May 30, 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 Island Academy Rolling Graduation
Due to COVID-19, most school graduations have been cancelled this year. On Ambergris Caye, members of The Island Academy are visiting its senior students at their homes and surprising them with their Standard Six diplomas! Congratulations Class of 2020!

Mar de Tumbo Flu Clinic closed for now; patients asked to visit Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II
Health authorities in San Pedro Town are no longer providing services at their auxiliary flu clinic at the Mar de Tumbo area, south of the island, as Belize has been COVID-19 clear for over a month. Persons with flu-like symptoms now need to visit the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II, where they will be evaluated and treated in a designated area away from other patients.

Ambergris Today

Island Academy Holds First Online Graduation On Ambergris Caye
The Island Academy is the first school on Ambergris Caye to hold it’s graduation ceremony for 2020, but there was nothing typical of the occasion as the COVID-19 Pandemic forced the school to hold it’s ceremony online, probably the first in the country. Island Academy Holds First Online Graduation on Ambergris Caye Zoom was the application of choice to conduct the graduation ceremony as the senior class consisted of only nine students. Speeches, congratulatory messages and farewells were giving on Thursday, May 28, by parents, teachers, and faculty to celebrate the accomplishment of the senior class.

How Do We Dive In Belize During COVID-19 Pandemic?
How Do We Dive in Belize During COVID-19 Pandemic? Safety First as always! "Masks on Masks on Masks" is how island resident and dive enthusiast Ben Popik described his recent dive on a Facebook post. This fun pic was taken by Ben Sept of Ben Popik during his most recent dive on the Belize Barrier Reef.

Various Belizean Sources

Belize International Jazz Festival Online Competition
The Belize International Jazz Festival commission is having an online competition this year. The deadline for submissions is June 15th. Good luck! Here we go musicians and music lovers....be musically creative and take part in this online competition...great opportunity to win prizes and get a professional recording

Ask the Experts on Saturday
There will be an explanation of the amendments to the statutory instrument by the Attorney General on Saturday, May 30th, at 3:00 p.m. on the Ask the Experts webcast.

SHJC Classes
Sacred Heart Junior College has quite the selection of degrees now. They are accepting applications for the Fall semester.

Artist of the Day - Dwayne Murillo
Dwayne Bladon Ravinsingh Murillo is a 28-year-old East Indian, who is most known as an Indian Classical Dancer and shaka player. He is also a poet in the Spokenword 501 Poetry Group and a cultural activist for the East Indian culture. Dwayne has performed Indian classical dancing throughout Belize and at CARIFESTA 2019 held in Trinidad. Dwayne is also a member of "Dih Maroons" a cultural percussion band. In his spare time, Dwayne loves to create new poetry, draw, invest time in new artistic creations, and make clay arts and crafts. He aspires to return to Trinidad and increase his knowledge and skill in Indian dancing techniques from professional dancer, Guru Rajesh Seenath .

Saturday's 'Ask the Experts'
Tomorrow at 3:00 p.m., the Attorney General Hon. Michael Peyrefitte will join us on 'Ask the Experts' to discuss the latest changes under the State of Emergency regulations. Tune in and ask your questions during the live stream.

Changes in the Pump Price of Fuel Effective May 30, 2020
The Ministry of Finance announces that on Saturday, May 30, 2020, the pump price of two fuel products will change. The prices for regular gasoline will register an increase and diesel will register a decrease as follows: Regular gasoline will increase by 46 cents from $ 7.62 to $ 8.08 per gallon; Diesel will decrease by 61 cents from $7.89 to $7.28 per gallon. The prices for premium gasoline and kerosene will remain unchanged at $10.92 and $5.43 per gallon, respectively.

Opening of 2020 Atlantic Basin Hurricane Season
Monday 1st June marks the beginning of the 2020 hurricane season for the Atlantic Basin. The season runs from 1st June to 30th November each year. However, the formation of tropical cyclones is possible at any time of the year, as shown by the formation of tropical storm Arthur on May 16 and tropical storm Bertha on May 27. The formation of these systems marks the sixth consecutive year a storm has developed before the official start of the season.

Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow’s Statement on Updated COVID-19 Response Measures
Good morning, members of the media. Good morning, members of the public. My fellow Belizeans, Welcome to this morning’s press conference, and, forgive me, but I must start this morning on a note of complaint. Today’s press conference is another in what has become a regular, almost weekly series. The objective is always to update the nation in as comprehensive a manner as possible on where we are in the ongoing struggle to keep our country free from the novel Coronavirus. I try, by way of these briefings, to speak to both health sector and economic sector developments...

ATTENTION BRITISH NATIONALS FLIGHT UPDATE
On Friday 5th June, United Airlines will operate a special flight UA 2421 from Philip Goldson International Airport (Belize City) at 12:00 to Houston providing access to flights to the UK. Flights are subject to change. To make a reservation you should do so directly with https://www.united.com/en/gb. For more information or to change a prior United reservation send an email to unitedbelizesales@united.com or WhatsApp message to +501 614-2613. If you wish to travel you will require an ESTA or visa to transit the USA. You must check your ESTA status and if cancelled re-apply asap. You should confirm via email returnfrombelize@fco.gov.uk when you are booked on to the flight so we can inform the relevant authorities.

SOME OF THE NEW RULES PERTAINING TO THE STATE OF EMERGENCY MEASURES TO TAKE EFFECT AT MIDNIGHT, MONDAY JUNE 1ST
1. Curfew will change only on Friday and Saturdays to 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. all other days will remain 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. as is currently in place. 2. The limitations on the amount of people in a specific location will be now be increased from 10 to 40 persons including churches, provided that there is enough space for the 6 feet social distance requirements.

BTB Waives Tour Guides License Renewal Fees and supporting requirements (for period June 1 to Aug 31 2020)
The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) remains committed to working with stakeholders during this difficult time and as such waives the prescribed license fee for 2020 and all the supporting documents for all currently licensed tour guides*. This waiver is only for the period June 1st to August 31st, 2020, and aims to alleviate some of the financial burden allowing tour guides to be able to quickly pick back up operations as travel resumes.

Flood Watch
A tropical disturbance will support heavy rains over Central America this weekend, into next week, with the possibility of flooding over some parts of the country, especially low-lying and southern areas.

COVID-19 deaths across the 15 CARICOM Member States and five Associate Members reached 100 today
In the meantime eight of the countries are currently reporting no active cases.

May 2020 "Dive Into Tourism"
The Ministry of Tourism newest publication of "Dive Into Tourism" will take a first look at some of the key findings of the first ever Domestic Tourism Survey in Belize! To learn more, visit http://tourism.gov.bz/diveintotourism/

Belize's Film Commissioner, Nigel Miguel, Hosts Webinar Series "Managing Expectations" with #FILMBELIZE starting June 3rd
THE BELIZE FILM COMMISSION & #FILMBELIZE MANAGING EXPECTATIONS Webinar Series is a one hour session held every Wednesday at 10:00 am Belize time starting June 3rd, 2020 with a different presenter each week. Our inaugural June Sessions will discuss how to prepare for the re-opening of Belize's film sector in face of the COVID 19 safety measures that have caused the shutdown of international film productions, grounded airlines and closed hotels causing great stress on small tourism dependent economies.

Historical account of Quintana Roo and the humble beginnings of Chetumal
I live in a city of 23 million inhabitants, but I was born in a town that only had eight thousand. The town was called Chetumal. In the year I was born, 1946, the so-called Mexican miracle began. Chetumal was not part of the Mexican miracle. It was a poor town, scarce, in many ways non-existent, it had no drainage or running water, it had rainwater and well water, the one smelled like rotten. The rain one was thin and sweet. It was stored in wooden barrels, tight by steel strips, called curbates, a word whose meaning only fully understand those born in the Chetumal then. The curbates received the rainwater that fell on the houses through a sheet gutters.

Channel 7

PGIA Plan On Pause
Belize's tourism industry will likely not open in July. That July first date had been the hope and expectation from an industry where many large interests are teetering on the verge of collapse - they just can't go anymore without an infusion of tourist traffic, and revenue. The bad news came today in the Prime Minister's virtual press conference. For weeks he had been announcing that the plan was to open the airport in July 1st, and welcome visitors - on the condition that they can produce a negative COVID test taken within 72 hours of their travel. That had been communicated to the major airlines, but yesterday a message came from the International Air Transport Association saying that just won't work. The Prime Minister explained this morning in the opening remarks at his virtual press conference:

Killing The Economy Softly
And "dying" - at least financially - is just what some major tourism employers will be doing without that tourism hard currency cash flow. But, the Prime Minister tried to put a good spin on on it - and explained the difficult balance between public health and economic death: "This is a real live issue that's a conundrum that perplexing and any way you call it you are going..."

New Wave of Tourism Layoffs
But, right now, for those tourism interests what is relentless is the pressure to pay bills and try to keep at least core staff on some type of reduced salary. With no prospect for significant earnings in sight, that will be increasingly difficult - and today we asked the Prime Minister if there will be relief for those tourism workers who are being laid off now, and into early June, and if there will be low cost financing options for tourism interests who are just trying to keep the lights on until full fledged tourism resumes:

PM Says No Devaluation Threat
And without tourism's hard currency earnings, does Belize run a real risk of devaluation? Tourism is the country's top foreign exchange earner, its largest employer, and accounts for half of the country's GDP. In 2019, total tourism expenditure in Belize was half a billion US dollars. Between January and April of this year, tourist spending in Belize fell by 82 million US dollars compared to the same period last year. But despite this massive hit for foreign exchange earnings, the PM says the currency peg will be maintained:

PM Banking on Benjamins
Ain't going to happen? Well, tell that to the banks. Form the looks of things, the largest commercial bank is already getting jumpy. Atlantic Bank sent a notice to customers yesterday saying that it's cutting their credit card limits, so it can keep the hard currency for, quote, "our essential service providers." Essential services that need hard currency are purchasing power, purchasing fuel, and purchasing wheat for bread. Today, the PM said that the banks have enough hard currency to hold them over for some months:

SOE Regs Relaxed, The Official Breakdown
And to spur more local economic activity - government is further relaxing the state of emergency regulations. As we told you last night this includes bringing back boledo, tacos vendors, casinos, and relaxing the curfew, just a bit. The PM gave the official outline today- starting with an allowance for larger social gatherings:

Land Borders Will Remain Closed For A While
But, relaxing the curfew ever so slightly in Belize, doesn't mean you can hop across to Chetumal or Melchor for some late evening ceviche and cervezas. The PM says that the land borders will remain closed for a while: Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister "In only the last week, the number of COVID-19 cases has surged in the countries surrounding us:

Man Run Over By Police Mobile
54-year-old Teakettle resident Roy Lincoln Vansen was killed last night in Camalote when he was knocked down by a police mobile. It happened deep into curfew hours, just after midnight, at the entrance of Camalote village. It's a sad and sudden ending for the man also known as "short man" or "little feet" - due to a congenital deformity. It's harsh, but he lived without anyone really wanting to have him around, and he died like he hardly mattered at all.

COMPOL Claiming Victory on Crash Landing
Last night we showed you the plane that made a near-crash landing on the road between Chunox and Sarteneja in the Corozal district. The event that provoked a rapid, all out response from police and set the commissioner on an all-day manhunt for those responsible. Two men were detained, but the drugs are still unaccounted for. But, today the COMPOL still claimed victory, saying said that the police presence in the originally intended landing area forced the drug-runners to make an emergency landing on an ill-suited road:

Cops Have Suspects For Barber's Execution
It could be a busy week of detentions for the cops who in addition to nabbing drug runners have detained a man for questioning in the murderer of Chinese businessman 38-year-old Xinwu Zhu. Last night, we walked you through the frightening footage of Zhu's cold-blooded murder. And tonight while police are following several leads, Assistant Commissioner of Police Joesph Myvette say that while Zhu was clearly the target, a motive has yet to be determined for his murder.

Face Masks, Not Bandit Masks
Part of the difficulty in identifying the man who murdered Xinwu Zhu is the fact that his face was completely covered by a mask - the kind made of a shirt wrapped around the face. The comp ol says that is illegal: "I heard the report when Love FM ask the Prime Minister a question today at the press brief and the Prime Minister answer was right on point in the sense that the issue of wearing face mask is a health issue and it is a decision that the government has taken with a view to protect the people of the this country from contracting this deadly virus and so we cannot in the face of that just abruptly say that we must stop wear face mask because it is contributing to crime..."

The Mystery of The Busito Murder
Police also had a report on yesterday's execution of a "busito" driver. 29 year old Oscar Vasquez was driving at mile 45 - when a passenger sitting behind him shot him in the head, jumped out of the van, and dashed off. Today the head of national crimes investigation told us what police know so far:

Man Charged For Cruel OW Murder
But, police have solved the murder of 30-year-old Abner Novelo. He's the caretaker of a farm off the Yo Creek Road in the Orange Walk District, who was found dead last Saturday morning. He suffered multiple chop wounds and gunshots injuries, and today the cops charged the man who they believe is his killer. That accused is 31-year-old Nimrod Sherman Catzim, a resident of Santa Familia Street in Orange Walk Town.

Duffel Bag Loaded With Weed
Tonight, Belmopan police are looking for a man who ran after he was caught trying to smuggle over 20 pounds of weed from the Northern border into Belmopan. Police recovered the duffel bag full of drugs, but he got away. At around 5:45 p.m. yesterday, police were acting on intelligence from Special Branch that a man was smuggling drugs on a bus. The cops set up a surveillance team at the Belmopan bus terminal.

No Present Plan For Schools to Re-Open
Turning back now to national issues coming out of today's prime ministerial press conference, the subjects is education, and that burning question: "when will school re-open? Schools have been closed since March 20th - that's over two months! And, even at 46 days and counting without a COVID case. There's still no plan to re-open them. And, truth be told, it doesn't even appear to be a priority - not like tourism, not even close.

Educ. Minister Discusses Options for Continuing School
And after the PM was finished, Education Minister Patrick Faber agreed to a teleconference interview to discuss what is - or what is not - going to happen with the rest of the school year, which is rapidly winding down. The Government and the Ministry of Education are not yet prepared to reopen classes, and we'll tell you why shortly. But, the Ministry is making exceptions for those schools in which classroom contact time is mandatory. Here's what the Education Minister had to say about those types of schools, and how social distancing protocols will be strictly followed:

New School Year Could Start In August
And while the myriad COVID complications can be confounding, Faber says that he has tabled a proposal to the Managing Authorities of secondary schools for an early start to the next school year. Normally, the 2020/2021 school year would have started in September. But, because students were deprived of months of contact time because of COVID 19, the Ministry wants to start the next school year on August 1st, 2020, 1 month early.

CSEC Exams Moved To July 13
And while the next school year may start earlier, 4th form graduates from High School are being given an additional 2 weeks to prepare for their C-SEC exams. The initial decision from the regional policy-makers was that these exams would start at the end of June, going into the beginning of July. Well, that position has been revised, and the Education Minister told us that they will start on July 13th, instead:

Graduations. Your Way
And, those graduates may get the esteemed honor of marching up to collect their diplomas at a graduation ceremony after all. It all depends on whether or not their school's administrators are able to pull it off without breaking the State of Emergency Regulations, which will be relaxed to allow gatherings of up to 40 people. Before today's announcement of the relaxation, the nation's graduates were staring at the prospect of getting their diplomas mailed to them while being stuck at home. That would have surely diminished the achievement after the many years of hard work and dedication to their studies. Well, the education minister told us that schools can hold their graduation ceremonies, but they have to respect the regs:

Police Beat Down For Refusing Profile Pic
Right now, there is civil unrest taking place in different parts of the US. That's because of the apparent excessive use of force that a white police officer from Minneapolis, Minnesota used against George Floyd, an unarmed black man. Floyd passed away on Monday after the cop used his knee to pin Floyd's neck on the ground. He is heard on video recordings pleading with the officer that he was unable to breathe. That officer has since been charged with third-degree murder, but the collective community rage against the police led to a riot last night in Minnesota. Protestors gained access to the Minneapolis third precinct police building and lit it on fire.

Charges For PG Youths In Gangster Video
Last night we showed you the young men form Toledo brandishing toy guns but making real threats to other rival groups. Well, the cops took their toys away, but they also charged them,

Threesome of Suspects In Double Murder
Since last week Friday, we've been reporting on a double murder in Hopkins that left two men, 55 year old Belizean dive master Quintin Espinosa and 70 year old American farmer Wayne Burley dead with shots to the head. The men were neighbors, and were killed within minutes of each other last Friday morning.

Still No Driver in Fatal Hit And Run
Police today also had an update on Rodolph Rodriguez - the man who was knocked down and killed in a hit and run accident on the old Northern Road last Saturday. But, police seem to have a hard time finding the driver - even though they told us on Monday that the vehicle had been impounded:

Family Claims Skeletal Remains, Cops Not Sure
Police may be picking up pieces in Rodriguez's hit and run but when it comes to a recently unearthed Sandhill village cold case, they may have dropped the ball completely. That's certainly the perception of the Seguro family who through their own sleuthing believe that the Sandhill skeletal remains are those of their father and husband who went missing over a year ago.

Policing In a Pandemic
There's a perception that as SOE measures are relaxed, crime is making its comeback. But the commissioner has his own spin. He's claiming that recent crimes are of a slightly different nature and he gave examples of how they can be deemed in his words "Non-preventables."

Food Assistance to 40k
As you heard earlier in the news, government will likely need to re-open the unemployment relief program because a new wave of layoffs in the tourism sector are just starting to kick in. That's after word came down that the airport will not be opened up for July first. So far, 43,726 persons have been approved out of 80,000 plus applicants. Today, the Prime Minister gave an update on the other relief program for direct food assistance:

Fuel Price Up And Down
There's good news and bad news for vehicle owners tonight. We'll give you the good news first. The price of Diesel will decrease by 61 cents from $7.89 to $7.28 per gallon.

Heavy Weather Rolling In
And finally, tonight, as we told you last night, there's some heavy weather coming into the Central American region this weekend - and Belize will not be spared. Right in time for the start of the hurricane season, it's a tropical disturbance, and we got the forecast from the weather bureau:

Channel 5

P.G.I.A. Won’t Reopen on July First
Today marks a record forty-six days since there are no new cases of coronavirus recorded in Belize and the prime minister took the occasion to address the nation on the [...]

No Flights until Rapid Tests are Certified
The Prime Minister also outlined that the re-opening of the P.G.I.A. hinges on rapid testing.  All appeared to be in place, but on Thursday, the International Air Transport Association is [...]

All Borders Remain Closed Indefinitely
Belize’s land borders are also to remain closed indefinitely. PM Barrow pointed to a spike in coronavirus cases in Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.  Those countries which abut Belize in the [...]

Further Relaxation of S.O.E. Measures Come Monday
On June first, a new round of relaxed measures will come into effect across the country, as Belize continues to remain free of new coronavirus cases.  This morning, PM Barrow [...]

Graduating Amid State of Emergency
June is graduation season for schools at all levels across the country.  With the state of emergency still in effect until the end of the month, traditional commencement exercises will [...]

D.F.C. Steps in to Assist Tourism Stakeholders
The Prime Minister today announced a measure to assist the ailing tourism sector. The Development Finance Corporation has been tapped by government to assist with the financial recovery of the [...]

Regular Gar Price Increases Again!
The price of fuel is creeping up again. Regular fuel will go by forty-six cents at midnight on Saturday to retail at eight dollars per gallon. This is the second [...]

Camalote Resident Knocked Down, Killed by Police Officer
A mentally ill resident from the village of Camalote was knocked down and killed on Thursday night. Roy Vansen was walking about a mile away from his house when he [...]

Suspect Vehicle Impounded in Fatal Hit & Run Incident on Old Northern Highway
Assistant Commissioner of Police Joseph Myvett also gave an update on the fatal road traffic accident on the Old Northern Highway that claimed the life of sixty-eight-year-old Rudolph Rodriguez over [...]

Search for Drug Continues
B.D.F. soldiers and police officers remain in the area where a narco jet landed on Thursday morning. The jet, believed to be carrying drugs, crashed landed on a farm off [...]

Busito Driver was Executed In Front of Passengers
Tonight, we have official information on the cold-blooded, broad daylight execution of Oscar Vasquez. On May twenty-eighth, the busito driver left the Belmopan market area en route to Cotton Tree [...]

One Person Detained for Xinwu Zhu Murder
The question remains tonight whether a hit was carried out on Xinwu Zhu? Video footage shows the hair salon owner of Hopkins Street in the King’s Park area of Belize [...]

Beef Between Friends Led to Gruesome Murder
One man has been charged for the brutal murder of Abner Novelo. He is thirty-one-year-old Nimrod Sherman Catzim of Orange Walk Town.  Police levied the charges today. Novelo was the [...]

Hopkins Double Murder, a Burglary Gone Bad
As we reported on Thursday, police believe that they have cracked the case of the double murder of tour guide operator Quintin Espinosa and U.S. national Roland Burley, which occurred [...]

Guillermo Duarte, Charged for Murder, Gets Bail
Guillermo Duarte, through assistance from attorney Hurl Hamilton, today secured bail from the Supreme Court in the sum of twenty-five thousand dollars in the form of property papers. Duarte is [...]

Rafael Velasquez Gets Bail on Two Counts of Sex Offences
Twenty-eight year-old Rafael Velasquez, an office assistant at a resort in San Pedro, was granted bail of eight thousand dollars today when he appeared with his attorney, Rene Montero, before [...]

Gustavo Mendez & 2 Minors are Charged for Producing a Video Recording to Promote Gang Activity
Two minors from Punta Gorda and a nineteen-year-old have been charged for producing a video recording to promote gang activity. The nineteen-year-old is Gustavo Mendez of the Joe Taylor Creek [...]

Belize’s Test Level Satisfactory to W.H.O. Standards
For seven weeks, Belize remains free of positive COVID-19 cases. Fifty-five tests conducted on Thursday returned negative for the novel coronavirus.  The Ministry of Health has been carrying out random [...]

Hiccups with G.O.B.’s Unemployment Relief Programme
The pandemic has pushed employment numbers up and a full economic recovery will take time to occur. Most businesses project two years to be able to recover.  Eighty-three thousand persons [...]

Meeting the Country’s Needs Amid Economic Hardship
The massive relief effort to assist thousands of destitute families with food supplies during the economic hardship that has befallen the country since the initial wave of COVID-19 is ongoing.  [...]

The Potential in Growing Hemp for Foreign Exchange
The PM said today that the Belize dollar remains strong.  But while the foreign exchange position is holding, there is a need for additional foreign exchange in the very near [...]

Criminal Charges for Herman Longsworth
Former Minister of Sports and Consul General in New York, Herman Longsworth was fired after it was revealed that he was responsible for questionable cash transactions. An audit into the [...]

An Update on the John Saldivar’s Investigation
On February twenty-sixth, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams told News Five that disgraced minister John Saldivar would naturally be brought in for questioning into the allegations of bribery against him. [...]

Harmony Needs Your Help!
The family of sixteen-year-old Harmony Young has had to deal with her life threatening illness during the COVID-19 pandemic. The young girl has been diagnosed with a malignant tumor in [...]

Amandala

Chinese businessman executed on Hopkins Street
Xinwu Zhu, 38, a Chinese man of Hopkins Street who operates a hair salon, was sitting on the steps of his business on Hopkins Street, in Kings Park, at about 6:30 yesterday evening when he was murdered. A video that was recorded by a camera in the area showed a man on a bicycle riding up to a business adjacent to Zhu’s establishment. He got off his bicycle and stood in front of the iron customer window of the shop and was standing about 15 feet from Zhu. The video showed that the man took a gun out of the right pocket of his pants, pointed it in Zhu’s direction, walked a few steps and then fired a number of shots at him.

PAHO advises Belize to be prepared for outbreaks of dengue fever
Belize’s healthcare workers who are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic also have to keep a constant vigil for another public health enemy: dengue fever. Kim Bautista, the Chief of Operations of Vector Control at the Ministry of Health, said that the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has issued a warning to the Ministry to be on the lookout for dengue. Bautista, speaking to us by telephone from his Belmopan office, said that PAHO had already issued two advisories, advising the Ministry of Health, “that we have to be prepared.”

Busito driver shot to death by passenger
Less than 24 hours after Chinese national Xinwu Zhu, 38, of Belize City, was coldly executed by a gunman who shot him multiple times in the chest and abdomen while Zhu was sitting on the steps of his business on Hopkins Street, Oscar Vasquez, 29, a “busito” (small passenger van) driver of Belmopan, was similarly executed in his van at about 12:30 this afternoon, while he was making a run from Belmopan to St. Matthew’s Village. Preliminary reports indicate that Vasquez was driving his van along the George Price Highway on the route to St. Matthew’s Village, when, on his arrival at about Mile 45, in Cotton Tree, in front of the new butane gas depot, a man who was standing on the roadside waved at him to stop.

Farm caretaker found savagely murdered on farm
Abner Othoniel Novelo, 30, a farm caretaker of Yo Creek who was a family man, was found dead on the farm this morning. He had been brutally murdered. Those who saw him said that he had been shot in the head, his throat had been slit, his right arm had been severed and taken from the scene, and his left arm had been severed below the elbow. He had also been chopped on both knees, and in his chest and stomach.

Double murder in Hopkins
At about 9:30 this morning, two men were found dead on a farm on the Hopkins road, not far from its junction with the Southern Highway. Quintin Espinoza, 55, had been shot in the forehead and chopped in the body, while the second man, who was identified as Roland Burley, a 70-year-old American national who lived on the farm for about 2 years, had been shot in the right side of the head, and had been chopped in the torso, back and legs.

Police: Princess security guard killed himself
At about 11:30 Wednesday morning, Earl Underwood, 23, a security guard on duty at the Princess Hotel and Casino, was seen going into a bathroom, and shortly after, a gunshot was heard. The other security guard who was working with him became concerned when Underwood did not come out of the bathroom after a reasonable period of time. A forced entry was made into the bathroom, and Underwood was found on the floor with gunshot wound in the side of his head.

Sandhill man, 68, dies after hit-and run
At about 7:00 Saturday evening, Rudolph Rodriguez, 68, a construction worker of Sandhill, was walking with his bicycle in Sandhill, on the curve near the junction of the Old Northern Highway and the Philip Goldson Highway, when he was knocked down by a black vehicle whose driver did not stop to help him, but left him to die on the road. Rodriguez suffered massive head and body injuries. People in the area rushed him to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was admitted in a critical condition. He fought for his life in the hospital for two days and a half, but at about 11:00 this morning, he was declared dead while being treated.

Government concerned about regional spike in COVID-19, as it scales down random testing
Belize has gone 7 weeks without anyone in the country testing positive for the novel coronavirus. No other country on the Central American mainland can proclaim such a status. When it comes to the pandemic, the number of daily active cases in other Central American countries is staggering, and the death toll continues to spike. Today on the government’s webcast Ask the Experts, Director of Health Services Dr. Marvin Manzanero detailed the number of new infections in countries in the region, beginning with the United States, where 5,480 new cases were added over the last 24 hours.

Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas brings home its Belizean crew
A cruise ship arrived in the Belize City harbor late this morning to return its 14 Belizean employees who had been stranded at sea onboard the Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas as a result of a global shutdown that occurred as countries tried to avert the threat of COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a number of cruise ships being stranded on the high seas. In some cases, cruise ships were refused entry at various ports because of passengers who were infected with the novel coronavirus Royal Caribbean Rhapsody of the Seas has a crew of 765 and has capacity for 2,416 guests. The ship dropped off 14 Belizeans who are employed by Royal Caribbean cruise line.

Editorial: The May 29, 1972 riot— how print media of the time viewed it
On May 29, 1972, some demonstrators in a UBAD parade commemorating Pan African Week and the May 1773 slave uprising in Belize started hurling missiles at the Guatemalan Embassy in downtown Belize City, and soon after, all hell broke loose, with some turning to smashing store windows and looting, while the more focused ones turned their attention to political targets, notably Radio Belize and the Belize Times Press, both propaganda organs of the ruling People’s United Party. A number of persons in the demonstration, mostly leaders of UBAD, were arrested on charges that included roughing up a police officer and taking away his camera, breaking show windows, and attempted arson.

From The Publisher
Most creative and aspiring creative writers dream of writing a major work of fiction, something which would shed new, original light on the strange and unpredictable absurdity of life. In that sense, my career must be considered a failure, because I ended up confined in Belizean journalism and, by extension, the hurly burly of party politics. Growing up in Belize in the 1950s, my heroes were my maternal grandfather, who died in 1957, and my maternal second uncle, who died around 2007 or so. My association with these men mostly took place at Spanish Caye, which is about nine miles south southeast of Belize City. And that association was focused on the world of boats and fishing.

Nigel Petillo creates new organization to get lands for grassroots people
Belize has many thousands of acres of land all across the country that remain undeveloped. Many acres of land have been bought by persons who have no intention of working the land, but who buy it just for speculation purposes. Added to this is the fact that the Government of Belize has no national land policy to address the needs of landless Belizeans. The Barrow administration squandered an opportunity to acquire lands recently when it decided to forgo $90 million in land taxes instead of nationalizing some of those lands for redistribution to the landless, grassroots Belizeans.

Belize CITCO continues to serve
Despite the financial strain being shouldered by Mayor Bernard Wagner and the Belize City Council as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, he has carried out another initiative to assist city residents during their hour of need. It is known that, given the nature of the pandemic, the elderly are especially vulnerable during this time, and having to remain isolated only serves to aggravate the issue. In light of this, Mayor Wagner, in collaboration with his councilors and counterparts, made a donation to the Sister Cecilia Home for the Elderly on Tuesday in an effort to add a little extra comfort to the living conditions of the senior citizens who reside there.

Pain in silence
As a little girl growing up, I always wanted to be like Grandma Nora. I wanted the same hair, the same face, the same nose and mouth; I wanted to look like her. I wanted to see her when I looked in the mirror, and I wanted people to see her when they looked at me. For me, that made my dad and my uncles happy, and I loved seeing them smile. Whenever we’d have family reunions —sssh don’t tell them I said this— I’d hear them whisper to each other, “Abigail looks like mom.” The other would proudly say, “da Shirley;” the other would start coughing while uttering the words, “da Rona,” and the other would whisper under his breath, “da Tiffy.”

Taking no chances: cross the “T’s” and dot the “I’s” NOW, before election
Belizeans keep saying they are fed up with corruption and the “PUDP”. But, are they really? The Red is enjoying the control of the streets during this pandemic, when meetings are outlawed, and they get to distribute all the handouts to hungry voters with “government” money. So, although they were extremely unpopular, and the government was practically broke from before COVID-19, now they are seriously looking for a dark-horse, upset victory come elections later this year.

