January 9, 2020

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, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

Changes in the Pump Price of Fuel Effective January 8, 2020
The Ministry of Finance announces that on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, the pump price of two fuel products will change. The price for kerosene and diesel will register increased as follows:

BNTU and Ministry of Education at odds over proposed Education Act Amendment
The Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) is voicing its opinion against the proposed amendment of the Education Act by the Ministry of Education. If approved, the amendment would give the Chief Education Officer the authority to dictate the school calendar including teacher’s vacation periods. As such, BNTU President, Senator Elena Smith encouraged teachers countrywide to show their dissatisfaction by wearing their ‘Teechaz Gat Yu Bak” t-shirts on the first day of classes following the Christmas break. According to reports, this move is the first motion as BNTU prepares to stand against the Education Act amendment.

Superintendent Christopher Noble and his team commended for great work on the islands
Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker experienced a significant decrease in major crime activities during the last six months of 2019. On Ambergris Caye, one of the highlights was the lack of murders and the removal of several firearms from the streets, 11 of them in December alone. This positive change on the Cayes has been attributed to the work of Officer in Charge of the Coastal Executive Unit, Superintendent Christopher Noble and his team. His efforts are said to soon be rewarded with this year’s ‘Crime Fighter Award’ later this month.

Caye Caulker Electrical Power and Water Supply restored
Utility issues in Caye Caulker Village seem to finally be stabilizing after over a week of electrical and water shortages. The issue peaked on New Year’s Day, when for several hours, the island was without electrical power after days without running water. Community members and the business community led a protest, claiming these shortages were affecting Caye Caulker’s tourism product.

Ambergris Today

PUP BRS Representative Andre Perez Donates Rotoplas Tanks To Caye Caulker
Last week the village of Caye Caulker was in the midst of a water and electricity crisis and even though things are back to normal the People’s United Party – Belize Rural South Representative – Mr. Andre Perez presented a donation of 20 Rotoplas Tanks to the community. On Wednesday, January 8, 2019, Mr. Andre Perez officially handed over his donation to Village Council Chairperson Ms. Seleni Patt. These twenty Rotoplas tanks of various sizes will be strategically placed in various locations in Caye Caulker with the guidance of the Caye Caulker Village Council so that all residents can have access to water.

Various Belizean Sources

Island Fight Championship 1 in San Pedro
January 11th, 2020 @ The Angel Nunez Auditorium. Event starts @ 8PM, First fight starts @ 8:30PM Sharp.

Tiger Sharks vs Defenders Jan. 18th
January 18th | 9:00 PM | San Pedro High School. NEBL 2020 only on The National Channel!

Caye Caulker Liquor License Board General Meeting
Caye Caulker Liquor License Board advises all business owners that the CCLLB general meeting will be held, Monday, January 13th, 2020 starting at 9:00 a.m at the Caye Caulker Community Center. Please be advised the CCLLB general meeting for the Chinese: Community who holds a liquor license will starts at 1:00 p.m.

PUP Standard Bearer for Belize Rural South, Andre Perez, donates water tanks to the community of Caye Caulker
Mr. Andre Perez has returned to Caye Caulker with twenty water tanks for the community in light of the recent water and power outage. The tanks will be placed strategically within the community to act as an alternative source for water should the island experience another crisis.

BEL Meeting on Caye Caulker today
Belize Electricity Limited invites customers in Caye Caulker to a meeting on Thursday, January 9, 2020 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at Island Magic Beach Resort. The Company will update customers on the status of power supply and generation, the community's energy conservation efforts, and BEL's commitment to maintaining reliable power supply. This meeting is a follow-up to the meeting held on January 2.

Fraudulent Social Media Profile for Minister Elodio Aragon, Jr.
It has come to the attention of Hon. Elodio Aragon Jr., Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security, that there is a fraudulent Facebook account with his name being used to contact persons. Friend requests are being sent out using this fake account under the name Elodio Aragon Jr. This account also shows that it uses a number from the United States. The public is informed that Minister Aragon has one Facebook account in his name, but it does not use foreign phone numbers.

BWS Notice for customers in San Pedro
Emergency interruption for today, Thursday, January 9, 2020. Duration: 5:50 AM - 8:00 AM Areas being affected: DFC area and Marina Drive

Channel 7

The Cruel Killing of A Property Manager
Last night we showed you the mangled body of a 46-year-old Mexican national, Gabriel Alejandro Guzman. Guzman, a property manager at Hannah's Paradise located on the outskirts of Seine Bight was brutally killed yesterday afternoon. Cherisse Halsall travelled to Seine Bight today to find out more. Here's her story. The Villages of Seine Bight and neighbouring Placencia are breathtakingly beautiful, even on a cloudy day, but yesterday a callous and cruel murder shocked residents and visitors to this idyllic peninsula.

Chester To Media: Get Your Priorities Straight
22-year-old Giovanni Lambey made the news earlier this week when his uncle spoke about the brutality he claimed police had inflicted on his innocent nephew. He said his nephew had never been charged for any crime and it was an outright abuse. Well, today Lambey contradicted any notion of his innocence when he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm. The charge arises from the January 6th attempted shooting of a 16-year-old boy.

Scarcity In The Sea Of Love
For most people, when they cook or order fish at a restaurant, they only think of how fresh and tasty it is and..dig in. But how much thought is really put into the fisher who caught it, or what area of Belize's waters it was caught in? Maybe we should start considering it. Fisheries is a crucial sector for Belize's economy and for livelihoods of fishers on the ground. But like everything else, there must be a balance and proper management. Spawning aggregation sites provide that balance and, more importantly, these sites replenish fish stocks.

Hondurans Overfishing Gladden Spit
So as you heard from the story, 95 percent of illegal fishers who fish at night at Gladden Spit are Hondurans. But how about our very own Belizean fishers? Are they among the illegal foreign fishers too? Well, Fisheries Administrator Beverly Wade says she doesn't believe that our fishers are the problem, that's why only licensed Belizean traditional fishers who are allowed to fish in Gladden Spit during a set time of the year. Wade told us more about the requirements needed to become a licensed traditional fisher and the new study the Southern Environmental Association and the Fisheries department are working on to better manage the catch of traditional fishers.

BTIA, Destination Green
Sustainability seems to be on-trend, so says the BTIA as they launched the theme for the 20th Edition of Destination Belize Magazine today: "Reef to Rainforest, People to People, Our Green Belize." And, Executive Director John Burgos today told us that his team focused on highlighting the ways in which Belize, as a destination appeals to the core values of the conscious traveller: John Burgos, Executive Director, BTIA: "Well as you know once you are publishing a material for people to be able to understand what you are trying to portray..." The Official Magazine and Cover launches for the 21st edition of Destination Belize will take place in October.

Carla B & Boss P Step Aside
The UDP National convention is weeks away, and tonight we can report that the field of candidates for executive posts is narrowing. Two notable party personalities announced today that they are stepping aside. Senator Dr. Carla Barnett who was one of three persons vying for National Chairman this evening announced that she is withdrawing her candidacy. She would only say she withdrew for personal reasons. That leaves Mike Peyrefitte and John Castillo in that race.

A Prado As A Going Away Present?
CEO of the Social Security Board, Dr. Colin Young left SSB on December 20th and has pivoted to the Caribbean Community Climate Change Center. But, there are grumblings after his departure, because he left with the CEO's ride, a 2012 Toyota Prado. The Chairman Doug Singh told us that Young had a clause in his contract that gave him the option to purchase the vehicle when he left the post. Singh says that independent valuations were gotten and the Board agreed to sell him the Prado for $20,000.

Gang Violence Was Down and Belize City Safer in 2019
On Monday's news, we showed you the brief analysis that Police Commissioner Chester Williams shared with the press about last year's crime statistics. Well, since then, the Department has finished compiling all the figures for all crimes countrywide. They've promised to share that data with us, but up until news time tonight, we haven't received them. The police high command and the Ministry of National Security did hold a COMSTAT conference this morning at the Police Training Academy in Belmopan to discuss last year's crime picture. The Police Commissioner invited the press for a briefing to discuss some of the trends that he and his advisors have identified.

What About The Many Still Missing?
And while the official murder count is at 134, there are still three fishermen missing at sea since November, and a few others still on the missing persons list. So, how do police account for all those missing Belizeans? Well, the ComPol says that those cases remain open and that his officers are always prepared to pursue any new leads: Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police: "Those persons who remain missing, we continue to maintain an open mind as to their whereabouts..."

Cops Involved In Equal Ops
Yesterday, we showed you the press conference held by the National Evangelical Association of Belize. They came forward to express their outrage against last week's Appeal Court judgment, which confirms that gay sex is legal. They came out swinging against the local gay community, and they were predicting that plans are already being hatched to challenge for the right to same-sex marriage in the Supreme Court. Well, we've since been informed that the Evangelicals aren't the only ones making early chess moves in relation to the wider implications of the judgment.

Hon. Aragon Keeps It Real About Fake Facebook Page
A fraudulent Facebook account has been made for another Belizean parliamentarian. This time, it is Elodio Aragon Jr., the National Security Minister of State. A government press release says the fake page is being used to contact persons. "Friend requests are being sent out using this fake account under the name Elodio Aragon Jr."

A Thoroughly Confused Phone Pilferer
A man who stole a cell phone while drunk will have to pay the court more than three times the cost of the phone after he pleaded guilty in court today. 29-year-old Jamie Sheldon Cadle was arraigned late this evening in the Belize City Magistrate's Court on a single charge of theft. Still apparently disoriented from a long night out drinking, Cadle initially pleaded not guilty to theft.

Channel 5

Mexican Caretaker is Fatally Mauled by Thieves in Placencia
One person is in custody tonight following a horrific murder in Seine Bight village on Tuesday afternoon. Police are looking for a minor and have recovered some items stolen in [...]

Opposition Leader says Attorney General Can Sue if He So Wishes
Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte has threatened to sue the Leader of the Opposition John Briceño over comments Briceño made in his New Year’s Day message.  In his address, Briceño did [...]

John Briceño Will Not Apologize for Comments Made
Aside from proof, the Attorney General is demanding that Briceño apologizes to the Government, the United Democratic Party and the country for the comments made.  But that is not about [...]

Opposition Leader says G.O.B. Should Have Addressed Judges’ Retirement in 2019
In 2020, five justices of the Supreme Court will step down including Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin. These justices will be reaching retirement age and vacancies are being advertised for these [...]

“El Que No Debe No Teme”, says John Briceño
In early December 2019, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry sent a letter to the government in which it requested documents related to the multimillion dollars infrastructure contract worth [...]

B.P.D. Releases Official Crime Stats for 2019
The final numbers are in for the crimes committed in 2019 and the Belize Police Department says that major crimes were down this year. In the murder category, there were [...]

Murders up in South and West; Major Crimes Down
As you heard in the story, there were more murders committed in the rural parts of the country than in the urban settings for 2019. While the murders were down [...]

ComPol Shares Stats for Other Crimes Committed in 2019
And other crimes, such as unlawful sexual intercourse were up while robberies, burglaries and theft decreased in 2019 when compared to 2018. Commissioner Chester Williams told the press today that [...]

Police to Enforce Edge Tools Legislation
Earlier you heard the Commissioner of Police share that the three most commonly used weapons to commit murders in 2019 were firearms, knives and machetes. Well, going into 2020, ComPol [...]

Former Inmate Wins Case Against Belize Central Prison
A former inmate of the Belize Central Prison successfully sued the prison for negligence after he was violently raped twice while behind bars.  Forty-three-year-old Kenroy Cooke was arraigned and charged [...]

Rape Victim to be Financially Compensated for Damages
According to Sylvester, there is still the matter of compensation. He must now, within weeks, make submissions detailing personal injuries on behalf of his client after which the justice will [...]

F.F.B. Responds to Recall of B.F.D.A. Election
The Football Federation of Belize has responded to concerns raised by teams and clubs in the Belize District, following a letter that went into circulation on Monday.  The F.F.B. is [...]

Opposition Leader Waiting for Senate Report on Immigration Inquiry
Like the rest of the nation, Opposition Leader John Briceño is patiently waiting for U.D.P. Senator Aldo Salazar to present his report regarding the Senate Special Select Committee’s findings of the [...]

John Briceño says P.U.P. is Ready for General Elections
On the topic of elections, the United Democratic Party will be holding its leadership convention in February. Patrick Faber and John Saldivar are going head to head to replace Prime [...]

John Briceño Closely Monitoring Redistricting Court Case
With general elections expected to be called at any time, Opposition Leader John Briceño is carefully monitoring a constitutional challenge bought before the Supreme Court by the Belize Peace Movement. The [...]

More Money Needed for Judiciary to Function Optimally
Every year at the ceremonial opening of the Supreme Court, the judiciary has always criticized the lack of resources set aside to carry out its functions.  The perennial complaint is [...]

Who Will be Awarded New Boledo Contract?
The Belize Gaming Company took a serious hit last Sunday when the four-digit jackpot, and the winning single numbers, 2020, saw Belizeans from across the country claiming their prizes.  It [...]

Another Acting Principal for Julian Cho Technical
Julian Cho Technical High School in Toledo District is still without a principal, several weeks after the interim period during which Doctor Kent Arzu acted in that capacity.  Following a [...]

B.T.I.A. Launches Theme for 21st Edition of Destination Belize
Destination Belize, the go-to magazine for potential visitors to Belize, will be launched later this year.  But today, the Belize Tourism Industry Association released a theme that intends to attract [...]

A Caye Caulker Resident Needs O-negative Blood
There is a public plea that can make a difference in the quality of life of a thirty-three-year-old man. Damian Alamina is suffering from a condition that causes haemorrhaging. He [...]

The Reporter

Home Invasion In Seine-Bight Leads To Murder
The Reporter has confirmed that Police have detained one suspect and are seeking another for the brutal murder of a man identified as Alejandro Guzman in Seine Bight this evening.

BEL Making Customers Smile!
Electricity rates will not increase – at least for now – but another rate review (known as Tariff Review Proceeding) will be done mid-year, when the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) will decide whether the rates will change.

LOVE FM

Get your priorities straight: Says ComPol
As the Police Commissioner rejoiced over the reduction in major crimes for 2019, he got somewhat riled up with the media today when he was asked about the allegations of police brutality against Giovanni Lambey. Earlier this week we told you of Lambey’s case where it is alleged that he was beaten up by members of the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU).

Belizean Deported from the US for illegally entering the country twice
A Belizean man residing in the United States is facing an additional ten years in prison for illegally entering the US after being deported twice. 37-year-old Akeem Garnett was first deported from the United States in September 2016 and again in November 16, 2017.

Cal brothers charges, Sister protest
The Cal family of Maya Mopan in Belmopan is protesting the arrests of their relatives, 21-year-old Abelino Cal, 23-year-old Irvin Cal and 18-year-old Magdaleno Cal. The Cal brothers were charged following the assault and attempted murder of Police Constable Edgar Teul on New Year’s Day.

Major crimes have shifted to the rural areas says ComPol
One aspect of today’s report that saw a major shift was the crime statistics for Belize City. For the last four years the old capital has been known to be the centre of criminal acts.

Crimes looming in Southern Belize
On the heels of this murder in Seine Bight Village, the Secretary of the Village Council, Akeem Palacio, expressed concerns over the dangers looming in the area.

Crime Statistics for 2019 released
Reports from the Police Commissioner, Chester Williams, have indicated that the major crimes committed in 2019 occurred primarily in the rural areas with minimal participation from gang affiliates.

Julian Cho High School, Interim principal
Unconfirmed reports reaching our newsroom indicate that the Board of Directors for the Julian Cho Technical High School has appointed an interim school principal. We brought this story to the forefront in November 2019 when we were informed that the Board is dragging their feet in appointing a principal and the vice principal whose term had expired was obligated to remain at the school to hold over.

Breaking Belize News

Reward being offered for info on murder of Mexican national
l r offering a reward for information regarding the murdr f lndr Guzmn,  n […]

Dr. Carla Barnett drops out of race for UDP Chairman
Today, the United Democratic Party (UDP), announced that Dr. Carla Barnett will no longer be […]

Government warns of fake social media profile for Minister Elodio Aragon Jr.
Today, the Ministry of National Security (MONS) issued a warning that there is a fake […]

Government has not sanctioned “anti-discrimination/hate speech legislation”, A.G. responds to NEAB
Attorney General, Michael Peyrefitte, has rebutted the vice president of the National Evangelical Association of Belize […]

Belize Tourism Industry Association launches theme for 2020 Destination Belize Magazine
BBN Staff: Today, the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) unveiled the theme chosen for the 2020 edition of the […]

Evangelicals “eternally opposed” to pro-LGBT court decision, will Government appeal?
The National Evangelical Association of Belize (NEAB) has been staunchly opposed to the August 2016 […]

Commissioner hosts national Computer Statistics meeting
Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams this morning hosted the Belize Police Department’s first national Computer […]

Countrywide consultations being held for Anti-Discrimination Bill
The National AIDS Commission (NAC), in collaboration with the Office of the Special Envoy for […]

MSN: “Belize should be on your 2020 travel bucket list”
MSN Lifestyle lists many reasons why Belize should be on everyone’s 2020 travel bucket list […]

Animal cruelty in Belize: The Problem
Whether they are kept indoors and treated like family, or tied outside to watch over […]

Twice deported Belizean national indicted for illegally re-entering US
A Belizean national, Akeem Garnett, 37, who has already been deported from the United States […]

Mexican national murdered in Seine Bight
Police are investigating the murder of Alejandro Guzman, a Mexican national that happened yesterday in […]

Blogs

Creole Arts, Crafts and Utensils
Creole artisans are known for a rich tradition of arts and crafts like basket works, straw platting (used in wicker furniture and baskets), earthenware pots and jars, as well as carving. Basketry was brought to this part of the world by the Africans, and the skill of Basketry is still practiced by many indigenous people of the Americas. In Belize, there are two types of weaving, the style practiced by the Garinagu, and those woven by the Creole and the Ke’tchi. Palmetto leaves are also commonly used in rural areas to make baskets hats and other useful items.

Be A Reef-Safe Traveller In 2020
Stretching the length of the country, the Belize Barrier Reef has been and will continue to be, a very integral part of our collective national identity. First inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1996, the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (BBRRS) was placed on the List of World Heritage in Danger in 2009 due to the destruction of mangroves, marine ecosystem, offshore oil exploration prospects, and non-sustainable building projects. On June 26, 2018, was officially delisted from being ‘In Danger’ however, we must collectively work to ensure its health and future is not compromised again. With threats like climate change and pollution threatening the world’s oceans and its coral reefs, you can practice reef-friendly habits to leave a ‘greener’ footprint.

Why Choose Belize for 2020?
2020 is the beginning of an entirely new era. So what does this mean? This means it can be a time for a fresh start or for you to try new things. And with all the new technological advancements happening in the new year; it would be a great time for you to take a step back and unwind in a natural paradise. Belize is the perfect destination for you to rejuvenate, reconnect, and try new things.

International Sources

Southwest Airlines' Big New Year's Sale Includes Belize
From now through January 9 at 11:59pm PT, you can score the cheap one-way fares -- from just about every airport Southwest Airlines flies out of across the United States and some nearby international hubs.

Belize’s Escape from the Jungle: Q & A with the Race Director
At first, Escape from the Jungle, which will take place in the deep jungle of Belize during February 24–March 7, appeared to be an insanely dangerous event. And then I looked into it. The first week is called “Jungle Survival Training,” and local guides will follow each runner during the actual race, making sure participants will not…die. It helped me realize that Shirley Thompson, the ex-Jungle Marathon race director, is always more about preparation, mental strength and hardcore fitness, than about playing Russian roulette with pit vipers. Still, Escape from the Jungle looks like a very extreme, hot and humid event. The question is, should you do this 200k ultra survival race? Here is a brief conversation with race director, Shirley Thompson to find out.

Beguiling Belize: unique adventures in Central America
Mayan ruins, mountainous jungles and marine escapades abound in this fascinating Anglophone corner of the Yucatan Peninsula I am soaring above the sun-drenched lagoons of northeastern Belize in a prop plane so small that when the pilot reclines his seat, my knees are crushed behind him. I didn’t think it could be, but this is one of the most melancholy moments of my time in this job. As the waters pass below, punctuated only by the occasional shrubby sandbank or wooden fishing boat, my mood falls further, because, with each passing landmark, our plane gets closer to Belize International Airport. There, I will board a connecting flight back to the UK.

Why beautiful Belize should be on your 2020 travel bucket list
Standing at the very top of an ancient Mayan ruin, surveying the sweeping views of dense jungle stretching all the way to the Guatemalan border on the hazy horizon, I was struck by the sound of silence. Apart from the sporadic squawking of tropical birds and the odd rustling of monkeys swinging between branches, there was nothing but peace. Where else in the world could you experience such an awe-inspiring historical site, with not a single other tourist in sight? For me, it summed up the very essence of Belize; a beautiful, beguiling and off-the-beaten-track country boasting some of the world’s best diving, lush rain forests, and deserted remains of the Mayan dynasty I’ve ever experienced.

Videos

January 8, 2020

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, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

The Belize Academy of the Performing Arts to offer its first concert in San Pedro Town
The mission of the recently organized Belize Academy of the Performing Arts (BAPA) is to create a high-caliber, professional national symphony in Belize to strengthen and expand music education throughout the country. BAPA’s creation was announced in April 2019 by Belize’s Governor General Sir Colville Young and Attorney Joel Nagel, resident of San Pedro Town and chairman of Caye International Bank Ltd.

New direct international flights announced for Belize
In his New Year’s address, Prime Minister Right Honourable Dean Barrow declared that Belize will see three new direct international flights between the Philip S.W Goldson International Airport and Washington D.C., New York City, and as far as London, England. The new air routes are to start in 2020, however, further details have not been provided. These routes were added due to the reported increase in tourism over recent years in Belize. According to the Ministry of Tourism, overnight tourism arrivals kept increasing in 2019 and of those figures represented 12.2% Europeans.

Ambergris Today

Caye Caulker Now With Stable Electricity And Water Supply
Island residents of Caye Caulker are now connected to the locally sourced generation unit that is successfully operational and connected to the island’s power system. Belize Electricity Limited took teams of workers to monitor and asses the generator unit that was sourced from Independence Village to provide additional generation capacity in Caye Caulker arrived on the island on Saturday, January 4, 2020. This is a fairly used generation unit but was the only one of sufficient capacity that was readily available in-country.

Various Belizean Sources

Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry's 2020 Training Calendar
We look forward to seeing you at our many workshops this year.

Belize Clinic Care now open in Corozal
Belize Clinic Care is located at Lydia's Plaza, Santa Rita Road, Corozal Town. It’s Open from Monday To Sunday. From 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

2020 Belize Birding Festival
Save the date (October 24 &25)! The 3rd Annual Belize Birding Festival is coming. Stay tuned for more details!

Belize Archaeology Symposium 2020 date set!
All interested persons, students, tour operators, hoteliers, be sure to SAVE THE DATE , BAS 2020 is just around the corner. See you there!!!

SBDC Workshop: Goal Setting and Vision Board
Presented by: Ms. Monique Usher, Post/Teaching Description: Business Adviser, SBDCBelize, Beltraide. Location: BTEC Building, ITVET Campus, Belize City. Workshop Date: January 9th, 2020. Time: 9am to 3pm. Cost: $50.00. Includes snacks and refreshments. Have you thought about what you want to be doing in five years' time? Are you clear about what your main objective at work is at the moment? Do you know what you want to have achieved by the end of today?

