land that's not legally hers, but she's invested so much in it already that she can't let go Courtney Weatherburne spoke to Nicolasa Cus about this messy land dispute. Today, the planks that once formed the walls of Nicolasa Cus' home are now just a pile of worn wood. And work on the cement structure concerned residents erected in its place has ceased. Cus squatted on and developed this piece of land and has been living here for 12 years. But the peace she and her two daughters once enjoyed was shattered early Thursday morning when RECONDEV workers came to demolish her house.

The Hope For Hopkins
If you're a frequent traveller to Hopkins, you'll know all about the state of disrepair that main street was in. As we told you last night, after months of work by the construction firm, Teichroeb & Sons Ltd, just over 1.8 miles of road has been paved. The completion of the project was celebrated yesterday with an inauguration ceremony. Here's what the head of European Union's Delegation to Belize had to say:

Remembering Aikman's energy
Derek Aikman's funeral will be held on Thursday at 1:00 at St. John's Cathedral. Aikman's place in history cannot be argued. After all, he beat sitting Prime Minister George Price in 1984 - handing the political giant his only defeat ever in a General Election. Today, Aikman's party leader at the time, Manuel Esquivel said that it was Aikman's matchless energy which put him ahead of the political legend:

Silva Slips Charges
A 22 year old accused of having sex with a 15 year old girl from the children's home is free of charges. Guillermo Silva was facing 2 counts of unlawful sexual intercourse, but he was freed of the charges yesterday when a "nolle pros," indicating that the Crown does not wish to proceed to trial, was entered before Justice Colin Williams. The office of the Director of Public Prosecutions explained that the complainant indicated that she will not testify.

Channel 5

Football Brawl Prompts Off-Duty Cop to Fire Shots
Things got chaotic on Monday night at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan. A football match was underway between Galen University and the University of Belize when a fight broke [...]

Maya Mopan Man Shot; He Believes He is Being Targeted
But there is another incident in Belmopan that landed a resident in the hospital. Clement Mangar of Maya Mopan in Belmopan is lucky to be alive tonight. The fifty-five-year-old man [...]

Home Invasion in Ladyville
A home invasion almost turned deadly on Monday night in Ladyville Village. A family of five was about to retire for the night when a gunman attacked them inside their [...]

Opposition Leader on Legal Opinions
There are two recent legal opinions relating to the Guatemalan territorial dispute; one by international expert Stephen Vascannie, which has just been made public and the other is by attorneys [...]

A Closer Look at Professor Vasciannie’s Legal Opinion
Turning to the legal opinion provided by Professor Stephen Vasciannie, as commissioned by the Bar Association. The international law professor at the University of the West Indies has put forward [...]

Exploring the Weakness of Belize’s Argument in Territorial Dispute
Professor Vasciannie’s opinion also focuses on recent developments pertaining to the Sarstoon River and Sarstoon Island, arising from activities of the Guatemalan Armed Forces.  While he says that the GAF [...]

Dispute over George Price’s Likeness and the I.C.J. Referendum Campaign
Billboards of well-known Belizeans, including national heroes Phillip Goldson and most recently George Price, have sprung up across the country as the I.C.J. awareness campaign continues to be rolled out [...]

Who is Funding CDS?
Citizens for the Defense of Sovereignty is a newly formed organization headed by Ambassador Assad Shoman.  The N.G.O. works closely with government in the referendum campaign and supports a YES [...]

The Plight of a Mother and a Son Who Live Homeless in a Park
The plight of homeless persons is a big social issue; today, we found a mother, her son and dogs living in a park in an affluent part of the city. [...]

Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in the West
Belize is known as a transit point for the trafficking of men, women, and children for commercial sexual exploitation and forced labour, especially of minors. Arrests and convictions have been [...]

Why Were Ledgers with Voters’ Information on Ground in Front of Vital Stats?
Photographs were made available to News Five today showing six ledgers strewn on the ground in front of the office of Vital Statistics in Belize City. The ledgers contain information of [...]

Man Charged for Allegedly Attacking His Sister with Knife
George Matthews, who has had troubles with the law, was back in court today on a charge of aggravated assault with a knife upon his sister, Michelle Matthew. The George [...]

U.S. Embassy Separates Fact from Fiction on Venezuela
Today, the U.S. Embassy in Belize released a four-minute video message called “The Truth about Venezuela.”  Chargé d’Affaires Keith Gilges talks about what the U.S. sees as facts and fiction [...]

Referendum Survey Coincides with Public Awareness Campaign
A survey is being conducted simultaneously by the Referendum Unit, running parallel to the public awareness campaign.  According to Ambassador Alexis Rosado, the poll serves to ensure the satisfaction of [...]

Security Forces Train in Children’s Rights and Laws
UNICEF is hosting a one week train the trainers for security forces. The weeklong sessions are being used to share techniques and knowledge on children’s rights with police officers and [...]

Knowing Children’s Right and Laws Can Help with Cases
Consultant Joshua Dankoff says the training in children’s rights and the law is important for security forces. He says that there are many instances where the training can prove to [...]

B.N.T.U. to Host I.C.J. Forum
The Belize National Teachers’ Union is holding an I.C.J. forum on Friday. The forum will take place at the auditorium of the University of Belize. According to National President, Senator [...]

Pen Pals from Belize and Ontario Meet for First Time at Canadian University
And tonight to end the news, a heart-warming story of a Belize City resident studying at Grenfell Campus, Memorial University of Newfoundland in Canada.  Melissa Hamilton met her pen friend [...]

LOVE FM

Husband and father shot during Ladyville Home Invasion
A family of five thought they were about to sleep during another peaceful night amongst family. They lived in the last house in a family compound bordered by an alley connected to Marage Road in Ladyville Village in front of them and behind their home, there was overgrown bush. But at minutes to ten on …

Referendum campaign reaches all corners of Belize
With several months invested in the ICJ Referendum campaign, the Referendum office has taken the education sessions to pretty much every corner of the country. The office begun last year with a lecture series in all municipalities and proceeded to increase its outreach since January. Director of the Referendum Office, Ardelle Sabido says that the …

Shooting victim claims he was targeted for helping in protest to save woman’s house
56-year-old, Clement Nevin Mangar was shot on Monday night to the chest and abdomen in Belmopan. Love News received information indicating that Mangar was heading home at around nine o’clock last night after visiting her daughter when the incident occurred. Cayo Correspondent, Fem Cruz spoke with Mangar who says he believes the recent situation involving …

The ICJ Legal Opinion on Sarstoon Island and Sarstoon River
Tonight we continue with our series on the recent legal opinion commissioned by the Bar Association of Belize. Former University of West Indies Law Professor and diplomat, Steven Vasciannie delivered his finding to the Bar last week. One of the last and salient tasks conferred to him was to consider the Sarstoon River and Sarstoon …

Brawl at football match between university students ends with shots fired
There is a 37-second video circulating on social media that documents a fight that took place between students of Galen University and the University of Belize. The incident happened on the field of the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan Monday night and saw the firing of a gun during the fight, used as a warning …

March is Child Stimulation Month
Last Friday, the month of March kicked off with a children’s rally in celebration of child stimulation month, celebrated under the theme, “Hug me, listen to me, read with me, help me grow”. Love News spoke with Nadera Ross, Early Childhood Education Officer, at Quality Assurance and Development Services, QADS, who said that during the …

CWU and SSB commence talks
The executive of the Christian Workers Union, the Labour Commissioner, Anne Marie Thompson, and senior staff of the Social Security Board, SSB, met this afternoon at the Labour Office in Belize City. There was no song of unity sang following the meeting but it was the start of a dialogue to settle differences and they …

Security Forces learn best practices to use with children
In January, there was a training held for court personnel sensitizing them on how to treat children who may come in contact with the law either directly as a victim or indirectly as a suspect. This week there is a similar training being held for law enforcement officers. Love News spoke with Joshua Dankoff, Consultant, …

Nolle Prosequi for alleged rapist and a Shooter
A woman who allegedly had sex with an adult when she was a minor failed to turn up in court today and the accused man was freed. The complainant was 15 years old at the time and she resided at Dorothy Menzies Child Care Center. At the time, she went with a social worker to …

Ambassador says it’s ok to use George Price in ICJ Campaign
The ICJ Campaign relied on familiar faces that we see on the TV and ear on the radio. The visages of these local celebrities are accompanied with bold text messages that encourage people to vote on April 10. There are two posthumous billboards that have attracted negative as well as positive responses from the public. …

NICH signs MOU with the Embassy of Panama
Today, the National Institute of Culture and History, NICH, and the Embassy of Panama signed a Memorandum of Understanding for training in the areas of drama theatre and handicraft. Sapna Budhrani, the President of NICH, said that NICH is dedicated to developing and safeguarding the culture. Sapna Budhrani President of NICH: “Between mid March and …

The response from both sides of Professor Vasciannie’s Legal Opinion on ICJ
Late last week Professor Stephen Vasciannie, a former University of West Indies Law Professor handed the Bar Association of Belize his legal opinion on the Belize case which the Government intends to forward to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Though the Bar had published the document online, the leaders are still preparing their statements …

Amandala

Britain planning to play bigger role in Belize?
Amandala is in possession of documents that suggest that the British government may have plans to “develop their footprint in Belize.” The information surfaced in the context of British plans to “help meet their obligations in the Caribbean,” because Britain will leave the European Union “within the next 90 days”, and because, according to the documents, Britain “needs to stand tall on the world stage.” Belize is the most probable Caribbean country in which such an exercise to expand British involvement would take place (there were reports of the Caribbean’s Guyana and Montserrat being considered), because in the documents it is stated that “MinAF (Minister of State for the Armed Forces) has always been pretty clear we should develop the Belize option – as far as I’m aware, we don’t have any access options in either Guyana or Montserrat to build on like we do in Belize.”

“Mi D” dead at 59
A massive outpouring of sympathy to his family blanketed social media yesterday after Belizeans at home and in the diaspora learned that the Reverend Derek Aikman, a former United Democratic Party (UDP) Cabinet minister, had passed away on Saturday, March 2, while undergoing treatment at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Aikman was 59. Information to us is that Aikman died of a heart attack, but this could not be confirmed from family members. Derek “Mi D”Aikman is best remembered for his fiery oratory skills on the political rostrum when he first entered the political arena as a very young man.

Walter Beaton, 48, taximan, executed in front of his house
Walter Beaton, 48, a cab driver of Reggae Street who was a father of 8 children, was ambushed and shot to death at about 12:30 this morning in his yard. His killer lay-waited him in his yard, and as Beaton drove up and got out of the cab to open his gate, the assassin ambushed Beaton and shot him multiple times. Beaton apparently died almost immediately in front of his house. A neighbor of Beaton told us that he and his girlfriend were on their verandah when they heard gunshots, and saw gun flashes, and they quickly took cover in their house.

Joan Sharen Gabourel, 18, missing, found dead in cane field
The search for Joan Sharen Gabourel, 18, a domestic of Valley of Peace, came to a sad conclusion at about 1:30 yesterday afternoon in her home village. Her decomposing body was found in a cane field north of the village by a search party after she was reported missing on Thursday. Police said that about 8:00 Tuesday night, Gabourel left home to go a friend’s house, and subsequently disappeared.

SSB workers stage union protest
This morning, a video of an organized union protest at the Social Security Board (SSB) was circulating on social media. It showed many of the staff members standing and banging on the desks and counters in the SSB’s offices with their hands. Shortly after the video surfaced, the Christian Workers Union (CWU) issued a press release to discuss “the state of unease and uncertainty that now permeates the Staff of the Belize’s Social Security Board.” On behalf of the SSB workers, the CWU began its release by “expressing dissatisfaction” concerning the way SSB approached the proposed conversion of the staff’s pension scheme to a private company. The union says they are concerned about the quality of the consultation which should have preceded the initiative.

Family of National Hero George Price wants ICJ billboards removed
Currently, it seems that Belize has been split into two opposing camps: those who support taking the Guatemalan claim to Belize’s territory to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a final resolution in accordance with the protocols of the Special Agreement, signed between the Government of the Republic of Guatemala and the Government of Belize in December 2008 — and those who don’t. Belizean voters are scheduled to cast ballots in a referendum on the matter on April 10, and the government of Prime Minister Dean Barrow has mounted a “Yes campaign” as part of a so-called ICJ education campaign that has included a variety of ploys to persuade voters; even Amazon’s Alexia has been featured in the “Yes to the ICJ” campaign in the government’s advertisements.

City Boys Grassroots Football Tournament Week 2 results
Good day, Football Family! The 3rd Annual City Boys 10 & Under Grassroots Football Tournament 2019 continued over the weekend with Week 2 games at the Yabra Football Field. Below are the results from the 3 games played. In game 1, Reality Youths won, 2-1, over Poor & Famous. Dennis Nunez and Gilligion Nunez shook the net for Reality Youths, while Keon Gladden hit the target for Poor & Famous.

Belize National Female “A” Team wins friendly, 2-0, over Motlow Lady Bucks of the U.S.
In a friendly football match on Saturday night at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan, our Belize National Female “A” Team defeated the visiting Motlow Lady Bucks, 2-0, with a goal each from Katie Jones in the 29th minute and Anijay Quiroz in the 75th. The Motlow State College Team, which is reportedly leading their division in the state of Tennessee, U.S.A, is on a week-long visit to Belize, and will play another friendly against our Belize National U-17 Female Team at 7:30 p.m. on Friday night at the Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro.

Griga holds on to #1 seed, as NEBL teams try to remain in playoff contention
The National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) hosted three games over the past weekend, and teams are already viewing every game as a must-win game, given the level of competition among teams and the fact that only 4 playoff spots are available. Verdes claims another big road win at the Civic On Thursday night, Verdes completed their 2-game sweep of the 2 Belize City teams in the Civic Center, as they defeated Belize City Defenders, 76–71.

Parity at Week 8 of PLB Closing Season
At Week 8 of the Premier League of Belize (PLB) 2018-2019 Closing Season, all 8 teams are still in contention for the 4 playoff spots (See standings below.); and parity was never more evident than this past weekend, where former 7th place Wagiya Sporting Club clipped defending champion Bandits Sport, handing the Bandits their second straight defeat, after breezing through the first 6 weeks of competition without a loss; and cellar dwelling BDF FC held former 4th place Assassins Altitude FC to a 2-2 draw. “Any number can play,” indeed, in this PLB competition.

Editorial: For a little more freedom of speech
The Belize Times, in its headline story last week, declared that the Prime Minister was flirting with contempt when he made certain pronouncements about court-related matters at the Business Forum held at the Belize City Civic Center a couple weeks ago. The PUP has a battery of lawyers at their disposal, so they should know what they are talking about. The Belize Times headline story said: “The People’s United Party regards the Prime Minister’s assault on [a judge] as deliberately designed to interfere with cases actually before the Judge, to intimidate the wider Judiciary, to scandalize the court and ultimately undermine the rule of law.”

“Vital Statistics” still bogged down by the past
The truth is that the Vital Statistics Unit should have fixed their game a long time ago. We have to believe that the department made no effort to correct the disenfranchisement of Belizeans during the last exercise, back in the late 1990s. There were people who got disenchanted and just walked away without resolving the issues. A lot of these same issues we failed to address have come back to haunt us. Mr. Urban Reyes, the Chief Elections Officer during the last voter re-registration, in the 1990s, had much to say about the process in his paper, “VOTING for DEMOCRACY”. Mr. Reyes wrote in that paper:

Punta Gorda residents set pervert straight
Alberto Chiquin, 31, a farmer of Punta Gorda, was remanded until May 6 after being taken to the Punta Gorda Magistrate’s Court this morning on charges of sexual assault of a female minor and burglary. Police said that on Friday evening, Chiquin went into the home of a female minor and exposed his private parts to her. A neighbor of the minor’s family saw him enter the house and raised the alarm, and the girl’s mother came and confronted Chiquin, and after she had shouted curse words at him, her neighbors attacked him.

4 accused pesero robbers charged
Four of six men who were arrested for a brazen robbery that occurred at the Northern Border on Thursday morning, during which there a shootout between the police and the bandits, have been arrested and charged. The shootout occurred when police set chase after the robbers following the robbery. The two other robbers, who have not yet been charged, are still hospitalized with gunshot injuries they suffered during the shootout.

Domestic worker charged with stabbing ex-common-law husband
Tanesia Payne, 37, a domestic worker of 2 B Flamboyant Street who allegedly stabbed her ex-common-law husband, was charged with grievous harm and use of deadly means of harm when she appeared today before Magistrate Khadeem Palmer. No plea was taken from her because the offences are indictable. She was released on a bail of $5,000 and her case was adjourned until May 10. Richard Ellis, 52, Payne’s ex-common-law husband, reported to the police that at about 8:40 a.m. on February 28, he went to Payne’s house and was loosening his gas tank when he was attacked and beaten by two persons who came out of a room.

The Belize Council of Churches says “yes” to ICJ
here is usually more than one side to any story. In the matter of the Guatemalan claim to Belize, there is a lot of history to digest before one could truly appreciate the complexities of what is at stake in taking the claim to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for a final, binding solution under the terms of the Special Agreement. Last Tuesday, February 26, the Belize Council of Churches issued a press release in support of a yes vote in the April 10 ICJ referendum. The press release opens saying: “This statement is issued by the Belize Council of Churches in relation to the ongoing border dispute between Guatemala and Belize, and whether the matter should be submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for resolution.

The Reporter

THE REPORTER- Interviews Belmopan Shooting Victim
The Reporter has managed to get a brief phone interview with Belmopan resident Clement Mangar, recovering at the Western Regional Hospital after he was shot in the chest and abdomen last night.

Child Exploitation In San Ignacio – Arrest Made
On Monday Police arrested and charged Petrona Inez Montejo, 49, for Procuring a Child for Sexual Exploitation, and Jeffery Perez, 23, for Child Prostitution.

Dangerous Gun-Play Shooting At Belmopan Ballgame
The Reporter has obtained this video footage of a fight at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan last night, allegedly between UB and Galen. What is shocking is that during the fight there are two men with firearms waving them around, and one actually fires multiple times.

Ladyville Home Invader Shoots Man In Stomach
A home invasion in Ladyville has left one man in critical condition after he was shot to the abdomen. At around 10:00pm Police were called to a home in Ladyville where they found Jeffrey Elijio, 35, with one gunshot wound to the upper stomach area.