SIB reports GDP down 4.5% for Jan-Mar 2020
The May 27, 2020 report from the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) says that “the overall level of economic activity for the country of Belize dropped by 4.5 percent in the first quarter of 2020, when compared to the first quarter of 2019. The total value of goods and services produced within the country during the first three months of the year were valued at $709.6 million dollars, down $33.4 million from $743 million dollars in the first three months of 2019.” The SIB attributed most of the decline in production to the drought of last year, and the effects of COVID-19.

1970s cycling star, Glen “Black Samson” Gordon passes
esterday, Tuesday morning, Kremandala received the sad news of the passing of our long time neighbor and friend of Partridge Street Extension, renowned cyclist of the 1970s, Glen Gordon, also known to his many fans as Black Samson. Over six feet tall and of a very dark complexion, soft spoken and dignified, Glen earned the “Black Samson” nickname from cycling colleagues and fans for his consistently powerful performances both in weekend track races at the then National Stadium (now Marion Jones Sports Complex) and in Cross Country Classics where he was often a top contender. A dedicated cyclist, Black Samson rode in a total of 34 Cross Countries, his first in 1971, and his most recent in 2013; and he had many Top-10 finishes, including 3 fourth-places.

Another 1960s football star, John Young passes in the U.S.
We had just reported in our Friday, May 15 issue on the passing of Dunlop legend Gilbert “Pine” Hernandez in Chicago, Illinois; and shortly after we are informed of the passing of another early 1960s Belize football star, John Young, who was a member of the All Belize Selection that were to host the St. George’s College Old Boys of Jamaica in September of 1962 in Belize, and travelled to Jamaica for return matches in 1963. Here is a portion of Minister Michael Finnegan’s story on John Young in the May 21 edition of the Guardian newspaper:

FFB breaks ground for FIFA sponsored Bleachers Project
If all goes according to plan, Belize may soon have a world-class FIFA approved stadium at the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) facility on the Hummingbird Highway approaching Belmopan, where it already possesses a FIFA-Pro Pitch, completed last year; and today the ground-breaking and signing of a contract was done for Phase One of its Bleachers Project, which will see the construction of state of the art cement bleachers on both the eastern and western borders of the football pitch. (Phase Two later will be a VIP Facility with shed.) Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, it was a small gathering at 10:00 a.m. on site for the occasion at the FFB facility, but the events were live-streamed to football stakeholders countrywide.

Romel Cuello takes a walk through Orange Walk history
Dear Editor, Today, May 20, 2020, is my maternal uncle Ismael “Miley” Gonzalez’s R.I.P. birthday. He and I started our conscious lives in Bound-to-Shine Farm, which was located in the Tower Hill area, Orange Walk District (before the coming of the B.S.I. Sugar Factory), where the large Gonzalez family resided. My Grandpa was Juan de Dios Gonzalez “Don John,” R.I.P.; and my grandma was Natalia Gonzalez nee Romero, “Ms. Nat”, R.I.P. The family was composed of: Liborio “Libby”; Modesta “Mody” (my mom); Arcenia “Cacao”, R.I.P.; Angel “Nono”; Aurora “Chury”, R.I.P.; Edwardo “Dardo”; Arturo “Turin”; Israel “Lael”; Ismael “Miley” Gonzalez, also known as “Masto,” R.I.P.; Norvella “Muth”; and Sara “Laly”.

A change must come
Dear Editor, Memes are a unit of cultural transmission replicator or imitation. It was coined by Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book, The Selfish Gene. The gang culture in Belize has become a meme-like going into politics to get rich. Being a gang member has become “en vogue,” whether male or female. This adopting of the gang culture needs to be addressed. It is telling that red and blue are the colors used to identify the two primary gangs, similar to the UDP and PUP political gangs.

We need to “big up” the good cops
Dear Editor, On Saturday, May 23, after a long spell of not being able to do my weekly travel to Belize City because of the contingency, I had the pleasure of going back. I noticed that some people still take the COVID-19 pandemic lightly. This thing is raging in the countries around us, and only by the Grace of God have we been spared until now.

LOVE FM

ComPol gives update on latest drug plane
Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams was able to evade most of the media yesterday while he dealt with the latest drug plane that touched down in Belize. The plane landed on a farm between Sarteneja and Chunox Villages in Corozal District, an unusual landing place.

Prime Minister and police comment on recent criminal activities
Crime has seen a spike in recent days including two murders. With the now mandatory use of masks, criminals seem to think that it is a free pass for them.

Young man left paralyzed after bridge collapses
A young man has been left paralyzed after a bridge he was on collapsed causing him to fall. The incident occurred near Gracie Rock on Sunday, May 24. 22-year-old Jared Metzgen and two of his cousins received various degrees of injuries, with Metzgen receiving the worst of it.

Boledo, lottery, and other games set to recommence on Monday
Players of the ever popular Boledo and Lottery were more than excited to hear the Prime Minister announce that the games would be back. They were put on pause due to Covid-19 restrictions, but will commence on Monday.

Breaking Belize News

TIn honor of all High School Graduates
By Zoila Palma Gonzalez: “I can almost see it, That dream I’m dreaming ……”- The Climb June 1, […]

PG minor arrested for promoting gangs
The Belize Police Department has arrested and charged a 17-year-old from the Cemetery Area of […]

Social Security Board has processed payments for majority of approved applicants of unemployment relief
The Government informed today that the Social Security Board has successfully processed payments for the […]

Unemployment Relief Program to continue “for as long as it will take” after new tourism shock
Despite issues with the Unemployment Relief Program (URP), Government still has a healthy reserve of […]

Belize is re-opening, says P.M.; no fear of devaluation
The Government of Belize is encouraging Belizeans to get back to work. While the Unemployment […]

COVID-19 running rampant in the region, Belize still without new cases
An update shared by the Director of Health Services today shows that every country in […]

Prime Minister Dean Barrow’s statement on updated COVID-19 response measures
Good morning, members of the media. Good morning, members of the public. My fellow Belizeans, Welcome to this […]

The Queen recognizes Belizean Volunteer with Commonwealth Points of Light Award
The British High Commission issued a statement informing that Her Majesty, The Queen has recognized […]

Two including minor charged with George Street burglary
Police have arrested and charged a minor, 16, and a 35-year-old man with burglary and committing […]

Police accused of deadly accident in Camalote
On Thursday evening we received information of a road traffic accident in the village of Camalote, […]

Blogs

How to Plan Your Belize Vacation – One Year in Advance
Though a Belize vacation can be best enjoyed spontaneously, planning a trip one year in advance can pay off. We’re talking about those massive family reunions, the once-in-a-lifetime honeymoon, and in-demand boutique resorts that book up the moment they go on sale. Whether you’re eager to get planning again, or are simply thinking about the future, here’s how to book your Belize vacation for 2021 – one year in advance.

Belize Zoo Reopens – Surviving COVID-19 with Local Support
For over 40 days, Belize has not reported any new COVID-19 cases. Some restrictions have lifted, and domestic travel slowly opens back up in country, including visitation to TBZ. This comes with great excitement given the zoo heavily relies on admission fees, as well as donations to operate and feed the animals. During these unprecedented times, TBZ continued to feed and care for their 200+ resident animals thanks to the food donations and kind contributions of the local community.

Belize’s International Airport To Reopen on IATA’s Approval
In a virtual press conference today, May 29, Prime Minister Dean Barrow announces Belize’s Philip Goldson International Airport, will only reopen under approval from the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Belize also raised the principal condition that travellers would need to present a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken in the last 72 hours before arrival. While there w n btn frm th rln rvng G about the 72-hour negative test requirement, th ntrntnl r rnrt tn () drvd of Belize tentative reopen date of July 1; rmmndng tht the country wts to reopen untl  rd tt is available for r-brdng. For this reason, Belize cannot confirm their previous tentative date of July 1, unless mass availability of reliable rapid testing becomes available.

International Sources

Her Majesty The Queen recognises Belizean volunteer with Commonwealth Points of Light award for service during COVID-19 pandemic
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has today recognised Michele Irving from Dangriga Town, representing Belize, as the 139th Commonwealth Point of Light in honour of her exceptional voluntary service supporting the most vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Michele is supporting the most vulnerable in her community during the current COVID-19 crisis by coordinating the provision of goods and assistance to the elderly, survivors of gender-based violence and people living with HIV. Michele is also working with local NGOs to ensure that access to sexual and reproductive health services is maintained during the pandemic.

Caribbean set to bear the brunt of global tourism fallout
"SUN, sea and sand-focussed island economies” in the Caribbean will be among the worst affected by a slowdown in global tourism, according to a new report. Tourism across the region is set to plummet by 60 to 70 percent from April to December this year compared to last year, figures released by international ratings agency Standard and Poor’s indicate. Caribbean nations make up five of the top 10 countries in the world set for the biggest deterioration in GDP growth in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Aruba tops the list, with Belize third, Bahamas fifth, and Barbados and Jamaica in seventh and ninth position respectively.

Videos

May 29, 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

Two tropical storms trigger an early start to the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season
The season got an early start with two storms, Tropical Storm Arthur and Tropical Storm Bertha, both forming off the east-southern coast of the United States of America (USA). Tropical Storm Arthur formed on May 16th off the Florida coast. It did not cause severe damage as it snaked up the east coast toward North Carolina. Arthur brought a lot of rain, but it did not enter land as it moved on an east-ward motion heading out into the Atlantic Ocean. On Wednesday, May 27th, the second off-season storm named Bertha formed off the eastern coast of the USA. With maximum sustained winds of 50 mph, Bertha made landfall just to the east of Charleston, South Carolina, on Wednesday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Look ahead to when COVID-free tourists ARE allowed back to our island
by Lynda Perdue, Owner Belizean Breezes Soap Co. One thing is for sure, Covid19 knows how to STOP an entire working society. But what are we learning if anything? As a business owner, I sit like many others wondering what can be done today and what tomorrow will look like. If I am correct in my predictions, we are in this for many more long months and those months seem….wasted. We are not doing enough. I am used to working 17 hour days. Now, Like many many other residents and business owners alike, we have ALOT of time on our hands. Yes, we can clean, Rearrange, redecorate and tidy up but that’s not the purpose of this writing. Look ahead to when COVID free tourists ARE allowed back to our island. What will they see?

Ambergris Today

Ambergris Caye Cookbook Released To Raise Funds For Feeding Program
A key person on the island that spearheads one of the biggest feeding programs on the island is Maresha Reid who kickstarted a Hot Lunch Program almost immediately after the island went on shutdown due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. The success of the feeding program has been largely due to monetary donations for the purchasing of goods to prepare the meals. After weeks of feeding hundreds of needy residents, a Go Fund Me page was created to boost donations and on May 15, 2020, Kimberly Wylie put together the Ambergris Caye COVID Relief Cookbook to raise more funds for Maresha’s Hot Lunch Program. Kimberly states that she is donating 100% of the profits to the program and has already donated over $2900 US ($5800 BZD). was in front of catholic church

Various Belizean Sources

Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen day Location
Friday, May 29th Meal Pick ups. Location: Barrier Reef Sports Bar & Grill. Times: Village: 11:00am-11:45am. Bahia: 11:45am -12:30pm.

Updated COVID-19 Response Measures
Tune in tomorrow, May 29, at 10:00 a.m. to view the Prime Minister's Virtual Press Conference on Updated COVID-19 Response Measures.

COVID-19 Food Assistance Appeal Form
If you did not receive a text or call notifying you that you have been approved for a second basket and you would like to appeal that decision please fill in the form below. Please note that if you or a household member is working, have already received a second basket, or are receiving assistance under BOOST or the Food Pantry Programme, then you would not qualify.

BWS to issue Debentures
Belize Water Services Limited (BWS) is pleased to announce that it will shortly be commencing its first Debenture Offering. The Company recently completed and submitted its fourth Full Five-year Business Plan to the Public Utilities Commission, for the period April 2020 to March 2025. This plan identified critical investments required for water system improvement and expansion. As a result, the company intends to raise $50 million through its first debenture offering which will be used to refinance an existing debt and to fund the implementation of vital capital projects, which are needed to meet customer demand and ensure climate resiliency.

THE SUPREME COURT CLOCK THE FINAL REPORT
You know, it gives me a lot of pleasure to post photos from the works in progress and completed involving our project because for the first two and half years, we did not have much to show from our hard components side of the project. Now, we are rolling them in one after the other. The completion parade all started with the Yarborough Basketball Court, followed by the Supreme Court renovations, followed by the Cathedral renovations, followed by the human Development Building raze and rebuild, followed by the Ronald Frederick Greenwood House raze and rebuild, followed by Government House (in progress), and then the Belize Heritage Plaza (in progress).

Artist of the Day - Rushelle Babb
Rushelle Babb was born on October 18, 2002, in Belize City, Belize. She was nurtured by both her parents, Vilma Babb and Jim Myers, as well as three sisters and seven brothers. Miss Babb did not attend pre-school; however, she went to what was called 'beginners', at Queen Street Baptist Primary School. Miss Babb was always great at poetry but it was not until Standard 3R, where she noticed she had a skill in drama. Her teacher Karima Roca was the first to notice her skill in drama and encouraged her to audition for a role in a stage production called, "My Body is Precious". Miss Babb was chosen for the production and was given the role of "Dede" where she showcased her exceptional talent.

Corozal artist Mr. David Mutul of San Pedro Village
It's Thursday- Art & Soul Series day! We are delighted to feature another Corozal artist, Mr. David Mutul of San Pedro Village. Even though he considers his art to be a hobby, David has shown great skill and has participated in our annual Men @ Work Art Exhibit. David most recently participated at Corozal Graffiti Festival 2020 as one of the live artists where he showcased his skill in pyrography/wood burning. He continues to hone his skills in wood burning while creating incredible pieces of art.

Repairs to the Corozal House of Culture
Recently we completed the first stage of repairs to the House of Culture! We are in office Monday, Wednesday and Friday's, although we are not open to the public as of yet, we are here to serve you! Please feel free to contact us via the Corozal House of Culture Facebook page or call 422-0071. We are very much active and engaged. The pandemic has given us an opportunity to look closely at our community identifying our great resources, which in turn has created more opportunities for cultural expression, exposure and documentation.

Update on Unemployment Relief Program
On April 3, 2020, the Unemployment Relief Program opened for applications. When new applications were suspended on April 24th, a total of 81,052 applications were received. To date, a total of 43,726 applications have been approved and passed onto Social Security Board (SSB) for payment. Of this total, 42% are for persons who were recently laid off from their jobs, 25% are for self-employed persons who lost their work and income, and 33% are for persons who applied as long-term unemployed. Applications will continue to be processed over the next several days, raising the total approved applications to about 50,000.

OPM Warns to Disregard Unofficial Information
The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) hereby informs the public that the notes being circulated via social media and other channels purportedly from the National Oversight Committee are not official. The public is advised to disregard the information as it is inaccurate and misleading. The official summary of the committee meeting and new measures will be presented by the Prime Minister via a virtual press conference on Friday, May 29th, at 10:00 a.m. This will be followed by an explanation of the amendments to the statutory instrument by the Attorney General on Saturday, May 30th, at 3:00 p.m. on the Ask the Experts webcast.

Notice from Varelas Freight and Barge Service

COVID-19 update
A further 55 samples processed today - all negative. While we remain on a positive note, we keep a close eye on the growing numbers in all the countries around us where most countries continue with increasing epidemics.

Commemorating World No Tobacco Day
This year the Ministry of Health, National Drug Abuse Control Council (NDACC) will be commemorating World No Tobacco Day on May 31st, 2020 under the theme, " Protecting Youth from Industry manipulation and preventing them from Tobacco and Nicotine Use." In response to the aggressive and sustained approaches to attract the new generation of tobacco users, the World No Tobacco campaign this year is to provide a counter marketing campaign to empower young people to engage in the fight against Big Tobacco.

Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen Live Stream Fundraiser Jam
It is Friday! That means it's time for another Live Stream Fundraiser Jam. We have some great musicians this week: Barry D Castillo, Raven Pascascio, Kaitlin Rose and of course our very own Armando Pau & Gregory Michael. Request your favorite song, dance and sing along, all from your own home! 4 PM - 7 PM Belize time (5 PM - 8 PM CST) Live on this Facebookpage.

ATLANTIC BANK TO FURTHER LIMIT CUSTOMERS' USE OF CREDIT CARD DUE TO FOREIGN EXCHANGE SHORTAGE
Dear Valued Customer, Thank you for your continued cooperation and support through these difficult times.The effects of COVID-19 on both the local and international economies are significant,thereby requiring changes to how we all manage our personal and business affairs. In response to the new reality, we now live and work in, Atlantic Bank has made certain changes to our products and services in order to ensure that we continue to efficiently and effectively serve your best interest.

SIHS & SIHSAE Virtual Graduation Ceremony
Join the SIHS & SIHSAE Graduating Class of 2020 & TNC for a Live Streaming of our 1st Virtual Graduation Ceremony on Saturday, May 30, 2020 at 10:00 am!

Channel 7

Drug Plane Left Running While Narcos Ran
We haven't reported on a drug plane landing in Belize since that famous one off the Coastal highway on February 27th. But, after that long break - a drug plane landed in Belize early this morning, around 5:00. And this one seems to have had a rushed near-crash landing in one of the northernmost parts of the country. But it's no triumph for the cops, with the plane's contents having vanished shortly after touchdown. Cherisse Halsall has the story of how they're trying to find it.

New State of Emergency Regs Announced Tomorrow
45 days, that's how long Belize has gone without a positive test for COVID-19, and, in response, tomorrow the Prime Minister will announce a further relaxing of public health measures designed to contain the virus. According to sources, first off, these include bringing back Boledo. That's right, the numbers game that Belizeans love so dearly has been suspended since April 10th. Now, it is scheduled to return on Monday, June first. But it won't be business as usual. 7News has learnt that social distancing measures will be required for purchasing tickets. Boledo franchise operator, Brads had no comment today.

81k Applied for Unemployment Relief, 43k Approved
The Government is also reporting tonight that they are still making payments to needy Belizeans under the Unemployment Relief Program. Between April 3rd, when the program opened for applications, and April 24th, when all new applications were suspended, a total of 81,052 persons applied. To date, a total of 43,726 applications have been approved and passed on to the Social Security Board for payment. Of that amount, 42% are for persons who were laid off from their jobs.

Murders Spike, Two Executions In A Day
The roughly 8 weeks of calm which came with the COVID 19 State of Emergency has been disrupted with a recent spike in murders countrywide. Since last week Friday, there have been 5 killings - two of those were cold blooded executions in the past 24 hours. The first happened around 6:30 in Belize City - where 33-year-old Xinwu Zhu, known to his customers as "Joe" was shot in front of his store.

Busito Driver Shot In The Head As He Drove
And then there was another execution at midday today. This happened right outside Belmopan, when the driver was killed by one of his passengers. Again, there was no robbery - just a fatal shot to the head. With footage from our colleagues at PLUS TV - Cherisse Halsall has this report: Oscar Vasquez's busito sat parked in the middle of the road just at about 12:35 today.

The Almost Got Off Scott Free
Last night we told you about the 6 men who the Coast Guard caught off the coast of Punta Gorda town. The group comprised four businessmen of Chinese descent from Corozal and Punta Gorda, along with two other locals. The BDF spotted them picking up a package within Belizean waters from a vessel that seemed to have come across form Guatemala. When the Coast Guard intercepted them - they had an icebox of shrimp on board, along with a Case of Corona beer.

Robbers Ran
There was an attempted armed robbery yesterday at the Sayer Paints office, at the corner of Douglas Jones and Cran Streets in Belize City. The operations manager, told police that at around 2:50 p.m., he was on duty behind the counter. That's when 2 masked, dark-complexioned men entered.

Benjamin Reid's Family Searching For Him
Tonight, a Maskal village family is seeking their son, nephew, and cousin. 15 days ago, 23-year-old Benjamin Reid disappeared from Ross Penn Road. The public is asked to kindly be on the lookout for the young man. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 602-1515 or 911 or 922 Tips.

Stix Charged For Ashcroft Protest
40-year-old Perry Smith, the community activist well known for the Days of Healing initiative, is out on bail tonight for charges related to the State of Emergency regulations. Police say that on May 14th, he was one of the persons who was protesting with FECTAB against Lord Michael Ashcroft. Smith was arraigned today before Chief Magistrate Sharon Frazer on the offense of being unable to provide a reasonable explanation for movement outside of curfew hours. According to the cops, at around 8:20 a.m., he assembled with others in front of Channel 5's Coney Drive headquarters for a protest.

PSU's Version of The "Forego" Compromise
Last night, we told you about the latest circular coming out of the Ministry of Finance, which finalizes that the Barrow Government will forego this year's increment for teachers and public officers. As has been widely reported, the unions, but specifically the Public Service Union, wanted were not in support of this proposal from the Government that they forego the increment; they want it deferred - meaning, pay us later.

Carnival Cancelled?
And while Public servants forego that increment the rest of us may be forced to forego 2020's J'ouverts and road marches. That's because plans for September celebrations remain in limbo. Now, the September season, like every major holiday touched by the pandemic will likely be significantly scaled back. And what happens to the colorful flashy costumes that would have adorned the streets? Well they won't get made. We heard from Belize's largest fabric retailer about how he's preparing for a Soca free September.

The Lord's Largesse
The Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Relief Fund has made a donation of just under a million dollars in supplies to the Ministry of Health. This donation will aid the Ministry in the procurement of additional equipment and supplies for which payment is pending. Those supplies include 1 extraction machine, 1 video laryngoscope, 1 blood gas analyzer, 12 cartridges for blood gas analyzer, 300 infrared thermometers, 50 nebulizers, assorted ventilator supplies, and oxygen masks and cannulas.

Heavy Weather Could Be Coming
The rainy season is considered to begin at the start of June and right on cue, a warning to colleagues from Carlos Fuller at the Caribbean Climate Change Centre in Belmopan warns that you should expect torrential downpours that may result in flooding with rains that could start tomorrow and last through midweek.. It's a warning going out to Southern Mexico and the entirety of Central America.

Hard Currency Scarce, Atlantic Bank Lowers Credit Card Limits
In what may be a harbinger of things to come, the Atlantic Bank has sent a message to customers advising them that effective June first their credit card limits will be reduced. Why? Well the bank says, quote, "foreign currency revenue earnings have all but come to a haltthe bank is obliged to ensure that we meet the foreign currency needs of our essential service providers." End quote.

Fake G's, Fake Guns
A group of young men from the Toledo District were recently on social media displaying guns and making threats. The guns looked like prohibited automatic assault rifles. Well, police said they resounded to the video and went to search the young men, only to find that the guns were toys. That's right, despite their meaning appearance, they were all fake.

BWS Raising 50 Million
Belize Water services is trying to raise 50 million dollars through a debenture offering, the company's first. The company intends to raise $50 million through its first debenture offering which will be used to refinance an existing debt and to fund the implementation of vital capital projects.

Channel 5

Suspected Masterminds of Drug Plane Landing Arrested
At the crack of dawn this morning, a narco plane was heard circling up north. Around six in the morning, the aircraft crash landed off the Chunox-Sarteneja road in the [...]

Businessman Murdered; Cops Believe It Was a Hit!
A man was executed in Belize City before the start of the curfew hours on Wednesday night. A Chinese business man was shot and killed outside of his business in [...]

Busito Driver Executed on George Price Highway
The murder count went up by two today.  The latest victim was executed at around midday as he drove a ‘busito’ on the George Price Highway, heading to Saint Mathews [...]

A Further Relaxation of the State of Emergency to be Announced
A further relaxation of the state of emergency will be announced when Prime Minister Dean Barrow speaks to the press on Friday morning.  Belize continues without new cases of COVID-19, [...]

G.O.B. Receives Almost a Million Dollars from Lord Ashcroft COVID-19 Fund
The country of Belize remains under threat for a second wave of the coronavirus though no new cases have been reported in past forty-six days. Notwithstanding, the Ministry of Health [...]

P.S.U. and G.O.B. Agree on Increment Negotiations
On Wednesday, the Ministry of Finance sent out an addendum to a circular that had been previously released in respect of increments owed to eligible public officers for the fiscal [...]

P.S.U. Launches Social Media Forum
The executive of the P.S.U. also met virtually on Wednesday night where they held the first of a series of online conversations with its membership regarding various matters, including the [...]

Police Make Progress in Double Murder
There is an update to the double murder in Hopkins which occurred last Friday, May twenty-second at a house on the Hopkins Road. Police in Dangriga have made progress in [...]

Creative and Virtual Graduation Ceremonies Trending this Year
There is still no official information on the re-opening of schools, but the rest of the academic year will likely continue as is with students doing at-home studying. It is [...]

Students Preparing for CSEC, CAPE Exams
Students will be sitting CSEC and CAPE examinations in July. That was the decision coming out of the First Emergency Virtual Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development [...]

Saint Catherine Academy Closing Off, Preparing for New School Year
Saint Catherine Academy in Belize City has notified its parents that they are closing off the school year on Friday, May twenty-ninth. This will allow for the school to continue [...]

Will New School Year Begin Earlier?
But will the new school year begin earlier in August rather than later? News Five confirmed today that a meeting with education officials and stakeholders will be held next week [...]

ComPol Explains Release and Charges for Busted Chinese Businessmen
A group of men, including four Chinese businessmen and two Punta Gorda residents, was released from custody on Wednesday after being busted near Orange Point in the Toledo District.  The [...]

Cops Not Enforcing S.O.E. Regulations Enough?
The Prime Minister will on Friday measures that will give more freedom of movement during the state of emergency. But while ComPol says that the department is doing the best [...]

Chetumal Businesses Close at 5 p.m. to Stop the Spread of COVID-19!
Chetumal is locking up shop at five every evening and this is what it looks like at this time. This latest measure was taken by our neighbours in the north. [...]

American National Found Dead in Bullet Tree
The body of a woman was discovered in Bullet Tree Falls in Cayo District earlier today.  The woman who has been identified as an American national was found motionless this [...]

Healthy Living: Autism in Pandemic
Whether it’s curfew hours, face masks, no graduation, no travel, COVID-19 has drastically uprooted all that was normal in our lives. And yes, these measures are meant to keep us [...]

LOVE FM

Chiquibul Forest Reserve under attack by forest fires
The Chiquibul Forest Reserve has recently come under attack by forest fires. Rafael Manzanero, the Executive Director for the Friends for Conservation and Development explained the severity of the destruction caused to the Chiquibul and the Caracol areas in recent weeks.

PACT explains their investment strategies
The Protected Areas Conservation Trust is celebrating a milestone in their 3-year strategy to invest in a National Protected Areas System (NPAS). In 2018 the Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) launched its Protection Investment Strategy with an aim to respond to the needs of the National Protected Areas System (NPAS) as opposed to individual sites.

Family cries foul play in death of relative
Belmopan Police are investigating the death of a resident in the area. Our Cayo Correspondent, Fem Cruz went looking for information on this incident and filed the following report.

Busito driver shot outside Belmopan
A bus driver was shot inside his passenger busito this afternoon on the George Price Highway. The homicide held up traffic on both sides of the highway as police investigators worked at recording the crime scene.

Asian businessman killed outside his establishment
Video footage showing 38-year-old Xinwu Zhu, also known as Joe, eating on the front steps of his establishment seconds before he was shot has shocked Belizeans across the country. The incident occurred yesterday evening, just before 6:30.

A step away from complete normalcy
Prime Minister Dean Barrow will hold a press conference tomorrow morning at ten o'clock to deliver an update on the Covid-19 response measures. A summary of further relaxation measures reached our newsroom and after checking with two senior Governemnt officials we were able to verify that some of the changes are in order.

Drug plane lands after ninety one days
Reports surfaced on social media this morning of an aircraft landing in the north. Our news team set out immediately to see what we could find out at the site as we had gotten reports that cargo remained on the plane and several persons were detained. Following the three hour drive to the rural parts of the Corozal District, the Police Commissioner eluded several media houses and we were unable to get an official comment. Reporter Alisha Valentine explored the area and filed the following report.

Crime during covid-19
Two murders and a suspected drug plane landing in less than twenty four hours have reminded Belizeans of what the state of the nation had been like prior to the threat of covid-19. At the announcement of the first confirmed case of Covid-19 on March 22, pandemic had taken over the headlines, and crime stories were not as rampant or news leading.

PACT’s research was affected by wildfires
Due to the wildfires that raged in the Vaca Forest Reserve a month ago, the various experts conducting research in this area were set back. The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) had teams of researchers at various locations that were also affected.

Man reported missing
23-year-old Benjamin Reid has been reported missing after his family failed to hear from him for 15 days. Reid was reported missing today by his aunt Gena Wade.

Breaking Belize News

Diplomacy, Quarantine and COVID-19
Belize has offered a helping hand to our neighbor in the west, Guatemala, to safely […]

Fifty-five samples return negative for COVID-19, Belize remains free of any confirmed case
Today, 55 tested samples for COVID-19 returned negative, according to the Office of the Director […]

50,000 Unemployment Relief applications approved, says GOB
On April 3, 2020, the Unemployment Relief Program opened for applications. When new applications were […]

Blue Coral Management donates $20,000 to City Council for Accelerator program
The new innovative program of the Belize City Council is garnering much positive attention. The […]

Office of Prime Minister warns to disregard unofficial information
The Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) issued a statement informing the public that the […]

“Belize headed for worst economic recession in its history,” says European credit group
The Europe-based credit group Credendo, is predicting that the COVID-19 pandemic will send Belize into […]

Open discussion on real estate bill to be held by Belize National Association of Realtors
In response to the call for public consultations following our pivotal meeting with the Lands Department in February, […]

Man shot and killed near Mile 45 on George Price Highway
A man was shot and killed a short while ago on a road near Mile […]

Maskall man reported missing
Authorities are asking the public to be on the lookout for Benjamin Reid, 23, of […]

Police offer reward for capture of Xinwu Zhu’s killer
The Belize Police Department is offering a cash reward for information leading to the capture […]

Woman found dead in Bullet Tree, Cayo
BBN has confirmed that a woman was found dead in Bullet Tree village in the […]

Belize debt to GDP ratio set to skyrocket amid COVID-19 economic shock
Prime Minister Dean Barrow has conceded that there will be a need for a new […]

Suspected narco jet found in Northern Belize
Reports to BBN is that this morning, authorities discovered a suspected narco jet near Sarteneja, […]

Is curfew helping to fight COVID-19?
Few can dispute that incidents of violent crime, while well down from the same time period […]

Chinese businessman dies hours after being shot
Our newsroom has confirmed that Xinwu Zhu 38, Chinese businessman and hairdresser of Belize City, […]

How will Belizeans celebrate September’s festivities?
The September Celebrations will look a lot closer from the other side of June 1, […]

Blogs

EcoTourism is the Future – Belize is the Destination
At a time like now, destination stewardship is critical as countries prepare to reopen borders and welcome travellers back. This includes a tentative July 1, 2020 reopening date for Belize. When travellers are ready to go, destinations like Belize must be prepared to welcome travellers in a sustainable way. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to reshape a new normal in the travel industry – we have to rebuild smarter, wiser, and more sustainably. In Belize, sustainable travel, shorthand simply for tourism, must meet the needs of today without sacrificing our ability to meet the needs of the future. According to a survey by AFAR, more people expect to travel internationally in 2021 than they did in 2019. In fact, 66 percent are planning a trip right now. By choosing Belize, you’re making a long-lasting, positive economic and environmental impact in ecotourism with your visit.