Paint N Splash
See you this week at from 2-4pm Thursday. $50bz/$25us per person includes everything you need! PM us to let us know you are coming!

Changes in the Pump Price of Fuel Effective January 8, 2020
The Ministry of Finance announces that on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, the pump price of two fuel products will change. The price for kerosene and diesel will register increased as follows: Kerosene will increase by 26 cents from $7.51 to $7.77 per gallon; Diesel will increase by 23 cents from $ 10.06 to $ 10.29 per gallon. The prices for regular gasoline and premium gasoline will remain unchanged at $10.72 and $10.06 per gallon, respectively.

NEW YEAR’S CONCERTO
Belize Virtuosi and BAPA in partnership with The Mexican Cultural Institute – Belize, cordially invite the general public of Belize to the event: NEW YEAR’S CONCERTO, to be held on January 10th, at 6:00 p.m. at the Mexican Cultural Institute – Belize located at the corner Newtown Barracks and Wilson Streets, Belize City. Pieces by renowned composers will be performed, such as Federico Fiorillo, Akos Banlaky, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Giacchino Rossini, Anton Kummer, Colville Young Jr., Sir Colville Young Sr., Francis Reneau. Also, we are honoured to count with the presence of international artists, such as Jacqueline Kopacinski, Peter Illavsky, and Lois Robinson. The Mexican Embassy invites you to enjoy this concert to celebrate the beginning of a promising 2020 year. Free Admission!

Cab Driver Shot in the North
On Monday, January 6th, 2020, about 6:43 p.m., Police responded to a report of a shooting in San Jose Palmar Village, Orange Walk District. At 6:20 p.m., 46 year old Ricardo Uk was driving his white Outlander Mitsubishi Taxi and was accompanied by a customer within San Jose Palmar Village. They were about 50 feet away from the village Football Field,when a black SUV blocked their path. A masked and armed man exited the vehicle, walked towards the taxi and demanded that Uk get out. They both had a struggle during which the gunman shot Uk. Uk was transported to the hospital where he remains hospitalized in a stable condition.

Bobby Sabido Fundraiser
My dad Bobby Sabido has been admitted to the ICU for Pneumonia and Septic Shock with multiple organs failing. He is intubated and on a ventilator and receiving dialysis. Daddy this is not how we planned to start the new year! :( We all have hope that he can recover and any help will be appreciated!

Fundraiser: BBQ sale is set for January 25th for Ian Skeen
Thank you Michelle and Sandra for this great Initiative and help. Guys, a bbq sale is set for January 25th for Ian Skeen. We are kindly asking for your support in this worthy cause. Please place your orders as soon as possible. Thanks a bunch!! team Ian Skeen

Job Opportunity. Social Security Board of Belize

Hawk Watch 2019 Season Summary!
This count season, our 7th season, was another great one with great birds and people. We had 14 dedicated and eager to learn participants in the 2019 Raptor Certification Program that all excelled in the program and assisted us with collecting scientific data to better understand the Neotropical migration through Belize. In 511 hours of counting, 18,644 raptors of 33 species were counted, which included both migrants and residents. Of those, 9,931 were migrants representing 14 species.

BTB at the Family Travel Forum — in Jamaica

Channel 7

Sup. Court Says Prison Liable For Inmate's Rape
In early December we told you about the civil lawsuit that the Belize Central Prison was facing. A former inmate alleged that due to the prison authority's negligence, he was raped by another male inmate on 2 separate occasions in 2017. Well, this morning in the Supreme Court, the judge presiding over the case, Justice Shona Griffith, delivered her judgment, and she found in favor of the victim. The judge's agreed that prison authorities failed to properly protect him from this sexual assault. She found that they were indeed negligent. Since he's a rape victim, we cannot reveal the claimant's identity, but as we told you, he was 20 years old at the time when he suffered an unnatural crime twice.

Mexican Property Manager Savagely Tortured and Slain In Seine Byte
A Mexican property manager was tortured and killed today on the Placencia Peninsula. The body of Gabriel Guzman Cruz was found at the bottom of the stairs at a private residence on the outskirts of Seine Byte. Initial reports is that he had been tied up, badly beaten and tortured. And then they tried without success to set him on fire.

Cabbie Shot During Carjacking in Quiet Village
San Jose Palmar is a quiet village in the Orange Walk district, but last night, a masked gunman shattered that peace when he attacked a cab driver. 46-year-old Ricardo Uk was shot to the chest while driving in Palmar. The attack unfolded just after 6:20 pm when when a black SUV overtook his Mitsubishi Outlander and abruptly stopped in front of them.

Polyclinic's Improper Disposal of Medical Waste Outrages Area Rep.
On December 4th, the area representative for Toledo West, Oscar Requena stood up in the house of representatives where he spoke on the adjournment about a matter of public interest. In this case, it was about what he says is the improper disposal of medical waste at the Polyclinic in San Antonio village. Requena named and shamed the ministry of health, the regional management, and the clinic management, butthey did nothing. One month later, the partake continues. And, this week, residents who live nearby staged a protest. This morning, we spoke to the area representative via telephone and his outrage was palpable:

Evangelicals Criticize Courts
Last week Monday, we took you to the Court of Appeal where a panel of judges handed down a decision re-affirming that consensual same-sex acts between adults are legal. They were disposing of an appeal that the Government brought against the 2016 judgment that Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin delivered in the favor of the local gay rights activist, Caleb Orozco. Now, that they've had time to digest the ruling, the evangelical churches which make up the National Evangelical Association of Belize, they are of the opinion that this judgment is nothing more than, quote, "judicial activism", end quote. The executives of the association hosted a press conference this evening, and here's what the President had to say in his opening remarks about the judgment:

Evangelicals Fear Hate Speech
Another topic that the Evangelical Association brought up today was the information they've received that the government is in the process of crafting legislation against hate speech and discrimination. From these Evangelists' perspective, this is another cause for alarm. According to them, in other countries where this type of legislation was enacted, the term "hate speech" has been used by the LGBT community as means of censuring any sort of disagreeing sentiments against their lifestyle.

The Evangelical Manifesto
So, the association has partnered with 133 churches countrywide to create a list of public issues they want their opinions heard on. They call it "Raising Standards in Belize, a Nonpartisan Evangelical Manifesto", and they have 7 areas of focus, namely, abortion, traditional marriage and family, gender policy, drug decriminalization, and legalization, political corruption, Belize Guatemala relations, and the Belize school curriculum. This evening, the secretary discussed their thoughts on the topic of marriage and family:

Alleged Armed Robber Gets Off
He was accused of a major armed robbery, stealing 5 thousand dollars at gunpoint - but, tonight, 23 year old Malique Humes is a free man. And it's all because the witness got scared; reports say she was threatened. The charge goes back to June of 2018, when a lone gunman walked up to the Midway cashier inside Sky City Supermarket in Ladyville. The cashier was going to make a deposit next door at the Atlantic Bank, when the gunman appeared and took almost $5,000 in cash. But, today in court, Corporal Christopher Smith informed the court that police could not locate the cashier - who quit her job after the traumatic robbery.

Alleged Dollar Store Robber Goes To Jail
29-year-old Glenford Diego made the news last month when he was charged with the armed robbery of "Dollar Store" - in downtown Belize City. While he awaits trial for that, tonight, Diego is in jail serving out a 6-year sentence for an unrelated offence. That's after he was found guilty of keeping a prohibited firearm and keeping ammunition without a gun license in a judgment that was read to him by Senior Magistrate Tricia Pitts Anderson on Friday.

Austrians Celebrate Beethoven in Belize
On Thursday night, the Bliss Institute will host a homage to the 250th anniversary of Ludwig Van Beethoven's birth. This homage is unique because it is being led by a group of musicians from the country Beethoven came to call home: Austria. They have travelled to Belize to share their musical techniques while gaining inspiration from Belize's rich and distinct styles of musical expression.

Big Banquitas Exhibition for Yaoling
Last year we introduced you to Yaoling Lee, an artist blazing the trail of bringing art to public spaces in Belize. Yaoling is continuing a series of exhibitions throughout the country in 2020. But the artist is looking to inspire in more profound ways than simply exhibiting.

Diesel and Kerosene Prices Surge
If you have a vehicle that uses diesel fuel, try to buy your gas tonight. That's because the price is going up by 23 cents at midnight, from $10.06 to $ 10.29 per gallon. Kerosene will also increase sharply, bu 26 cents per gallon. For the time being, regular and premium will remain unchanged.

Channel 5

Murder in Seine Bight!
A man was killed late this afternoon in Seine Bight. Details are sketchy at this time, but News Five understands that the victim is Mexican national, Alejandro Guzman, who worked [...]

Orange Walk Taxi Man is Injured in Shooting in San Jose Nuevo Palmar
A popular taxi man escaped with his life on Monday evening when he was targeted by someone who was trailing him in the San Jose Nuevo Palmar area of Orange [...]

Five Judges to Step Down from Supreme Court Bench in 2020
The 2020 legal calendar gets underway on January thirteenth and the Attorney General’s ministry is already looking at possibly replacing as many as five judges, including Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin, [...]

Will the Chief Justice Stay On or Proceed to Retirement?
Offering the Chief Justice a contract extension means that government would be prepared to negotiate new terms of agreement to include pay scale and salary, as well as other benefits.  [...]

Millions of Dollars in Losses as Sugar Cane Production to Drop by 30%
January fifteenth – that’s the date when the mills at the A.S.R./B.S.I. factory in Tower Hill, Orange Walk will crank up.  This afternoon, a meeting was held between representatives from [...]

How Does the Sugar Industry Bounce Back?
So how does the industry bounce back? Since there is no insurance for the cane farmers, the government had promised the disbursement of drought relief funds. While there are reports [...]

Fuel Prices Go Up!
Seven days into the start of 2020 consumers are bracing for a significant jump in the prices of fuel as of midnight tonight. And it is expected that further surges [...]

Will 2017 Case Backlog Affect CJ’s Contract Extension Offer?
Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin succeeded Abdulai Conteh as the presiding judge of the Supreme Court back in 2011.  During his tenure on the bench, CJ Benjamin came under fire from [...]

Chief Justice to go Before the Court for Benching Bar President from JLSC Meetings
Notwithstanding the Chief Justice’s pending retirement, there is a matter that has been lodged before the Supreme Court in which he is being challenged as chair of the Judicial and [...]

Evangelical Church Concerned about Section 53 Ruling
The Evangelical Churches today offered their interpretation of the recent ruling relating to Section fifty-three.  On December thirtieth, 2019, the Court of Appeal handed down a judgment, upholding the Chief [...]

“The sky will fall” says NEAB
There is no certainty that there will be an appeal that would take the case to the Caribbean Court of Justice but it is under consideration by the association.  Vice [...]

Trouble in Football Paradise?
Is trouble brewing once again in the football world?  News Five is in receipt of a correspondence in which the chairman of the Belize District Football Association, William Moguel, is [...]

AG Says Chamber Didn’t Properly Invoke FOIA for Imer Hernandez Contract
The Freedom of Information Act remains at the centre of a failed request by the Belize Chamber of Commerce & Industry to get its hands on a copy of Imer [...]

AG Demands Public Apology from John Briceno for Drug Plane Comment
So while Government is yet to provide a copy of the Hernandez contract to the Chamber, Government’s chief legal officer Michael Peyrefitte is demanding that Opposition Leader John Briceño apologizes [...]

Section 53 Ruling Will Lead to Higher Numbers of HIV Cases says NEAB
N.E.A.B. today made claims on a number of issues in regards to the decision by the Court of Appeal to uphold the CJ’s ruling on Section Fifty-three. The Association is [...]

Evangelical Church Comments on Sexual Orientation, Pedophilia and Bestiality
The National Evangelical Association of Belize is also of the view that the extension of the meaning of the word sex to include sexual orientations opens the door to many [...]

San Antonio Resident Claims that Medical Waste is Making Them Sick
Some residents in San Antonio, Toledo are alleging that burning of medical waste is making them sick. According to them, particularly those who reside near the San Antonio Polyclinic, the [...]

Area Rep. Oscar Requeña Calls on G.O.B. to Address the Waste Issue
The Toledo West Area Representative, Oscar Requeña is also taking on the issue. According to Requeña, some twelve families are being severely affected by the burning of medical waste in [...]

B.P.D. Tightens Up on Ammo Control
Back in November, we reported about the meeting held by the Belize Police Department with twenty-five or so gun dealers. In that meeting they discussed a number of proposed gun [...]

Amandala

Opposition leader says AG could “Bring it on!”
Early in his New Year’s Day address, the Leader of the Opposition, People’s United Party (PUP) Hon. John Briceño, the Orange Walk Central area representative, focused on crime and the failure of the Dean Barrow-led United Democratic Party (UDP) to address the issue. Hon. Briceño also stated: “There was also a complete failure to seriously address drug-related crimes with an unprecedented number of drug planes landing. We have credible information which confirms that these illegal landings were being facilitated by corruption in the highest level of the UDP government.”

Samantha Conorquie murdered in Lake I
The first murder of 2020 occurred at about 10:30 Friday night, January 3, and the victim is a young student of Lords Bank, Ladyville, Belize District. Samantha Conorquie, 16, was spending time with a friend of hers on Ordonez Avenue in Lake Independence, Belize City, and she was inside the house with her friend when she got a phone call. Conorquie walked out of the house onto the street while still talking on the phone and a man, yet unknown, came from a dark area on the street toward her and fired at her at close range. Conorquie was shot multiple times in the head and body and was declared dead at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.

BNTU Ready for Battle
The members of BNTU have begun the New Year asserting their readiness for action in light of the new Education Rule amendments being levied by the Ministry of Education. BNTU’s national president, Elena Smith, had addressed the matter in her end-of-year address, and during a number of media rounds that took place last week in which the stipulations of said amendments were addressed. According to Smith the Ministry is seeking to amend rule 132 (4), (5) and (6), which addresses the teachers’ Christmas, Easter and summer vacations.

Albert Reid, shot by police, pleads guilty to 6 charges
In May 2018, Albert “Cat” Reid, 29, a construction worker of Hattieville, was acquitted of murder. Today Reid, hopping on one leg because of a gunshot injury to his left leg, was back in court facing charges, none of them as serious as murder, but nonetheless a threat to his freedom. Reid was charged with 6 offences when he appeared before Senior Magistrate Tricia Pitts Anderson. The offences included 2 counts of aggravated assault, 2 counts of threat of death, damage to property and using threatening words.

BNTU & MOE’s Land Dispute Continues
In December, a dispute arose between the National Teachers Union and the Ministry of Education over a piece of land in Corozal which has been used as a part of the teachers’ housing co-op for years. The Education Ministry asserted that they acquired a portion of the land to build a pre-school as a part of the ministry’s EQIP project (Education Quality Improvement Program). However, upon becoming aware of the intended groundbreaking for the pre-school, the president of the union, Elena Smith, as well as the union’s first vice president, Luke Palacio, reported to the media that the land had been leased to the teachers for the co-op project for years and that the union was still paying taxes on it up to 2017.

Four men charged for chopping PC Teul
Four men of Maya Mopan have been charged for attacking and chopping police constable Edgar Teul, 33, of Maya Mopan, on New Year’s Day near the Maya Mopan football field. At the time of the incident, about 2:30 in the afternoon, PC Teul, who is attached to the Benque Viejo police, was off duty, socializing with friends and family. The police officer was chopped in his head, back and arms and he was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan. He was later transferred to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he remains, in a condition that is considered critical but stable.

Caledonia mason charged with theft of items valued at over $30,000
Ismael Patt, 40, a mason of Caledonia Village, Corozal District, was charged with the theft of 50 dozen Ray Ban sunglasses, valued at $50 each, when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Tricia Pitts Anderson. Patt is also alleged to have stolen 19 small bottles of Panty Ripper (rum), one bottle of Gold Rum and 4 hammocks. The total value of the sunglasses and other items was $30,626. Patt pleaded not guilty to the charge. He was released on a bail of $6,000 with two sureties of $3,000 each and his case was adjourned until February 27.

Ryan Hob charged for chopping two men in Bullet Tree
Ryan Hob, 28, of Bullet Tree, has been charged with 3 counts of grievous harm and wounding for chopping Genaro Martinez, 32, and Patricio Kuylen, 36, at a bar in Bullet Tree Village at about 9:00 Sunday night, December 29. Hob was arraigned at the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court today. He pled not guilty and was offered bail of $3,000 and ordered to return to court on Wednesday, March 25. He has not yet met bail, so he remains detained.

Thumbs up for Senator Mark Lizarraga and Thumbs down for Senator Aldo Salazar
Our disappointing Belizean of 2019 is Senator Aldo Salazar. Senator Aldo receives a monthly salary from the people’s purse and is tasked with compiling and presenting a report on the Senate’s investigation into wrongdoing by government ministers in the disgraceful, dangerous passport scandal, but he is behaving in a manner that suggests he is maybe being paid by another purse to drag his feet on the report so it doesn’t see the light of day.

Flamboyant Street fire leaves nine homeless and woman with severe burns
Nine people are homeless after a fire that erupted on Thursday afternoon in a house on Flamboyant Street destroyed two houses in the same yard. The houses were owned by the Moralez family, and the tenants of the two houses that were destroyed lost all their household furnishings and other belongings. Both houses contained two apartments, which means that a total of four apartments were destroyed. There were minor damages to another house in the yard, occupied by Edilberto Garcia.

Editorial: Government leaders responsible for utility companies’ failures on Caye Caulker
The recent disaster at Caye Caulker – it is a disaster to attract tourists to your country and you can’t provide the basic services that they expect to receive – exposes a deficiency in management skills at the political level. Our utility companies are managed at the ground level by engineers and other people with technical skills, but it isn’t there that we had a massive failure on the island. The failure took place at the board level, which is the people appointed by our political leaders to oversee the utility companies, and the failure came from the political leaders themselves. The managers at the ground level admitted that they were aware that their different capacities to provide electricity and water were strained because businesses on the island were growing rapidly. It is hard to believe that they would have failed to communicate to their bosses what was happening on the ground. The fact is that Caye Caulker had experienced problems before (not on the scale it did recently), so there is no excuse for anyone involved at any of the management levels to not have known.

C-Ray D. Banner Thursday Race Results
C-Ray D. Banner Cycling Club started the New Year with our weekly Thursday race the day after the 30th annual KREM New Year’s Day Cycling Classic. Most of the elite riders were taking a rest, however our club caters for riders of all categories so without a second thought, the race was on. The race started in front of Data Pro on the Boom Hattieville Road and went to the Hattieville roundabout and back. In first place from team Kulture was Vallan Symms, 2nd went to Riis Cattouse of C-Ray D. Banner, 3rd was Steven Robinson of Future Innovations, 4th Ray Cattouse of C-Ray D. Banner and rounding out the top 5 was Warren Coye of Team Santino’s.

PREMIER LEAGUE OF BELIZE 2019-2020 OPENING SEASON AWARDEES
Golden Glove – Shane Orio (Bandits Sport); Best Defender – Elroy Smith (Verdes FC); Best mid-Fielder – Jordy Polanco (Verdes FC); Best Young Player – Jesse August (BDF FC); Most Goal Scorer- Mariano Landero (Verdes FC); Fair Play – Placencia Assassins FC & Bandits Sport; Best Manager – Lorin Frazer (Verdes FC);...

Weekend Warriors Race Results January 5, 2020
CLASS A Results: 1 Eddie Usher, Digicel 4G; 2 Preston Martinez, M & M Engineering; 3 Vallan Symns, Kulture; 4 Barney Brown, Digicel 4G; 5 Dwight Lopez, Belcal; 6 Roque Matus, M & M Engineering; 7 Anthony Tun, Valvoline; 8 Warren Coye, Santinos; 9 Sean Duncan, Smart; 10 Nicole Gallego, Digicel 4G; 11 Windell Williams, M & M Engineering; 12 Derrick Smith, BFSC; 13 John Olivera, Unattached; 14 Fred Sutherland, Belcal...

Master of Games II
You don’t have to be a pundit to figure out why Dean Barrow worked so hard to get Attorney General Peyrefitte into the UDP leadership race with Faber and Saldivar. The story there is that PM Barrow is desperate for one with the mastery of communication to deflect from all the terrible failures of his party, and neither Faber nor Saldivar have the gab. He, Barrow, might look at Pere and see himself in the mirror, as he was 40, 50 years ago, and as he is now, Master of Games still, and, as Hubert E said, All Glitter and no Substance, still.

Jerome – a medical continuation of Matron!
It had been a time of great hope and excitement when, at thirty-two, Jerome had returned home to join the staff of the government hospital in 1960. The head of the now two-member professional staff of the surgery was completing the final few months of his contract before departing to greener pastures when Jerome had reported for duty, full of enthusiasm and plans to introduce a new era of “local”-flavoured service.

Amandala’s front page headlines in review for 2019 – April-June
• D-Day for Belize: On Wednesday at 2:00 p.m., submissions were made for an interim injunction to stop ICJ referendum on April 10. Opposition claimants who had filed a constitutional challenge to the Special Agreement, signed by Belize Foreign Minister, Hon. Wilfred Elrington in 2008, were in attendance at the Supreme Court of Hon. Chief. Justice, Kenneth Benjamin, as attorneys from their side and the government’s side made submissions.

My Take on the Caye Caulker Crisis
Firstly, I would like to establish that the observations and opinions presented in this letter are strictly personal and do not in any way represent any position of, or conclusions by, the Caye Caulker Business Association (CCBA), an organization for which I am the interim president. I am moved to write this letter after witnessing the incredible ironies that unfolded at the press conference last Friday, the 3rd of January, with a panel of representatives from the Belize Electricity Ltd. (BEL), Belize Water Services Ltd. (BWSL), the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and Hon. Minister Manuel Heredia.

VIP General Secretary, Paul Morgan, comments on Paul Rodriguez’s article: “We Need an Elected Senate”
The article referenced, “We Need an Elected Senate”, by Paul Rodriguez, appeared in last Friday’s Amandala. Mr. Rodriguez’s article followed the stream established by the VIP Direction, that was published in 2006. His article was clearly written in an effort to express how far away Belize has drifted from the ideals of a fair, safe and progressive Belize. I share Mr. Rodriguez’s general sentiments especially as I recall VIP’s 2006 commitment, to give Belize an elected, mixed member, proportional representation Senate, with half the members elected at mid-term.

U. S. slavery began in Florida, not Virginia
For David Nolan, watching the nation commemorate the 400 year anniversary of the first arrival of slaves from his home here in the United States’ oldest city is frustrating. Nolan, a local historian, author and civil rights activist, insists it only advances a false, racist belief that Englishmen founded America and created the system of slavery that defined this country. “It makes me want to scream,” says Nolan. “You’re robbing black history.” The truth is Spaniards settled in St. Augustine with enslaved blacks more than a half-century before any arrived in Jamestown, Virginia, in 1619 aboard a ship captured by English pirates.

The Reporter

Kerosene & Diesel Up Again
The Ministry of Finance announces that on Wednesday, January 8, 2020, the pump price for kerosene and diesel will increase as follows:

Caye Caulker Businesses Tally Up The Losses
While water and electricity on the small island of Caye Caulker seems to have been normalized, business owners are still in the process of tallying their revenue loss, which the Reporter was told exceeds over two million dollars in losses, and continues to multiply as more visitors cancel their vacation packages to the island.

Puerto Rico Hit By Powerful 6.4 Magnitude Earthquake
In the past 12 hours the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico has been rocked by several earthquakes. The most recent and most powerful happened this morning at 4.25am Puerto Rico time.