Breaking Belize News

BAHA issues advisory on Swine fever
The swine industry is an important contributor to the Agricultural growth of Belize. Pork is a […]

Belmopan Bandits issue statement on university students brawl
Today, the management of the Belmopan Bandits Sports Club issued a statement indicating that it views […]

Social Security CEO says Christian Workers Union should have allowed them more time to respond to their concerns
Yesterday, the staff of the Social Security Board (SSB) Branches countrywide staged an in-office protest by banging […]

Family of George Price (GP) requests removal of ICJ billboards with photos of GP
With only 36 days to decision day 2019, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Referendum Unit has […]

2 charged in connection with child prostitution and sexual exploitation
A man and a woman from San Ignacio have been charged for procuring a child for […]

Guillermo Silva free of rape charges after accuser refuses to testify
Guillermo Silva, 23, was freed on Monday after the representative from the Director of Public Prosecutions’(DPP) […]

Ministry of Health bracing for Dengue outbreak
The Ministry of Health (MOH) says that it is aware of the advisory issued by […]

“Pete” Matthews charged with aggravated assault on sister
George “Pete” Matthews,37, is accused of pulling a knife on his sister during a domestic […]

Exes bitter dispute turns bitter and violent and ends up in court
Breaking up is always hard to do; but a Belize City man’s attempt to retrieve his […]

BNTU to host ICJ forum for educators
On Friday, March 9, educators from across Belize will gather at the University of Belize […]

Clement Mangar shot in Belmopan City
Authorities are investigating a shooting incident that occurred last night in Belmopan. Clement Mangar, 56, was […]

Funeral service announced for Derek Aikman
The funeral service for former government minister, Derek Edwin Leopold Aikman will be held at […]

Man, 35, injured during home invasion by masked men in Ladyville
The victim of a home invasion that happened last night in Ladyville, Belize is in […]

Fight breaks out and gunshots fired during football match between UB and Galen
What was suppose to be a night of sportsmanship between the top 2 educational institutions […]

Man shot in Belmopan
Breaking Belize News has confirmed that a man was shot in Belmopan last night. Details […]

Joan Gabourel,18, was 17 weeks pregnant when she was brutally killed
Eighteen-year-old Valley of Peace Resident Joan Gabourel, who was brutally murdered last week, was 17 […]

International Sources

Belize Automobile Market 2019 – Growth Opportunities, Trend and Future Outlook 2026
The Belize Automobile report provides a complete perspective on the trends shaping the Belize Automobile market. The Malta automotive market is slowly shifting towards a service oriented model with new players focusing extensively on customer experience and consumer data. Transitions in automotive markets are providing opportunities for some parts while other components face stiff decline over the forecasts. Companies across the value chain are forced to adapt to market changes to sustain revenue and profit. New Vehicles must be aligned with the current states of technology and consumer preferences.

Air Canada Is Having A Massive Worldwide Spring Seat Sale
If you've been feeling the winter blues or are just getting antsy with all this indoor time thanks to the nasty weather, Air Canada is here just in time to whisk you away! From now until March 7th, 2019 Air Canada is having a worldwide seat sale. One-way flights listed to "Sun Destinations" from Toronto include: Belize City, Belize - $254

Videos

March 5, 2019

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

San Pedro’s Carnaval has begun!
El Gran Carnaval de San Pedro is back, and for the next two days, the streets of downtown San Pedro will be filled with music, folklore and paint. This year’s festivities, which are held to usher in the 40-day Lenten Season, began on Saturday, March 2nd, with its first ever Canaval Parade followed by a block party at the Honourable Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex. So far the annual celebration has included one comparsas (dancing groups) presentation and a kids carnival foam party at the Central Park. Held under the theme ‘Mejorando la Tradicion,’ the event is organized by The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC).

Mr. Wayne Casimiro awarded full scholarship by the International Olympic Committee – Olympic Solidarity Funds
Congratulations are in order from the Football Federation of Belize to Mr. Wayne Casimiro for being the recipient of a four-month course in Budapest, Hungary. The full scholarship awarded to Mr. Casimiro is from the International Olympic Committee – Olympic Solidarity Funds which will entail the following: instruction, examinations, accommodation, meals, medical services and internal transportation while the Football Federation of Belize will cover transportation cost to and from Hungary. The objective of the course is to train and educate coaches from around the world while at the same time promoting and developing excellence in coaches.

Hon Edmond Castro receives equipment for NEMO from Mesoamerican Project
Minister of National Emergency Management, Hon Edmond Castro, has received on behalf of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) valuable equipment from the Mesoamerica Integration and Development Project, in line with the Mesoamerica Network for Integral Risk Management (RMGIR). The project handed over one (1)Hp ‘Pro-book’ laptop and one (1) Dell Optiplex desktop to the minister on February 28, 2019. The project, which will see the sharing of map layers from various Ministries of Government on one platform focusing on disaster risk management.

Ambergris Today

Is The Carnaval Comparsa Dying Out?
Only one comparsa (street dancing group) graced the streets of downtown San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize on the first day of the island's cultural celebration of Carnaval. Does this signal the start of a dying tradition? Many are afraid that it just might be, as the number of comparsas during the festivitiesl have dropped significantly throughout the years. Only a couple groups are holding on tight to the age-old tradition, not wanting to see it die out completely. The comparsas are a lot of fun, but they are a lot of work. The group members tire out from dancing up to 5 hours for three consecutive days.

San Pedro's Colorful Carnaval Parade
With much excitement island residents enjoyed a Carnaval Parade which was held on Saturday, March 2, 2019. The parade started off at the Bocal Del Area Park and headed down Laguna Drive heading its way to the town core. There was lots of music and merriment by both carinval dancers and spectators. Leading the parade was a golf cart with Don Juan Carnaval followed by fun cartoon characters, Titans Mas Band Carnival Group along with the ever popular Ernestine Carballo. Also joining the parade was the Miss San Pedro Float, Reinas del Carnaval and Nayobie's Hope for Children Group. It was a short parade but very lively and colorful. Here are some pics for your enjoyment.

Misc Belizean Sources

Cash Flow Management & Budgeting Workshop
Presented by: Mr. Jorge Gentle, Business Adviser, SBDCBelize, Beltraide. Location: BTEC Training Room, ITVET Compound, Freetown Rd, Belize City. Workshop Date: March 07th, 2019. Time: 9am to 12pm. Being responsible for the budget and cashflow means you're playing a vital role in your organization's future. Your budget and cash flow management enables you to pinpoint critical variables that impact profit so your company can successfully pursue its goals and continue to grow. Through this workshop participants will learn to create an accurate operating budget and learn cash flow management tools that will help their company achieve its goals.

Justice of the Peace (JP) Monthly Meeting
The Justice of the Peace (JP) Monthly Meeting will be next Wednesday, March 6th at 7:00 PM at San Pedro High School Room. 1G. Assistant Commander of the Coastal Executive Unit/San Pedro Police Formation Inspector Basil Reyes will address those present at the start of the meeting. Make every effort to attend; refreshments will be served. Invitation open for those who are serious inquirers about becoming a JP to this meeting!

Corozal Cleanup
On Sunday 3rd March, 2019 Members of the Red Cross, Ministry of Health and the Corozal Town Council set out on a mission of a Clean Up Campaign in the area of Skelenton Town / White's Cocal area of Corozal Town. We extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated in this community and civic initiative.

Dance group from Xaibe
Had the best time ever with these beauties. Dance group from Xaibe. COROZAL DISTRICT Belize at Carnaval 2019. Beautiful. Amazing and inspiring presentations by all. A huge thank you to Ms Genara Gano and all the parents who supported this wonderful endeavor. Thank you Ms Debra Wilkes Corozal House of Culture.

Win tickets for two for a trip to the Great Blue Hole
Ready to say goodbye to your plastic-filled past? Reef Week Belize, Maya Island Air Belize and Digi Belize are here to help make moving on a little easier! Belize is breaking up with plastic and to help remedy the breakup blues, Digi Belize, the Reef Week Committee and Maya Island Air have teamed up to give 1 lucky winner and a guest, a trip to the ultimate blue… the Great Blue Hole!

Saga Humane Society Fundraiser
Join us at Coco Loco's and meet our wonderful Veterinarian Heather who will be tending bar at this fun filled event - March 7 - mark your calendars! Thursday, March 7, 2019 at 4 PM

San Pedro Fat Tuesday/Mardi Gras Masquerade party, Nawlins Style!
MARDI GRAS CELEBRATION AND MASQUERADE PARTY AT THE SEVEN SEAS RESORT AND VIEUX CARR'E CAFE' IN SAN PEDRO, BELIZIANA. FEATURING- D.J. PATRON AND 2 OTHER LIVE DJ's ROCKING THE BLOCK FROM 6PM TILL MIDNIGHT. MASQURADE PARTY. COSTUME CONTESTS: BEST COSTUME, MOST SEXY, FUNNIEST, BEST DRESSED. BIKINI CONTEST, BEER PONG TOURNEMENT, "THREES" TOURNEMENT (FOR SHOTS).

The Upgrade of Hopkins Village Main Street
The newly upgraded Hopkins Village Main Road was officially opened on the 4th March 2019. Minister of Works, Honorable Rene Montero and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Belize, Ambassador Malgorzata Wasilewska will lead the inauguration ceremony that will take place at the Maude Park, Hopkins Village, and Stann Creek District beginning at 10:30 am. The Hopkins Village Main Street which was rehabilitated under the Banana Accompanying Measures Programme (BAM) 2013, jointly funded by the European Union and the Government of Belize is of major importance for the social development of southern Belize.

Corozal: Learn Self Defense
She will be here again. Mark the date - Sunday, March 17th. Do you want to Learn Self Defense. For only $10.00 per person you can learn the basic techniques, including Observation, Boundary Setting, Verbal Skills, Physical Techniques, Defense Against Weapons, and more. Contact Dan Horejs at danhorejs@sbcglobal.net to purchase tickets. Self Defense Instructor: Renee Wentz

Corozal Basketball Association - PLAYOFFS
" The real test is on the table now. As last week we finished our regular season schedule; we now kick off playoff mode, It's Win or Go Home. Quarter Finals Match ups for the weekend - Friday and Saturday

Corozal - Construction of the New Transfer Dumpsite Station Facility
Construction of the New Transfer Dumpsite Station Facility in Corozal is presently underway at approximately 2.75 miles north of Corozal Town, off the Philip Goldson Highway at the entrance of the Slaughter House Road. With this facility completed, the closure of current and clandestine dumpsites will take place. We have requested a date for completion of the new dumpsite facility, a date for closure of the current dumpsites, an inventory of the dumpsites that will be closed, and will give you an update, as soon as we are able to obtain this information from the proper authorities. Keep Corozal Safe and Clean!

Women in Art Fest 2019
The 2019 Women in Art Fest is being held this Saturday, March 9th, at the Cayo Welcome Center. "Women in art fest on the 9th March at Cayo Welcome center registration is now open for artist and artisans, contact us at SISEHOC call us at 824-0783."

‘Women in Law Enforcement’ conference
Tackling Gender-Based Violence through regional cooperation and sharing best practices! Women police officers of all ranks, civil society representatives, judges, lawyers, and INL colleagues from Belize, El Salvador & Honduras participate in ‘Women in Law Enforcement’ conference aiming to combat GBV. Proud of Michelle Carrasco and our INL colleagues for representing the Embassy and Belize!

2019 BELTRAIDE first Female Entrepreneurship Training
#2018YLAI fellows Lorcia Moore and Fatima Chi Gordon proudly representing female entrepreneurs at the 2019 BELTRAIDE first Female Entrepreneurship Training! Congratulations, Lorcia and Fatima! Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative - YLAI Naturally Belize Coconut Products L3G's & Associates

ICJ FAIR Friday, March 15 at the Cayo Welcome Center!
Come LISTEN, LEARN and ASK so you could be ready and informed for April 10th!

Formation of the Republic of Yucatan
A Day like today March 4 but in 1840 the country known as the Republic of Yucatan was form with what is today the states of Yucatan,Campeche,Quintana Roo and with portions of Belize . The centralist Mexicans didnot like what was happening so they send the Mexican army to Yucatan . The Mexican army arrived at the Pacabtún's farm in Mérida, where it learned that Yucatán had already prepared the defense of Mérida and had the reinforcement of eleven thousand Yucatec Maya indigenous soldiers(who were promised better treatment if they help fight against the Mexicans). The Mexican army back off . Even so the discrimination,bad treatment, high taxes paid by the Maya ,debt and slavery work didnot change for the Maya in this new republic . The Yucatec Maya rose against the White in 1947 and by 1849 form their own Maya Nation known as Chan Santa Cruz. The Maya Social War also known as the Caste War was one of the major downfall of the Republic of Yucatan . As soon as the war started some of the Elite Yucatecos cross the rio hondo to what would become Belize. Later they would be followed by many Yucatec Maya who also cross the rio hondo for a save place but they reach to another war between the Yucatec Maya group known as the Icaiche Maya against the British . The Republic of Yucatan return to Mexico . The British and Mexico finalized a border in the 1897 with out asking the indigenous Yucatec Maya . The Yucatec Maya continue resisting until the 1930's .

Strengthening enforcement in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve
Further to the notice published in the San Pedro Sun on February 8", 2019 the Hol Chan Marine Reserve (HCMR) would like to inform our valued stakeholder and the public that we will be strengthening our enforcement in all zones within the Reserve. Please note the following: I. Any Tour Operator/Vessel that commit the following infraction(s) against the Hol Chan Marine Reserve Regulations and Fisheries Legislations will not be allowed to enter the reserve:

Channel 7

Dozens of Charges Hurled at Border Robbers
We have a full newscast tonight - including the chilling story of an 18 year old girl who was hacked to death in Roaring Creek. BUT WE START IN Corozal.On last week Thursday and Friday's newscasts, we told you all about that lawless crime at the Corozal border where 6 men carried out a daring, early morning robbery of the money changers. These men held up the money changers and snatched over $15,000 in various currencies. Police were at the location at the right time, and while the robbers were trying to get away, the cops set chase. That led to a shoot-out, but all 6 were detained, though they suffered various injuries.

A Killer Lurked In His Yard
And going now to the city - where there has been another murder, and this one looks like a hit. It happened between late Friday night and Saturday morning in the Port Loyola area. A gunman ambushed 45 year old Walter Beaton in his yard, shot him with a high calibre weapon and left him dead in the drain. His wife told us today he knew he was being watched: 48 year-old Walter Lindon Beaton was found dead in the drain in front of his house on Reggae Street. Someone shot him multiple times when he got home, a place that he should have been the safest.

City Cops Look For Killer
Police have been investigating, but say that at this time they have no motive and no suspect: ASP Alejandro Cowo - OC, CIB Belize City: "On Saturday, the 2nd of March, 2019, just at about 6:30 a.m., police were called to Reggae Street, where upon arrival, they observed a male person lying face down inside of a drain. The person had gunshot injuries to his body. The police processed the scene were expended shells were found, and thereafter, the body was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. What police gathered so far is that the male person that was found inside of the drain was identified as Walter Lyndon Beaton, a 45 year-old Belizean of a Reggae Street address. What we know is that Mr. Beaton had arrived at home, onboard his white Kia vehicle, and as he was about to enter his yard, he was fired upon, which caused his fatal injuries."

Killers Came For Pou in His Bedroom
Belize City cops are also investigating the attempted murder of 22 year-old Clinton Pou, a cook from North Front Street. Yesterday evening, he was at his home in the company of a women, and they were watching TV. The woman has told police that she briefly left him to go to the bedroom, and while she was in there, she heard 4 gunshots ring out. She immediately rushed back to the living room, and found Pou injured to the left hand, and the left side of his chest. The shooter, described as a tall slim man, ran away and escaped. Police told us more about the case today:

Ambassador Says Bar Opinion Validates A Yes To ICJ
On Friday we told you that the Bar Association of Belize had finally gotten the legal opinion on the Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute from regional international law expert, Professor Stephen Vascianne. Well, we have read the opinion and it basically says that a yes to the ICJ is a safe vote, that Belize has a sound case, and Guatemala, really, has none at all. That corroborates what the experts have been saying, and, tonight, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is quietly taking a victory lap.

SSB Workers Bang The Industrial Action Drum
Today staffers at Social Security Board Headquarters and branches all across the country started banging on their desks at around 10:45 this morning. The form of industrial action lasted for over a minute. The staffers - who are represented by the Christian Workers Union are concerned about their pension scheme. Management of the SSB is trying to establish a trust cooperation, which is a company to hold the pension - rather than have it in the name of individual trustees. But, the union isn't comfortable with that and other issues. So, they sent management a letter on Friday outlining concerns. Today, the CEO says he didn't even have time to respond:

Pregnant 18 Year Old Cruelly Murdered
A pregnant teenaged mother was executed in the most cruel way. 18 year old Joan Sharen Gabourel's nude decomposed body was found on Saturday afternoon around 1:30. Her body was thrown in the bushes near a cane field off the Valley of Peace road, right next to her family's land. Now who would stab and mutilate a teenaged girl? Courtney Weatherburne has more on the different theories in this horrific killing. Courtney Weatherburne reporting: Joan Sharen Gabourel was laid to rest in her favorite colored casket on Saturday night. Her mother, Marinela Garcia never thought she would bury her pregnant 18 year old daughter. It's almost surreal, and the anguish palpable.

A Family's Pain...
We also spoke to Gabourel's sister. She told us how she will remember her sister and how devastating it is to have lost her. Judith Gabourel, Sister: "Like I said we were close. Always tease each other. She use to come by me, I use to come here. She was funny, very sarcastic. She could have made my brothers get vex, but before the day was over we would talk to each other and hang right there behind that tree and take our chairs and stuff and just buy all kinds of junk and go sit at the back of that tree for hours until my mom would get vex and say that we had to do something..."

Cops Talk About Valley Murder
As we told you, police have collected significant evidence in this murder case and initially detained one man for questioning. They are also looking into several leads. Here is more from the police press briefing. ACP Joseph Myvette - Head, NCIB: "On Saturday, sometime around 1:30 p.m., Belmopan Police was called to an area just outside of Valley of Peace Village, near cane field, where they discovered the decomposing body of a Hispanic female, later identified as Joan Gabourel, 18 year-old. The scene was processed, where several items were recovered from the scene. The body was then transported to the medical college, where a post-mortem was conducted, which revealed that she died from stab wounds, as well as blunt-force trauma. So far, there are 2 persons in police custody pending this investigation."

Domestic Abuse: A Strange Stabbing Story
37 year-old Tanesia Payne, a resident of Flamboyant Street in Belize City, is out on bail of $5,000 after police charged her for stabbing her ex-common-law husband, 52 year-old Richard Ellis. It's a strange story, and today, the press asked police to fill in the many blanks. Here's Assistant Superintendent Alejandro Cowo: ASP Alejandro Cowo: "It was Thursday the 28th, before 9am, police visited the hospital where they observed Mr. Richard Ellis, 52 year old Belizean from a Jane Usher [Boulevard] address suffering from apparent stab wound to his body. What police gathered so far is that Richard Ellis had visited a house on Mahogany Street where he was living with a female. As a result, a dispute happened there where he was attacked by several persons and he sustained those injuries..."

Derek Aikman Passes
Tonight we note the passing of history-making politician, Derek Aikman. The 59 year old died unexpectedly on Saturday night. Aikman made history in 1984 as a UDP candidate when he defeated George Price in the Freetown division - handing the then Prime Minister his first general election defeat. Price had held the seat from 1961 - so, for the brash 25 year old running in his first general election to beat him in that safe seat was an upset of epic proportions. After that, Aikman went unto serve as Minister of Education, and won Freetown again in 1989 - but did not serve out the full term. In 1992 - in what is latterly viewed as the equivalent of a political fatwa - through an application from the Belize Bank, the Supreme Court adjudged him to be a bankrupt and he was forced to vacate his seat in the house. That bye-eleciton gave rise to the PUP's Jorge Espat and the PUP has held the division uninterrupted since then.

