March 9, 2016

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

Police Brutality suspected in the death of island bartender
30-year old San Pedro bartender, Edwin Ixpatac died on Monday, March 7th after being on life support at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) in Belize City. It was reported that Ixpatac had sustained injuries when he was detained by police on Thursday, March 3rd. As a result, three San Pedro Police officers, PC Jahisir Cob, PC Rommel Logan, and PC Reydel Teck have been officially charged with murder, while Sergeant Raymond Berry has been put on interdiction. The initial reports are that around 2AM on Thursday, March 3rd, San Pedro police responded to a call about a person struggling in the water near a resort just south of San Pedro Town. According to reports, police recovered Ixpatac from the water, who was intoxicated and had sustained injuries from washing against a sea wall. The report continues to say that Ixpatac was combative, and apparently kicked and struck at the officers who were assisting him. He was then taken to the San Pedro police station where he was detained overnight. The following day he was taken to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II in a critical condition. Due to this grave state, he was later transported to KHMH in Belize City, where a three days later he succumbed to his injuries. According to police, the sergeant in charge that night made a poor decision in not immediately taking Ixpatac to the polyclinic. Reports also indicate that Ixpatac had been abused while in custody.

Ambergris Today

Surviving Belize’s La Ruta Maya River Challenge Canoe Race
There is an elite group of men who have a passion for the race and take on Belize’s Ruta Maya River Challenge for the glory of the first place trophy but there are also others who are in it for the glory of self-accomplishment and mere enjoyment. This is the case of two teams from San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, who were not the youngest or fittest of all the contestants, but you can call them some of the bravest and inspiring. Six racers, Team ‘Hope We Finish’ (Dee Regis, Greg Lamb and Brittney O’Daniel) and Team ‘Reef Runners’ (Edwardo ‘Wayo’ Vasquez, Lisa Rusinek-Cyrier and Ronnie Cyrier) took on the gruesome four-day challenge to paddle over 170 miles and prove to themselves that no challenge is too great if they put their minds to it. "I’ve come up with a lot of stupid ideas, but this one takes the cake," commented Brittney O’Daniel to iTravel Belize on day three of the race. But guess what, she is ready to do it again next year, with better equipment and more prepared, of course.

Misc Belizean Sources

BBC Film The Blue Planet: Seas of Life @ The Truck Stop
MOVIE NIGHT!!! In celebration of Reef Week Belize we'll be showing the BBC Film The Blue Planet: Seas of Life, at The Truck Stop. Movie starts at 6:30 p.m. Admission is free! Thank you in advance to our sponsor The Truck Stop! "Not just my reef, Its our way of life!"

Members of the Belize Territorial Volunteers protest
Members of the Belize Territorial Volunteers, Northern Territorial Volunteers and Belize Progressive Party are protesting outside of the National Assembly today. They are displaying their discontent with the recent Guatemalan incursion and how the Government of Belize has reacted to it.

Ms. ACES 2016
Ms. A.C.E.S. 2016 !!! Each contestant is representing a district. Come learn more about BELIZE. March 11, 2016 at ACES compound starting at 6:00 P.M. More exciting than ever! Come experience the fun and vote for your favorite contestant. Public votes count!

Prime Minister's Budget Speech for Fiscal Year 2016/2017
Mr. Speaker, I rise to move the second reading of the General Revenue Appropriation Bill for Fiscal Year 2016/2017. This is the inaugural budget in the recently won, historic, third consecutive term of the UDP Administration. And this edition, in like fashion as the previous eight budgets I have read, will-I believe-reassure general citizenry and particular stakeholders alike that the current and forecast state of the public finances of Belize are both sturdy and stable. There is, of course, a narrow political minority that reflexively opposes everything UDP. But impartial observers all agree that the sterling stewardship of the people’s money was foremost in the minds of the voters as they cast their ballots last November. Our consistent and long record of judicious financial management, Mr. Speaker, has produced an unbroken period of steady growth and optimal economic conditions. There is now a historical vindication of both our philosophy and our probity. Let us look at the facts, Mr. Speaker: First, there is an unmatched string of year on year increases to the size and diversity of the economy. And this has been complemented by the longest post-Independence period of low inflation, reductions in the cost of borrowing for both private and public sectors, and increases in revenue generation by the Government.

Panel Presentation on: "Impact Climate Change has on Doing Business"
The presentation takes place at the UB Auditorium in Belmopan City at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday March 9th, 2016.

Arte con Voz de Mujer Exhibit
Corozal House of Culture (NICH) Invites. You are cordially invited to the launch of the 6th annual Arte con Voz de Mujer Exhibit, showcasing our talented female artists of Corozal.

La Ruta Maya Cultural Night 2016
The La Ruta Maya Cultural Night was the best one yet. Ascenthium played at Bamboo Bar, and the New Sensation Band played at the CAYO Welcome Center during the La Ruta Maya Cultural Night.

Cayo Destination Belize Visit
The Belize Tourism Board is having a Destination Visit tomorrow, Wednesday the 9th, at 5:30pm, at the San Ignacio Resort Hotel. Everyone is invited to the event. "We encourage you to have representation at the event, as this will be an opportunity to hear from the Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation - Hon. Manuel Heredia Jr., the Director of Tourism - Mrs. Karen Bevans, members of the BTB Board of Directors and BTB staff. In an effort to promote and build on our relationship, as we continue to make Tourism the pillar of our economy, the team is anticipating a relaxed and interactive gathering, aimed at getting your input, ideas and suggestions... As McNab Design Ltd. and The Belize Tourism Industry Association (BTIA) continue their countrywide sales and marketing of The New Destination Belize, we take this opportunity to introduce two new members of our sales team. Chantel and Patricia of Smarter Hospitality Solutions both join in our enthusiasm as we work towards creating Belize’s signature tourism publication, coming in September, 2016."

Human Echolocation In Belize
Three Blind People from Belize go on a journey they will never forget. They learn to "See With Sound" by tongue clicking, using Echolocation

Hello, my name is Isaiah. I am a white front
I live with my brother Jacob at Belize Bird Rescue. We were surrendered after a routine inspection from the Forestry Department. When I came to BBR, I had a lump above my left eye. I’m so glad it wasn’t anything serious! Dr Philip Deshield from Animal Medical centre managed to remove it for me – what a relief! All this stuff came out of it. He called it ‘cheese wizz’ but it didn’t look as yummy as cheese! The swelling has gone down and I don’t have to have antibiotics anymore. Our wings were clipped, but luckily they should grow back pretty soon. We’re both recovering pretty well. We’ll be able to join other white front babies this week and are planning on going back to the wild this time next year. It costs $80 a day for Belize Bird Rescue to feed me and my friends, which is just a small part of our road to a better life. If you would like to help to keep me and my friends happy and healthy, please follow the link in the comments to donate.

The 18th La Ruta Maya 2016 - San Ignacio
The 18th La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge kicked off today in San Ignacio, under the historic Hawkesworth Bridge, the oldest suspension bridge in Belize, Central America. What started off as a marketing campaign ended up being one of the biggest sporting events in Belize & Central America, and brought about environmental awareness.

Paint Party Events
Come paint with us "La Playa" at Crazy Canucks and have a blast. The price is $25 US and there's a discount for members. Hope to see you there! Starts On: March 10, 2016 2:00 PM

BELTRAIDE ORGANIZES FIRST TRADE CLINIC FOR BUSINESSMEN IN ORANGE WALK
Over 50 producers from Orange Walk Town and surrounding villages met at La Inmaculada Credit Union Conference room on Friday, 4th March to obtain crucial information that will assist them to improve their services and raise the bar to compete globally. The meeting was in the form of a Trade Clinic, which was the first of its kind organized by EXPORTBelize, a unit of BELTRAIDE, with the aim to sensitize the private sector on regulations, requirements, export procedures and documentations and opportunities that exist under trade agreements in order to do business in the local and international market. The Trade Clinic included presentations from the Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS), the Belize Agriculture Health Authority (BAHA), the Customs & Excise Department and the Directorate General of Foreign Trade. Topics included: Standards (labeling, CODEX, metrology, etc), Export Procedures, Trade Agreement Opportunities and Sanitary & Phyto-Sanitary Measures among many others.

BEL Comments on PUC’s Initial Decision for 2016-2020 FTRP
Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) is reviewing the Public Utilities Commission’s (PUC) Full Tariff Review Proceeding Initial Decision, which was delivered on March 7, 2016. In its submission, BEL explained that it had fully returned all previous cost of power savings to customers. As a result, BEL requested an average Mean Electricity Rate (MER) of $0.3900 per kWh to improve service reliability and expand its service to over 200 communities. The PUC’s Initial Decision proposes a $57 million reduction in BEL’s projected cash requirements over the next four years, resulting in a MER of $0.3643 per kWh. The Company will review the details of the Initial Decision to determine which programs and services the PUC is proposing to cut in order to comply with this decision. BEL will formally respond to the PUC by March 22, 2016 as required by law.

20,000 Strong Rally
The 20,000 Strong rally is happening this Friday. They have a video out about the event, and there will be transportation available. Happy International Women's Day! "We ready! Unnu Ready?"

Channel 7

Budget Day In Belmopan Brings News Of Ballooning Deficit
Today was budget day in Belmopan and coming right off a long weekend, the politics of the day seemed muted in the House of Representatives. Sure, there were a few protesters outside, but inside the chamber, the Prime Minister rolled through a budget that promised stability, not sugar plums. Jules Vasquez reports: Dubbed "Stability in a Time of Change" - Prime Minister Dean Barrow's ninth budget presentation was a study in conservative optimism: Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister: "At the current and forecast state of the public finances of Belize are both sturdy and stable." Stable doesn't mean growing by leaps and bounds - GDP growth is forecast at a modest 1.5 to 2.0, and the only thing really growing is the deficit which ballooned to 5% of GSP in the 2015 - 2015 fiscal year, and the wage bill which will surge to 400 million dollars in the new fiscal year. Bur Barrow was proud of three years of record wage increase for teachers and public officers:

Briceno Blasts Budget
But, despite the across the board increases for public officers and teachers - the Leader of the Opposition was not impressed. John Briceno said that the budget was even worse than he expected:.. Mike Rudon, CH5: "Is it as bad as you've expected?" Hon. John Briceno, Leader of the Opposition: "I think it's probably worse. I think that it's quite telling that the Prime Minister went from the "best is yet to come" to "Stability in the time of change." Obviously he has forgotten all the political rhetoric coming to the elections. First of all when we look at the overall numbers that we have, a record deficit. A deficit of over 5% of GDP and even the Prime Minister had to accept that norm - what is the accepted internationally and he is using the excuse of wanting to that he has to do to the interest of the people. We know that that's not really the case. The case is that they went into a spending spree so that they can win, or as some would say "buy the elections." So they bought the elections and now we have to pay for it."

PM Says Briceno Insulted Electorate
And while that's the formal debate in two weeks on the 22nd and 23rd of March, we asked the Prime Minister what he thought of Briceno's statement that he blew last year's budget to buy the election:... Jules Vasquez: "The Leader of the Opposition in his brief remarks said that it is in fact the price that you are paying for (his words) buying the election. How do you respond to that?" Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister: "Well I would think that the people of Belize might want to give him a stick licking. When you say that the government bought the election, you are basically saying that the government bought the people and I would think that that's an insult."

GOB Wants 50 M From Fuel Import Duty
Briceno also criticized the Prime Minister for increasing import duties on fuel. He said that higher gas prices slow down the economy. But, Government needs to raise 50 million in import duty from fuel to bolster tax collection. But what happens when the world prices for oil - which are near a historic low - rebound? Will government then bring back down the import duties? As consumers, we all know too well that prices and taxes only ever seem to go in one direction, and that's up. The PM told us today it is a balancing act: Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister: "If and when that does start to happen, in deed we will have to manipulate the import duty application some more. By then of course it would not be import duty, it will be excise. Part of what we are doing in terms of the removal of the RRD and we move to an excise regime on imported fuel and fuel products as well. But by the time we have to do that, if in fact we have to do it, I think we will be well on our way to making the target we've set for ourselves."

Woman Kills Her Husband In San Pedro
A Guatemalan woman, living in San Pedro, is being held by police and we she could be facing a murder charge. That's because on Sunday March 6th Alida Catzim fatally stabbed her husband, 43 year old Rommel Catzim. But the case is a little tricky because the couple reportedly had a history of domestic disputes. Police are unable to say much because of the sensitivity of the matter but what we found out on a visit to san Pedro today is that the couple, who had recently moved to the San Pedrito area were socializing outside of their apartment. Reports are that they were drinking. Then, for reasons which we could not confirm, an argument ensued which quickly escalated. Superintendent Sandra Boden, Officer Commanding San Pedro Police Formation told us more. "On Sunday March 6th about 9:30pm, police received information of a male person lying on a verandah in the San Pedrito area apparently motionless. Police visited the area where they observed a male person laying down in a pool of blood with several stab wounds and he appeared to be dead. He was taken to the San Pedro Polyclinic where he was pronounced dead on arrival. His identity was learnt to be Rommel Catzim, 43 years old, Belizean construction worker of San Pedrito area. Our initial investigations revealed that Mr. Catzim had an apparent domestic issue with his wife Alida Barrientos Catzim who is a Guatemalan national, where she allegedly inflicted the injuries to Mr. Catzim causing his demise."

Man Killed In Front Of His Child
A man was shot and killed in front of his 4 year old daughter in Back Landing, Independence. 48 year old Duane Logan went out into the village on Saturday night and returned home to his family at around 8. As soon as he was opening the door to his house 2 masked men crept up behind him and held him up. One of the men had a gun and the other a machete. Logan was forced inside and ordered to give up money and weed. When Logan refused to give up anything, the man with the machete took his common law wife in the bedroom where she was forced to hand over some money and jewelry. But that was not enough and one of the men shot Logan to the left side of his chest - right in front of his 4 year old daughter and 17 year old niece. The men then ran away. Police have detained 4 people but are still looking for 2 men - one from Back Landing and the other from Dangriga. Police told us Logan has a history of being a drug peddler in that area. Neither the common law wife, niece nor baby were hurt. We will follow up on this murder investigation tomorrow.