LOVE FM

Water found in Harmonyville
Tonight, there is water in Harmonyville as a church group due and dug until water was found. Cayo Correspondent Fem Cruz has the story.

First case of police brutality in 2020
While the Belize Police Department is reporting progress in their strategies, there is the flip side to that where some police officers are being accused of abusing their powers. It is the first allegation of police brutality for this year and it is against the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU).

Police officers in court for drug plane conspiracy
Police Superintendent David Chi and Constable Norman Anthony were in court alongside two Mexicans yesterday in Orange Walk Town. The men appeared in court in connection with a case of a drug plane in the Blue Creek area, back in September 2018.

2020 Public and Bank holidays
The Belize Press Office issued a press release with the layout of the 2020 Public and Bank Holidays . There are thirteen holidays in the holiday Act, Chapter 289 of the Law of Belize.

Sugar Crop Season commences Jan 15
January 15, 2020 has been confirmed as the start of the 2020 sugar cane crop season. Ordinarily, the season begins in the second week of December. It was delayed, however, due to the drought that affected many sectors in mid-2019, including sugar cane.

9-year-old boy dies after being burnt in southern Belize
Hernando Ack, a standard three student, passed away on New Year’s Day at his home in rural Toledo. The 9-year-old boy suffered varying degrees of burns on Wednesday, November 6 when he ignited a lighter inside an outdoor latrine.

Where are you?
A family in the Toledo District are concerned over the whereabouts of their relative who has been missing for a few days. Toledo Correspondent Paul Mahung reports.

NEAB concerned over Section 53 ruling
At the end of 2019, the Court of Appeal upheld the ruling by the Chief Justice that Section 53 of the Belize Criminal Code is unconstitutional. Section 53 disallows same-sex couples to engage in sexual acts which Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin found as an infringement upon the rights of gay people.

Compol satisfied with the police work being done in San Pedro
As we reported last Friday, Ambergris Caye is one of the areas that have seen a tremendous decrease in crimes. Police Commissioner commended the Commanding Officer, Superintendent Christopher Noble and his team on their vigilance.

Police Commissioner says they will clamp down on liquor and guns
An official report on the 2019 crime statistics is expected to be released tomorrow by the Belize Police Department. While majority of the homicides were by gun violence, Commissioner Williams noted that there were two major contributing factors to the murders, including the consumption of alcohol; an issue he plans to target.

Breaking Belize News

Plane carrying 180 passengers crashes shortly after takeoff in Iran
Reports indicate that a Boeing 737 plane carrying 180 passengers crashed minutes ago in Tehran, […]

US President Donald Trump: All is well!
Following the launching of missiles targeted at three US airbases in Iraq, United States President, […]

Iran launches attack on Iraqi bases housing US forces
Iran launched over a dozen missiles at two Iraqi bases that hold US troops in […]

King Sugar returns January 15
After a two and a half-hour meeting this afternoon in Orange Walk Town, American […]

Body found in Southern Belize
Reports to Breaking Belize News are that a body was found near Placencia Village this […]

Kerosene and diesel prices hiked
The Ministry of Finance today announced that effective midnight, the pump price of two fuel […]

Are we getting quality highways and roads for Belizean taxpayers money?
The rehabilitation of the portion from Roaring Creek to Iguana Creek junction entering Spanish Lookout […]

Authorities investigate shooting incident in San Jose Palmar
Authorities are investigating a shooting incident that occurred last night in San Jose Palmar, Orange […]

Police find 2 pounds of weed in empty lot
Belize City police conducting mobile patrol this morning on Holy Emmanuel Street searched an empty […]

Belize’s ranking falls on passport index
In the Henley and Partners Passport Index, a tool that measures how many territories passport […]

National Evangelical Association of Belize concerned about Appeals court ruling
The National Evangelical Association of Belize (NEAB) issued a statement expressing their concern at the […]

“Protected areas must be expanded to protect jaguars,” says new research
A new study, published in the journal BMC Genetics, says that protected areas in Belize […]

Nominations open for James A. Waight conservation award
The Belize Audubon Society (BAS) has opened nominations for deserving Belizeans (individual or organization) for […]

Alcohol played “dominant” role in murders, ComPol makes appeal to liquor licensing boards
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says that alcohol consumption played a major role in the […]

Police charged youths for threatening officers
Police have arrested and charged some young men from Seine Bight village for threatening officers. […]

Powerful earthquake shakes Puerto Rico again
Puerto Rico was shaken again by another powerful tremor this morning. The 6.4 magnitude earthquake […]

Security guard reportedly shoots self at Princess Hotel
BBN has received unconfirmed reports that a security guard on duty at the Princess Hotel […]

Blogs

Proposed Changes in Standards For Water Sports Activities Could Lead to Big Changes
A few weeks ago, the Bureau of Standards of the Belize Tourism Board held a meeting at the Sunbreeze conference room. My #1 issue leaving the meeting is that though this was a “Public Consultation”, I saw little representation from some of the largest stakeholders in this industry – the hotels and lodging of Ambergris Caye. And since almost all hotels and resorts, big and small, have amenities like kayaks and/or Stand Up Paddle Boards, sailboats and/or snorkel equipment – I thought I’d highlight some of the proposed new regulations here. Note: Amenities count as rentals – I asked at the meeting.

Saving the Silk Cayes in Belize
The Silk Cayes are some of the most scenic, stunning islands in the Caribbean. They are also important sources of income from fishing and tourism for Belize. A new conservation partnership is rushing to protect these islands before they lose ground to erosion and other types of damage. The Silk Cayes are about 20 miles from the Placencia Peninsula in the Caribbean. “Caye” is the Belizean word for island. The Silk Cayes are part of a network of uninhabited, undeveloped islands that form the Gladden Spit/Silk Cayes Marine Reserve. The cayes are a conch restoration zone and a shelter for spawning whale sharks, lobsters, and reef fish.

CAVES and the UNDERWORLD
Imagine yourself in a world where time seems to stand still, and you will hold your breath at the otherworldly landscapes that make up the network of caves in Belize. As your eyes adjust to the absence of sunlight you will be amazed at the wild shapes of the porous rock, the sounds that seem to echo from the past, the smells and the cool air on your warm skin. Belize’s geological structure is mostly porous karst limestone, which is ideal for the formation of underground caves and rivers. We have known for years of the existence of mythic caves, but everyday spelunkers are still discovering new ones. Expert cave divers sponsored by the National Geographic Society have found Central America’s longest cave system on the Chiquibul River in the Maya Mountains. There is also evidence that these underground worlds were used for religious ceremonies.

Conquer Victoria Peak in 2020!
The odyssey begins within the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary’s park headquarters, where hikers are recommended to wake up within for an early start at dawn. The innocent Victoria Peak Trail signage gives way to a mostly flat old lagging track that twists northwest towards the Peak itself. A quick rest stop at the 13km helipad includes a refreshing respite at the provided picnic tables along the banks of the Sittee River. ATV transportation is available until this point. Most groups are able to push through to 19km on Day 1; the ascending and descending undulations quickly change to up, up, up. Living up to its name, “Heartbreak Hill” gives way to 19km, or “Dead Man’s Camp”, which will be home for the next 2 nights.

Videos

January 7, 2020

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, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

Ambergris Today

Letter To The Editor: My Take On The Caye Caulker Crisis
To The Reader, Firstly, I would like to establish that the observations and opinions presented in this letter are strictly personal and do not in any way represent any position or conclusions by the Caye Caulker Business Association (CCBA), an organization for which I am the interim [president. I am moved to write this letter after witnessing the incredible ironies that unfolded at the press conference last Friday the 3rd. of January, with a panel of representatives from Belize Electricity Lt. (BEL), Belize Water Services Ltd. (BWSL), the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) and Hon. Minister Manuel Heredia. The press conference was largely a public relations pacification session chocked full of promises and fancy sidesteps to try and explain away why the people of Caye Caulker has been suffering from a grossly unacceptable level of performance by both utility companies for some time now.

Secrets To Life: Trust In God
- By Seleni Perez - It is true that at times we can be as stubborn as can be, and want things our way. But let's keep in mind that "blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence." (Jeremiah 17:7). Life may not always turn out the way we hoped for, and saying everything happens for a reason is rather cliche, and seldom gives us comfort. Many times we lose our peace of mind wondering how things will turn out and try to find so many worldly solutions with our own strengths and knowledge, not allowing God to put His hands on our lives and purpose, and that is exactly the problem.

Various Belizean Sources

COMPOL Monday morning Senior Command Officers Conference
This morning, 6 January 2020, six Pastors from Western & Southern Districts, visited the COMPOL's Monday morning Senior Command Officers Conference, Belmopan Police Headquarters; to pray & bless the Senior Officers with the word of God & spiritual anointment. Thanks to Pastor Richard Smith & all the Team of Pastors for supporting the B.P.D.

Year 2020 first police press briefing
COMPOL Chester Williams, along with A.C.P. Joseph Myvette & Sr. Supt. Hilberto Romero, holds the year 2020 first police press briefing at the Police Headquarters Belmopan. COMPOL expressed his condolence for the death of the young lady Samantha Conorquie who was murdered couple days into the new year. COMPOL, also shared some key areas that he & the B.P.D. will address in 2020, which are: deaths related to alcohol abuse, domestic & gang violence etc....

FCD New Executive Committee
The FCD Environmental Youth Group conducted its first formal Annual Meeting with the election of a new Executive Committee. FCD congratulates its new executive and thanks those that have served on the last period.

South Ambergris Caye Neighbourhood Watch
Happy New Year! Our monthly general meeting is upon us! If you are on the island this Wednesday, January 8th, please join us at Lone Star Grill and Cantina. Meeting starts at 7 pm. Come early for dinner!

Corozal Football Association Games
Corozal Football Association First Division pending games to be played on Thursday night, January 9th at the Calcutta Football Field at 6:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.

Corozal Football Association Standings
CFA First Division Amateur Table of Standing as of January 6th, 2020

Gift of Life clinics are coming up
Please help us share the word!!

BWS Press Release: Update of Caye Caulker Water Distribution System
Belize Water Services (BWS) has been made aware of incorrect reports in the media of “multi-day” water outages in Caye Caulker with statements such as “Caye Caulker has been without water for the last five days” and “the island has been without water for almost a week”. BWS hereby clarifies that Monday December 30, 2019 was the only day when the distribution system supply was interrupted for an extended period. The chronology of events is as follows: On Sunday, December 29, 2019, at about 11:00am, the Caye Caulker Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant experienced a shut down due to a broken main drive shaft.

Classical Music is coming to San Pedro!
Great community event - concert on January 11th at Paradise Theater. The mission of the recently organized Belize Academy of the Performing Arts (BAPA) to create a high-caliber, professional national symphony in Belize to strengthen and expand music education throughout the country. BAPA’s creation was announced in April 2019 by Belize Governor-General Sir Colville Young and Attorney Joel Nagel, a resident of San Pedro Town and the chairman of Caye International Bank Ltd.

Channel 7

Teenaged Girl Is First Murder Victim of 2020
On Friday night, 16-year-old Samantha Conorquie stepped out of a house on Ordonez avenue and became the first person to be shot and killed in 2020. Samantha was talking on the phone when she was shot to the head. Initial reports were that the young woman may have been ambushed and targeted. Cherisse Halsall headed to Ordonez avenue this morning and attempted to learn more about the questions surrounding this merciless murder of a minor. Here is that story: This was the scene on Friday night after 16-year-old Samantha Conorquie - known as Big Love - was murdered as she stepped out of a house on Ordonez Avenue.

Supt Chi And Co. to Court in High Profile Trial
The high profile drug trial of Police Superintendent David Chi, and Constable Norman Anthony along with two alleged Mexican drug runners, Eli Figueroa Nunez and Azarias Manzano started just before the new year in the Orange Walk Magistrate's Court. All four were arrested in September of 2018 after a loaded drug plane was busted in Blue Creek. The men are charged for conspiring to land the drug plane - not drug trafficking, per se. Conspiring is a summary offense which is tried before a Senior Magistrate.

Shot By Cops, "Cat"� Hopped Into the Courtroom
Albert "Cat" Reid hopped into Belize City Magistrate's court today. Hopping, because police shot him in the leg one week ago - when he allegedly threatened two cops with a machete. They were responding to a domestic dispute in Hattieville. Today, the 29 year old Reid appeared before Senior Magistrate Tricia Pitts Anderson and was read 6 charges: 2 counts of aggravated assault, 2 counts of threat of death, damage to property and using threatening words. He didn't waste the court's time: he pleaded guilty, and was fined, not confined. It was $800 for damage to property, $100 for using threatening words, $500 for each count of aggravated assault and $200 for each count of threat of death - a total of $2,300.

Patt Accused As Ray Ban Robber
A Corozal man went to Belize City Magistrate's Court today charged with stealing a whole lot of Ray Ban sunglasses. 40 year old Ismael Patt, 40, from Caledonia Village, was charged with the theft of 50 dozen Ray Ban sunglasses, valued at $50 each when he appeared today before Senior Magistrate Tricia Pitts Anderson. Patt is also alleged to have stolen 19 small bottles of panty ripper, one bottle of Gold rum and 4 hammocks - all to a total value of $30,626. Patt pleaded not guilty and was released on a bail of $6,000. His case was adjourned until February 27.

BEL Brings In Additional Generator To Caye C.
In last week's news before and after New Year's day, we took you to Caye Caulker. Business owners and tourism industry stakeholders were enraged by water and electricity failures during the peak of the holiday high season. These outages drove tourists away, because they've paid for a vacation in paradise, but instead, got hellish service from the utilities. On Friday, we showed you how the Tourism Ministry executives, as well as the bosses of the light and water companies, traveled to Caye Caulker to assure them that these outages are being urgently addressed.

Murder Rate Debate
2019 is over - and according to our figures, there were 138 murders, for a murder rate of 34 per hundred thousand inhabitants - which is lower than last year's 37 per hundred thousand, but will still probably work out to one of the top ten highest in the world. Today in Belmopan, a blustery Commissioner Chester Williams disputed our total, while conceding that whether there were 134 or 138 murders, police have to find a way to do better:

Major Crimes Down By 10%
And while murder is only down marginally, major crimes overall are down by 10%. Never too shy to clutch unto a well worn cliche, Williams says this year, the Department has 20/20 vision: Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police: "Our main objective is always to reduce crime. When we compare our stats to 2018, we have a reduction in crime of a little under 10%. For us, that is an achievement worth mentioning. Yes, we would have wanted it to be better..."

A Gang Intervention Officer
And a part of that vision is more effective gang interventions. Williams says an officer will be assigned to deal with that singular task: Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police: "We want to see us getting on board a conflict officer, or a gang intervention officer. If we can get that person on board to work with us - and we have already a person in mind - that person can then work between us and CYDP, to see how we can deal with different gang issues with a view to further take down the gang-related murders..."

Another Police Brutality Allegation
But, tonight, Compol Williams is getting no love on Caesar Ridge Road. That's where 22-year-old Giovanni Lambey was allegedly beaten by police today. He is reportedly in the hospital tonight after he was detained in what his family is calling an incident of police brutality. We spoke to Lambey's Uncle, Windell Carcamo, a bed-ridden diabetic who told us that he could only listen to his nephew's screams as police who had entered the yard under the guise of searching for ammunition pulled Lambey from the outhouse to beat him.

Charged For Traffic Fatality Three Years Later
Police are also reporting tonight that they're in the process of bringing criminal charges against an Orange Walk District resident who knocked down and killed 2 men on a motorcycle back in October 2016. He's 45-year-old Martin Ramos, a resident of San Felipe Village. Police reports were that on Friday, October 7th, 2016, he was driving his black Ford F-2000 pickup truck on the San Felipe Road in the August Pine Ridge area. He was heading to his home village when his vehicle slammed into a red Meilun motorcycle. That motorbike was being driven by 25-year-old Abraham Diaz, a resident of August Pine Ridge, and he had his fellow villager, 34-year-old Antonio Solis, as his passenger.

Cops Come to Eject Woman on Disputed Land
On December 23rd, we told you about the land dispute between UDP standard bearer for Freetown, OJ Elringotn and his would - be constituent, Crystal Gillett Michael. She's from a strong UDP family, but went "cross-way" with OJ over a piece of land. She's been building her home on a property in the Belama Phase 4 area of Belize City. According to Gillett, everything was going according to plan until she was recently contacted by Elrington who demanded that she stop construction. He says that she is using a piece of government land that is reserved for a community resource center.

A Turtle's Tale
A Sailboat captain found himself performing impromptu veterinary surgery on Friday when his crew rescued an approximately loggerhead turtle which was on the brink of suffocation. The turtle had swallowed a live pufferfish and was chocking on it. He fought off his surgery at first but eventually allowed for deflation and extraction of the troublesome puffer. We spoke to the Captain, Horace Bladon today about the act of kindness that will forever be imprinted in the minds and hearts of his guests and maybe even one loggerhead turtle.

COMPOL Says Status Quo For San Pedro Police Deployments
Going back now to Commissioner Chester Williams - we also asked him about the rumblings on San Pedro that police will be drawing down on the deployment of manpower in that island town. Police had beefed up their presence there after the murder of an American tourist in June of last year. That added presence has cooled the island down - and now townspeople are concerned about rumors that the additional resources may be moving on. Williams today said he'd have to be not in his right mind to do that:

Regulations on Rounds For 2020
Williams also spoke about the new regulations on ammunition that are going into effect this year. There will be a limit on the volume of ammunition that licensed gun owners will be able to buy annually: Chester Williams - Commissioner of Police: "While our research is showing that many of the guns that are used in the commission of crimes are coming across the border from Guatemala's side, the ammunition that is used is locally purchased ammunition..."

Police Got Busy on the Peninsula
And while the Commissioner was available for comment, we asked him for details about a series of police raids, which were carried out on the Placencia peninsula this weekend. Officers from the Anti-gang Taskforce, the Gang Suppression Unit, and the Special Patrol Unit descended on the villages of Seine Bight and Placencia to search the homes of several young men. That's after this group of men allegedly began threatening police officers from Placencia. Our reports indicate that as many as 9 men, between the ages of 19 and 46 years, were detained in this round-up. When we asked Williams about this incident, he had only a few brief details to share with us:

Weed Bust On GP Hwy.
Tonight, Cayo Police are preparing to arraign 3 Belizeans and a Salvadoran for what appears to be a marijuana smuggling operation. On last Friday afternoon, officers from Belmopan and Roaring Creek had a vehicle checkpoint set up in an area between miles 46 and 47 on the George Price Highway. At around 2:30 p.m., they stopped and searched a blue Toyota Corolla at the checkpoint. Walter Castillo was driving, and in the passenger seats were Victor Yaegue, Santos Castillo, Walter Castillo, and Salvadoran Adan Marroquin. The cops say that they spotted a black school bag on the floor of the vehicle between Marroquin's legs.

Christian, The Accused
ACP Myvette also discussed the escape charge that they have brought against the 28-year-old prison inmate Christian Neal. Just over a week ago, we told you how a pair of plainclothes police officers detained him in Benque Viejo Town. He escaped from the Belize Central Prison in May of Last year, and for 7 months, he eluded local law enforcement. Well according to police, he will be arraigned for escape, and he will be sent right back to prison:

Channel 5

Female Minor, 16, First Murder Victim of 2020
A female minor is the first murder victim for 2020.  She spent the holidays at a friend’s house in Belize City, but on Friday night, her life was cut short [...]

Teenager Escapes Grave Danger After Being Attacked Near Jane Usher Blvd.
Before noon today, another minor was targeted. Fortunately, the sixteen-year old student escaped the multiple shots that were let go in his direction at the house of his grandmother in [...]

Drug Case Against Former OW Police Commander, Police Officer and Mexicans Continues
The former head of the Orange Walk Police Formation, Superintendent David Chi, a police constable and two Mexican nationals arrived at the Orange Walk Magistrate Court today for trial.  There [...]

Still No Copy of Imer Hernandez’s Coastal Road Contract
On December fifth, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry formally wrote the Government of Belize requesting a copy of the contract signed by Imer Hernandez for the Coastal Highway [...]

Fire Victim Elena Reina Still Hospitalized at the K.H.M.H.
Fire victim Elena Reina remains hospitalized at the K.H.M.H. in a critical, but stable condition. The thirty-three-year-old mother of three was sleeping inside a house on Flamboyant Street on January [...]

Police Makes Four-Pound Weed Bust at Checkpoint
Four men have been slapped with drug charges after they were busted with over four pounds of weed. According to police, around two-thirty in the afternoon of January third, police [...]

Man Charged Three Years Later for Double Fatal RTA
An Orange Walk man has been charged for a double fatal RTA that happened over three years ago. According to police, Martin Ramos was arrested and charged with two counts [...]

Young Men in Seine Bight Threaten the Cops!
Over the weekend, police detained a number of young men in Seine Bight village in the south.  According to Commissioner Chester Williams, the youths were threatening the cops who were [...]

Chief Education Officer Response to B.N.T.U.’s Discontent with Proposed Amendment to Education Act
Across the country today, a number of teachers at public schools wore their well-known green T-shirts in support of the Belize National Teachers Union. The union intended to send a [...]

Doctor Carol Babb Says No Breakdown in Dialogue with B.N.T.U.
The Chief Education Officer says that there has not been a breakdown in communication between the Ministry of Education and the Belize National Teachers Union. In fact, Doctor Carol Babb [...]

Escapee is Recaptured and Sent Back to Jail
Police say that Christian Neal, who escaped from the Kolbe Foundation eight months ago, has been recaptured. Neal was picked up on Thursday, January second sometime around two p.m. According [...]

ComPol Talks 2019 Crime Stats!
Earlier in the newscast we reported on the first murder of 2020. In the coming days, the Police Department will release the official stats with a full breakdown of the [...]

ComPol Says More to be Done to Tackle Gang-Related Crimes in 2020
Speaking to the media today, ComPol Williams says that there were also a growing number of domestic related deaths and they will be looking into increased collaboration to try to [...]

ComPol Says Alcohol was a Big Factor in 2019 Crimes
Commissioner Williams also spoke about alcohol and the factor it played in crime, particular murders. Williams says the department will be cracking down on the failure to adhere to alcohol [...]

Locally Sourced Generation Unit Supplying Caye Caulker
On Friday, B.E.L.’s Chief Executive Officer John Mencias, at a stakeholders meeting organized by the Belize Tourism Board, promised residents and proprietors on Caye Caulker that a locally sourced generation [...]

BWS to Address Growing Sewage Concerns on Caye Caulker
Belize Water Services, for its part, has also committed to erecting a pair of storage facilities on both ends of Caye Caulker. In addressing the growing concerns about sewage and [...]

ComPol Says Don’t Believe the Rumors!
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says don’t believe the rumors you are hearing of a shake-up in the San Pedro Police formation. According to Williams, officer in charge, Christopher Noble, [...]

Pathlight International Adopts Unity Presbyterian Primary School
The new school year started on a good footing for the two hundred and twenty-five students of Unity Presbyterian Primary School in Belize City.  And that is because they have [...]

Sportscaster James Adderly and the Weekend Activities
Good evening, I’m James Adderly and this is Sports Monday.   [Highlights of the weekend in sports….]

Amandala

Taxi driver robbed and shot
Reports are that a taxi driver was robbed and shot, in San Jose Nuevo Palmar in the Orange Walk District. He has been identified as 46 year old Ricardo UK.