Bringing The Panama Plan to Crafts
Today, NICH and the Panamanian Embassy in Belize signed an agreement to Enhance Theatre and Crafts in Belize. It will see two experts in crafts come to Belize to work with local artisans. Greg Vernon of ICA told us more: Greg Vernon Director - ICA: "We are now reaching out with 2 masters in their field: Norma Dixon and her husband Mr. Dixon, who are master. In Panama when you registered, they are registered as maestro and so these are 2 maestros coming into Belize for training our students, our teachers and our artisans in developing the craft industry." Jules Vasquez, reporter: "How do we create a market for persons trained by masters?" Greg Vernon Director - ICA: "This is exactly what we are going to do: we're looking at making the craft industry being the quantity that we produced is more than what we import..."

A New Street For Hopkins
Hopkins Village main road has been upgraded and this morning it was inaugurated with a ceremony led by the European Ambassador to Belize and the Minister of Works. Funding of almost 3 million Belize dollars came from the Banana Accompanying Measures Programme. The works include the cementing of over three kilometers of road including culverts, drains, two concrete pedestrian crossings; road markings and installation over one hundred traffic signs.

Channel 5

Pregnant Valley of Peace Woman Callously Killed
The body of a pregnant eighteen-year-old woman was found on Saturday afternoon in Valley of Peace, Cayo. Joan Gabourel had been brutally murdered and her body left to rot in [...]

A Taxi Driver is Executed at His Reggae Street Address on Friday Night
In Belize City, six children were left without their father when the life of a well-known taxi driver was cut short.  Forty-eight-year-old Walter Beaton, also known as Welch, was shot [...]

4 Charged for Robbery at Northern Border
Four persons have been charged and arraigned for the brazen robbery of money changers at the northern border on Thursday morning. The four men, Eugene Myers, Zander Myers, Randolph Crawford [...]

The Unauthorized Use of Images of George Price on I.C.J. billboards
Across the country, the YES Campaign organized by the Referendum Unit has been carrying out a propaganda blitz, promoting a ‘YES’ vote on April tenth referendum day. Aside from the [...]

A Legal Opinion on I.C.J. by Professor Stephen Vasciannie
The anticipated expert opinion on the Guatemala claim to Belize is now available. The Bar Association commissioned and is now in receipt of the opinion from a Caribbean expert on [...]

18-year-old Remanded for Sexually Assaulting Minor
An eighteen-year-old teenager is accused of sexually assaulting a fourteen-year old minor.   Tonight, he is on remand at the Belize Central Prison awaiting a possible Supreme Court bail following his [...]

Man Shot Inside his House in Belize City
There was more violence in Belize City aside from the murder of the cabbie. A man was shot just after five on Sunday evening. Police say Clinton Pou was inside [...]

Ex-Girlfriend Charged with Grievous Harm
Fifty-two-year-old Richard Ellis reported to police that he was stabbed multiple times in the face on Thursday morning just before nine. He reported that a woman and two men attacked [...]

C.W.U. Takes on S.S.B. over Staff’s Pension Plan
There is unease at the Social Security Board. This is according to the Christian Workers Union. This morning staff members who are union members participated in an in-office protest across [...]

C.W.U. Questions S.S.B.’s Letter to B.C.C.I.
The C.W.U. is also expressing concern on another matter relating to the S.S.B.  According to the C.W.U., a letter sent to the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry by C.E.O. [...]

C.W.U. Member Alleges Victimization by S.S.B.
The union is also at odds with the S.S.B. over a complaint by one of their own. Ella Waight, who is the C.W.U.’s Deputy Chief Representative, is alleging that she [...]

Minister of National Security Tours Southern Belize
Minister of National Security John Saldivar commenced a tour of the south this weekend, beginning with a trip to Barranco Village and the Sarstoon River on Friday.  The ministry is [...]

Top Cop Holds Public Meeting in PG
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams hosted a public meeting in Punta Gorda on Friday evening to discuss the concerns of residents in the wake of an increase in crime and [...]

Belize & Panama Partner to Strengthen the Creative Industry
Today, NICH and the Embassy of Panama signed a memorandum of understanding to enhance theatre and crafts in Belize.  This will be done through workshop sessions and trainings to strengthen [...]

NICH Wants Industry Legislation to Help Artisans
The M.O.U. with Panama will help to boost the handicraft and theatre offerings. But one of the challenges local artisans face is the importation of small souvenirs, which are mass [...]

Derek Aikman Passes Away at 59
Well-known Derek Aikman died over the weekend at the age of fifty-nine.  A colourful personality, Aikman rose to prominence with the United Democratic Party in 1984 when in a major [...]

RECONDEV Will Not Allow Squatters
On Thursday, Salvapan resident Nicolasa Cus and her family were left without a roof over their heads after the house they were living in for several years was dismantled. Residents [...]

The Weekend in Sports
Good evening, I’m James Adderley and this is Sports Monday.   [Highlights of the weekend sporting activities...]

LOVE FM

Ambassador says it’s ok to use George Price in ICJ Campaign
The ICJ Campaign relied on familiar faces that we see on the TV and ear on the radio. The visages of these local celebrities are accompanied with bold text messages that encourage people to vote on April 10. There are two posthumous billboards that have attracted negative as well as positive responses from the public. …

NICH signs MOU with the Embassy of Panama
Today, the National Institute of Culture and History, NICH, and the Embassy of Panama signed a Memorandum of Understanding for training in the areas of drama theatre and handicraft. Sapna Budhrani, the President of NICH, said that NICH is dedicated to developing and safeguarding the culture. Sapna Budhrani President of NICH: “Between mid March and …

The response from both sides of Professor Vasciannie’s Legal Opinion on ICJ
Late last week Professor Stephen Vasciannie, a former University of West Indies Law Professor handed the Bar Association of Belize his legal opinion on the Belize case which the Government intends to forward to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Though the Bar had published the document online, the leaders are still preparing their statements …

Derek Aikman dead at 59
Former elected Area Representative, Derek Aikman, passed away at the age of fifty-nine on Sunday, March 3. Aikman rose to political fame in 1984 when he made history by defeating the Right Honourable George Cadle Price in the Freetown Division under the umbrella of the United Democratic Party. His loyalty to the UDP lasted less than …

She instructed Neighbor to Stab her so she could report her injured Ex
They say let sleeping dogs lie, but a man, half a century old, found that lesson out a little too late, when he attempted to remove his gas tank from his ex-lover’s home. On February 28 fifty-two year old Richard Ellis went to Tanesha Payne’s house on Flamboyant Street. Ellis began to loosen the connections …

The Reporter

Police Detain Two People In Connection To The Murder Of Joan Gabourel
Police have detained two persons in connection with the stabbing/chopping murder of Valley of Peace resident, Joan Gabourel, 18, whose mutilated body was discovered sometime around 1:30 on Saturday afternoon.

Protest By Employees At Security Office – Union Organized
The Reporter has been advised that there are union organized protests happening in Social Security Board branch offices across the country.

Breaking Belize News

Six reasons you should vote in the April 10th referendum
On April 10, 2019, Belizeans will participate in a historic national referendum to decide whether or […]

Inauguration ceremony held for upgrade of Hopkins Main Street
The newly upgraded Hopkins Village main road was officially opened today. Minister of Works, Rene Montero […]

Two suspects detained in connection with Joan Gabourel murder
Today, authorities informed that they detained two suspects in connection with the murder of 18-year-old Joan […]

Belizean makes international news when she coincidentally meets her old penpal at a Canadian University
Belizeans have made international news for various reasons over the years: some for committing crimes and others […]

Freetown mourns passing of Derek Aikman
Today, the UDP Freetown Committee and Orson Elrington issued a statement joining the nation in the […]

Tumul K’in Center of Learning to hold Maya Day in March
The teachers and students of Tumul K’in Center of Learning invite you to be a part […]

When will general elections be called?
In his third and final term as Prime Minister, the Right Honorable Dean Barrow is […]

18 year old sent to prison for raping 14-year-old minor
Kevon Palmerston, 18, is being held without bail at the Central Prison for reportedly raping a […]

Guatemalan politician with Belizean roots immune to prosecution
The Guatemalan Supreme Court has ruled that presidential candidate and former First Lady Sandra Torres […]

Chamber of Commerce extends condolences on the loss of Derek Aikman
Today the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry’s (BCCI) Executive Council, Secretariat and Western Union issued a […]

Fair weather to continue
The 24-hour forecast is for mostly fair weather to continue. Sunny skies with some cloudy spells are […]

Seventeen new species of snails discovered in Belize
A decade-long study in Belize by malacologists researching mollusks in the country has identified 17 previously unknown […]

First annual Coconut Festival to be held in Corozal
Tourism industry stakeholders are coming together to host the first ever Coconut Festival in Corozal, with the […]

Rejected voters still have an opportunity to register
The Elections and Boundaries Commission disallowed over 2,500 persons from registering to vote in the upcoming referendum; […]

Blogs

Belikin La Ruta Maya River Challenge is here!
Like Christmas falls on December 25th, and our Belize Independence Day is September 21st, so does the Belikin La Ruta Maya River Challenge land on the weekend of National Heroes and Benefactors Day (formerly Baron Bliss Day). March 9th is the official holiday, so whichever Friday or Monday is closest is the Public and Bank Holiday, making for a nice long weekend for spectators, participants, sponsors and last-minute enthusiasts to flock to one of the many observation posts to catch teams paddling the Macal River and into the Belize River in what is considered the most grueling canoe race in Belize.

11 Things You Didn't Know About Western Belize
Belize may be a tourist hotspot, but we’re here to show you that there’s far more to discover than the Great Blue Hole. This beautiful and unique country is full of untold wonders. Below, we’ve compiled 11 of our favorite tidbits about our home in Western Belize that most people don’t know. Western Belize is the center of Maya civilization in Central America History is all around us at Ka’ana. Records of Maya civilization in Belize date all the way back to 2000 BC, and you can visit these ancient cities which are just a few minutes down the road - by car or horseback! With new discoveries happening every year, you never know what you might find.

The Best Time to Visit Belize for Whale Sharks
Belize is a world-famous mecca for scuba diving and snorkeling thanks to its massive barrier reef system (the second-largest in the world), crystal clear waters, and abundance of marine life. But one of the rarest and most beautiful animals in the ocean’s waters only visits Belize once a year. Whale sharks are not whales in the true sense of the word. Instead, they are the largest fish which have ever existed. Whale sharks can grow to up to 41 feet (12 meters) in length and weigh up to 47,000 pounds (21 tons), roughly double the size and weigh of a semi truck. Despite their huge size, these sharks pose almost no danger to humans because they are filter feeders.

Top Reasons to Visit Belize in March
If you’re ducking the cold winds and freezing temperatures of March, give yourself a break and head for the sunshine and warmth of Belize. March is the start of spring season here and it’s the perfect time to visit. Spring means new life all over Belize. The forests are lush and green. Tropical flowers and plants like orchids, blackberries, bay cedars, coconut palms and jacarandas are bursting into bloom. The sky is clear and blue and hummingbirds and tropical birds fill the air. Immerse yourself in local culture by attending the La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge. Held March 8 through March 11, this 180-mile race draws regional and international teams to one of the most challenging canoe races in the world. Show up to cheer them on at the Hawksworth Bridge in San Ignacio and then join the teams for a celebratory drink.

Top 5 Best Things To Do In Hopkins
In recent years, as more travelers are venturing to Southern Belize, the small seaside Village of Hopkins has blossomed into an incredible destination. The region is primarily known for its vibrant Garifuna culture and heritage, however, there are numerous of additional things to do in Hopkins. These activities include enjoying the beautiful beaches, going fishing, snorkeling, and scuba diving, and also venturing out on jungle adventure tours. Hopkins’ location also provides easy access to some of the best inland Belize expeditions, which I’m sure has played a crucial role in increasing the popularity of the village. So if you plan to visit, I suggest that you try the activities listed below so that you can have a great time in Hopkins.

International Sources

'Mysterious tracks' on Belize's Great Blue Hole's floor explained by scientists
"Preserved from the disturbance of time, and isolated in the darkness, the hole holds clues to a very natural part of our planet’s life cycle. It’s these terraces and stalactites we set out to map," Erika Bergman, chief submarine pilot on the recent expedition, explained in a recent blog post. One of the biggest findings of the trip was the discovery of "mysterious tracks" in the sand roughly 350 feet below the surface. In an interview with CNN Travel, Bergman said the "unidentifiable" tracks remain "open to interpretation." Bergman, however, wrote in a blog post that they were located near an area researchers labeled the "Conch Graveyard," where they witnessed hundreds of dead conch that likely suffocated after becoming trapped in the oxygen-deprived base of the Blue Hole. "Presumably, unsuspecting conchs (or other conch shell inhabitants) have been going just a little too close to the edge and falling into the hole at this entrance by the thousands. We can see each conch with little tracks back up the hill trying to escape, then a slide mark where it slid back down after presumably being asphyxiated in the anoxic environment," Bergman explained.

Tropical ecology students to travel to Belize, study organisms, environment
Students from Marshall University’s tropical ecology course will take an international field trip to Belize on March 8 to study the interactions among organisms and their environment. Ten students from Marshall University, as well as ten students from Jacksonville University in Florida, plan to spend two weeks in Belize engaging in various activities. First, students will spend a week on an island surrounded by coral reef, where they will scuba dive and work to remove lionfish, an invasive species, from the water. For the second half of the trip, students will migrate into the rainforest for an entire week before returning home.

A Guide to Caribbean Film Festivals
Whether you’re still defrosting your nether-regions from waiting in line for a Park City shuttle, or sitting in your Bushwick studio apartment eating ramen and surviving the polar vortex, you could probably use a little time on a tropical rum-soaked beach right about now. With all the indie-film attention focused on Sundance/Slamdance (not to mention the chilly, angst-ridden fests in Rotterdam and Berlin), it’s worth remembering that there is an entire circuit of film festivals ringed around the Caribbean Sea. From internationally revered fests like Havana that focus on the biggest Latin American cinema premieres to new local upstarts in Barbados, Bahamas and other islands that support regional filmmaking from a unique cultural perspective, there’s a festival for everyone! And for industry execs and entertainment journalists looking for truly diverse new voices, the Caribbean circuit is the place to find them.

Maya ritual cave ‘untouched’ for 1,000 years stuns archaeologists
Archaeologists hunting for a sacred well beneath the ancient Maya city of Chichén Itzá on Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula have accidentally discovered a trove of more than 150 ritual objects—untouched for more than a thousand years—in a series of cave chambers that may hold clues to the rise and fall of the ancient Maya. The discovery of the cave system, known as Balamku or “Jaguar God,” was announced by Mexico’s National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) in a press conference held today in Mexico City. After its initial discovery by farmers in 1966, Balamku was visited by archaeologist Víctor Segovia Pinto, who wrote up a report noting the presence of an extensive amount of archaeological material. But instead of excavating the site, Segovia then directed the farmers to seal up the entrance, and all records of the discovery of the cave seemed to vanish.

Videos

March 4, 2019

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Belize’s National Lionfish Management Strategic Plan 2019-2023 Launched
Blue Ventures, in partnership with the Belize Fisheries Department, officially launched Belize’s National Lionfish Management Strategy Plan 2019-2023 during a ceremony at the Belize Coastal Zone Management training room in Belize City on Thursday, February 24th. The launch saw the attendance of conservationists, tour operators, governmental and non-governmental organizations, media corps and invited guests. The Belize National Lionfish Management Strategy Plan describes how to design and implement an integrated approach to lionfish management, incorporating environmental, social and economic well-being goals.

PAHO calls for countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to prepare for possible outbreaks of dengue
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has called for countries in the Region of the Americas to prepare for a timely response to possible outbreaks of dengue. The disease is endemic in the Region and, since its reintroduction in the 1980s, has caused cyclical outbreaks and epidemics every three to five years. The first dengue epidemic with over one million cases occurred in the Region in 2010. Three years later, in 2013, the first epidemic with more than two million cases occurred. At the beginning of 2019, there was an increase in cases compared to the same period of 2018. “Dengue is a viral infection transmitted by mosquitoes that is widespread in the Americas,” said Dr. Marcos Espinal, Director of the Department of Communicable Diseases and Environmental Determinants of Health.

Doctor Love: Healthy Mind
Dear Doctor Love, I am a licensed Addiction Counselor and couples therapist and I recently saw one of your earlier columns in the San Pedro Sun. It was a letter from a woman whose marriage was crumbling due to her husband’s continuous use of pornography. In your answer to her you labeled it a “Sexual Addiction”. In a marriage where there is not a mutual acceptance of porn use and it is causing stress, it has become easy to use the excuse that he is suffering a porn addiction.

Wolfe’s Woofer: Hidden Talent
“Dennis, this is Cynthia and Paul,” Sherry said. “I met Cynthia when she was in Belize for a vacation two years ago and now she’s here on her honeymoon.” We ate breakfast on the deck of the Holiday Hotel while Cynthia told us of dealing with the problems of being married to a professional poker player. Cynthia said, “In spite of all the scheduling conflicts we’ve finally made it to our honeymoon. We planned a trip to meet our families together but we even had to do that separately because of poker.”

Over 2,600 Golden Citizens Benefit from BEL’s Golden Citizen Program
Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) hosted a ceremony today to honour some of the 2019 beneficiaries of its Golden Citizen Program. The Company is providing 2,665 Golden Citizens countrywide with a credit of up to 60 kilowatt hours on their monthly electricity bills. Annual awardees are selected randomly from among Belizeans age 65 or older with an active electricity account registered in their name at their residence. Waivers of fees for other services are also granted. BEL’s Golden Citizen Program commenced in 2012 and 810 new awardees are being added this year. In the coming weeks, employees will visit other beneficiaries to present certificates of award and check on their wellbeing.

Ambergris Today

Child Stimulation Month 2019 Opening Parade
Child Stimulation Month 2019 kicked off countrywide under the theme "Hug Me, Listen to Me, Read with Me – Help Me Grow". Like clockwork, Child Stimulation Month commences on the first day of March every year, with it bringing an array of activities for the pre-school children of San Pedro. Pre-Schools on the island celebrated the opening of Child Stimulation Month with a parade through the main streets of San Pedro. Children were in colorful costumes displaying National Symbols of Belize, Colors, Shapes, Numbers, Sea Creatures and so much more.

Misc Belizean Sources

Wanted: Foster Parents!
Belize is blessed with generous, loving people, especially responsive to the plight of our children. Please contact the Human Services whose contact information is listed here on this flyer for more information. Thank you for caring and sharing.

Special Envoy to host forum on ‘Hate Crimes
Given the recent increase in cyber bullying and other hate crimes, the office of the Special Envoy for Women and Children, Kim Simplis Barrow, in partnership with the National AIDS Commission and with the support of the Equality and Justice Alliance will host a forum on ‘hate crimes’. The forum on ‘hate crimes’ will be held on March 7, 2019 at the Best Western Plaza. The objective of the forum is to create an open discussion on the current hate crime legislation in Belize and ways to move forward in addressing this issue. Persons interested in being a part of this discussion can call the office at 223-1941.