Man Charged For Killing Wife
35 year old Jairo Guerra has been charged for the murder of his common law wife , Maria Candelaria Chacon. As we told you, it all started when Guerra came home drunk last Thursday night. The neighbor told us she heard them arguing from that night but it's when she was awakened by Chacon's screams early Friday morning that she realized it was more than just a petty disagreement. The neighbor and her mother tried to bang the door open to save Chacon but Guerra had already beaten her badly, and chopped her to the head and neck. Guerra and Chacon had been together for 5 years. They had no children together.

Trio of Cops For Murder
Three police officers in San Pedro were charged for murder following the vicious beat down of Bartender 30 year old Edwin Ixpatac. At around 4 pm today three of them were shamefully paraded to the magistrate's court in Belize City where they were read charges of murder. They are Police Constables Reydel Teck, Romelio Logan, and Jahsimir Cob. But just what lead the Police Department to criminally charge three of their own? Emanuel Pech reports. 30 year old Edwin Ixpatac, a resident of Cayo began working as a bartender here at Caprice Bar and Grill a couple years ago. On a regular day he would be here serving drinks for guests at Holiday Hotel and other visitors who frequent this bar. Jonathan Garcia- Bartender, Caprice Bar and Grill: "All of us worked as a team and so we try to make everything go good throughout the day. He was a hard working person." And just what made him such an excellent worker? Well his four year old daughter was his biggest motivation.

BDF Says Civilians Shooting In Chiquibul Was Justified
On Friday, we told you about the shootout between a BDF patrol and 2 Guatemalans in the Chiquibul National Park. The BDF soldiers say they were forced to shoot one of the Guatemalans in self-defence. The BDF told us that this law enforcement team, which consisted of BDF soldiers and FCD Rangers, were in the Cebada area of the Chiquibul. They were conducting a patrol to destroy several marijuana plantations which had been detected on an overflight of the area. So, on Thursday, this joint-forces team went into the area on foot. They found the 2 plantations and destroyed the marijuana plants without incident. While traveling through the area, the officers came upon another field with a thatched shed, about 600 meters from the Western Border, and in Belizean territory.

FIFA Bosses To Belize To Work Out Football Controversy
3 weeks ago, we told you about the internal struggle in the Football Federation of Belize. FFB Executive members Cruz Gamez, Marlon Kuylen and Senior Vice President Sergio Chuc passed a motion to suspend President Ruperto Vicente. They accused him on making poor decisions for the progress of football, and manipulating the elections for the District Associations so that they could get their supporters elected. That was supposed to be part of a plot to get Vicente re-elected. Vicente responded by calling their accusations ridiculous, and that this was, from Vicente's perspective, a power play by the 3 to try to take away the presidency by force. He accused them of trying to drag his name in the mud so that the delegates of the FFB Congress would be doubtful of his integrity in the upcoming elections.

BPP Blasts Barrow
At the top of the news, we told you about the budget presentation in Belmopan. Well, while that was happening inside the house, the Belize Territorial Volunteers and Belize Progressive Party, were outside picketing the meeting. They were there to send a message to the Government that the diplomatic note of protest sent to Guatemala about the Sarstoon Showdown is not a sufficient response. They say that the Government has failed to respond adequately to the more aggressive profile of the Guatemalan Navy in the Sarstoon River. This morning, about 60 or so persons showed up on Independence Hill to demonstrate, and we spoke to one of the protesters: Robert "Bobby" Lopez, Protester: "It is important that Belizeans and myself as a Belizean stand up now. It reminds me of 1991 all over again when the both parties joined together to signed and support the maritime area act. That is exactly what we see happening and we see that after 35 years of Independence, our position has weakened. We went from recognized borders to adjacency zone to artificial border, now we have lost the Sarstoon. Next we lose Toledo and soon we lose our country. I think of Mr. Goldson also as a blind man being able to not see, but understand what was taking place 25 years ago with the maritime areas act. Now he stood up."

PM Says “It’s Ridiculous”
So the Barrow Administration remains under pressure for not responding adequately to the Sarstoon Showdown. Today we asked him to respond to the very pointed criticism against him:.. Jules Vasquez: "They had protesters out here today saying that you have acceded land. That you have acceded Sarstoon Island. You have acceded the Sarstoon. How do you respond to that?" Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister: "That's nonsense." Jules Vasquez: "However, occupation, the Guatemalans showed 10 days ago that in fact they can occupy that as they wish to repel any Belizeans who wish to visit there. Isn't occupation however, temporary an indication of possession?"

New Rule For Immig. Min. Of State: The Castillo Clause
And while talk of the budget and Guatemala dominated today's house meeting, one interesting piece of legislation caught our attention. It will allow the Minister of State in the Ministry of Immigration Beverly Castillo to sign certain immigration documents with full ministerial authority. We asked the Prime Minister if this was "legit":... Jules Vasquez: "Are you crafting a law to in fact (I am no interpreter of laws), circumvent the express wish of the constitution that the powers vested in the minister." Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister: "No, because I am saying that we did this before, just not by way of legislation and we took advice and we've taken advice again and it's perfectly in order. Under the constitution for the minister of delegate some powers to a Junior minister by way of an instrument - that's revocable and so no, we are positive that all we are doing is putting it on a footing where those that had their reservations about doing it as it were administratively, can be comforted."

More Weed Up North
6 days ago, we told you about how Northern Cops made major drug busts which appeared to be flowing in through the northern border. Well tonight, Orange Walk Police are reporting that they've made yet another bust, and this one has led to an arrest and jail sentence. The bust happened last night at around 7:45. Acting on Special Branch intelligence, Orange Walk cops intercepted a two persons on motorcycle on Princess Diana Street in Orange Walk Town. They are identified as 35 year-old Genaro Pott and 51 year-old Fortunato Coye. They were ordered to stop, but instead they sped off. Police caught them and searched the bike. That's when they found 2.26 kilos of marijuana - about 6 pounds, and police then escorted them, the cycle, and the drugs to the police station.

Million Dollar Baby Comes Home Healthy
Just after the Christmas Holiday, we showed you Baby Gismael Aban, the newborn from Corozal who was born without the tube connecting his mouth to his stomach. That's normally a death sentence, but with the quick response of his physician in Corozal, the KHMH, and World Pediatric Project, he was flown out on a private jet to the Virginia Commonwealth University Hospital. While in Richmond, Virginia the doctors performed the life-saving surgery on him, and after 2 months of monitoring to make sure there were no complications, he was allowed to go home. He arrived in at the PGIA on Saturday night, and 7News was there for his healthy homecoming. Daniel Ortiz reports:

Visiting Doctors For Pediatrics
And while that was the highlight of the evening, there was more good news for the local doctors. A team of volunteer medical professionals also arrived on that flight with Baby Gismael. They're here to donate their time by providing medical services to patients in the rural areas all around the country. It's part of the program called Friends of Pediatrics, and Dr. Cecilio Eck told us how it will work: Dr. Eck and the Donors say that you should look out for the medical team's arrival in your area.

Ruta Maya 2016 Was Grand
The La Ruta Maya River Challenge 2016 ended yesterday. 61 teams began the arduous journey on Friday morning from the Hawkesworth Bridge in San Ignacio to the Swing Bridge in Belize City. It was a tough 4 days for these teams, even for the veteran paddlers, but no matter how tired and sore they were, they all pushed harder at the end. Channel 7 teamed up with host and producer Rhonda Crichton to air the last leg of race live yesterday. We have a short clip of those final seconds to the finish line as Oceana and Koop Sheet Metal go head to head for the win. We start off with that and go into interviews with both Oceana and Koop Sheet Metal. Here is how it went: Although OCEANA won yesterday, Koop Sheet Metal took first place for the entire race. The team members were Jerry Rhaburn, Jerry Cante and Hener Cruz. We also spoke with the 1st place winners for the Intramural and female category. Here is what they had to say about their win.

Hon. Espat Doesn’t Want ICJ
Last week, PUP Leader John Briceno announced to the media that the PUP would be revisiting its position on the ICJ. The party had taken a hardline against the ICJ during the latter stages of Francis Fonseca's tenure, but Briceno - who ahs always supported an ICJ solution wants to revisit that. Now he needs the support of his executive make it official. But, it seems he would definitely not have the support of his deputy leader Julius Espat who is not an ICJ advocate. Today we asked him about the difference between himself and his leader:... Hon. Julius Espat, PUP Deputy Leader: "I don't think the party has changed its position. The party is analyzing its position which is quite different. I haven't changed mine and that is that we don't believe that going to the ICJ at this point in time is the best thing for the country. That's my position and I will stay strong with that. I know we have a problem with the west with it. We have a problem in the south with it, because it touches our hearts quite closely and so people might say well it's all about Belizeans in general. Yeah, but if you live in west at the border and Cayo South, you have to understand is where a major part of the problems lies - the Chiquibul is in our area and the guys from the south have similar problems. So, I think it's a risk too for us to take and that we will have discussions and that's important."

PM Says Guatemalans Shouldn’t Get Jumpy Over Chiquibul
For his part the Prime Minister does support an ICJ resolution, but has left it as a vote of conscience for his party. We asked him whether Thursday's shooting of a Guatemalan civilian in the Chiquibul will ramp up hostilities with Guatemala coming less than a week after the Sarstoon Showdown. He said the western in Chiquibul and the southern border on the Sarstoon are two very different things:... Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister: "Are the confidence building measures, the protocols that govern what happens on the ground. There are no such facilities, no such arrangements with respect to the Chiquibul and that's the distinction. They, the Guatemalans must also be aware of exactly what's happening in the Chiquibul and know that in terms of the security patrols, there is always the possibility that something such as happened last week will happen. I can't rule of the possibility completely of people over there trying to make that connection that you suggested they might want to make, but I would feel pretty confident that those really in charge will immediately appreciate the distinction between Chiquibul and the Sarstoon."

Waterloo Wants Berthing Facility
In another bit of news from today's house meeting, the Prime Minister confirmed that the Ashcroft-allied Waterloo Group which currently runs the Port of Belize is interested in building a cruise ship berthing terminal at the Port of Belize - once they work out the siltation issues:... Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow, Prime Minister: "Is that the Waterloo people PIL, has indicated that they have every interest in pursuing the possibility of doing to port. So while there is…yes…they want to do two things. They want to do sort of bulk …expand where they are so that they can do more bulk cargo and they want to do the actually cruise facility and it's not the question of never the twain shall meet. I gather that that's perfectly in order; it happens in other areas. So the only thing is the question of silting and how much dredging must be done. But it appears that since that place was originally dredged, there hasn't been much silting up that's taken place. So while Waterloo must get the right experts to be able to advice properly, preliminarily it does seem as though it is absolutely likely that the project will prove feasible."

PM Didn't Push For "Rt. Hon."
And finally from the house meeting - we asked the Prime Minister about his new title: Right Honorable. It means he's part of the Privy Council - and it's like being called up to the big leagues by the Queen herself. But usually Prime Minsters get it after they've earned two terms - while PM Barrow is on his third. He told us why it took longer:... "It came in my third and not my second, because I made no effort to acquire. Basically, once you win two, it's a kind of entitlement. But there is something that needs to be done and I did not do it, because for me it really is no big deal. I didn't do it this time neither. Unbeknownst to me, a member of the Belize High Commission in the UK went to the British unbeknownst to me. Otherwise things would have remained in the third term as they were in the second term."

Spectacular Sight At Isidoro Beaton
And our last item tonight is also out of Belmopan - but this one has to do with a football game. As was mentioned in the House of Representatives today the Isidoro Beaton Stadium in the Capital will have its grand opening next week. And from what we've seen of these night time pictures, the first full sized stadium in Belize with artificial turf is spectacular. But the really spectacular news is that the first game will be played against the champions from Honduras, Progresso featuring Belize's ace goalkeeper Woodrow West against The Belmopan Bandits featuring star goalie, Shane Moody Orio. The game is set for next Tuesday March 15th.

Channel 5

PM Barrow Presents His ‘Stability’ Budget
The House of Representatives met in session this morning, and in short order there was the much anticipated presentation of the budget for fiscal year 2016/2017. It’s Prime Minister Dean [...]

Petrocaribe Still Trickling In for Now
Petrocaribe money played a very significant role in the spending which characterized the 2015/2015 fiscal year. The Barrow administration has taken significant and continuous flak for its spending of the [...]

Citrus Industry Payroll Woes Should Be Resolved Soon
Speaking on the adjournment in response to a question raised, the PM also spoke at length about a current crisis facing the citrus industry. In a release issued late last [...]

P.U.P. Leader Says Budget is Worse Than Expected
P.U.P. leader John Briceño has been openly forecasting that the budget would be a dismal one based on a variety of factors, including industries which seem to be falling and [...]

Barrow Says Budget Reflects Investment and Not Overspending
Not surprisingly, PM Barrow wasn’t impressed by Briceño’s preliminary analysis of his Stability budget. He says that it wasn’t about overspending to buy the affections of the people, but rather [...]

3 San Pedro Cops Charged for Murder of Bartender
In the prime tourism destination of San Pedro Ambergris Caye, two persons were murdered adding to the list of homicide statistics since the beginning of the year. A Cayo resident [...]

Woman Detained for Fatally Stabbing Her Husband
Domestic violence reared its ugly head again in a murder in San Pedro Ambergris Caye. Last Thursday, a woman from the Salvapan community in Belmopan was killed due to domestic [...]

Home Invasion Leads to Murder in Mango Creek
The third murder involved the fatal weekend shooting of an Independence resident following a home invasion on Saturday night.  Police in that southern community are trying to ascertain, if it [...]