The Reporter

BDF Soldier and Sibling Charged for Bar Attack
A Belize Defence Force Soldier from Bullet Tree Falls, along with his younger sibling have both been detained and officially charged in relation to a weekend chopping incident that sent two men to the San Ignacio Community Hospital for treatment.

Eulogy for Domingo Perez: An Excerpt
Eulogy for Domingo Perez: An Excerpt By Osmany Salas (December 28, 2019) – We are here to celebrate the life of Domingo Perez. There is so much to say about the life of this Renaissance man – a rich and wholesome life that spanned almost exactly 70 years.

Message No. 9/12!
Message No. 9/12! By Major Lloyd Jones (Ret’d) – A recent internal Police memo from the Commissioner of Police, to all his Commanders, in which he directed them on which information they should collect at vehicle check points made its way to Facebook.

Belmopan Nazarene Church Condemns Castro’s Facebook Comment
One more organization has come forth to condemn the Facebook comment of Jumoke Castro, son of Minister of Transport Edmond Castro, on a post made two weeks ago by Belmopan Pastor, Louis Wade, Jr.

LOVE FM

Daylight shooting reported in Belize City
The home of an elderly woman was shot fifteen times today by a lone gunman. The home of Janett Gray in the Jane Usher area was targeted when her grandson came to visit.

Police make drug bust on highway
A vehicle heading east on the George Price Highway was intercepted by police at a checkpoint on Friday. According to Assistant Commissioner of Police, Joseph Myvett, police were able to make a drug bust.

First murder for 2020
A 16-year-old girl was the first murder victim for 2020. Samantha Conorquie, a student of Ladyville Technical High School, was gunned down Friday night on Ordonez Street, Belize City.

Not consumed by fire
A mother of four who was severely burnt last week in a house fire is reportedly responding well to treatment. 33-year-old Elena Reina was sleeping inside the home of Mathew Fernandez on Flamboyant Street, Belize City when a fire broke out.

Police still hospitalized after being chopped
Police officer, Edgar Teul remains hospitalized tonight after he was attacked and chopped by several residents of the Maya Mopan area in Belmopan. Correspondent Fem Cruz spoke to the officer’s sister, Sonia, for an update on Teul’s condition.

Woman is issued a stop order on the construction of her house
A resident of Belize City was issued a stop order this afternoon on the house she has been constructing on a parcel of land in the Belama Phase Four area. Crystal Gillett was in the news on December 23 when she claimed that the UDP Standard Bearer for Freetown, Orson OJ Elrington, had given her the green light to build on the land.

Utility companies issue updates on Caye Caulker
Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) has successfully connected a locally sourced generation unit to the island's power system and is now in operation. Via press release the company announced that the operation was conducted yesterday, January 5.

ComPol warns teens about their associates
Conorquie who was only sixteen years old, joins the last murder victim for 2019 who was also only sixteen years old. It is an unfortunate set of circumstances and one that begs the question as to why these young girls are being targeted.

SSB contribution rate increase by 0.5% to 9%
Effective today, contributors to the Social Security fund will see an increase in their salary deductions. This is the second of three phases put forth by SSB to assist the fund which was reportedly in trouble up to mid-2019.

Western Regional Hospital improves customer care
The Western Regional Hospital under the guidance of Dr Javier Zuniga is undergoing several shifts and adjustments to improve their medical and customer care services. Correspondent Fem Cruz has the story.

Following the legislation to ban plastics
In 2019, the word was that plastics and Styrofoam would see a phasing out period and that a cutoff point would be established for importers. Today on The Morning Show, one caller informed us that the importation of plastics and Styrofoam is still ongoing.

Breaking Belize News

Scientists: Protecting two key regions in Belize could save threatened jaguar
An extensive study funded by the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and the National […]

Long weekends forecasted; Mondays dominate holidays for 2020
The list of public and bank holidays for 2020 is showing several long weekends for […]

Taxi driver shot in San Jose
Authorities are investigating a shooting incident that occurred tonight in San Jose, Orange Walk. According […]

New Fisheries Act hailed
At the December 20th House of Representatives meeting, Prime Minister Dean Barrow rose to introduce the […]

New decade, same Superbond
Of Belize’s more than $3.5 billion in debt, about a third – $1.053 billion as of […]

Tourist recounts brave rescue of ailing sea turtle off Ambergris Caye coast
Photo Courtesy: Ambergris Today It has been a rough week for Belize’s tourism industry, with cancellations […]

Man charged for double death in 2016
Police have charged Martin Ramos, 45, with two counts of causing death by careless conduct. […]

Four busted with weed at checkpoint
Just before 4 p.m. on January 3rd, Roaring Creek Police conducted a checkpoint near mile 46 […]

Escaped prisoner goes back to Belize Central Prison
Escaped prisoner, Christian Neal was captured a few days ago. On January 2nd, Benque Viejo […]

Police: Samantha Conorquie intended target
Just before 11 o’clock on Friday night, Samantha Conorquie was gunned down. The 16-year-old Lords […]

Mexican Embassy to host New Year concert
The Mexican Embassy, in Belize in collaboration with Belize Virtuosi and BAPA, is hosting a […]

Pastors pray for senior officers
Today, six pastors from Western and Southern Districts of Belize visited the Commissioner of Police’s […]

Blogs

Comfort food at its best at Island Wonder kitchen + bar
Imagine dining on a comforting meal while sipping a mimosa and ending it off with a little sweet treat – sounds like just the right meal, wouldn’t you say? Recently, our adventures in dining led us to Island Wonder kitchen + bar, the newest restaurant on Coconut Drive here in San Pedro Town. Just a few yards south of Tropic Air’s San Pedro Terminal, Island Wonder is serving up all manner of comfort food. Catering to the island’s hungry crowd, this cute, fully air-conditioned restaurant is an undiscovered jewel.

The Collapse of the Maya Civilization
Although we do not know for certain, scholars, archeologists and scientific evidence supports that they sank into oblivion due to the exhaustion of the land. The environment deteriorated as the result of over-cultivation: the soil became exhausted, erosion removed it to fill in shallow lakes, removing their water supply. Competition from grass weeds grew too great for the Maya, with their primitive tools to be able to till the land. This belief, however, is a bit simplistic and does not fit with the ingenuity they displayed in their glorious achievements. Also, they lost their lives in uprisings against the priests who came to Christianize them.

Tracking Jaguars And Other Wildlife At Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is internationally recognized as the world’s first jaguar preserve. It protects hundreds of acres of jungle, wetlands, pine forest and watersheds in the shadow of the Maya Mountains and Victoria Peak, the tallest mountain in Belize. Visitors enjoy hiking, swimming in waterfalls, tubing or kayaking down a river, cooling off by a waterfall, watching wildlife and spotting hundreds of bird species. As a wilderness area protecting some of Belize’s most precious natural wonders, Cockscomb Basin is a rewarding experience for any traveler looking for some adventure on the wild side.

Buying Real Estate in Belize
When you start the process of buying property in Belize, the first step is to begin searching current property listings. Places to find those listings include local realtor websites and bank foreclosure listings. Registered realtor names are available via the website for the Association of Real Estate Brokers in Belize. Another way to search is to explore the country and talk to the locals. Not all properties are listed by realtors.

January Travel Deals in Belize
The new year calls for new travel plans. With so many beautiful places in this world, your options to discover are endless. Fuel your new year getaway needs with these top January travel deals in Belize! Escape and save big! Portofino is now offering an amazing deal where you get 35% discount on minimum 3 night stay. The offer ends January 31, 2020 with travel dates between January 1 – April 30, 2020.

Living in Belize
Guest Blog by Ron Delvalle. Most of us have migrated to online bill paying services long ago. I say most because I was one of the holdouts until just prior to moving here. Something about having a paper audit trail was difficult for me to give up. With the move looming though, I could wait no longer. I set up a separate Gmail account to give to all of my financial creditors and then quickly set up online bill pay with my local bank. After making the switch, I wondered why I had waited so long? What used to take me hours now took minutes. Some of us are just perpetually late to the party when it comes to some changes.

International Sources

Protecting two key regions in Belize could save threatened jaguar, say scientists
Scientists studying one of the largest populations of jaguars in Central Belize have identified several wildlife corridors that should be protected to help the species survival. The study, led by the American Museum of Natural History and the University of Bristol and published in BMC Genetics, provide a new insight into where conservation efforts should be concentrated. Jaguars are top predators inhabiting large areas of Belize's tropical forests and have a vast range spanning thousands of square miles. However, high deforestation rates for large-scale agricultural development and a constantly changing landscape mean jaguars are under increased threat and now listed as 'near threatened' on the IUCN red list of threatened species.

Videos

January 6, 2020

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, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

Wolfe’s Woofer: Tight Skirt
“Hey, Mr. Dennis.” I turned around to see the lovely Tanya, who tends bar at one of Ambergris Caye’s best resorts. “Hi, Tanya,” I said. “You’re dressed mighty fine for a bus trip.” Tanya and I were standing in a tightly crowded line for the bus from Belmopan to Belize City. “I had to go to a wedding rehearsal,” she said. “I’m gonna’ look my best when I’m around a bunch of other bridesmaids.”

Doctor Love: Accidental Cheat
Dear Doctor Love, I accidentally slept with my sister’s boyfriend and I don’t know if I should tell her. It was accidentally because I didn’t know they were dating at the time it happened. I met him at a club one night and we went to his place. A few weeks later I went to my sister’s and they were all cuddled up on the couch. She says they are dating six months she looked really in love with him. He looked scared I would say something but I just left pretty quick. I am really close with my sister and if it was me, I’d want her to tell me so I don’t go with a guy who is a cheater.

Ambergris Today

Tourists In Belize Experience Sea Turtle Rescue After It Swallows A Pufferfish
A group of tourist on a sailing tour shared an experience of a lifetime on Saturday, January 4, 2020, as their captain Horace Bladon and crew of Felicity Sailing saved a 100 pound sea turtle from suffocation after it had swallowed a pufferfish that inflated in its throat. Jenelle Kim shared on her Instagram account the happenings of an experience she describes as an opportunity to truly connect with another life in nature as she and her family witnessed the turtle rescue first hand during a sailing trip back to San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize.

Various Belizean Sources

Locally Sourced Generation Unit Now in Operation and Supplying Caye Caulker
Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) advises customers in Caye Caulker that the locally sourced generation unit is now in operation and was successfully connected to the island's power system on Sunday, January 5. 2020. Since being brought on line, our teams have been monitoring and assessing the unit's generation capacity and will continue to do so during the week to ensure that the unit functions reliably and consistently.

Crocodile Rehab/Wildlife Rescue
Last month this 2.2m American Morelet’s hybrid croc named Triminio (named after Research Biologist Jonathan who helped rescue him), was found ill and lethargic by community members in Corozal. After weeks of veterinary examinations and TLC at The Belize Zoo, we transported Triminio to our rehab enclosures this past Friday at Kutunza Translocation Facility. We will continue to monitor his health, but for now it does seem Triminio is enjoying his new home.

CAWS Low Cost Clinics
The Cayo Animal Welfare Society has their schedule for their 4 days of low cost spay and neuter clinics. January 12th and 13th, and the 14th and 15th, from 8:00am to 2:00pm, at the Santa Elena Sports Complex. They have some guidelines on the flier. "Our clinic is coming soon. We are still very low on bed sheets, pillow cases, towels and any materials that can be used in the animal recovery areas. If anyone has any please contact us, we are able to collect. Please spread the word."

Breaking Belize News

Canadian model makes a splash in Placencia
Canadian model, Khloe Terae, gave Belize some more time in international media circles this week […]

British publication hints that direct flights from London to Belize may be coming soon
As Belize consistently establishes itself as the “must-visit” destination in the region, tourist markets all over […]

Shoplifter unable to avoid prying eyes
Josue Alberto Ibanez, 33, a naturalized Belizean originally from Guatemala, who was caught shoplifting, pleaded guilty […]

“Borrowed” bike sends Burrell Boom man behind bars
Elias Pech, 52, was in a hurry on December 21 in Burrell Boom, Belize District. […]

Teachers wearing green tomorrow, sending a message to the Ministry of Education
At the reopening of schools tomorrow, the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) is calling on its membership to show up in their green union shirts ...

Additional locally-sourced generation unit is in Caye Caulker
Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) is currently working on a generation unit to keep the island of ...

Blogs

Hi Chiclero! written by: Howard A. Frankson
My grandfather was not a fully-fledged Chiclero, but as a well-rounded farmer, hunter and bush ranger, he was immersed in their world and often represented them in their transactions with city folk and corporations. He would go with them to their camps in the forest, carrying ‘provision’ to maintain them through the season. In all this he was a quiet man, calm and unassuming, known to the world as “Boss Jim”. His wife, my grandmother, was the real power behind the scene, strong and assertive, she was the well-known matriarch “Miss Night”, and bore with combative composure, the weight of her large family on her small frame.

Snorkeling the Hol Chan Marine Reserve in Belize
We didn’t really have any expectations or even a real idea of what we would see, all we knew was that we were not going to miss out on snorkeling the second largest barrier reef in the world … AGAIN! Last year, we only stayed in Caye Caulker for two nights, underestimating how great snorkeling the barrier reef is, we opted to skip it and do the ATM cave on the mainland instead. Insider Tip: If you are debating about which one to do, do both, they are equally impressive and totally worth the money.

A Battle of Drums
In October 2006, Darius Avila and his mother, Olivia Palacio Avila, came up with an idea to revive and promote the Garifuna culture in Punta Gorda: a competition called “Battle of the Drums.” Now a major annual event in Belize, operating under an eponymous non-profit since 2012, the Battle of the Drums takes place on the Saturday immediately preceding November 19, Garifuna Settlement Day, and it’s a musical explosion you don’t want to miss. Groups made up of six members each descend on Punta Gorda from all over Belize, as well as from Guatemala and Honduras, to compete in five different genres of Garifuna drumming and dance: punta, hüngühüngü, paranda, chumba,and wanaragua.

The AMAZING Location of Barrel Bar Gets a Total New Look by New Owner
Barrel Bar is gone but a new business is rising in its place. To take advantage is this SUPER COOL spot on the lagoon…less than a block from the main road. Surrounded by lagoon, iguanas, big cruising tarpon, a gorgeous mangroves… Ishmael, the owner of the super successful Sandy Toes bar (directly to the east of this location…just a few minute walk) is re-doing the Barrel Bar. But keeping the feel…rustic…over-the-water but BEAUTIFUL. The restaurant won’t be open until the end of the year at the earliest…but here is what it looks like!

Family Vacations in Belize
Belize is the perfect destination whether you’re travelling alone, with a spouse, friends, or your entire family. There is so much to do here and even more to experience. When planning a vacation for your family, you want to make sure that everyone is considered at every stage of your trip. From where you stay to what you do and even where you eat. This country offers you both beach and jungle environments with a number of resorts and lodges in each. You can choose whether your family wants to be at the beach or the jungle, or maybe both. Belize offers a number of family accommodations; here are a few:

Belize as a Caribbean Country
Belize is considered both a Caribbean country and a Central American country. The main languages in this charming country are English, Creole, Spanish, and Maya. However, in this melting pot otherwise known as Belize, there are many other languages used such as Lebanese, German and Mandarin. Belize offers you the greatest cultural experiences, foods, and travel. Just like other Caribbean countries Belize offers white sandy beaches and the beautiful cerulean blue Caribbean Sea. You can find many similarities in the culture, food, language, weather, people, and music between Belize and other countries in the Caribbean.

International Sources

Better Belize it
With extraordinary Mayan ruins, rich wilderness and marine life, glorious tropical islands and a hospitality industry built around sustainability, Belize could be Central America’s best-kept secret, writes Emily Eastman The road rattles and buckles beneath us as our driver navigates deep ruts, vast stones and puddles of undetermined depth. To call the route to Caracol bumpy would be imprecise; these roads are rugged, stomach-churning, and worth every jolt for the destination: the largest Mayan site in Belize, situated deep in the Mountain Pine Ridge Forest Reserve.

Videos

January 5, 2020

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, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

Ian ‘Lion’ Gordon ends 2019 with four additional medals; prepares to compete in Mexico
December 2019 was a very busy month for island marathoner Ian ‘Lion’ Gordon, after participating in four consecutive marathons in Belize and Mexico. According to the island runner, this is a record for an athlete around his age (42), as he continues to pursue his dream to someday represent Belize at the Olympics. As the New Year begins, Gordon is once again preparing to compete in the international arena at a competition in Veracruz, Mexico on January 19, 2020. He is appealing to the community for any possible assistance to finance his participation in this upcoming marathon.

2020 brings another increase in Social Security Contribution Rates
The second phase of the Belize Social Security Board’s (SSB) Contribution Reform will take effect on Monday, January 6th of this new year. Under the policy approved by the Government of Belize in June of 2019, the second phase in the reform will see the contribution rate increasing by 0.5% to 9% and the ceiling for insurable income go up from $440 to $480.

Various Belizean Sources

Additional locally-sourced generation unit is in Caye Caulker!
BEL informs customers in Caye Caulker that the used generation unit that was sourced from Independence Village to provide additional generation capacity in Caye Caulker arrived on the island today, Saturday, January 4, 2020. This is a fairly used generation unit but was the only one of sufficient capacity that was readily available in-country. Our teams are currently working to connect it to the Caye Caulker power system with the aim of having the unit operational by Monday, January 6. We will thereafter be able to assess the extent to which we can rely on this unit to help us meet demand until the new generation unit being sourced from abroad can be installed at the power station.

9th Annual Chili Cook Off in Consejo Village
Sunday, January 26, 2020 1:00 PM at The New Millennium Restaurant – Consejo Village. Cost is $10.00 Belize which allows you to sample all the chili you want. Chili providers have free admission. Fundraising will be held by having the 50/50 draw and Silent Raffle. Señor Jorge will be on hand to sell beer and other beverages. Chili providers should bring their Chili to the Millennium at 12:30. Each participant will receive a number for voting. Voting will end at 2:30 p.m. Winners will be announced at 3:00 p m. Please make sure to bring a spoon or ladle with your chili.

The Bluffs Music Series - Jan 2020
The Bluffs will be having music on 3 of the next 4 Saturdays. Rich Krieger will be performing on the 11th. Eddie and Aldo will be performing on the 18th. Planeta Vagabundo and Ascenthium will be performing on February 1st. "This is what our new years is starting to look like. Write down the dates so that you won't miss them."

Belize Tourism Board facilitates meeting between Caye Caulker Tourism Stakeholders and Utility Companies
Earlier today, the BTB facilitated a meeting between tourism stakeholders of Caye Caulker and Executives of Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL) and Public Utilities Commission (PUC) at the Sea Dreams Resort, on Caye Caulker. The meeting was organized to provide an opportunity for stakeholders to hear directly from the executives of the utility companies regarding the recent interruption of electricity and water services on the island. Over fifty (50) tourism stakeholders attended the meeting, during which the CEOs of BEL and BWSL presented their long term plan of action for utlitiy infrastructure designed to meet the growing demands of the island.

NUKUCH TAT
The Nukuch Tat is a powerful spirit which protects the jungle , animals and even humans . It is also known as Tata Duende,Tata Balam or el Dueño del monte. The word Tata Duende comes from the Yucatec Maya word Tata meaning elder or grandfather . Duende come from a Spanish word which originated as a contraction of the phrase dueño or Dueño de Casa . So Tata Duende means Old owner or Grandfather owner . Nukuch tat is a Yucatec Maya word meaning Great father or Great elder . Tata Balam can mean Old jaguar or Grandfather guardian .

CHILAM BALAM: On Christianity
"When Christianity was introduced by the real Christians .Then with the 'True' God ,came the beginning of our misery . It was the beginning of tribute,the beginning of church dues,the beginning of strife with purse-snatching ,the beginning of strife with blow-guns,the beginning of strife by trampling on people,the beginning of robbery with violence,the beginning of force debts,the beginning of debts enforced by false testimony,the beginning of individual strife,a beginning of vexation,a beginning of robbery with violence ."

Amandala

First murder for 2020
There was a shooting on Ordonez Street last night. A teenage girl was fatally shot in her head. Samantha Connorqui, 15 who we understand to be a resident of Corozal Town was only visiting when she was fatally wounded.

The Reporter

Murders Down 6.3%, Says ComPol
The year 2019 may have seemed like a particularly bloody one, with news broadcasts flooded with stories of missing persons found dead, bodies in shallow graves, bodies floating at sea and gruesome multiple murders, but Commissioner of Police Chester Williams stated in his end of year address that contrary to that perception, murders were down in 2019, by nine, or 6.3% from last year’s tally of 142.

Same Old New Year
By Dr.Abigail Joseph - So the year 2019 has come to a close and let’s be honest – we ate the final days away!!! If you didn’t have to loose a button or two, you weren’t doing it right. Yes, its tradition to eat and then make the vow formally known as a New Year Resolution – where we make great plans on how much weight we want to lose and how better and healthier we are going to be in this new year.

Late Night Tragedy On Ordonez Street In Belize City
As the saying goes, we have seen everything !. But this is beyond our comprehension of the gun violence that is affecting our daily lives and our young people. Not only the fact that the victim is only 16 years old, but also the fact that it’s a young girl.

Four Men Remanded: New Years Day Machete Mob
At first glance they all look like good boys that just came out of high-school and who you might see standing around in some rural village talking football near the local grocery store.

Breaking Belize News

6.5 Earthquake shakes Mexico; felt in parts of Belize
Reports to Breaking Belize News is that a 6.5 magnitude earthquake shook the Southeastern part of […]

The cost of staying in The Jewel
The Immigration Department has responded to a complaint by a now-departed Canadian tourist who balked […]

U.S. Embassy in Baghdad fired at after Iranian general killed; oil prices spike
Picture: Al Jazeera The United States’s daring drone strike on a top army general of […]

Nine-year-old boy dies in Toledo; parents suspected of child neglect
The parents of 9-year-old Hernando Ack, who died on New Year’s Day in his home […]

Female teen is Belize’s first murder victim for the new year
Last night, lz rrdd t frt murdr for the new year, 2020. The victim is […]

Blogs

Goff’s Caye
Off Belize City, there is a waterway, known locally as The English Channel. Goff’s Caye is on the north side of this channel. At only 1.2 acres, it is small and looks like a picture-perfect postcard. You can walk around or sunbathe as if it’s your own private island. Goff’s Caye is strictly for snorkeling, diving, and of course, swimming and relaxing. The beach is completely private, ideal for getting a suntan and taking a cooling dip. You will marvel that the reef is right there at your fingertips, crystal clear water, teeming with sea life. You will have to take your own picnic, since food options are limited, only sodas and snacks. But since a day trip is the most feasible, it shouldn’t be a deterrent. Snorkeling and Diving gear is available from outfitters, but you can bring your own equipment.

Belize Savannah Ecosystems – Rich and Wild
In Belize, there are two major types of savannah, separated by elevation. These are the Mountain Pine Ridge (an upland savannah) and Coastal Savannah (a group of lowland savannahs). The Mountain Pine Ridge system occurs on an elevated plateau, between 2000 to 3000 feet. The soils are layered granite topped by limestone. Nature uplifted the plateau and the limestone became eroded. What used to be broadleaf forest is now mostly pine. Rainfall is about 74 inches per year.

Buying Real Estate in Belize
The real estate market in Belize continues to be hot as more and more European and North American residents decide to invest. Whether you’re buying a property as an investment or as a place to live, it’s important to have an overview of how to buy real estate in Belize. The first thing to know is that buying real estate in Belize is very similar to buying real estate in North America. When you start the process of buying property in Belize, the first step is to begin searching current property listings.