Lunch Hotspots in Belize City
Whether spending the day or weekend in Belize City, add one of these lunch hotspots to your itinerary for some of the top-rated food! The Tavern, Best Western Plus Belize Biltmore Plaza, Taka Kitchen, Bird’s Isle, Martha’s Cafe.

Belizean Cruise Workers Come Home
After weeks of delayed efforts to repatriate crew members amid COVID-19, Belizean cruise workers are finally returning home. On May 23, Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas became the first cruise ship to drop anchor offshore Belize City in over a month. Onboard, 10 homesick Belizeans arrive in Belize territory after not touching land for approximately 72 days. From complete isolation at sea and a strict regimen onboard the Rhapsody of the Seas cruise, who did not record any COVID-19 cases on board, the Belizeans headed straight into a 14-day mandatory quarantine. The 10 crew members of Rhapsody of the Seas become Belize’s first group of repatriated citizens by sea.

International Sources

Scotiabank takes US$168 million hit as it shuts historic gold unit
Bank of Nova Scotia has set aside C$232 million ($168 million) to cover the cost of winding down its historic precious-metals unit as well as a potential settlement of US investigations into the unit’s trading activities. The charges this year, which the bank disclosed in its quarterly earnings report on Tuesday, mark an ignominious end to what was once one of the world’s top gold-trading businesses, with a history dating back to the 17th century.

CARICOM Crafting New Travel Rules, Says PM
As the Caribbean prepares to reopen borders and rescue battered economies, technocrats from CARICOM member states have been working behind the scenes to craft new protocols for tourists in the COVID-19 era. Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness confirmed yesterday that CARICOM was seeking to arrive at a common position. Holness, who co-convened a high-level virtual meeting and press conference with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, said that the new paradigm “will define the new normal for travel”.

Caribbean Islands Will Begin Reopening to Americans in June
The sun-drenched islands of the Caribbean have been quieter than usual in the last two months. The coronavirus outbreak hit the region at the end of February, giving it time to take note from other hard-hit areas. As a result, Caribbean islands closed borders while case counts were still small, and enforced local lockdowns. The region’s infection tally is currently less than half a percent of cases worldwide—and now, it’s one of the first destinations in North America that’s ready to bring travelers back. “The English-speaking Caribbean has achieved containment of COVID-19,” says Dr. Clive Landis, pro vice-chancellor at the University of the West Indies and head of UWI’s COVID-19 task force. Curves are also flattening in much of the Dutch and French Caribbean. “The next phase will be critical as Caribbean countries begin to cautiously reopen their economies,” says Landis.

OCHOA DESIGNING GOLF COURSES IN BELIZE AND NATIVE COUNTRY MEXICO
Ochoa’s project in Belize is on a small island located about 20 minutes away from Belize City by boat. The name and location are still to be announced. Ochoa has worked on both projects for almost a year now. “It is going to be a beautiful resort,” said Ochoa in reference to her Belize golf course. “I really want to finish one of them to say I have finished a golf course design. Especially in my country, that is something I’m really excited about.

Videos

May 28, 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

San Pedro Chinese Community donates food packages to islanders in need
Over a thousand food packages were handed out to islanders on Wednesday, May 27th at the Honourable Louis Sylvestre Sporting Complex. The donation was made possible through a joint effort of the San Pedro Chinese Community, in collaboration with the San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) and Living Word Church, who helped in identifying those needing help. Many are jobless and have used most of their savings due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has crushed the island’s main source of income, tourism.

Ambergris Today

San Pedro Chinese Community Donates Food Baskets
Hundreds of residents line up outside the sports complex of Ambergris Caye as the San Pedro Chinese Community organize today to give away hundreds of food baskets for those in need. With a majority of island residents losing their jobs, spending most of their savings and increased pressure to pay bills and purchase food, this comes as a blessing.

Various Belizean Sources

Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen day Location
Thank you to Hibisca for helping us all rise and help. Thursday, May 28th Meal pick ups. Location: Hibisca Restaurant. TImes Village: 11:00am- 11:45am. Bahia: 11:45am- 12:30 pm.

Enforcement of State of Emergency Regulations
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has issued a memo asking Police Officers to exercise their discretion in regards to regulations concerning persons not wearing masks or being out without a valid reason during non-curfew hours. He reminds officers that the intention of the regulations is not to 'make criminals out of people' or to put persons in more dire financial straits.

Artist of the Day - Desiree Pascual
Mrs. Desiree Taneal Olivas Pascual was born in the Culture Capital of Dangriga Town. She grew up in a nuclear family of six as the last child for her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Terrence Olivas. She started her educational path at Holy Ghost Primary School, attended Ecumenical High School and studied business, and later enrolled at Ecumenical Junior College where she obtained an Associate's Degree in Accounting and Business Management. Mrs. Pascual has a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Belize and a Master’s degree in Social Science, with a concentration in Educational Leadership and Administration from Galen University. Recently, she graduated from Ecumenical Junior College with a certificate in Leadership and presently, has enrolled at the University of the West Indies to pursue a doctoral degree in Teaching and Learning with emerging technologies with a concentration in Curriculum Quality. During her high school years, she met and later became the wife of Mr. Mark Pascual and mothered three remarkable children. Dara, Kwesi, and Amare Pascual.

Economy declines 4.5% in first quarter 2020, consumer prices virtually unchanged, and both imports and domestic exports down 30.4% and 2.7% respectively in April 2020
Today, the Statistical Institute of Belize published its latest statistics on the consumer price index, external trade, and the 1st quarter 2020 gross domestic product.

Arenal Women in Action By Friends for Conversation and Development
The Mopan River is shared by both Belize and Guatemala. The community of Arenal is the first Belizean community where the river enters and this is the village where a reforestation project is being launched, led by 18 women from the Arenal Women’s Conservation Group. The idea for the creation of a nursery with over 10,000 seedlings came about due to the forest cover being lost along the river banks and the women’s enthusiasm to develop a socio-environmental service by the community. The nursery consists of mahogany, maya nut and cedar species; these are located on two yards, and are tended by members of the group on a rotational basis. The seedlings are expected to be planted before the end of the year in ten communities including Arenal, Benque, Succotz and San Ignacio. To do this, the group will partner with the Cayo Watershed Conservation Alliance, which consists of 10 communities in Belize, whose main mission is to help protect the rivers in the Cayo District.

MAYA LEGEND: ORIGINS
The Maya of the Mayab knows that before them, long before them, other men populated their land and made it beautiful and powerful. They were holy men, full of wisdom. Each of them had known the Yuumstilo'ob. They did not come from any of the land or sea directions. Here they went, because here was made by the One whose name is said sighing. They were beautiful and brave men and they gave love and mercy. Lord Zamná, the Father of all, was among them; his hand, the worker of the wonders of the world, rose high to lead and command them. And he cured them of the ills of their body, and gave them heat from the sun to ignite their spirits, which were thus always in the clear sky. They made the high and shining temples where men near and far come to worship the one who has no name and is above. They erected the great white houses in which the Masters taught Wisdom. They built with holy stones the Ancient Cities where the gods lived with men. They made ltzmal, Muútul, T'-ho and Chichen-ltzá, and around them three hundred and seven cities.

X'tabay
A legend of Xtabay tells of two women who lived in a village in the Yucatán Peninsula. One was named Xkeban (which means "sinner", "bad woman" or "one who practices illicit love"); the other was Utz-Colel (a good, decent woman). People said Xkeban was beautiful, but sick with lust, and gave her favors to every man who asked her. Utz-Colel was virtuous and honest, as well as beautiful and austere. Xkeban was humble; she had a good heart and kindly helped the poor, sick and homeless, and also the animals abandoned for being considered useless, by giving up the jewellery and fine clothes she got from her lovers. She was not a haughty woman, nor did she insult other villagers. Xkeban humbly received the humiliations from the people of her village. On the other hand, Utz-Colel was cold, full of pride, harsh of heart and easily disgusted by the poor.

Channel 7

GOB/Unions Settle on Forego Increment (For Now)
After weeks of back and forth negotiations, the Barrow Administration is finally in agreement with the Unions on the increment that the Government cannot pay to public officers because the country's economy is in meltdown. After the financial Secretary proposed that public servants needed to forego their increment to meet those savings, the Public Service Union immediately resisted and insisted that the increment should be deferred instead - meaning, "pay us later."

No Charges So Far For Men on Boat in Southern Waters
Lots of eyebrows are raised in Punta Gorda town after a six men, including four Chinese businessmen were released without charges. The men - from Corozal and Punta Gorda - were intercepted yesterday morning near PG town with some contraband on board a vessel named Toshita. But what was more concerning was that their cargo of jumbo shrimp and Corona beer had apparently come over from Guatemala. The BDF at the Sarstoon Forward Operating base spotted the transfer being made from a vessel coming over from the Guatemalan side. That vessel met the Toshita in Belizean waters, and appeared to have transferred some items.

Southwest Suspends Flights To Belize For 2020
There is increasing panic in the tourism industry - because there is still no official decision on when the airport will re-open. Unofficial reports say that one major carrier, Southwest Airlines, which flies out of Fort Lauderdale and Houston - won't wait for a decision this year. Southwest has decided to continue to suspend flights to Belize until January of next year - hoping for a re-start in 2021.

No Rapid Tests In a Hurry
But, the government of Belize has said it won't re-open the airport until reliable rapid-tests for the coronavirus are available. Today, the Director of Health Services - who had just come out of a meeting with the National Oversight Committee - appears don Ask the Experts and said, basically, don't hold your breath for a rapid test:

Is Belize's Deepening Economic Recession Heading For A Depression?
So, overall, the economic picture is not encouraging. Add that to the fact that there are reports that Harvest Caye has laid off 300 people - in additional to Tropic Air's 220 last week - and you have a burgeoning crisis that's looking like a full blown economic depression. Now, by February of this year, Belize had already recorded three successive quarters of economic contraction, amounting to a recession - and then came COVID.

Human Remains Found in Bze. Rural
Human remains were found last night in Gardenia village - and police don't know who it is tonight. Ainsworth Dawson made the discovery while cutting bush sticks at around 7:00 last night, in an area ¼ mile off the highway between miles 20 to 23. This afternoon Ladyville police visited the scene to collect and process the remains before depositing them at the Forensic Science Service.

Third Time's A Curse For Curfew Violator
35 Year old Gregory Myvette is locked up at the Kolbe Foundation Prison tonight, and he'll be there for 6 months, after being convicted of not one, not two, but three curfew offenses within the month of May. In mid-May, Myvette picked up his second conviction and a fine of $2,000 for breach of curfew. A week earlier, he had appeared before Chief Magistrate, Sharon Fraser where he pleaded guilty to another curfew offense and was fined $2,500.

500 Belizeans Applied To Come Home
The borders opened to Belizeans for repatriation almost two weeks ago. Today on Ask The experts, Dr. Marvin Manzanero gave an overview of how many Belizeans have applied to be repatriated: "I think it's close to 500 people that now enlisted and we have all kinds of persons in that list students, people who were on duty travel on training, people who had to leave because of funeral or family emergency..."

Belizeans and Border Jumpers Quarantined
So while 500 have applied, and others are in Cancun and Chetumal trying to get back into their home country, how many are in quarantine at centres across the country? Today, Manzanero gave that breakdown but said many of them are border jumpers: "How many people were on quarantine and where? The last not I got was 57 and we had people in Corozal, Orange Walk including Lamanai landing..."

Making Sense Of The Diplomatic Domestic Quarantine
And while Belizeans who came back are in quarantine centres - as we told you last week - Guatemalan diplomats who came across the Western border were allowed to quarantine at home. Dr. Manzanero explained the legal basis for this, and also examined whether it is sound from a public health perspective: "The Vienna Protocol, I might be wrong, but I think that's the name, that speaks to specific people who are holders of diplomatic passports and how they are allowed to travel in and out..."

Dr. Manza Says Schools May Open Early
Dr. Manzanero also discussed the advice he gave to the national task force on re-opening schools. "What's the current advice on schools reopening? We can only provide advice. I believe for the most part this school year is consider to have virtually been done away with..."

Economy Contracts Sharply In 2020 First Qtr
And while schools may not re-open soon, what about the economy? That topic came up today during their virtual press conference on the economy and its performance for the first quarter of 2020. As viewers will remember, the COVID-19 pandemic began to directly affect Belize in the last few weeks of March. By that time, international travel was already shutting down because of the outbreak of the deadly and highly contagious virus. Those in the tourism industry were already bracing for that hit, but today, the SIB told the press that last year's drought was already wreaking havoc on the country's gross domestic product.

Trade Affected By COVID 19
The Statistical Institute of Belize also provided insight on how the country's imports and exports performed as a result of last year's drought, and the emerging COVID-19 threat. We start first with the presentation on the imports, and according to Statistician Tiffany Vasquez, Belize imported a lot less fuel, which contributed to a 30.4% decrease, when compared to the same period last year. Here's how she explained why the State of Emergency and the restriction of movement directly affected fuel importation:

Graduation Without Celebration in COVID Era
First they cancelled easter, and then they kinda cancelled mother's day, and by nowyou probably got the memo, graduation is also cancelled. The move, in accordance with social distancing measures, has scrapped an annual rite of passage thought vital to celebrating achievements, being with those you shared a part of your life with, and being proud of your journey. Cherisse Halsall spoke to three fourth formers about their disappointment at not walking across the stage next month. Here is that story.

A Break For Belize's Bananas
Amidst all the bad news about Belize's economy and our exports which you've heard so far on the news tonight, there is some good news coming out of the UK. Most Favoured Nation Tariff preferences for Belize and the Caribbean will be upheld - it has been decided. It's a huge relief for banana producers throughout the region where the UK had been moving to a zero production/zero tariff system which would have effectively nullified the economic partnership agreement Belize has for duty free exports to Europe. The "zero" system would have allowed other countries - who produce cheaper than Belize - to compete with duty free exports - which would wipe out Belize bananas.

Bze's COVID Testing Rate Exceeds Neighboring Countries
Going back now to COVID 19, Belize is now in its 6th week of being without a positive test for COVID 19, 44 days to be exact. This comes at a time when cases in Mexico and Guatemala are spiking. Matter of fact, Quintana Roo reported 15 deaths from COVID 19 last night, its highest number yet. But, Belize remains at zero new cases since Monday April 13th, like that single cube of ice, surrounded by walls of fire. But, for the doubters who say Belize is not testing enough, Dr Manzanero today illustrated on ask the experts that Belize's testing rate is in line, or ahead of regional norms:

COVID Death Rates Increasing in Neighbouring Countries
Belize has done 1,517 tests, and next week it goes to testing 2 times per week, as opposed to three. But, what about Belize's death rate? How does it compare to our neighbors? Here's a comparison: "When you also do death rate per million, Belize's rate is 5 per million inhabitants. The US has a 305 rate..."

San Pedro Chinese Community Donates
Crowds gathered in San Pedro this morning, waiting in line to receive grocery bags donated through a collaboration between Island City store and the Chinese Community. It's much-needed relief for a job market devastated by the total shutdown of international tourism. And in the midst of it, all the San Pedro Sun's Dion Vansen spoke to Island City representative Seleni Paz who says it's an honor to serve customers in bad times as well as in good.

The Cost of Living Ticking Up
And while many are lining up for free food - for those still buying, what are prices like? From the Statistical Institute, we have a snapshot of the cost of living countrywide, and where in the country it was the cheapest to live during the first quarter of this year. According to the SIB, Orange Walk had the highest cost of living, while Punta Gorda had the lowest. Here's how Statistician Melvin Perez explained why during today's press conference:

Cuban Docs Under-utilized?
Back in March, we told you about the brigade of 58 Cuban MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS who had come to shore up Belize's medical efforts against COVID-19. They were instrumental in saving the life of at least one COVID-19 patient, but what are they doing now? We put that question to DHS Manzanero earlier today.

Late Evening City Shooting
And finally tonight, there was a shooting in the Kings Park area of Belize City this evening. The information is that shots were fired on First Street and a man who was outside Joe Zhu Shop got 2 shots to the stomach.

Channel 5

Fake Guns! Real Gang Members?
A horrible video surfaced on the internet on Tuesday night; its contents sent chills all around. Three men are seen brandishing a high powered firearm and a handgun and then [...]

ComPol Williams on Imitated Guns
According to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams; while the guns turned out to be fake, the fear instilled by the men on the public is very real.  He says that [...]

Six Men Busted with Shrimp and Corona Beer in Orange Point
Six persons, including four Asian businessmen, were taken into custody on Tuesday morning after being busted by a coastguard patrol near Orange Point, in the southern waters of Toledo.  Xueen [...]

Charges to be Brought Against Asian Businessmen
According to Soberanis, the men were in violation of a number of laws; including the fact that boat captain Leslie Williams was driving the boat with an expired license.  The [...]

Belizeans Trapped in Mexico, Not Able to Return Home
Turning to COVID-19…tonight the news is that there are still no new cases of the virus, but the repatriation of Belizeans is running into trouble as soon as it started. [...]

57 Persons in Mandatory Quarantine
So while many Belizean repatriates are trapped in neighbouring Guatemala and Mexico, fifty-seven persons who crossed into Belize in recent days are in quarantine.  The list includes the ten Belizeans [...]

FinSec Memo: Increment Forgone Until Retirement
Earlier today, Financial Secretary Joseph Waight sent out a circular reiterating government’s position on the forgoing of increments for public officers.  In the bulletin which was issued to the Office [...]

Is Belize in a Recession?
COVID-19 has not only overwhelmed health systems and claimed the lives of one hundred thousand people, but it also continues to halt economies.  An IMF Blog post in April states [...]

Tourism Hit Hard by COVID-19!
The tourism industry collapsed in a matter of days as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. As far as it is known, one major airline, Southwest is not scheduled to [...]

G.D.P. Declines for Fourth Consecutive Quarter
The numbers from the Statistical Institute of Belize show that the economy shrunk considerably.  It declined by four point five percent in the first quarter of this year. Prices of [...]

Skeletal Remains Found in Gardenia Village
The remains of a person were found on Wednesday in Gardenia Village in rural Belize. According to reports, the grim discovery was found by a mechanic who was cutting some [...]

An Attempted Robbery at a Paint Store in the City
Around three-thirty this afternoon there was a daring attempted robbery at a paint store at the corner of Douglas Jones and Cran Streets on north side Belize City. At least [...]

Police Have 1 Suspect for Abner Novelo’s Murder
Investigators have identified one suspect in connection to the brutal murder of Abner Novelo. The victim was found with chop and gunshot wounds on a farm off the San Antonio [...]

Suspect in Custody for Fatal Hit and Run
Rudolph Rodriguez lost his life on Tuesday afternoon, following a hit and run incident on Saturday night along the Old Northern Highway.  The sixty-eight-year-old was struck by a Chevy Trailblazer [...]

Second Round of Payment for Unemployment Relief
As many as eighty-three thousand persons applied for the Unemployment Relief by the time the portal closed. A second round of now payment is being prepared for persons eligible to [...]

Financial Assistance is Slow to Come By
There have been complaints from recipients that the second tranche of payment has been slow to come by, since many received their first hundred and fifty dollar payout back in [...]

Scaling Down Random Testing for COVID-19 in Belize
The Ministry of Health is scaling down its random testing for the coronavirus now that it is in week-seven without any new cases. The ministry has been randomly swabbing and [...]

Spiking COVID-19 Cases in the Region; Mexico Records 501 Deaths in 24 Hours
In the last twenty-four hours, the U.S. is reporting five thousand four hundred and eighty new cases with two hundred and fifty-six deaths. Closer to home, neighbouring countries, such as [...]

Week 7 without COVID-19 Cases; Residents Must Remain Health Conscious
In a one-on-one interview, Director of Health Services Doctor Marvin Manzanero said that the good public health measures installed from the onset of the crisis has helped with the containment [...]

Open the Gyms!
Last Friday, Mark Neal, the owner of Body 2000 Gym, appeared in magistrate’s court along with four others to answer charges related to violations of the state of emergency regulations.  [...]

ComPol on Crime and Murder Rate
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says there are challenges to policing with the state of emergency in place. And despite a national curfew in place, the murder numbers remain pretty [...]

World No Tobacco Day and COVID-19
Forty-five percent of young people are consumers of tobacco products, be that cigarettes, vapes, electronic cigars and even hookahs. And it is a concern for the World Health Organization going [...]

Average to Above Average 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season
We are a few days away from the official opening of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The outlook, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows some thirteen to [...]

LOVE FM

Villagers Vs Custom Officials
There are reports of multiple clashes between villagers in the north and Customs officials. The clashes allegedly stem from the passing of contraband goods via the informal crossings but all that is put aside when villagers are alleging abuse at the hands of Customs officers. Reporter Alisha Valentine reports.

SIB issues their statistics for the first quarter of the year
The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) has released its numbers for the first quarter of 2020. In the report they highlighted that the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) declined by 4.5% in the first quarter of 2020 when compared to 2019.

Citrus farmers encouraged to diversify their produce
While the citrus industry did not take a huge hit from COVID-19, the pineapple almost suffered. According to Nikita Usher from CPBL, they began growing their pineapples in time to still be able to make their processing deadlines.

Drastic decrease in tourism numbers
The Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB) has recorded a drastic decrease in the numbers of tourists entering Belize. This is no surprise to anyone because of COVID-19 restricting the movement of people around the globe but mostly so because of our closed borders.

Chinese and Guatemalans meet in Belize’s waters
Six Chinese/Belizean men were detained by the Belize Coast Guard in the south. The detention was jointly done with the Belize Defence Force who made the call to the BCG about a Guatemalan vessel in Belize’s waters.

The detriments of Tobacco
Today’s edition of Ask the Experts featured Esner Vellos, Director of the National Drug Abuse Control Council, to help observe World No Tobacco Day, which will take place on May 31. Vellos discussed the different methods used by the Tobacco companies to trap persons into using more of their products.

Second wave of COVID-19 on its way says Director of Health Services
“It is not a matter of if but when” – those are the words of the Director of Health Services, Dr Marvin Manzanero. His statement refers to the second wave of Covid-19. Love News reached out to the Director to speak to us further on this second wave and why officials believe that it is unavoidable for Belize to have another bout of the virus. We also asked him how prepared Belize is for the next episode.

Citrus industry survives COVID-19
Covid-19 affected every industry in Belize, some more than others. While the agro-productive sector took a substantive hit, the citrus industry in particular is still thriving despite a few kinks in the importation of materials and the exportation of their products.

Increments deferred until retirement
Public officers and teachers will have their increments deferred until retirement. As we have noted, there is a play on words happening with the unions and the Government but as the BNTU President puts it, essentially it is a deferral although the Government prefers to view it as foregone increments.

Guatemalan students at risk of not sitting CXC exams
An estimated eighty Guatemalan students who attend school in Belize may be unable to sit the upcoming CSEC Exams in July. As we reported a few weeks back, Belize has agreed to sit a portion of the exams in July, but it seems this will pose a challenge for the foreign students. The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs have been meeting to discuss the issue. We received an update from the Director of Health Services, Dr Marvin Manzanero.

Three men found with toy guns in southern Belize
Three men of the Toledo District have been arrested and are awaiting charges to be levied against them. The men were apprehended this morning after police had lost them in a pursuit yesterday evening. The...

Second tropical storm named
Four days away from the opening of the hurricane season and already there have been two named tropical storms. Bertha was named just this morning and hours later it made landfall with maximum sustained winds...

Breaking Belize News

OAS Secretary General Luis Almagro assumes 2nd term until 2025
The Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS), Luis Almagro, assumed his second […]

CARICOM chair praises resiliency of Caribbean people
Chair of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Mia Amor Mottley in an address to the virtual […]

“Mexico’s COVID-19 deaths could be higher than official reports,” says UK-based newspaper
Since early April, Mexico has seen a rapid rise in COVID-19 infections […]

What Taiwan got right with COVID-19
Photo Credit: Euromoney Belize has been somewhat lucky with its approach and results with COVID-19, but […]

Businessman reportedly shot in King’s Park robbery attempt
Reports to BBN is that a Chinese businessman was shot in a robbery attempt on […]

The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center re-opens its doors this weekend!
The Belize Zoo and Tropical Education Center finally opened its doors to the public last weekend. […]

Salary cut negotiations to continue between Communications Workers Union and BTL
The Belize Communications Workers Union (BCWU) has prepared a counter-proposal for the management of Belize […]

Chinese community hands out groceries to large crowd in San Pedro
A large group of San Pedranos turned out this morning in the downtown area of […]

The context of the State of Emergency
His complaints of being taken out of context aside, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says he […]

Six quarantined in South
Our colleagues at PGTV are reporting that six persons are presently in quarantine in Punta Gorda […]

Getting too comfortable with COVID?
Belize is closing in on two months under a State of Emergency, the first in our […]

Commissioner downplays fears of crime resurgence
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams distinguished events over the Commonwealth Day weekend amid fears of a […]

Nathaniel Arnold Matus is Sacred Heart Primary’s 2020 Valedictorian
Twelve-year-old Nathaniel Rian Arnold Matus is the Valedictorian of the 2020 graduating class of […]

Blogs

A Timeline of COVID-19 in Belize
Since the COVID-19 coronavirus was declared a pandemic in March 2020, Belize’s timeline started simultaneously. Developments happened quickly, by the day, though Belize has now gone 40 days without a new case. As such, the disruption of our daily routines and schedules may have caused us to lose track of the timeline of events that transpired since COVID-19 changed our daily lives in Belize. In a newsletter to his clients on Friday, May 22nd, David Kafka of ReMax/First Choice in Placencia shared a detailed outline of a coronavirus timeline in Belize. Belize’s tourism had grown over 96% from 2011 to 2018 and was one of the fastest-growing Caribbean destinations.

International Sources

Potentially Fatal Combinations of Humidity and Heat Are Emerging Across the Globe
It seems like the dry season in Belize is becoming hotter every year. Humans have the ability to shed heat but 35 °C is our physiological limit. A new study shows global warming is happening faster than predicted. In areas of the tropics and subtropics, where humidity is higher, have reported extreme temperatures exceeding 35C. Extreme heat and humidity could be fatal to humans and brings more economic and health challenges. The journal Science Advances, published the findings of the study conducted by Earth Institute, Columbia University that shows heat surpassing human tolerance at a global scale.

Lockdown in Latin America: When will travel restart in the world's new coronavirus epicentre?
s coronavirus cases and deaths continue to fall in the UK, mainland Europe and some US states, attention has switched to Brazil, where almost 400,000 cases have been recorded as of May 27, as well as 24,512 deaths. The overall outlook is grim. Densely populated cities, insanitary conditions in favelas and slums, an absence of leadership, most notably by Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro, and poor management of social distancing and quarantine regimes have exacerbated the deadly impact of the virus.

UVI Grad Student Testing New Techniques for Coral Restoration
As climate change and coral disease ravage reefs in the USVI, Dan Mele, a graduate student working on a master’s thesis in the marine and environmental science program at UVI, is testing a new coral planting method. Traditionally, planting coral involves taking healthy corals from a reef and breaking them into smaller pieces, Mele said. These smaller pieces, or “fragments,” are grown in a coral nursery till they’ve matured enough to be replanted on a reef. “It’s a great technique, and it works in most cases. The biggest downside is nurseries are expensive and it’s time-consuming,” Mele said.

Underwater And Under The Wire In Belize
As we flew toward Dangriga I looked west across the lush, green, mist-shrouded mountains and was beset by visions of howler monkeys, poisonous snakes that spit and will run your @$$ down leeches the size of school children, haunted Mayan ruins, heat, humidity, bugs, naked middle-aged white people tripped out on ayahuasca and tequila running naked through the jungle amidst parting flocks of fleeing wildlife… (I ran this passage by Jason – he said it was pretty close to his dream vacation!) Below and to the east – The Sea; flat, clear, and unbearably inviting in the shelter of the barrier reef. My mind drifted.. here in my bag is my wetsuit, mask, snorkel… Against the fuselage just behind me, my monofin (wouldn’t fit in the luggage bin)… I wonder if I could just swim the rest of the way…

Body of young whale found dead at Xcalak Costa Maya
The body of a deceased whale was reported to authorities by local fishermen after they spotted it along the Caribbean coast in the town of Xcalak. Area fishermen reported the finding Tuesday after seeing it floating near the shore in the community of Xcalak, south of Mahahual. Environmental authorities attended to the site where the whale was found in a protected natural area.

Where to see the largest flora and fauna on Earth
Some of the largest animals to roam this planet are still alive today. Astonishingly, the blue whale grows to be bigger than any dinosaur. Travelers can voyage to far corners of the globe to come across the largest whales, water lilies, primates and more. These are 12 of the largest flora and fauna around the world: The whale shark is the largest known fish. The endangered species can grow up to 62 feet in length. "With mouths up to five feet wide, whale sharks gulp down entire schools of tiny fish and plankton. These gentle giants pose no threat to humans," says John Hocevar, a marine biologist at Greenpeace USA.

Videos

May 27, 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

Recycle San Pedro Belize relocates to DFC Area
The new place to drop off empty glass bottles, of all sizes, is at a property in the DFC Subdivision near the channel bordering Mahogany Bay Village. When heading on the Marina Drive, turn left on the second to last street and then make a right when sighting the Recycle San Pedro sign. About 150 yards ahead on the right-hand side, the new home of the recycling team can be spotted by another sign. Also, if entering the Escalante neighborhood from Seagrape Drive, signs have been placed along the street for guidance.