Attempted Suspension of F.F.B. President Will Not Stand
Embattled F.F.B. President Ruperto Vicente’s ad hoc suspension has been ruled invalid.  A legal team representing FIFA flew into the country over the weekend and met with three executives from [...]

Is it Business As Usual in the F.F.B.?
Notwithstanding the disappointing outcome of Sunday’s meeting, Gamez told the media that they are all working in the best interest of football and will continue to serve under Vicente’s leadership.  [...]

PM Barrow Says Waterloo Interested in Port Loyola Cruise Port
Much cruise port speculation has been making the rounds after representatives of G.O.B. met with interested party Waterloo last week. Initial reports, unofficial, indicated that Ashcroft affiliated Waterloo was not [...]

Guatemalan Shot in the Chiquibul
There was an altercation in the Chiquibul last Thursday which resulted in the B.D.F. shooting a Guatemalan in the leg. Belize Defense Force and Friends for Conservation and Development rangers [...]

Prime Minister on Fuel
Barrow’s administration has come under fire for recently increasing the import duties on fuel. That action in effect caused Regular and Diesel pump prices to go up, even as the [...]

Protesters Outside House Say Barrow Administration is Failed Leadership
Outside the House this morning about seventy-five protesters from the Belize Territorial Volunteers, the Northern Territorial Volunteers and from Mayan villages down South protested what they say is failed leadership. [...]

Prime Minister Says Allegation by Protesters is Nonsense
Barrow says any claim that his government has ceded any part of Belizean territory is nonsense. The PM says that if Belize’s military and government responds in the way in [...]

Festival of Arts Launched in Belize City
The much anticipated Festival of Arts was launched this morning. It kicked off at the Bliss Center for the Performing Arts for pre-schoolers of the Belize District. The show will [...]

Koop Sheet Metal Wins La Ruta Maya Canoe Race
La Ruta Maya canoe race in its 19th year reached another milestone in entertainment despite a mighty downpour just before Friday’s start from below the Hawkesworth Bridge in San Ignacio. [...]

LOVE FM

Belizean Woman Dies in Peten, Guatemala
A Belizean couple was involved in a road accident on Friday night in San Benito, Peten in Guatemala. Love News understands that the 54-year-old Belizean woman was driving her personal vehicle to Flores, Peten and she and her husband were heading to a Church Revival when they were rear-ended by a Government vehicle which caused […]

New Budget Figures Presented for FY 2016/2017
This morning Prime Minister, Right Honorable Dean Barrow gave his eighth budget presentation. The Draft Estimates of Revenue and Expenditure for Fiscal Year 2016-2017 is entitled “Stability in a Time of Change”. According to the Prime Minister, the 2016/2017 Budget targets a preliminary Primary Balance of One Percent of GDP and an Overall Deficit of […]

Protestors Gather at Independence Hill as House Meeting Convenes
While Prime Minister, Right Honorable Dean Barrow, was making his budget presentation, a number of Belizeans were picketing outside the National Assembly Building. Hipolito Novelo reports.

PM Says Belize/Guatemala Issue to be Left to the Professionals
The protestors dispersed before midday. Following the House Meeting, Prime Minister Dean Barrow shared his reaction to the protest. DEAN BARROW “You know these people have a claim, you know their claim is in a sense almost bizarre in terms of saying that the entire Sarstoon belongs to them, we completely reject that, we will […]

JB Says Consultation is the Way to Go; Julius Says His Stance Remains on the ICJ
The People’s United Party has not officially taken a firm position on whether or not to take Guatemala’s claim to the international court of justice. Party Leader John Briceno says that consultation needs to take place but Cayo South, Julius Espat, says his mind is made up. JOHN BRICENO “It’s not a matter of being […]

BPP Circulates Their Solution to the Belize/Guatemala Issue
The Belize Progressive Party has circulated a document entitled, Solutions to the Belize – Guatemala Territorial Dispute. The document begins by stating, quote, “The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is not Belize’s only option and it should not be tabled as Belize’s only option. The PUDP has done everything in their power to confuse Belizeans […]

US Names Belize as One of Fourteen Money Laundering Nations
The 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report has been released by the US State Department and there is a list of fourteen Caribbean countries named as major money laundering nations. In the document, a major money laundering country is defined as one whose financial institutions engage in currency transactions involving significant amounts of proceeds from […]

Woman Kills Partner in their Home
A man was stabbed and killed in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, reportedly at the hands of his common law wife. Police say they arrived on scene and found the body of Romel Catzin, a construction worker, lying face down in a pool of blood at the couple’s home. Investigating Officer, Superintendent Sandra Bodden, Officer Commanding […]

Bartender Dies …. Was it at the Hands of San Pedro Police??
A man from San Pedro Ambergris Caye has succumbed to injuries that he sustained after being beaten. On Saturday evening, Edwin Ixpatac (ISH-PA-TAC) reportedly had gone for a swim when a couple Police officers appeared on the scene and demanded that he come out of the water. Sometime after being detained by the officers, Ixpatac […]

The Reporter

Budget presentation; protest outside House
Prime Minister Dean Barrow will present the 2016 National Budget during a Special Sitting of the House of Representatives today at the National Assembly building in Belmopan. On the agenda for introduction today is the Money Laundering and Terrorism (Prevention) Bill, 2016; as well as […]

BELTRAIDE empowers 240 women with $790,000 seed capital for small businesses
Some 240 women have received funding to start their own small businesses, through small grants totaling US$340,000 ($790,000) provided under the BA-1 project, “Prevention of Violence against women in Central America”. This was funded by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the International Organization for […]

Breaking Belize News

Belize Progressive Party calls on GOB to defend Belize
The Belize Progressive Party (BPP) joined today’s protest on Independence Hill along with the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) and a handful of Belizeans demanding that the government take a more assertive position in dealing with the Belize-Guatemala territorial dispute. For their part, the BPP […]

Man charged and sentenced for drugs
An Orange Walk Town man has been charged and sentenced to prison for three years for drug trafficking. His charge and sentence follows his arrest on Monday night. Police report that about 7:45, with a tip from the Special Branch, officers intercepted a motorcycle on Princess Diana Street. […]

23 year old was driving without a license, insurance when he crashed into House of Culture fence on 9th of March holiday!
23 year old Darrell Gough escaped serious penalties for a series of traffic offenses occurring on Monday’s public and bank holiday. He was speeding, said police, and had no license and no insurance when he got behind the wheels of a Honda car where he ended up […]

Ex-cop and partner acquitted of attempted corruption of an officer
Back in 2012, GSU police had raided the home of John McAfee in Orange Walk. Police alleged that a number of persons tried to corrupt public officers in order to get information into the case against McAfee. One police officer, Darius Martinez, has since been […]

Three San Pedro Police officers are arraigned for murder in death of San Pedro man
Tonight three San Pedro police officers are on remand at the Belize Central Prison after being arraigned late this evening for the offense of murder. And relatives of the dead San Pedro bartender, 30 year old Edwin Ixpatac are planning to have a peaceful protest on […]

PM presents 2016/2017 budget
Prime Minister Dean Barrow, at this morning’s National Assembly House Sitting, presented government’s budget for the 2016/2017 fiscal year. This year’s projected budget is even bigger than last year’s. GOB is projecting a budget of 1,046,958,700. GOB has projected an overall deficit of $62.6 million […]

Orange Walk man reported missing since last month
A 77-year-old mother of Orange Walk Town, Aurora Rejon, reported to police that on February 24, her son, Miguel Rejon, 39, left home and has not been seen or heard from since. Miguel lived with his mother at their corner of Progress and Cinderella […]

Police seize over 200 pounds of weed, find guns and ammunition
On Friday morning around 10:25 in the Wagierale area of Dangriga, police searched an abandoned house and found three Aguila brand, 12 gauge cartridges inside and on the following day in the same area, officers found 322 grams of cannabis when they searched an […]

Guatemalans busted with firearms and weed plantation in Chiquibul
During a patrol about 600 meters away from the Belize-Guatemala border on Thursday of last week, members of the Belize Defense Force (BDF) along with Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD) personnel, came across a marijuana plantation measuring approximately 100 meters squared. As the team approached the […]

Belmopan Cops find over 6 pounds of weed
Just after midnight yesterday, a search conducted by police on Agriculture Street in the Las Flores area of Belmopan, resulted in the discovery of 3,074 grams of cannabis in an abandoned lot. Equivalent to 6.8 pounds, the cannabis was found in a black plastic […]

Weed found in Arenal Village
Police in Arenal Village, Cayo District, recovered a bag containing 155.3 grams of cannabis after a Hispanic male dropped it and ran upon sight of officers on patrol last Thursday. At around 2:55 p.m. that day, officers saw the man, who was walking across […]

Guatemalan caught with firearm in Chiquibul
Guatemalan National, Elder Esduardo Espania Perez, 18, was detained by Belizean authorities in the Chiquibul National Park and is pending charges for an unlicensed firearm and six live rounds of ammunition. While conducting patrol near Caracol and Valentin Camp, police, along with Belize Defense Force […]

Domestic dispute ends in murder
On Friday morning around 5:52 in the Salvapan area of Belmopan, police discovered the badly cut and bleeding body of Maria Candelaria Reymundo, 45, who had been involved in a domestic dispute with her 35-year-old boyfriend, Jaird Jeremias Guerra. Reymundo was cut to the neck and right side […]

Civil Aviation introducing new policy on drones
The Department of Civil Aviation, along with the Customs Department and the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) is in the process of finalizing a new policy on flying drones in and around Belize. According to Lindsay Garbutt, director of Civil Aviation, the agencies have been working on […]

San Pedro man killed by common-law-wife
A San Pedro man was pronounced dead yesterday afternoon at the island’s polyclinic after he was stabbed multiple times, allegedly by his 45-year-old wife, Alida Lily Barrientos De Catzim on Sunday night. Police visited the couple’s residence in the San Pedrito area on Sunday […]

A dry and gusty southeasterly airflow prevails
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting mostly sunny skies today and partly cloudy skies tonight with little or no rainfall. Winds will be blowing from the East and Southeast at 10-20 knots with occasional gusts and the sea state will be moderate, […]

International Sources

Ancient Shipwrecks Could Be Key To Forecasting Hurricanes
A study of Spanish shipwrecks and tree-ring records revealed the period from 1645 to 1715 had the fewest hurricanes in the Caribbean, since 1500. The research was the first to utilize shipwrecks as a hurricane activity substitute. The University of Arizona-led study found that the period, also know as the Maunder Minimum, had the fewest numbers of Caribbean hurricanes - a 75 percent reduction. Lead study author Valerie Trouet explained that by fusing shipwrecks and tree-ring data, they were able to study past hurricane records and advance the information on hurricane variability. According to global climate models, hurricanes will become more intense with climate change. However, the current models have yet to make reliable regional hurricane predictions. Analyzing hurricane and climate correlations in the last 500 years could aid in predicting regional hurricanes better. "We found that in the years when many ships wrecked in the Caribbean, the trees in Florida Keys showed the same signal that trees show during hurricanes," said Trouet, an associate professor from the University of Arizona's Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research.

Biofuel manufacturer to invest US$95 million in Jamaica by 2017
As renewable energy demands increase globally, bio-fuel developer Benchmark Renewable Energy LLC has announced plans to develop a large-scale bio-ethanol operation in Jamaica. The company has confirmed that the project will include the development of an advanced bio-ethanol plant with production capacity of ten million gallons of ethanol fuel per year and three Megawatts (MW) of excess electricity to be delivered to the local grid. With projections of expanding production to 20 million gallons in the first few years of operations, Benchmark estimates that the project will require investments of approximately US$95 million. Chief financial officer of Benchmark, Juan Briceno, said the company chose Jamaica for the project due to the country’s familiarity with large-scale sugar cane production, which would be similar to the production of sweet sorghum -- a crop that is used to create bio-fuel.

Regional officials gather in Guyana for electoral workshop
Senior electoral officials, experts from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and representatives of other regional organisations have gathered in Guyana for a three-day discussion aimed at facilitating the sharing of experiences and good practices on election observation. About 40 participants from CARICOM member states, CARICOM Secretariat, United Nations, as well as some other regional and intergovernmental organisations are attending this electoral event co-organised by the CARICOM Secretariat and the UN. Hosted on the theme “Building Resources in Democracy, Governance and Elections” (BRIDGE), the workshop opened on Monday morning in Georgetown. Delivering remarks were UN resident coordinator and UNDP resident representative, Khadija Musa, and deputy secretary-general, CARICOM Secretariat, Manorma Soeknandan. In the past 30 years, there has been dramatic increase in the number of countries around the globe that have elected to conduct periodic elections. Whilst this is an encouraging trend, Musa pointed out that, at same time, the complexity of the challenges facing elections and election observation has also continued to increase.

Empire Strikes Back Against Belize?
Last month, after years of studying the matter, the government of Belize took a big step toward cannabis decriminalization, with the cabinet formally handing recommendations made by the Decriminalization of Marijuana Committee over to the office of the Attorney General for final review. This means that the introduction of a decriminalization bill is almost certainly imminent. Sources say the proposed legislation would allow for persons in possession of 10 grams or less to face a fine or community service. The fine would be 15 Belizean dollars (US $7.50) per gram. The law would also be retroactive, expunging the records of those convicted in the past for possession within these limits. "Too many young people have this following them, those who are seeking jobs," explained former National Security Minister Doug Singh. So much for the good news. Just after this happy development made local headlines in Belize, the U.S. State Department released its 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR)—naming the country as one of 14 in Central America and the Caribbean believed to be “major money laundering” centers. The report, released March 5, admits that Belize is not a major regional financial center, but states: "The government of Belize continues to encourage offshore financial activities that are vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing, including offshore banks, insurance companies, trust service providers, mutual fund companies, and international business companies."