International Sources

Earthquake in region felt in Belize
There are no reports of damages following the magnitude 5.8 earthquake that rattled the southern district of Oaxaca, Mexico late Saturday night. The United States Geological Survey said that the quake had a magnitude of 5.8 at its epicenter located 6 kilometers south of the town of Santo Domingo Zanatepec.

Strong earthquake hits southeast Mexico, causing damage
A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck southeast Mexico on Saturday night, with tremors felt as far away as Mexico City and neighboring countries, seismologists and residents say. Some damage was reported but there were no reports of casualties. Residents said tremors were widely felt across the region, as far away as Mexico City, Guatemala, and Belize. There were reports of damage but there was no indication of serious injuries. Some buildings were evacuated as a precaution.

SEVEN WONDERS OF THE WORLD FOR 2020
Only one of the original Seven Wonders of the World remains. Here author Aaron Millar elects a new seven wonders every year: the most awe-inspiring places on the planet for star-gazing, wildlife spotting and astonishing panoramas. 7. CARACOL, BELIZE: The ancient Mayans were a remarkable people. Without the wheel, or advanced tools of any kind, they managed to build vast stone cities in the middle of one of the densest jungles on Earth. Chichen Itza and Tulum, in Mexico, are perhaps the most famous sites, but today they are a crush of souvenir stalls and mass-market tourism. Caracol is different. Located in the rainforests of western Belize, this enormous 30 square mile site is utterly undeveloped, free of crowds (less than a dozen people visit per day) and, because of that, perhaps, the most authentic way to experience the mystery and magic of the ancient Mayans today.

Videos

January 4, 2020

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, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

2016 Ruling on Section 53 upheld by Court of Appeals
In a momentous ruling on Monday, December 30th, 2019, the Belize Court of Appeal upheld Chief Justice Honorable Kenneth Benjamin’s ruling which de-criminalized same sex intercourse under consent. The appeal case stemmed from Section 53 of the Belize Constitution, which stated that “Every person who has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any person or animal shall be liable to imprisonment for ten years.” Both the decisions by the Appeal Court and Honorable Benjamin’s original ruling from August 2016 state that Section 53 violates the constitutional rights of a person and as such “this section shall not apply to consensual sexual acts between adults in private."

Despite conservation efforts, another American Crocodile is butchered on Ambergris Caye
According to ACES, the remains of the mature female animal was found floating in the Sewage Waste Treatment lagoons (WASA ponds) with a fractured skull, stab wound through the belly, and a clean slice through the base of the tail. This latest poaching incident brings to light the continued increase of illegal activities committed against the natural environment and the lack of enforcement by local authorities.

Water and electricity crisis has Caye Caulker Village tourism industry and livelihoods in jeopardy
Caye Caulker Village began its New Year 2020 by struggling with shortages of water and electricity, which worsened on Monday, December 30th. With their tourism season in jeopardy due to water and electricity issues, islanders took to the streets to protest on Thursday, January 2nd, after days without a proper supply of either utilities. Both utility companies, Belize Water Services (BWS) and Belize Electricity Limited (BEL), continue to address the situation as best as they can, but power and water supply on the island is yet to be fully restored.

San Pedro Town welcomes 2020 in grand style with international entertainment
The island tradition of welcoming a new year with grand fanfare drew hundreds of islanders and visitors to the Central Park on Tuesday, December 31st for the big countdown. The annual celebration organized by The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) included formalities, a spectacular fireworks display, lots to eat and drink, and the performance of Grupo Montana from Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. As the clock ticked towards midnight, the Central Park began swelling with people ready to ring in 2020. Shortly after 11PM, the official ceremonies began with a heartfelt invocation by Pastor Clive Welsh, who asked for a blessed new decade.

Various Belizean Sources

New Facility and Café for the San Antonio Women’s Group
After years of hard work and dedication, yet another dream was about to come through for the San Antonio Women’s Group. In a relatively cool night, excitement grew in the compound as the women prepared to launch their new gift shop facility and café. Special invited guests, family and village officials were present to witness what is a major step forward for the women’s group. It is worth mentioning that previously the women’s group held its gift shop in a small facility that needed some upgrading. They are starting the year with a new structure that is located directly across (south) of their main compound. The new structure boasts of having a modern-built and decorated structure, improved shelving, and a small kitchenette area that will serve as a café.

San Pedro Liquor License renewal or new applicants
Liquor License Holders please be reminded that the Liquor License renewal or for new applicants commence next week Monday at the San Pero Lions Den starting at 9:00 a.m. Monday, January 6, 2020. Night Club License, Publican’s General, Publican’s Special Tuesday, January 7, 2020. Hotel License, Restaurant License, Shop License, Malt License, Convenience Store License, Beer License and New Applications.

Minister of National Security Hon. John Saldivar Offers Condolences to Taiwan in the wake of a Tragic Military Accident
On behalf of the Ministry of National Security, the Minister of National Security the Hon. John Saldivar and the Chief of Defense Staff Admiral Jo. Borland, wishes to express our deepest sympathy and condolences on the passing of Taiwan Military Chief of Defense General Shen Yi-ming.

Acting Prime Minister Hon. Patrick Faber Offers Condolences to Taiwan
Your Excellency.. On behalf of the govemment and people of Belize, I would like to express our deepest sympathy to the govemment and people of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in the wake of the Black Hawk helicopter accident in which the Chief of the General Staff of the Ministry of National Defense and several high-ranking military officers lost their lives.

Corozal International Friendly Soccer Match
Corozal - Regional Football Match between Cancun Mexico and Corozal Belize at the Carolina Football Field this Sunday, January 5th at 3:30 p.m.

BEL to Caye Caulker Residents: Conserve!
Belize Electricity Limited thanks customers in Caye Caulker for your continued support in using energy sparingly during the peak hours that has resulted in the power supply being continuous for all customers on the island, particularly during the peak hours of 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. We ask that you continue to: • Use less or no air conditioners • Turn off lights and fans when not in the room • Limit use of electric appliances • Do not leave hot water running • Turn thermostat in refrigerators and freezers on medium Let’s work together to keep the lights on!

Arts for Animals
Art for Animals is the latest Wine & Paint idea, and it's a fundraiser for the Cayo Animal Welfare Society. It'll be next Saturday, January 11th, on Burns avenue. Contact Linda Luna at 664-7175 for more information.

TARRUS RILEY PERFORMING AT BELIZE CITY CIVIC CENTER FEBRUARY 14

JUNGLE WINS U18 MESOPOTAMIA NEW YEAR’s DAY FOOTBALL YOUTH CUP!!! CITY BOYS WIN U12!!!
The weather was the picture perfect setting for the 1st annual Mesopotamia New Year’s Day Football Youth Cup held at the Albert Hoy Football field. Four U18 & four U12 teams played their hearts out for a 5ft trophy, fifa replica trophy, gold medals and cash. Legendary Footballers such as Dubu Thomas refereed the games that came down to the wire in both U12 & U18. Jungle walked away with the Championship trophy, gold medals and cash for the U18 and City boys took home the same for the U12.

Paradise Theater playing this weekend:
Jexi, Frozen II, Zombieland Double Tap, Maleficient Mistress of Evil.

Tecuani and the Duende in Orange Walk
Come bring the family for the Orange Walk Premiere of Belize's first animated movie short 'Tecuani and the Duende - The Voice of the Jaguar'. For the first time we will be screening both our English and Spanish language versions of the movie!! But it doesn't end there! Join us for enthralling storytelling from Carmen Carrillo and Doña Libertad Cal who will share their experiences of seeing Tata Duende and a taster of the amazing Yucatecan history of Tata Duende/Nukuch Tat from Andy Chuc and Faustino Yam. We will even be graced with an amazing Mestizo dancing performance from the Yo Creek Yo' Sayab group.

Channel 7

8 Homeless, One Critical After Fire
8 people are homeless tonight and one woman is critical with burns to 40% of her body. It happened yesterday afternoon in a double house fire in a yard on Flamboyant Street - where, amidst the chaos, there was heroism to save a burning woman's life. We were at the scene today:... Jules Vasquez reporting: Every time Fallon Gamboa walks through her house, it's like reliving the memory again, of all she lost in a few raging minutes of a fire in free burn. At 4:30 yesterday on Flamboyant Street, the fire devoured two small structures and damaged a third - all of them in the same yard - home to 8 people.

Fire's Genesis is a Mystery
Today we asked the Belize City Fire Station Supervisor, Kenneth Mortis about the first hand accounts which tell of a fire breaking out in three places inside the house, all at once. He said it is puzzling to them also: Reporter: "Have you guys been able to establish what caused that fire?" Kenneth Mortis, Station Supervisor, National Fire Service "The investigation isn't concluded as yet. It is a bit out of the norm so to speak..."

Cotton Tree Fire Caused By Electrical Fault
Mortis also discussed a New Year's Day fire in Cotton Tree village where two families comprising 11 lost everything. It happened on Wednesday afternoon, when the fire consumed a cement bungalow. Mortis says this one was definitely electrical: Kenneth Mortis: "We have investigated and concluded that that fire was as a result of an electrical fault which stems from faulty extension cords which damaged and exposed the electrical wires..."

Cal Brothers Accused of Chopping Cop
Last night we told you about 33 year old PC Edgar Teul - who was viciously chopped in a New Year's Day neighborhood dispute. The off duty cop's skull was cracked by a machete by a group of men who had. been fighting with his siblings. Police were in the area and responded immediately; they detained the men on the spot and, today, four of them were arraigned for the attack. They are brothers 21 year old Abelino Cal 21, and 18 year old Magdalo Cal, who are both charged for attempted murder and use of deadly means of harm, while their older brother, 23 year old Irvin Cal and 21 year old Migdael Gonzalez were both charged with aggravated assault.

Utility Exec's Say Sorry to La Isla Carinosa
For the past 2 nights, we've been showing you the backlash from the Caye Caulker community in response to the critical failures in public utilities on the island. The island village's all important tourism high season was ruined at its peak because the utility companies couldn't keep the island reliably supplied with light and water. There have been mass cancelations by visitors, and the hoteliers have had to grapple with demands for full refunds. That's only part of the negative effect. The stakeholders are worried that these failures will cause the disgruntled guests to start spreading a bad name for Caye Caulker, which is rated as Belize's top emerging destination.

BEL's Medium Term Plans For Stable Power On Island
From there, each utility company offered the residents of Caye Caulker an explanation of what they're doing to keep the light and water on during the rest of this tourism high season. And what sort of redundancy measures they're putting in place to address any future failures in their systems. BEL's Chief Executive Officer was up first: John Mencias - CEO, BEL: "You all would know by now, because we've been saying it over and over, that we plan to connect Caye Caulker to the national grid, via a submarine cable that loops through San Pedro..."

Keeping Water Running On Caye Caulker
Belize Water Service's Limited was up next, and the company's CEO, Alvin Haynes, briefly discussed their plans to restore their reverse osmosis plant's full capacity. Here's what he had to say about that and the water company's plan to try and keep pace with Caye Caulker's rapid growth: Alvan Haynes - CEO, BWSL: "Belize Water Services has been serving Caye Caulker for the last 10 years or so. The plant that we put in place was sized to meet the capacity and the estimated growth for the next 20 years. Obviously, the growth in Caye Caulker has been phenomenal, and we have observed over the last 5 years that the growth in connections and consumption in Caye Caulker has been the highest growth in all the service areas that BWS serves."

Big Sewage Problem Looms Over Caye Caulker
You'll notice that at the end of his comments, the BWS CEO briefly brought up the concerns about a proper sewage system for the island. As we showed you last night, residents are worried that sewage is a growing problem for Caye Caulker. They have sounded the alarm that if something is not done urgently, that's another crisis waiting to happen. Well, the CEO told residents that the BWS is acutely aware of the problem, and is currently exploring possible solutions: Alvan Haynes - CEO, BWSL: "The unfortunate thing is that sewage collection and treatment is required urgently for environmental reasons, health reasons, and business reasons. But sewage is expensive..."

Regulator and Utility Boss Clash
You'll also remember that at the height of Caye Caulker's frustration about the utility failures, the Caye Caulker Business Association, made a public call for intervention from the Public Utilities Commission. This Association demanded that the utilities regulator step in, investigate the problem, and penalize the providers. Well, the PUC Chairman addressed that demand today.

Neglect?: 9 Year Old dies One Month After Being Burned In Toledo
It hasn't made the news, but a 9-year-old boy in the Toledo District died on New Years Day after suffering severe burn injuries. It happened at his home in San Miguel Village. The family's ordeal goes back to early November when the boy, named Hernando Ack was playing with a cigarette lighter while he was sitting on what is believed to be a pit latrine. It is unclear what happened, but there may have been some combustion of the methane gas in the latrine, and that caused Hernando to get badly burned to his leg and stomach area.

AG Mike P Tells PUP John B to Show Proof or Be Called "Liar"�
By now, you should have seen the lengthy New Year's messages from Belize's mass party leaders, Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Leader of the Opposition John John Briceno. As the incumbent, Barrow's statement is a golden serving of sunshine, while, as the challenger, Briceno's message is like a catalogue of misdeeds, mishaps and wrongdoings by the ruling UDP. But, he goes even further; the PUP leader accuses unnamed persons, quote, "at the highest level of the UDP government" of facilitating the landing of drug planes.

Peyrefitte Vies For UDP Chairmanship
We also asked Peyrefitte about his bid for the post of UDP Chairman. The UDP's big national convention is only weeks away - and the lists of divisional delegates have now been sent in and finalized. Peyrefitte says he feels confident he can campaign to the 569 delegates in the limited time. Now the party Chairman has to remain independent, but we asked him if he is secretly with either Saldivar or Faber: John Castillo and Dr. Carla Barnett are also vying for Chairman.

Pech Sent To Jail for 6th Conviction
Tonight, 52-year-old Elias Pech, a resident of the Hattieville/Boom Road, is at the Belize Central Prison serving out a 6-month prison sentence. That's after he pleaded guilty to stealing a bicycle, making this his 6th conviction for crimes of dishonesty. The incident happened on December 21st in Burrell Boom Village. Edison Dawson reported to police that his silver and black beach cruiser bicycle, valued at $100, was stolen from his yard. When he reviewed surveillance footage from his home cameras, he saw Pech riding off on it.

Channel 5

B.T.B. Brings B.W.S. and B.E.L. to the Table in Caye Caulker
Five days of water and electricity outages on the island of Caye Caulker, have resulted in massive financial losses. While the two utilities have been restored, the economic impact is [...]

“B.E.L. is not mollycoddled at all” – John Mencias
During this morning’s stakeholders’ forum, P.U.C. Chairman John Avery commented on the inconsequential effect of imposing a fine on either of the two utility companies.  Given the fact that government [...]

Burn Victim Critical at K.H.M.H. after Flamboyant Street Fire
The New Year did not start well for two Belize City families. Their houses on Flamboyant Street were destroyed by a fire that spread quickly gutting the two wooden structures.  [...]

New Year’s Day Fire Destroys Home in Cotton Tree
New Year’s Day is usually a time for celebration and a day to look forward to exciting things in the year ahead.  But for one family in Cotton Tree Village, [...]

Fire Department Warns about Faulty Electrical
As you heard just now, the Samoza family lost all their belongings in a blaze that damaged their family home. They are now in need of roofing materials and other [...]

Teachers Encourage to Wear Green t-shirts in Response to MOE’s Proposed Amendments to Education Rules
The militant Belize National Teachers Union is starting the New Year with a bang calling on its membership to wear their ‘Teechaz Gat Yu Bak” t-shirts on Monday when classes [...]

24 Hours for Opposition Leader to Present Proof in Drug Plane Allegations
Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte has responded to bold assertions made by Opposition Leader John Briceño in his New Year’s address during which he states that the endless landings of drug [...]

Harsh Words from the AG to P.U.P. Party Leader
According to the Attorney General, the fact that Briceño stopped short of naming names does not exempt him from libel and slander.  He goes on to say that if the [...]

Major Movements in the Judiciary?
The Supreme Court’s January session is set to begin later this month on January thirteenth, but in the year ahead, the bench is facing a void.  At next week’s sitting, [...]

Cop Attackers Go before the Court
Today, four persons were arraigned in the Belmopan Magistrate Court for the New Year’s Day attack on Police Constable Edgar Teul.  The foursome includes Guatemalan national Migdael Gonzalez, as well [...]

Was Young Boy Abandoned in San Pedro? Police Looking for his Family
Police needs your assistance in locating the family of this young boy; he is Joviel Zetina. He was found early this morning in the DFC area of San Pedro and [...]

Mike Peyrefitte Pursues U.D.P. Chairmanship Ambition
The leadership race for the United Democratic Party continues to intensify as the date for the national convention draws nearer.  Contesting the post for chairman is Michael Peyrefitte.  The attorney [...]

Faber and Saldivar Issue Prime Ministerial Messages to Taiwanese Government
Two letters were dispatched today to the government and people of Taiwan. One was from the acting Prime Minister Patrick Faber to the President of Taiwan and the other was [...]

Will G.O.B. Challenge Section 53 Ruling at the C.C.J.?
Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte has also weighed in on a recent decision by the Court of Appeal to uphold the ruling of the Supreme Court in respect of the Section [...]

B.N.T.U. and M.O.E. Meet Over Disputed Land in Corozal
Members of B.N.T.U.’s Corozal Brach and National President Senator Elena Smith met with the Chief Executive Officer for the Ministry of Education this afternoon in Belize City. The meeting revolved [...]

Where is the Senate Report?
It’s the start of the New Year and U.D.P. Senator Aldo Salazar has yet to present his draft report relating to the passport scandal.  Senator Salazar chaired the year-long hearings [...]

B.N.T.U. President Questions G.O.B.’s Sluggish Process of UNCAC Implementation
In 2016, the government signed the United Nations Convention Against Corruption after tremendous pressure was placed by the powerful Belize National Teachers Union and the private sector.  It has been more [...]

Over 2000 Births at the K.H.M.H. in 2019; 55% by C-Section
On Thursday, we introduced you to a set of babies born on the first at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for 2020; five to be exact, which included a pair [...]

K.H.M.H.—a Certified Mother-Baby Friendly Medical Facility
Still of the matter of babies, at the maternity ward of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, there are posters and signs promoting the importance of breastfeeding. So much so that [...]

Amandala

Utility companies fail Caye Caulker
The eyes of the nation have been focused on Caye Caulker for several days now, since the failure of Belize Water Services Limited’s (BWSL) reverse osmosis system led to mass inconvenience on Belize’s “Destination of the Year.” Then, to make matters worse, the island was plunged into powerlessness and darkness when the generators of the Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) experienced mechanical failure after more than two decades of use. Caye Caulker has been without water for the last 5 days. 3,720 (5-Gallon) bottles and 7,680 (1.75 Litre PET) bottles were donated to the island by Bowen and Bowen two days ago, and in addition to that, two water trucks were taken to the island to distribute water to hotels. BWSL, in their press release last week, explained that it has ordered a shaft from overseas to replace the one that was broken on its reverse osmosis water treatment plant. It could take several days before the shaft arrives in the country.

Supt. Chi and 3 others go on trial for landing drug plane
In the early morning hours of Sunday, September 9, 2018, a blue and white single-engine Cessna airplane touched down on a road in the Blue Creek area of the Orange Walk District. The plane was loaded with 655 kilos of cocaine which Belize law enforcement authorities seized after a shootout with the traffickers. That successful interception of a drug plane would soon result in a black eye for the Belize Police Department, when the officer in charge of the Orange Walk police formation, Senior Superintendent David Chi, was arrested and charged in connection with the landing of the plane.

Oscar Quiroz Wins 30th Edition of KREM’s New Year’s Cycling Classic
It was a swift start to the 30th annual KREM New Year’s Day Cycling Classic elite race from the Corozal border to Central American Boulevard in Belize City. Some three miles in there was a breakaway of eleven riders who got a lead of 30 seconds and turned it to over 2 minutes. They included Gregory Lovell, Joslyn Chavarria, Jr., Henry Moreira, Shawn Armstrong, Jr., David Henderson, Ernest Bradley, Tarique Flowers, Angel Tzib, Herman Requeña, Devin Azueta and Keion Robateau.

Fire destroys four houses on Flamboyant Street
A fire at about 2:30 this afternoon destroyed four houses in a yard on Flamboyant Street in Belize City, leaving a number of persons homeless. On our arrival on the scene the firemen of the Belize National Fire Service were already in action, putting out the flames. The cause of the fire has not yet been ascertained, but a senior fire officer at the scene pointed out an illegal connection for electrical power on a lamp post, and noted that the house to which it was connected did not have a meter.

Amandala’s front page headlines in review for 2019
When 2018 closed, Belize had recorded 148 murders and instead of a tranquil beginning to the New Year, 2019 began with a grim record of 5 murders, which we reported in our newspaper’s first edition for the New Year, dated January 4, 2019. The New Year’s murders began in the northern Belize District, in Lucky Strike, when a woodcarver, Howard Coleman, 58, was attacked and stabbed to death in his house. A 24-year-old man, Giovanni Jones, allegedly stabbed Coleman to death in a dispute involving a woman who was staying at Coleman’s house.

First three babies born this year at the KHMH receive gifts
Three lucky babies, the first babies to be born at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for the New Year, received hampers that contained baby products such as baby wipes, baby clothes, baby food, and other necessities. The hampers were donated by James Brodie and Co. Ltd., and Santiago Castillo Ltd.

“Big Baby” Miller says he has sights on heavyweight title later this year
Heavyweight boxing contender, Belizean Jarrel “Big Baby” Miller, came to Belize from the United States where he resides to tell Belizeans not to lose hope in him because he has rebounded after his fall from grace and he is aiming to take the title later this year. Miller, a top ten heavyweight who has never been beaten, hopes to fight in Las Vegas in February, a fight he needs to help him commence his climb back into contention for the biggest prize in boxing.

Police to set up permanent checkpoints to curb crime
Days before the New Year, a leaked memorandum from the Belize Police Department caused an uproar on social media when the public got wind of the methods that the police have planned to utilize at their checkpoints. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams eventually admitted that there were “mistakes” in the original document and that it had been revised. The gist of the matter, however, is that the Belize Police Department will be embarking on a new policing strategy to combat violent crimes.

Congratulations to Brando and Melita Vasquez on their Wedding!
Mr. Martin Vasquez and family takes this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Brando and Mrs. Melita Vasquez on their wedding vows that took place on Saturday, December 28, 2019 at the San Lazaro Catholic Church.

Thumbs up for Senator Mark Lizarraga and Thumbs down for Senator Aldo Salazar
Our disappointing Belizean of 2019 is Senator Aldo Salazar. Senator Aldo receives a monthly salary from the people’s purse and is tasked with compiling and presenting a report on the Senate’s investigation into wrongdoing by government ministers in the disgraceful, dangerous passport scandal, but he is behaving in a manner that suggests he is maybe being paid by another purse to drag his feet on the report so it doesn’t see the light of day.

Hildebrandt Codd, 32, charged for the death of Densmore Bowman
After an extensive search for Densmore Bowman, 34, a laborer of Belmopan, who went missing on November 30 after he left home that morning to go to Western Union to collect money sent to him by his mother (about $212), his body was found by relatives of his on the morning of December 16 in a shallow grave in bushes between Miles 25 and 26 on the George Price Highway near the Garbage Transfer Station. His hacked body was in an advanced state of decomposition.