Various Belizean Sources

Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen day Location
Wednesday, May 27th, Meal Pick ups: Location: Happy Lobster Restaurant & Bar. Times: Village: 11:00am-11:45am. Bahia: 11:45am-12:30pm.

Ocean Ferry Schedule
Kindly note that Ocean Ferry Water Taxi will be doing normal runs from San Pedro to Caye Caulker and Belize City everyday.

Webinar “Marketing Planning for Tour Operators”
The webinar “Marketing Planning for Tour Operators” is scheduled for May 29, 2020, at 10:30 a.m. Register here: https://bit.ly/3d2HlxO

Artist of the Day - Jaylan Craig
Jaylan Craig is the founder and creative director of Modern Dance Movement, a dance studio founded in September 2019 and located at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts. The primary focus of Modern Dance Movement is to promote dance education to students through technique and performance. Modern Dance Movement currently has forty members who are categorized in four levels from Beginners to Adults. From 2014 to 2016, she was a member of the Belize National Dance Company. Through the company, Jaylan represented Belize abroad in CARIFESTA XII and in Cuba at Danza Contemporánea de Cuba. At three years old, she began her dance training as one of the first students at Vista Dance Studio, directed by Belizean dance legend Sistie Fairweather-Harmes.

Statistical Institute of Belize - Facebook Live - Press Conference
The Statistical Institute of Belize invites you to join us live, via our Facebook page, today Wednesday, May 27th, 2020 at 10:00 am, for our second press conference of the year. We will be presenting on the following statistics: First Quarter 2020 Gross Domestic Product Estimates, April 2020 Consumer Price Index Statistics, April 2020 External Trade Statistics.

Attention High School and Sixth Form students
The Belize Bank is now accepting applications for their 2020 Scholarship Program. Head to https://www.belizebank.com/ to apply !

Items for Food Assistance Basket 3
As the Ministry embarks on the last stage of its assessments of the over 100,000 applications to the Food Assistance Programme, it would like to inform recipients of their third baskets that the items have been updated as reflected. Thank you for your continued patience

COVID-19 update
This is our data up until today. All 31 samples negative. Let’s not lose sight of what our neighbours are reporting as Mexico reports the worse day in terms of number of deaths in a single day - 501. Numbers are also projected to continue to increase in Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador and Nicaragua. The US accounts for 30.4% of the global cases at 1.73 million cases. We now enter week 7 without a case - let’s continue to be safe.

COROZAL METHODIST SCHOOL - REGISTRATION 2020-2021
From June 1st to June 4th (MORNING ONLY). Documents needed for NEW Students Only: Birth Certificate, Immunization Form, Social Security (If available), REGISTRATION FEE: $50.

FREE ONLINE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TRAINING
Belize Training and Employment Center (BTEC), a unit of BELTRAIDE, is pleased to announce our first ONLINE training. Administrative Assistant Training will equip individuals to expand their knowledge on soft skills, customer service, technical and office management skills. Don't Miss out!!! Date: June 1st-26th June 2020. Platform: Zoom Meeting. Price: FREE.

DEAD MANATEE AND DEAD JUVENILE BULL SHARK
It is with regret that the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development (SACD) must report two unfortunate incidents that our Rangers attended to last week (w.c 05/18/2020). The first was a report of a dead manatee seen floating in the Belize New River. Our Rangers and Natural Resource Manager attended to discover a 3 meter long adult manatee near the Pueblo Nuevo ferry. They conducted a necropsy but due to the poor stage of decomposition were unable to determine the exact cause of death. There is some concern that the manatee may have been struck by a boat upstream of the Pueblo Nuevo ferry. We therefore ask all boat captains to be alert to the presence of manatees in the bay, as well as in the rivers that flow into the bay. The second incident involved our Rangers finding an abandoned gill net while on patrol within CBWS. Unfortunately, in recovering the gill net they discovered a juvenile bull shark pup had been caught, and subsequently died, in the net.

The CARSI Application Deadline is June 4th
For more information visit: www.grants.gov

Channel 7

A Cruise Ship Homecoming
Tonight, 10 Belizean cruise ship entertainers and crew members are under mandatory quarantine at the Radisson. That's after their triumphant return to Belizean shores on Saturday morning. 7News was there at the Radisson Pier, and while police kept us away, they spoke to Cherisse Halsall via zoom. Here's what they had to say about the end of one quarantine and the start of another.

Foreman Found A Way Home
And while those 10 cruisers wait for their COVID test under quarantine - one Belizean who took another route to get back home had had a very different kind of experience. Two weeks ago, we told you about Guillermo Foreman, the Belizean car salesman who found himself stuck at the Chactemal bridge waiting to get into the country. But he didn't wait too long because 6 days later he was let in, only in handcuffs. Foreman was expected to face three months in prison for violating the state of emergency regulation which closed the border, but tonight he's at home, out on bail. This afternoon we heard from Foreman's Attorney, Norman Rodriguez who is asking how his client could have committed a crime while complying with immigration instructions.

City Mayor Says Open Sesame
Belize City's Mayor Bernard Wagner has had his back to the wall for months. The council went in half-pay in April, and since the quarantine measures have been slightly rolled back, the Mayor has been trying to get the council's finances back to some kind of normalcy. But, with some quarantine measures still in effect, it's been choking the cash-strapped council's revenue stream. Today - at another event - the mayor who has become very impatient said - that business is the lifeblood of the City and pleaded with the task force to bring the City back to life:

Satish Sticking To Story
On Friday there was late breaking news about a prominent Corozal free Zone businessman who was caught with contraband cigarettes in his vehicle coming out of the zone. Tonight we can confirm that he is Satish Punjabi - no less than a member of the Zone's Board of Directors - who has been doing business in the CFZ for over 20 years. Punjabi was intercepted by Customs late on Friday evening. They found two cases of cigarettes concealed in a compartment at the back of his Kia Sorrento.

An Especially Cruel Murder
There was an especially violent murder in the Orange Walk District over the holiday weekend and it has cops puzzled. The victim is 30-year-old Abner Novelo, who is originally from San Jose Village. Residents tell us that about 2 months ago, he became the caretaker of a farm located off the Yo Creek Road. Sometime before last Saturday morning, someone ended his life and his short tenure at the farm by killing him with gratuitous violence. Our news team has been following the story for most of today, and Daniel Ortiz has this report:

68 Year Old Dies After Hit and Run
Another group of family members grieving a traumatic death are the loved-ones of 68-year-old Rudolph Rodriguez. At around 7 o'clock on last Saturday night, he was the victim of a hit-and-run accident on the Old Northern Highway. He suffered serious injuries from that collision, and after clinging to life for over 2 days, he passed away in his hospital bed this afternoon. His family is claiming that police are aware of who the hit-and-run driver is, but so far have only impounded the vehicle that that knocked down Rodriguez. They are now demanding that the cops make an arrest in the name of justice for their deceased loved one.

Wild Hattieville Stabbing Leaves Four Men Injured
Four men were stabbed after a feud got out of hand n Hattieville last night. It started at around 6:00 when two men ran up on Enrique Pook and Roger Trapp - who were hanging out in a back yard. While police were responding to that attack, another one occurred about 500 feet away - and it was directly related to the first. Long weekend lawlessness, and we spoke to police and a relative about it:

Two Men Dead, No Arrests Yet
Police still have made no arrests in the Hopkins double murder which happened last week Friday. 55 year old Belizean dive master Quintin Espinosa and 70 year old American Wayne Burley were both killed when shots rang out at their farm near Sittee River in the Stann Creek District. Today police told us that there was an element of theft.

A Hideous Case of Rape
Keeping it in the south, there is a disturbing case of child rape. It involves two sisters, aged 5 and 9 who were victims of a man in his mid 20's. Police told us more: "On the 23rd May a 29 year old woman visited the Dangriga Police Station in the company of two female minors..."

Santa Cruz, East Of Southeastern Mexico
On Friday we took you on the Commissioner of Police's ride along to the border village of San Victor. It was a well-publicized attempt to curtail cross border contraband at a time when border jumpers risk bringing back much more than the main ingredient for a hangover. But the tour didn't end in San Victor, and after a stern but a friendly warning to the villagers who have gained a reputation as outlaws, the Commissioner, and his squad moved on to Santa Cruz, a village just across the river from Botes, Mexico. Cherisse Halsall reports: As Belizeans marked more than a month without a positive COVID-19 case, the Commissioner of police lead a group of senior officers on a tour of northern villages on the border with Mexico

COMPOL Says No Border Jumpers!
And further to his trip up the Rio Hondo, the Commissioner of police has sent a memo to his police officers telling them that they must rigorously enforce the law against border jumpers. It says, "when it comes to border jumpers, we must use no discretion. Every such person caught must be arrested, charged and taken before the court. This offence must be considered very serious as the violators are putting the entire country at risk for a second wave of COVID-19." End quote. But, in other cases, as regards masks or failure to provide reasons for moving outside of the curfew, Williams writes in the memo that police should show dome discretion in enforcement.

COMPOL Backtracks on 1 Year SOE Declaration
Williams says about 150 arrests for state of emergency violation were made nation-wide over the long weekend. Now, that's a lot of regular folks - not common criminals being dragged before the court. And that's why it raised a lot of eyebrows when Williams was quoted in an online article as saying that "extending the ?t?t? ?f Emergency until the end of 2020 would h?l? ??mb?t ?r?m?." Today he said that quote was taken out of context, and what he really meant was...

Major Crime Takes A Major Dip During SOE
Williams is also quoted as saying that the Sate of Emergency has had a significant impact in controlling crime. And, indeed, if you watch the statistics from the Belize Crime Observatory - April, when the country was under lockdown - was a real outlier as crime rates plummeted. That month registered the lowest murder count for any month since November of 2013. Robberies were down by 90%, and reports of major crime declined by 48%. But, today in Belmopan, the COMPOL said it's not about the SOE, it's about the crime strategy:

The Mayor, The Giver
In recent weeks, Mayor Bernard Wagner has been in the news both giving and receiving much-needed supplies to ease the City's COVID suffering. And this morning we caught up with him at Sister Cecelia's Home for the elderly where he was making donations to keep residents cool, comfy, and entertained.

City Watching Revenue Like A Hawk
And the City may be able to keep donating, that is if its revenue streams continue to make the improvements they've seen in the last two weeks. Mayor Wagner and his council have been closely tracking the city's coffers as well as its traffic. This morning he told us that collecting data on revenue activity is the only way to plan.

Council Rotating 460 Employees To Keep Them Paid
An essential element of the council's plan is keeping their 460 staffers paid. Right now they are working on a bi-weekly, rotational basis to take home 75% of their usual pay. Here's how the mayor broke down the hierarchy of the City Council's salary sacrifices. "We know that many of our staff are excited and want to come back to work, but we continue to be responsible and we want to look at the numbers and really analyze the numbers before we make any decision in bringing back our full staff..."

The Mayor Mortgages
Back in March, Wagner told us that the council's revenue had sunken to a few hundred dollars a day. The council had to dip deep to find even money to pay 50% of its wage bill. We asked the Mayor if his council was one of those who expected a GOB overdraft guarantee - which the PM said he could not give. Was the council hoping for one? Here's how Wagner answered:

COVID-Cruise Blues In Ja
At the top of the news we told you about the Cruise Ship which brought home 10 Belizeans staff on Saturday. They will be swabbed for COVID next week. But, the Jamaica Gleaner is reporting that a Royal Caribbean cruise ship which arrived there with its nationals did not have the best receptions.

Channel 5

First Group of Belizeans Repatriated by Sea
Belize’s borders remain closed but on Saturday, a first group of Belizeans to be allowed to re-enter Belize due to the COVID-19 pandemic arrived on a Royal Caribbean ship. Belize [...]

A Callous Murder in OW; Watchman is Chopped, Shot to Death
The lockdown across the country has minimized crime, but all that changed in the Orange Walk District on Saturday were a grisly find was made. The body of Abner Novelo [...]

Investigation into Double Murder Continues
In respect of a double murder in Hopkins, police say that they don’t have a clear motive or suspects for the homicide that happened on Friday morning.  At this time, [...]

Delivery Man Charged under S.O.E.; Says He was Working
Mason Berry, the owner of a delivery service in the west, feels that he may have been singled out and unfairly charged under the state of emergency regulations. Berry says [...]

Elderly Man Knocked Down and Left for Dead
Sixty-eight-year-old Rudolph Rodriguez died this afternoon after being the victim of a hit and run incident that occurred on Saturday night.  It happened on the Old Northern Highway when Rodriguez [...]

Family of Hit and Run Victim Wants Justice
The family fears that Rodriguez’s death might not be properly investigated by police.  Alvarez says that the person who knocked down and killed his uncle is a well-known, highly connected [...]

NCL Lays Off Close to 300 Employees at Harvest Caye
The tourism industry is a major player of the economy, driving job creation and foreign exchange.  But COVID-19 has severely affected the industry, causing massive layoffs. As a first step [...]

Business Community Struggling; What’s Next?
It’s been forty-five days since there has not been a confirmed case of COVID-19 recorded in Belize, a fact that has placed Belize in a unique health position on this [...]

Revenue Stream Update from Belize City Mayor
While we were with the Belize City Mayor today, the media asked for an update on the revenue streams at the Council. In April when the state of emergency was [...]

Four Men Receive Stab and Chop Wounds during Violent Incident in Old Hattieville Area
As the state of emergency is relaxed, crime is rearing its ugly head.  Tonight, four men are recovering at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for varying degrees of injury following [...]

Was Hattieville Violence Over Territory, Marijuana?
The Gang Suppression Unit was deployed to the area and it resulted in the detention of four persons, whose name will not be disclosed at the time since charges have [...]

ComPol Williams Visits Santa Cruz to Put a Stop to Contraband
The village of Santa Cruz up north is a haven for contrabandistas and a way of life for the villagers.  Santa Cruz sits immediately in front of the Mexican community [...]

Kafele Garcia Not Guilty of Murder
Kafele Garcia is at home with his family tonight after he was found not guilty of murder today in a trial without a jury before Supreme Court Justice, Colin Williams. [...]

D.P.P. Withdraws Attempted Murder Charge against Ulide Allen
Also in the court, the prosecution in the attempted murder trial of Ulide Allen, on instruction from the Director of Public Prosecutions, withdrew the charge against him before Magistrate Albert [...]

Two Minors Raped in Dangriga
There is a disturbing rape case coming out of the south tonight. Two children were allegedly raped by a man in Dangriga.  Police say that on the twenty-third of this [...]

ComPol Speaks on Policing During the SOE
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams says that it is not easier policing during the state of emergency than it is under normal circumstances. He says that it is actually more [...]

ComPol on Extension of S.O.E.
On the topic of the state of emergency, an online site conducted an interview with Commissioner of Police Chester Williams last week where he is quoted as saying; “I would [...]

CitCo Donates to the Elderly at Sister Cecilia
On a positive note, life at the Sister Cecilia Home for the Elderly will be more comfortable for the vulnerable population who has to adhere to the strict guidelines imposed [...]

Frontline Workers and Police Officers Get Pantry from Indian Community
Saving the best for last…today the Belize Indian Community issued its last batch of vouchers as a part of its pantry programme to assist those affected by COVID-19.  The recipients, [...]

Environmental Advocate Passes Away
The environmental community is without one of its member tonight. Doctor Candy Gonzalez passed away over the weekend.  Gonzalez was the founder of the Belize Institute of Environmental Law and [...]

American Croc Starves with a Stomach Full of Plastics
An American crocodile was found on the brink of death on the north side of Ambergris Caye over the weekend.  He was eventually euthanized because his condition was too far [...]

LOVE FM

Elections coming up for the Belize Police Association
The presidential seat for the Belize Police Association is up for grabs again. This time, two slates have been put together with former President, Eldon Arzu, and Sergeant Jane Usher vying for Presidency. As you may recall, the Commissioner of Police (COMPOL), Chester Williams decided that the tenure of the President should be limited to two terms. Corporal Eldon Arzu who has already served in that capacity for seven years is challenging that decision in court. While the matter is still before the court, elections are coming up and according to Commissioner Williams, he remains neutral.

Man brutally killed in northern Belize
The peacefulness of Yo Creek Village, Orange Walk District was disrupted when resident was viciously murdered on Saturday morning. The body of 30-year-old Abner Novelo was found with his right hand chopped off and with a gunshot wound to the head.

Crocodile found starved with plastic bags in its stomach
Two weeks ago, the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES) in San Pedro Town made a harrowing discovery – a crocodile beached in the mangroves that had been reduced to mere reptile skin and bones. What ACES later discovered, however, was much worse. It turns out that the crocodile was starving to death and could not eat because its stomach was filled with plastic bags.

The Belize Zoo reopens to the public
The Belize Zoo launched a soft reopening on Saturday after two weeks of being closed. Reporter Courtney Menzies paid a visit to the many animals and learned more about what has been going on during their closure.

Belize endures weekend heatwave
A scorching weekend is what Belizeans experienced over the weekend as temperatures rose as high as one hundred and seventeen degrees Fahrenheit in the Cayo District. As a sort of public service announcement, Dr Marvin Manzanero issued a reminder via social media for people to keep hydrated.

Four men injured in an altercation in Rural Belize
Three men are tonight nursing varying degrees of injuries after they were stabbed last night in Hattieville, Belize District. 28-year-old Enrique Pook was cut to the chest area and received lacerations on his left hand. 35-year-old Christopher Lee Hyde sustained a large cut wound to the left side of his head and 30-year-old Calbert Mejia received a cut wound to the back of his head. During a police press brief held this morning in Belmopan preliminary information was presented to the media.

Man survives being chopped in Belmopan
A Belmopan resident was stabbed by his friend seven times on Sunday evening. 39-year-old Porfilio Ico now remains hospitalized in a critical condition. Cayo Correspondent Fem Cruz has the story.

Citrus Products of Belize Limited to start processing more tropical fruits
The Citrus Growers Association (CGA) delivered its first shipment of pineapples for this year to be processed by the Citrus Products of Belize Limited (CPBL). 250,000 pounds of the fruit will be shipped to them for processing between today and tomorrow. This is only the start for CPBL to advance their facilities to be able to process tropical fruits aside from citrus.

Jobs available for over 500 persons
At a time when many have lost their jobs and vacancies are few, the RCC Business Process Outsourcing is offering hundreds of jobs. The Ready Call Centre as it is commonly known as, is celebrating its fifteenth anniversary as an established Call Centre in Belize and is looking to fill positions at both branches in Belize City and Orange Walk District. As COVID-19 recovery efforts begin, RCCbpo envisions hiring as being an integral part of the rebuilding work. Love News spoke to the Chief Executive Officer, Nubia Ramirez and she stated that It is a perfect opportunity for persons who were once a part of the tourism and hospitality industry because the skills transfer to the call centre environment immediately.

First group of Belizeans repatriates received over the weekend
Ten Belizeans, over the weekend, joined the list of persons under quarantine after they became the first set of repatriated persons to Belize. The group came home via cruise ship and were place under quarantine at the Radisson Fort George Hotel. The Director of Health Services explained the process upon their arrival.

Breaking Belize News

A successful local tourism-Commonwealth day weekend in Belize
Pictures of Belizeans enjoying quality relaxation time at Belize’s resorts and hotels flooded social media […]

Belize enters 7th week without a COVID-19 case – 31 more samples test negative
In today’s COVID-19 update, the Ministry of Health reports that 31 more samples were tested […]

Belize City Mayor says business picking up steadily, urges GOB to fully reopen the economy
Belize City Mayor, Bernard Wagner said that the Belize City Council’s revenue collection has increased […]

Dangriga man charged for 3 counts of rape against 2 minors
A 29-year-old Dangriga man has been charged with three counts of rape against two minors. According […]

Of service and sacrifice: Organizations going the extra mile for the elderly
Since mid-March, the majority of activities held at the Sister Cecilia Home for the Elderly […]

Suriname’s 74-year-old former military dictator’s party beaten into second place in general election
President of Suriname, Desi Bouterse, is potentially in trouble after preliminary results of Monday’s general […]

Belize Economic Recovery Plan: A Working Document – PART I
By John Saldivor MSc (Econ): Since March 2020, the Belize economy has come to almost a grinding halt as a consequence of the worldwide pandemic COVID-19. Tourism, the mainstay of the economy, collapsed immediately after the closing of the international airport and with it has gone over fifteen thousand jobs and millions in foreign exchange […]

Belize Economic Recovery Plan: Part II – AGRICULTURAL REVIVAL
By John Saldivor MSc (Econ): Since March 2020, the Belize economy has come to almost a grinding halt as a consequence of the worldwide pandemic COV1D49. Tourism, the mainstay of the economy, collapsed immediately after the closing of the international airport and with it has gone over fifteen thousand jobs and millions in foreign exchange. […]

Belize Economic Recovery Plan: Part III – AN INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONSTRUCTION BOOM
By John Saldivar MSc (Econ): As Belize attempts to recover from the economic impact caused by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, jobs need tob ted, industries need tob tablished, and our economy needs to be rebuilt. This economic recovery at least for the next twelve months will have to be mostly internally driven […]

Belize City Council supporting the elderly with donation to Sister Cecilia Home
Today, the Belize City Council made a donation of equipment and supplies to the Sister […]

Crime Stoppers offers reward in Hopkins double murder case
Crime Stoppers Belize is offering a reward of up to $2000 for information leading to […]

Lev Dermen still in jail; two ex-associates charged, one pleads guilty
COVID-19 has dominated the news cycle in Belize since March, but for a while before […]

RCCbpo (Ready Call Center) taking on 500 positions for 15th anniversary
With the unemployment ranks swelling, news of hiring anywhere is a major development. Belize’s first […]

National Aids Commission provides food assistance to persons living with HIV
As part of its ‘Continuity of HIV Services during COVID 19 Action Plan,’ the National […]

Over 1,000 COVID-19 cases in Haiti
Haiti has become the first Caribbean Community (CARICOM) nation to register 1,000 positive cases of […]

Costa Rica leads the way for same-sex marriage in Central America
The Central American nation of Costa Rica today becomes the first country in Central America […]

United States placing restriction on incoming travelers from Brazil
The United States is imposing a travel ban on all non-American travelers trying to enter […]

Four men injured in brawl
Police are investigating a fight that occurred last night in Hattieville and left 4 men […]

Meet Saint Ignatius High’s Salutatorian – Wagner Maldonado
By Zoila Palma Gonzalez: On Saturday, May 30 Saint Ignatius High School in Santa Elena, Cayo will host […]

COMPOL Williams: Curfew minimizes night time gatherings and activities
This morning, Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams issued a statement refuting claims that the curfew […]

We Need to Help Plug Coronavirus’s Huge Impact on the Belize Economy
by Gordon Kirkwood:The Belize economy is having a really tough time due to Coronavirus impacting its number one earner Tourism. In 2018 tourism accounted for more than all the other sectors of the Belize economy added together […]

Glen Gordon, cycling’s “Big Man”, passes on
The Cycling Federation of Belize this morning announced the passing of Glen “The Big Man” Gordon, 65, a top contender in the sport in the 1970s

Blogs

Two Great New Belize Books
Knowing urgency was a factor and wanting to support the cause with something that directly ties into feeding people, the Ambergris Caye COVID Relief Cookbook was born. 100% of the profits from this book are getting donated to the San Pedro Hot Meals Program, to purchase food and supplies so they can continue to feed those in need on the island. I, too, was writing a book this week, I have done many one-offs over the years. This particular project had been a bit overdue, so I put it on the top of my quarantine to-do list last Sunday. Along with housecleaning and the holiday Sex and the City Marathon. It’s one of a kind, an organic kids’ story called Tinker’s travels. I was inspired to create it by recycling the leaves in my fresh flower assortment, a gift a few weeks back from Pandora at Kunahmul Organics.

Finding Joy In Quarantine in Honey Bunches of Oats
I can let the news cycle and social media take over my roller coaster. CNN, Fox News, non-stop BREAKING NEWS. My roller coaster was driven by “news” in April. It left me feeling helpless, scared, and…catatonic. I can try to control this roller coaster with things that I think are good for me. I’ve tried that. Yoga videos, meditation apps, gratitude journals. And I know all these things will make things better but man…it’s hard to force a new healthy habit during all of this uncertainty. I don’t need that stress right now. OR I can focus on the little things that are making me extraordinarily happy during this time. Fresh mangos, Honey Bunches of Oats cereal with cold milk, good and even great books that I’m reading in the afternoon under the covers, my new dog Mocha, who is a total leaner…

The Toledo District
Toledo is the southernmost district in Belize, with Punta Gorda as the district’s capital and hub of activity. It is small, tranquil, and untouched, yet has everything to offer in experience. To experience Toledo is an eye-opening surprise: calling its 1,700 square miles of rainforests just ‘lush’ would be an understatement. There is an extensive network of caves, coastal lowland plains, and offshore cayes, as well as mountains. Several cultures live and share this Southern gem: Mopan and Kekchi Maya, East Indians, Mennonites, and Garifuna. Toledo is referred to as the ‘forgotten land’ because it is remote, quiet and unspoiled. This is a place where you could certainly live off the grid. Surely, there are few places like it; a place to explore and immerse oneself in nature, untouched for centuries.

The Caves Branch Experience
If adventure is a top priority on your vacation then experience Ian Anderson’s Caves Branch, an oasis tucked away in Belize’s lush rainforest! Just off the Hummingbird Highway, this jungle lodge boasts a 20 year history in Belize – now home to some of the most thrilling and adventurous tours Belize has to offer. What first started as a small jungle camp by founder Ian Anderson has now evolved into a 5-star jungle retreat, including tree top villas, outdoor showers, and private rooftop hot tubs. From the moment you step foot at the Lodge, you’re immersed in the tranquility of this calm oasis and its viridescent vegetation. Nestled in a lush 50 thousand acre estate, Caves Branch Jungle Lodge is an escape from the hustle and bustle of the world.

International Sources

During coronavirus lockdown, Belize locals donate food to zoo animals
Belize Zoo has something of a reputation for being a haven for animals. Most of the species living there have been rescued from poachers or poor conditions. All are native to the Central American country bounded on one side by the Caribbean and on the other by lush rainforest. Usually, visitors to the zoo can get a close look at jaguars, toucans, tapirs and other endemic species. But now that the country is in coronavirus lockdown and can't welcome any customers, founder Sharon Matola, says the institution is struggling financially. And that makes it hard to keep their hundreds of animals sufficiently fed. But locals are stepping in and donating everything from sugarcane to pigs' heads to supplement the zoo dwellers' diets.

Caribbean Turning Tide On COVID-19
Caribbean countries quickly introduced strict public health measures, including the closing of borders to international travel, social distancing rules, work-from-home solutions, curfews, and in some cases, lockdowns,” he noted. He said the latest statistics indicate that several countries in the region “have already begun to turn the tide against COVID-19 with increased testing and more isolation, resulting in increasing numbers of recoveries”.

Free Webinar by CATA and TripAdvisor on the current tourism trends for Central America
Date: May 27th Time: 10:00am Register here: https://t.co/1Ru9N24av4

Videos

May 26, 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

Doctor Love: Go Slow, or Go Home?
Dear Doctor Love, I made friends with a woman who moved here about seven years ago and she becomes unhappier every day. She has grown hyper-critical of everything and everybody. If something happens that she doesn’t like she begins a rant about how it should have been done. This involves talking down to people and really treating them badly, especially clerks and tradespeople. Electrical outages, water shortages, limited availability of imported items, parking, traffic—any slight inconvenience sets her off. Very often I’m put into a situation where I have to apologize for her attitude and I worry that people will think I feel like she does

Various Belizean Sources

Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen day Location
Our incredible restaurant partner, Food Repulic, along with our faithful volunteers will once again be cooking up a storm and providing those in need with a hot meal today. THANK YOU! Tuesday, May 26th, Meal pick ups. Location: Food Republic. Times: Village: 11:00am - 11:45am. Bahia: 11:45am - 12:30pm.

COVID-19: Engaging with your Audience
Join us on Tuesday, May 26th, 2020, at 2:00 PM to hear from Kristin F. Simmons, Digital Marketer & Visual Storyteller as she shares top tips and best practices on how to engage with your audience during these uncertain times.

Dr. Candy Gonzalez passes away
t is with deep sadness that the Belize Network of NGOs announces the passing of passionate environmental advocate, Dr. Candy Gonzalez. As an attorney and advocate, Dr. Gonzalez was a force to be reckoned with. Her colleagues in Belize and abroad will always remember Candy as a driving presence of a number of organizations including the Belize Institute of Environmental Law and Policy (BELPO), the Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage, and the Belize Alliance of Conservation NGOs (BACONGO). Candy's dedication and relentless work has helped to conserve the health and integrity of Belize’s natural resources for generations to come.

COVID-19 UPDATE
How do we compare with our Caribbean counterparts? The numbers for the most part have reached a plateau in the English speaking Caribbean while the numbers with our Central American neighbours continue to rise.

The Death of Dr. Candy Gonzalez
On behalf of the Belize Coalition to Save Our Natural Heritage, the Oceana in Belize Family tearfully acknowledges the passing of fierce environmental advocate Dr. Candy Gonzalez. Her organization, the Belize Institute of Environmental Law and Policy (BELPO) and OCEANA founded the Coalition - an alliance of many organizations that aims to protect our people and our rights to safeguard our natural heritage for the benefit of all Belizeans – present and future.

ITZAMNA
God the Father / Mother of wisdom, creator of science and knowledge. It is the divinity of the Sun and wisdom, lord of heaven, day and night; the one who lives in the heavenly world from where the cosmos rules. The Creator of the universe . The central God; the God who oversees everything. The Great God of which the rest of the Yuumstilo'ob are part and from which the rest derive their power. Its attribute is the deep, omniscient and accumulated wisdom of the ages. Today Some Yucatec Maya also associate or call Itzamna as Jajal K'uj (True Deity) .

Ch'ookob - Holy Food
Ch'ookob is blessed food by a H-men(Maya Priest) offered to the Yuumstilo'ob to receive blessings, to call for rain and to start planting. This food is known in Yucatec Maya as Ch'ookob or sopas made for the Ch'a Cháak tradition in San Jose(Orange walk). The younger generation of Maya Máasewal(Yucatec Maya) mostly speak in the Spanish language. While the elders continue speaking their Yucatec Maya language. During the ritual the prayers are done entirely in Yucatec Maya language .