College of Nursing Students to Volunteer in Belize During Spring Break
UT Nursing students will spend their spring break volunteering in San Ignacio, Belize, during the College of Nursing‘s annual international health care trip. The college has been going on yearly medical missions since 2001 and has worked in partnership with International Service Learning health programs for the past five years to provide nursing students with a unique out-of-classroom experience. Lynn Blackburn and Karen Lasater, both clinical assistant professors in the college, will travel with eleven students to San Ignacio. The town is located in a remote and underserved area of Belize where homes often lack basic provisions such as electricity and water. “Our students will work with local physicians, nurses, and traditional healers to bring much-needed health education, medicine, and health care services to several underserved communities,” said Blackburn. “By engaging in these activities that address human and community needs, our students are able to develop a cultural competency and a global perspective not possible in the classroom setting.”

CELEBRATING WOMEN IN CARIBBEAN FISHERIES
For more than 100 years International Women’s Day (IWD) has celebrated the social, cultural, economic and political achievements of women. This year the theme for IWD is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”. From this year on IWD, the Gender In Fisheries Team known as GIFT (a team of researchers who share interests in gender in Caribbean small-scale fisheries research and development) is “stepping it up” by promoting the value of women in fisheries. For so long the role of women in fisheries has been undervalued and their activities remain invisible and not adequately documented. Furthermore the socio-economic contribution of women is underestimated. While fishing has been considered to be a male dominated industry, recent investigation on a global scale has shown that females may be in the majority, if supporting activities and post-harvest are taken into account. Acknowledging the diversity of roles that women play in fisheries, the GIFT presents five of the major roles of women in the Caribbean. TO UNDERSTAND THE TRUE VALUE OF FISHERIES IN THE CARIBBEAN, WE MUST APPRECIATE AND UNDERSTAND THE EQUALLY IMPORTANT ROLES THAT BOTH MEN AND WOMEN PLAY.

Videos

March 8, 2016

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

First teams arrive at the end of the Ruta Maya 2016 River Challenge!

Edwin Ixpatac passes away
It is with a very heavy heart that we report that Edwin Ixpatac has succumbed to the injuries he sustained on Thursday, March 3rd. Four San Pedro police officers are currently in custody pending charges of brutality and now possibly manslaughter. Our deepest condolences to his family and friends, we will miss his warm smile and soft-spoken ways.

“Imagine Belize without Wildlife”— BFD launches campaign to highlight wildlife awareness
One of Belize’s top attractions is its wildlife, nestled inside some amazing forests. The Belize Forest Department (BFD) is one of the leading government agencies that protects Belize’s natural resources and they are now preparing for a very important day. Every year on March 3rd, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), in conjunction with the United Nations (UN), celebrates “World Wildlife Day”. World Wildlife Day is a day when people acknowledge and appreciate the diverse forms of wild fauna and plant life, raising awareness of the benefits that their conservation provides. The BFD participates in this worldwide observation and will be launching a special campaign on the first day of the Ruta Maya River Challenge on March 4th. This year’s theme set by the UN is “The future of wildlife is in our hands,” but BFD has made their own subtheme to be “Imagine Belize without Wildlife.” In retrospect, the thought of how Belize would be without its national animals is hard to grasp. According to Minerva Gonzalez, a forest officer for the BFD, we are the only solution to this problem. “Our actions will determine the future of our animals.”

Parents encouraged to get their children’s eyesight tested
Students from a total of 10 schools in both Caye Caulker and San Pedro have benefited from the Lions Zone 59 Belize National Children Eye Screening Program. An essential test carried out on students between the ages of three and 14 years, the free eye screening helps to identify possible vision problems within our youth’s population. There are still many schools left to be screened by the program, and organizers are asking for the parent’s collaboration in signing consent forms, as a child will not be screened unless parents/guardians issue a consent approval. According to Chairman of the San Pedro Lions Eye Screening Program, Jan Brown, carrying out the eye screening test on children is essential in order to identify possible problems. The test indicates whether the child needs further consultations with an ophthalmologist and possibly eye glasses. “We have been very excited about doing this program. It is a service we are offering throughout the island which is beneficial to our children,” said Brown.Eye Screening SPRCS Lions-6

Wife kills husband in domestic dispute
A domestic dispute on Sunday, March 6th has led to the murder of one man in San Pedro. Reports are that Rommel Benedicto Catzim was fatally injured by his wife, Alida Lily Borrayo Barrientos de Catzim during an altercation at their home in the San Pedrito Area on Sunday, March 6th shortly after 9PM. Following the discovery of the body, police launched a full investigation where Barrientos de Catzim confessed to having inflicted the wounds which led to her husband’s death. According to Deputy of the Coastal Executive Unit, Assistant Superintendent Henry Jemmott, police responded to the reports of domestic dispute in the San Pedrito Area at around 10:30PM. Upon arriving at the scene, police found the body of a male individual lying face down in a pool of blood on a veranda on the second floor of an apartment building. Closer inspection revealed that the victim had sustained two apparent stab wounds to the chest and back causing him to bleed to death. Inside the home was Barrientos de Catzim, who was apprehended and escorted to the San Pedro Police Station for investigation.

New District Education Officer to improve SP education standards
Education is a key element in the development and well-being of a community and country. Therefore, having well trained and experienced senior education officers adds tremendously to the development of our young generation. San Pedro Town and Caye Caulker have been placed under the watchful eye of District Education Officer, Nelma Jones, who has been addressing the issues at schools on the islands. It is expected that with her vast expertise in the educational sector, both islands will benefit immensely. Jones came to the cayes as a long standing educator with over thirty years of experience working in the field of education. Her experience in the educational field extends from primary and secondary levels up to the Ministry of Education. Jones also indicated that she was an adjunct lecturer for the University of the West Indies, St. John’s Junior College, and even the University of Belize. Since her arrival in San Pedro, Jones has experienced challenges in assisting with the many issues the local educational institutions are dealing with. “There are major issues which are not just happening on Ambergris Caye, but also in other parts of the country,” she said, “The cases of students being rebellious and getting in to trouble at school, is a situation we need to deal with, without blaming anyone.”

Ambergris Caye beaches at risk; beach reclamation is the way to go!
The beaches of Ambergris Caye are shrinking and with that comes the threat of keeping tourists and their dollars away. Many coastal residents on the island are becoming concerned about the changing weather patterns and rising seas which are eating away the shore. As a result, more and more residents are resorting to seawalls and jetties to combat the erosion. The San Pedro Town Council (SPTC) recognizes that Ambergris Caye’s beaches support the lucrative visitor industry, and has begun efforts to enhance these valuable coastal properties from storm damages and erosion, including an extensive beach reclamation project in the Boca del Rio area. “Tourists come to San Pedro to see natural beaches and we will work together with everyone, especially the business owners, to make sure that we keep that natural image of our coastal areas,” said Mayor Daniel Guerrero.

Ambergris Today

La Ruta Maya River Challenge comes to an end. Belize City celebrates
The scene downtown Belize City as La Ruta Maya River Challenge comes to and end. Four gruesome days of paddling downstream from mainland Cayo to coastal Belize.

Misc Belizean Sources

BBG Palm Celebration Tour
The Belize Botanic Gardens have a special Palm Celebration Tour that will be ongoing through Palm Sunday. You can learn all about palms, from the scores of different varieties they have, to their huge amount of uses. "Visit the Palm Trail at Belize Botanic Gardens for an exclusive tour with specialist, Rudy Aguilar! From now through Palm Sunday. Palms are exotic, beautiful, diverse, useful and natives to Belize. Lunch, Guided Tour and Shuttle only $100 BZD PP. Call 824-3101. Maya Traditional Knowledge Tour and Tamales Making every Friday from 9am-12pm."

Belize Fishing Report, Feb. 21- 27, 2016
A fairly poor weather week but some remarkable catches by some beginning and experienced anglers. Kevin was the start permit player this week as he somehow got at least one permit 3 days in a row with his sweetheart Jamie cheering him on. Although Jamie did not land a permit she had some shots and out fished Kevin in the tarpon department!

New Rainbow colored sign at Int'l Airport
Love the rainbow. This sign implies much!

Overall final results of the 2016 La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge (official)
The Champs Koop Sheet Metal , Female Champs Belize Bank Bulldogs

NEBL All Star Game
The NEBL All Star Game will be on Saturday the 19th, at the UB gym. "A night of basketball that cannot be missed!!! Bring out the entire family to witness the best ballaz in Belize on one court. See you at the UB Gymnasium on Saturday, March 19."

The Reporter

PUP deputies to line front row in House
At Tuesday’s Special Sitting of the House, the four People’s United Party (PUP) deputy leaders, who were either elected at the party’s National Convention in January or were appointed, will assume different seats. In his conversation with television reporters following a meeting with Prime Minister Dean Barrow last week, PUP Leader John Briceno said, “I have decided that all the deputy leaders are going to be seated in the front.” Briceno did not delve into details of the seating arrangements, but reports that Lake Independence Area Representative, Cordel Hyde, will now sit next to Briceno, suggesting a level of seniority even above former Prime Minister Said Musa or the four party deputies. Hyde has not yet been given a post on the PUP Executive, but Briceno had indicated from as early as the party’s convention day that Hyde would be offered a senior role when a position is created for him.

La Ruta Maya river race ends in photo finish
The three-man team for Programme for Belize out-paddled the Koop Sheet Metal team to cross the finish first, less than two meters ahead, at around 11:15 Monday morning, in the 19th annual La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge. The two teams came down the Haulover Creek for a couple miles along with four others, and at the final 50 yards nearing the finish at Bottom Dollar, downtown Belize City, Programme for Belize out-paddled Koop Sheet Metal to win $500, courtesy Smart. Westrack was third and the Belize Bank Bulldogs crossed the finish fourth, followed by the team from NICH in fifth, and BTL’s Cobb’s Arms in sixth position.

Breaking Belize News

Koop Sheet Metal team wins River Challenge
After one hundred and eighty gruelling miles of paddling by canoe down the Belize Old River, Koop Sheet Metal are the overall winners of the 19th La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge sponsored by Belikin. While rivals Programme for Belize won the final stage […]

House meeting Tuesday; budget, finance bills to be read
The House of Representatives meets on March 8 in Belmopan, and Prime Minister Right Honorable Dean Barrow is expected to read the General Revenue and Appropriations Bill, 2016, otherwise known as the Budget, at this sitting. However, there are two bills being presented for […]

10 facts about Baron Bliss
Today, March 7, is being observed as National Heroes and Benefactors Day, in lieu of the public and bank holiday Wednesday, March 9. It is, a day set aside to remember Belize’s greatest benefactor, Baron Bliss, and in recent years, the holiday has been […]

Popular San Pedro bartender dies, police brutality suspected
A popular San Pedro bartender, Edwin Ixpatac, died early this morning as a result of injuries sustained last Thursday and four San Pedro police officers, currently in custody on suspicion of brutality, now face possible manslaughter or murder charges for his death. According to […]

Are Belizeans better off in 2016?
Are you better off in 2016 than you were last year or the year before? Are you confident that things will get better as the year progresses? Do you believe that the cost of living will drop and gas prices will become cheaper and the […]

Independence dominates highschool softball
The Independence high school Invaders conquered the SSSSA Regional Softball competition yesterday at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium as they displayed their dominance in softball. The teams came out in full force as they raveled the pitch. Congratulations and good luck to the Invaders as […]

Blogs

“We’re Content in Belize…And Don’t Plan on Moving”
Sue and George’s interest in Belize was piqued in 2010, while still living in Los Angeles. Sue read an AARP article about retiring in Belize and George watched an International House Hunters program about building a home there. George had long dreamed of building their ideal retirement home. But the Paolettis knew that it would be exorbitantly expensive to do so in Southern California. Having grown up in England, Sue hates rain. “When I researched Belize I discovered that the rainfall in Corozal in the north is only about 60 inches per year. So in February 2011, we took a two-week trip to Corozal,” she says. They had no intention of buying land on that very first trip, but two days before they were due to visit Corozal, they learned that a new subdivision had just opened, south of town. While in Corozal they checked out the property options. Sue says, “It was perfect for us. It was two miles out of town, on the bay, with one-third of an acre of land, and within our budget. We looked at each other, said ‘This is it’, knocked on the real estate agent’s door and asked ‘Where do we sign?’

5 Things To Do At A Maya Site
We have heard people say, “we are going to see the temples”, when they decide to go on a tour of an ancient Maya City. If thats the only things they are pursuing, we think they will miss the rest of the site. You see there are more than temples at these sights. There are palaces and stelae and ball courts and altars, just to name a few. None-the-less we want to challenge you to do these five things when you visit an ancient Maya City. 1. Think about your life as it is presently and realise that the people who built these cities were very much like us. Like us, they had to figure out how best to manage all things in their environment to make sure they survived. Whether they were kings or farmers. 2. Smell the aroma of the place. Interestingly, most ancient Maya Cities are found within jungle settings. There are moments when the aroma of the forest can uplift not only your olfactory but all the other senses we possess. Including memories of past moments.

Elope and just say I Do! With Romantic Travel at Portofino, Belize
Denise and Angel decided to elope and say “I Do”… and this was one of the most romantic weddings I ever photographed. Magic moments captured as I felt them… love… laughter… giggle… romance. I got them all. Enjoy!

Traditions and Tropical Memories – Belize Weddings
We remember, many years ago, living in London and seeing billboards for Caribbean destinations wondering if we’d ever be able to have a holiday in such a beautiful place and now, now we live and work here. Not only that but we get to share that with people who have traveled from all over the world to fulfill that very dream. Some come to elope. Some come to party. Quite a few bring their wedding traditions with them. The only difference is that they get to enjoy those traditions in beautiful Belize.