Caramelo coming soon in Corozal
Guess who is opening soon? Location: 2nd street north, corner 5th avenue. Where the new 3 departments are. Green Jade plaza is.

Corozal Red Cross Basic First Aid/CPR Course
Saturday, March 16th at Catherine Kelly Center, Santa Rita.

The League Of Mayapan(Luub Mayapan)
According to the Books of Chilam Balam the sacred books of the Yucatec Maya. Kukulkan the Native prophet reach to the Yucatan Peninsula in Katun 4 Ahua which is 987 years of our era. K'uk'ulkan taught love and abolished human sacrifice between the natives. His name was Ce Acatl topiltzin Quetzalcoatl the Maya called him K'uk'ulkan which means "The Plumed Serpent." Kukulkan reach Mayab or Maya which was the name of Yucatan peninsula before the Europeans came. Kukulkan wisdom impress the lords and they respected him. The people lived in conflict but Kukulkan convince the lords to build a new city and he named it Mayapan, meaning "Standard of the Maya people". According to the Books of Chilam Balam when the city of Mayapan was build the people became known as Maya. The word Mayab or Maya can mean "Few ,Not many" or also "The choosen people." Kukulkan lived among the Maya for some time and then continued his journey through Mesoamerica. The Books of Chilam Balam speak about the prophecies of the return of K'uk'ulkan.

Channel 5

Former Minister Derek Aikman Passes
Politician and former UDP Minister Derek Aikman has passed. Aikman served in the House of Representatives as an area representative for the Freetown constituency in the 1980s when he defeated the late George C. Price.

Belize City Taxi Driver Murdered
Forty eight year old taxi driver Walter Beaton was found dead this morning in the old capital. His body was discovered in a drain on Reggae Street. Police say Beaton was shot multiple times. According to police, Beaton had arrived home when he was ambushed by an unknown gunman.

The Reporter

Why We Must Stand for Country
Many activists and inspirational speakers and politicians talk to us about ‘people power;’ they use various slogans and graphics to identify with such…but what does that really mean? In the last election we saw political paraphernalia that said ‘Power to the People.’ When one thinks of power to the people, one thinks of applying muscle to purpose and not taking advantage of our people’s power to elect and unfortunately empower an elite few of the party to rule over our land and people.

Police Charge Corozal Residents For Armed Robbery Of Money-Changers
Police have arrested and charged four residents of Corozal Town with several offences in relation to the armed robbery last Thursday at the Northern Border. Zandon Myers, 23, of 4th Avenue, Eugene Myers, 29, of Alta Mira, and Randolph Crawford, 23, and Joshua Hall, 21, both of Snapper Street were arrested and charged with seven counts of Robbery, 12 counts of Attempted Murder, two counts of Keeping an Unlicensed Firearm, and two counts of Keeping Unlicensed ammunition.

Body Of Missing Teen Identified
Police have confirmed that Joan Gabourel, 18, of Valley of Peace Village, Cayo, who was reported missing last week, was stabbed and chopped to death. As we reported earlier, Gabourel went missing from home last Tuesday and was reported missing on Thursday. Her decomposed body was discovered yesterday afternoon around 1:30 p.m., in a cane field off the Valley of Peace Road.

Derek Aikman Passes On
The Reporter has received reports of the passing of former UDP Minister of Government, Derek Aikman. Mr Aikman became the Area Representative for the Freetown Division in 1984, having unseated the late George Price of the PUP. Up to the time of his death, Mr Aikman was a staunch proponent of the “NO To The ICJ Campaign.”

Breaking Belize News

Armed robbers that targeted ‘Peseros’ at Northern Border charged
Police have charged four men believed to have robbed the “Peseros” or money changers at the northern border last week. Those men are Eugene Myers, 29; Randolph Crawford, 23; Joshua Hall, 21; and Zandon Myers, 23. […]

Police: Missing woman found dead with chop and stab wounds
Police have issued an official report on a missing teen who was found dead. The report revealed that last Thursday Joan Gabourel, 18, was reported missing. However, yesterday afternoon a search party located her body in a cane field off the Valley of Peace road in Cayo. […]

10 Things To Know About The Late Derek Aikman
There has been an outpouring of condolences and support for the family of Derek Aikman since the news of his death, and many have shared their memories of the former elected representative. […]

Review of Legal Opinion, “The Belize/Guatemala Dispute” prepared by Prof. Stephen Vascianne, CD. of February 2019
By Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The Belize Bar Association commissioned Prof. Stephen Vascianne CD, to conduct an independent analysis of the Belize/Guatemala dispute from the standpoint of International Law. Professor Vascienne is a renown expert in International Law and Diplomacy. […]

Why I will vote Yes on Referendum Day (Part 2 of 2)
By Osmany Salas: When Guatemala voted Yes in their Referendum some months ago, they voted for its Claim to be considered based on international conventions (treaties), international custom, and past ICJ decisions. That is specified in Article 2 of the Special Agreement that was signed by both countries. […]

Legal Opinion: The Belize/Guatemala Dispute
Legal Opinion: The Belize/Guatemala Dispute Prepared by: Prof.Stephen Vasciannie, CD Commissioned By The Bar Association of Belize © […]

Blogs

A Gorgeous Week on Ambergris Caye and A Severed Toe
It’s been a HOT breezy gorgeous week on our island – and I took lots of snap shots all over the place. Starting on Tuesday morning – the day when vendors comes from the mainland to sell fruits and veggies on Back A Back Street. I think it all starts around dawn. (Back a Back Street = In Back of Back Street) Here’s a napping Mennonite much later. Around 10.30am. The House of Culture opened a new exhibition for Carnaval on Friday night. All the festivities started last night! The town council has a serious calendar this year. Today, the kids will be in the park painting and partying.

International Sources

5 reasons to protect mangrove forests for the future
To the uninitiated, mangroves might appear to be merely coastal cousins of inland forests, but these rich ecosystems support the planet and people in unique ways, from providing breeding grounds for fish to carbon storage, to protection against flooding. Yet despite their importance, mangrove forests are under threat. Over a third have already disappeared, and in regions such as the Americas they are being cleared at a faster rate than tropical rainforests. Much of that clearance is to reclaim land for agriculture, industrial development and infrastructure projects.

Enjoying Belize in the moment
The kids had been waiting all week for the hermit crab races. When Luis, our lead counselor, announced the evening’s activity, they shoved aside their slices of key lime pie and disappeared into the shadows of moonlit coconut palms in search of perfect crustacean competitors. My 8-year-old, Reid, whom the counselors dubbed “Shark Bait” for his uncanny ability to spy sharks whenever snorkeling, was back within minutes, wielding a snapping blue crab the size of a dinner plate. This was our final night at a week-long adventure camp on Long Caye, part of the Belize Barrier Reef System, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Much of our week’s experience reminded me of my North American childhood summer camp, but with a tropical and a multi-age twist.

Belize PM, PAHO discuss ‘priority health issues’
The Washington, D.C.-based Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) says its director, Dr. Carissa Etienne, and Belize Prime Minister Dean Barrow have been discussing “a variety of priority health issues” for Caribbean Community (CARICOM) member-state. PAHO said on Monday that both parties also discussed PAHO’s technical cooperation during an official meeting in Belize’s capital, Belize City. “The importance of achieving universal health coverage without leaving anyone behind, as stated by the 2030 United Nations Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted in 2015 by countries of the world, including Belize, was also discussed,” said PAHO in a statement.

Videos

March 3, 2019

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, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

San Pedro Smile Center Dental Clinic volunteers brighten children’s smiles!
Dental volunteers and doctors provided free dental services to all children from Monday, February 18th to Thursday, February 28th at the San Pedro Smile Dental Clinic, located at the Holy Cross Anglican School (HCAS) in the San Mateo Area of San Pedro Town. This year’s volunteers and doctors included Dr. Richard Kim, Dr. Allan Libuano, Dr. George Lin, and Dr. Paul Roggow, Dr Mark Conover from Mankato State University in Mankato, Minnesota, USA and Eleanor Carrera, Dr Richard, Dr. Judy Treharne from Integrity Dental in Cottage Grove Minnesota and Dr. Mark Johnson and Joan Johnson.

Educating children and girls for employment and social protection
Investment in education to empower children and girls with the job skills to help them find employment, for social protection and to break the cycle of poverty is the burning concern of the Ministry of Labor, Local Government and Rural Development. An app to match job seekers to the jobs available was one of the solutions put forward at a two-day consultation hosted by the Labor ministry in collaboration with UNICEF at the Best Western Biltmore Hotel in Belize City on Monday and Tuesday, February 25-26.

GOB embraces Innovation for e-Government
Innovation in new products and services, exploiting the new infrastructure of the faster bandwidths from DigiNet and the host of automated, digitized electronic services the Government is rolling out, will be the key to new jobs, more earnings, and economic growth, Prime Minister Hon. Dean Barrow promised at a business forum hosted by the Economic Development Council at the Belize City Center on Thursday morning, February 21. Leading the charge to success along the information superhighway is the nationally owned Belize Telemedia Ltd, which is rolling out its new fiber optic internet service, rebranded “Digi,” to the country. Independent speed tests show Belize now has the best mobile service in the region, Barrow proudly boasted, not just in Central America and the Caribbean, but in Latin America!

Belize and Cuba renew medical agreement
The continued cooperation between Belize and Cuba in the health sector was renewed on Wednesday, February 27th, at a signing ceremony in the capital city of Belmopan. The renewal of the agreement is to extend the presence of the Cuban Medical Brigade in Belize that not only benefits Belizeans nationwide but strengthens and develops the health system in Belize. Signing on behalf of the Government of Belize was Minister of Health Honourable Pablo Marin, while Ambassador Lisette Perez signed on behalf of Cuba. Also present at the signing was Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Health, Omar Figueroa and Belize’s Ambassador to Cuba, Her Excellency Lou-Anne Burns Martinez.

Belize 2019 Inter-District Rugby 7’s Tournament begins!
The Belize 2019 Inter-District Rugby 7’s Tournament began this past weekend on Sunday, February 24th at the People’s Stadium in Orange Walk Town. This year’s tournament is seeing the participation of San Pedro Sharks, BATSUM RFC, Orange Walk (OW) Black Mambas, Cayo Baymen, Kings Park Scorpions and Belmopan Spartans. The current standings have BATSUB RFC at the top of the chart with 42 points, followed by Orange Walk Black Mambas with 13 points and Kings Park Scorpions and Cayo Baymen with a negative two points each. San Pedro Sharks has negative 15 points and at the bottom of the chart is Belmopan Spartans with negative 22 points. The second round of the tournament is expected to be held sometime in May 2019, at a location and date to be announced.

Ambergris Today

NICH Comparsas Fashion Show Kicks Off Carnaval 2019
The San Pedro House of Culture officially kicked off the Carnaval 2019 celebrations on Friday, March 1, 2019 with a Carnaval Comparsa Fashion Show. Those in attendance enjoyed brief history of carnaval comparasas as models showed off their costumes and danced for the crowd. Here are some pictures of the event. The San Pedro House of Culture is currently hosting a photographic exhibit of carnaval, feel free to drop by and enjoy some pictures by photographer Karen Brodie.

Misc Belizean Sources

A few images from previous carnaval years
Wishing everyone a fun Carnaval 2019. These and many, many more are currently displayed at San Pedro House of Culture’s Carnaval Exhibition.

4th Annual Caye Caulker Lionfish Derby
March 23

Annual Kidney Walk
On Saturday, March 2nd, 2019, members of the Belize Police Department participated in the annual, Kidney Walk. The walk was organized by the Kidney Association of Belize; and the purpose is a continued effort by the association to educate and bring awareness of kidney related disease to the people of Belize. This year the walk was celebrated under the theme "save us today so we can save others tomorrow".

Ruta Maya Viewing and Servicing Party
Saturday, March 9, 2019 at 7 AM – 1 PM, Belmopan Beach Adventure Park. Saturday Morning the race will be passing our beach. Everyone is welcome to come out and view the race, and team members are welcome to service your boats!

The Return of the PIG ROAST (w/ Live Music!)
Sunday, March 3, 2019 at 3 PM – 10 PM at The Truck Stop. We've planned one of our best Sunday Fundays of the year with LIVE MUSIC starting at 3pm and going late into the night! Plus, we're bringing back our famous ASIAN-STYLE PIG ROAST! This Sunday only! Plus we'll have the pool bar open all day, so come check out some of our new cocktails while cooling off in the pool, then jam out to the live music all night long! 3PM-6PM - Live music from Tyler Allan. 6PM-9PM - Live reggae band The Beach Monks! See you this Sunday!

BEL at Annual Kidney Walk
BEL and employees donated over $2,500 to the Kidney Association of Belize and participated in the Annual Kidney Walk today.

Happy Birthday, Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow!

San Pedro Tour Guide Meeting
All tour guides are invited to a general meeting at the Lions Den on 13 March 2019 !! Important topics to be discussed!! Be on time 7pm sharp !!!

The Legend Of Ixchel And Itzamná
Legend has it that in the days when the Ancient Lords were still mortals there existed a love so deep and pure that its strength created the sun and the moon, the day and the nights and the stars that shine above. Would you like to hear the story? A long time ago, in a land far away, there lived a beautiful woman named Ixchel, whose beauty charmed many men across the lands, including our young hero Itzamná. The charming Itzamná began to dazzle the beautiful and coveted Ixchel and in both grew a mutual love whose destiny was written in the skies. One sunny day in paradise, a young stranger arrived into the village and was instantly smitten by the dazzling beauty of Ixchel andproclaimed his love for the young woman.

International Mother Language Day!
“Indigenous languages matter for development, peacebuilding, and reconciliation” by Inno'on-La'oh . The 3 Maya groups of Belize were represented Mopan Maya,Kekchi Maya and Yucatec Maya(Máasewal).

The Reporter

Police Investigate Two Reports of Robbery
Police are investigating two reports of robbery – one in San Ignacio and the other in Hattieville Village. Police were summoned to Burns Avenue in San Ignacio sometime around 2:30 this morning and found Pedro Cruz, 60, a tour guide of San Ignacio Town, lying on the ground with head injuries.

Prime Minister Faces Backlash for Attack on Abel
Prime Minister Dean Barrow, during an interview with the media last week, revealed that the government had filed a formal complaint against Supreme Court Judge Courtney Abel, who recently handed down a ruling in favor of Belize Bank in a case against the Tax Commissioner of Belize.

Early Morning Murder – Taxi Driver Killed
Police were summoned to Reggae Street early this morning March 2nd., where they found Taxi-Driver Walter Beaton, 48, of Reggae Street, Belize City. The victim was found in the drain in front of his house with gunshot wounds to his chest and left arm.

Valentine charged for PG Shooting
Punta Gorda Police have managed to lay several charges against one of two men who were caught red-handed trying to shoot an individual in Punta Gorda Town on Monday morning. While Police had initially released the names of the two suspects, only one of the men, identified as PG resident Albert Valentine, 24, has been charged.

Belmopan Residents Stop Second Demolition of Family Home
Residents of Oxtocah Street in the Maya Mopan area of Belmopan yesterday prevented a backhoe from demolishing the home of Nicolasa Cus and her two young daughters. The mother and daughters had been squatting on the public land for the past 12 years, but the land was sold thereafter to someone else.

Breaking Belize News

Missing woman found dead in Valley of Peace
Joan Sharon Gaboural, 18, a resident of Valley of Peace in Cayo District was found dead yesterday evening. Gaboural went missing on Tuesday of last week when she left home and never returned. Since then, her family and friends had been searching for her.

Derek Aikman passes away
Derek Aikman, 59, a former politician and member of the National Assembly of Belize has passed away. Aikman was first elected to Parliament as a member of the UDP in 1984, defeating incumbent Prime Minister George Cadle Price in what was considered a major upset.

Body of woman found in Valley of Peace, Cayo
The nude body of a woman was found this afternoon in Valley of Peace, Cayo District. According to reports, the body was found with stab wounds.

Shopkeeper robbed at gunpoint in Hattieville
Police are investigating an armed robbery that occurred last night in Hattieville, Belize District. Jahvinnia Neal,20, a shopkeeper at Stock Up “N” Go reported that around 6:45 p.m. she was seated behind the counter when a man entered the establishment with a brown handgun.

Tour guide robbed of his gun and personal documents in San Ignacio Town
Authorities are investigating an early morning robbery that occurred in San Ignacio Town, Cayo District. According to reports, Pedro Cruz,60, a tour guide from San Ignacio told police that he was walking on Burns Avenue when he was attacked from behind.

Boyfriend pleads guilty to assault of partner’s sister
Twenty-four-year-old Stephan Pasos took the rap for a charge of indecent assault on his partner’s sister which was reported on Thursday. He pleaded guilty before Magistrate Emmerson Banner and told the court that he was intoxicated by a variety of alcohol known as “Spanish Fly.”

Burrell Boom man assaulted pregnant girlfriend gets out on bail
Forty-four-year-old Edison Alexander Dawson of Burrell Boom made bail on Friday after pleading not guilty to a charge of harm on his domestic partner, who is three months pregnant with their second child.

Man shot and killed in Belize City last night
There was a murder on the southside of Belize City last night. The victim was found with gunshot injuries in a drain on Reggae Street.

Videos

March 2, 2019

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, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

San Pedro Invaders suffer another loss
San Pedro Invaders suffered another loss in the fourth week of Belize National Amateur Women’s League 2019 Closing Season on Saturday, September 23rd. The Island team fell short against the Black Orchids, with a 1-4 score. For their next match, the San Pedro Invaders will be playing at home against Verdes Rebels on Saturday, March 9th. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:30PM at the Ambergris Stadium in San Pedro Town. All islanders are invited to come out and support our girls in their home game.

Proposed development on mangrove property across from San Pedro Lagoon raises concerns

Belize Rural South Politicians weigh in on how islanders will vote in the ICJ referendum
Area Representative for Belize Rural South (BRS), Honourable Manuel Heredia Jr., is confident that his constituency will vote ‘Yes’ to taking the territorial dispute with Guatemala to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in the upcoming national referendum scheduled for April 10, 2019. Heredia told The San Pedro Sun that he believes that BRS will have the highest percentage of a ‘Yes’ vote, pointing out that it is perhaps the only constituency where the incumbent Area Representative and the candidate for the post from the Opposition, People’s United Party (PUP), Andre Perez are both in favor of taking the matter to the ICJ. According to Heredia, the educational campaign regarding this issue has been well received by islanders in Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye, who will make an informed decision for the future of the country. Heredia made it clear that even though his party, the ruling United Democratic Party is for the ICJ, the campaign on the island has not been politicized.

NEBL returns this weekend; San Pedro Tiger Sharks play their first home game on the island
The National Elite Basketball League (NEBL) Tournament is back this weekend after taking a break to give way to the International Basketball Federation World Basketball Cup qualifying quadrangular games. Held from February 22nd through the 24th, the tournament saw Belize claim third place at the end of the competition. All fans are invited to come out and support the San Pedro Tiger Sharks as they play one of their most important games in the season. Tipoff is at 9PM at the San Pedro High School Auditorium. Entrance is $10 for adults and $7 for children. Children under the age of five enter for free.