Insurance Sales Agent fined $500 for firearm offence
Roger Alexander Ventura Chamel, a sales agent for an insurance company, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a firearm when he appeared on Tuesday, December 30, 2019, before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford. He was fined $500 and was given until February 28 to pay. If he defaults on payment he will serve 5 months. Before she decided on the sentence Senior Magistrate Ford heard a plea for mitigation from Chamel’s attorney, Hurl Hamilton, and Chamel himself. Hamilton said that it was Chamel’s first offence and he had saved the court time by pleading guilty at the first opportunity. Chamel said that he was sorry for what he did and he asked for leniency.

Genaro Martinez and Patricio Kuylen chopped in Bullet Tree
Genaro Martinez, 32, and Patricio Kuylen, 36, both laborers of Bullet Tree, were both chopped in a bar in the village Sunday night by two men known to them. They are in a serious but stable condition at the Western Regional Hospital. An investigation into the chopping of the men led to Ryan Hob, 23, also of Bullet Tree. He has been detained pending a number of charges, and the search for the second man involved in the chopping continues.

Farmer, 88, drowns in creek in San Antonio, Toledo
Ponciano Coy, 88, a farmer of San Antonio, was walking across a stream in the village at about 10:00 Friday night, when he missed his step and fell. Coy suffered injuries when he fell, and drowned. He was seen lying face-down in the stream Saturday morning by some children who were walking on the road, and they went to alert his family. His granddaughter went to the scene and he was taken to the San Antonio Polyclinic, where he was officially declared dead. Coy’s body was then taken to the Punta Gorda Community Hospital, where a postmortem exam was to be conducted. Police said that foul play is not suspected.

Luke Barrow shot in Gungulung
uke Barrow, 23, a laborer of the Gungulung area in Lake Independence, Belize City, was standing by the lane which leads to his house at about 9:00 last night when a man came up and fired at him, and the gunman then ran out of the area. Sheryl Barrow, Luke’s mother, said that he suffered gunshot wounds in his chest and in his arm. He was in the area near his house selling marijuana, but the motive for the shooting is not yet known.

GoB extension of gill net use is cheap revenge on Oceana
It is possible that it hasn’t sunk into the heads of some leaders of this country, the ones who sit in Cabinet every Tuesday morning, that the Nassau Grouper, a fish of exceptional quality, a fish that is a part of Belizean lore, is now considered a critically endangered species, and for this reason fisher folk of our country are not allowed to fish in any of the 13 spawning areas in our country from December 1 to March 31 each year. The experts say that we are guilty of overfishing this prized species. That means that our leaders sat by, and either didn’t make appropriate laws or, if they did, they failed to effectively enforce them.

CYCLING FEDERATION OF BELIZE OFFICIAL RESULTS
Race Category: Elites & Under 23 & Masters 1 QUIROS, Oscar Jr. 2 CHAVARRIA, Josyln Jr. 3 SANTIAGO, Richard 4 DELONG, John 5 TZIB, Angel 6 LOVELL, Giovanni 7 ROBATEAU, Keion 8 POPE, Byron 9 TAYLOR, Anthony

C-Ray D. Banner Ham & Turkey Race 2019
The C-Ray Cycling Club hosted their annual Ham & Turkey pre-Christmas Race on Sunday, December 22. A total of 67 cyclists across 6 different categories came out to participate. All races started and finished in front of Data Pro on the Boom/Hattieville Road. Race #1 was in the Elite Category. This race made a left at the Hattieville roundabout and headed to the Mile 8 roundabout, where they turned around and headed back to Data Pro, for a total of 37.3 miles.

We Need an Elected Senate
Belize Election 2020 should be historically significant if our electors (voters) insist that the candidates present themselves as committed, irrevocably, to a program of REFORM. What must this include? Reform must include the curtailment of the power of the Prime Minister, for under the present constitutional arrangements he has legally dictatorial control of all the checks and balances, even of the most basic one —the Supreme Court. He controls the Judiciary through the appointment of the Chief Justice.

Stella walks out on Uncle Lito!
When Lloyd was ten years old the Civil Service Credit Union, to which both Nigel and I belonged, had started a self-help project for members who had been able to save consistently over a period of time, to assist with loans to acquire housing. Having enjoyed rent-free accommodation in the family home for so many years, we considered it was time to look ahead to provide for our little family, and decided to take advantage of what was being offered.

What? Lisa to marry Caleb Orosco?
Colin: (on cell phone) Hey, Bro, I still have my column and I’m thinking about what to write for Friday. What’s the big news back home? Bro: You still in America? I thought you’d be home for New Year’s. Colin: I came to this Godforsaken place on a jet plane and I’m trying to get out, but I want to go home through the back. Bah, there’s so much going on at the border. Thanks to Obama and Trump, it’s hard to get out of this sinful land without going through all their scrutiny. It’s like they don’t want me to leave.

Brian Plummer and the Nash Equilibrium
Belize and the Caribbean have been plagued with a high murder rate. The problem has never been addressed adequately and current methods are more of the same by trying to cure the high homicide rate with increased policing. The use of strong policing is an extension of business as usual. The murder rate has escalated and so has the method of policing.

Bolivar in Haiti
Colombia and Haiti have both been ignited by protests, as part of what looks like a global uprising against austerity, corruption, and unaccountable politicians. In the case of Colombia, African descendent and indigenous communities have been particularly vocal, inserting their unique demands into broader narratives for systemic change. The link that binds these resistance movements dates back to the turn of the nineteenth century, when Latin American liberator Simon Bolivar sought help from the newly founded republic of Haiti, the first country in Latin America to gain independence, and the first republic to be born out of a slave revolt. It was out of this often unacknowledged rendezvous that the struggle for Latin American independence began to take off.

The Reporter

Child Found By Police In San Pedro Wondering The Streets
It is a rare occurrence in Belize, and we cannot recall the last time that such an incident occurred. but today an unusual request from police has highlighted the plight of a young boy on the tourist haven of San Pedro Ambergris Caye.

What Caused Fast-Moving-Fire: Thursday Evening
A woman identified as Elena Reina was seriously injured on Thursday evening during a house fire on Flambouyant Street in Belize City.

UTILITY CRISIS: Tourism in Caye Caulker Suffers
A water and electricity crisis in Caye Caulker over the past week has led to a mass cancellation of tours and an exodus of tourists from the island, a disaster that tourism stakeholders say will surely create an economic dent on the island, and will also be reflected in the BTB’s annual statistics for overnight arrivals.

Elderly Man Found Dead In Creek
When Ponciano Coy, 88, left home in San Antonio Village (Toledo District) last week Friday night, his children did not know that would be the last time they would have seen him alive.

Every Dream Starts Somewhere
In an environment crippled by the rising cost of living, scarcity of jobs and a lack of opportunities, one must do what it takes to survive and for Alex Gordon, 25, if that means setting up a taco stand, putting on an apron and selling tacos on the street side to ensure that he is able to provide a better future for his son, then so be it.

Rum & Resolutions
Rum & Resolutions By: Mike Rudon Jr. – I’ve never written this column to get pity, or even attention. I think, maybe at the very beginning, I wrote as a plea for understanding. I’m a decent writer, and I thought that if I could put my struggle on paper, people would get it.

Editorial- January 5th. 2020
The big story of interest for the year just ended, apart from the referendum debate to take our land dispute with Guatemala to the International Court of Justice, was without a doubt, the economy.

Breaking Belize News

Reynaldo Verde requests bail, house arrest in US extortion trial
Reynaldo Verde, the former Deputy Director of the Belize Tax Services who awaits trial through […]

NEMO assists victims of New Year’s fire in Cotton Tree Village
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) has provided humanitarian assistance to victims of a fire […]

Belize one of the “cheapest places to visit in 2020,” says online publication
Radio.com, an online news and travel site has listed Belize as one of the 12 […]

Mesopotamia New Year’s Day football youth cup! Jungle win U18! City boys win U12!
The weather was the picture-perfect setting for the 1st annual Mesopotamia New Year’s Day Football […]

Infant child reportedly abandoned with bag of clothes in San Pedro
Reports to BBN is that an infant child was reportedly left abandoned near the DFC […]

Minister of National Security extends condolences to Taiwan in wake of tragic military accident
Picture: Taiwan News Minister of National Security, John Saldivar issued a statement extending sympathies to […]

Taiwan’s Top Military Official and 7 Others Die in Helicopter Crash; Belize extends its deepest sympathies
Picture: Taiwan News Deputy Prime Minister of Belize, Patrick Faber issued a statement just now […]

One Guatemalan and three Belizeans charged for assault of PC Teul
A Guatemalan national and three Belizeans were arraigned today at the Belmopan Magistrate’s court for […]

Cayo Animal Welfare Society hosting clinics
Pet owners in San Ignacio, Santa Elena, and the surrounding villages can get low-cost spay […]

Fire destroys two homes, badly burns woman
Two homes are destroyed and a woman critically injured after a fire yesterday. It occurred […]

New Year’s addresses from Government leaders
2020 will be a year of destiny for Belize’s major political parties as they gear […]

Commander of Iranian forces killed in US ordered strike
Commander of Iranian forces, Qasem Soleimani, was killed in a US ordered drone strike in […]

Blogs

Flying to and around Belize
When the New Year hits, we often find ourselves making plans and promises – resolutions if you will. It seems the biggest one is to ‘Travel More,’ and we agree! Even here in Belize, we promise to get out and explore more of what the jewel has to offer. We can only imagine how our friends feel as they brave snow, frigid temperatures and generally gray days, plotting their next getaway to our sunny islands, warm rainforests and chill jungle getaways. Thankfully, we are easily accessible through various airlines from 19 cities and seven countries.

Belize Hosts Diplomats From All Around the World
There are twelve official embassies in Belize, and they represent some of the most meaningful powers in the world. Unlike most of Central America, English is the official language in Belize. Despite the presence of wide variety of different cultures like the German speaking Menonites and Mestizos who blend together native and Spanish cultures, English speakers can navigate their way through Belize more or less freely. The official embassies in Belize reflect this linguistic allegiance while still remaining cognizant to their geographic role in the region. Both the United States and the United Kingdom have official embassies in Belize, as do major international players like Mexico and Taiwan.

Ikooma – A Beauty Brand To Know In 2020
Ikooma’s creator, Jolie Pollard, is herself a “curly girl” living in a humid beach community (Placencia). Everyone knows that fighting frizz is a constant struggle in this climate. The name Ikooma is derived from the scientific name for seaweed: Echeuma Isiforme, which is the seaweed variety expertly farmed near her home. Ikooma is her way of “Kriolizing” the name to make it easier to remember. This talented young entrepreneur began her journey during a results-driven quest to find the right products for her own naturally curly hair.

Be Conscious – Keep the Ocean Clean
Belize has miles after miles of the most beautiful, sugar like, white sandy beaches. These are surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and protected by the intriguing barrier reef. But with all this protecting our little country, what are we doing to protect it in return? The ocean benefits us in many ways, on a personal level as well on an economic and recreational level. Here are a few reasons to safeguard our sea:

International Sources

Latin America & the Caribbean - Monthly Situation Snapshot - As of 01 January 2020
The most recent regional food security report from FAO, PAHO/WHO, UNICEF and WFP reveals an 18.1 per cent prevalance of undernutrition in the Caribbean, well above the global rate of 10.7 per cent. Agencies are concerned with hunger in the region growing by 4.5 million people since 2014 to reach its highest point in the last decade. The regional undernourishment rate of 6.5 per cent is lower than the global rate of 10.8 per cent. 2018 marks the fourth consecutive year with rising hunger figures. Moderate-to-severe food insecurity is also on the rise, increasing by 32 million people between the 2014-2016 period and the 2016-2018 period.

Why this man is lingering over his winter bike ride through Atlantic Canada
Arie Hoogerbrugge was never one for spending time outside in the cold, but he says he is enjoying a winter bike ride through Atlantic Canada so much he is taking his time. Hoogerbrugge's ride will eventually take him to Tuktoyaktuk, before he turns south for the long ride down the Americas to the southern tip of Argentina. But it started on Nov. 12 in St. John's. Biking across Canada is a challenge at the best of times. Hoogerbrugge chose to do it in the winter specifically to add an extra edge. He was not even a big biker, or a winter sports enthusiast. He makes his home in Belize. "I'm all about the jungle. All about the jungle the tropics," he said.

Videos

January 3, 2020

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, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

Improper raw sewage disposal threatens Ambergris Caye’s natural environment and the Meso-American Barrier Reef
Ambergris Caye off the north-eastern coast of Belize is the largest and most populous island in the country and considered the prime tourism destination which supports the livelihood of thousands of islanders. Its urbanized area, San Pedro Town is the fastest-growing municipality in Belize which day by day continues to expand both in population and size. At the center of this rapidly developing sector, is the Meso-American Barrier Reef System, flanking the island’s east coast and playing an important role in the local economy of tourism. The continued growth, however, has put heavy pressure on the local marine ecosystem and natural resources, and one of the main issues unknown to some residents is the improper disposal of sewage waste. With a limited sewage collection treatment system, the environment and waterways around the island continue to be exposed to contamination.

National News: Police Department introduces new measure to tackle crime in 2020
A leaked memo from within the Belize Police Department invaded social media on Saturday, December 28th, giving the impression that police were abusing their level of profiling persons at all vehicular checkpoints. The leaked memo instructed police officers to stop and search vehicles where groups of persons were traveling, get a full description and photograph the vehicle. At the same time, all information of the occupants was to be obtained and each person photographed as well.

Ambergris Today

GOB Decriminalizes Adult Consensual Same-Sex Relations
Belize court upholds finding that LGBT people are protected by non-discrimination laws, major victory for human rights It’s been a battle that started in 2010 and ended in 2019, rounding off the decade with a win for LGBT+ activists who tirelessly worked to get the ban dropped. On Monday, December 30, 2019, The Court of Appeal delivered a judgment denying the Belize Government's appeal of a 2016 ruling decriminalizing adult consensual same-sex relations.

Various Belizean Sources

Vote For Your Favorite PLB Team
Premier League of Belize | Awards Gala | 2019-2020 Opening Season | Top Fans Award Vote Now! Once Per Day! Voting Closes Saturday 4th, January 2020 at 9:00 am!

Corozal screening of Tecuani & the Duende
The official Corozal screening of Tecuani & the Duende will be Saturday January 11th! Come out and view the first animation film produced in Belize with the support of our Corozal artists who were part of the production; voice actress Kristen Tillett and animator Maggie Gray. Meet the Director Lee Mc Loughlin. Cultural performances, storytelling and more!

Tourism Stakeholders Briefing Today onCaye Caulker
The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) has organized a meeting for Tourism Stakeholders of Caye Caulker, on Friday, January 3rd, 2020, at 10 a.m. at Sea Dreams Hotel (Rooftop) in Caye Caulker Village. The objectives of this meeting are to provide an update on the recent interruption of electricity and water services on the island and for the Utility Companies to provide a briefing on plans leading to a permanent solution for infrastructure to satisfy the needs of the island, in an effort to avoid a repeat of this situation which can seriously impact our Tourism Industry.

BEL reminds Caye Caulker Customers to conserve Energy during Peak Hours
Earlier today, representatives of Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) met with key stakeholders in Caye Caulker to provide a status update on the supply of electricity to customers on the island. Questions and concerns were addressed from participants who included representatives of the Caye Caulker Village Council, Belize Tourism Industry Association, Caye Caulker Business Association (CCBA), National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and the media. Three generation units continue to provide power supply to customers on the island. However, with the onset of the evening peak hours, BEL advises that energy consumption is escalating in Caye Caulker.

Pump Price of Premium Gasoline Declines on January 3, 2020
The Ministry of Finance announces that on Friday, January 3, 2020, the pump price of premium gasoline will decrease by two cents from $10.74 to $10.72 per gallon. The pump prices for regular gasoline, diesel and kerosene will remain unchanged. This price change reflects current demand and supply conditions of crude oil in the international petroleum market and fluctuations in the acquisition price of refined fuel products in the countries from which Belize obtains its supplies.

GUARDIAN SPIRITS: The Alux and Nukuch Tat between the Yucatec Maya
Despite the European influence, the Yucatec Maya(Máasewal) of Belize still honor ancient Maya Guardian spirits like the Alux and the Nukuch Tat ,especially at planting and harvest time . For the Maya these spirits work with God(Yuumstil) to help them . Sadly due to Christianity many aspects of this Guardian spirits have been distorted to look evil and misunderstood by outsiders. Many people confuse these two spirits the Alux and the Nukuch Tat . It have been because many use the term "Duende" when referring to them .

Channel 7

Islanders Bex With BEL
One year ago on January second, we started the news with the report of five murders on New Year's Day.  Tonight, we're very happy to report that the first newscast of 2020 - has no murder stories - not one.   We start, instead, with the story of New Year's frustration on Caye Caulker - where  a large potion of the island community started out 2020 in a blackout.  Now, this is after, in our New Years' Eve newscast, when the power company promised reliable services for at least the New Year's Day holiday itself.  A promise broken - and, it couldn't have come at a worse time - the peak of the tourism season.  

Protest Falls Flat After Utility Meeting
About an hour after that public meeting, residents of Caye Caulker got underway with a protest against the utility companies for the outages and irregular service. They wanted to send a clear message that as customers, they are dissatisfied and disappointed with how unreliable the utility providers have been for this tourism high season. But, even though they started a little later than they planned to allow for more arrivals, the turn-out was small. We asked the organizers about the possible explanation for that, given that this issue is affecting over 600 businesses on the island. Here's what they told us:

Caye Caulker's Coming Crisis
So, while the Caye Caulker is focused on the losses in tourism earnings caused by the utility failures, residents are telling us that there is another crisis that has also been slowly building. The island does not have an adequate sewage and liquid waste disposal system, and they tell us that with the growth of this community, sewage is about to become a big environmental hazard.  Here's how the chair of both the BTIA in Caye Caulker and the Village Council explained it to us on New Year's Eve:

2020's First Babies
And, changing gears now to some lighter news.All expectant mothers want nothing more than the birth of a healthy, happy baby. But what if that birth happens to be moments before or after the New Year?  Well, the country's biggest hospital, the KHMH recognizes the births of the first three New Year's babies with a showering of gifts from corporate sponsors and a whole lot of media attention. We were invited to start the new year with oodles of cuteness:

Off Duty Cop Chopped Defending Family
There was a New Year's Day chopping in Belmopan's Maya Mopan neighborhood. It happened when a Police Constable attempted to chase off a group of men who were threatening his family.  And while 33-year-old Edgar Teul survived the incident he remains in the KHMH intubated and with a broken skull. Cherisse Halsall looked into the series of events that put the officer's life in grave danger: This was the harrowing moment when Police constable Edgar Teul was attacked by a mob of men on a football field in Maya Mopan. He received one chop to the arm before attempting to shield himself and then fight back against his attackers.

Lukie, Son of Ganzie Shot In CET Site
As we told you at the top of the newscast - 2020 didn't start out anything like 2019.  Thankfully, there's not much violence to report - and the only civilian shooting making news tonight is on where 23 year old Lukie Barrow was shot on New Year's Eve.   Barrow lives in the CET site area and he came under fire at around 7:30 pm.  Superintendent Alejandro Cowo is in charge of the CIB investigation:

City Man Charged For Densmore's Murder
On December 16th we showed you the tragic end of the Bowman family's desperate search for their son and brother, Densmore. After a long and drawn-out search, Bowman's body was finally found that morning after 10:00 near mile 25 on the George Price Highway. A post mortem examination found that he had been chopped to death. Tonight, we can tell you that 23-year-old Belize City resident, Hildebrand Codd has been charged with Bowman's murder. Here's what police had to say this morning about whether they believe Codd acted alone:

Soldier Charged For Village Chopping
Earlier this week we told you about the chopping that happened on Saturday, December 29th in Bullett Tree, Cayo.  Three men, Genaro Martinez, Patricio Kuylen and Silvestre Cordova received chop wounds to various parts of their bodies.  It happened at a bar where the men had gone to buy beer. Coming downstairs they met two brothers they had known since childhood. But, an argument started and then they were chopped up.  

New Year's Burglars At DHL Office
This morning, employees at the DHL office on Coney Drive in Belize City arrived at work to find out that their office had been burglarized over the New Year's break.

Cops Shot Man With Machete
Police shot a man to the left leg after he allegedly threatened them with a machete. It happened in Hattieville on New Year's Eve and superintendent Alejandro Cowo spoke to us about the circumstances surrounding the subduing of Albert Reid earlier today:

Big Baby's Back Home
We haven't heard much about Belizean American Heavyweight boxer Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller since he tested positive for multiple banned substances in April of 2019.  That's when he blew a shot at the world heavyweight championship against the then champion, Anthony Joshua.   Indeed, he missed more than a boxing match - he missed an appointment with history. And, after going quiet for some time, and serving out a six month ban, Big Baby is determined to get back to the top.

Cyclists Ready For The Road On New Year's Day
And keeping it on sports, we started the New Year right - our ace camera man Codie Norales went out on the road for the KREM New Year's Day Cycling Classic.  For the male elite riders, It was a race dominated by three riders, but it started out with 78.  Jules Vasquez has the story:

The Tale of The Race On. The Northern Highway
And, when it was all finished, here's what the top finishers had to say about the determining factors in the race:

Looking Back At Last Half of 2019
On Tuesday, we showed you our review of the first half of last year. And tonight, with 2019 now in our rearview mirror, we present part two of last year's biggest stories:

Channel 5

“The utilities have failed us” – Caye Caulker Residents Suffer Tremendous Losses
In our first newscast for 2020 we head to Caye Caulker where electricity has been restored somewhat on the island after five days of outages that plunged one of the [...]

Caye Caulker Residents Take to the Streets in Protest
Following a press conference held by Belize Electricity Limited in Caye Caulker this morning, the local chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association, as well as other stakeholders and concerned [...]

Manny H is Depressed and Disappointed with Events on Caye Caulker
Belize Rural South Area Representative and Minister of Tourism, Manuel Heredia Junior also attended today’s press event in Caye Caulker where he took the opportunity to voice his discontent with [...]

P.U.P. says Caye Caulker’s Utilities Crisis Needs Permanent Solutions
The People’s United Party has registered its concern over what is describes as the complete breakdown of electrical and water services in Caye Caulker Village. The Opposition party is calling [...]

BWS to Expand Operations on Both Sides of Caye Caulker
Belize Water Services is yet to follow it sister utility’s lead and face the people of Caye Caulker.  Representatives of the company were noticeably absent from the island today, despite [...]

Police Constable in Induced Coma after being Attacked and Chopped
2020 did not start right for a constable who came under attack by as many as four men. It happened during a football match in the Belmopan area and it [...]

PM Barrow’s Promises for 2020
In his twelve-minute long New Year’s message Prime Minister Dean Barrow spoke on several challenges that the country faced in 2019.  Barrow touched on agriculture, tourism, the economy and citizen [...]

Addressing Crime and Violence in 2020
Both political leaders touched on the dogged issue of domestic crimes and violence. The unofficial murder count for 2019 has not been released, but it is dangerously close to 2018’s [...]

Will Others Be Charged for Densmore Bowman’s Murder?
On December thirty-first, Hildebrandt Codd was charged and arraigned for the murder of Densmore Bowman. Bowman’s decomposing body was discovered on December sixteenth, about two and half weeks after he [...]

A Belize City Resident is Injured in Shooting; but No Motive
There was no reported gun violence in the city and elsewhere over the New Year holiday. But leading up to 2020, there were several violent incidents recorded. On December thirtieth [...]