Thank you, Facebook, for reminding me that my career is dead and I’m living in Belize
This morning I was reminded that four years ago today, I walked away from the best job I’d ever had, after nearly 30 years with the same newspaper. Thank you, Facebook “On This Day” feature. And recently, Facebook reminded me that we moved to Belize exactly two years ago. Like a cat coughing up fur balls, Facebook now churns up fuzzy memories. Daily. If you are on Facebook, I’m sure you are getting the same thing. I recently relived my 2-12-12 marriage to Rose Alcantara through the many pictures I’d posted to Facebook back then. I recently re-experienced the death of an friend. I’ve seen pictures of my grandson Brody at birth, 1, 2, 3 and 4 years old. You never know what Facebook’s memories machine will come up with. And frankly, at my age, it is mostly a relief and nearly always surprising.

International Sources

Cultivating More than Veggies In Belize City
Tucked away on a long street in Belize City, lies the first Urban Garden in the country. Belize, for all its lush landscape, actually imports a disproportionate amount of fresh fruits and vegetables. Which makes The Urban Garden for Food Security and Peace, more than an urban garden, it is also a project which aims to empower residents to not just eat healthily, but also locally while becoming independent of costly imports. After visiting their garden, we interviewed the principal gardeners/activist to learn more. E.C. When was the garden founded, was it the motivation of residents, city officials? UGFSP As children we always had backyard gardens so gardening is not a new concept to some of us. The Urban Garden for Food Security and Peace is a Belize Action Community project that seeks to grow both people and trees to mitigate poverty. This idea was extended to other organizations and individuals in 2006, when Belize began holding mutual improvement alliance meetings at Liberty Hall in Belize City. Many old and young people have participated so far and we continue to look for more organizations and people to step up to this task. In 2015 after a youth summit, where we had young adult youth leaders from 5 Central American Countries, we found several passionate young Afro Belizean adults who wanted to be a part of a program that could positively influence their social, economic and environmental ambitions for themselves and Belize. At this particular time food security and peace is of vital importance. All over the world and in Belize we are experiencing many diseases at alarming rates because of the food we eat that is harming the human body.

Belize getting $20M, nationwide 4G LTE network
The small Central American country Belize will soon be covered by a 4G LTE network being deployed by DigiCell, a subsidiary of Belize Telemedia Limited. Belize Telemedia Limited and DigiCell are both owned and controlled by the government of Belize. Privately-owned SMART is the only other mobile operator in Belize. The LTE network will support download speeds of up to 100 megabits per second, according to BTL, which pegs its investment at $20 million. Huawei is the sole vendor for this project. BTL executive committee chairman Anwar Barrow said Huawei “will bring significant experience and expertise to the project—not only during the implementation phase, but even after the initial LTE installation. They are charged with ensuring that the LTE service will work optimally, and that our BTL team members are fully trained to manage the new network on an ongoing basis.” He Ming, president of Huawei Technologies USA, said this project is indicative of the company’s emphasis on taking a customer-centric approach that goes beyond selling equipment to include “Huawei providing the latest training to the BTL team so they can ensure the ongoing quality of the network and the voice and data services delivered to their customers.”

Citrus Products of Belize unable to pay growers
Citrus Products of Belize Ltd. (CPBL) has reported that it is unable to meet the citrus growers’ fruit cheque payment for this week. This was revealed in a joint press release issued from the Belize Citrus Growers Association and CPBL. The release went on to say that this problem is as a result of CPBL’s application to Heritage Bank for working capital finance not yet being approved by the Central Bank of Belize. Kent Herrera, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of CPBL, told Amandala that the working capital is something they apply for annually. It is a short-term loan that is repaid within six months or at the end of, the crop period, Herrera said. The release continued: “The CGA has brought this matter to the attention of the relevant authorities, stressing the urgency of this situation and the human and economic hardship it is bringing to the workers, growers and the other industry stakeholders.” Henry Anderson, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Belize Citrus Growers Association, told Amandala that the impact this cash crunch will have is enormous. Anderson said that when tomorrow comes and these growers can’t get paid, they, in turn, will not be able to pay the harvesters, the delivery trucks and the like.

The Remarkable O’Horáns
Governor, president, senator, general, judge, hero, traitor, conservative, liberal, doctor, lawyer, scholar…. The O’Horán family was there through the entire tumultuous history of nineteenth-century Yucatán, deeply immersed, in so many important ways. This thoroughly Yucatecan family with a very un-Spanish name arrived in the Peninsula in 1760. Juan José de O’Horán y Ready was a native of the rural district of Aughane in County Cork, Ireland. He grew up in the Canary Islands, where his parents, John O’Horan and Jane Ready, moved when their son was young. Many ambitious Irish were emigrating during this period, and Spain and its American possessions were popular destinations. Juan de O’Horán quickly made himself at home in Campeche. In 1762, he married a local woman, María Gertrudis de Argüello y Monte, and they raised a family of seven children, three boys and four girls. Two of the sons, Tomás Antonio and Diego, made significant marks in history, about which we shall learn more. We know almost nothing of the middle son, Pablo, or of the daughters, Rita, Teresa, María Ana, and Juana Gertrudis. In 1850, now with the rank of colonel, Patricio led a noteworthy expedition that established his reputation. Leading a force of 700 men, Colonel O’Horán marched out of Tihosuco on June 27 and headed for Bacalar. Yucatecan troops had taken that remote, isolated fortress in the far southeast a year earlier in an effort to cut the Maya supply lines from Belize. But the garrison there, surrounded and besieged by the enemy, was now in a desperate situation.

Videos

March 7, 2016

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

San Pedro police investigate abuse of local bartender; four officers placed on interdiction
Around 2AM on Thursday morning, March 3rd, San Pedro police responded to a call about a person struggling in the water near a resort just south of San Pedro Town. According to reports, police recovered 30-year-old Edwin Ixpatac, a local bartender, from the water. Ixpatac was intoxicated and had sustained injuries from washing against a sea wall. According to police Ixpatac was combative, and apparently kicked and struck at the officers who were assisting him. Ixpatac was taken to the San Pedro police department where he was detained overnight. Later that day police carried an injured Ixpatac to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II. In grave condition, he was transported to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he is reportedly on life support. According to police the sergeant in charge that night made a poor discussion in not immediately taking Ixpatac to the polyclinic. Reports are that Ixpatac may have been abused while in custody as well. As such four San Pedro officers were immediately put on interdiction and are now in police custody in Belize City awaiting charges.

Police Report
On Thursday, February 25th at 5:30PM, acting on Special Branch (SB) intelligence, a joint team of SB and Gang Suppression Unit personnel conducted a search at the residence of 38-year-old Raymond Bradley and 33-year-old Phillipa Diego on Barracuda Street, Boca del Rio area. A thorough search was conducted in the premises which led to the discovery of a black plastic bag containing suspected Cannabis which was hidden inside a pipe. A total of 53 grams of suspected Cannabis was removed.

Wolfe’s Woofer: A Sure Thing
I was visiting a friend in the U.S. and every day I walked around for exercise. The sign in an office window said, Doctor John Bulwar. $500 for your treatment. If you are not cured you get back $1000. I know a sure thing when I see it so I walked in. When I saw how old the doctor was I knew for certain I would win some big money. I said, “Doctor, I’ve lost all taste in my mouth.” “Nurse!” he called. “Bring me a dropper of medicine from bottle 14 and put two drops on the patients tongue.” “A-a-c-c-h! This tastes like gasoline,” I said, when the drops hit my tongue. “Congratulations,” he said. “You’ve got your taste back. That will be $500.”

Total Allowable Catch set for Queen Conch and Sea Cucumber
In an effort to preserve the marine species Queen Conch (Strombus gigas) and Sea Cucumber (Holothuroidea), the Belize Fisheries Department has implemented Total Allowable Catch (TAC) for both fishing season. The Fisheries Regulations under Statutory Instrument number 54 of 2012 (Regulation 24A.1) has been amended by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries, Forestry, the Environment and Sustainable Development in order to implement a set export quota for each species. This regulation has been put into play to safeguard diminishing populations of the species, and while it will not directly affect local fishers here in San Pedro, it will affect those who normally catch for exportation.

Doctor Love: Teenage Love and Abusive Partners
Dear Doctor Love, I am fifteen years old and I recently went to a giant party for my friend’s quinceaños party. There was a boy there that I have liked for a long time. My good friend who was with me told me that he kept staring at me all night long, but I was afraid to look. She says he did not ask me to dance probably because he was with a date but I think it is just because I am very average looking. Now, I think about him all of the time. I can’t tell if I am just infatuated or not. We have known each other for years and we have talked in the past. I could talk to him if I don’t freeze up because I like him so much. I keep thinking that maybe he is just shy and he actually likes me. What should I do? /s/ Unsigned

Misc Belizean Sources

Kings Park Thunderbird 4-H Club Garden Club needs help
The Kings Park Thunderbird 4-H Club is looking for someone that is willing to volunteer their time in assisting the club in jump starting their garden project. Interesting persons can contact club President Ms. Keisha Baltazar at 6625474.

First Friday Tres Cocos Trash Pick Up
Thanks to so many recent donations, we were well armed with an array of trash picker uppers, which made this months effort so much easier!

Art Exhibition and Book Fair on Caye Caulker March 13
At Il Baretto in Oasi Apartment Rentals

Ruta Maya
It's a nice morning as racers get their gear ready for the next leg of racing which takes them from the village of "Double Head Cabbage" to "Burrell Boom Village." Estimated arrival in Boom is midday. Come on out and bring the family for a fun filled day. Good luck to all participants and happy racing.

Million dollar baby Shamir Aban returns from the US tonight
He underwent a successful surgery made possible through the efforts of World Pediatric Project and the KHMH. We happily welcome him home after being away for more than 2 months!

Opening of Women's Week
Opening of women's week. The women police officers and senior police officers of Belize Police Department Eastern Police Division's and Dept. Compol Blacket enjoying fellowship at Lake Independence Baptist Church. God bless you all.

Day 3 Ruta Maya results
Official Place, Class, and Times for this leg of the race Double Head Cabbage to Burrell Boom.

The Reporter

Guatemalan shot during crossfire with BDF soldiers in Chiquibul
Another encounter between Belize Defense Force (BDF) soldiers on foot patrol in the Chiquibul National Park and Guatemalans late last week ended in one of the Guatemalans being shot. The intruder was shot in the leg during a crossfire with BDF soldiers late last week in an area known as Cebada, where Guatemalans have known to conduct illegal logging, poaching, and harvesting of Xate. He had to be brought out of the park by the soldiers for medical attention and police processing. It is expected that the Organization of American States (OAS) will intervene and gather details of exactly where and how the incident occurred and then provide both Belizean and Guatemalan governments with that information. Meanwhile, Belize has already sent a diplomatic note to Guatemala, protesting that country’s military reaction towards Belizeans who were intercepted and prevented from going to the Sarstoon last weekend.

Annual Baron Bliss harbour regatta underway in Belize City
The 88th Baron Bliss Harbour Regatta is currently taking place in the Belize City Harbour in front of the BTL Park on New Town Barracks. The event is open to all sail boat classes on a traditional triangular course. The history of the “harbour regatta” as it is called locally originated in memory of Belize’s greatest benefactor, Henry Edward Ernest Victor Bliss, after whom it was named, to honour his love for the sea. The regatta is just one of several taking place this weekend in honour of Baron Bliss. On Monday, the annual wreath-laying ceremony will take place, at his grave site at the Baron Bliss lighthouse at Fort George.

Breaking Belize News

Football execs made procedural error in attempted suspension: FIFA
While they had the power to suspend him, members of the Football Federation of Belize FFB’s executive should have left president Ruperto Vicente to call the meeting that would determine his fate. Representatives from Fifa and regional agency CONCACAF met for four hours yesterday […]

University of West Indies stepping up Zika eradication with Regional Task Force
The University of the West Indies (UWI) is not shunning from the challenge of Zika, but taking charge and addressing this disease by launching a new resource – the UWI Regional Task Force on Zika. Pro-Vice Chancellor, Graduate Studies and Research, University of the […]

Punta Gorda residents alert following early morning robbery
There was an armed robbery of Brads Store located on Main Middle Street in Punta Gorda Town this morning. Information to BMG is that two armed, masked suspects robbed the store and got away just before 8 in the morning. Police issued an advisory […]

Well known Independence resident gunned down
Dwayne Logan, a well-known Independence resident was fatally shot sometime last night by two masked men during an attempted robbery. According to a reliable source from within the Independence police formation, police suspect that Logan was involved in drug activity. Officials are presently investigating […]

Blogs

“We’re Content In Belize… And Don’t Plan On Moving”
Sue and George’s interest in Belize was piqued in 2010, while still living in Los Angeles. Sue read an AARP article about retiring in Belize and George watched an International House Hunters program about building a home there. George had long dreamed of building their ideal retirement home. But the Paolettis knew that it would be exorbitantly expensive to do so in Southern California. Having grown up in England, Sue hates rain. “When I researched Belize I discovered that the rainfall in Corozal in the north is only about 60 inches per year. So in February 2011, we took a two-week trip to Corozal,” she says. They had no intention of buying land on that very first trip, but two days before they were due to visit Corozal, they learned that a new subdivision had just opened, south of town. While in Corozal they checked out the property options. Sue says, “It was perfect for us. It was two miles out of town, on the bay, with one-third of an acre of land, and within our budget. We looked at each other, said ‘This is it’, knocked on the real estate agent’s door and asked ‘Where do we sign?’ “After that trip we flew back to the U.S., sold our house and furniture, drove through Mexico and arrived in Corozal in January, 2012.”

Blue Water Grill turns its charitable impulses toward the PolyClinic
Every month the Blue Water Grill, here in San Pedro, Belize, picks a different fund-raising project and matches a certain amount of the funds raised from their guests. December through February, for example, were dedicated to raising funds to refurbish Boca del Rio Park’s playground equipment — and they collected $10,234 to make it happen. They recently raised funds similarly for playground equipment at Central Park in downtown San Pedro. This month, the popular restaurant has set a goal of $8,000 to buy a new electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) diagnostic machine for the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro PolyClinic, our only public medical facility on the island. Blue Water will match the first $2,000 raised and plans to continue this program into April if the whole $8,000 isn’t raised this month. This is huge.