Pink Eye reported in Mexico prompt island health authorities to take precautions
After the Ministry of Health (MOH) alerted the country of an increase in cases of Conjunctivitis (Pink Eye) in the neighbouring Mexican State of Quintana Roo, health authorities in San Pedro Town are taking precautions to avoid an outbreak on the island. According to reports from Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II, they have treated at least five cases, but so far there have been no signs of an increase on the island. The island community is advised to monitor the situation, practice proper hygiene, and to seek medical attention at the first signs of the disease.

Misc Belizean Sources

Wildtracks Update
It is baby time again at Fireburn, and we are celebrating the new additions to the Fireburn population of endangered Yucatan black howler monkeys. These include Coco's troop. Coco has two females - one is a first generation wild born at Fireburn, approaching breeding age. The other is this howler, with her baby. This brings the known wild births in the reintroduction programme to 45 over the last seven years...our population is growing!

San Pedro Child Stimulation month opening parade photos

BETEX Road Show 2019
Meet, network and build business relationships with agents and wholesalers at BETEX Road Show 2019. Register now at: http://www.betex.bz/supplier-registration-form-single-booth/. BTIA members get a discounted rate to participate!

Exciting & Fantastic Football Action this Saturday, March 2nd and Sunday, March 3rd at the Ricalde Stadium
We have been following these games closely and for sure, these kids are truly our football warriors. Under 10 - Under 19. Come out and support. It's fun and entertaining. Parents, please come out and cheer for your children. Only $3.00 at the gate. See you there!

Belize's Wonder Women! Sandra Pollard Hall
For the month of March, we are proud to announce that Sandra Pollard Hall is our Belize Wonder Woman! Sandra has worked for Belize as a Civil Servant and as an advocate for women and children. She gained a wealth of experience in the government sector both as Permanent Secretary and as Chief Executive Officer of several Ministries. Her passion and commitment to make a difference have been evident throughout her career. During her tenure of service with UNICEF Belize, she liaised with Government to ensure the implementation of the UNICEF Belize Country Programme and co-managed the first UNICEF Children’s Advisory Committee that allowed children to become actively engaged in promoting the human rights of children.

Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque
When the Hero Twins, Hunahpu and Xbalanque, went into Xibalba, they faced many trials. One of those trials was the House of Jaguars. "Next they entered into Jaguar House, which was crowded inside with jaguars: "Do not eat us. We will give you what is yours," the jaguars were told. Then they scattered bones before the beasts, who voraciously crunched them . . . they didn't die. They were just fine when they came out again from Jaguar House"

CANINE DISTEMPER IS A THREAT TO YOUR PUPPY AND DOG
The Veterinary Association of Belize advises the general public that veterinary clinics in Belize, particularly in Belize City, are reporting an increase in outbreaks of Canine Distemper. This disease of puppies and dogs is often fatal and those that survive have permanent, irreparable nervous system damage. All dogs are at risk but puppies younger than four months old and dogs that have not been vaccinated against the disease are at increased risk of acquiring the disease. Puppies and dogs often become infected through airborne exposure. Infected dogs can shed the virus for months and mother dogs can pass the virus through the placenta to their puppies.

Corozal Juan Carnaval Presentation
The Corozal House of Culture is pleased to invite you to our Juan Carnaval Presentation Sunday March 3rd. Enjoy the various traditional components of Juan Carnaval such as Los Mascarados, Comparsas performed by groups from Corozal Town, Xaibe and Cristo Rey Villages, the reading of the Last Will and Testament and of course, the burning of "Juancito". Join us beginning at 4pm at Miami Beach by Bay Breeze and Jam Rock for a wonderful evening of culture.

NEMO Receives Equipment from Mesoamerican Project
Minister of National Emergency Management, Hon Edmond Castro, has received on behalf of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) valuable equipment from the Mesoamerica Integration and Development Project, in line with the Mesoamerica Network for Integral Risk Management (RMGIR). The project handed over one (1) Hp ‘Pro-book’ laptop and one (1) Dell Optiplex desktop to the minister on February 28th, 2019. The project will see the sharing of map layers from various Ministries of Government on one platform focusing on disaster risk management. Each layer will provide key information for the planning of various components of disaster risk management such as, Transportation/Evacuation; Health (hospitals/ health centers, etc); Water Resources; Fuel Resources; Shelters; Access to food; Road Networks; and Schools.

Environmental Clearance for Collection & Disposal of Sewage Waste
Any person or company engaging in the collection of sewage waste from businesses or households are hereby notified that you are required to obtain Environmental Clearance from the Department of the Environment (DOE), in accordance with the environmental laws of Belize. Any person or company that disposes of sewage waste in any unapproved site is committing an offence and is liable for prosecution. The disposal of sewage waste in sensitive areas such as mangrove, on islands, and in wetland areas, can result in serious environmental damages to aquatic habitats, as well as potential harmful human health effects. The monitoring of these activities will be conducted more frequently by the Department of Environment to ensure the protection of Belize’s environment while maintaining the sustainability of Belize’s development.

National Trade Policy Launched
Following Cabinet’s approval of Belize’s first National Trade Policy (NTP) in November 2018, the Directorate General for Foreign Trade (DGFT) in the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce has launched the National Trade Policy at 9:00am on February 28th, 2019 at the King’s Room of the Ramada Belize City Princess Hotel and Casino. The National Trade Policy, which has been developed with technical assistance from the Commonwealth Secretariat under its flagship program the Hub and Spokes Program, is structured around four main pillars; institutional capacity strengthening; enhancement of supply and productive capabilities; increased market access and entry; and trade facilitation.

Launch of The Female Entrepreneurship Program
The Small Business Development Centre Belize (SBDCBelize)—a unit of BELTRAIDE—with support from The Center for the Promotion of Micro and Small Enterprise (CENPROMYPE), THE US State Department, and The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg launched its Female Entrepreneurship Program today, March 1, 2019. This program is designed EXCLUSIVELY for Women, and seeks to improve their competencies and strengthen their empowerment and leadership skills. It is a space of collaboration among women, a generator of new knowledge and innovation where they learn to build and validate their Business Model in a participative and dynamic manner. “FEMALE ENTREPRENEURSHIP”, which is the mechanism referred to as the specialized service, will provide the participants with business advisors that offer specialized techniques in innovation and entrepreneurship, and their role will be to accompany the participants in this experience through group meetings...

BAR ICJ OPINION COMING MONDAY
I've seen a copy moments ago, and it appears he's making a case for "yes" without making the judgment call. The Bar Association of Belize is pleased to announce that it is now in possession of the Legal Opinion on the Belize/Guatemala Dispute by international law expert, Professor StephenVascianne, CD (“the Opinion”). The Opinion examines the Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute with reference to international law principles and, in the same vein, evaluates strengths and possible weaknesses of Belize’s case if the dispute were submitted for determination by the International Court of Justice.

Fun filled inauguration of Child Stimulation Month 2019 in Corozal
Its all about the Children, the future of our country.

BTIA Corozal Coconut Festival - March 29-30
The BTIA Corozal Chapter in partnership with Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College will host the first Annual BTIA Corozal Coconut Festival, March 29 & 30, 2019. The event starts off the evening of March 29th, with a Maya Wedding re-enactment at the Santa Rita Archaeological Site from 7pm-9pm. At 10am on March 30th, the activities of the Coconut Festival continue with a beach side party showcasing cultural presentations, business booth displays, children games, and live musical entertainment during the day and into the night featuring top Belize entertainers.

LET'S WRITE! SKYPE GRANT WRITING SESSION!
For beginners and experienced grant writers. Explore best practices and learn how to apply for DUNS and SAMS registration. Wednesday, March 13, 2019 from 9:30 am to 10:30 am. If you are interested to participate contact BelmopanCARSIESF@state.gov NOW!

Yucatec Maya elders Felicita Cantun (Yo Creek) and Nojoch Mak Faustino Yam(Cristo rey,Corozal) Sharing our Maya language experience
With elders, students and teachers celebrating INTERNATIONAL MOTHER LANGUAGE DAY. That day the Yucatec Maya,Mopan Maya and Kekchi Maya people where present sharing their language also .

Steve Babb Band at Palapa Bar and Grill
Join us on Monday, March 4th at 6 PM to hear local Belize City musician Steve Babb Band. Lots of great music - Soca, Cumbia, and Mainstream.

Hudut, Sere & PUNTA at Black/White Garifuna Restaurant
Saturday, March 2, 2019 at 6 PM. Let’s go support Miss Julia and enjoy traditional Garifuna food at the only Garifuna cultural center on the island! They will also be performing traditional Garifuna drumming and punta dance that night. Invite is open, so invite friends. But I will close the RSVP list down on Friday, so I can tell her how many people are going.

MAYA DAY 2019
March 24,2019, Tumul K'in Center of Learning. Blue Creek,Toledo.

Channel 7

Family of Robbery Suspects Says Men Denied Medical Treatment
Tonight 6 men - not 5 - remain detained at the Corozal Police station pending charges for yesterday's lawless robbery of money changers at the northern border.  As we showed you last night, after the men snatched over $15,000 in various currencies from the money changers, police were on the scene and pursued in a high speed chase.  Scores of shots were fired in a high powered exchange of gunfire.  As we showed you, the criminals, who were organized, had pistols and at least one assault rifle.   They were using that to fire on the police, but the cops had superior manpower and firepower.  In the end, they forced the getaway vehicle, a Mercury Mariner to pull over to the side of the road - and the suspects dashed into the bushes heading to 4 mile Lagoon.  In the end four of the alleged robbers were shot multiple times.  

Mother Pleas With Police to Take Her Son For Treatment
And this evening in Corozal, CTV-3 News spoke to Randolph Crawford's mother.  She said she has been trying to get food for her son and get him to the hospital without success.  But she adds that he did go to the hospital the day before: Delvorine Crawford - Mother of Accused: "When we reached here just now, Randolph and Joshua the sit down on the bench in station. So I asked why they are not at the hospital, the police that was behind the desk said he was nothing to do with that, he can't do nothing because all they do is bring Randolph in and left them there. Randolph is complaining that he have pain in his leg, he can't feel his legs and the police don't want to take him to the hospital..."

Getting Ready For Referendum
In less than 6 weeks, Belizean voters will be going to the polls for the ICJ referendum.
It's pretty much a like a big election, except instead of voting for a political party, voters will say yes or no to the ICJ.  For the Elections and Boundaries Department, the pressure is on, because that office has to conduct and oversee an national election process, but without the usual input from the major mass parties.   Last week, the department sent out a release inviting all the different groups represented in the National Assembly to appoint monitors to observe the elections.  These monitors will act like an oversight mechanism, to ensure that this referendum is conducted in a free and fair manner.

BPP Wants To Monitor Referendum Vote
The Belize Progressive Party was not invited to be amongst the scrutineers - despite the fact that over the last few months, they've been the loudest voices advocating for a "no" vote to the ICJ.  But, they have no seat in the National Assembly because they do not have voter support.  Still, they caught major feelings because they say that they're being unfairly excluded from acting as part of the referendum oversight mechanism The Belize Peace Movement, an umbrella group that focuses on the ICJ issue, staged an impromptu picket of today's meeting.  We spoke with Patrick Rodgers about their gripes with the decision from Elections and Boundaries. Here's what he had to say:

Distribution of Voters ID's Commences
And keeping it on elections, we asked the Chief Elections Officer about those voter's identification cards that have been delayed for some time now. As we reported, the Department said last week that the first tranche of ID cards is ready, and that they would start distributing them today.   The first one we've seen is from UDP Chairman Alberto August - he posted it on Facebook.   Chief Elections officer Tamai told us that they're on schedule to deliver the cards to voters who re-registered in July of last year: Josephine Tamai - Chief Elections Officer: "The distribution started to day for those persons who were approved for the month of July. We're phasing it in, and we also made an announcement whereby we said that we're going to get dates to go into villages to distribute those ID cards..."

Burnt Baby Flown To Shriners
Tonight, 18 month old burn victim Zaela Usher has just arrived at the Shriners Hospital for Children in Galveston, Texas.  She was picked up in an ambulance at the KHMH around 3:00 pm - you can see her mother standing by here as she was loaded into the ambulance.  From there, ZAELA - who is stable enough to make the trip - was taken to the airport where an air ambulance was waiting.  The Burn Victim Mercy Fund paid forty thousand dollars for the Air Ambulance, and Shriners provides the treatment as charity.

GOB Selling Narco Plane
We all know how strapped the government is - and today we saw an ad in the papers which shows that they are looking for creative ways to generate income.  And that means selling a narco-plane which was found.   It's a British Aerospace 125 700 - commonly known as the Hawker Siddeley 125, which the narcos left abandoned on the Progresso Road in April of last year.   Today an ad in the paper says, the government is inviting tenders for the purchase of the plane.  The ad states, "the aircraft will be sold as is, where is."  It can be viewed by appointment and tender should be submitted to the Financial Secretary on a week's time.

Security Minister Tours
Minister of National Security John Saldivar has embarked on another tour of security facilities across the country.  It started today in Punta Gorda where a large BDF and Coast Guard security detail accompanied the contingent which was headed down the Sarstoon. Today, via phone we asked the CEO is the heavy security presence was to make sure the Guatemalan Armed Forces didn't get any ideas. Here's how he answered: Voice of (Ret.) Col. George Lovell - CEO, National Security: "The purpose of the visit for him to go and see what's going on, for us to make an assessment of what we need to do in terms of our work plan and prioritizing this coming financial year and it's a chance for us to really sit with them and get a feel of what's going on in the ground and it's something we look forward to, we can't do it every year but thankfully we were able to do it 2 years ago and we're glad to be able to do it again this year. This visit he plans to visit the Sarstoon, Cadenas, stop in at the police station in Barranco because we want to revive that police station. Also I think he will be touring fayweather camp at some point and the police station down in Punta Gorda..."

MOMO Challenge, A Hoax Or A Real Threat to Kids' Safety
Charlie Charlie and  Bloody Mary are just two of many viral games or challenges that many kids and teens have tried. It might seem like just innocent child's play but they have sinister underlying elements that can be unsettling.  Now, there is another one that has surfaced. It's called the Momo challenge and parents all over world especially in the UK and the US have expressed concern. Even the police and schools in some US states have issued warnings to parents to be on the alert. Now we stress to you our Belizean parents, do not go into a panic or freak out because it may not even be real. I did some research on it and here is what I found.  The favorite pastime for most kids is playing online video games and binge watching YouTube videos.

The Good Part OF Being A Kid
And of course the best way to keep your kids from getting caught up or sinking into in youtube black hole is putting up the phone and reading to them . Spend more time with your kids! That was the main message from today's Child Stimulation March. Here's more. Darlene Lozano - Education Officer, BDEC: "The month of March is designated as child stimulation month; it's where we focus on our children 0 to 8. Studies have shown that's the period for optimal development of our students, academically, physically in the all the areas. So we celebrate the month this year under the theme hug me, listen to me, read with me, help me grow. We want our families, we want our community to guide these children to grow into successful citizens and we can do that by strengthened them academically - reading to them.

Make Land Use Practices Sound
Land : it's a precious and finite resource that's the subject of many disputes and squabbles, everyone is trying to get a piece of it - and, everyday, there's less to get.  Well, the Belize Climate Resilient Infrastructure Project team has revised the 2011 Belize National Land Use Policy and Implementation Action plan to better address matters like land distribution and taxation among others. The Project coordinator told us more at their stakeholder meeting.  Wendel Parham - Project Coordinator, BCRIP: "BCRIP is a project that came out of the national climate resilience investment plan for the country which you may know of, so it's one of the first projects and basically it is looking at climate resilience as the name implies and it is focusing mainly on infrastructure..."

Legal Opinion On ICJ Ready
Back in January, we told you how the Bar Association of Belize intended to help educate Belizeans in time for the National Referendum on the ICJ.  They commissioned an updated legal opinion on the Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute. Well, that has been finished by international law expert Professor Stephen Vascianne, CD, A press release from the bar says, quote, "The Opinion examines the Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute with reference to international law principles and, in the same vein, evaluates strengths and possible weaknesses of Belize's case if the dispute were submitted for determination by the International Court of Justice. <

Succotzeno's BEX With BWS
Villagers in San Jose Succotz in Western Belize are fuming tonight - after they received water bills that were astronomically high. How astronomical?  Try $1,091 for homes whose bill would never go over a hundred dollars.   We were sent a bunch of bills that are five or ten times what these consumers would usually pay.   So, what's causing it - and what should they do?   Well, Channel 7 was reliably informed that the cause is a dishonest meter reader who was making grossly inaccurate readings of meters.  But, it also resulted in much lower bills for a period - and no one complained about that.  That person has been fired and and his replacement has rectified the situation and brought meters up to the correct current readings - which is what's causing the uproar, apparently.

WCS Working With Technology
For the past 2 days, we've been telling you all about the how the Wildlife Conservation Society and other local conservation groups have been putting technology to use in their efforts to police Belize's marine and terrestrial protected areas.  That includes the SMART system, which is short for Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tools. This system allows the conservationists to track illegal fishing activities, and incursions into marine protected areas.  Well tonight, we have one more system of theirs to tell you about. It's their satellite vessel monitoring system, which - if it is embraced by Belize's fisherfolk - will allow them to track the movement of all fishing vessels in Belizean waters using GPS. The country director told us on Wednesday that this VMS system will allow the Wildlife Conservation Society to rescue fishermen who are lost at sea:

Making Youth Programs Work
The Department of Youth Services and The Commonwealth are working on a 3 year plan to re-vitalize the department's programs and their response to youth needs. Today was the final day of their consultation sessions and we found out what came out fo the sessions:

Prom Fashion For a Good Cause
"Armo Belize" is hosting a Prom expo and fashion show tomorrow at the SCA auditorium. It's a fundraising event to help 10 year old Lucite Chable . She is a kidney failure patient who needs your help to survive. Armo Belize founder Duane Moody told us more.  It's $5 to enter the expo which begins from 9 tomorrow morning to 3:00 . The fashion show begins at  7 pm . Entrance For The fashion show is $25 for general and $50 for VIP. 

Gayle's Reasoning
And, finally tonight we have two last clips from Dr. Herbert Gayle's presentation on the failure of crime suppression from the lecture he delivered a week ago.   He discussed a crime phenomenon which is happening right now - where crime suppression operations in urban areas force gangs to expand their base of operations to new areas - such as Punta Gorda.  

Channel 5

Pesero Recounts Terrifying Robbery Experience
Six men are in police detention following a brazen armed robbery at the northern border on Thursday morning but no charges has been levied on them as yet. The group [...]

Family of Alleged Robber Claims Police Mistreatment
One of the robbers who was injured during the shootout with police at the northern border is twenty-four year old Randolph Crawford. He was shot on both legs and according [...]

A Peaceful Protest by Belize Peace Movement
A small protest was held today in front of The Inspiration Centre where the Elections & Boundaries Department was meeting with monitors for the upcoming Referendum on April tenth. Leading [...]

BPM calls on Prime Minister to back off from Judiciary
The Peace Movement is also calling on Prime Minister Dean Barrow to back off from the judiciary. The organization is responding to comments made by P.M. Barrow with respect to [...]