A Police-involved Shooting in Hattieville
Shortly after a shooting in Belize City on the night of December thirtieth, Hattieville police responded to a domestic violence incident in the village. A woman requested assistance in a [...]

Burglars Hit DHL on Coney Drive, Belize City
Less than forty-eight hours into the New Year and burglars struck again on the north side of Belize City; this time at a business in proximity to our studio on [...]

The Firstborns of 2020
In the first hours of the New Year as many as five babies were born at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. And as we do every year, we headed to [...]

Premium Gas Goes Down by Two Cents
There is an announcement tonight of a slight decrease in the price of premium gasoline.  At midnight, the pump price of the fuel will go down by two cents. At [...]

Brandon Baptist Speaks Out on Police Harassment after Being in Lockdown on New Year’s Day
On December thirty-first, Denise Flowers reached out to News Five to express her frustration with what she claims is the constant harassment of her sons by police officers. That morning, [...]

Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller is Back!
Jarrell “Big Baby” Miller is determined to reclaim his glory as a heavyweight contender.  The Belizean/American heavyweight well-known boxer tested positive for a banned substance before he went head-to-head with [...]

The Reporter

VIDEO: Police Officer In Serious Condition: Chopped Up In Belmopan
The Reporter has been informed that a Police Officer identified to us as PC Edgar Teul is hospitalized in serious condition after he was chopped several times in the Maya Mopan area of Belmopan on New Year’s Day. We warn that the language is explicit.

LOVE FM

John Briceno attacks UDP in New Year’s address
While the Prime Minister spoke on the successes of his administration and the country on a whole, the leader of the opposition’s address was the complete opposite. John Briceno used his time to remind Belizeans of the crimes, scandals, and corruption rampant in the country.

One Man charged for Bowman’s murder
A Belize City resident, Hildebrand Codd, has been charged for the murder of 34-year-old Densmore Bowman of Belmopan. Bowman was reported missing on November 29 and his body was found on the George Price Highway 17 days later.

BDF Soldier charged for double chopping in Bullet Tree, Cayo
One man has been charged for the chopping incident that occurred on December 29 in Bullet Tree, Cayo District that left two people injured. Cayo Correspondent, Elaine Berry told us about the charges being levied.

Belizean Boxer in the ring again February
Belizean American, heavyweight boxer, Jarrell Miller is in Belize and he had some news he shared at a press conference today at the Belize Biltmore Plaza. The 31-year-old boxer also known as “Big Baby”, will be in the ring again in February

Man shot to the leg by Police Officer
A resident of Hattieville, Belize District is hospitalized after being shot in the left leg reportedly by police. 22-year-old Albert Reid was shot to the leg after he attempted to attack a police officer with a machete.

PUP speaks on Caye Caulker crisis
The situation in Caye Caulker has spurred several organizations in sending out releases calling of a long-term solution. Releases came from the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) that spoke of the monies lost in the last two days and the tourists not being accommodated.

Missing teenager
A family in Punta Gorda, Toledo District brought in the New Year searching for their loved one. 16-year-old Edica Pop. The Belizean Sales agent had reportedly left home for work on New Year’s Eve and did not return home.

Ministry of Health releases death statistics for 2014-2018
There have been eight thousand nine hundred and eighty-five deaths in Belize from 2014-2018. According to a press release from the Ministry of Health the ten leading causes for deaths in Belize are heart diseases, Malignant Neoplasms, Diabetes, Assault, Unintentional injuries, Human Immunodeficiency virus, cerebrovascular diseases, Influenza and Pneumonia, Hypertension, and Chronic respiratory diseases.

Fuel prices decline slightly
Fuel prices have declined for the first time this year. While this may sound like news to celebrate, it must be noted that the decline is only by 2 cents.

Family left homeless after New Year’s Day fire
Eleven persons were displaced following a house fire in rural Cayo. The fire occurred yesterday afternoon. Correspondent Fem Cruz, spoke with the family and filed this report.

ComPol says Murders for 2019 down by 6.3%
On the eve of 2020 the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams issued his New Year’s Message speaking of the crime rate and how they plan to address the situation. According to Williams, at the beginning...

Peaceful protest in Caye Caulker
Residents of La Isla Carinosa, Caye Caulker, held a peaceful demonstration today to register their dissatisfaction with Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) and Belize Water Services Limited (BWSL). This protest follows a year of long intermittent...

PUP demands better for Caye Caulker residents
The situation in Caye Caulker has spurred several organizations in sending out releases calling of a long-term solution. Releases came from the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) that spoke of the monies lost in the...

Benque Viejo Police Officer attacked on New Year’s Day
A police officer attached to the Benque Viejo del Carmen police station is recovering from chop wounds he sustained on New Year’s Day.

Breaking Belize News

Duck Run residents make donations to homeless in Belize City
Residents of Duck Run village in Cayo decided to spread some after-Christmas cheer this New […]

Salesman fined for toting gun at pizza parlor
Insurance sales agent Roger Ventura Chamel was spared jail after entering a guilty plea to […]

Duo charged for break-in on Ambergris Caye
Two men, Keith Bennett, 29 and Corwin Bennett, 28, were charged with burglary and handling […]

The Orozco Appeal: The international impact
The wider lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender movement (LGBT) has been closely following events in Belize and this week’s […]

Oscar Quiroz wins KREM New Year’s Cycling Classic
It was a one-two-three all-Cayo District finish for the 2020 KREM New Year’s Day Cycling […]

No more fake profiles, warns A.G. on cyberbullying legislation
The end of the old year – indeed much of it – was dominated by […]

San Pedro records 0 murders under Supt Chris Noble
Career cop, Christopher Noble, was appointed head of the San Pedro police formation last July. […]

Belize ends 2019 with slightly lower murder count
The Belize Police Department’s count of murders as of the end of 2019 is 134, […]

Premium fuel going down in 2020’s first gas price change
The Ministry of Finance (MOF) announced today that the price per gallon of premium fuel […]

BEL normalizes power to Caye Caulker
Today, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) announced that the company had normalized power to all of […]

Caye Caulker BTIA appeals to Government to rectify water and electricity situation
The Caye Caulker chapter of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) has issued a statement […]

PUP urges the Government to find solution for residents of Caye Caulker
The People’s United Party (PUP) issued a statement today expressing its concern over the breakdown […]

Blogs

The 2020 Color of the Year: Belize Blue!
In early December 2019, Pantone, the experts in all things “color”, announced the 2020 Color of the Year. As advertised the color is “calming” and a “return to basics” but it is also decidedly MEH. Boring. Classic Blue. I’m not offended by this color…but I would NEVER call it inspiring or exciting. I would never rush out to buy something in this color or paint a room this…this…denim hue. Let’s just say that Pantone’s 2019 color was FAR better.

Fish Filet Bruschetta
Looking for an easy fish dinner? Skip the frozen filet meals at your local grocery store and try Riverside Tavern’s Fish Filet Bruschetta recipe. Bruschetta is an easy all-time favorite appetizer. There’s nothing quite like a good bruschetta to get your main course started. It’s one of the classic things to order at an Italian restaurant, and now you’ll love that you can make it right at home, any time you want!! Riverside Tavern’s Fish Filet Bruschetta recipe is proof that you can make incredible food in minutes with simple, great quality ingredients. No unnecessary extras, just the essentials!

Ringing in 2020 With a Quiet and Packed House
This year I decided to lay low and do a quiet night at home watching TV, then hit the big party at Central Park, San Pedro just before midnight. I love being a city girl. It was easy for me to leave my house around 11:50 pm and walk over to the beach for midnight. I snapped a pic of the girls below as I could have done a whole glitterati themed post, there were so many girls that sparkled their way into 2020. I was doing so emotionally more so than fashion-wise and just threw on a simple print dress.

Caribbean countries will ban the use of plastics in the year 2020
There’s a lot of discussion going on these days about climate change and a ton hand wringing about what can be done and how, but genuine action on the part of global leaders is sparser than many people would like. But that doesn’t mean that there aren’t people out there willing to make a difference no matter what it takes, and that can be seen in an initiative by the country of Belize to ban plastic altogether. It’s both a reminder that global powers will need to take a front and center role if we want to reverse climate change and an inside look in how difficult it can be to enact such massive change.

Money Saving Travel Tips!
Travel can get expensive, fast. But with these smart money-saving tips, you can enjoy an epic trip without racking up credit card debt. Here’s everything you need to know about saving cash on your upcoming vacation. When you travel internationally, roaming and data charges can quickly outweigh the savings you started with. Contact your cellular service provider in advance of your trip and ask about their pay as you go cell phone plans. A prepaid phone plan will keep you in contact with everyone back home, with no unexpected overages to speak of.

International Sources

15 Caribbean Food Festivals That Are Worth Experiencing - Your Guide To The Best Food Festivals in the Caribbean
Food is a gateway to a country’s heritage and culture. It’s why I make an effort to eat local as I traverse the Caribbean region. I want to taste all the delicious local cuisine and also learn about the history of the dishes and ingredients as it provides insight into the people and their country. The Belize Cashew Festival & Agriculture Show is a two-day event showcasing the fruit from cashew trees. At this two-day event, artisans, chefs, and local cashew farmers come together to display a wide range of cashew products. Along with the fresh fruit, there are also various cashew-inspired dishes and wines to sample. Visitors to the Belize Cashew Festival & Agriculture Show can also watch a wide range of cashew cooking demonstrations and competitions.

Sorry about it homophobes, but Belize’s appeal courts just unanimously ruled that gay sex is definitely legal
A battle against an outdated colonial law has finally come to an end, after the court of appeals in Belize unanimously upheld a 2016 ruling that a ban on gay sex is unconditional.

Videos

January 2, 2020

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, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

Various Belizean Sources

Belize Suicide Statistics
Mental health is estimated to become the leading cause of disability as we move into a new decade and by next year, 1 in 5 persons would be suffering from some form of mental illness. As we approach the end of year celebrations, look out for your loved ones, as some forms of mental illness tend to be accentuated during these times. As the graph depicts, suicide remains a growing for us as we move into the new year. Mental health is everybody's business!

Caye Caulker Belize Tourism Industry Association demonstration
The general public is herby invited to attend a peaceful demonstration today January 2nd 2020. Concerning the utility crisis on the island of caye caulker starting from the Central Park/Basketball Court at 1:00pm on Avenida Hicaco. Thank you, let’s unite to voice our concerns.

Caye Caulker generator catches fire
The situation at the Belize Electricity Limited plant on Caye Caulker at around 4:00 am on January 1, 2020 was fraught with fright as one of the four generators caught on fire. Reports are that there were no fire extinguishers on the compound and assistance had to be sought from the neighbors.

BEL: “Power should return to southern Caye Caulker by Thursday morning”
We sincerely regret the hardship that residents and businesses are experiencing due to the power outages in Caye Caulker. Our teams are working persistently to rectify this unfortunate situation at the earliest possible time.

Power restored on Caye Caulker
Power supply restored to all customers in Caye Caulker at 2:34 a.m. on Tuesday, January 2 following repairs to one of the generation units that supplies electricity to the island.

Amandala

Police officer chopped in Belmopan
There are reports of a chopping inciden in the City of Belmopan. A police officer received chop wounds and was rushed to the Western Regional for treatment.

LOVE FM

MISSING PERSON
Police are asking for the public's assistance in locating Punta Gorda resident 16-year-old Edica Pop. Pop was reported missing on Wednesday, January 1, and was last seen on Tuesday, December 31. She reportedly left her house to go to work and never returned. She is about 5 feet 3 inches in height; has long black hair and was last seen wearing a black T-shirt, long blue jeans pants and black tennis shoes. If see kindly call 911 or 922.

Breaking Belize News

“Power should return to southern Caye Caulker by tomorrow morning,” says BEL
Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) issued an update this evening on the current power outage crisis in […]

Million-dollar jackpot payout for Brads Gaming Company after Sunday stunner
Brad’s Gaming Company says it has had to pay out millions – how many, it has […]

PG teen goes missing on New Year’s Eve
The public is asked to be on the lookout for Edica Pop, 16. At around […]

Police officer injured in chopping incident
A police officer was wounded today in a chopping that happened in the Maya Mopan […]

First traffic accident of 2020 reported out west
Hours into the new year, our newsroom has learned of a traffic accident near the […]

Before Moving to Belize, You Need to Read This
Belize continues to be a popular destination for retirees and expatriates. An estimated 30,000 people […]

Hildebrandt Codd, 32, charged for murder
Hildebrandt Codd, 32, has been charged with murder. Police believe he killed Densmore Bowman. Readers will […]

Bullet Tree man charged for chopping three men
Ryan Hob, 28, has been charged with grievous harm and wounding. That is because on […]

Police Commissioner looks back with pride and forward with purpose in New Year’s message
Major crimes and murders were down in 2019 and closer collaboration with the public in 2020 […]

KREM hosts 30th New Year’s Cycling Classic
America has its college football, and England its association football, but in Belize the sporting year […]

Blogs

4 Ways to Start 2020 Plastic-Free
Breaking up with plastic is a great way to get 2020 started off right in just a few easy steps. Single-use plastic is everywhere. Bags, utensils, and straws are being used for a few seconds and then discarded. Annually, Belize reportedly imports around 200 million pieces of single-use plastic bags along with 52 million pieces of Styrofoam and plastic food containers (DOE).

Belize Public Holidays
When compared to other countries, Belize has a large amount of public holidays throughout the year. This is an exceptionally great thing for locals and tourists alike because this means vacation time! Or a mini-vacation at least. Belizeans look forward to public holidays for spending time with family, going to events/festivals, or traveling this beautiful jewel.

International Sources

Hey foodies...want to know some of best restaurants in Belize? Congrats to the restaurants who made Tripsavvy's Top 10 list of Restaurants in Belize! Belize is a small country with lots of flavor. Because the country is home to various cultures and ethnicities, visitors can sample multiple types of cuisines that take advantage of local ingredients. From Mestizo and Mayan to Garifuna and Kriol, Belizean food is diverse—and tasty. Typical dishes include fry jacks (a type of fried bread), rice and beans made with coconut milk, curry chicken, hudut (a Garifuna stew served with fish), and various seafood dishes that make use of the country’s access to seafood like conch, lobster, and other fish. Luckily, foodie travelers can sample many of these dishes in Belize’s restaurants. To make sure you only sample the best, here are our top restaurants in Belize.

Videos

January 1, 2020

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, Reef TV, KREM, and CTV 3. Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Belize Now, Talk Ah Di Town, and other specials.

The San Pedro Sun

Caye Caulker slowly recovering from electricity and water outages
Caye Caulker Village continues to struggle with shortages of water and electricity, which worsened on Monday, December 30th, when island residents experienced a long period with no running water and hours without electricity. Both utility companies, Belize Water Services (BWS) and Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) have tried to address the issue as it is affecting the tourism sector on Caye Caulker. By Tuesday, December 31st, a slight improvement had taken place, with a low pressure of water restored, and fluctuations in power supply.

San Pedro Police remove illegal weapon and ammunition from the streets
The San Pedro Police formation has been busy enhancing their strategies on the island to curve criminal activities, and in doing so, continue to remove illegal weapons from the streets. According to a police report, on Saturday, December 28th, about 2:55PM, police were conducting a mobile patrol on Barrier Reef Drive, when their attention was drawn to a male person identified as 21-year-old Justin Shamir Vasquez riding a red beach cruiser bicycle. Vasquez, who is unemployed and from the San Mateo Area, was allegedly acting suspiciously and as a result, the officers conducted a search on him.

Living Word Church Ushers in the Christmas Spirit with their Annual Family Outreach Event
On Monday, December 23rd, 2019, Living Word Church (LWC) held its 9th Annual Christmas Family Outreach Event at the Honorable Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex in San Pedro. With generous donations from many sponsors, 1,500 toys were purchased for the event. Most of the toys were distributed at the event to the children in attendance while they and their parents were also treated to refreshments. The remaining toys were delivered to families unable to attend.

San Pedro’s Jerry Vasquez becomes a Commission Officer for the Belize Coast Guard
Over a year ago, islander 21-year-old Jerry Vasquez formally joined the ranks of the Belize Coast Guard (BCG) after graduating from the military institution, along with 78 other proud Belizeans. Months later, in May of this year, he had the opportunity to take part in an Initial Naval Training for Officers at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, United Kingdom. Vasquez completed the seven-month course and returned to Belize with the rank of an Ensign, officially giving him the title of a commission officer at the BCG.

Ambergris Today

Caye Caulker Experiencing Water And Electricity Crisis
Caye Caulker is in a total state of crisis as they have been experiencing both water and electricity problems. The water supply plant could take days for water to be fully restored to the island and Belize Electricity Limited is working arduously to replace a faulty generator. In light of all this the Caye Caulker Branch of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) is calling for immediate actions to be taken by the Government of Belize to have the matter addressed.

Various Belizean Sources

Update on Water Interruption for Cave Caulker
Belize Water Services is pleased to inform customers in Caye Caulker that water has been restored in the distribution system but for, the next few days, water will be supplied at lower than normal pressure. BWS crews worked into the night on Monday to restore functionality to the Reverse Osmosis Water Treatment Plant. However, there are some additional works that will require shutdown of the plant. During this period,BWS will continue to barge in water to help maintain supply to customers on the island through the distribution system. BWS takes this opportunity to express sincere gratitude to all those who continue to assist during this challenge.

Paint N Splash
See you this week at from 2-4pm Thursday to paint ‘The Tarpon’.

Shameful killing of one of our protected species in Belize
Last night we got the tragic call of another protected American crocodile poached for the tail meat on Ambergris Caye. Sadly, we have lost another breeding female, which we see less and less of every year. She was found floating in WASA lagoon, her skull bashed in, a stab wound through the belly, and a clean slice through the base of the tail. This mutilation of our native wildlife cannot go unpunished. If you have any information about the death of this crocodile, or info, photos, videos of people feeding crocodiles, whether at WASA lagoon, the lagoon opposite Coco Beach Resort and behind the restaurants next door, or anywhere else, please forward them on to ACES or Belize Forest Department.

BEL Update to Caye Caulker customers
Belize Electricity limited (BEL) advises that power supply was restored to customers in Caye Caulker following an emergency outage at 5:11 p.m. on Monday. December 30. The outage affected a portion of Southern Caye Caulker between 8:45 p.m. and 1:00 a.m. The outage was necessary to compensate for a loss in generation capacity, when one of the units that supplies electricity to customers on the island failed, requiring repairs. BEL teams completed repairs to one unit last night. and normal service has resumed to Caye Caulker. Repairs to the second unit are scheduled for completion later today.

Xmas Rocks 2 Concert
Jenko Veli got some amazing pictures at the Xmas Rocks 2 concert at The Bluffs. What a night! "First off, we would like to start by saying a Huge Thank You to Court Roberson and his family for hosting us and letting us use the space at The Bluff so that we could set up for X-Mas Rock 2...

The day Quetzalcoatl (Kukulkan) took Christmas
What a cool idea sadly it didn't took off In 1930, Mexico's President Pascual Ortiz Rubio had the intention of creating a love for national symbols and traditions an answer to a new kind of invasion through culture by our northern neighbors. On December 23, 1930, the stage to give toys to poor children from Mexico’s government that Christmas, was a pyramid in honor of Quetzalcóatl inside the National Stadium, located in the Roma borough and built in 1924 by José Villagrán. That year, President Pascual Ortiz Rubio decreed the adoption of the figure of the Mesoamerican god Quetzalcóatl as the highest representative of Christmas holidays with the objective of leaving behind the figure of Santa Claus, that had recently arrived at Mexico in the 1920s and that was still not rooted in Mexican culture.

Official press release from the CCBA addressing the water and power situation on Caye Caulker
The Caye Caulker Business Association (CCBA) is appealing to the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), as the statutory body charged with regulating and oversight of the Belize utility compani., to get involved in the ongoing substandard services on Caye Caulker. The unacceptable situation involves both the electrical company (BEL) and the water company (BWS). It has reached the point that it cannot be ignored and beyond the point of acceptance by the people of Cayc Caulker. The management at the PUC should be well aware of the catastrophe that occurred when BEL's infrastructure on the island could not handle the crowd for Lobster Fest 2019 weekend. Equally as devastating to the island was the near complete lack of water during the 2019 Easter Holiday period. Unfortunately, we are in that same situation again on the island due to BEL and BWS reporting mechanical failures for the past two days.

The water from B&B has arrived on the island and ready for distribution
Be reminded to pick up your tickets from the Chairlady or Councilor Lilia Marin Wednesday morning. Remember to take your gallons or buckets. Each ticket value 5-5 gallons. Distribution starts at 8am.

AÑO VIEJO
The tradition of "El Viejito" or the old man is a characteristic that distinguishes Corozal and our northern people for their joy of saying goodbye to the Old Year and Welcoming the New Year in costumes, with music and songs, fire crackers, fireworks and simply seeking a renewal of changes. The tradition of El Viejito is said to have been adopted from our neighbours in Mexico. Although the tradition has been modified over the years, it involves stuffing a dressed dummy four days before the year ends, and placing it in-front of houses around our town and villages. The dummy is stuffed with grass, paper, rockets, fire crackers and old rags to represent the ending of the old year.

Channel 7

Cancellations on Caye Caulker Caused By Utility Failures
Last night, we told you about the water emergency that residents of Caye Caulker had yesterday when the BWS water plant broke down - leaving the island without water for over a day! And, this at the hight of the tourism peak season! And that's after customers all across the island were experiencing intermittent water outages since Christmas Eve. And if the water outage wasn't enough, residents and visitors also had to cope with power outages. Belize Electricity Limited supplies the island with electricity through diesel generation, and since Boxing Day, 2 of their diesel generating units have gone down. Since then, the power company has had to ration power through load shedding.

BWS: A New Back-Up Water Plant Already On Island
So, you've heard the long list of complaints from the village chairlady and hotel owners, but what do the utilities have to say? Well, they've both gotten their systems back up and running - but in BWSL's case, that's not at a hundred percent. The company put out a release this afternoon saying that for the next few days water will be supplied, but at a slightly lower pressure. That's because the company's 150,000 gallon reservoir has been depleted. And, there are some works on the plant that have to continue - so the company will continue to transport water to the island on barges. As we told you last night all this happened because a drive shaft in the plant broke after 8 years of service. The replacement only lasted a few days before it also broke.

BEL Says Power Stable On "La Isla Carinosa"�
So, what does the other utility company have to say about the power outages that have been plaguing Caye Caulker? This afternoon, we spoke with BEL's Corporate Communications Manager, and we asked her: Will there be a reliable power supply for the rest of the island's tourism high season? Here's what she had to say: Vonetta Burrell - Manager, Corporate Communications, BEL: "Since the evening of December 26th, we had a failure to two of our generating units on Caye Caulker. Caye Caulker, as you know, is the only municipality that's not connected to the national grid, and they're supplied by diesel generation..."

Man Charged For Christmas Day Shooting
On Thursday we told you about the Christmas day shooting that left 23-year-old Daniel Bennett unable to speak. It happened at about 12:25 p.m. on Christmas Day, December 25. And today, Clifford Baptist, the man who allegedly shot Bennet to the mouth was charged with attempted murder, dangerous harm, and use of deadly means of harm in the court of Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford.