International Sources

Albino whale “Gallon of Milk” makes second Mexican appearance
A female albino whale affectionately known as “Gallon of Milk” made her first appearance in seven years in an annual whale census off Mexico’s Pacific coast. The gray whale made a surprise appearance in a video, as Mexico’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP) was doing a routine whale count. And what may be more interesting than Gallon of Milk’s first sighting since 2009 is the appearance of a gray calf alongside her. That suggests that Gallon of Milk may have become a mother in the interim. “In the recent sighting, this time in the area known as Alambre Island in the Ojo de Liebre Lagoon, Gallon of Milk was accompanied by a calf that was completely gray, which must mean she has become a mother for the first time,” read a CONANP bulletin. Gallon of Milk is an unusual case among the whale species by virtue of her being an albino whale. The gene mutation albinism, which causes a lack of pigmentation in sufferers, is especially rare among marine mammals such as whales, though it is far more common in other types of mammals, as well as birds and reptiles.

A few more countries will join the CCJ before the end of this year
It seems that before the end of this year a few more countries will abolish appeals to the Privy Council and accept the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as their final court. Both the government and the opposition in Antigua and Barbuda have agreed to accept the CCJ as the final appellate court, but prefer the electorates to know more about the regional court before a referendum is held, and to this end a public education programme is organized for Thursday. Several top legal personalities including President of the CCJ, Sir Denis Byron, Sir David Simmons, former Chief Justice of Barbados, Caricom Secretary General Irwin La Roque, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne, will be among the resource persons at Thursday’s seminar which will be held at St Johns, the capital. So far only four countries, Guyana, Barbados, Belize, and Dominica have removed the Privy Council and accepted the CCJ as the final court, although the regional institution was inaugurated since April 2005 after 35 years of gestation. The idea of establishing the court was initiated by the Organization of the Commonwealth Caribbean Bar Association and in 1970 the Heads of Government of Caricom accepted the idea and slowly established the court. It is disappointing that Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago which were in the forefront are not yet members.

Central American Megaflyover to Measure Impacts of Humans & Cows in Largest Remaining Rainforests
Overflight will analyze widespread changes across Central American isthmus and examine status of largest five forests. With support from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, scientists from the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) have embarked on an ambitious plane-based survey to gauge the influence of humans and their livestock on the largest remaining forests in Central America. Dubbed the “Central American Megaflyover,” the project is gathering detailed images of the largest five remaining forest blocks in Mesoamerica in flights across six countries (Guatemala, Belize, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama). The findings will inform, guide, and inspire conservation action on the ground to protect these natural treasures. The 5,000-kilometer (3100 miles) flight started on February 26th and will continue into the middle of March. An additional 3,000 kilometers (1900 miles) will be traveled overland. “What was once an unbroken corridor of biological wonders has become threatened by rapid deforestation and fragmentation– especially due to uncontrolled cattle ranching,” said Dr. Jeremy Radachowsky, Director for WCS’s Mesoamerica and Western Caribbean Program and a participant in the flyover. “However, each of Mesoamerica’s five largest forests are still larger than several U.S. states. We hope to gather vital data on the region’s last wild places and gain insights on how to conserve these remaining landscapes, the irreplaceable wildlife they contain, and the services they provide to local people and all of humanity.”

Videos

March 6, 2016

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

Take advantage of dental services at San Pedro Smile Dental Clinic
The free dental checkups and cleanings for island children and adults continues. The San Pedro Smile Dental Center at Holy Cross Anglican School encourages all parents and guardians to bring their children between the hours of 8AM and 3PM for dental service. Professional dental surgeons and dental assistants have volunteered their time to provide this essential service to the community, hoping to improve dental health in Ambergris Caye one smile at a time. March 14th – 15th at the Holy Cross Anglican School Smile Dental Clinic: Service provided by Susan Kloosterboer, Dr. Adina Ness, Heidi Peterson and students Madison College School of Health Education March 16th – 17th at the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II: Service provided by Susan Kloosterboer, Dr. Adina Ness, Heidi Peterson and students Madison College School of Health Education March 16th – 17th at the Holy Cross Anglican School Smile Dental Clinic: Service provided by Dr. Staci Blaha and Dr. Joanne Brown May 4th – 6th at the Holy Cross Anglican School Smile Dental Clinic: Service provided by Dr. Hal Soloman

Mayor’s and Minister’s Cup Tournament heading to plays off
It’s the eight week of the Mayor’s and Minister’s Cup, and with just three weeks before the grand finale, the first team to qualify for the play off has already been announced. Football fanatics were again present at the Louis Sylvester Sporting Complex this past weekend, where they enjoyed six amazing games. The results are as follows: Thursday – Belize Pro Diver 6-2 San Mateo Catrachos 4-1 PSG Saturday – Ambergris Divers 1-1 Veterans Jokers F.C 5-3 Sky Energy Sunday – Progresso Boys 6-1 San Pedro Junior College Peace Makers 4-3 Searious Warriors There are no games scheduled for this weekend, but the action continues from Monday this week with another set of heated games. The schedule is as follows:

San Pedro High School introduces their two teams for Sagicor challenge
Every year, secondary school students from across the country are challenged with the creative test to come up with original scientific solutions for common problems affecting their communities. Known as Sagicor Visionary Challenge, the test brings students together in an annual national competition featuring their talents. From the many projects seen in previous challenges, it is safe to say that Belize has the potential of producing great scientists and inventors in the near future. As many teachers at the San Pedro High School (SPHS) can confirm, this is the thought as the school prepares two teams to represent Ambergris Caye in this year’s challenge. The five -member group Papaya Power is using the papaya plant, known for its succulent fruit. Jennessa Sierra, one of the group members, indicated that the high cost of medical care has led them to the idea of creating products from this plant in order to provide natural, low- cost medicinal products. “The papaya fruit and its seeds have many healing properties that people may not know of. Our project will include teas, beverages made of papaya for the nourishment of the body. It will not be the usual shake that you can make at home, this will be more pure and natural since we will not use any other sugars or foreign substances other than just the papaya,” said Sierra.

Improper disposal of garbage is affecting the island’s wildlife
The consequences of improperly disposed garbage can be far reaching. Beyond the unsightly appearance, littering can affect in ways you least expect, like marine wildlife, terrestrial animals and even birds. Yes, even the feathered creatures that barely set foot on the ground cannot escape the threat of garbage. Birds build their nest from loose debris and other material they can find. They do not sort out what they are taking with them, as long as it is good enough to build their home. An osprey family that built its nest on the very top of a BEL tower never imagined that its offspring almost did not make it when it was ready to leave the nest. According to Chris Summers from the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES), he had just returned from the San Mateo area, after setting a small croc trap, when he became involved with the Belize Electricity Limited (BEL) crew in the rescuing of a juvenile osprey. The bird was tangled on some fishing line that was dangling from its nest.

Misc Belizean Sources

Calvin on Caye Caulker needing hlp
I have just been speaking to Dora, Calvin's wife. He is going to have a very serious surgery on tuesday and will of course be unable to work for a while. They would be so grateful for any financial help you can provide. You can leave your donations here at Stressless Tours (opposite Roses) or you can contact Dora directly on 6070704

MR VEGAS performing his hits live inside Caye Caulker Easter Fest
On Saturday, March 26, 2016. Early bird special on tickets for $50 available at Raggamuffin Tours in Caye Caulker and KREM Office in Belize City.

The Astounding Revelation of Caye Chapel's Luxury Golf Course Project
Travelers and tourists all over the globe are being frantic in visiting the country of Belize that has been known for having over 450 offshore islands that provide great outdoor activities for the whole family. The place is truly a tourist destination but that is not the reason for its recent popularity. The public is stunned by the news that golf legend Greg Norman is adopting and will be re-designing the Caye Chapel Golf Course as part of their huge proposed development project on the island. Greg Norman a professional golfer and a full-time entrepreneur is a renowned golf player for being the #1 ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking in the 1980’s and 1900’s. Aside from his fame with golf, he is also entitled from having a great reputation in designing numerous golf courses all over the globe. That is just the start, with his enormous talent. He has been planning to build a world-class golf course on Caye’s Chapel that already has an 18-hole golf course. With his undoubtful fame and social status, Belize officials are thrilled as they believe that his project can bring huge benefits to the islands tourism industry. Although Greg Norman’s revelation is still on the move, travelers and tourist should explore the island for a weekend getaway as the whole family can spend some time playing and discovering the beauty of the island.

Expedition to Cocoa Branch in Stann Creek district
Our Botanical Team with the support of Caves Branch Guides will be heading to "explore the unexplored", going to the 3 weeks long expedition to Cocoa Branch in Stann Creek district. We are proud to have 2 leading experts: Bruce Holst, Director of Botany from Selby Gardens in Florida and Dr.Steven Brewer, Plant ecologist. Why are we going there? As Dr. Brewer said: "From my perspective, the importance of the expedition rests on the fact that we will be botanizing in an area that is a key gap in biodiversity surveys in Belize. The core of the area we will be surveying is the only significant location of a type of limestone (Paleozoic carbonates) that is at least 150 million years older than the limestone that covers so much of Belize. It is surrounded by igneous rock, so this is also an incredible opportunity to compare vegetation on very different rock types, in a remote and rugged landscape that is perhaps one of the least impacted by humans in modern times. "

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye represented at La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge
ITravel Belize spotted the two teams paddling hard at the beginning of the race. All the best to: Dee Regis, Brittney O’Daniel, Greg Lamb & Lisa Rusinek-Cyrier, Ronnie Cyrier, Wayo Vasquez.

Belizean to Attend IFLA World Library and International Congress 2016
Belizean librarian, author, poet, and mother of 2 Felene Cayetano will be attending the IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2016 as an International Fellow. The IFLA 2016 National Committee, through generous donations from the North American library community, offered full fellowships to librarians from outside North America (U.S. and Canada) to attend the IFLA 2016 Congress in Columbus, Ohio. Cayetano was recently in Guyana for an intense fiction editing and publishing workshop. You can read about it here.

BELIZE TERRITORIAL VOLUNTEERS to PROTEST HOUSE MEETING
PRESS RELEASE WHEREAS, on Saturday February 27th, 2015, exactly one year ago, 37 Belizeans were unlawfully detained by Guatemalan military while in Belizean territorial waters, and; WHEREAS, on Saturday February 27th, 2016, in commemoration of the first anniversary of said incident, “armed” Guatemalan military vessels unlawfully entered Belizean territorial waters and blocked ” unarmed” Belizean civilians from the free use and enjoyment of the Belizean side of the Sarstoon river, and; WHEREAS, our Belizean government has downplayed such aggression and unlawful entry by the Guatemalan military; The Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) now hereby calls on all Belizeans from the Rio Hondo to the Sarstoon, to participate in a peaceful and energetic picketing of the sitting of the House of Representative on Tuesday March 8th, 2016 at 9 a.m. Please Belizeans, make every effort to attend.

Day 1 Ruta Maya leaders list

Unofficial Day 2 Ruta Maya leaders list

La Ruta Maya 2016 Start
Kenny Lamb got some excellent pictures of the start of the La Ruta Maya. "Start of the race in the Western town of San Ignacio, Belize at 7AM under the historic Hawksworth Bridge."

JOHNITO MIGUEL & THE DYNAMIC BELIZE CROSS COUNTRY!
It was a very exciting fundraiser today, March 5, 2016, at the fundraising event for the Williams brothers, Justin and Corey Williams. Belizeans in the Los Angeles Belizean Community came out to the event to support their Cross Country Champion, Justin Williams. The most impressive thing for me was that while this was going on, the brothers were riding a cycling classic in Los Angeles, and putting in work on the bike. It is now official that Justin Williams will defend his Cross Country Championship along with his brother, Corey who paced the race for him last year. It is also known already that Corey's role will be the same in this year's race, and that he will be coming to work hard, and put his brother in the front again.

SERVICES BY EDUCATION USA REFERENCE CENTER-BELIZE
If you are interested in studying in the U.S. You should stop by the EducationUSA Reference Center at the Leo Bradley Library in Belize City. They have everything you need to get your search and applications started. Check out the services they offer.

"Carvana De La Risas"
Laughter is the best medicine, especially when with family. Rain didn't stop this crowd from what was a night of belly laughs at the "Carvana De La Risas" Tour. With Letty Eiley,

National Heroes and Benefactors Day
Why do we celebrate National Heroes and Benefactors Day? Who are our patriots? Come and learn at our National Heroes and Benefactors Exhibit - March 9 2016. Punta Gorda. The exhibit will then tour the country.

CTV3

O/W NTV Will Support Will Mejia On Sarstoon Issue
Last night we informed you about the Belize Territorial Volunteers’ decision to organize a picketing that will be taking place on Tuesday at the sitting of the House of Representatives in Belmopan. This decision came about as a result of the group describes as Government’s failure to assist Belizeans in terms of providing protection and security for those who travelled on Saturday to visit the Gracias a Dios monument but were denied entry by the Guatemalan military on the Sarstoon. Yesterday in a press release, the Northern Territorial Volunteers also expressed their displeasure with the way Government handled the situation once more especially when it comes to the incursion of the Guatemalan Military in Belizean waters. Today President of the NTV, Geovanni De La Fuente told CTV3 News that the group will also be joining BTV in Belmopan and anyone wishing to stand in unity with BTV and NTV are more than welcome.

Police Removes Hand Gun From Street
During a search conducted in an abandoned lot on the Belize Corozal Road yesterday at around 5:30 in the evening, Orange Walk Police seized a .38 special, Amado Rossi Brand hand gun. The pistol bearing serial number 763551 was found wrapped in a black plastic bag and since no one was in the area at the time of the finding, the gun was taken to the Orange Walk Police station where it was labeled as found property.