Public Consultation Webinar on the Belize Real Estate Bill
Friday, May 29, 2020 at 3 PM. In response to the call for consultations following our meeting with the Lands Department in February, the Belize National Association of Realtors (BNAR) is holding the first of a series of educational and participatory webinars to explain the bill, take questions and feedback from viewers and make suggestions on the best way forward. This bill is a landmark piece of legislation for the Real Estate Industry of Belize as it promises to finally regulate our industry and usher in licensing requirements for real estate professionals. All professionals and stakeholders are encouraged to tune in and participate! This webinar will review the Belize Real Estate Bill and will be followed by a Q&A, facilitated by our participating Attorneys-at-Law and moderated by the BNAR President.

Breaking Belize News

How necessary is an entertainment allowance?
The Government of Belize (GOB) is implementing cost-cutting measures (CSMs) to decrease its expenses and […]

Network of NGO’s mourns passing of Candy Gonzalez
The Belize Network of Non-Governmental Organizations issued a statement mourning the passing of passionate environmental […]

The children are outside again!
By Zoila Palma Gonzalez: The world is trying to cope with the new norms forcibly brought to every […]

Marine Conservation and Climate Adaptation project
The World Bank Marine Conservation and Climate Adaptation Project (MCCAP) for Belize, financed by the […]

Barbados-based company turns Sargassum into skincare products, shows potential for the region
Since 2011, the sargassum seaweed phenomenon has been heaping piles of putrid rotting seaweed on […]

Suriname holds general elections amidst COVID-19 pandemic
As the world grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic, the South American nation of Suriname held […]

Brazil’s indigenous population dying from COVID-19 at alarming rate
Indigenous people in Brazil are dying from COVID-19 at a rate that doubles the national […]

Environmental warrior Candy Gonzales passes away
Candy Gonzales, the American lawyer who made Belize her home and took up the cause […]

ComPol upbraids constable for “serious breach” following run-in with senior
The actions of a police constable last week could potentially cost his job, according to his […]

First Africa day celebration in Belize begins today at 3:00 p.m.
Today, in a first of its kind event, Belize will celebrate Africa day. The event […]

ACES pulls over 80 plastic bags from the stomach of euthanized crocodile
The American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES) is pleading with all Belizeans, particularly San Pedro residents, […]

Items for contrabandists located by boat patrol
During Friday’s tour by boat of the “Contraband Corridor” – that stretch of the Rio […]

National Elite Basketball League seeks new Commissioner
With the resignation of Karim Juan a few weeks ago, the National Elite Basketball League […]

Belize commemorates Sovereign’s Day/Commonwealth Day
Every year on May 24, Belize commemorates Commonwealth Day/Sovereign’s Day. Today is a public and […]

LANDS Movement to launch website this week
Yesterday Nigel Petillo posted on social media announcing the formation of a new organization concerning […]

Police Association does not need trade union status
In discussing the upcoming Police Association elections, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams suggested that those […]

Galen University – well positioned to offer high-quality on-line education in post-pandemic Belize
Since mid-March, life as we knew it has changed considerably in every aspect of our […]

Blogs

Lord Michael Ashcroft’s Contributions to Belize during COVID-19
Lord Michael Ashcroft is no stranger to Belize, and has been a major investor in the country. Between 1998 – 2000, Ashcroft was the Belizean Ambassador to the United Nations, and has been involved in a wide range of industries throughout, funding educational and charitable projects in Belize. At the onset of COVID-19 in Belize, Lord Michael Ashcroft, who has been weathering the pandemic in country, was the first private donor to contribute substantial funds to Belize’s relief efforts.

International Sources

Scientists Find Hope For Reefs Battered By Climate Change
A team of scientists looking for coral that can better survive global warming have identified a hardier Caribbean coral in the Bahamas. The mountainous star coral off Great Harbour caught researchers attention after a searing 2015 bleaching event hit reefs across the islands. As water temperatures on Mermaid Reef soared above 91 degrees, the coral survived. Just a dozen miles away, similar star coral in cooler water died. The finding, published in the journal Coral Reefs, could help researchers trying to breed more heat resilient coral in labs as they race to save reefs that have lost about 80 percent of their coral since the 1970s.

Dengue Travel Alert Updated For the Americas
Dengvaxia vaccination reduces the risks of severe dengue infections... The ongoing Dengue risk in the Americas continues into the summer of 2020, says the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). On May 21, 2020, the CDC announced many parts of Central and South America, Mexico, and the Caribbean have continued to report dengue fever cases. Dengue is common in more than 100 countries around the world, and about 3 billion people live in areas with a risk of contracting 1 of dengue’s 4 virus subtypes.

Belize pineapples set to become “Queens of the South”
In Belize, the pineapple is a new crop that is being ‘groomed’ to become an important second crop for citrus and other farmers in the Stann Creek Valley and northern Toledo district. But is it possible for pineapple to become the “Queen of the South” and hold its own alongside the citrus industry? According to Luis Tzul, Agronomist for the Citrus Growers Association (CGA), the answer is yes. This coming Tuesday, 26th May, CGA will deliver its first shipment of pineapples for 2020 to be processed by Citrus Products of Belize Limited (CPBL). This delivery from CGA joins the half a million pounds that is delivered to the factory each year by farmers, mostly from Trio Village in northern Toledo.

Videos

May 25, 2020

Happy Sovereign's Day

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 Woofers: Fallen
Dennis, it’s good to see you here,” the mayor said. “I wouldn’t miss it,” I told him. “I knew Father Paul for more than twenty years.” The mayor’s town in Western Belize was holding a memorial service for their old priest who had died three months ago. He had faithfully served his town until his death three months earlier. “I met him about twenty years ago,” I said. “A very moral and upright man.” “He certainly was,” the mayor said “Years ago, when he first came here,

“No water taxi terminal in front of former Ruby’s Hotel” say island leaders
Island leaders have gone on the record saying that no massive water taxi terminal will be built in front of the former Ruby’s Hotel - by SPBE or any water taxi company. Both the Area Representative for Belize Rural South (Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker) Honourable Manuel Heredia Jr., and the Mayor of San Pedro Town, Daniel Guerrero, have gone on record indicating that no massive water taxi terminal will be built in front of the former Ruby’s Hotel. Both island leaders clarified the allegations that the San Pedro Belize Express (SPBE) Water Taxi had been given the green light to build a large boat terminal in the said area. They said that the only place the water taxi companies could relocate to is to the facilities at the Sunset Boardwalk on the lagoon side.

Various Belizean Sources

Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen day Location
Monday, May 25th, Meal Pick ups Location: Belize Diving Services Time : Village: 11:00am - 11:45am. Bahia: 11:45am - 12:30pm.

COVID-19 update
These are the numbers in the Mesoamerican region, Guatemala may be going into a complete lockdown for the next 15 days given their increasing numbers.

COVID-19 UPDATE
We are now at 9 weeks since we first confirmed a case of SARS-CoV2 and approaching 6 weeks since our last documented cases. Given the numbers around us, we do have to acknowledge that we have a long way to go. Let us not forget that within a time frame of 3 weeks we did go from 0 to 18 cases and within a 96 hr time frame we had gone from 9 to 18 cases.

Happy Sovereign's Day
Happy Sovereign's Day BELIZE from Mayor Daniel Guerrero and the San Pedro Town Council. May you all have a blessed day! We take this opportunity that inform the general public that our offices will be closed on Monday, May 25th, 2020, in lieu of Sovereign's Day. We shall resume to our temporary working hours on Tuesday, May 26th, from 8:00 a.m. to 12 noon.

BELIZE'S WWII BRITISH WEST INDIAN WORKERS!
Who knows, one of these men here in this photo of Belizean men off to work in Scotland during WWII may have been a lost and never found uncle, Hugh Smith, from the southern district of Stann Creek that left the former British Honduras now Belize by ship to work as a forestry worker in the 1940s. My grandfather Joseph "Jack" Smith may have been one of my best history teachers to date because his living with with my mother who was his caregiver until his death in Belize City, Belize, had transferred a body of knowledge to me that despite all of my formal and advanced education that he had urged me to seek, cannot rival his amazing body of work, knowledge and wisdom. One of his son's Hugh that he spoke about from the living room of our home so painfully and in tears, while he and my mother conversed about Hugh's departure from Belize as a young man in his prime, never to be heard from and seen again.

Breaking Belize News

Kent Gabourel, acclaimed football coach, no longer with the Football Federation of Belize
Acclaimed football player and football coach, Kent Gabourel, is no longer working at the Football […]

Football Federation threatens lawsuit over social media report, clarifies staff status
Football Federation of Belize (FFB) president Sergio Chuc told Breaking Belize News this evening in […]

Police Association elections coming up; ComPol says he is neutral
Former President of the Police Association, Corporal Eldon Arzu, is offering himself for the top […]

Nigel Petillo forms LANDS movement; website promoting lands advocacy to be launched this week
This evening Nigel Petillo announced on social media the formation of a new organization focusing […]

Is cannabis the answer for COVID-19? Canadian scientists think so
A team of Canadian scientists believe that certain strains of cannabis could help to treat […]

Changing GST “zero-rating” on imported goods could help boost Belize’s economy
As the COVID-19 pandemic ravages Belize’s economy, the Government of Belize (GOB) reports that revenue […]

Contrabandistas to be put under manners by new joint patrol
In midweek, the village of San Victor, Corozal District, was again the epicenter of a confrontation […]

FECTAB questions benefits of Waterloo port; developer responds
The Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize (FECTAB) has publicly condemned the planned expansion […]

From half a million to a target of 15 million pounds, is pineapple set to become the “Queen of the South”
By Hugh O’Brien: Pineapple is a new crop that is being ‘groomed’ to become an important second crop […]

Belize at 9 weeks since first reported case of COVID-19
An update from the Ministry of Health issued today says that Belize is now at […]

First ever Africa day celebration in Belize to take place – all activities to be streamed live
For the first time ever, Belize will be celebrating Africa day. The event will take […]

“Hilltop negotiations should be finished before June,” says PSU
After over a year of negotiations and court battles, the Public Service Union (PSU) says […]

Blogs

Actun Tunichil Muknal – A Brief History
Actun Tunichil Muknal is one of the most artifact-rich caves ever found in Belize. Also known as the Cave of the Stone Sepulcher, it was a sacred space to the ancient Maya, where they worshipped their gods and performed human sacrifices to appease them. Archeologists have found items dating back to 250 AD. This is when the Maya first started to explore the cave. However, it was not until about 700 AD that they began to perform religious ceremonies. To find appropriate sites, they went deeper into the 3-mile long cavern system.

Royal Belize named in Fodor’s Top 12 Private Islands
If you’ve been relishing the same view outside your window for the past few weeks, no one blames you for imagining yourself on a Belize private island instead. Think about it: You’re still following the rules of self-isolation. Only this time, you’d be surrounded by the Caribbean Sea’s gentle waters and soft white sands. Your days would be spent in hammocks, and the next humans are at least an island over. Yes, much further than six feet away. That’s why Fodor’s Travel is listing Royal Belize as one of the top 12 private islands to self-isolate.

Commonwealth day in Corozal Sunday, May 24TH, 2020
Seeking relief from humid weather, hundreds of people crowded the beaches in Corozal Bay this past weekend amid the coronavirus pandemic, despite a statewide stay-at-home order implemented by the government, to enjoy the beaches in Corozal Bay. Sunday's, temperatures were very high humidity in the region, but that didn't deter people from trekking to the beach to soak in the sun. On Sunday, May 24TH, 2020, It was observed as a Holiday across Belize called "CommonWealth", which will be observed on Monday, May 25TH, 2020 across Belize. No Public and Banks Business will be open. This was the reason why people came out to enjoy the beaches from across Corozal. Since curfew is still in effect, Many did appear to follow social distancing guidelines while engaging in outdoor activities.

A Perspective from Belize: The Wildly Unpredicted Success, in the first 60 Days of the COVID Crisis
I have spent the last 60 days experiencing this worldwide crisis in the tiny Central American/Caribbean country of Belize, where I moved six years ago. Before that, I was living in the US, working in the field of psychology, and I moved here to pursue my dream of living in the tropics, thus changing the course of my life to the field of hospitality. I currently own two small boutique hotels in Belize. Like so many, I have been profoundly impacted from watching the stages of this crisis from an individual level, to the cultural shifts of the world. The experience of living through this crisis, as a person in an industry that is one of the hardest hit in the world - international hospitality, has also been intense. I sense a readiness at this point to have a look at this first phase - and to offer some previously unknown, and recently uncovered, cultural and demographic reasons that have made me feel very lucky to have experienced the first 60 days in this country.

For those struggling right now: How one bar owner survived past crises in Belize - the mindset, grit, and mentality that got them through....
I wanted to share a guest blog from Jodie of Jodie and Scott from the Palapa Bar. Of all the expat business owners I know, these two have shown the most remarkable grit and courage, facing multiple devastating incidents over their years here - each one seeming to be the very worst you could face - but coming back again and again. The grit these two are showing now, and have shown over the years, made me want to share Jodie's story, because so many right now are scared, uncertain, and we don't yet have the luxury of looking back yet on this current crisis....because it is still currently happening. Hearing about the fact that others were in the lowest of low points in the past - yet made it - is the kind of story that needs to be told right now, and I hope it helps everyone who reads it as much as it did us!!!

12 THINGS TO INCLUDE ON A BELIZE VACATION
A Belize vacation should be on every traveler's bucket list. With its pristine sands, gorgeous waters, and a variety of activities and locations to enjoy, a Belize getaway offers something for everyone. We may be in difficult times right now, but eventually, we will all be ready to start seeing the world again. While you're thinking about where you want to go, let me tell you about our trip to Belize, and why it made such a great family vacation for us.

Videos

May 24, 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

Food in the time of quarantine – AKA, the “Ambergris Caye COVID RELIEF Cookbook”
As much as I wanted a play on words, the reality is that the current situation in the world says we should just get to the food! And you can do just that, by purchasing your very own copy of the Ambergris Caye COVID RELIEF Cookbook. Kimberly Wylie, who via Cypress Canyon Publishing, has quickly cobbled together this Cookbook featuring a wide variety of about 40 Belizean recipes. From appetizers to main dishes and some sides, traditional meals, cocktails, and even some spices, the book features local and international cuisine, and sales from the book go towards the San Pedro Hot Lunch Program.

SIDS DOCK and GRID-Arendal announce strategic partnership for sustainable use and management of marine resources in small islands and low-lying developing countries
SIDS DOCK, the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) Sustainable Energy and Climate Resilience Organization, has signed an agreement with GRID-Arendal to collaborate on the promotion of nature-based solutions and technologies for the sustainable use and management of marine resources to support the economic and livelihoods systems of the populations of small islands and low-lying developing countries. The signing ceremony took place on Thursday, 14 May 2020, by means of a virtual conference between representatives in New York City and Norway, as a way to contain the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

Various Belizean Sources

Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen day Location
Sunday, May 24th Meal Pick ups Location: Barefoot Caribe Time: Village: 11:00am - 11:45am. Bahia: 11:45am - 12:30pm.

COVID-19 UPDATE
A further 51 samples were screened today, all were negative for SARS-CoV2. The numbers with our immediate neighbours continue to increase with Guatemala now at 2,743 cases and Mexico now at 69,856 cases and our testing rate being twice that of these two countries. Note that Nicaragua has now reported 279 cases and El Salvador is now at 1,819 cases. The total number of global cases now surpasses the 5.4 million mark with the US having 30.8% of those cases. The mortality rate for SARS-CoV2 remains at 6.4% and we must all continue to prepare for living under new norms.

Crocodile starved by a stomach full of 82 plastic bags
Beached in the mangroves, we found a sick and dying animal that resembled a bag of bones rather than a crocodile. Where powerful muscles once were, his skin was stretched taught over his deathly emaciated body and clung to his protruding bones. As our eyes traveled down his tired body, we found a wound we could smell from 15 feet away - his tail had been torn off by another crocodile, only 1/3 of the length remained and was badly infected almost to the base of the tail.

UPDATE ON THE OAS ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 2020-2021
The OAS has informed that due to the current COVID-19 situation, they will ONLY consider applications for ONLINE studies for both Undergraduate and Graduate Programs. Due to this, the National Liaison Office has extended the deadline to June 14th,2020 to give those that have submitted applications for on-campus studies an opportunity to make changes if they wish to do so and to allow new applicants to consider their options.

Crocodile Education Session
Want to do something to switch up the homeschool routine during this turbulent period? In an effort to ease some of our financial burden and continue our wildlife care and rescue efforts during this difficult time, we are offering online educational sessions for you and/or your kids via Skype, WhatsApp, FaceTime and Zoom! For a minimum donation of $10 USD towards our wildlife rescue efforts, you and your children can get a 15- minute personalized, real-time educational lesson about one of nature's most impressive species - crocodiles!

Belize Children Assistance Organization
Want to help the Nonprofit Organizations Page “Belize Children Assistance Organization”? Visit there page for more assistance. friends, we have created this page to get assistance with our "send a child to school program". There are many kids on the island unable to go to school and with your help we can make this program a success. We thank you in advance for your assistance and we look forward to working with you to send a child back to school.

Belizean tourists coming to Caye Caulker
95 percent were NOT wearing masks.i see everything from my balcony...why were they not being monitored by police?? The Split yesterday was mostly mask free!!!! Wth??? And saw most guests walking everywhere without masks!!!! We here must wear them...were they NOT informed??????? Not cool.i even asked several of them and were told they didnt have one..anyone else see what went on yesterday??

Investing in Nature, Investing in the Future of Belize
Turneffe Atoll, BELIZE - Natasha Gibson is a licensed scuba diver, tour guide, and more recently, coral reef conservationist. She and her colleagues at the Belizean non-profit Fragments of Hope are now researching and practicing various methods to replant more resilient types of coral that can be used to restore some of Belize’s reefs, which are suffering from rising sea temperatures, pollution, and habitat destruction. “It’s like propagating a regular plant,” explains Natasha, lighting up as she describes her work. “We take starts of old coral and use them like seedlings. It blew my mind. It was incredible to see that we can actually grow back these corals.”

CURRENT BUS SCHEDULE LEAVING COROZAL

April Monthly Weather Summary
April is climatologically the driest month of the year in Belize. The month is characterized by dry, warm and hazy conditions. An occasional late-season cold front may cross country. Whenever such systems cross at this time of the year, they typically produce very intense thunderstorm activity. April 2020 started off typical as seasonably warm and dry conditions prevailed across the country during the first five days of the month. A slack pressure gradient supported a light easterly to southeasterly airflow for the first three days then winds became moderate from the 4th to the 5th day. No shower activity occurred.

Channel 7

The Rhapsody of the Seas has docked in the Belize City harbor
It brings with it 14 Belizean’s who hope to be repatriated. Among them are some popular Belizean deejays like Linda Blease amongst others.

The Reporter

Market day at the Michael Finnegan Market
Market day at the Michael Finnegan (Queen's Square) Market seems to be picking up with the return of some vendors selling on the streetside across from the market facility on West Collet Canal. From our observation, people were generally adhereing to the social-distancing regulations, except for some instances in the market facility itself, where the spaces between and around some booths do not allow for pedestrian traffic and vending simultaneously.

Body found at farm off Yo Creek Road in Orange Walk
Police are investigating a gruesome murder after a body was found at a farm off the Yo Creek Road in Orange Walk. Around 9:00 this morning cops went to the site and found the victim dressed only in black boxers with chop wounds to both knees, stomach and elbow. There was also a cut wound on his throat and he had been shot in his head. His right arm was severed at the elbow and Police sources say it was not on the scene. The body, found outside a wooden house on the farm, was identified by a family member as that of Abner Otoniel Novelo, 30, who was employed as a watchman.

Breaking Belize News

After 51 more samples tested today, Belize continues to be COVID-19 free
The Ministry of Health issued its COVID-19 update a short while ago and reported that […]

Armed robbers target home in Pilgrimage Valley, Cayo
Reports to BBN is that around 3 p.m. today, 3 armed thieves entered a property […]

Belizeans from Rhapsody of the Seas cruise ship touch down in Belize
By Aaron Humes : Fourteen Belizeans are back home from a rather extended trip aboard the cruise ship […]

Meet Cosmetologist – Marisol Erazo from Mi Belle’s Institute
By Zoila Palma Gonzalez: Belizean entrepreneur and cosmetologist Marisol Erazo has been running her own school and salon […]

Man found dead in Yo Creek
According to reports, a man’s body was found this morning in Yo Creek, Orange Walk. […]

American and Belizean found murdered in Hopkins
Authorities found the bodies of 2 men yesterday morning near the dumpsite in Hopkins. The […]

ComPol says he wants SOE extended until the end of year
The views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not necessarily those of Breaking Belize […]

COVID-19 cases worldwide top 5 million
Cases of COVID-19 worldwide have passed 5.3 million, with more than 340 thousand reported dead. The […]

Blogs

Travel FAQs for Belize during COVID-19
Currently, Belize reports no active COVID-19 coronavirus cases, and is the only country in the Caribbean and Americas to do so. In an effort to mitigate a resurgence, the Government of Belize has extended the current State of Emergency for 60 days beginning April 30, 2020. Indeed, effectively keeping its borders closed and limiting domestic travel. Before you decide to take a trip to Belize, here are a few travel cues to keep in mind during COVID-19.

Belize – 40 Day Streak of No New COVID-19 Cases
As of May 5, the remaining 2 active cases in Belize have fully recovered, officially making no active COVID-19 cases. Subsequently, Belize has not reported a new COVID-19 case since April 13, making it a 40-day streak of no new cases. Belize has joined an elite group of “COVID-19” countries in the world. urnm, whh h mngd t k t ttl numbr f  rltvl lw (11 nfrmd  wth 9 rvr nd n dth), reported a new case after 44 days. This Suriname update leaves Belize as the only country on the American mainland without a new case. Belize’s success has come due to its prompt action in sealing the country’s borders and imposing strict quarantine measures.

International Sources

Surveillance between Mexico and Belize is reinforced to avoid more infections
Belizean authorities said that by crossing to Mexico, they are putting the nation at risk for coronavirus. At the insistence of smuggling food, soft drinks and beers through the Río Hondo, the natural border between Mexico and Belize, authorities in the neighboring country have tightened surveillance. Fearing that Covid-19 will enter Belize in greater numbers (only 18 cases and two deaths have been cofirmed in Belize so far), the Belize Police Commissioner, Chester William, visited several Belizean communities by the river, including San Víctor.

The United Kingdom contributes $3.8m for COVID-19 Response in the Caribbean
The United Kingdom has agreed to contribute 3 million Pounds (USD $3.8 m) to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to help eight countries of the Caribbean - Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines - contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and mitigate its impact. The financial contribution from the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) is in addition to the USD $9.9m already provided by the UK Government via the World Health Organization (WHO) allocations to support PAHO’s response strategy to COVID-19 in Latin America and the Caribbean as outlined in its Donor Appeal.

Travel’s Reopening: International
A timeline for international travel dates (and then when the dates are postponed...)

Quintana Roo government rejects June 1 reopening by hotels
'We're still not ready,' says Governor Joaquín... The government of Quintana Roo has quashed the hopes of optimistic Quintana Roo hotels that expected to reopen on June 1. Tourism Minister Marisol Vanegas Pérez burst a few bubbles when she said that “it’s not true that they’ll be able to reopen, since the companies themselves don’t determine that, nor the market. It will be the federal and state governments.”

Videos

May 23, 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

Belize ratifies UN treaty banning nuclear weapons
Belize ratified a landmark United Nations treaty outlawing nuclear weapons on Tuesday, following a decision taken by its Senate in March. Belize and other nations across the Caribbean have long been vocal critics of nuclear weapons, warning of grave danger they pose to humanity. Despite repeated calls for nuclear disarmament, more than 13,000 nuclear weapons still exist in the world, each capable of causing destruction on a massive scale. Caribbean nations were instrumental in negotiating the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in 2017, which 122 governments voted to adopt.

Minister of National Emergency Management feeds Doctors, Nurses and Support Staff at Cleopatra White Polyclinic
On May 20, 2020, Minister of National Emergency Management Honorable Edmond Castro visited Cleopatra White Polyclinic in Belize City where he provided meals for doctors, nurses and support staff at that public health institution. Honorable Castro personally participated in the preparation, delivery and distribution of the meals, a key ingredient in which is ‘Papa Jeff Smoked Beef’ produced at Castro’s own farm and processing facility.

Hol Chan Channel to remain closed till June 16th due to Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease
While the Hol Chan Marine Reserve (HCMR) re-opened on Wednesday May 20th 2020, the Hol Chan Channel will remain closed until June 16th 2020, due to the following: The HCMR has been monitoring the Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) which has now been spotted in several locations within the reserve.

Ambergris Today

Yogabean Closes in San Pedro
Sad to see another business close down on Ambergris Caye. It’s getting really tough on the island.

San Pedro High School graduation
Pictures of San Pedro High School seniors emerged on Facebook all day today as graduation announcements were made. Proud parents celebrated their son’s and daughter’s accomplishments with posts of joy. Add a picture of your graduating senior on the comments and celebrate with all proud parents. Congratulations Graduating Seniors.

Hol Chan’s Corals Are Sick, Locals Administering Antibiotics
The Hol Chan Marine Reserve (HCMR) has been monitoring the Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) since last year, which has now been spotted in several locations within the reserve on Ambergris Caye, Belize. This week the management team of the marine reserve made the announcement to the general public that the Hol Chan Marine Reserve re-opened on Wednesday, May 20, 2020. However, the Hol Chan Channel will remain closed until June 16, 2020 due to treatment being administered to the coral at the Channel.

Various Belizean Sources

International Day for Biological Diversity!
We join the United Nations under the theme: Our solutions are in nature Nature provides us, humans, with the fundamental needs for a living; clean water, air, shelter and food. In times of global crisis, despite all technological innovations, humans are entirely dependent on a healthy and biologically diverse environment.

CASTE WAR STORIES: SAN PABLO ORANGE WALK
Pedro Marin is said to have fled to Belize from Chan Santa Cruz, Quintana Roo with his wife Paula Acosta shortly after the turn of the century. Before coming to San Pablo he lived in Corozal Town and Louisville where he worked as a laborer on sugar ranchos. Many of the Mayeros who settled in the Douglas-San Pablo area during the 1920s came from sugar ranchos in the Corozal and Orange Walk Districts ( San Juan Saltillo, Louisville, and Caledonia; and Louisiana Farm, and San Lorenzo) while others had moved away from BEPC-owned villages (San Estevan, San Felipe, Libertad, and San Joaquin) get out form under company control.

Artist of the Day - Jamie Thompson
A native of Belize, Central America, Jamie J. Thompson is internationally known and respected for his vision, professionalism and commitment to excellence. He spent his formative years on philanthropic endeavors through the arts. A highlight from those experiences was serving as director and choreographer for productions presented by the Rotary Club of Belize (2005-2009). In addition to his volunteerism, he began formal dance training with the Belize National Dance Company and The Dramatic Forces School of Dance. His passion for dance, stirred by the tutelage of the two institutions, led him to a successful pursuit of earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance Performance and Choreography from Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi.

Belize Establishes National Biodiversity Office
Today, Belize joins countries around the world in celebrating the United Nations’ International Day for Biological Diversity. The Day was declared under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity to increase understanding and awareness of biodiversity issues. This year, this important day is being celebrated under the theme, ‘Our Solutions are in Nature’ to highlight the intricate link between human health and safety and wellbeing of the environment. To mark the occasion, Belize today established its National Biodiversity Office under the Ministry of Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development.

Changes in the Pump Price of Fuel Effective May 23, 2020
The Ministry of Finance announces that on Saturday, May 23, 2020, the pump price for regular gasoline will increase by $0.36 from $7.26 to $ 7.62 per gallon. The prices for premium gasoline, kerosene and diesel will remain unchanged at $10.92, $5.43 and $7.89 per gallon, respectively.

Vacancy for Engineering Consultant with Ministry of Tourism and Aviation
The Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation is currently executing the “Sustainable Tourism Program II” with a loan funded by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and Counterpart funding by the Government of Belize (GOB). The Ministry intends to apply a part of the proceeds towards payments for the consulting services of an Engineering Consultant. The purpose of this consultancy is to provide expert engineering guidance and conduct Inspections on the infrastructure investments carried out by the STPII and to provide reports on-site inspections.

Webinar “Learning the Mayan Number System”
The webinar “Learning the Mayan Number System” is scheduled to take place on May 26, 2020, at 2 p.m. Kindly register here: https://bit.ly/2WScluT

FECTAB DIVIDED, MEMBERS REJECT ALLEGIANCE TO FINSTEIN GROUP MONOPOLY WITHOUT ANY CONSULTATION OR VOTE
FECTAB is a house divided as a recording of newly anointed President David Almendarez hurling obscenities at members who object to their executives unilaterally aligning with the Finstein group who wants to have a monopoly on port facilities thus has started a campaign against Lord Michael Ashcroft’s proposed $200 million Portloyola Port Facility. Members feel used and are unhappy with the dictatorial manner in which decisions are being made by their executive who staged a sham of protest last week in the FECTAB not being consulted but was really about the Feinstein Group’s desire to secure a monopoly on Belize City Ports which Ashcroft’s Portloyola Port upends.

Channel 7

Double Murder Claims American and Belizean
Two men are dead under somewhat mysterious circumstances in Hopkins village. Well - known Belizean tour guide and dive master, 55 year old Quentin Espinoza, and 70 year old American Roman Burley were both found dead at a farm near the Hopkins junction. Reports at this hour are that they were found at around 9:30, and Espinoza had been shot to the head, while Burley was chopped.

Commissioner Condemns Cops
We caught up with the commissioner today on the banks of the Rio Hondo at San Victor Village where he was doing a border enforcement tour. We'll have that full story later on, but the outing gave the media the opportunity to press him on a number of current affairs involving police. And one of them is story of Santa Elena resident David Galindo who yesterday claimed that he was tortured by the GSU. The cops held him down and took a lighter to his nipple. Today, the COMPOL said there could be no justification for such an act:

In Tale Of Two Cops, Compol Takes Sides
Another police issue of burning public interest is last weekend's clash between two cops, a constable and and an ASP. Constable Mark Rodriguez and ASP Aaron Gamboa had an encounter in Teakettle - which left each man saying that the other had abused him. Now, this would be just a petty, run of the mill dispute, but these are cops and they are supposed to be members of a disciplined force. And they even broke with police regs and each gave multiple media interviews. And whole lot of irregularities with this one, and today the Compol made it clear that - from his point of view - the constable was out of line:

Late evening Collision Leaves 5 Injured
In other news, there was an accident at mile 13 on the Phillip Goldson Highway a short while ago and as many as 5 persons, including a 10 year old minor was injured. Preliminary reports say it happened curve by Zeta Gas before the Boom junction where two vehicles a sedan and a pickup collided, and one of them flipped.