A Coastguard Outpost in Barranco?
Minister of National Security John Saldivar was in Punta Gorda today and reportedly led a large civilian delegation under joint military and coastguard patrol to the Sarstoon River.  The trip [...]

Baby Zela Departs Country for Special Care in U.S.A.
Eighteen-month-old burn victim Zela Usher left the country this afternoon. She is on her way to Galveston, Texas, where she will receive treatment at the burn unit at Shriners Hospital. [...]

A man is convicted for the sexual assault of his sister-in-law
Twenty-four-year-old Stephan Pasos was convicted today for inappropriately touching a twenty-one-year-old woman who is his sister-in-law. Pasos appeared before Magistrate Emerson Banner and pleaded guilty to sexual assault, telling the [...]

A meeting for Monitors for Referendum Day
With forty more days to go until Referendum Day on April tenth, today the Elections and Boundaries Department met with organizations who are represented in that National Assembly. The department [...]

International Observers Will be Present for I.C.J. Referendum
The Elections and Boundaries Department is gearing up for referendum day. The Chief Elections Officer Josephine Tamai today told the media that section six of the Referendum Act states that [...]

2,500 Plus Disallowed Voters IS a Huge Number!
Tamai was asked a number of issues in respect of Referendum day. Earlier this week she said on Open Your Eyes that  two thousand and five hundred plus persons have [...]

Voter ID Cards ready!
The Elections and Boundaries Department has begun issuing Voter ID cards for persons who registered in April 2018. According to Josephine Tamai,ID cards will also be distributed by Elections and Boundaries [...]

Bar to Receive Legal Opinion on I.C.J.
A legal opinion the Belize/Guatemala Dispute has been obtained by The Bar Association of Belize. It is crafted by international law expert, Professor Stephen Vascianne, CD. According to a release [...]

Bush fire spreads to Xtra House Compound
Shortly after five on Thursday evening, a fire broke out inside the Extra House compound on the George Price Highway. Fire officials say that the blaze didn’t destroy any of [...]

Fire Department shares fire safety tips!
During these coming months, bush fires are common across the country. Today the Fire Department shared tips on how you can help to prevent these fires from causing loss of [...]

Agriculture CEO Says Soybean is Indeed Restricted
Soybean producers in Little Belize are in the red and they are desperately trying to find a new market for roughly seven million pounds of the legume which is being [...]

Introducing the Belize Climate Resilient Infrastructure Project
The presentation of the Belize National Land Use Policy Implementation Road Map and Action Plan was held in Belize City this morning by the Ministry of Natural Resources.  It forms [...]

What Does Climate Resilient Infrastructure Entail?
The roll-out will see the restoration of a stretch of road between Vista del Mar and Biscayne on the Phillip Goldson Highway to meet climate resilient specifications.  According to Project [...]

First ever female entrepreneurship program launched!
The Belize Trade and Investment Development Service, through support from the Regional Center of Promotion for MSME (CENPROMYPE) and funds from the U.S. State Department, launched a project called the [...]

Belize & Cuba renew cooperation agreement
Belize and the Republic of Cuba renewed their cooperation agreement in support of the Cuban Medical Brigade. The one year agreement was signed with the expectation that Cuba will continue [...]

BNTU Prez Comments on B.M.H.S Woes
Earlier in the month, the teachers at Bishop Martin High School in Orange Walk Town staged a sit out as a way to force the administration to address thorny issues [...]

Muffles Teacher Still On Administrative Leave
And while the administration at Bishop Martin High School is at odds with its teachers, at Muffles College High School one female teacher is fighting to remain employed. The third [...]

Child Stimulation Month Kicks Off with Grand Parade
Every year we cover activities relating to Child Stimulation Month. The entire month of March is dedicated to highlighting the importance of early childhood education. This morning, four thousand children [...]

Anigi – a new book by Govel Morgan Jr.
Punta Gorda native and author Govel Morgan Junior recently published his book entitled “Anigi” on the international market. According to Morgan, while the book was originally published in the late [...]

LOVE FM

Art and Public Space
The Street Art Festival was held last weekend in downtown Belize City. While the stalls and art work are quickly assembled and downtown is restored to its normal state within hours, there is one iconic piece that has remained behind. It is the Mexican Embassy’s contribution to the festival which has found a permanent place …

BAR Association received Legal Opinion on the Belize/Guatemala Dispute
The Bar Association of Belize has received a Legal Opinion on the Belize/Guatemala Dispute by international law expert, Professor Stephen Vascianne. The Opinion examines the Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute with reference to international law principles and, in the same vein, evaluates strengths and possible weaknesses of Belize’s case if the dispute were submitted for determination by …

Family of accused robber says police are denying him proper medical attention
Tonight, the family of one of the accused robbers who assaulted and took cash from money exchangers at the Santa Elena border in Corozal is calling on the police to provide one of the detained perpretators with proper medical attention. Late this afternoon, Mansfield Phillips, uncle to 24-year-old, Randolph Crawford told our newsroom that his …

Rotary Club Belize City joins ICJ referendum campaign
The Rotary Club of Belize City joined the education campaign on taking the Belize Guatemala dispute to the International Court of Justice. It hosted a crossfire discussion on Wednesday at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts. Here is a look at some of the highlights of the evening. Dalia Ical: “The Rotary ICJ Crossfire …

Elections and Boundaries meets with monitors for referendum
With less than two months to go for the referendum, the Elections and Boundaries Department is making preparations for the referendum. Earlier today, a meeting took place at the Inspiration Centre with the referendum monitors appointed by representatives in Belize’s National Assembly. Chief Elections Officer, Josephine Tamai told the media that the purpose of the …

BPM protests being excluded from Election & Boundaries meeting
While the appointed referendum monitors were in meeting with the Elections and Boundaries Department this afternoon at the Inspiration Centre in Belize City, the Belize Peace Movement stood outside with placards in protest. The Belize Peace Movement had demanded earlier this week that they be included in monitoring the referendum but their demands played no …

Child Stimulation Month Across the Nation
Some studies show that 85 percent of brain development occurs by age 5. This is reason why parents and guardians should do everything to stimulate the minds of kids in those precious early years. It can be a task as simply teaching them to read and write. Across the country today, educators and parents of …

ANIGI- Belizean Literature available in E-Book Format
In a modern era, reading is becoming a lost art for kids who prefer audio visuals and interactive technology to the pages of a printed book. But for authors, the task is not only finding the right language for his audience, but to find the right vehicle to deliver the message. Belizean author Govel A. …

Belize’s National A Female team takes a challenge from Tennessee
The Football Federation of Belize (FFB) is hosting an international friendly game between a female team from Tennessee who will be challenging Belize’s National A Female team. Yashmin Juan, the communications and marketing Director for the FFB says it will be an exciting game and portions of the ticket sales will be donated to a …

Amandala

Brazen early morning robbery at Northern Border
Six brazen criminals targeted money changers at the Northern Border early this morning in a robbery that failed miserably. They were able to steal the businessmen’s cash, but were all apprehended by police before they could get away. The entire incident, which began around 7:15 a.m., was captured by surveillance footage, which is still making its rounds on social media. In the footage, a green SUV is seen driving up to where the money changers are usually located – under a shed almost directly across from the border station where people going to Mexico go in to get their passport stamped.

Diesel reaches $10, as pump prices rise yet again
Around the end of last year, gas prices were slowly decreasing, giving Belizeans some welcome relief at the pumps. That relief, however, is now gone, as gas prices have risen yet again, making this the sixth time since the start of 2019 that fuel prices have increased. The last increase took place a mere 12 days ago, on February 16, with the price of regular gas increasing by 10 cents and the price of premium gas by 12 cents. It is the price of diesel and kerosene, however, that have been raised in this most recent increase.

Mentally ill man freed after spending 9 years on remand without a trial
Luke McFadzean, a resident of Hattieville who was indicted on charges of attempted murder and use of deadly means of harm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and has been on remand since 2010 at the Belize Central Prison, walked out of the Supreme Court of Justice Colin Williams on Monday morning, leaving his legal troubles behind. McFadzean, 33, apparently fell into the cracks of the criminal justice system and has been languishing on remand indefinitely since he was charged on February 26, 2010, because he is a person who suffers from “moderate mental retardation and schizophrenia,” his psychiatric evaluation says.

Grayson Cadle, 22, burn survivor, returns home
In July of 2018, 22-year-old Grayson Cadle’s life was forever changed when a butane tank explosion almost caused him to lose his life. Fortunately, Grayson survived the incident and he’s ready to continue his life as normally as possible. July 9, around 4:30 p.m., is when the incident happened. A loud bang could be heard blocks away, and witnesses said they saw a man who was on fire, run out of a house. Today, Grayson was able to clear up some of the rumors surrounding the incident. He told us that it was a normal day for him, and that when he arrived home from working at Protel BPO Call Center, the first thing he needed to do was use the bathroom. So he stripped off his work clothes – down to his boxers and undershirt – and went into the bathroom.

Double murder leaves PG shaken up
Punta Gorda Town has always been known as a peaceful paradise for its residents. As of late, however, the town has seen an increase in crime. Just last month, a man was murdered right outside his home and police suspect that the murder is related to a double murder which occurred last night. Details are currently sparse, but in a press briefing held at the police’s headquarters in Belmopan, Senior Superintendent Sandra Bodden, Southern Regional Commander, explained that when police were alerted to the murders, they went to the Punta Gorda Hospital, where they saw the body of Kevin Moro, 30.

Vital Statistics Unit – a millstone around the necks of Belizean voters
The Vital Statistics Unit, which has been removed from the control of the Judiciary and now falls under the Attorney General’s Ministry, is a department that is key to the democratic process of Belize, its function being complementary to the Elections and Boundaries Department, which compiles the voters list. But since the re-registration exercise began last July, there have been a lot of public complaints about what has been transpiring at the Vital Statistics Unit. A considerable number of Belizeans have been disenfranchised because they were unable to access their documents from the Vital Statistics Unit when they applied to get them. As it now stands, the new voters list is almost 71,000 voters shorter than the previous list, and some of the reasons for this shortfall can be laid at the door of the Vital Statistics Unit.

Cricket Corner – Bandits and Excellence, showdown of the day; Summer Fever mash up Northern Spirit
Pleasant time of the day to all cricket players, fans and supporters! Under the auspices of the Belize National Cricket Association, I am pleased to tell you about games played over the weekend in the Harrison Parks 2019 Cricket Competition, sponsored by the Bowen and Bowen Company. Before getting into game stats, just let me say I was privileged to be in Belmopan on Saturday. Thanks for the hospitality I enjoyed, given to me by Mr. Denton Belisle, the manager of the Bandits Cricket Club. Thanks very much, family. During my time there I happened to see and talk to an old friend, (inset) Mr. Narval Belisle, a veteran cricket player who played for Excelsior Cricket Team of St. Paul’s Bank, Police and Belmopan Cricket teams. He is an all-rounder. Bowling was his main area; and he was very good at it. Blessings, Mr. Belisle!

City Boys 10 & Under Grassroots Week 1 results; Week 2 games at Yabra Field
Hello, Football Family! The 3rd Annual City Boys 10 & Under Grassroots Football Tournament 2019 regular season got under way with 3 games played on Saturday, February 23, at the Cumberbatch Football Field (Cor. Fabers Road and Caesar Ridge). In game 1, St. John Vianney and Belize United FC played to a 1-1 draw. Jaren Young shook the net for St. John Vianney, while Malik Martinez hit the target for Belize United.

Baron Bliss Harbour Regatta on Sunday, March 10, at BTL Park
The Harbour Regatta Committee, under the patronage of His Excellency Sir Colville Young, announces the 91st Baron Bliss Regatta to be held in front of the BTL Park, Belize City on Sunday, March 10, on the “traditional” course. The course will be marked by buoys near the Radisson Fort George Pier, northern tip of Northern Drowned Cayes and the Fisheries in a triangle shape. The Committee Boat will be near shore of the BTL Park and be the anchor mark of the start and finish lines. At 9:00 a.m., off the Committee Boat, there will be a brief Memorial Ceremony and two minutes of silence to remember John Oliver and Dean Lindo, our members lost during the past year, as follows: The horn will sound and the National Flag will be lowered.

Corozal F.A. U-tournaments continue to be a success
This week marked our third week of ongoing football U-tournaments at the Ricalde Stadium. It continues to be a success. Seeing the big smile in each player from as young as 7 years to 18 years, makes our day and keeps motivating us to strive for the best. It gives us the satisfaction that what we are doing is right, and it is impacting these young pre-teens and teenagers for a better tomorrow. Through sports they are able to develop on their skills, persona, and social development. This week we want to recognize a young player that motivated us last year to start off the U-10 tournament. He has been playing football from an early age and, as acknowledged by his parents, through football, he has been able to be a better person, and has been able to perform well in school, and as a motivation he is supported to engage in football.

Editorial: 2019-20 budget likely to be huge on borrowing
The leader of our country, Prime Minister Barrow, dropped a comment at the recent Business Forum held at the Belize City Civic Center about a published paper he had read that doesn’t share the fear some economists have of heavy borrowing by governments. While no one of sound mind condemns borrowing, neither in the private or government context, countries that are carrying heavy debt burdens, like ours, are advised to step cautiously. With three of Belize’s top foreign exchange earners down – sugar, citrus, and shrimp – we expect the Prime Minister to borrow heavily to prop up, cover shortfalls in the upcoming budget, which is slated to be presented to the nation in March. Most financial experts agree that all systems are on go for a country with a debt to GDP ratio between 60% and 80% (debt to GDP ratio indicates the number of years a country would need to pay back its debt if the country’s GDP is dedicated entirely to paying it off).

A safe landing
When you think on seven billion minds on the planet, none the same, you have to marvel at the giant capacity of the Maker. Multi-faceted is not sufficient, nowhere near so, to describe the mind that created us all. If you’re a person who likes to think, your mouth would always be agape, because there’s such great wonder in all these seven billion minds. If you were a nice person, your mind wouldn’t proceed to ponder the absolute disaster that also resides in seven billion little minds running wild on earth. You can color me a nice person — I would too — because I never go beyond contemplating all the wonderful capabilities that reside in the seven billion minds. Don’t tell me anything about the bad that resides in seven billion minds, because I don’t want to hear it.

“Final Warning”
During the Heads of Agreement insurrection by the Belizean people in 1981, I supported Bro.Odinga Lumumba’s actions one hundred percent. In that instant, the Belizean people successfully rejected, in essence, the Webster Proposals wrapped and repackaged as the Heads of Agreement. Since then, with the insistence of Belizean politicians both past and present, along with career bureaucrats, they have successfully pushed the nation into the abyss of the real possibility of altering its long-established and internationally recognized borders.

Yes to the ICJ: by Manuel Esquivel
Belizean history has often been influenced by forces beyond the control of its people; by the British, the Spanish and later the Guatemalans. However, by their decision to stay and defend their homes against a large Spanish invasion force in 1798, Belizeans showed that they are not mere pawns in the games of more powerful players. The resulting Battle of St. George’s Caye was the last attempt by the Spanish to take the territory of what is now Belize by force. The unfounded Guatemalan claim to all or part of Belize delayed our attainment of independence by twenty years and continues to depress our economic potential. Several parties have an interest in resolving the issue but all past attempts at negotiation, and there have been many, have failed and there is no reason to think that new negotiations would be any more successful.

Musings of the Curious Non-Conformist
This week the Department of Youth Services under the Government of Belize in collaboration with the Commonwealth hosted an event to launch Belize’s march toward mainstreaming youth development in national planning. In attendance were most major stakeholders who work for and with youth, including the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Patrick Faber; directors of youth from across the Caribbean, and university students, among others. I was asked to deliver the youth address that set out a youth perspective on youth issues in Belize. The following is what was delivered: “Today, I have been charged with the incredibly nerve-racking but exciting duty of laying out the foundation of perspectives on youth development through my 22-year-old eyes that sometimes behave as if they are three scores and 10 years old.

Belize City Council tries to address huge manhole problem
After being in control of management of the city for three terms (9 years) the United Democratic Party (UDP) city council under the leadership of Mayor Darrell Bradley fell short of completely covering all of the city’s manholes, even after it had negotiated and obtained a three-year loan for $300,000 to carry out the task. So, the problem was inherited by the incoming People’s United Party (PUP) city council of Mayor Bernard Wagner, which found itself exposed to potential legal claims as a consequence of open manholes that resulted in personal injuries to a few city residents.

1970s Charger sweeper, Felix Lino passes
At the sports desk we received the sad news last weekend about the passing of former football star of the 1970s, Felix Lino a.k.a. The Flea, who was the outstanding sweeper for the Charger football team that was second to Chito’s Rangers in the 1977-78 Belize City Football Competition. Following the 1976-77 City season, when Charger had blown a 2-nil lead to lose 4-2 to White Label in the championship game, there were some personnel changes. Felix Lino arrived from Honduras to join the team for the 1977-78 season under new head coach, Tony Alford, the legendary “One Foot Man” from Esperanza.

Thomas Shannon, 73, beaten and robbed at home
Steve Crawford, Jr., 23, and Karil Sanchez, 21, both laborers of Belize City, have been arrested and charged with aggravated burglary, theft and handling stolen goods. They were arrested in Hattieville on Sunday when they were found in a vehicle stolen from Thomas Shannon, 73, an American living in Hopkins, who told police that he was beaten in his house by two armed thieves who then stole his vehicle.

18-month-old baby badly burnt
An 18-month-old baby girl is currently at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital trying to recover after her body was badly burnt during a small house fire. According to police reports, the disastrous incident occurred on Tuesday, February 26, around 5:30 p.m. The baby’s mother, Aaronie Gamboa, 25, told police that she was at home in Punta Gorda Town with her daughter, Vela Usher, when an electrical outlet in Vela’s room caught fire.

The Reporter

Taiwan Promises Medical Partnership With Belize
By Marion Ali- Belize stands to benefit from a medical partnership established with a hospital in Taiwan, through assistance from the Embassy of Taiwan in Belize. This week, ...

SINS OF THE FATHERS !
By Major Lloyd Jones. Last month a letter from the Roman Catholic Bishop of Belize, Bishop Nicasio sent shock waves throughout Belize. In his letter Bishop Nicasio informed his diocese ...

First Ever Trade Policy Introduced
By Marion Ali- There is now a national trade policy in place that will govern how Belize conducts business over the next ten years. On Thursday, the Ministry ...

AG & PUP Clash
News Staff- A video, taken from a hidden cell phone inside the vault at the former Vital Statistics office, and showing an employee for the UDP making notes ...

Still Earning His Keep At 93!
While many people in the work force plan their retirement and look forward to that day when they no longer have to get up and fend for a living, there ...

Accountant Robbed At Gunpoint
By Marion Ali- An accountant was robbed at gunpoint as he walked on King Street on Thursday in Belize City. The victim, whose name we withhold until the ...

EDITORIAL – March 1st.
By Mr. Henry Lawrence. The Guatemalan position, that it can use its Congress and Constitutional Assembly to pass resolutions that affect Belize’s borders is based on a misconception. The man...

LOOK AT THIS !
reporter.bz-REPORTER NEWSPAPER -News Staff- The first issue is about a rescued Jaguar. This not-so-old Jaguar was being kept in captivity in southern Belize. The Forest Department urgently wanted to remove...