Amandala

Guats taking over southern Belize?
Since Saturday reports have surfaced that fishers from Guatemala have set up illegal camps on the northern bank of the Sarstoon River well inside Belizean territory. Belize Territorial Volunteer (BTV) founder, Wil Maheia, has said that Belizean authorities have done nothing to address the problem. Today, when we contacted the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of National Security, Ret’d Colonel George Lovell, he told us that he had not been informed of the illegal dwellings, but he did undertake to look into the matter. In speaking with journalists about incursions by Guatemalans into Belize, Maheia also spoke of incursions along the western border in Toledo in the Columbia forest and near the Maya village of San Vicente. According to Maheia, he got a call two days ago reporting that Guatemalans are pushing across the border in the village of Dolores, where they have been developing pastures. He said that there has not been any response to stop those incursions. While he called out the Government of Belize, he also called out the Maya Leaders Alliance (MLA), asking them to “jump onboard with this issue…” and to take a stand.

Who’s responsible for Los Lagos’ crumbling streets and clogged drains?
The low and middle-income housing project that a People’s United Party (PUP) Government created in Los Lagos more than a decade ago has been flourishing – all 250 houses are occupied, but infrastructural maintenance has been woefully lacking on the part of the United Democratic Party (UDP) Government of Prime Minister Dean Barrow. In the run-up to the November 4, 2015 general elections, millions of Petrocaribe dollars were spent on maintenance and upgrading of infrastructure all across the country, but it appears that not a dollar was spent on the communities of Los Lagos, Fresh Pond, and Mahogany Heights. The security booths in Los Lagos and Fresh Pond have fallen into disuse and are now relics of a bygone era. The entrance to Los Lagos, with its impressive two-lane boulevard, tells the tale of years of neglect, as giant potholes, which are everywhere in sight, definitely pose a risk to vehicles and even pedestrians and cyclists. Amandala spoke to the Belize Rural Central area representative, Hon. Beverly Castillo, two weeks ago, and she indicated that she would speak to the relevant personnel at the Ministry of Works. Since that conversation, however, nothing has been done on the ground in Los Lagos. On Monday this week, Amandala asked Hon. Castillo what the position was regarding the terrible street conditions in Los Lagos.

BTV calls for Sarstoon protest at House meeting Tuesday
The Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) is planning to stage “a peaceful and energetic picketing” at next Tuesday’s sitting of the House of Representatives against the manner in which “our Belizean government has downplayed” what the BTV describes as “aggression and unlawful entry by the Guatemalan military” on February 27, 2015, when 37 Belizeans were unlawfully detained by Guatemalan military in Belizean waters, and on February 27, 2016, when Belizeans on an excursion to mark that first incident were blocked by armed Guatemalan military from venturing to the Belize side of the Sarstoon River. BTV member Patrick Rogers, Leader of the Belize Progressive Party (BPP), said that they filed for a permit today to hold the protest, and they are also working on a strategy to help mobilize protestors next Tuesday. The last picketing on the Belize-Guatemala issue took place when the newly elected Guatemalan president, Jimmy Morales, visited Prime Minister Dean Barrow at his Coney Drive office in Belize City last November. Morales had said, in pre-election campaign remarks, that the loss of Belize would be the most deplorable event in his country’s history. Rogers and BTV founder, Wil Maheia, were among the five persons who picketed after having received very short notice of Morales’s visit.

$$$ shortage in Belize’s citrus industry
Citrus Products of Belize Ltd. (CPBL) has reported that it is unable to meet the citrus growers’ fruit cheque payment for this week. This was revealed in a joint press release issued from the Belize Citrus Growers Association and CPBL. The release went on to say that this problem is as a result of CPBL’s application to Heritage Bank for working capital finance not yet being approved by the Central Bank of Belize. Kent Herrera, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of CPBL, told Amandala that the working capital is something they apply for annually. It is a short-term loan that is repaid within six months or at the end of, the crop period, Herrera said. The release continued: “The CGA has brought this matter to the attention of the relevant authorities, stressing the urgency of this situation and the human and economic hardship it is bringing to the workers, growers and the other industry stakeholders.” Henry Anderson, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Belize Citrus Growers Association, told Amandala that the impact this cash crunch will have is enormous. Anderson said that when tomorrow comes and these growers can’t get paid, they, in turn, will not be able to pay the harvesters, the delivery trucks and the like.

2016/2017 national budget goes to the House on Tuesday
After a special session of Cabinet on Thursday the proposed billion-dollar budget for the year 2016/2017 to finance Government’s operations for the new fiscal year, including the payment of a final tier of salary adjustments to teachers and public officers, is slated to be tabled in the National Assembly on Tuesday, March 8. The subsequent budget debate will be held on Tuesday, March 22 and Wednesday, March 23, while the Senate should consider the new budget at its meeting slated for Tuesday, March 29. Belizeans are always curious whether the proposed national budget will come with new tax measures. Just last week the Government of Belize increased import duties at the fuel pumps, raising the levy on gasoline and diesel for a second time since December 2015.

35th Annual Belmopan Cycling Classic, fine tuning for Cross County
It was the last major, “name brand” race before the highly anticipated Holy Saturday Cross Country, and the 35th Annual Belmopan Cycling Classic, which took place under overcast skies and light north drizzle on Sunday, February 28, and provided a useful gauge to assess riders’ and teams’ state of fitness and preparation for the “Big One.” In fact, for the first time ever, the Belmopan Cycling Classic was actually finished where it started, in the capital city of Belmopan. After taking the 50-mile journey to the old capital, the Elites, Under 23 and Masters categories traversed Central American Boulevard, over the Belcan Bridge, and circled the flag monument roundabout, before retracing their path back onto the George Price Highway, and on to Belmopan, to complete the 100-mile journey. The Juniors/Youth and Females went only as far as Gracie Rock, before returning to Belmopan, for a 60-mile trek.

Bandits arrest Police, 2-nil, at Norman Broaster
Defending champions Police United FC suffered their first loss of the Premier League of Belize (PLB) 2015-2016 Closing Season yesterday evening at the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio, where still undefeated arch-rivals Belmopan Bandits FC, who are in a tight race with them for the coveted Champions League berth this year, dealt Police a stunning 2-nil defeat. The game was shown live on TNC television station. Bandits capitalized on a mis-cue by Police defender Byron Usher, whose deflection of a Bandits cross goal pass, rolled invitingly into the path of advancing Bandits midfielder Amilton Filho, who calmly drove the ball to the open left side beyond the reach of a diving Jamie Brooks in goal for Police; 1-nil, Bandits at the 38th minute. The icing on the cake for Bandits came at the 78th minute from the penalty spot, where Marlon “El Matador” Meza converted, after referee Christopher Reid awarded a second yellow card to Police sweeper Frank Lopez for a foul tackle inside the eighteen. The second yellow card equaled a red ejection for Lopez, who will miss the next Police outing.

2nd Annual Boom Run 2016 a success
The 2nd Annual Boom Run took place on Sunday, February 28, and included three races, namely: Boom Circle, 10K, and 15K. All races started simultaneously at Castleton Entertainment Park in Burrell Boom Village at 6:00 a.m. and ended there. The Boom Circle went east of the park, made a circle around the Methodist school, headed to Camp Oakley, and turned back to the park. The 10 K went in the same route, but continued up 1.5 miles west of the turning point for the Boom Circle; and the 15 K went the same route, but continued 1.5 miles west of the end of the 10 K. A total of 85 persons, male and female, registered for one or other of the races, with 52 completing their respective events. They came from the Police, Coast Guard, BDF, Wesley College, as well as from the Belize River Valley, Sandhill and Belize City. Top finishers were: 15K: Female – 1st Jereen Chun, 2nd Shaurdi Reyes; Male – 1st Justin Baptist, 2nd Elio Tzub, 3rd Albert Davis. 10K: Female – 1st Rasheeda Cunningham, 2nd Loretta Garbutt, 3rd Jamie Usher; Male – 1st Calistro Saki, 2nd Frederick Gordon, Jr., 3rd Jerome Belisle. Boom Circle: 1st Wendy Gillett, 2nd Marsha Wills, 3rd Ashanti Martin; Male – 1st Wallace Cucul, 2nd Ellise Flowers, 3rd Niall Gillett.

Primary school basketball Nationals, Skills Challenge and All Star Games
The National Sports Council, which is in charge of primary school sports competitions countrywide, added a new twist to this year’s basketball Nationals, which included the six (6) female and male district champion schools. Not only did the two-day tournament produce a female and a male primary school national basketball champion team; but the gathering of players from across the country along with fans present for the occasion got a special treat this year, as the organizers also conducted an individual Skills Challenge, as well as a showcase All Star Game, in both female and male categories. All games were played at the Multi-Purpose Sports Complex in Orange Walk Town. At the beginning of the tournament on Friday, the schools were separated into Division A and Division B, with 3 schools each; and after a single round robin of games on Friday, the female and male semifinals and finals, third place and championship matches were all played on Saturday. The Skills Challenge followed, and the event culminated with the exciting All Star games. In an interesting coincidence, all six district champion schools provided both the female, and male champion teams for their respective districts.

Cricket Corner
A pleasant day to all cricket fans! Under the auspices of the Belize National Cricket Association, and with the kind sponsorship of Belikin and Sprite, the Harrison Parks 2016 Cricket Competition continued over the weekend with some very excellent and heart breaking games. Let’s go to Rancho Dolores first, where last year’s champs, Easy Does It, traveled there to go up against the home team, Western Eagles. Both teams had not lost a game yet. So it was believed that this would be a very exciting game. The Eagles took to bat first. Well, it was not easy for the Eagles, as batsmen started to fall one after the next in quick order under the stiff bowling of Herbert Banner. In less than two hours, all wickets fell, for a very small score of 39 runs. Dirk Sutherland top scored with 17. Herbert Banner took 7 wickets. Both teams agreed to continue through lunch break. Well, at the fall of one wicket, Easy Does It surpassed the Eagles score. Malcolm Reynolds scored 15 runs. Most of Eagles’ batsmen were bowled out for nothing.

Editorial: Thin edges of wedges
When we were children and expressed a wish to taste the seemingly harmless “rumpopo” which the adults were sipping, the old people would say to us, no, explaining that this rumpopo would be the “thin edge of the wedge.” Since rumpopo had a small amount of alcohol in it, the feeling was that it would amount to introducing us children to alcohol, and perhaps such an introduction would be the beginning of a love affair with alcohol which would lead to no good. In those days five and six decades ago, alcohol was the drug of choice, a legal choice, amongst the people of Belize, and its deadly effects could be observed daily in the disturbed behavior of our neighbourhood alcoholics. The old people explained that a wedge, usually made of wood, had two edges – a thin one and a fat one. If you could get the thin edge of the wedge introduced into some opening where you wished to create greater separation, then the chances were good that you could drive in the rest of the wedge, up to the fat edge, and create the desired separation. In our mid-week editorial, we were furious about two incidents which may have seemed harmless in themselves to some people, especially strangers to Belize. One was the announcement of a parking lot for the Princess Hotel and Casino inside the MCC Grounds, and the other was the entry of the Guatemalan military into the Belizean portion of the Sarstoon River on Saturday morning and their proceeding to prevent the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) from travelling up the Sarstoon to the Gracias a Dios border marker. We were furious because these were, to our vigilant minds, clearly “thin edge of the wedge” incidents.

From the Publisher
In the UBAD movement and the UBAD Party, the Guatemalan claim was always a big issue. It was, in fact, less than a year after the sinister Seventeen Proposals were officially released that the United Black Association for Development (UBAD) was founded, on February 9, 1969. It is said that modern party politics began in Belize with the establishment of the anti-colonialist People’s United Party (PUP) in September of 1950. The pro-British National Party (NP) was organized to fight the PUP in 1951. In 1958, the NP and a Honduran Independence Party (NIP), led by two former PUP leaders – Philip Goldson and Leigh Richardson, came together to form the National Independence Party (NIP), which lasted until September of 1973, when the United Democratic Party (UDP) was formed. On the night of May 29, 1972, the young people of Belize City who were from PUP and NIP families were united as they had never been before, and have never been since, under the banner of the UBAD Party. But there were events which took place on that very same night which set the stage for the unraveling of the unity of the UBAD Party, basically along PUP and NIP lines.

Letter to the Editor: Glenda defends Manuel
Following a change in leadership of the Opposition People’s United Party (PUP), new senators are being appointed to occupy the three designated seats in Parliament when it meets again on Tuesday, March 29, 2016, the day when the new national budget is to be considered. Opposition Leader Hon. Johnny Briceño told Amandala today that all three persons—Eamon Courtenay, SC, a former minister of Government; Valerie Woods, wife of former Attorney General Godfrey Smith; and Paul Thompson, who ran for the PUP in the Albert Division in last November’s elections—have accepted the offer. Courtenay, he said, would lead for the Opposition in the Senate. A letter was sent to the Governor-General this morning advising him of their selection, Briceño furthermore said.

Wendy Auxillou writes the BTB
Dear BTB: Will there ever come a day when I can pay my hotel taxes online? I can pay the water bill, electric bill, cable bill, internet bill, telephone bill and pretty much every other bill for my small “mom and pop” place online … from anywhere in the world … except my bill to you. Could you kindly move from out of the Stone Age and into the 21st century? There has got to be a better way. Sincerely, Very frustrated micro-hotelier, Wendy Auxillou

Chester moves up
Attorney and Senior Superintendent of Police, Chester Williams, Commanding Officer of Belize City Police Southside, has been promoted to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police. The announcement was made yesterday at a police press briefing held at the Raccoon Street Police Station. The promotion was made retroactive since July 2015, making it a substantive and confirmed rank, and also making him ready for the next promotion, which is to that of Deputy Commissioner. ACP Williams said that the rank was long overdue. Mr. Williams, who was admitted to the Bar in 2015 and is now an attorney after five years of study at the University of the West Indies, was appointed Commanding Officer of Southside Belize City police in July 2015.