Charged For Being In Gym
17 days ago we told you about the arrest made at the Body 2000 gym, which was opened against the state of emergency regulations. Today the owner, manager and four others appeared in court, charged for keeping a business open when it is required to close and unable to provide a reasonable explanation for movement outside of curfew.

FECTAB Finds New Leader
For over 15 years now, Tom Greenwood, the firebrand president of the FECTAB, the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize, has established himself as a controversial, household name. In all that time, he's been fighting for equal opportunity on behalf of the members of the Federation, who often have to settle for the crumbs of the cruise tourism industry. But, the news tonight is that he is stepping down as President of FECTAB, and he's passing on the leadership of the organization to the Vice President, David Almendarez.

Almendarez Vs. Ashcroft
And from that platform, FECTAB's new president kept up the public pressure against Ashcroft's proposal for a multi-million dollar upgrade of the Port. As we told you, his company, Waterloo, wants to improve the Port's shipping facilities, but there is the contemplation of a mega Cruise Port being added to the Port of Belize. You'll remember that FECTAB took offence because according to them, the Waterloo group hasn't consulted them as major stakeholders in the industry. Today, Almendarez said that Belizeans ought not to forget that past Ashcroft-related business deals with the Government have not ended well for the country:

FECTAB for Feinstein Development
While FECTAB has publicly criticized the Ashcroft's Waterloo Project for the Port of Belize, they are continuing to show support for the Belizean Developer, Mike Feinstein, and his Stakebank Cruise Port project. You'll remember that in February of last year, Feinstein and the Barrow Government broke ground for his multi-million dollar cruise port project. All indications are that this development will take place finally, after many years of delays, and today, FECTAB reiterated that it still has their backing.

San Victor, the Smuggler's Haven
On Wednesday we showed you the scene in San Victor village when customs pulled up on a contraband move in progress and they were threatened with stone. San Victor is known as one of the epicenters of contraband smuggling and while authorities have often turned a blind eye to village activities, because of the violent pushback from villagers, COVID-19 has elevated them from minor infractions to actions that can jeopardise the entire nation's health.

Mexican Border Hopper In Custody
And two days ago, when police were on patrol in that same Santa Cruz - they came across a Mexican who had hopped the border and come into Belize. He was put into quarantine and today the Commissioner told the press his fate is in the hands of the court. "The Mexican is in quarantine in Corozal at the ITVET building; those that were captured yesterday are also in the quarantine center. Once the quarantine period is over which is 21 days they'll be charged and taken before the court and then the court is going to decide what will happen to those persons."

Police Can't Help BDF Guard Quarantine Centers
And - as we have reported - the BDF are guarding those quarantine centers. And embarrassingly, three Mexicans slipped out under their watch 12 days ago.

Major Defour Recovering
NEMO's national coordinator, 55-year-old Major Shelton Defour, is lucky to be alive after a major accident yesterday evening that left him and his passenger BDF soldier Malcolm Santos injured and his vehicle with extensive front end damage. It happened around 6:00 near the Orange Gallery. Defour was westbound in his white Isuzu pickup when he crashed into a pile of sand that was haphazardly placed in the middle of the road. Both men were taken to the Western Regional Hospital for treatment. He is recovering tonight.

Caye Talkers Puts Money Where Mouth Is
The call centers in Belize, also known as business process outsourcing or BPOs for short, are trying to weather the economic crisis from COVID-19, like all businesses in the country. But, just before the coronavirus pandemic hit Belizean soil, they pooled their resources together to make an 82 thousand-dollar-donation to the Ministry of Health. They say that they had been tracking the pandemic in its early stages, and when they realized that Belize would also be hit, they reached out to the Ministry of Health to find out how they could offer a helping hand.

BPO's Thriving During COVID Adversity
The press took the opportunity to engage in some COVID talk with the executives of these major BPO companies which made this donation. The pandemic has forced many businesses to transition to a work-from-home plan, where employers and employees are using web-portals and video conferencing to remain productive. You'll remember that the Ministry of Education is also concerned that the nation's students are disadvantaged because they have to study from home, using the internet. Well, the BPOs and their employees are having the opposite experience; their businesses are actually thriving in this COVID-19 world.

BTL Says Internet Traffic Up, But Revenue Down
And, it would be good if some that increased business went the way of Digi whose revenue has declined sharply. As we told you last night, Belize's biggest telecoms provider is cutting salaries across the board. That's on a three month provisional basis after which the company will review its position. And a large part of that review will be based on how Belize's economy is doing. Yesterday the CEO told us that since the COVID shutdown and state of emergency, their sales of phone credits and data have dropped sharply. Now you might have thought that data sales went up because during the lockdown there were so many video calls being made, and so much streaming of YouTube and Netflix. But the CEO says most of that happened at home where users have fixed - not mobile - internet:

Zone Board Member Busted
Tonight, 7News has received credible information which says that a member of the 5 man Corozal Free Zone board of directors has been caught coming-out the zone with contraband cigarettes. Reports are that he was caught at a checkpoint just a short distance form the border where Customs has an operation. A customs official told us several vehicles were stopped, and several of them had liquors & cigarettes concealed in the panel of their vehicles.

Chester Vs. Arzu, The Saga Continues
For some time now we've been reporting on the friction between the Commissioner of Police and the former Police Association president Corporal Eldon Arzu. Williams has challenged his legitimacy as president, his actions - or inaction - as president, and his suitability to run for the post again. Arzu is heading a slate that is offering itself for the election. They are being challenged by a slate led by Sergeant Jane Usher - which is perceived to have the implicit support of the commissioner.

Popular Entertainer Arrested For Lack Of Face Mask
On Tuesday we told you about the hard time musicians are facing due to COVID-19 and the state of emergency. And tonight Brukdown artist Cocono Bwai, whose legal name is Cecil Jenkins has fallen on even harder times after being charged for what is quickly becoming the most common state of emergency crimes, failure to wear a mask. It's the daily fear of every Belizean and one that the artist whose government name is Cecil Jenkins faced head on this morning on a routine trip to refill a 5-gallon water bottle. Jenkins admits that he left the house without a mask and says that he was spotted by an officer on patrol in a police mobile but he says the officer said nothing to him and drove off.

Dengue Strikes At Most Vulnerable
As we told you last night - the Dengue threat facing Belize this year, could loom just as large as COVID-19 from a public health perspective. That's because after a record number of confirmed cases and 10 deaths in 2019-2020 started off with an even greater number of cases locally and regionally. But, then, the quarantine lockdown happened and everybody stayed home, which greatly slowed transmission of the dengue virus. But now, as the rainy season approaches and quarantine measures are being rolled back - the threat is real and present.

Empty COVID Beds is
In these parts, people - especially politicians - are fond of quoting that line from the national anthem, that Belize has wealth untold. Well, that's a little bit simplistic, but one thing of great value that we do have right now is something the whole world would want - more valuable than oil, or precious stone. And that's empty hospital beds in COVID-19 units. Now, that may sound odd, but all over the world, hospitals are overrun with COVID-19 cases, and often times the doctors and nurses don't have anywhere to put the sick not to mention the dead.

Channel 5

Double Murder in the South, Two Men Are Executed
The state of emergency has curbed the number of murders and other violence. But in the south today, two men were found murdered. The bodies of the men had gunshots [...]

FECTAB Wants 40/60 Split for Sales on Mainland Tours
A week after its leaders were arrested for holding an illegal protest, the FECTAB executive held a press conference in Belize City. And because of social distancing and the size [...]

FECTAB Sides with Stake Bank Cruise Port
As we reported on Thursday, FECTAB was founded in 2010 by Tom Greenwood, Yhonny Rosado, Troy Gabb and two others who have since defected from the organization.  Gabb is now [...]

Why Hasn’t FECTAB Fully Registered its Organization?
Is FECTAB a legally recognized organization, despite not submitting its articles of association and its by-laws to the Companies Registry for over ten years?  Since its establishment in 2010, FECTAB [...]

Chester Curving the Contraband Culture During COVID-19
The Village of San Victor which is located off the Philip Goldson Highway in the Corozal District is a well-known hotspot for the contraband of goods. Its proximity to the [...]

Santa Elena man says GSU tortured him!
Thirty-six-year-old David Galindo says he was beaten by law enforcement officers on Thursday morning. Galindo says that several G.S.U. officers arrived at his home in Santa Elena around six-thirty that [...]

ComPol Williams Says Police Officers Were Wrong
Complaints of police abuse have been persistent and Commissioner Chester Williams spoke of the incident while in the San Victor area.  He says the Head of the Professional Standard Branch [...]

ComPol Williams Says PC Rodriguez’s Statement was not True
In another case involving the cops, P.C. Mark Rodriguez found himself on the wrong side of the law after his fellow officers arrested him on Saturday night. Rodriguez got into [...]

Twelve year old dies in a Road Traffic Accident in Spanish Lookout
A twelve-year-old boy is dead following a road traffic accident in Spanish Lookout on Thursday afternoon around three-thirty. The boy, Widel Garcia, was travelling with his father Pedro Garcia on [...]

Two injured in traffic accident when their vehicle overturns
There was another traffic accident in the west and fortunately there were no fatalities. Two persons, however, had to be hospitalized. The Coordinator of NEMO, Lieutenant Colonel Shelton Defour was [...]

Regular Fuel Going UP
The price of regular gasoline went down in April by just under three dollars per gallon when crude oil plunged to historic levels on the international market. But the savings [...]

Two Years of Recovery for Bus Industry
We have been reporting on the economic woes of the transportation which has been battered by the COVID 19. A full recovery for the industry is a few years away, [...]

Bus Operators Aren’t Breaking Even
As it stands, the state of the bus industry will get worst in the weeks ahead before it gets any better.  In the summer months passengers commute less than they [...]

ComPol Williams Says He Won’t Campaign Against Cpl. Eldon Arzu
Voting will take place on June seventeenth for the Police Association of Belize. Long time president Corporal Arzu is seeking re-election and his opposing slate is being led by Sergeant [...]

Kafele Garcia Murder Trial Nears End
The murder trial of Lords Bank resident, Kafele Garcia, lost steam today for the Prosecution, after trial Judge, Supreme Court Justice, Colin Williams ruled that the caution statement given by [...]

Lynden Parham – Granted Bail on Gang-Related Activity charge
A man who was charged last month along with two underage brothers for gang-related activity is out on bail tonight after attorney, Oscar Selgado convinced Supreme Court Justice, Herbert Lord [...]

BPOs stand strong during COVID-19 economic impacts
Today, five of the BPOs in Belize shared their experience on how; they have been able to navigate the turbulent COVID-19 business climate. A few of the call centre lost [...]

BPOs donate 80K for COVID-19 response
Representatives of five of the biggest call centers in Belize officially did a handing over of donation to the Ministry of Health. The players in the BPO sector got together [...]

The new normal at N.H.I.
It is not business as usual in most places around the world. And here at home we know this all too well. With COVID-19 prevention measures such as face masks [...]

The Belize Zoo to host a soft re-opening this weekend!
The best little zoo in the world will re-open with a bang – for a soft launch this weekend. Three new educational ambassadors will make their debut this weekend. Today, [...]

Amandala

The unemployment crisis in Belize
While Belize and the rest of the world at large continue to battle with the crippling effects of COVID-19, unemployment has quickly risen to crisis status in the country. The tourism sector was forecasted to bear the heaviest loss, as Belize entered a State of Emergency on March 23, 2020, and our borders and ports were closed off. As early as March 25, the UDP’s “Economic Czar,” Dr. Carla Barnett, said at a press conference that more than 80% of all hotel staff in Belize and 100% of all tour operators would be without work. This alone would amount to nearly 14,000 Belizeans being jobless, not to mention those who work at the free zones and in the agricultural sector, which provides food to hotels and resorts across the country.

Security guard found dead in Princess bathroom
Earl Underwood, 24, of Belize City, a security guard who was on duty at the Princess Hotel and Casino, was found dead with an apparent gunshot wound in a bathroom in the hotel at about 11:30 this morning. His body was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was officially declared dead. Upon our arrival at the Princess Hotel, we were told that it had not yet been established if Underwood was shot by an unknown person, or if he died by his own hands. An official told us that Underwood was seen going into the bathroom and shortly after, a gunshot was heard.

GoB and public service unions reach accord
The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated Belize’s economy and created a major financial headache for the Dean Barrow-led United Democratic Party (UDP) government. Apart from the shocks to the economy as a result of the pandemic, the government was deadlocked in negotiations with two public service unions over its insistence that public officers forgo increments for the financial period 2020-21. When the Public Service Union (PSU) and the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) would not budge from their position that the increments should be deferred, Prime Minister Barrow threatened to amend the Public Service Regulations to give himself (as Minister of Finance) the authority to adjust public officers’ salaries.

Former Central Bank Governor and his son say Cotton Tree land is privately owned
Many aspiring first-time land owners are unable to get a piece of land. On Sunday, May 17, a large group of landless Belizeans braved State of Emergency regulations and journeyed to Mile 44 on the George Price Highway to get their names written down in a bid to secure a piece of land out of a large plot that was said to have been abandoned by its owner, who had died as an intestate person. The move on Sunday was spearheaded by the Harmonyville land activist Nigel Petillo. Police eventually dispersed the crowd, which had gathered in the hopes of securing a piece of the 2,500-acre piece of land.

Editorial: The UDP always attacks the messenger
Last week the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP) devoted much space in their newspaper, the Guardian, to attacking Mr. Dean Flowers, the first vice-president of the Public Service Union (PSU). Mr. Flowers had been keeping the nation informed about negotiations between the public sector unions and the government in respect to a request/demand by the government that they give up their increments for this fiscal year. Reports are that the public sector unions have since yielded to the government. The author of the article, titled “PSU executive fleecing government?”, while accepting that there might be some validity to the unions’ position that certain practices of government result in waste of the people’s monies, singled out Mr. Flowers as one who has benefited immensely from government’s largesse, and went on to suggest that he has been railing about government’s waste because he is disgruntled over a cleaning contract his sister had with government that was not renewed.

From the Publisher
This May 24 was always one of those strange colonial holidays, it seemed and seems to me. I think today they say it is Commonwealth Day, but back in my youth it may have been the Queen’s Birthday, or something like that. The long and short of it is that we British subjects in British Honduras were given a day off and told to celebrate. Straight up. In my youth, there always used to be a big horse race in Orange Walk on May 24. I never attended any of these events, but they must have been special. You see, back in those days the richest man in Belize, after Bob Turton died in 1955, was Mr. Santiago Castillo, a native of Orange Walk who owned the famous Louisiana Farm. Mr. Castillo, who became rich importing foodstuffs, in the first instance, was a horse racing fan.

Belize – the only COVID-19 free country in the Americas
Besides being the last country in the Americas to report its first coronavirus case on March 23, 2020, Belize also becomes the first in the Americas to report no active COVID-19 cases. Belize, since Tuesday, May 5, reported its last two of 18 cases testing negative and officially declared recovered. In the Caribbean, Belize now joins Suriname and Anguilla to report any active cases of infection, hospitalization, or new deaths.

PSU and Belmopan City Council settle dispute over Hilltop property
The Public Service Union (PSU) and the Belmopan City Council have reached an out-of-court settlement that is expected to be signed in a matter of days, bringing an end to the dispute between the two after Belmopan mayor Khalid Belisle brokered the sale of the Hilltop property that was the headquarters of the PSU. In November 2018, PSU leaders were shocked when they discovered that the land on which their headquarters have been located for 30 years had been sold right under their noses to an Asian businessman.

Tropic Air to lay off half its workforce
The government’s lifting of some of the national state of emergency restrictions in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic was recently announced, along with a declaration by the government that it aimed to encourage local tourism to move the Belizean economy along, after more than one month of lockdown. Grim news came out of the air travel sector of the local tourism industry, however, when it was reported that the local air travel company Tropic Air had announced that it will lay off more than 200 of its employees by the end of this month.

Salvadoran workers jailed for illegal entry into Belize
ose Sosa, 25, a Salvadoran national who is a construction worker working in Belize City, has been sentenced to six months in jail, after which he will be deported back to his country. Sosa was today taken to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court, where he appeared before Magistrate Tricia Pitts Anderson on a charge of illegal entry. Sosa had been apprehended after he was approached by police, who requested that he show them legal documents (a visa, work permit or visitor’s permit) that authorized his presence in Belize.

San Victor villagers defend contrabandistas— Customs officers retreat
This afternoon, Customs Department officers conducting patrols in San Victor, a village located just across the Rio Hondo River from San Fransisco Botes on the Mexican side, a known hot spot for contraband activities, came under attack from villagers when they tried to arrest the drivers of two vehicles that were entering the village, loaded with goods believed to be contraband that was smuggled in boats from Botes. The Customs officers said that when they tried to arrest the contrabandistas and confiscate the goods, they were confronted by persons in the village, who gathered stones and other objects to throw at them, causing them to retreat before they were injured.

Update: Boat collides into San Pedro wharf; two injured
At about 5:45 on Sunday evening, a boat in which five persons were traveling slammed into a wharf owned by the San Pedro International Water Taxi. As a result, three of the passengers were flung into the sea, while the captain of the boat, identified as Horace Bladen, 35, of San Pedro, suffered injuries to his face and left arm, and a passenger, Roy Bradley, 24, suffered a cut wound on his head and an abrasion on his face.

Ras Bano tells Krem Plus: It’s time to plant
David “Ras Bano” Barnett, one of the founding members of Harmonyville, which lies between St. Matthew’s and Cotton Tree villages on the George Price Highway, told Evan Hyde, Jr., in the 10th episode of the YouTube show “Talk To Mi” on Krem Plus, that the group has given out over a thousand 1-acre plots on their 1300-acre parcel, and he wants to encourage Belizeans who own plots and are not presently cultivating it, to come out and plant.

Belize among 7 countries to share CDB loan of US $66.7 million for COVID-19 relief
An emergency loan for seven Caribbean countries has been approved by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) this week, the bank said in a press release on Monday, May 18. The purpose of the loan package, which totals almost US $67 million, is to finance the COVID-19 response.

Eight injured in four accidents on highway
Four road traffic accidents which took place on the Philip Goldson Highway, the Hummingbird Highway and the George Price Highway resulted in eight persons suffering varying degrees of injury. Luckily, there were no fatalities, but some persons remain hospitalized for their injuries. The first accident occurred at about 4:00 Saturday evening on the George Price Highway near the entrance to Mahogany Heights, at Mile 37. Police said that a pickup was traveling from Belize City to Belmopan, and on its arrival at the entrance to Mahogany Heights, the vehicle ran off the road and overturned in the bushes.

State of emergency helping to keep lid on crime, Compol Williams says
Belize has been in a national State of Emergency in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic since April 1. One of the components of the country’s emergency measures has been the 8:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. curfew. Last Thursday, when he appeared on the government’s webcast Ask the Experts, Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte said that the curfew would continue until the end of June, when the present State of Emergency Proclamation would have run its course.

1,360 persons charged so far for violation of Emergency Powers Regulations
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began to impact the country in March, Emergency Safety Regulations have been in place to combat the spread of the coronavirus. Among the many measures and regulations in place to protect people in the country from contracting the deadly disease, are social distancing and the wearing of masks, which are now mandatory. Also, two curfews were enacted under the State of Emergency — a curfew for children that commences at 6:00 in the evening (initially it commenced at 4:00 p.m.) and continues to 6:00 in the morning, and the curfew for adults that goes from 8:00 at night until 5:00 in the morning.

Football Flashback 7 – our latest list for the 1980s
Below is our latest list of 1st Division football players during the period of the 1980s up to the start of semipro football in 1991. Early-1980s to Semipro 1991: Albert “Lizard” Ferguson, Alberto Yam, Alfred “Fredo” Usher, Allyson “Sugar” Gentle, Alvin Pennel, Amin Cano, Anthony “Telos” Usher...

The disparity in application of the law
It is indeed a rather frightening phenomenon that needs to be recorded in history, how the State of Emergency has shown more blatantly the disparity of the application of law and the selective interpretation of the law to accommodate the select few. There has not been a more flagrant example of blatant disparity in the application of the law than that of the case of Jules Vasquez, news director from 7News, and Arthur Saldivar, the attorney/politician of Belmopan. To appreciate the flagrant disregard of equity, one needs to know the sequence of events and the pronouncement by the Commissioner of Police Chester Williams.

The river is full of silt already
May is usually a dry month in Belize, at least until we’ve completed the first fifteen days, but this year we got some rain, some welcomed rain, very early in the month. The last half of last year was very dry, and there wasn’t that much rainfall in the first part of this year, so it is unlikely there was one person with a mature mind in our country who didn’t say, “Praise the Lord, God is great!”, when showers of blessing fell on our parched earth. The showers put out a lot of fires that were burning across the country, some in the forest reserves in the west and south. Some farmers showed their burned-out fields to the media, fields where their valuable crops of pineapples, plantain, and ground food were destroyed. It seems the pastures made it through without mishap, because we didn’t hear of any starving cattle breaking fences to go search for feed.

The story of Dr. Simon Serrano …
With all parties putting their shoulders to the wheel, and “with God smiling on their efforts,” as Abel put it, all the enterprises with which our extended family and friends were involved thrived slowly but surely. Under the guidance of Virgil’s expertise, new ventures were being undertaken jointly by the Atkins’ group, with contribution from Teacher Bertram’s estate, which continued to operate under the management of Mr.Solis’ eldest son, Andrew, and the Choc-managed cooperative, including the exporting of staples along with other produce to some of the nearby countries, as well as continuing to supply the local market.

Vision
We are all in this together as a family some of us need to calm down, in order to avoid too much pressure, stress and additional sickness coming. As a people we must thank all the good and kind people who donate the testing for Coronavirus in and out of the hospital. Aunt Grace don’t believe, Grace know, people who come up with the symptoms some may not want to admit they have the symptoms, because of fear.

Vietnam emerges from its harsh quarantine without death: how did it do it?
Vietnam began this weekend to lift its quarantine, one of the strictest in the world, but which appears to have contained the advance of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to official data, the Asian country bordering China had just under 300 infections and no deaths. Although the gathering of crowds of people continues to be banned and the use of masks and social distancing are encouraged, the communist regime allowed some companies to reopen, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

If we go to the IMF…
Dear Editor, In March 2017, Belize renegotiated its US $526.5 million bond (BZ$1.053 billion). The interest got reduced from 5% to 4.9375 %, and was to increase to 6.767 %. The maturity date was changed from 2038 to 2034. Belize makes two US$13 million (BZ$26 million) payments annually — one in February and the second in August, for interest only.

Letter: Supports Amandala initiative for Belize Football Hall of Fame
Fri. May 15, 2020– First, on behalf of our organizations, namely: the Belizean American Caribbean Football Association Inc. (B.A.C.F.A.) and the Belizean American Football Hall of Fame (B.A.F.H.F), we hereby extend our appreciation and gratitude to you and your organization for advocating on our behalf for the Belize Football Leagues, to establish a Belize Football Hall of Fame as one of their affiliated organizations.

What is Belize’s plan?
Dear Editor, The US Federal Reserve chairman, Jerome Powell, said in a 60-Minute interview that a recovery won’t happen until the end of 2021. He expects US GDP to shrink in the second quarter by around 30% and unemployment to be around 25%. These numbers are similar or worse than the Great Depression, but Powell said it will not be a depression. Fishermen do not say that their fish is stink. The situation is likely worse than he said.

BIG BOOTS
On Friday night I read Bilal Morris’ piece in the Amandala of 3/23/2020 on the legacy of George McKesey. While I read, George Jones was crooning his 1985 C&W song, “Who’s Gonna Fill Their Shoes?” The song is about the likely vacuum to follow departed/ing giants of the C&W genre, but as I listened I realized the question could be posed regarding a swathe of other talents.

The Reporter

Fatal road traffick accident results in death of one person and injury of two others
Reports are that Venus Penner was driving a red tractor with a trailer fulll of logs down a hill at 3:30 this morning, when he lost control in the Green Hills area of Spanish Lookout. The overturned trailer claimed the life of Widel Garcia. Penner and his father sustained injuries.

LOVE FM

MOH to negotiate with BMDA over private clinics
The Belize Medical and Dental Association (BMDA) has expressed their concerns about doctors employed in the public sector who are not allowed to operate in their private facilities under the current State of Emergency regulations.

Media tour into illegal crossings
Several persons caught illegally entering into Belize compounded their infractions when they were caught in possession of contraband beers. The illegal crossings are posing a problem for the authorities amid the Covid-19 pandemic as even locals are sneaking across into Mexico and coming back home via the informal routes.

FECTAB explains their future plans
With the announcement of tour guides and tour operators now being able to function, as well as the reopening of archaeological sites, the Federation of Cruise Tourism Association of Belize (FECTAB) held a press conference to discuss their plans and ideas.

Two men found dead in Southern Belize
The quiet of Hopkins Village was broken this morning when it was discovered that two men were murdered in that area. 55-year-old Quentin Espinosa and 70-year-old Roland Burley, an American national were found with stab wounds and gunshout injuries. The incident occurred at around nine thirty this morning near the village’s dump site. Love News spoke with Espinosa’s girlfriend, Rosalinda Mas, who says the last time she spoke with him was around seven o’clock last night.

FECTAB expresses their concerns
The Federation of Cruise Tourism Association of Belize (FECTAB) has stated that over 80% of their members are yet to receive help from the government through the COVID-19 Unemployment Relief Programme.

Mental illnesses in Belize: Depression
The second most prevalent mental disorder in Belize is depression. Chances are, you or someone you know may be suffering from this disease.

Call centers donate to NHI
Several call centers around Belize have come together to contribute to the COVID-19 relief efforts. Aside from ensuring that as many Belizeans that they employ would be able to keep their jobs, they also decided to donate money and equipment to the National Health Insurance (NHI) arm of the Ministry of Health.

NEMO coordinator involved in traffic accident
The Coordinator of NEMO, Lieutenant Colonel Shelton Defour along with a BDF soldier were taken to the Western Regional Hospital last night following a traffic incident. The two men were heading to San Ignacio yesterday evening when Defour lost control of the vehicle.

David Galindo burnt at the nipple by cops
It started as a regular police search at a residence in Santa Elena Town, Cayo District, but within minutes things got weird and a man’s nipple was burnt, allegedly at the hands of police. According to reports the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU) was looking for drugs and ammunition at the home of David Galindo. They conducted a search at the house at around six o’clock yesterday morning and ended up assaulting Galindo and burning his nipple leaving only burnt flesh. The incident has reached the ears of the Police Commissioner who says there is absolutely no justification to what was done.

MOH not aware of any terminations at KHMH
Earlier this week, there were reports of two doctors on contract being terminated at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. Yesterday, we sought confirmation from the Director of Health Services, Doctor Marvin Manzanero, who told us that he is unaware of any contract terminations.

Breaking Belize News

Courts celebrates its “Road to 25” with massive pre-anniversary sale
In June, Courts will be celebrating 25 years of operating in Belize, but the company […]

FECTAB gets new president, will hold elections later
The Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize (FECTAB) announced today that it has a […]

NEMO Coordinator and BDF officer injured in traffic accident
An officer of the Belize Defence Force was injured in a road traffic accident yesterday […]

Double murder reported in Hopkins
Reports to BBN indicate that the bodies of two people were found near the dumpsite […]

Regular gas goes up by 36 cents
The Ministry of Finance announced today that at midnight, the pump price for regular gasoline […]

Police descend on San Victor, Corozal ahead of anti-contraband operation
The quiet of a Friday morning in San Victor Village, Corozal was disrupted by the […]

BPO’s donate to COVID-19 relief
Five Business Process Outsourcing Centers (BPOs) made a donation to the Ministry of Health (MOH) […]

Let us fix the roof while the sun is still shining
SELF-RESPECTING PARENTS, EVEN BEFORE THEIR CHILDREN ARE BORN, and thereafter, constantly ponder their children’s well-being and future. […]

Santa Elena man claims police burned his nipple, ComPol: officers ‘out of order’
Belize is in a current state of emergency (SOE) due to the COVID-19 pandemic and […]

Ministry of Health says 8,000 tests kits are in stock
The Director of Health Services, Marvin Manzanero informed on Ask the Experts yesterday morning that […]

Organization of American States considering scholarship applications for online studies
The Organization of American States (OAS) has informed that due to the current COVID-19 situation, […]

CDC now says coronavirus ‘does not spread easily’ on surfaces
The New York Post, via Fox News, is reporting that according to the American Centers […]

Ministry of Health: Entire education system may change due to COVID-19
Director of Health Services, Dr. Marvin Manzanero explained on Ask the Experts yesterday that there […]

KHMH cost-cutting? Doctors dismissed
The economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has affected employment in Belize at all […]

Is Brazil the next COVID-19 hotspot in the Americas?
COVID-19 has marched westward from China since last December wreaking havoc and destruction. First it […]

DJ’s team up for San Ignacio and Santa Elena food drive fundraiser
DJ Mesmerize and DJ Blue have teamed up to conduct a Facebook Live food drive […]

World Health Organization to set up independent inquiry into COVID-19 pandemic
With more than 4.5 million infected and 300 thousand dead, the COVID-19 pandemic is among […]

Boy crushed and killed in lumber truck accident in Spanish Lookout
BBN has received reports that a 12-year-old boy was crushed and killed in an accident […]

Blogs

Win a Belize Vacation with #DearBelize!
Staying home and our days in isolation has given us a lot of extra time to daydream. Dreaming of a vacation to Belize? Belize Tourism Board is giving you the opportunity to turn your dreams of Belize into reality. The Belize Tourism Board have launched a “Dear Belize” campaign which give the opportunity for two people to win a dreamy 8 day – 7 night trip to Belize. Enjoy an all-inclusive vacation including flights, hotel, and ground transportation. Entering is easy! Send in a 60-second video starting with “Dear Belize” followed by why you would like to visit Belize.

Gaia Riverlodge offers you an escape to the mountains!
While many mainland residents plot and plan a getaway full of sun, sand and beach, islanders make their way off the sandlot and head for the hills. With the world currently on pause, Belize is currently only open for exploration by her own people. Resorts are now open to business, catering to those who may have been too busy to take a moment and enjoy the natural wonders of their own backyard. One such resort is Gaia Riverlodge, nestled in the Maya Mountains of Belize, and boasting the beautiful Five-Sisters Falls on her property. At $99BZ per person a night, complete with welcome drink and breakfast, one can unplug and unwind in one of the more stunning locations in the Cayo District.