Mayor Has Goods? Goodin Clueless!
Since the news of the outburst at City Hall between Councillor Micah Goodin and City Administrator Stephanie Lindo-Garbutt, and the subsequent stripping of Goodin of his...

Former Wanted Mexican Official Captured in Belize; Released
A former Mexican government official, Gonzalo Abelardo Herrera Castilla, 50, who was wanted in his country, and who was found last week in Belize with un-customed goods and a stash...

Breaking Belize News

Belmopan residents face off with authorities and prevent demolition
On Thursday, BBN reported that RECONDEV demolished the home of a squatter in the Maya Mopan […]

SBDC launches female entrepreneurship programme
The Small Business Development Center (SBDC Belize), a unit of BELTRAIDE launched its first ever entrepreneurship programme […]

Elections and Boundaries hosts referendum workshop
The Elections and Boundaries Commission held a workshop today, teaching stakeholders how to be monitors for the […]

Eighteen murders reported over first two months of 2019
Our count at Breaking Belize News shows – pending none reported over the next few hours […]

Sandra Hall is US Embassy’s March Wonder Woman!
Sandra Pollard Hall is the US Embassy’s March Woman of the Month. Every month, the […]

Belize Peace Movement protesting
The Belize Peace Movement (BPM) is protesting in front of The Inspiration Center on the […]

Child Stimulation Month launched with Pre-school Parade
Pre-school students and teachers across Belize are today parading in celebration of the official launch of Child […]

Belize, OAS and Guatemala collaborate to protect natural resources
A historic declaration was signed today by Belizean and Guatemalan Non-Governmental Organizations to reaffirm their commitments […]

Belize and Guatemalan conservation organizations sign historic declaration
Over 20 Non-Governmental organizations yesterday attended the ceremony for the signing of a declaration for continuous […]

Special Envoy to host forum on ‘Hate Crimes ‘
Given the recent increase in cyber bullying and other hate crimes, the office of the Special […]

Compol congratulates officers for swift response to robbery in Corozal
Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, issued a statement congratulating the Belize Police Department, for their continuous […]

Blogs

Annual Street Art Festival lights up Belize City
Belize’s happiness ratio is probably due to the fact that the country hosts an array of festive events throughout the year. These festivals feature a focus on Belizean culture, particularly ethnicity, food and traditions. One of them is the highly-anticipated colourful Street Art Festival held annually in downtown Belize City, where thousands of Belizeans and visitors convened for a date with art, music, entertainment and food. One of the most popular activities is the ‘Side Walk Chalk’ competition that showcases the talent of Belizean artists. This year’s participants explored their creativity with patriotic and informative pieces reflecting the theme ‘Your Appointment with History: April 10, 2019.’ On this date, Belizeans will be asked to participate in a national referendum on whether to settle the Guatemalan territorial claim to Belize at the International Court of Justice.

Beauty Under the Sea
Sometimes when diving you get lucky enough to experience such breathtaking beauty that it actually is hard to even put into words. Our dive at Turneffe Atoll was one of those experiences. We came upon this amazing Spotted Eagle Ray gliding through the Caribbean Sea, seemingly without a care in the world. This magnificent creature’s wing span made it appear as if he was flying through the air. He either had no idea we were above him, or if he did, he was clearly showing off his splendid grace as he soared by the coral. If you get a chance to dive or snorkel at Turneffe Atoll, you won’t be disappointed at all the underwater life you will encounter!

International Sources

Caribbean Commits to IMO Standards
Caribbean States and Territories have re-affirmed their commitment to implementing International Maritime Organization (IMO) standards for safe, secure and sustainable shipping. According to the UN body, this is part of wider efforts to intensify investments and harness the full potential of the oceans, rivers and lakes to accelerate economic growth, create jobs and fight poverty.

‘El Norte’ and ‘América’ Review: The Improbable Empire
Spain’s hold on its New World territories was remarkably weak, depending on the goodwill of local elites to enforce its decrees. How did it remain in power for centuries? Juan Evans, the last great Spanish explorer of the Americas, raised the royal banner over a Mandan settlement on the Upper Missouri in September 1796. His orders were to befriend those natives, frustrate the unholy alliance between the British and the fledgling United States, promote commerce and pioneer a new route across the continent. But Evans had an ulterior, personal motive. He was a newly naturalized Spaniard, one who hardly spoke Spanish but was fluent in his native Welsh—part of a sodality of nationalists who aimed to pry Wales from the British crown, or, failing that, to found a new Wales in America.

Videos

March 1, 2019

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Specials and Events

Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, and other specials

The San Pedro Sun

Pump prices for diesel and kerosene go up
Another increase in fuel was announced by the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday, February 26th, for diesel oil and kerosene. As of Wednesday, February 27th, diesel fuel will increase from $9.97 to $10.30 per gallon, while Kerosene will increase from $7.45 to $7.74 per gallon.

SPRCS observes Cultural Day 2019!
The San Pedro Roman Catholic School hosted its annual Cultural Day Fair on Friday, February 22nd. Throughout the day students represented various cultural groups found in the country, which included the East Indian, Mestizo, Creole, Maya, Garinagu, Mennonites, Chinese and even the Lebanese among others. Cultural Day kicked off at 9AM with cultural performances such as Creole Brukdong and even the Garifuna Jankunu, and traditional East Indian dances. From 10AM to 3PM, Parents and visitors were invited to observe a wide array of cultural booths. Each booth featured an ethnic group, and spectators learned about the history, language, clothing, lifestyle and dances of each. Attendees even had the opportunity to sample the most popular dishes of each culture represented.

Youth mainstreaming with Commonwealth support
The Commonwealth Secretariat will fully support Belizean youth in their empowerment for greater participation in our economy and society. This was the message when the Secretariat hosted a consultation on youth mainstreaming at the Best Western Biltmore Plaza Hotel in Belize City from Wednesday, February 27th through Friday, March 1st. “We must respect our young people” affirmed Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Hon. Patrick Faber, who not too long ago was president of the National Youth Commission in 1996!

National Garifuna Council San Pedro Branch elects new board members
The National Garifuna Council (NGC) San Pedro Branch elected new board members on Sunday, February 24th. The new elected board members of the local chapter of the NGC include Eden Velasquez as President, Alex Noralez as Vice President, Jhoice Ordonez as Secretary, Shaniel Soriano as Assistant Secretary, Miguel Bulnes as Treasurer, Amancia Martinez as Assistant Treasurer, and Elsy Witty and Celia Bulnes as committee members.

Ambergris Today

Belize Ministry Of Health Signs Cooperation Agreements With Cuba And Taiwan
A cooperation agreement was signed on Wednesday, February 27, 2019, with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Public Health, Republic of Cuba. The agreement signed was towards agreeing on terms of the medical brigade program to continue in the strengthening and development of the health system in Belize.

Over 2,600 Golden Citizens Benefit From BEL's Golden Citizen Program
Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) hosted a ceremony on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 to honor some of the 2019 beneficiaries of its Golden Citizen Program. The Company is providing 2,665 Golden Citizens countrywide with a credit of up to 60 kilowatt hours on their monthly electricity bills. Annual awardees are selected randomly from among Belizeans age 65 or older with an active electricity account registered in their name at their residence. Waivers of fees for other services are also granted.

Misc Belizean Sources

Belize Thrills Adventure Enthusiasts in Denver, Colorado!
February 23 and 24, 2019 at the Colorado Convention Center. The Belize Hotel Association's, Past-President Leisa Carr- Caceres and Treasurer, Rudy Gonzalez were there in Denver Colorado, representing our Members and promoting travel to our beautiful Jewel, Belize. Denver is known as the adventure capital of the USA with a high population of adventure travelers looking for vacation options that include diving, hiking, ziplining, caving etc. The BHA booth was constantly busy with show attendees asking for information on Belize, places to stay, and "must-do" activities while in the country. Of course visiting the Blue Hole, was on most of their "bucket lists".

Belize brings Sunny Vacation Plans to Snowy Toronto!
Adventure and Travel Show, which took place at the International Centre, in Mississauga, Toronto. As expected, the BHA booth was very busy with visitors looking for an exciting vacation in warm and sunny temperatures. All visitors to the booth, knew about Belize and hoped to visit soon. Several had already booked their flights and were looking for recommendations for places to stay. The new 2019 BHA Hotel Guide was a crucial showpiece at this event and all copies were quickly snatched up by the attendees.

Minister of Works Tours Bridge Replacement & Highway Rehabilitation Projects
ntero and CEO for the Ministry Errol Gentle, toured and inspected ongoing infrastructure works on the George Price Highway. The works inspected included the Roaring Creek Bridge replacement and the rehabilitation of the George Price Highway from that bridge all the way to Blackman Eddy and Iguana Creek Bridge on the Spanish Lookout Access Road. This also included the restructuring and widening of the highway at the dangerous Z-Curve.

Shooting incident at our Santa Elena, Corozal border
The Guardian has confirmed that there was a shooting incident at the Northern Border in Corozal. Two men are in police custody. Information so far suggests that armed robbers held up the money changers at the border, however police officers in civilian clothing were able to respond and fired at the criminals. There was an exchange of gunfire during which the thieves sped off inside a vehicle. That chase was short lived as the men were caught shortly thereafter inside a bullet ridden vehicle.

Prime Minister Departs the Country on Personal Leave
The Office of the Prime Minister informs that the Prime Minister the Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow departed the country, today, February 28th on personal leave. The Prime Minister will return to Belize on Monday, March 4, 2019. During the Prime Minister’s absence, the Hon. Patrick Faber, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports, will hold over as Prime Minister.

National Agriculture and Trade Show 2019
The National Agriculture and Trade Show (NATS) Committee, under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, hereby informs the public that the National Agriculture and Trade Show 2019 will be held on April 26, 27 and 28, 2019 under the theme “Innovations in Technology: Driving a Climate Resilient and Competitive Agriculture and Food Sector”. Preparation of the grounds is currently underway and the committee informs that the reservation and sale of concession stands, food stalls, open spots and commercial booths have commenced. Right of first refusal will be granted to 2018 lease holders and as such those vendors will have until March 16, 2019 to confirm their desire to re-establish their booth leases by contacting NATS Headquarters. This preference exists EXCEPT where there was a reconfiguration of the grounds and/or removal of booths, in which case that space is no longer available for rental.

Here is the Parade Line Up and the Parade Route for Saturday's Carnaval Parade
March 2nd, 2019!

"El Pilar" exhibition in Corozal
The Corozal Public Library Invite the General Public to come and be a part of the "El Pilar" exhibition. You can bring your medicinal plants or invite a friend that is a Healer or fascinated with Medicinal plants.

Ministry of Health fogging yards on Caye Caulker
Ministry of Health would like to advise the public that they will be around fogging yards. If you would like for them to fog your yard, please call our office at 226 0043 to make arrangements.

Part of Front Street to be barricaded on weekends on Caye Caulker
The Caye Caulker Village Council would like to advise the public that the front street from the corner of Fantasy Dinning to Amigos will be barracaded on weekends from 6:00p.m. to 6:00a.m. for the purpose of allowing the free flow of locals and residents to walk through the area. Please respect barracaded area. Thank you CCVC.

BTIA Corozal Coconut Festival
SAVE THE DATE! BTIA Corozal Coconut Festival to be held on March 29 & 30th.

Chiquibul Challenge Marathon Fundraiser
The Belize Wildlife Referral Clinic has started a crowdfunding site to help in their goal of protecting the Scarlet Macaw. The Chiquibul Challenge Marathon is just over 2 weeks away. It happens on Sunday, March 17th. You can help save the beautiful Scarlet Macaw!Become a fundraiser as part of the Chiquibul Challenge Marathon 2019 today and help raise money for the Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic (BWRC) AND the Friends for Conservation and Development. As a fundraiser you can raise 20 times more than a single donor to protect this rare bird.

Paradise Theater playing this weekend
Second Act, Isn't it Romantic, Vox Lux, Spiderman

The archaeological lab at the Caracol Archaeological Reserve featuring Dr Arlen Chase

Museum Closed a few days
Please be informed that the Museum of Belize will be closed from Thursday, February 28th, to Saturday, March 2nd, 2019. We will re-open on Monday, March 4th. We apologize for any inconveniences caused.

Channel 7

Shootout With Cops and Border Robbers
It is rare we hear about anyone being at the "right place at the right time"; in fact, it's usually the opposite that happens! But, this morning around 7:15, a team of police were exactly where they needed to be when a band of organized outlaws robbed several money changers at the Northern border. It turned into a highway shootout - where the cops caught the robbers. Courtney Weatherburne has the run down. It was just another day at the Northern border until a gang of 5 masked armed robbers emerged from this Ford Escape with handguns and an assault rifle. They stormed after 7 money changers and snatched their cash bags. The men then dashed to their getaway vehicle and the driver raced off, leaving the terrified money changers on the pavement.

Burnt Infant One Step Closer To Burn Center
Last night, we told you about Zaela Usher, the 18 month-old from Punta Gorda who was severely severe burnt in an electrical house fire. Police say her mother, 25 year old Aaronie Gamboa, reported that sometime around 5:00 that evening, an electrical outlet in a bedroom caught on fire, which lit a curtain, which in turn fell on the baby, leaving her with burns to 45% of her body. Our colleagues from Love TV spoke with Gamboa today, and she said that it was actually a piece of sponge that caught on fire. She risked burn injuries herself to get her baby out of the fire. She asked to appear off camera:

PG Man Charged For Shooting At Home
And keeping it in Punta Gorda, police have charged 27 year old Aduan Usher for opening fire on a home on Monday around noon. The Head of National crimes Investigation told us more today from Headquarters in Belmopan: ACP Joseph Myvette, Head of NCIB: "In reference to the Queen street daylight shooting in PG, police has since arrested and charged Aduane Usher 27 years of a Punta Gorda address for two counts of aggravated assault, 1 count of attempted murder in relation to another incident which he was involved in..."

Police Commish Goes To Town Meeting in PG
Needless to say, all this violence has PG Town residents reeling. They are just not used to this level and intensity of violence - it's foreign to them. And, frankly, they blame the politicians and police for exporting Belize City style violence to their tranquil southern home. On Friday, Commissioner Chester Williams - who subtly straddles the world between policing and politics - is going down for a town meeting tomorrow at the PG Sports Complex. He told us more:... Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: "I want to again say to the people of Punta Gorda we remain in Punta Gorda on high alert, we have out operations team on the ground still and I will be there tomorrow. I have announced that the public meeting would have been at 6 pm but that time has now changed to 5 pm..."

Cops Wins Defamation Suit Against Attorney
Deputy Commissioner of Police Edward Broaster has won a major libel case against attorney Oscar Selgado. The Supreme Court has ruled that Selgado must pay Broaster $42,500 dollars because he unfairly slandered him on national television. Back in May 2015, when Broaster was a Senior Superintendent in charge of Eastern Division, Selgado blasted him on the evening news - making aspersions against Broaster. He also accused Broaster of inappropriate behavior as a member of law enforcement. In response, Broaster sued him for libel and slander, and after months of litigation, Justice Michelle Arana made a ruling yesterday. She found that Broaster and his attorney Mikhail Arguelles proved their case against Selgado.

What A First National Trade Policy Means
Belize's first National Trade Policy was launched this morning. It's the product of years of work with technical assistance from the Commonwealth Secretariat - and, today, we found out the significance when it was launched at the Princess Ramada. Minister of State for Trade, Tacy Taegar Panton said it should help towards evening out Belize's trade imbalance:..

Can Minister Get Belize Sugar into CSME?
And ASR/BSI is also doing some hoping on the trade front. They hope that they can get their sugars into the CARICOM market under the terms of CARICOM Single Market and Economy. Actually, it's more than a hope - no less than the future viability of the sugar industry is riding on it. Minister of State Panton is the one advancing this case at the COTED level, that's the Council for Trade and Economic Development. We asked her how hard Belize is really pushing for Direct Consumption Sugars:... Jules Vasquez, reporter: "We are not serious about effecting trade into CARICOM if we can't get our own good Caribbean sugar into the CSME."

A Conservation Kumbaya At Border
When it comes to Belize - Guatemala relations, cooperation and good faith aren't the first words that come to mind. But today at the OAS office in Benque, it was all about that good 'ole neighborly love after civil society groups from both countries signed a declaration of good intent, agreeing to work together to protect our shared natural resources. Even though the Guatemalan encroachers and bandits could care less about this agreement, FCD Executive Director Rafael Manzanero says he has confidence in the Guatemalan NGO's to help safe guard the environment. Here is more.

PUP Western Caucus Slams One Of Its Own
And while it was a definite kumbaya moment at the Western border, the PUP Western Caucus isn't one bit happy with Assad Shoman - who - about four decades ago used to be a leading light of that very same caucus. The Caucus today issued an angry statement - demanding answers about Shoman's NGO - the Citizens for the Defence of Sovereignty - called "CDS." The caucus statement says is quote, "(calling) on the Barrow administration to clarify its relationship with CDS headed by Cuban resident and former Belize Foreign Minister Assad Shoman .

Ministry of Works Goes On Public Relations Press
And, keeping it in the west, the Ministry of Works went on a public relations full court press yesterday. They took major flak last week when UDP preferred contractor Imer Hernandez signed a 20 million dollar contract to finish the Western Highway up to Santa Elena. So, the Minister of Works and his CEO yesterday toured and inspected ongoing infrastructure works on the George Price Highway - including the new Roaring Creek Bridge and the widening of the famous deadman curve outside Camalote. Though the project is over-budget and behind schedule, they said the end product will be quality and a really high road:..

Protect Your Pup Against Distemper
If you have a dog as a pet, you'll need to pay attention to our next story - but if you're squeamish, you might want to take a little break form the news . The vet association of Belize is reporting that there's an outbreak of canine distemper. It's a viral condition which started appearing at clinics in October. It's a concern because it could kill your dog or puppy. The Animal Medical Center in Belize City has seen close to 40 cases since October and they told us what you should look out for. Jane Crawford, veterinarian, Animal medical Center "If they have a pet that hasn't been vaccinated or is not up to date on their vaccination, and they notice any respiratory disease, any coughing, sneezing, runny nose, discharged from the eyes - those would be some of the first signs and symptoms that you would get from the disease.

No Case For Attempted Murder
One man who got good news today at court was 29 year-old Mathew Moore. He was charged with 2 counts of attempted murder, but the DPP's Office has entered a "nolle pros" against him which basically sets him free. Crown Counsel Killeru Awich told Justice Colin Williams today that the DPP's Office was discontinuing prosecution at this time because one of the victims Moore was accused of shooting, is dead, and the other does not want any further court action. So, Moore is no longer facing a criminal trial.

Making Tech Work For Conservation
Last night, we took you to Goff's Caye for a small preview of the technologies that conservationists are now putting to use to protect the world's terrestrial and marine reserves. The Wildlife Conservation Society organized a conference for participants from 10 nations within this region to explore how best to use the latest, high-tech pieces of equipment for the benefit of the environment. Chances are you've seen aerial drones before. If not, you've heard of them. These remotely operated rotocrafts behave like mini helicopters, and are usually match-made with very powerful cameras, to provide a wide aerial view of any location.