Leaders, Diverging Views on 2019
If you have 24 minutes of your life to give away, or if you're really, really into politics - you can sit through the New Year's Messages from our political leaders, Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Leader of the John Opposition Briceno. If not, here's the most important bits. Barrow noted the downturn in tourism for the latter half of the year - which he attributed to sargassum and not crime - and added that airlift will increase next year with a flight from Europe:

Sam's Club In Chet Reportedly Robbed
And if you took a New Year's Eve jaunt across the border you might be alarmed to hear that there was a midnight armed robbery at a place well known to Belizeans, Chetumal's Sam's Club. According to online reports from Mexican news blog, at midnight last night, armed men in military dress entered the membership store and threatened the staff, managing to take money from the cashiers.

Construction Worker Falls To Death In North
A man in the north is dead after he allegedly fell from a construction site where he was working. It happened last week and the family of Godfrey Petillo claims that he was failed by his workplace and the Northern Regional Hospital

Roger Accused of Road Rage
We all are guilty of saying things in anger that we don't mean, but Roger Alexander Ventura Chamel is facing a court fine tonight for his harsh words. That's after he allegedly uttered a death threat at a man and pulled a pellet gun on him for added effect. The complainant, 55-year-old Maurice Kelly, reported to police that on December 20th, he parked his truck in front of Peppers Pizza, which is located on St. Thomas Street in Belize City. He said that he went inside to purchase food, and when he exited, Chamel engaged him in an angry confrontation. According to Kelly, Chamel accused him of crashing into his car. Both men argued back and forth until Chamel pulled out an object that appeared to be a firearm, and pointed it at Kelly.

The Jackpot Science
Last night we told you about the massive Boledo winnings that many regular buyers came up on after 2020 was the first prize in the Sunday Jackpot. That's the ultimate rake - the four digits of the new year playing days before the numbers on the new year turn. It doesn't get any easier than that.

What's Your New Year's Resolution
Tomorrow is New Year's Day and though it falls in the middle of the week, the day holds promise and symbolism for all of us. Whether you're the type that makes bold resolutions or just privately hopes that the odds go in your favour - the idea of a fresh start, a clean page, appeals to the optimist in all of us. And today Cherisse Halsall took to the street to get a sampling of public opinion on the year gone by and the merits of new year's resolutions:..

Stories From The First Half of 2019
And, finally, tonight we look back at some of the stories that made news in 2019. From the ICJ referendum to the San Pedro tourist murder that threatened an entire industry. Here they are, a look back at the biggest stores from first six months of 2019:

Channel 5

La Isla Carinosa Sin Agua on New Year’s Eve
Tonight, residents and visitors on Caye Caulker are doing their best to distribute a limited supply of potable water, amid a crisis situation where there is a severe shortage of [...]

Power Outage Exacerbates Situation in Caye Caulker
To make matters worse on La Isla Cariñosa, there have also been intermittent power outages on the island.  On Monday, sometime after five p.m., there was an emergency outage which [...]

Water Continues to be Ferried to Caye Caulker
While work is underway to refill a hundred fifty thousand gallon water reservoir in Caye Caulker, Belize Water Services Limited is still sending out water trucks via barges to the [...]

A New Shaft Ordered for Caye Caulker
The effect that the shortage is having on local tourism on the island cannot be understated.  While BWS is aware of that issue, Operations Manager Dave Pascascio explains the process [...]

Hildebrandt Codd is Arraigned for Densmore Bowman’s Murder
A Belize City resident was arraigned in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court today for the murder of Densmore Bowman. Bowman, a thirty-four-year-old Belmopan resident had been reported missing back in November. [...]

Brothers Charged for Machete Attack in Bullet Tree
Two brothers have been charged for attacking and chopping Genaro Martinez and Patricio Kuylen on Sunday morning in Bullet Tree Village, Cayo. Police say that eighteen-year-old B.D.F. soldier Rony Hob and [...]

What Will the Murder Count for 2019 Be?
We are in the last few hours of 2019, and about to enter the New Year. So far, there have been more than one hundred and thirty homicides across the [...]

2019’s Main Causes for Murders
In 2019, we saw heinous and unbelievable murders. The official number of murders has yet to be determined and will be released in 2020 but by our count, it is [...]

Police Department Out in Full Force for New Year’s Celebrations
And with a few hours to go before 2019 comes to an end, the police department will be out in full force with an objective to keep the murder count [...]

Baptist Family Claims Police Harassment
The Baptist family from the Police Street area in Belize City is up in arms tonight after police officers barged into their houses just after six this morning. The officers [...]

Police Street Family Asks for Intervention by ComPol
In her interview, Denise Flowers says as a law abiding citizen, she is asking for Commissioner of Police Chester Williams to intervene in what she says may have an adverse [...]

What Are Your New Year’s Resolutions?
For some, 2019 was filled with laughter, joy and success, for others it was tainted with sadness, deaths, and failures. But as the year starts anew, Belizeans across the country [...]

Bowen and Bowen is donating water to Caye Caulker village
B&B|Beverages, a Bowen & Bowen Company, is responding to the needs of the Caye Caulker Village during this holiday season, by donating water to the island. Due to a mechanical failure, which BWS is addressing and will have resolved shortly, Caye Caulker is experiencing a shortage of water. An emergency Bowen Barge is being routed to Caye Caulker containing a donation of Crystal Water; 3720 Bottles 5-Gallon and 7680 Bottles 1.75 Litre PET, which scheduled to arrive in Caye Caulker today, Tuesday, December 31st, 2019.

Amandala

2020!
For those Belizeans buying the weekly Sunday Lottery, a second Christmas came on Sunday, December 29, the last Sunday for 2019, before the new decade of 2020 strolls in. Most Lottery buyers believe in dreams, and many like to take things such as dates and events as the rake, so it was no surprise that many bought the four numbers of the coming year, in sequence. No it’s not hard to figure out why a large number of Lottery buyers decided to base the number on their Lottery ticket on the coming New Year: 2020. The numbers that pop out of the lottery machine at the old Treasury Building are oftentimes greeted with a healthy dose of skepticism.

Who will win the 2020 Krem Cycling Classic?
The 30th edition of the KREM New Year’s Day Cycling Classic takes off at 9:00 a.m. from in front of the Customs checkpoint less than half-a mile-from the Mexico-Belize Border and there’s growing intrigue and tension in the air. From its inception 30 years ago, the race has always been unpredictable and exciting since it is a long sprint on one of the nation’s longest, straightest, flattest roads, coming at the tail end of the festive season of drinking and dining. Grizzled veterans, heretofore unheard-of youths and unknown foreigners have swooped in to win and in the past decade a growing list of large cash station prizes have increased the pace and the excitement. That list numbers seven $1,000 prizes and a $2,000 prize at the One Stop Service Station in Orange Walk, about one every 10-12 miles or so on average.

Belize Court of Appeal affirms LGBT freedom of expression
The Belize Court of Appeal handed down its decision in an appeal brought by the Government of Belize against the August 2016 ruling of the Supreme Court in which Chief Justice, Hon. Kenneth Benjamin had ruled that Section 53 of the Criminal Code which criminalizes same-sex intercourse is unconstitutional and a violation of the freedom of expression guaranteed under the Constitution of Belize. In its decision, which was summarized by Appeal justice Samuel Awich, the Court of Appeal dismissed the government’s appeal and affirmed the Chief Justice’s ruling that Section 53 is discriminatory against sexual orientation. The Court of Appeal ruled that Section 53 of the Criminal Code was in violation of Sections 3, 6, 12, 14 and 16 of the Belize Constitution. These are the sections which refer to freedom of expression and the dignity and equality of all persons before the law.

Water and electricity woes on Caye Caulker
Thousands of residents on the island of Caye Caulker are without water and electricity, and as a consequence of the twin woes on the island many tourists have interrupted their vacation and are leaving the island in droves, according to a report in the San Pedro Sun. According to a press release issued by Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) the problem has to do with the failure of a generator. The company dispatched technicians to the island to repair the generator which should be completed by tonight, Monday, according to a press release from BEL. The problem generator resulted in BEL having to shed load during peak hours. BEL said that the demand for power on Caye Caulker has increased.

Mathilda Usher Scott and Family Trophy for first Belizean female rider to cross finish line in KREM New Year’s Day Cycling Classic
Jacklyn Usher, a cycling enthusiast of Belize City, presented a trophy for the KREM New Year’s Day Cycling Classic 2020 at the Kremandala compound on Partridge Street today, at about 1:30 this afternoon. Usher said that the trophy will be presented to the first Belizean female rider that crosses the finish line in the upcoming Krem Cycling Classic that will be held this Wednesday, January 1, 2020. Usher said the trophy is called the Mathilda Usher Scott and Family Trophy. She said that she, her mother Mathilda, and family, have always been cycling enthusiasts, and they were at every race that was held in the city. She said it was her honor to make the donation in memory of her mother, who died five years ago.

Former House member, Hon. Onesimo Pech, passes
Honorable Onesimo Pech, 72, who was one of the victorious candidates in the first UDP government (1984 to 1989), passed away on December 26. For most of his life Mr. Pech, a son of Guinea Grass Village, was a school teacher, serving in a number of districts, but in 1984 he made a successful bid into electoral politics, winning the seat in Orange Walk South. He served as a member of the House of Representatives, and as Deputy Speaker.

GOB says it awaits Chamber response before proceeding with cyberbullying law
Social media is a global phenomenon and many governments around the world have had to pass new laws to regulate how it is used as a result of privacy concerns in the wake of its growth. Belize is a country which inherited a criminal justice system with no privacy laws, and the government has been slow in passing legislation to regulate social media. In a recent libel case, the Supreme Court awarded a hefty sum to a claimant who had sued for defamation of character based on a social media post. The more urgent issue in social media, however, has been cyberbullying, for which Belize has not yet passed legislation.

Government not considering redistricting ahead of 2020 general election
The Government of Belize was recently taken to court in a constitutional claim filed by the Belize Peace Movement (BPM), the Belize Progressive Party (BPP), and Vision Inspired by the People (VIP), for the Elections and Boundaries Commission’s failure to implement redistricting of the electoral constituencies in accordance with the requirement of the Belize Constitution. The case is before the Honorable Chief Justice, Kenneth Benjamin, and the claimants are being represented by attorney Arthur Saldivar.

What’s going on, BDFA? Foundation members can’t vote?
A couple weeks ago, the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) published the schedule for upcoming branch association elections in the New Year, as well as the date for the FFB Ordinary Congress and Elections. But a press release from the Belize District Football Association (BDFA) dated December 27, has raised eyebrows amongst some long time and foundation members of the football family. In a December 20 letter circulated to affiliate members of the FFB and branch associations, BDFA Chairman William Moguel announced the date for the “BDFA Election & Ordinary Congress 2020,” which is slated to be held on February 9, 2020.

Editorial: Heaven help us to improve leadership across this land
There is no dearth of candidates to vie for the hundreds of leadership positions in the village councils, the town and city councils, and the House of Representatives in our country, and there is no shortage of charisma in those who succeed in the elections, but oh, if all it took to make good leaders was popularity! If popularity was all that was demanded of leaders, Belize would not be in the chaos it is in today. Belize needs a lot of investment in leadership. It is a fact that we were a better run country when we were a colony, and we can say that because there were few reports of corruption in our political leaders and partisanship in our top public servants, and we were a tranquil haven.

Godfrey Petillo’s family blames his death on hospital negligence
Godfrey Petillo, 35, a construction worker of Orange Walk Town, was working on top of an unfinished building at about 11:30 Saturday morning at a worksite in Orange Walk Town, when he reportedly made a wrong step and fell to the floor below and suffered major bodily injuries. Petillo later died of severe internal injuries, which included broken ribs. After falling from the building, Petillo had gone to his family and informed them of what had happened and told them he was in great pain. His sister, Janine Petillo, said she took him to the Northern Regional Hospital, where he was told that his injury was not an emergency and so he had to wait his turn to see the doctor.

Oscar Cornel, Trial Farm village councilor, dies in sea collision
Oscar Cornel, 30, a member of the Trial Farm village council in the Orange Walk District, was found floating face-down in the sea near Hicks Caye (about 3 miles away from Caye Caulker) on Friday, after he was involved in a boat collision at about 7:30 on Thursday night, December 26. Cornel’s brother-in-law, Mario Rosales, 36, the boat’s captain, fell overboard due to the impact of the collision and was found at about 11:00 Friday night on an island about 8 miles from Caye Caulker. Rosales was taken to the San Pedro Polyclinic, where he is recovering.

Girl, 16, dies after “wild” shooting
On the night of Sunday, November 24, 2019, violence came to the door of an Antelope Street family when a gunman walked up to their wooden house on Antelope Street Extension and fired a barrage of gunshots. The seemingly indiscriminate shooting resulted in injuries to three persons, who were rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Emergency Room. The shooting victims were identified as a one-year-old toddler, who was inside the house at the time of the shooting; a 16-year-old minor, Chanteuse Martinez, and Chanteuse’s boyfriend, Marvin Martin, 23. Both Martin and the toddler were treated and released from the hospital.

Family homeless after fire destroys house in Orange Walk Town
A fire on Christmas night completely destroyed the 20’ x 20’ timber house of Daniel Novelo, 41, a laborer of Orange Walk Town. All the personal possessions and household furnishings of Novelo’s family were lost, and three members of the family are now homeless. Novelo told police that no one was at home at the time of the fire. He said they were all at the home of his in-laws at about 8:30 Christmas evening, enjoying a BBQ meal, when he was informed that his house was burning. When he rushed to his home he saw the back of the house in flames, which quickly engulfed the entire structure.

UB lecturer, Anthony Brown, murdered in his home
Anthony Brown, 54, a lecturer at the Toledo campus of the University of Belize, was found dead in his house on the outskirts of Elridgeville on Monday morning, two days before Christmas. Brown, who lived alone, was found with his hands and feet tied, and there were multiple stab wounds to his chest, neck, and back. His house was also ransacked. Neighbors of Brown became concerned when they did not see him on Monday morning, and they called police, who went to the house. Senior Superintendent Hilberto Romero said that their investigations revealed that Brown was at home on Sunday when two men went to the house and attacked and subdued him. They then killed him.

Escaped prisoner, Christian Neal, recaptured after 7 months on the run
Christian Neal, 28, an inmate of the Belize Central Prison who escaped from the facility at about 11:00 on the morning of May 7, was recaptured yesterday, December 26, in Benque Viejo, where he was hiding. He is now back in his cell after being 7 months at large. He has been charged with escaping and will be sentenced to additional jail time. Neal, who was serving 15 years in prison for robbery and rape, was captured by plain clothes policemen in Benque Viejo, who saw him in the town and recognized him, based on the image on the wanted poster that was circulated countrywide for his arrest. Police said that he was arrested without incident and that he cooperated.

From the Publisher
As we enter the New Year, which will be an exciting one in the politics of Belize, what with a ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) leadership convention in February and general elections later in the year, I will conclude my series on Creole political leadership with a look at developments in the People’s United Party (PUP) in the post-Lindy Rogers/Harry Courtenay era. (I ended my analysis of UDP Creole leadership in the post-1950 period with my column in the last issue of the newspaper.) Carlos Diaz, in retrospect, should have emerged as the Creole powerhouse in the PUP after C. L. B. Rogers lost Mesopotamia in 1979 and after Carlos replaced Harry Courtenay in Lake Independence for the 1984 general elections. But Carlos lost Lake I in both the 1984 and 1993 general elections (he won it in 1989).

C-Ray D. Banner Ham & Turkey Race 2019
The C-Ray Cycling Club hosted their annual Ham & Turkey pre-Christmas Race on Sunday, December 22. A total of 67 cyclists across 6 different categories came out to participate. All races started and finished in front of Data Pro on the Boom/Hattieville Road. Race #1 was in the Elite Category. This race made a left at the Hattieville roundabout and headed to the Mile 8 roundabout, where they turned around and headed back to Data Pro, for a total of 37.3 miles. Taking the first station prize of $20.00 at Fresh Pond was Ernest Bradley of Clear the Land Cycling Team.

Jewel Fury crowned as back-to-back National Women Football Champions
At the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in Belmopan on Saturday night, December 21, home standing Jewel Fury repeated as national women football champions when they emerged 2-1 winners over a game Rumberas from Mango Creek, Independence, in the final of the National Amateur Women’s League (NAWL) 2019-2020 Opening Tournament. Game 1 of the final had been a 1-1 draw the previous week in Cowpen Village; and it looked like another draw in regulation, after both teams scored early in first half, but went scoreless the rest of the way until injury time.

CYDP Peace Cup concludes at MCC – FC Elite are champions
The CYDP Peace Cup 2019-2020 Opening Season 1st Division tournament concluded yesterday at the MCC Grounds, where FC Elite emerged as champions. In the opener for 3rd place, Lake-I FC defeated Starz Academy, 2-1, with goals from Francis “Frys” Arana (12’) and Wilfred Fisher (23’), while Starz’ goal was by Jovaun Ramos (57’).

Paul of Belize says: Time for Reform
Belize it is time for REFORM. Whether the Blue or the Red bring it to realization is inconsequential to me. It must come to pass, if we are to become the real jewel that we can be. It will begin with truth and honesty – not deceit and trickery. On 10th November, 2019, an aspiring prime minister declared in a REPORTER article that there is “plenty corruption.” Was he being naïve, disingenuous or both? Was this his opening salvo to commence a campaign of demonization that will end with the damnable conclusion that he represents the lesser of the evils? No! No! No!

Jerome begins medical studies in Canada
At Easter every year, all schools gave two weeks of vacation, closing the Friday before Palm Sunday and reopening the Monday following Easter Monday. Our family usually spent this time at a small caye a few miles east of the capital, where one of Mama’s half-sisters on her father’s side lived with her husband, who was the caretaker. The owner had built a spacious, comfortable house for his family, and four small ones which he rented to friends. Because of our connection to the caretaker, we were allowed to rent one of these houses and spent our Easter holidays there most years. If we spoke early enough and the demand was not too great, we were able to obtain it to spend the May holidays there as well, but this had not happened as often as we would have wished, so we made the most of those two weeks, cramming our days with enjoyment — sailing, fishing, bathing in the sea, playing games and sleeping under the stars.

Black and brown people must be careful they aren’t working for white supremacists
How a person feels is important when we consider their words and actions, but how the person feels does not mean that what they say or do translates to the advancement of the agenda(s) they support. Let me put it bare¯when the day is done the question is: have I forwarded the cause of the downtrodden, or have I unwittingly, stupidly, helped an enemy of mankind? I’m on the subject because my daughter was giving the arm’s length to her 10-year-old daughter because she, my daughter, was watching Black Panther with her 4-year-old young son, and she didn’t want her daughter near because her daughter likes to talk during movies. My daughter said that she and her son didn’t want any interruptions while they were trying to figure out the plot.

Some drivers “plain stupid”
Dear Editor, I never owned a car when living in Belize; didn’t need one and used public transportation when I went out of town. Now and then I might catch a ride from a local friend who was going my way, but usually I got around via the bus. Time and again, when riding in a car with local drivers, I noticed some peculiarities they exhibited when behind the wheel. Foremost among these was the cavalier attitude displayed as they passed on a curve, the deadliest driving habit of them all. To do so is irrational and just plain stupid.

Keep an eye on Europe
Dear Editor, The world is safer with a European Union, but there is a small possibility it could unwind. The two world wars were European-centered. World War 2 is responsible for the most deaths in human conflict, with estimates ranging from 60 million to over 118 million. Besides all the European religious and political conflicts responsible for the deaths of millions, we in the Caribbean had the colonization of the Americas, which had an estimated death toll of 8.4 million to 138 million — one of the bloodiest human conflicts in history.

What an Audit of the British Empire’s Deadly Toll in Southern Africa Would Reveal
The colonial powers have never been called to account for the human cost of their centuries of global rampage. “It’s high time to examine the empire’s deadly toll.” In its 2019 election manifesto, the Labour Party pledged to conduct an “audit of the impact of Britain’s colonial legacy,” with the goal of understanding “our contribution to the dynamics of violence and insecurity across regions previously under British colonial rule.” Such a move would be welcome. A narrowly focused school history curriculum means that most Britons grow up with a limited knowledge of the history of the British Empire and about the consequences for indigenous peoples in foreign lands.

Breaking Belize News

Fisherman spared jail for found bullet
Marcus Cruz, 21, a fisherman of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye, was fortunate not to get […]

Bowen and Bowen donating water to Caye Caulker residents during water crisis
Today, B&B Beverages, a Bowen & Bowen Company, announced that it would be donating water […]

Condé Nast Traveller names Caracol Archaeological Site in Belize as one of 7 wonders of the world
Condé Nast Traveller, a luxury travel magazines based in England has named an archaeological site […]

BEL restores power to Caye Caulker
Earlier today, Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) issued a statement informing that power supply was restored […]

“Men dying the most from sickness but less likely to visit the doctor” says Ministry of Health
Platforming off of the release of its cause of death statistics this week, the Ministry […]

The Orozco Appeal: Future challenges and the ins-and-outs of “common-law marriages”
On Monday evening, a special meeting is being held at the Our Circle conference office […]

Selfless fisherman Herman Williams is BBN ‘Person of the Year’
Most superheroes wear capes and have special powers. But Herman Williams, a fisherman, possessed neither […]

Blogs

Gorgeous Belize Weather & Lunch at Blue Water Grill
This last week on Ambergris Caye has really been beautiful. And the island is HOPPING with all the visitors. Give yourself a bit of extra time if you have errands or plans in town – traffic is moving slowly. But what’s the rush anyway? I find, as the passenger in our golf cart, that it’s the perfect time to enjoy the sights of the town. Like one of my favorite dogs lounging just inches away from traffic…minding his business. Yesterday, we treated ourselves to a delicious lunch at Blue Water Grill.

Belize Bucket List 2020
Belize, approximately 9,000 square miles, is a small country packed with countless adventures. Let us be your guide to the wonder that is this amazing little country with our top adventure picks that will take you on a journey of timeless memories. Here’s our bucket list of 90 things to do while in Belize. Our list has must-visit vacation destinations, and something for every interest – food, shopping, culture, history, and nature. Join the adventure and discover a destination unlike any other in 2020.

New Year Parties and Tropical Christmas Holidays in Belize
Christmas Holidays in Belize Thankfully today we are getting our showers out of the way early so we can hopefully have a dry New Year’s Eve. Tonight the view in the picture will be alive with people. If you are in town head to Nook (on the left, above) for some pre-party dinner. Make it a unique holiday experience, when the road becomes foot traffic only they put tables out front. Tonight will be lots of fun at Nook as well as the other venues listed below. First off, what’s Christmas without a few Reindeer. I was invited to a small dinner by my friend Cindy being held on our friend Diana’s Veranda. So I decided to make Cindy’s daughter Tinker (Océane) a reindeer frisbee.

Plan your Belize Fishing Charter
At 200-miles long, Belize has been blessed with the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world that’s put us on the global radar for sea-loving visitors alike, including fishing anglers. Sport-fishing in Belize provides nearly 3,000 jobs and generates more than $100 million dollars annually for Belize’s economy. With a unique seascape of deep-sea drops to mixed flats and lagoons, here are a few tips to keep in mind when planning your 2020 Belize fishing charter!

International Sources

7 Caribbean countries to ban plastic in 2020
Seven Caribbean countries will introduce some form of single-use plastic and polystyrene ban in the New Year, but the Cayman Islands is not one of them. Although government here has been hinting that it is thinking about imposing some form of restriction, plastic use is currently entirely unrestricted, even though the Caribbean region is now ranked as one of the worst plastic polluted areas of the world. The main objective of the various bans in the regions is to address ocean pollution and the degradation of this region’s marine habitat.

Videos