Turbulence in the Airline Industry
The COVID-19 pandemic has, with sudden shock, altered the landscape of our global business community. It’s economic reverberations have forced many business owners to make very tough decisions. The economic effects has spread faster than the coronavirus and no one knows to any certainty how this all ends. Belize, always seemingly tucked away from the cares of the wider world, is no different. This includes the downsizing of teams, alteration to work hours, and even the surrender of coveted office space. The correct and proportionate response to this evolving reality is the great dilemma to so many business managers, having long participated in the growth and evolution of its workforce.

United Airlines to bring 20 Belizeans Home
The first 20 Belizean who have asked to be repatriated home to Belize after being stuck abroad because of the closure of our borders and airports due to COVID-19, will start arriving tomorrow May 22, 2020 onboard a United Airlines flight that is scheduled to arrive at 10:00am the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA).

International Sources

Guatemala Angry Over Coronavirus-Infected Deportees, President Says US Not Acting ‘Like Allies’
Guatemala’s president on Thursday questioned his country’s relationship with the United States, revealing frustration over the US continuing to send deportees infected with COVID-19 to a country struggling to manage the crisis. “This of allies with the United States isn’t true,” President Alejandro Giammattei said. “Guatemala is an ally of the United States, but the United States is not Guatemala’s ally. They don’t treat us like an ally.”

CDB: Many Caribbean countries will fall into recession
Many Caribbean countries will experience a general decline in economic activity in the coming months in light of COVID-19’s impact, the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) has stated. In a release on the CDB’s website, the institution noted: “Many of these countries, including those, which will be supported with emergency loans, will fall into recession this year.” The CDB indicated that Caribbean countries are especially vulnerable to the global outbreak due to their heavy dependence on tourism for income and employment.

UK gives PAHO $3.8 million for Caribbean COVID-19 fight
The United Kingdom is giving US$3.8 million to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) to help eight countries of the Caribbean contain the spread of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and mitigate its impact on their populations. The beneficiary Caribbean states are Antigua and Barbuda, Belize, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Jamaica, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Videos

May 22, 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

Tourism Minister says Tour Guide license renewals to be free of cost for three months
free license renewalsOn Thursday, May 21st, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Honourable Manuel Heredia Jr. announced that via an upcoming Statutory Instrument (SI), all tour guides countrywide will be able to renew their license at no cost, from June through August 2020. This is a way to assist tour guides affected by the current COVID-19 crisis, and as soon as the SI is passed, renewals can start online through the Belize Tourism Board’s website, www.belizetourismboard.org. Any applicants renewing their license after this three-month period will have to go through the normal process and pay a fee.

COVID-19 pandemic continues to take its toll as unemployment soars
The COVID-19 crisis is far from over, and the economic situation in Belize is expected to get tighter as business decreases, and more people lose their jobs. Those that are still working are advised to make the best of their earnings and to prepare for unprecedented obstacles, as the end of the pandemic is unknown. The government is encouraging others to stimulate the local economy while concerned islanders believe that if a proper plan is not put in place, Ambergris Caye and the rest of the country could face a humanitarian crisis.

Various Belizean Sources

Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen day Location
Friday, May 22nd Meal Pick ups Location: Barrier Reef Sports Bar and Grill Times: Village: 11:00am - 11:45am. Bahia: 11:45am - 12:30pm.

COVID-19 preparedness tour in Southern Health Region
Yesterday the Minister of Health Hon. Pablo Marin and CEO Dr. George Gough went on a COVID-19 preparedness tour in Southern Health Region which included Punta Gorda Hospital, Isabel Palma Polyclinic, Independence Polyclinic and Southern Regional Hospital. Both the Minister and CEO engaged with frontline healthcare workers at these facilities. We thank them for the hard work and dedication as we continues working in the Ministry’s COVID-19 response.

John Paul II Junior College student forum: "Young Belizeans Join in the Story"
John Paul II Junior College students will be having some interesting student forums starting tomorrow, and continuing Monday and Tuesday. A series of student forums aimed at awakening national consciousness and promoting social awareness.

Artist of the Day - Jael August
Born and raised in Belize City, songstress Jael August has been involved in the creative arts since she was 4 years old – first as a dancer and now a vocal artist. It was at the age of 9, she made her singing stage debut at the Bliss Centre for the Performing Arts in Belize City. In May 2011, she was a part of the “My Body is Precious” Country Tour commissioned by Special Envoy for Women and Children and the successful “Ozzy & The Playground Posse” Country Tour created and directed by the Youth Development Officer of ICA/NICH. Jael also represented Belize with her performance in the “My Body is Precious” musical theatre at the prestigious Caribbean Festival of Arts (CARIFESTA) 2013 held in Suriname. She has recorded three original songs collaborating with the Legendary Lord Rhaburn, Maestra Raquel Robles Pacheco and Maestro Carlos Perrote. She continues to showcase her beautiful and powerful voice, in various genres, at numerous community and charitable events.

Art & Soul series: Miss Joanna Magana
Our Art & Soul series this week has the pleasure of showcasing one of Corozal's gems. Miss Joanna Magana, educator at Corozal Junior College, artist, writer, poet, community and women's advocate. A fearless passionate soul, Joanna is always ready to push thoughts, ideas and concepts to the next level. She has been involved with the House of Culture from its inauguration in 2012, a regular contributor and guest speaker at the annual Arte con Voz de Mujer Exhibit (she gave the exhibit its name). Miss Magana's poetry speaks volumes; insight into being a modern woman in Belize. Enjoy!!

Assisted Voluntary Return Program
Are you a Belizean stranded in a neighboring country? IOM, in coordination with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Belize can help you to go back home

Minister of National Emergency Management feeds Doctors, Nurses and Support Staff at Cleopatra White Polyclinic
Minister of National Emergency Management Honorable Edmond Castro visited Cleopatra White Polyclinic in Belize City where he provided meals for doctors, nurses and support staff at that public health institution. Honorable Castro personally participated in the preparation, delivery and distribution of the meals, a key ingredient in which is ‘Papa Jeff Smoked Beef’ produced at Castro’s own farm and processing facility.

Central Medical Laboratory receives 3000 viral swabs
On Wednesday, May 20, the Central Medical Laboratory of Belize received an additional 3000 viral swabs from the PAHO-WHO Belize country office. These viral swabs are an essential component for the testing of COVID19. With much appreciation, the Acting Director of the laboratory, Mr. Juvencio Chan, received the swabs on behalf of the Ministry of Health Belize. PAHO/WHO Belize continues to support and strengthen the health system to effectively respond to COVID-19.

COVID-19 UPDATE
This is our data up until 3 pm today. A further 72 samples were done today, all negative - the random sampling continues. We note that neighbouring Othon P. Blanco municipality has a total of 46 total confirmed cases with 16 of these active and Guatemala now has a total of 2,265 cases and the two entities continue to report increasing numbers. Physical distancing remains a vital element for prevention. Let's all keep safe.

Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen Fundraiser
Tonight join the fun!

Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen Serves 10,000th Meal!
Today we hit a milestone! We served our 10,000th cooked meal! Time for an update about numbers and finances. A little recap: At the beginning of this project, we promised transparency and to be good stewards of your donations. We also promised 100% of your dollars to be used only for food and directly associated costs (propane, utilities, barge fees, etc). Of course we’re keeping this promise, we do not pay any staff member, we do not pay volunteers. We promised you that we would not exceed our maximum cost of 2.50 BZD (1.25 USD) per meal.

COMPOL TO VISIT SAN VICTOR, COROZAL
Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams will be visiting San Victor Village in the Corozal District. The visit is being prompted by a recent confrontation between villagers and customs personnel as the villagers were being intercepted by custom officers with a contraband haul. The illegal activity of bringing in contraband in the area is routine, however, with the onset of COVID19, it has become more concerning to law enforcement personnel who now fear that the virus could be imported via this route.

Atlantic Bank has an express service for renewing drivers licenses

Support La Isla Carinosa Academy Education Program
The island children need your help! In 2015, Alberto Luis August established a small high-quality school on the island of Caye Caulker, Belize. This GoFundMe page was created to seek your assistance in keeping this small island school alive.

Call for Entries!
We extend a warm invitation for short videos or Art submissions in highlighting and empowering our talented Belizean children with Diverse Abilities! Such video may highlight but not limited to Cultural dance, Multi-Cultural Language Demonstration, Poetry (with use of sign language), or you may submit images of paintings, drawings or sketch! Send your edited two (2) minutes video or image of Artwork to (museumofbelize@gmail.com) or via our Facebook Messenger. Each submission must be accompanied by a short biography of the child and a description of their talent.(Call 223-4524 for further inquiries).

FIRST BELIZEANS REPATRIATED ON UNITED AIR FLIGHT TO PGIA WITH HELP OF U.S. EMBASSY BELIZE
The first 20 Belizean who have asked to be repatriated home to Belize after being stuck abroad because of the closure of our borders and airports due to COVID-19, will start arriving tomorrow May 22, 2020 onboard a United Airlines flight that is scheduled to arrive at 10:00am the Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA). As no airlines are flying to Belize except to repatriate foreign nationals it is thanks to the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Embassy Belize and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that 20 Belizeans will return on the United Air Flight that is scheduled to fly to Belize tomorrow to repatriate U.S. Nationals longing to return to their home.

Belize Children’s Assistance
To those that have visited the beautiful island of Ambergris Caye, I'm sure you have met and dealt with the wonderful people that live there. A majority of the inhabitants of Ambergris Caye depend on the tourism industry for their livelihood. Due to travel bans resulting in no tourists, they are barely able to make ends meet and will be affected for at least a few more months. San Pedro and surrounding areas have been terribly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many rent their homes and without income they won't be able to provide shelter and food for their families.

Channel 7

Guatemalan Diplomats Came Thru West Border, Privileged To Home Quarantine
Belize's borders have been re-opened to resident Belizeans returning from the many parts fo the world where they have been stuck since the borders closed in late March.  Among the first to return are 10 Shipyard Mennonites who are under quarantine at a designated hotel, the Lamanai Inn in the Orange Walk District.  But, among the very first to come in also a pair of Guatemalan diplomats.  They arrived at the western border today - and were reportedly escorted by the Health officials.  Our reports are they were not subjected to swabbing, and were then sent to self quarantine at their embassy in Belize City.

Belizeans Will Not Be On Friday Flight
And, while the Guatemalans are quarantIning at home, it has been confirmed that Belizeans will not be able to come in on that first flight tomorrow.  Yesterday on Ask The Experts, CEO Burns said that they were tying to work it out. The United Airlines flight is coming empty from the US to pick up Americans stranded in Belize.   And the hope was that maybe resident Belizeans - who urgently need to come home - especially those with chronic illnesses - could get on the flight coming in.

Health Ministry's Advice on Repatriation
But although there are no Belizeans on that flight, the the Ministry of Health is getting ready to ensure that when Belzieans do start arriving that they aren't exposing the country to the coronavirus. They are also preparing to oversee the repatriation of Belizeans who have been stuck abroad for several weeks after the Government closed the borders. At today's edition of the Government's Ask the Experts Webcast, members of the public asked the Director of Health Services to shared details about what their role in the process will look like. Here's how he put it:

Salary Cuts At BTL, But What About Staff Cuts?
Turning down to economic news, the prognosis continue to be very bad.  As we told you Tropic Air is laying off 220 of its 380 employees, and BTL is in talks with its union for across the board paycuts that could go as high as 15%.   This evening we spoke to CEO Ivan Tesecum via video conference about the company's review of all operations and every expense line - from salaries to staffing:

Cops Brutalize Galindo
7 months ago we told you about the cold-blooded murder of 58-year-old Mirna Young, a grandmother who became collateral damage in what looked like a retaliatory attack against her sons, David, and Jorge Galindo.  And tonight David is back in the news after an incident of what he describes as police brutality. Here's his take on the 6:30 a.m. drug and ammunition search allegedly led by the GSU which has left him bruised and burned. 

Funerals, From Cultural Anchor, To A Passing Event
In recent days you've heard constant talk of the new normal affecting every facet of daily life from dining out to taking a walk, but COVID-19 has had more profound effects, even altering customs and traditions from cradle to grave. Today, Cherisse Halsall looked at how COVID has turned the funeral, a cultural anchor, into a small event in passing: When a loved one dies, it's natural to want to honor that person's life with a gathering of friends and family. But what does a funeral look like mid-Pandemic? It's smaller, much smaller.

Crashed Vessel Was Racing
On Monday's newscast, we told you about a boating accident in San Pedro in which a tour vessel crashed into the wooden Wharf belonging to San Pedro International Marine Terminal. Well, preliminary investigations are indicating at this time, the captain was in some kind of boat race when he lost control of the vessel. As we told you, at around 5:45 p.m. on last Sunday evening, 35-year-old Horace Bladen, a Tour Guide from Belize City, was the captain of the boat, named "Jackson Nicholas", which is registered to  Searious Adventure Tours. He had 4 passengers on board, including the owner of the tour company.

Cannabis In Coke Truck Gets Driver Fired
On Tuesday's news, we told you about 26-year-old Melvin Velasquez. He's the Bowen and Bowen delivery truck driver from Pomona Village who police busted with weed in his truck. Well, his now former employer, Bowen and Bowen has confirmed that he has pleaded guilty. A press release from the beverage company says, quote, "We are managing the situation internally through dismissal of the delivery truck driver and the termination of the other two members of the truck crew.

38 Days Covid Free
The extended State of Emergency regulations may have you stir-crazy from being stuck at home for almost 2 months now. Or, maybe you're tired of the breathing difficulties that come with wearing a face mask all day. But, the good news tonight is that all those self-sacrifices in this new COVID-19 world have helped Belize to reach 38 days and counting with no active coronavirus cases. This was among the first few talking points for the Ministry of Health officials who returned to the Ask the Experts Webcast to update the nation on ongoing the COVID-19 fight. Here's the Director of Health Services discussing this very positive development:

Health on Schools Reopening
And what did Manzanero have to say about schools?   Last night on the news, you heard Education Minister Patrick Faber say that at this time, it appears unlikely that schools will re-open before this current school year ends. He stressed that he was not willing to make that decision just yet, because he is still hopeful the students will get some of that in-class contact time that the pandemic has deprived them of.  The problem is that there is still no finalized protocol on whether or not students will have to wear masks at school. And then, there is the set up of the classrooms, which don't exactly allow for that 3 to 6 feet of social distancing between each student.

Manza Not Keen On Gyms Opening
And while some schools are ready to go, they cannot be more eager than gym owners.   Earlier this week, several of them signed unto a list of suggestions for sanitary measures they are willing to take to make sure their gyms remain COVID free.  The gym owners insist that they are able to implement protocols to minimize that risk and that they are able to ensure that their clients observe strict social distancing. They also assert that their customers also need to remain healthy.  Well, the Director of Health Services explained why the Government is still concerned about allowing gyms to re-open:

Get Ready For a Long, Long Run With Masks
But, how about going to the gym in a mask?  Doesn't sound like much fun at all, but if you're patiently waiting for the day when the Government will lift the restrictions requiring a mask, the Director of Health Services says don't hold your breath. Here's how he explained why the face masks rules will be around for an extended period of time: "Continue to be on the lookout for information, we are not - part of what we keep trying to address in the multiple interventions we do is understand there is a new norm..."

Police Subdue Battling BDF On A Bus
A BDF soldier was caught on camera being manhandled by police - but what you see is only half the story.   Police say the 21 year old volunteer soldier Ryan Santos had been in a fight with a civilian. It happened on a Westline bus passing Ontario Village shortly before 7:35 a.m. this morning when Santos allegedly punched 21-year-old Nigel Reyes in the face. 

Cement Truck Topples On Tough Corner
A Maheias United cement mixer truck overturned this morning in the west Landivar area when the driver made a critical error of judgement on a corner turn. The truck dieppe into a deep drain, and because of the weigh, then fell on its side.   Moments later we spoke to one of the company's owners who told us that while he blames his driver, the badly designed street corner has caused problems before.  "I think there are two things. Last week there was a complaint of a Bowen truck that also had the same problem. I think it's maybe the driver kind of misjudged the angle of the street but it collapsed so I think it's a combination of both but it looks more like driver error to me than anything..."

The Other Manza Says Science Not Spin Solved COVID Tracing
Last night we told you about the slightly puzzling story of an article appearing in a Canadian Newspaper article discussing Belize's current COVID-free status. The article claimed that technology is at the forefront of Belize's COVID-19 efforts. It claims that a secret weapon developed locally, which drove decisions on a day-to-day basis.   It goes on to say that quote: "a small group of software developers, statisticians and health professionals got together and designed their own in-house tracking, tracing and reporting platform for Covid19, possibly one of the earliest such integrated efforts in the Americas."

Belize’s Neighbours Spike With CVOID Cases
As we've been telling you, Belize is the only country in the mainland Americas that does not have an active coronavirus case. But the number of cases are spiking in neighbouring countries, and today, the Director discussed the regional perspective:

Active COVID Surveillance
And because Belize is among the select few countries in the world that is COVID-free, the Ministry of health is maintaining high surveillance to detect any emerging coronavirus threat early.  Here's what the Director of Health Services had to say about the way the ministry is currently handling its testing:

Dengue Could Be Heading For Another Record Year
And, while all the emphasis has been placed on COVID 19,  Dengue is actually a greater immediate threat.  Last year was a record breaker for Belize, 10 people died from Dengue and there were 8,141 laboratory confirmed cases.   It's a very serious public health issue, and as we enter the rainy season, it will give rise to more mosquitoes and greater community risk.

12 Year Old Crushed and Killed In Tractor Turnover
A 12-year-old boy was crushed to death this afternoon by an overturned tractor. It happened in the Green Hills area of Spanish Lookout. The boy Widel Garcia was in the company of his father when 29-year-old Venus Penner lost control of a loaded red tractor which overturned on a hillside killing the boy and injuring his father, 35-year-old Pedro Garcia. 

Drugs Busted, Mexican Quarantined, The Twain Never Met
Belizean Law enforcement made a major drug bust in the Orange Walk District yesterday, finding 7 pounds of marijuana near an illegal border crossing. A joint patrol with police, customs and Baha near the Botes illegal crossing came upon a group of men who dashed off when they saw the patrol. Before they escaped, the culprits dumped a camouflage bag in an area located near the Yo Creek and San Antonio Roads.

Channel 5

Bus Industry is at the End of its Tether
The economic news continues to be grim; the unprecedented impact and the effects of the novel coronavirus are reverberating throughout the economy. In fact, even before the crisis hit Belize, [...]

MOH to Implement COVID-19 Prevention Protocols for Repatriated Belizeans
Since the government announced that it will be receiving its citizens, who got stuck in countries abroad when the airport and borders were closed, Belizeans have been preparing to return [...]

Ministries of Health and Education Talk Schools & COVID-19
While the country continues to relax its measures and open up back the economy, the same can’t be said for schools. Students are still at home doing online classes, but [...]

M.O.H. on COVID-19 Management
Today marks thirty-eight days straight since Belize last reported an active COVID-19 case. It seems like a big feat accomplished especially when cases continue to grow all around our borders. [...]

M.O.H. & S.I.B. Partner Up for COVID-19
To help complement the work of the health staff, the ministry says they needed some help to make it easier to manage the cases and the country’s response. By the [...]

Police Officers Arrest B.D.F. Soldier
A Belize Defense Force soldier found himself on the wrong side of the law this morning. He was placed under arrest by police officers on a West Line bus that [...]

Bowen and Bowen Deliver Truck Driver Fired After being Busted with Weed
Bowen and Bowen Limited has fired three employees but not due to the COVID 19. It is because police in Pomona Village found seventy-three point eight grams of marijuana in [...]

FECTAB is a House Divided: Are Personal Interests Taking Lead?
For years, we have been covering the loud noises coming from the leaders of FECTAB, the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize on all things related to tourism. But tonight, [...]

Tourism Stakeholders Need G.O.B. to Help with Accessing Long Term Low Interest Loans
Tourism was the first sector to start showing the impacts of COVID-19. Hotels and resorts in prime tourism destinations such as Placencia, San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Hopkins and the Cayo [...]

Local Tourism Won’t Make Money, But Will Likely Boost Morale
As you know, with the ease of restrictions, domestic tourism is being promoted as a first step to open up the industry. Stakeholders are offering great deals for Belizeans to [...]

Salary Cuts at B.T.L.
Unemployment is growing due to COVID-19 and most companies have had to offer salary cuts to employees and reduce work hours to be able to stay in business. The cuts [...]

B.C.V.I. Affected by COVID-19
The health sector has been in high gear due to the corona virus but like other sectors, it is also facing challenges. Even before the lockdown of the economy, the [...]

BCVI Reviews Protocols to Ensure Safety for its Clients
B.C.V.I. is in the process of reviewing new protocols to ensure the safety of its clients. But during that time, its message to clients, in case of emergencies, is to [...]

K.H.M.H. Terminates Doctor Amin Hegar
Not far away from the B.C.V.I. is the national referral hospital, where eye treatment is also on the chopping block.  Ophthalmologist, Doctor Amin Hegar’s contract with the Karl Heusner Memorial [...]

Dr. Hegar: “My services are needed”
Hegar’s termination leaves a huge vacuum at the K.H.M.H.   According to the doctor, it places the members of the public in a vulnerable position since he was the only one [...]

COVID-19 Testing Continues; MOH May Switch to Targeted Approach
Back to the coronavirus…random testing continues three times a week. The Ministry of Health says that they are screening all persons with flu-like symptoms that show up in the health [...]

COVID-19 Tests and Testing Capabilities
So, as you heard just now, the Ministry of Health may be doing a more targeted approach in its testing in the coming weeks. The Director of Health Services says [...]

No Vaccine; No Rapid Tests for COVID-19
Doctor Marvin Manzanero says that no vaccine is available as yet, despite developments being made overseas.  It is similar news on the issue of rapid tests, which is an option [...]

COVID-19 Risk Factors – Know the Info!
While Belize has not detected new cases in more than a month, COVID-19 continues to spread around the world and more is being learnt about the virus. Now the virus [...]

Mental Health – Building Awareness Can Make a Difference
The economic and health impact of the coronavirus is taking a toll at homes across the country where families are having a difficult time to put food on the table. [...]

ACES Relocates Another Croc
The American Crocodile Education Sanctuary on Wednesday night relocated an American crocodile. The feisty young five-foot croc got lost on the grounds of a developing resort on Ambergris Caye. According [...]

Healthy Living: Dengue – Another Potential Outbreak
Since the start of 2020, we’ve all been focusing on COVID-19.  But that doesn’t mean it’s the only health issue you should be concerned about.  There’s another potential outbreak that [...]

The Reporter

Truck overturns on Campus Avenue
A white truck belonging to Maheias United Ltd overturned on Campus Avenue this morning. Details are sketchy but the driver escaped unharmed and a crane is currently underway to clear the way.

LOVE FM

Mental disorders in Belize may worsen during covid-19 pandemic
As international mental health awareness week continues, it is important to note that those who are currently battling with mental illnesses may be having an even harder time dealing with life amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The effects that it could have on a person’s mental well-being may be detrimental, especially since help may not be so easily accessible especially with restrictions in place.

Belize Tourism Board talks about their future plans and local tourism
It is for a fact that countries around the globe are experiencing the economic impacts due to COVID-19. Here in Belize many companies and government departments had to undergo some sort of cost-saving measures.

The most common mental disorder in Belize: Anxiety
Anxiety is the most prevalent mental disorder in Belize. This disorder is characterized mainly by excessive worrying. While worrying may seem like a minor symptom, anxiety can lead to hospitalization and may also need medication to maintain.

Belize Communications Workers Union to enter into negotiations over pay cuts
Companies large and small have had to make some degree of reductions in their payroll expenditure among other areas. Tonight Belize Telemedia is looking to do the same but they will have to go through the Belize Communications Workers’ Union (BCWU).

Teen lucky to be alive following a house fire
A young boy is lucky to be alive and he has his uncle to thank for saving him from his burning home. 13-year-old Delroy Cuthkelvin was asleep in his house in Lucky Strike Village, Belize District when the fire began. According to the child’s mother, 29-year-old Shamar Herbert, she was at a neighbour’s house when she saw smoke coming from her place just after ten o’clock yesterday morning. Herbert rushed to her son’s aid but it was her brother who managed to take the young boy out of the burning bungalow home.

Breaking Belize News

NEW BELMOPAN FIRE STATION TAKING SHAPE
By Detroy Cuthkelvin: Our mouth and nose are covered up these days (because of COVID-19), but our eyes are wide open; and we can see the stupendous sights and signs of development still progressing all around. […]

Police seek man accused of raping a minor
Police are seeking a Belize City man accused of raping a minor. According to police […]

Over 1,400 tests done; Belize remain COVID-19 free
The Office of Director of Health services informed today that 1,435 tests have been done […]

Astrum Helicopters implement new COVID-19 measures on helicopter flights
Astrum Helicopters says that it continues to closely monitor the evolving COVID-19 situation worldwide and […]

Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization donates additional viral swabs to Belize
On May 20, the Central Medical Laboratory of Belize received an additional 3000 viral swabs […]

NEMO Minister provides food for frontline workers at Cleopatra White Polyclinic
Yesterday, Minister of National Emergency Management, Edmond Castro visited the Cleopatra White Polyclinic in Belize […]

Cement truck overturns in Belize City
A cement truck belonging to Maheias United overturned in a drain in Belize City this […]

Ministries of Health and Education still discussing reopening of schools, changes need to be made
The Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Education, Youth, Sports and Culture are still […]

“Vaccines might not help with COVID-19 right away,” Director of Health Services suggests
Research into the COVID-19 pandemic is taking place all over the world and several medical […]

Over 200 applicants so far for repatriation – How long will it take?
Already, there have been more than 200 applications since the repatriation process form went live […]

MoFA: Belize “well prepared” to welcome Belizeans home, but it will cost
Belize has been relying on support from the Caribbean Public Health Administration (CARPHA) and Pan […]

“Controlled return” of Belizeans abroad underway
Following the go-ahead from Prime Minister Dean Barrow, Belize’s Ministries of Health, Foreign Affairs and […]

Caribbean Union of Teachers demands postponement of CSEC exams until September
Belize’s Minister of Education, Youth and Sports, Patrick Faber, says he is generally in agreement […]

National achievement – Beds designated for COVID-19 patients are empty
This national achievement is something which we can all appreciate. “This is important in the […]

Pesticides Control Board issues update on COVID-19 measures
The Pesticides Control Board thanks the public for the cooperation demonstrated during its implementation of […]

Mexican Embassy launches new digital cultural program
The Embassy of Mexico in Belize is launching a new cultural program, so the people […]

Bowen & Bowen dismisses truck-driver and crew busted with more than 10 grams of weed
On Friday, May 15, police in the Stann Creek District arrested and charged a delivery […]

The Second-term Inaugural Address by Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen
On the morning of May 20, ROC 15th-term President Tsai Ing-wen and Vice President Lai Ching-te attended inaugural […]

Blogs

Win “When This Is All Over, I’m Going to Belize” T-Shirt + Support Ambergris Caye!
When You Are Stuck At Home But Your Heart is in Belize… Last week, I shared a link to this tee shirt and I LOVE THIS SENTIMENT!!!!!!!!! And SO many of you went to the website to check it out. Many bought shirts which I hope are being proudly worn when you are out and about. (They have other cute shirts…) I mean…who isn’t looking forward to getting out of the house and getting to BELIZE? dock at Ramon's Village SO NOW I’M PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE A CONTEST! 2 WINNERS! 2 FREE T-shirts, one to EACH winner…size of your choice. To be shipped to US addresses only free of charge. WHEN THIS IS OVER I’M GOING TO BELIZE!

5 Reasons Placencia is an Unforgettable Belize Destination
The 16 miles long Placencia Peninsula in southeastern Belize is often called “the island you can drive to”. It’s also called the “barefoot paradise” thanks to its beaches, which includes the longest on the mainland. Here are five reasons to visit Placencia! The tiny Placencia village with its population of 1,500 made it into the Guinness Book of World Records thanks to its 4000-foot long main street. You can enjoy its colorful street murals as you visit its many shops, bars, and restaurants. No need to worry about traffic – no vehicles allowed since it’s just 4 feet wide. Thats what makes it the world’s narrowest main street!

OPINION | How Belize used Technology to Combat COVID19
by Mike Singh. On Monday, May 4th, Belize reported zero active cases of the COVID19 coronavirus. Behind Belize’s containment success lies a locally-developed technology, aimed to bring normalcy amidst a global pandemic. For this small developing country in mainland Central America that depends heavily on international tourism and cross border trade, such a feat is an incredible one. With a population of just around 400,000, Belize’s public health system could hardly hope to cope with a massive outbreak of COVID19. Despite the large numbers in cases in neighboring countries, Belize has only had a total of 18 cases. With no new cases since April 13th, this has not been by accident.

Caribbean Nations Plan Border Reopenings
With economies heavily dependent on tourism, Caribbean countries like St. Lucia, Antigua, Aruba, and even Belize are eager to reopen their borders. Not to mention, CARICOM endorsed plans for a phased reopening of Caribbean borders solely to intra-regional travel in first instance, for as early as June. Given the COVID-19 crisis by the numbers is “largely contained” within the region, this agreement was made following the 50th Meeting of CARICOM’s Council for Trade and Economic Development (COTED). Across the region, Caribbean nation states have reacted to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic by strict protocols and travel restrictions. But when will the Caribbean reopen? Besides being a vacation destination, many second homes and part time residencies are stuck abroad. Unfortunately, there is no concrete answer. However, some Caribbean nations fire ahead with border reopening plans and safety protocols to one day welcome cherished travelers back.

International Sources

UPDATE ON THE OAS ACADEMIC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM 2020-2021
The OAS has informed that due to the current COVID-19 situation, they will ONLY consider applications for ONLINE studies for both Undergraduate and Graduate Programs. Due to this, the National Liaison Office has extended the deadline to June 14th,2020 to give those that have submitted applications for on-campus studies an opportunity to make changes if they wish to do so and to allow new applicants to consider their options.

Belize’s Prime Minister Celebrates 31 Days With No New Cases of Coronavirus in the Country
Belize’s coronavirus numbers have reportedly held steady for 31 days, making the country one of 12 regions in the world that say they are currently free of COVID-19. 18 people were confirmed to have the virus in March, and no new cases have appeared on record since. Two people in the Central American country passed away from it. No new infections have surfaced since then, although it’s unclear how often people are being tested. Still, Belize Prime Minister Rt. Hon Dean Barrow credited Belize’s medical and scientific community for their efforts amid the pandemic.