Bad Driver Almost Drove Through Chon Saan
She may have ordered take out - but she didn't say she wanted it at a drive thru! Last night, an out of control driver ran into the main entrance of one of Belize's busiest restaurants, Chon Saan. Fortunately, no one was hurt. Owner, Lee Mark Chang took the accident in good stride - posting on facebook that he'll consider opening a drive - through.

Lawless At La Popular
Last night, we told you about the two men who police arrested and charged for robbing La Popular Bakery on Logwood Street in Belize City. Well, we've since been provided with surveillance video of the crime in progress. It happened on Monday, and as you can see here, 2 men were there to conduct legitimate business. Two robbers then strolled in pretending to be customers, and they immediately turned around and headed directly for the cash register. The man to the far right, wearing a cap, pulled out a firearm, and pointed it at the cashier, while another man wearing a red cap darted behind the counter.

Bze Vehicle In Bad Bacalar Accident
There's a report tonight that Belizeans may have been involved in a terrible accident outside of Bacalar. A Jeep Renegade with Cayo plates C-38118 flipped over sometime this afternoon. The unidentified driver is reported to have died on the spot while the passenger is reportedly critical. Corozal Police have been asked to help their Mexican counterparts in identifying the victims. So if you have any information please call Corozal police.

Robbers Out West
Yesterday afternoon two thieves robbed a store owner in San Ignacio. They ran off with cash and other items. Police say they have one person in custody. Here's more from today's press briefing. ACP Joseph Myvette, Head of NCIB: "Also on yesterday's date sometime around 1:00 pm, San Ignacio police responded to a robbery at B&J store in San Ignacio where upon arrival, the proprietor of the store reported to them that sometime around 12:45 pm two male persons..."

Calculating Cop Trauma
And while the news is very often about crime - what about the police that have to deal with all that trauma - those accidents, those murders and shootings. Yesterday at the San Ignacio Hotel we saw a session which acknowledged their secondary trauma and sought to give them tools to deal with it: The one day course named Stress Management for Law Enforcement was held for 30 officers from across the country. Other sessions will be held.

Channel 5

Shootout In Corozal! Armed Robbers Target Peseros at Northern Border
A brazen armed robbery at the northern border this morning led to a shootout between police and armed robbers. Five masked men, at least three who were armed, robbed seven [...]

Compol says that the Police will continue to pursue criminals
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams had good words to say about the bravery of the cops who responded to the shootout at the border. He praised their bravery and said [...]

Police may be Closing in on the Killer or Killers of Double Murder
The tragic double murder in Punta Gorda on Monday night still has that southern municipality in shock. Kevin Moro and Oscar Humes, who were lifelong friends, were shot and killed [...]

Two charged with attempted murder in PG
Police say that while they have made arrests and charged two men for the shooting that happened prior to the double murder on Monday in Punta Gorda, they have not [...]

Baby Zela Still Critical At K.H.M.H
Eighteen-month-old Zela Usher remains in a critical condition at the K.H.M.H. after receiving severe burns to fifty percent of her little body on Tuesday evening. Baby Zela was at home [...]

Baby Zela ‘Not Moving’, Says Mother
Doctors are giving Baby Zela a fifty percent chance of survival. According to Gamboa, baby Zela isn’t responding.   Aaronie Gamboa, Mother of Zela Usher “Right now she is a [...]

RECONDEV dismantles a home in Salvapan
A woman in Salvapan is without a roof over her head tonight. Nicolasa Cus, who lives in the community just on the outskirts of Belmopan, says that this morning personnel [...]

Belmopan City Council says, “It wasn’t me!”
Our effort to reach someone at the RECONDEV for comment was unsuccessful. We touched base with the Belmopan City Council and they told us that they didn’t know anything about [...]

Attorney General Lashes Out at PUP Over Vital Stats Video
The myriad of complaints on the way things run at the Vital Statistics are well-known.  Aside from the long lines and missing records, the issue of political interference has been [...]

A Belizean Motorist Perishes in RTA in Bacalar
Shortly after midday, a fatal traffic accident occurred near Bacalar, a popular spot across the northern border frequented by Belizeans. So far it is known that Belizean, Talmy Smith, was [...]

Robbery in the West!
There was a robbery in San Ignacio on Wednesday afternoon around one. Police say that two armed men held up a store and got away with an undisclosed quantity of [...]

La Popular Bakery on Wood Street Robbed
Twenty-seven-year-old Gildon Rivero and nineteen-year-old Delwin Lopez have been arrested and charged for an armed robbery which they allegedly committed on Monday night at La Popular bakery on Cemetery Road, [...]

Mentally Ill Inmate Freed After Nine Years in Prison
Thirty-three-year-old Luke McFadzean, a resident of Hattieville, was arrested and charged back in February 2010 with Attempt Murder and Use of Deadly Means of Harm, after being accused of striking [...]

Matthew Moore is Freed of Attempted Murder but Remains Locked Up
Well-known criminal figure Matthew Moore remains in lock down tonight though he was relieved of charges for the second time. In 2018, he was freed from a charge of murder [...]

Police Department offers trauma and stress management support to cops!
With all the crime and violence, cops need support, too – that’s what Commissioner Chester Williams echoed today.  He told the media that officers are exposed to violence everyday in [...]

The Soy Bean Industry is in Crisis in Little Belize
Little Belize is a small remote community populated by almost three thousand Mennonites. To get there you travel via Progresso Road in the Corozal District.  It is not often in [...]

FCD signs Declaration of Good Intent with Guatemalan Counterparts
Today, Friends for Conservation and Development signed a declaration of good intent to promote the protection, conservation, and restoration of natural eco systems that connect Belize and Guatemala. The initiative [...]

Council of Churches’ ICJ Support Receives Criticisms
On Tuesday the Belize Council of Churches came out in support of taking the Belize/Guatemala disputer for final resolution at the International Court of Justice. In a statement, the Council [...]

BPP Bun Fyah Pan Elections & Boundaries
The Belize Progressive Party is blasting the Elections and Boundaries Department for not including them as Referendum Monitors on April tenth. The department sent out a list on Tuesday inviting [...]

Corporal Punishment In Schools Is Illegal!
Corporal punishment is not only banned in all schools but it is an illegal act so the teacher who reportedly hit eight-year-old Anthony Adolphus committed a crime.  Anthony, a student [...]

BNTU Corrects Minister Faber’s Comments
Senator Elena Smith and General Secretary for the B.N.T.U. Keisha Young say that Education Minister Patrick Faber misspoke. In an interview aired on Wednesday, Minister Faber reportedly was speaking on [...]

National Trade Policy Launched
Today, the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade and Commerce, launched the Policy which will be used to guide trade development for the next ten years. The 2019-2023 national plan has [...]

Trade touches all of our lives at different levels
We also spoke with the Directorate of Foreign Trade on this new plan. Director General Andy Sutherland says that they want buy in from the wider Belizean public because trade [...]

LOVE FM

Police make headway in Queen Street shooting in Punta Gorda Town
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Joseph Myvett said that the police has made considerable progress in the case of the Queen Street daylight shooting in Punta Gorda Town over the weekend. While investigators still have not established a motive for the attack, they have made arrests. ACP Joseph Myvett: “Police has since arrested and charged Adwan …

First National Trade Policy launch
The Ministry of Investment, Trade and Commerce unveiled its first National Trade Policy which seeks to increase Belize’s competitiveness. The policy has been in the making for over five years, responding to the complex demands of the regional and multilateral trading systems. Tracy Taegar-Panton, Minister of Investment, Trade and Commerce says the launch is a …

Junior Buddy, the Jaguar, celebrates twelfth birthday
It was celebration time at the Belize Zoo today as the famous Junior Buddy, the lovable Jaguar, and the zoo staff were joined by students from Corozal for Junior’s twelfth birthday. The big cat was treated to a huge “birthday bone” and was serenaded by his tiny visitors. Founding Director, Sharon Matola says Junior Buddy …

Burn victim, Zaela Gamboa, to seek medical attention abroad
After being burnt in July 2018, 21-year-old Grayson Cadle has since made a remarkable recovery as we have reported. Tonight, however, there is another victim that we are cheering for. i15-month old Zaela Gamboa, is the baby girl who was burnt to the body in Punta Gorda Town on Tuesday, February 26. The child’s mother …

Police win crossfire with armed robbers at the Santa Elena Border; four are injured
Robbers targeted money exchangers at the northern border this morning but did not get to enjoy their loot as quick police response landed the group of bandits in police custody, leaving four of them hospitalized with gun injuries. It was not the best day for their heist as we learned that just before they executed …

Police Department takes measures to help officers manage stress
And, to address the aspects of police stress, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says the department is taking measures to help, even if it means mandatory counselling for the police men and women. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams: ”Yes indeed many of our officers are under severe stress and as department we work in collaboration …

Regional Forum held on Technology Solutions for Marine Life
Today was the conclusion of a three day workshop which was hosted by the Wildlife Conservation Society and saw the participation of its partners from Central America and the Caribbean. The workshop discussed ways of using technology to promote sustainable fishing and to preserve marine life. Love news spoke with Nicole Auil-Gomez, the Country Director …

Mentally Ill man freed after 9 years in Prison
A mentally ill man has been in prison for 9 years without a trial. A Hattieville resident, 33 year old, Luke McFadzean suffers from moderate mental disability and Schizophrenia. In February 2010 McFadzean had an altercation with someone when an off duty police officer intervened.in the process McFazdzean hit the officer on the head with …

Drive Through at Chon Saan Palace
There was a strange vehicular traffic accident that occurred in Belize City on Wednesday night. A vehicle drove into the entrance of Chon Saan restaurant on Kelly Street. Lee Mark Chang told Love News that no one was injured. Lee Mark Chang Proprietor, Chon Saan Restaurant: “Last night I was home already and I got …

The Reporter

Major Shootout, After Money-Changers Robbery At Northern Border
This morning – February 28th – several money-changers were robbed at the northern border. According to reports, seven money-changers were robbed of their cash pouches at gunpoint by at least five men.

Breaking Belize News

Supporting Our Fellow Sisters While Taking Accountability For Your Actions
By Lucia Reyes: Growing up in Belize I’ve always been aware of the underlying dynamics seen in our society, even if I didn’t understand it at the time. Having the opportunity to live in several towns […]

“Elections not happening,” says Venezuelan Ambassador
Venezuela’s new ambassador to Belize H.E. Gerardo Argote has declared publicly that despite external pressures on his […]

Belizean dies in traffic accident in Bacalar, Mexico
Mexican news sites are reporting that a Belizean died today as a result of a […]

Authorities detain armed robbers at Northern border; recover cash and guns
This morning, authorities were conducting operations at the Northern Border when they saw a green […]

BPP condemns Elections and Boundaries for not including them in list to monitor the referendum
The Belize Progressive Party (BPP) today issued a statement condemning the Elections and Boundaries Department […]

Junior Buddy celebrates 12th Birthday at The Belize Zoo
Today, Jaguar ‘Junior Buddy’ celebrated his 12th birthday at the Belize Zoo. Over 60 children from […]

“Chengo” goes for milestone as NEBL returns
After a disappointing conclusion to the 2019 FIBA AmeriCup pre-qualifier tournament […]

Another traffic accident in Cayo, near Lands Department in Belmopan
Another traffic accident occurred today in the Cayo District. A double cab pickup that was […]

RECONDEV demolishes squatter’s home
Earlier today, a team from the Reconstruction and Development Corporation (RECONDEV) in Belmopan demolished the […]

Friends for Conservation and Development sign declaration of good intent with Guatemalan Environmental organizations
Today, Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) signed a Declaration of Good intent to promote the […]

Works Minister and CEO tour new Roaring Creek bridge and George Price highway projects
On Wednesday, 27th February, Minister of Works, Hon Rene Montero and Works CEO, Errol Gentle, toured […]

Blogs

Where to Find Wildlife on Ambergris Caye
It is common for people planning their Belize vacations to want to know where to find wildlife on Ambergris Caye. Many people enjoy watching some interesting local animals and getting some great “make your friends jealous” pictures. Like the following pelican in motion and gulls on the water. In my case, a trip to the dock near home with my repeat temporary roommate Heather, gave us a whole wealth of wildlife. We started with some great birdwatching. They were mostly hanging out in a couple of groups and some were grooming. The one below decided to go his own way and greeted me on the dock.

Live Inspired: My loveletter to Belize
Almost exactly three months ago, I sat on a bus bound for the Belize border after wandering through Guatemala for about four months (minus a couple stops in the States). I felt this contraction in my chest, then. I remember thinking, and writing, that I felt I would always be connected with Guatemala, that I would always harbor some special feeling toward the country. It’s still true. I still practice with my Guatemala-based Spanish teacher twice a week. I still think and read about the political happenings in a place whose landscapes astounded me and whose traditions overwhelmed me. But even now, it feels far away. Because as this month draws to a close, it’s leaving Belize (to move on to Honduras) that my heart is breaking over.

International Sources

House of the Royal Lady Bee: Maya revive native bees and ancient beekeeping
Engineered by insect intelligence, the hive was a convoluted mesh of waxy secretions and labyrinthine cavities. Worker bees streamed through its recesses. Bulbous pods brimmed with fresh honey. It was both organic and otherworldly, earthy yet exotic, a fierce, self-organizing microcosm fueled with the meticulously harvested pollen of rainforest flowers. It was dizzying to our human eyes. The caretaker of the hive, Rogel Villanueva Gutiérrez, is a biologist specializing in the interactions between bees and tropical forests. “In order to keep the bees, you have to keep the forest,” he said. “In order to keep the forest, you have to keep the bees. The bees can’t live without the forest. The forest can’t live without the bees.” Melipona beecheii is one of 16 stingless bee species that inhabit the forests of the Yucatán Peninsula in southern Mexico. Its name in Yucatec Maya is Xunan-Kab: Royal Lady Bee.

Ancient extinct sloth tooth in Belize tells story of creature’s last year
Some 27,000 years ago in central Belize, a giant sloth was thirsty. The region was arid, not like today’s steamy jungle. The Last Glacial Maximum had locked up much of Earth’s moisture in polar ice caps and glaciers. Water tables in the area were low. The sloth, a beast that stood up to 4 meters tall, eventually found water – in a deep sinkhole with steep walls down to the water. That is where it took its final drink. In 2014, divers found some of the sloth’s remains – parts of a tooth, humerus and femur – while searching for ancient Maya artifacts in the pool, in Cara Blanca, Belize. Though partially fossilized, the tooth still held enough unaltered tissue for stable carbon and oxygen isotope analysis, which provided clues to what the sloth ate in the last year of its life. This, in turn, revealed much about the local climate and environment of the region at the time. The findings, reported in the journal Science Advances, will aid the study of similar fossils in the future, the researchers said.

Mexico legalizes Marijuana for recreational purposes
The most important battle in Mexico has just been won: the chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of the nation (SCJN) has published case law in which it states that all judges may grant prescriptions to those who need them, for the recreational use of cannabis. The resolution will be published in 6 days and will continue towards its complete decriminalization. Until now, judges could refuse the protection of self-consumption issued by the Federal Commission for Protection against Health Risks (COFEPRIS), since the law partially prohibited consumption.

Mexican State inaugurates new high tech security filter at border
One of the several security control modules that will operate at the entrances and exits of state cities was inaugurated by Governor Carlos Joaquín. The newly installed module, which is located at kilometer 12.5 of the Bacalar highway -Chetumal, was officially inaugurated by the state governor in Chetumal Wednesday. “Today we fulfill one of the most heartfelt demands of the community, to safeguard the inhabitants of the capital of our state and of neighboring communities,” he said.

Submarine Team Produced The First 3D Sonar Image Of Belize’s Great Blue Hole
Off the coast of Belize exists a giant sinkhole in Earth's ocean. Known as the Great Blue Hole, it is 300 meters (984 feet) across and reaches a depth of 124 meters (407 feet). No light or oxygen is found at the bottom of the hole, so it's not a surprise that it has retained an aura of mystery about itself. A recent expedition shining a literal light on the hole made several intriguing discoveries about what’s within the deep hole. Where light didn’t reach, the team used sound. They were able to produce the first three-dimensional sonar image of the sinkhole. “With a variety of sonar heads, used sequentially over the course of the Expedition, we’ve been able to create a high-resolution, three-dimensional sonar image of the interior of the Great Blue Hole,” Erika Bergman, oceanographer and the chief submarine pilot on the expedition, wrote in a blog post on Southern Fried Science.

A trip birding in Belize
For me the urge to travel in search of new adventures is an itch that just needs to be scratched. Kathy and I did a little scratching along that vein a few weeks ago. We traveled to Central America, namely Belize and Guatemala. We flew to Belize City via Houston, then shuttled to the Table Rock Jungle Lodge near the village of Cristo Rey in west-central Belize. Table Rock would serve as our basecamp for the entire trip. When I say basecamp, I am by no means inferring that the accommodations were sparse or primitive — quite the contrary. We stayed in one of nine cabanas that are spread out along the rim of the Macal River. River stone walkways wander through the rainforest and connect the cabanas and lodge’s other facilities. The dining area is open air covered by a traditional thatched roof. Nearby are the patio and Infinity pool areas.

How discriminatory Caribbean laws are being challenged in the courts
In some countries, partners are acting to challenge the constitutionality of discriminatory laws held over from the colonial era. Through a case also supported by U-RAP, Caleb Orozco challenged the law in Belize that made “carnal intercourse against the order of nature,” which includes anal sex, a crime punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment. On 10 August 2016, Belize became just the second independent Commonwealth Caribbean country to decriminalize sex between men, and the first to do so through its courts.

Mayan Artifacts Used in Ritual Sacrifices Discovered at the Bottom of Sacred Lake
A team of Polish archaeologists diving in a possibly sacred lake in northern Guatemala has recovered hundreds of Mayan artifacts, including ceremonial bowls and obsidian blades that may have been used in ancient animal sacrifices. Scientists in Guatemala are examining the artifacts to learn more about the material culture of the Mayan people at different times. Researchers also want to learn how the objects may relate to Mayan religious practices. The researchers recovered more than 800 artifacts from Lake Petén Itzá, which once surrounded the ancient Mayan city of Nojpetén, according to the team leader, Magdalena Krzemien, an archaeologist at Jagiellonian University in Poland.

Great Blue Hole mysteries deepen as explorers find surprises
There’s a very big, very deep hole in the ocean in Belize, and a submarine crew just got done exploring. They’ve got a documentary coming out later this year – but before that, they’ve got a few new bits of information to share about their adventure. Erika Bergman, Aquatica’s Chief Pilot, provided the readings chart shown here from one of the dives during the mission. In addition to interesting readings on chemical compositions and sea life – or lack thereof, the group found “tracks” from creatures they could not identify. In an interview with CNN Travel, Bergman spoke about various aspects of the Blue Hole mission, sonar readings, and some mystery tracks. “You can be 20 or 30 meters away from a stalactite or a hunk of the wall and see it in every perfect detail,” said Bergman, “better than eyesight could even provide.” Bergman noted that they’d found unidentifiable tracks at the base of the hole, which apparently weren’t from conch. They were “open to interpretation,” said Bergman.

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