Caribbean Nations Rally Behind UN Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty
Caribbean support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) continues to grow, with Belize ratifying the landmark agreement on 19 May. Belize is the seventh member of the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM, to become a party, following Guyana, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, and Antigua and Barbuda. Caribbean nations have been vocal supporters of the TPNW, reflecting their longstanding support for diplomatic efforts to achieve a more peaceful world free from the threat of nuclear weapons.

Videos

May 21, 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

Island residents oppose plans to build a water taxi terminal on beachfront of former Ruby’s Hotel
The proposed construction of a massive water taxi terminal on the beachfront of the former Ruby’s Hotel, now known Coastal Bay in San Pedro Town, continues to face strong public disapproval. Recent unconfirmed information as of press time is that the project has received the green light, and construction of the terminal is to start soon. This has raised concerns among many islanders, who have voiced their adamant rejection to the project, and are seeking support via an online petition and other means to stop the unwanted project.

Ambergris Today

Belize At 36 Days With Zero COVID-19 Cases
As of yesterday, Tuesday, May 20, 2020,Belize is only country in mainland America with zero COVID-19 cases after Suriname reported a new case. Belize’s Ministry of Health reported last night that a further 33 samples were tested yesterday and all came out negative. Despite the large numbers in neighboring countries in its largest tourism market, including the U.S., Belize has had a total of 18 and no new case since April 13th.

Various Belizean Sources

Caye Caulker Soup Kitchen day Location
Thursday, May 21st Meal pick ups Location: Happy Lobster Restaurant Times: Village: 11:00am - 11:45pm. Bahia: 11:45am - 12: 30pm.

Government of Belize Congratulates President Tsai Ing-wen on Her Presidential Inauguration
The Government and people of Belize congratulates President Tsai Ing-wen of the Republic of China (Taiwan) as she was sworn in today, May 20th, for her second term as president. In his congratulatory remarks to the President, Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow stated, “Under President Tsai’s leadership, Belize and Taiwan will remain the firmest of friends. We expect not just continuity but expansion of our bilateral relationship. And in the international sphere Taiwan can always count on Belize’s support.”

San Pedro's Mother of the Year gets 1100L Water Tank
Harmouche Center through the San Pedro Town Council donated a 1100L Tank to Mother of the Year 2020, Ms. Evarista. She was very grateful for the donation as it came in handy for her. Thank you Harmouche Center for the great donation.

Pesticides Control Board Notice
The Pesticides Control Board thanks its clients, stakeholders and the general public for the cooperation demonstrated during its implementation of precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Clients, stakeholders and the general public are hereby advised of the following measures that remain in place in order to maintain operational continuity during the national State of Emergency for prevention of the spread of COVID-19.

More Alcohol Than Food - Commissioner of Police Explains
"Good morning my friends, we are seeing that a number of Restaurants and those places with Publican Special and trade licence to sell food, advertising social events and beer sale at their establishment. Please, may I remind you that as a restaurant you can only sell alcohol with meal. Your main attraction is and must be food and not alcohol. Those places that has Publican Special licence with trade licence to sell food, while the state of emergency regulation do allow you to open your main attraction must also be food. You cannot sell alcohol without food and you must comply with all the requirements of the law.

Attention Restaurant Operators
Hospitality Training Services - Belize is having a free webinar for restaurateurs on Friday. Shared: https://bit.ly/CayoCal. Some topics to be covered: Food safety, Cleaning and sanitizing, Employee health monitoring, personal hygiene, Social distancing.

Join the BAY Mentorship Program today!
The Belmopan Active Youths are looking for mentors. Let them know if you're interested in helping them help others.

The Artists of the Day, Carlos Carrillo
Born in 1996 in Corozal Town, Carlos started drawing at the age of nine. He noticed people making positive comments on his drawings and realized his talent. At the age of thirteen Carlos won Gold with his drawings at the National Festival of Arts for primary schools. Shortly after, he was invited to participate in the Institute of Creative Arts - Corozal Committee’s Summer Art Program. Carlos continued to develop his artistic style with more programs offered by the Corozal Organization Leading Cultural Heritage and Art (COLCHA) from 2010 to 2013. In 2012 Carlos was awarded Poster Youth for the Corozal District, by the National Institute of Culture and History (NICH). In 2013 he placed third in the National Youth Awards. In 2014 he joined the annual Men at Work and Identity Youth art exhibits at the Corozal House of Culture.

Belize Literary Prize Postponed
The Belize Book Industry Association's Belize Literary Prize is postponed. No new date has been confirmed. Updated criteria and the new deadline will be sent when available. Thank you for your interest and support, especially of our recent online observation of World Book and Copyright Day!

Chaa Creek Is Cautiously Optimistic - and Busy - As Belize Looks Towards Reopening
With Belize the first, and still the only country in the Americas to be COVID-19 free, and with no new cases reported, The Lodge at Chaa Creek is busy preparing to welcome guests and a return to normalcy, the popular Belizean eco-resort’s owners say. Founding owners Mick and Lucy Fleming praised the government of Belize for early intervention measures, and the Belizean people for working together to maintain social distancing and other protocols. This is allowing for some restrictions to be eased and the tourism industry to plan for the future, they said. “We’ve beginning to think about making the transition from containment and lockdown to opening up and welcoming visitors, and that’s very exciting,” Ms Fleming, a past president of the Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA), said.

Thursday's "Ask the Experts"
Join us again today, May 21st, 2020 at 1:00 p.m. for another segment of 'Ask the Experts'. Our guests will be Drs. Marvin and Russell Manzanero of the Ministry of Health Belize.

St. Francis Xavier Credit Union Ltd.'s working hours have changed

John Burgos and Stewart Krohn on Open Your Eyes today
Join BTIA Executive Director, John Burgos and 2nd Vice President, Stewart Krohn on the 1st segment of Open Your Eyes today, May 21 at 7am as they share details on the future of tourism and recovery plan recommendations.

Virtual National Festival of Arts 2020
Today's Festival of Arts Showcase will be slightly different! The videos were all captured by teachers just before the beginning of quarantine and the closing of schools, making them all the more poignant. Tune in right here on our Facebook Page and also on Institute of Creative Arts - NICH @ 7pm! ...Belize Festival of Arts 2020: Creative Resilience - Social Media Is My Stage

Repatriation Flights to the USA
There are currently a few seats still available on United Airlines flight UA2421, which departs Philip Goldson International Airport (PGIA) on Friday May 22, 2020 at 12:00 noon and arrives in Houston at 15:30 pm. If you are a passenger on this flight, please read the following important information concerning your safe departure from Belize. If you are not a passenger on this flight but are still interested in repatriating to the United States, please skip to step number 5. 1. Transportation: The Government of Belize has stated that due to the availability of public transportation options, all passengers must arrange their own travel to PGIA. Please arrive at the airport at least three hours before the flight departs.

Channel 7

Steep $$$ Cuts, No More Folgers In Gov't Offices, Bring Nescafe!
Government's finances are in the trash right about now; due to COVID 19, revenue collection is about half of what it used to be - and government is borrowing to pay its bills, and its public officers. A circular which went out yesterday from the Ministry of Finance shows how acute it is. Circular number 6 of 2020, dated May 19th warns public officers about a reduction in their monthly budget. It says, quote, "we are faced with the need to further curtail recurrent expenditure...Effective June first until further notice de-reservation of funds, except for personal emoluments will be reduced from 1/12th to 1/20th of the approved estimates." Now that probably just sounds like bureaucratese so we asked the Financial secretary via telephone what it means in real terms, and what it is indicative of for government's finances generally.

Education Minister Explains Consequence of Cuts On Education
Today, in Belmopan at an event for the FFB, aspiring UDP Leader Patrick Faber explained the circular and discussed what it means for education: "It is to kind of formalize and to say to ministries this is what you have to work with. I was one of those ministers who asked the Prime Minister, well, how it is that we're to operate? Because I think it is no secret that the income, the revenue for the government is cut. In fact, you've heard it is more than half of the income that we're not getting in these times. And how is that we're to operate in our ministry if we don't know exactly how much monies are going to come..."

Faber Still Wants The Top Job, Even After COVID-19
Indeed, those big cuts will leave many unhappy - part of the grim future that is in store for government finances generally. This year alone, the economy is expected to contract by 20%, leaving the debt to GDP ratio at a catastrophic 130%. I'll say that again: By next year April, our national debt could be 130% of our GDP. That's dire in the extreme - and it begs the questions who would want to lead a country at such a difficult juncture? Well, bet your bottom dollar that Patrick Faber would! He's been aiming for the top job since he was a teen, and even though he suffered a major setback earlier this year, today he told us that he still has his eyes on the prize, no matter how difficult the days that lie ahead:

When Will Schools Re-Open?
But the challenge he is facing right now is the re-opening of schools. And while there are talks about a timeline for the reopening of the tourism industry, have there been similar discussions within the Ministry of Education for the reopening of schools countrywide? For almost 2 months now, the nation's schoolchildren have been at a big disadvantage in their studies, and the school year is rapidly coming to a close. Officials in the United Kingdom are considering reopening schools in that country on June 1st. Mexico is in the process of a partial re-opening, while France has already re-opened.

A Security's Suicide At The Princess
And, sad news tonight from a major Belize City hotel. A security guard at the Princess Hotel and Casino has apparently committed suicide. Shortly before noon 24-year-old, Earl Underwood was found by one of his co-workers in the restroom, motionless and suffering from an apparent gunshot wound. 7News has learned that Underwood who had recently started working at the hotel had suffered a spate of bad luck.

Maya Won't Follow Tropic's Big Layoff
Last night we told you about the big layoffs at Tropic Air - 220 of its 380 employees are being sent home by the end of this month. The company says it can't continue with no set date for tourism. It is currently running about 5 flights a day, when it used to fly 200! And what about the other domestic airline, Maya Island? Well, they flew four flights today - so they are definitely feeling the pinch. Speaking with owner Eugene Zabaneh this evening he told us, quote, "the numbers are very very low."

Law Enforcement on Slippery Slope in San Victor
Tonight, Belize still has no positive cases for COVID 19. We're at day 37 without a positive test. But, that delicate and singular status is put in daily jeopardy by Belizeans who insist on skipping across the border to Mexico or Guatemala. Our next story is about just such a case in the northern village of San Victor. That's a village along the Rio Hondo where rogue contraband operators make organised runs across the border to bring back boatfuls of contraband. And, that's just what Customs came up on today. At least two vans loaded with contraband form Mexico that had been smuggled across by boat.

Cops Catch A Big Gun, May Have Come Across Western Border
And out west, it seems a foursome went across the border for a high powered handgun. Just after noon today, Cayo Special Branch went to Bullet tree village and searched a black GMC Terrain SUV for firearms and ammunition.

Nigel Pets Won't Back Down
Last night on the news you saw representatives of the Belmopan Land Development Corporation. They sent a strong message to Nigel Petillo saying the land at mile 44 is titled private land with an active owner. Well, activist Nigel Petillo heard them too and here was his reposes in a facebook rant today: "That news that was sent out last night, I am not satisfy with that. I don't want to hear anything about that, but it's no secret that lad is handing over big time to people with deep pockets and deep interest..."

Mile 44 is Held, Tightly
And while he spoke for 22 minutes on that Facebook live post, Petillo did not squarely address how he will treat with mile 44 after the owners have stepped up. Yesterday, former Central Bank Governor turned owner rep Glen Ysaguirre was clear enough: "I mean it's held property, you just can't come and take it. I mean I could sympathize with your need and its not to say I don't empathize with their situation that they want want, but you cannot have this piece of land unless you are prepare to compensate the company and I don't think the people that are there are prepare to compensate. They want free land."

Former C-Bank Governor Doesn't Envy Successor
And while he is now a land owner's rep, we also asked Ysaguirre about his former job as governor of the Central Bank. His successor Joy Grant is in the thick of what will be the country's deepest financial crisis in its independent history. We asked him about that:

Teachers Unions Opposed To C-Sec in July
Today, Education Minister Patrick Faber discussed the still-unresolved date for CSEC exams. On Monday, the Caribbean Union of Teachers (CUT) sent out a press release expressing concerns that CARICOM's Council for Human and Social Development was considering a date in July for the exams. Their statement says, quote, "The... Union... is deeply concerned about the decision taken by the Councilto support the Administration of the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) for the CSEC Examinations to be held in July 2020 contrary to the recommended position of the CUT for the sitting to be held in September 2020.

In The Absence of Graduations
And while the final date of the CXCs is still undetermined, another tough pill to swallow in the education system is that because of the COVID-19 threat, formal graduation ceremonies cannot happen. It's a highlight of all scholars to be celebrated and honored for their hard work in their education. But, because gatherings of more than 10 people are currently illegal, graduates will simply have to settle for receiving their diplomas. Today, the Education Minister told us that his ministry is still planning some kind of virtual event to pay respects to those hard-working students:

CDB Loan Not Cash In Hand
Earlier this week we told you about emergency loans that the Caribbean Development Bank is making to seven Caribbean countries. $15 million US is earmarked for Belize - but the Financial Secretary today explained that it is not cash in hand, but debt relief: Joe Waight- Financial Secretary: "The Board of Directors of CDB met earlier this week and approved a lone to the Government of Belize. The loan will then be used to meet our debt service payments to CDB for the next year..."

They're Coming Home, Slowly
Repatriation of Belizean citizens stuck in foreign countries since March has started - in very limited doses. We'll tell you about that shortly - but first to the process of what is being called controlled repatriation The hundreds of Belizeans in the US, the UK, Asia, Cuba and many other parts of the world are being asked to fill out a three page application for the government to figure out how to let them into the country in the most orderly and health-safe manner.

Stranded Mennonites Were Among First To Come Home
But the first to come home and test the system are those shipyard mennonites we told you about. As we told you a week ago, those 7 men including community leader, Juan Martinez had traveled to Peru to survey a land purchase and were deep in the Peruvian jungle when borders started to close. And while they left South America in time they got stuck right next door in Mexico - where they were stranded, fast running out of money, and options.

Big Ship Sailing On the Ocean, To Belize
And the first to arrive by sea could be the Cruise Ship called the Rhapsody of the Seas. That's the ship that Linda Blease is on along with about a dozen other Belizeans. They are rounding the tip of Honduras right now and expected to arrive din BELIZEAN waters on Saturday. But will they be allowed to get off the abbot in Belize? That's what we asked the CEO today: "The Rhapsody of the Sea cruise ship is heading to Belize right now. I don't know if you are aware of that or if anyone from the Ministry has been in contact with them. But apparently the ship is heading towards Belize. They are coming up the Atlantic coast in the Central American istmus. 15 Belizeans are onboard. Has there been any conversation with them?"

Of COVID Scares and Homecomings
And while Linda Blease and the other Belizeans on board the Rhapsody of the Seas have just a few days to fill their repatriation forms they are likely to be among the first to make a legal returns to our shores. And in another part of yesterday's interview, Blease told us what it was like living with the knowledge that she was banned from Belize's borders between March 23rd and last week Friday May 15th.

Patience Required For Repatriates
And while their ship is coming in - others who are stuck out there in the hinterlands can't wait to get back home. But, it's an orderly and measured repatriation and CEO Burns says patience will be necessary: "Our good people in foreign affairs have and even those in the ministry of health through their hotlines had been peppered with calls of people who want to come and I want to come home now and I want the process to be done by Friday or Thursday and I am expecting to reach the border by Saturday. No, I'm sorry, but for safety it is not that simple..."

When Will First Flight Come?
And a good many of those 200 are in the United States. They would much rather fly right into Belize than have to go through Cancun, and then take a bus to Belize. One idea was that they could come on US flights bound for Belize to pickup American who are stranded here. Those flights are leaving the US empty. The ambassador SAID IT IS A possibility for as early as Friday:

Quarantine Centres To Be In City
And once they get here, where will Belizeans be quarantined? The PM had said it would be close to their towns, cities or villages of residence. But, so far, it seems like it will start off in Belize City: "Initially, I think in the early phases we will need to concentrate on having people quarantined in specific areas. For their own safety and for the safety of others. Initially it is most probable, it is most likely that we would have those who return in the earlier stages in one or two locations in Belize City, preferably one."

Bze Musicians Singing The Blues Right Now
And switching topics now we turn to music. While technology allows us to continue to enjoy music in quarantine, the experience of a live show, or DJ set has become just one more sacrifice we've made to the pestilence that is COVID-19. And what is a musician without the roar of a crowd? Well, they aren't exactly thriving, and this afternoon Cherisse Halsall spoke to four musicians to find out how they're keeping the music alive while on lockdown.

FFB Stadium Steps Up With New Bleachers
Earlier in the news, we shared the comments of Education Minister Patrick Faber on a number of important national topics. We caught up with him at a ground-breaking ceremony for Football Federation of Belize. They are about to make a 2 million-dollar upgrade to the bleachers of their stadium, which is located at their Belmopan Headquarters. This upgrade will complement its state-of-the-art football pitch. According to the football executives, when the works are fully completed, their FFB stadium will be at the highest FIFA standards. It will allow the FFB to lobby for big international tournaments to be hosted in Belize

Mental Health, More Important Now Than Ever
May is being observed internationally as Mental Health Awareness Month. Right now the issue is in sharp focus because COVID 19 has us all stressed out in one way or the other, and just managing that is a strain on your mental health.

Through The Botes Backdoor?
Police have quarantined a Mexican man who was caught near Santa Cruz village, across thew river from smuggling hotspot Rotes, Mexico.

Stealing Power Leads to Fires
Last week, we told you about the house fire which devastated Hattieville resident Dorian Garnett. On the night of May 9th, his home in the Windmill area of the village completely burnt down. It's the kind of distress that no one needs to endure, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, but an investigation from the National Fire Service has indicated that the misery is self-inflicted. That's because, according to the experts, he was stealing power from BEL.

Belize Confounded COVID With Science?
Belize is the only country on the American mainland that has managed to avoid a confirmed case for more than a month. Now, a Canadian Newspaper is claiming that technology is at the forefront of Belize's COVID-19 efforts. An article published on Monday claims that a secret weapon developed locally, which drove decisions on a day-to-day basis. It goes on to say that quote: "a small group of software developers, statisticians, and health professionals got together and designed their own in-house tracking, tracing, and reporting platform for Covid19, possibly one of the earliest such integrated efforts in the Americas." End quote.

Channel 5

Public Transportation Takes a Hit, Tropic Air Faces Massive Layoffs
The once booming tourism industry has been hardest hit as COVID-19 continues to wreck havoc to the economy.  On Tuesday night, we reported that Tropic Air is cutting staff; today [...]

Salary Cuts at the Government-owned Digi
The cut backs are not exclusive to the domestic airline industry; every sector has had to make adjustments, including telecommunications. Over at Digi, a tiered approach to cuts in salary is [...]

Changes in the De-Reservation of Monthly Recurrent Expenditure to Ministries, Departments
As you have heard, the economy continues to shrink and with it, hundreds more join the unemployment numbers. Government is struggling with an astronomical monthly wage bill of forty-five million [...]

How Would Patrick Faber Solve Economic Situation in Belize?
Still on the economic downturn…last week, Prime Minister Dean Barrow famously said that he intends to borrow and borrow to keep public officers employed.  But the PM also warned that [...]

Education Minister Says Teachers’ Salaries Will Not Be Touched
Minister of Education, Patrick Faber says that there will be cuts in some of the services that his ministry offers in the days ahead, as a matter of priority to [...]

Are There Illegal Crossings Happening in Arenal?
Today marks thirty-seven days straight without any active case of COVID-19 in Belize.  And while this is good news for the country as it continues to relax restriction measures, the [...]

Nigel Petillo – “Where Does a Land Owner Pop Up From?”
There has been a turn of events in respect of a huge tract of land on the George Price Highway. The Belmopan Land Development Corporation has come forward to claim [...]

Belmopan Land Development Corporation Claims Cotton Tree Land
According to Ysaguirre, the land in question had been tangled in the courts for a number of years and a decision was eventually handed down in favour of Belmopan Land [...]

Education Minister Patrick Faber Agrees C-SEC Exams Should Be Held in July
The Caribbean Union of Teachers on Tuesday went on the offensive, vehemently registering its concerns over the decision to hold C-SEC examinations in July. The CUT says the decision to [...]

Faber Says Students Should Be Prepared for C-SEX Exams
According to Minister Faber, students and teachers should now be getting ready to sit the exams in July, even though they were not in the classrooms due to the COVID-19 [...]

What About Graduation and Fees Collected?
So while the CSEC exams have been rescheduled for July, the traditional pomp and circumstance associated with graduation ceremonies are not in the pipeline at this time. Most students to [...]

When Will Schools Reopen?
Education Minister Patrick Faber was also asked about a timeline for the reopening of schools. In some other countries such as the UK and Mexico, schools have partially reopened. As [...]

Patrick Faber Remains Ready to Lead the U.D.P.
Since we had the Minister of Education on hand, the media queried about his leadership bid. Faber is one of four persons who have entered his name in the leadership [...]

Repatriation Process for Displaced Belizean Abroad Commences
The repatriation process for displaced Belizeans overseas to return home is in the making.  Belize has not recorded another positive case for COVID-19 for more than thirty days and the [...]

What’s the Cost of Quarantine? $110 Per Day!
Belizeans who return home will be required to go into mandatory quarantine at a chosen hotel. They will bear the cost of that quarantine and according to C.E.O. Lou-Anne Burns [...]

Would Belizeans Returning Home Will Be Able To Self Quarantine?
According to C.E.O. Martinez, those returning home will need to adhere to strict safety guidelines. The choice to self-quarantine will be given only to a selected few after they meet [...]

Repatriation Process Can Take A Few Days
The repatriation process for Belizeans will not be achieved over night. According to C.E.O. Martinez, the process can take a few days or even a week. Martinez is asking for [...]

Security Guard Found Dead in Hotel Bathroom
We don’t normally report on suicide, but today a shooting incident brought to light the toll that the COVID-19 pandemic may be having on persons struggling with mental health issues, [...]

Patrick Faber on Mental Health Awareness Month
The month of May is recognized as Mental Health Awareness Month. It is a difficult time as the COVID-19 pandemic is posing unprecedented challenges. There are different forms of mental [...]

DFC’s “A Helping Hand, COVID-19 Relief Effort”
A hundred selected families are having a little ease tonight coping from the pain of the COVID-19 crisis. The families were beneficiaries of an initiative by the Development Finance Corporation [...]

Groundbreaking for New Bleachers at the F.F.B. Stadium
The F.F.B. stadium in Belmopan is getting a major facelift. The first phase of a construction project is set to begin shortly. Valued at two point four million dollars, today, [...]

The Reporter

Warning from Commissioner of Police Chester Williams
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has sent out a stern warning to those establishments which have been allowed to open under the latest SI. Following advertisements for beach parties, functions and drink specials, Williams reminds that alcohol must be served only with food, and not as a primary attraction, and mass social functions are still not allowed.

LOVE FM

Hotels prepared to quarantine returning Belizeans
As you may have heard from CEO Burns the Government has identified hotels as quarantine centres for repatriated Belizeans. The procedure is that when they arrive in Belize they will have to undergo a quarantine process for two weeks to ensure that they are Covid-19 free.

Earl Underwood had too many burdens to bear
Keeping in line with mental health, often times when the signs and symptoms go unchecked it can lead to suicide. Ordinarily, our newsroom stays away from these types of stories but in this case, we feel the need to highlight the story as falls on the backdrop of mental health issues amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rightful owners of Mile 44 land identified
The owners of the two-point-five acres of land at mile forty-four on the George Price Highway have come out to assert that they will take legal action against anyone who infringes on the private land. This area became a point of contention when Nigel Petillo and hundreds of other citizens began lobbying for squatters rights.

NEMO feeds the nurses
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) has been engaged in helping residents through different avenues, including the donation to care packages to needy families. The NEMO Minister, Edmund Castro, is continuing this initiative by feeding frontline workers.

Foreign Affairs CEO speaks on repatriation process
As a follow up to our story on the repatriation exercise for Belizeans, we can tell you that quarantine centres are almost ready to receive those coming home. Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anne Lou Burns, spoke on the cost of the quarantine process that will have to be the responsibility of those coming home and not for the government to pay.

Woman without food is given assistance
Eleven days ago, we told you of 59-year-old Margaret Flores who said she was one of the forgotten ones in the Covid-19 Relief Programme. She explained that at the time she had no food in her house, no money and that she had trouble filling out the forms for assistance.

CDB loan broken down by FinSec
One form of help that is coming to the Government of Belize is the loan from the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) which we told you about earlier this week. The loan is for fifteen million US dollars. Financial Secretary Joseph Waight explained how this money will be utilized.

Faber aspires to be the next UDP leader and Prime Minister
Elections are less than one year away, and the next elected Prime Minister will have to deal with the current loans being made to address the economic hardships and the job to reboot the economy.

Over two hundred unemployed at Tropic Air amid the COVID-19 pandemic
Over two hundred men and women will add to the thousands who have become unemployed amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The layoff is reportedly being done at Tropic Air who currently has an estimated four hundred persons employed. Reports indicate that for the last two months the company has retained all its staff at reduced salaries, but they can no longer sustain this exercise

Edmund Castro embarks on new business amid COVID-19 economic impacts
With the recent order from the Ministry of Finance to scale back on deparmtnetal expenses, we sought responses from Ministers to see how they will handle the reduced expenditure. Minister Anthony Boots Martinez says he will be more prepared to give us a response following a meeting with his ministry tomorrow.

Cruise ships returning to Belize
Several Belizeans who are employed by cruise lines are expected to arrive home this week. Foreign Affairs CEO, Anne Lou Burns says while they are aware of the cruise lines none of the Belizeans aboard.

Breaking Belize News

Suriname finds positive COVID-19 case after 44 days, provides lesson for Belize?
The South-American nation Suriname discovered a positive COVID-19 test this week, ending a 44-day streak […]

Security guard shot at Princess identified
The security guard who reportedly shot himself at the Ramada Belize City Princess hotel earlier […]

Belize Tourism Board endorses new health and safety travel magazine from McNab Publishing
The Belize Tourism Board (BTB) is endorsing the upcoming magazine “Tourism Health and Safety: The […]

When will face to face classes in schools resume?
International travel, like in-person classes, are on an abrupt halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. […]

Security guard shoots himself at Princess Hotel
A security guard reportedly shot himself to the head inside the restroom at the Princess […]

Inconveniences persist at Baking Pot Ferry
Several workers have contacted BBN sharing their concern over the unattended Baking Pot Ferry. Due […]

Inconveniences persist at Baking Pot Ferry
Several workers have contacted BBN sharing their concern over the unattended Baking Pot Ferry. Due […]

Government of Belize Congratulates Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen on second term
The Government of Belize has extended its congratulations to President of the Republic of China […]

Belize remains COVID-19 free; random testing continue
Belize has managed to control the first wave of COVID-19. The country saw 18 cases […]

Police Commissioner warns restaurants to comply with State of Emergency regulations
Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, issued a warning via social media today, cautioning restaurants and […]

John Saldivar weighs in on post-Covid economic recovery
Former UDP Leader-elect, John Saldivar weighed in last night about the economic instability that the […]

OB’s orange and tropical juices – the kind of business to support post COVID-19
You may have heard about or tasted O’Brien’s refreshing Orange Juice. The O’Brien family produces […]

Blogs

Mike Heusner’s Advocacy for Belize’s Catch-and-Release Sport Fishing
When you talk to a fisherman, a real fisherman, you are talking to a steward of the water. He’s a lover of fish – angry about the vast plastic poisoning the sea and fishery mismanagement. Most of all, a real fisherman wants fishing to survive into the next generation and beyond – a sustainable sport. That’s partly why catch-and-release practices have gained popularity in recent years: saltwater fly-fishing, a fast and athletic catch-and-release sport that seems more like hunting than fishing, is what fuels interest today. Mike Heusner is a pillar for conservation in Belize, joining tireless advocacy efforts before him to redefine Belize’s sport fishing industry into a game of catch-and-release only.

BTB Endorses 2020 “Belize Gold Book” Travel Publication
In a letter to stakeholders on May 19th, 2020, the Belize Tourism Board endorsed the Belize Gold Book which has seen some changes in order to adapt to COVID-19 crisis. Introducing the Tourism Health & Safety: The Gold Standard for Belize Travel. While Belize continues to prepare for the reopening of tourism to international visitors, it is important to safeguard the health and safety of both residents and guests. As such, the Belize Tourism Board (BTB) has been actively working with indsutry partners to develop enhanced health and safety protocols for the tourism industry.

International Sources

Call for Proposals: The U.S International Development Finance Corporation (DFC)
The U.S International Development Financial Corporation Announces Call for Proposals Under New Global Health and Prosperity Initiative. Through the initiative, DFC aims to mobilize private sector investment in support of global health resilience. DFC will focus attention on projects that support the global COVID-19 pandemic response, especially through investment in health system capacity, including supply chains that expand the distribution of diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines, and other medical supplies, products, and equipment.

Johnson & Johnson to stop selling talc baby powder in U.S. and Canada
Beware as these will continue to be on store shelves in Belize. Johnson & Johnson will stop selling its talc Baby Powder in the United States and Canada, it announced on Tuesday, saying demand had fallen in the wake of what it called “misinformation” about the product’s safety amid a barrage of legal challenges.

CDB provides US$67 million in emergency loans to seven Caribbean countries
Seven countries in the region will benefit from Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) emergency loans that will finance their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier today, the CDB’s board of directors approved the disbursement of US$66.7 million for Antigua and Barbuda (US$13 million), Belize (US$15 million), Dominica (US$2.5 million), Grenada (US$5.9 million), Saint Lucia (US$10.8 million), St Vincent and the Grenadines (US$11.3 million), and Suriname (US$8.2 million).

The coronavirus pandemic and thoughts about planet earth
By Wellington C Ramos. The coronavirus pandemic is having a major impact on many families throughout the world. The biggest fear for many is that it will shatter their unaccomplished dreams, stop some to enjoy what they have accomplished in their lives, or leave a burden for their families to endure. The reality is that we cannot escape death so we must prepare our lives in total by including death in our plans. If we do not die from the coronavirus, we will die from something else but it is still death. When a human being is born into this world, most people especially the parents want the best for their children throughout their lifetime. However, for that to happen it starts with the mother and father taking care of their parental responsibilities up until the child becomes an adult. If anyone of the parent fails in taking care of his or her responsibility, that can have a major impact on the success or lack of success of their children and there are statistics to confirm this.

Videos