BPP “…here to stay!” — Paco Smith
At a press conference today at the headquarters of the Belize Progressive Party (BPP), Patrick Rogers, Party Leader, said that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) may not be the best means to solve the Belize-Guatemala dispute, for fear that Belize may have to give up land. The United Nations (UN) Security Council would be a better option, Roger said, since any settlement by the UN Security Council would be done with our “territorial integrity” remaining intact. Rogers spoke at a BPP press conference today which listed the party’s accomplishments since the establishment of the party on October 1, 2015. Wil Maheia, BPP Deputy Leader said, “We want to make sure that we do not lose a square centimeter or a blade of grass.” Maheia went on, “It is getting worse; it is not getting better.” For example, he said, “There are more Guatemalan fishermen within Belizean waters.” Belizeans are unable to traverse the Sarstoon River and as Belizeans we should be able to move freely in our country, Maheia said.

Guatemala: A state of land grabs
The concerns about the massive land grab of Belize, whether it be up to the Sibun River, or the entire 8,867 square miles of land in addition to sea territory, are serious. The oligarchy of Guatemala has made a habit of usurping land from those to whom it belongs, for hundreds of years. When Spain colonized the territory – made up of differing regions of towering green mountains, wet lowlands and thick forest – the millennium-old communities living there resisted the genocide, slavery and land theft with tenacity. The resistance of the Indigenous was so fierce colonizers expressed frustration at being unable to overcome them. Dictatorships then ruled over the land with the force of the infamous European arrival (that began in the Americas in 1492), and dictatorships continued to reign for almost all of Guatemalan history. The majority Indigenous population of over 20 different Mayan nations, the Xincaand the Garinagu all have well recorded histories of rebelling against the enslavers who had arrived to plunder resources, export wealth to Europe, and create a local, mostly European-descended ruling class. Not only Spanish but others arrived to colonize. In the late 1800’s the Germans expanded mostly in the form of coffee plantation barons also responsible for massacres (including their descendants’ orchestration of the 1978 Panzos massacre), and USA-based multinationals such as the United Fruit Company and mining conglomerates that produced nickel used for weaponry. All terrorized the local population and were expert at violently displacing people from their ancestral homes and destroying the natural environment. The Guatemalan ruling class facilitated these land grabs.

BEL refinances $25 mil worth of debentures

New PUP senators to be installed in time for budget debate

Albert Solis, 24, remanded on sexual assault charge
A resident of Maskall, a village in the northern Belize District, was remanded to prison this morning after he was arraigned on charges of sexual assault and wounding. Albert Solis, 24, appeared before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith, who read the two charges to him. The allegations against Solis are that on February 28, in Maskall he beat a 30-year-old woman and touched her private parts. The woman sustained cut wounds to the left side of her face and had abrasions to the left side of her vagina. The court prosecutor, Corporal Christopher Smith, objected to bail on the ground that the offense has become prevalent and that the complainant and the accused live in the same village and, if granted bail, the accused might interfere with the complainant.

Deshane McDougal, 24, remanded to prison for sex with girl, 14
24-year-old man was remanded to the Belize Central Prison this morning after he was arraigned on a charge of unlawful sexual intercourse before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith. Deshane McDougal, 24, was not required to enter a plea, because the offence of unlawful sexual intercourse is indictable. If the Crown can establish that it has a prima facie case against McDougal after a preliminary inquiry is held at the Magistrate’s Court, his case will be sent to the Supreme Court for trial. The allegation against McDougal is that on January 12, he had sex with a 14-year-old girl. The girl, accompanied by her mother, reported the matter to police.

Briceño meets Barrow: Sarstoon invasion, banking woes, and crime discussed
Belize-Guatemala relations—and more specifically the recent reports of incursions by Guatemalan military on the Belize side of the Sarstoon River—was the highlight of talks held on Wednesday, March 2, 2016, between Prime Minister Dean Barrow and Opposition Leader Johnny Briceño, who was appointed a month ago after winning the People’s United Party’s leadership race. Earlier this week the People’s United Party announced its decision to set up a Belize-Guatemala advisory group, amid fury over actions taken on Saturday by Guatemala’s military to block Belizeans, led by the Belize Territorial Volunteers, from visiting the Sarstoon Island, which is within Belizean territory as recognized on international maps. “We have expressed great concern that the Guatemalan navy was there to stop any Belizean who wanted to access the island that is clearly within our territory,” Briceño told us. Furthermore, the PUP signaled its willingness to engage the Barrow administration on the Belize-Guatemala issue. The members of the advisory group, who have all served as Foreign Ministers in Belize, would advise the party on the way forward, the Opposition Leader added.

Former mayor ordered to pay more compensation to his accident victims’ family
This morning, three Court of Appeal Justices heard an appeal brought by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions against a Supreme Court trial judge’s sentence imposed upon former Orange Walk Town mayor, Ravell Gonzalez, who had knocked down and killed two persons in a traffic accident in June 2008. The trial judge, Justice John “Troadio” Gonzalez, had imposed a fine of $4,000 for each death, and $1,000 compensation to the families of the victims after a jury of four men and five women found Gonzalez guilty on August 3, 2015. President of the Court of Appeal, Mr. Justice Manuel Sosa, in delivering the decision after both sides had made submissions, said, “The application for leave to appeal is allowed and the application is treated as the appeal which is allowed. The court orders as follows: The order of the trial judge is set aside and we substitute for it the following; the respondent is to pay a fine of $8,000 within two years of today’s date. He is to further pay the sum of $10,000 in compensation to the family of Markita Lopez. That also is payable within two years from today’s date; in default of either payment, 9 months in prison.” Justice Sosa noted, however, that $9,000 has already been paid into the registry of the court below and is treated as part payment of the above-mentioned sum of $18,000.

Jamal Jackson, 31, arraigned for WPC shooting
A Belize City man who allegedly fired at a police mobile on Monday night, hitting a woman police constable in the head and on her finger, was remanded to prison after he was arraigned on possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition charges this morning. With his feet shackled in chains and his hands chained behind his back, Jamal Jackson walked slowly as the court orderly escorted him to the courtroom of Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith for his arraignment. Smith read the two firearms-related offences, for which bail cannot be granted at the Magistrate’s Court and Jackson pleaded not guilty to “kept unlicensed firearm (a .9mm Glock pistol) and kept unlicensed ammunition (nine .9mm rounds)” for which a gun licensed has not been granted. The Chief Magistrate read the accompanying police facts of the charges and told Jackson, “This seems to be an open and closed case. You still want to waste my time and plead not guilty?” Jackson, 31, a resident of Supal Street replied, “Not guilty, your honor.”

The Reporter

Paediatric mission coming to Belize
Twelve doctors from the United States are arriving in Belize today, Saturday, to conduct a special one-week paediatric mission throughout the Belize district. The doctors, coming from Virginia, will offer diagnostic and referral services, through a program coordinated by World Paediatric Project, and the local non-governmental organization, Friends Of Paediatrics. The team will start on Sunday in San Pedro, break for the March 9 holiday on Monday and resume on Tuesday at the Ladyville Community Center. On Wednesday they visit the Maskall Health Center; Thursday, they move to the Port Loyola at the Port Loyola Health Clinic, and on Friday the head for the Crooked Tree Health Center. All the clinics start at 9:00 a.m. Khandice Tillett, Belize project manager for the World Paediatric Project explained that the team is seeing patients free of charge and will not turn away any patient, despite the size of the workload. “If there are 100 patients, they will see 100. If there are 200 they will stay until the work is finished. They’re here to work, not vacation, so people just need to come out,” Tillett said.

Belize Zoo holds “year of the monkey” fundraiser
The Belize Zoo held a special fundraiser, on Saturday, in collaboration with the embassy of the Republic of China Taiwan, and Travellers Liquors. The three parties gathered at the at Travellers Heritage Museum, at 2 ½ miles Philip Goldson Highway, Belize City, to hold an auction, where the proceeds from all the sales will go directly to renovating and upgrading the veterinary clinic and commissary for the Zoo. Founding Director of the Belize Zoo, Sharon Matola, explained that the facility, which serves over 15,000 visitors annually, has been operating since the late 1980’s and was in need of repairs. “Belize needed a place for the people of Belize to get to know and appreciate their wildlife and that’s what kept me here,” Matola said. “Back when I started in the 1980’s the George Price Highway wasn’t paved yet but people came. And when you think about it, where else would they have seen a jaguar or tapir at that time?” The Ambassador of the Republic of China (Taiwan), His Excellency Benjamin Ho, to assist with the effort, donated five Chinese painting prints portraying the year of the monkey, as well as three bottles of Kaoliang Liquor in decorated porcelain bottles.

Breaking Belize News

Soccer player busted with cannabis at western border
Breaking: Information reaching Breaking Belize News is that a national and Verdes Football player was busted with a little more than 10.5 lbs of cannabis. BNN was made to understand that the player was travelling alone in his vehicle at the time of the […]

Man critical after hit and run accident
A hit and run accident on the Phillip Goldson Highway last night in the area of Santa Elena Road in Corozal District, has left one cyclist in a critical condition at the Karl Huesner Memorial Hospital (KHMH). The man, identified as Valerio Gilharry, a […]

Belmopan mother viciously chopped to death; partner faces charges
Belmopan Police say they expect to charge the man who allegedly killed 45 year old Maria Candelaria Chacon Reymundo early on Friday morning, later this weekend. The mother of 8 was viciously murdered inside her home on Panama Street in Salvapan, allegedly hacked to […]

Dangriga man goes missing for a week
44 year old Gregory Williams, Senior, a former star for the Kremandala Warriors football team in the mid-1990s, has been reported missing to Dangriga police. Williams was last seen leaving his Rivas Estate home last Saturday, February 27, saying he was going for a […]

Protest Note Sent to Guatemala
The Government of Belize has sent a diplomatic protest note to Guatemala about last weekend’s Sarstoon showdown between the Guatemalan Military and the Territorial Volunteers. Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington made the point that even though the language will be calm, the Belize […]

High speed chase leads to crash in Belize City
Police have reportedly detained two persons following an apparent traffic mishap caused by a high-speed chase this afternoon on Mahogany Street in front of the police sub-station. We understand that police were chasing a black vehicle down Mahogany Street when the vehicle crashed into […]

Second leg of La Ruta Maya canoe race
At around 7:00 yesterday morning from beneath Cayo’s Hawkesworth Bridge, 61 teams of paddlers set off on the annual La Ruta Maya canoe race, en route to Banana Bank through the Macal River. Although the number of teams is a little less than last […]

Relatively moist conditions to continue
The National Meteorological Service of Belize is predicting generally cloudy skies with a few showers and periods of rain over most areas. Winds will be blowing from the Northeast at 5-15 knots and the sea state will be light chop – choppy. High temperatures […]

Belize named as major money laundering country
Belize has once again been listed in a US report as being a major money laundering nation for the proceeds of narcotics trafficking. Belize, however, is just one of 14 Caribbean nations named by the US as “major money laundering” countries in the 2016 […]

Guatemalan poachers believed to be connected to Danny Conorquie’s death
Belize Defense Soldiers (BDF) in the Chiquibul area came under fire from Guatemalan poachers yesterday, and though details have been scarce, one source is now suggesting there may be a connection to the murder of Special Constable Danny Conorquie in 2014. According to reports […]

Blogs

A Maya River Route Becomes A Race
There is a river that starts its life in the mountains of Belize from a spring. That spring decided a million years ago that it will find a way through the mountains of a land that later hosted Paleoindians, Archaic people, Proto Maya, Maya people and todays contemporary Belizeans. It ripped its way; it climbed; it pushed; it tore through all barriers it found in its path – cleared all things to the granitic floor that it decided to make its bed. This river, called the Macal River, is one of two that meet two and a half miles north of San Ignacio and Santa Elena towns (twin towns), and start the longest river in the country called the Belize River. It must be highlighted that the country of Belize may have gotten its name from the name the original Yucatec maya called that river: “Baltiz”, which means “muddy water”. Every year for over 10 years there is a race that happens on this river. Its called the “La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge”. Its amazing! Do not miss it next year. It all happens on the weekend of the ninth of March every year and you too can be a part of it!

MAYA MOUNTAIN ADVENTURE CHALLENGE FINALE 2016
And after the ultimate Belize adventures, the Maya Mountain Adventure Challenge 2016 has come to an end. Throughout this experience, we witnessed first-hand the unexplored beauty that makes our Belize a "one-of-a-kind" Jewel. Above all, there were loads of inspirational teamwork to help each person get to the finish line! From the beginning of the race… …to canoeing through the rapids on the Macal and Mopan Rivers …trekking at Xunantunich Maya ruin …to San Ignacio Town

International Sources

Museum events in spring
Museum of Science, Boston: Spectacular visuals capture the underwater world of coral reefs and the accompanying ecosystems in A World Underwater: The Reefs of Belize, scheduled for Thursday, March 24 from 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. at the Charles Hayden Planetarium in Boston Museum of Science. Through striking photography, Keith Ellenbogen and Allan Adams of MIT document an underwater journey to Glover's Reef Research Station in Belize, providing context to the efforts to conserve the Mesoamerican reef ecosystem. The program is recommended for grades 5 to 12.

Belize at 35 Exhibit
'Belize 35' is celebrating the 35th anniversary of Belize's independence, and is on display at the Art Museum of the Americas. It showcases works by Belizean-American artists Karl Villanueva and Santiago Cal. There's one neat piece with George Price riding a tapir. "Cal’s 15-foot-long, untitled installation is entirely carved from wood and contains an elevated pathway with a row of 35 tapirs, the piglike national animal of Belize. In the piece, a meditative George Cadle Price is riding the tapir in front."

MMAC Finale 2016
The Maya Mountain Adventure Challenge, the longest race in Belize, spanning over 300 miles in 4 days, was last week. The SIRH has a nice article with all the winners of the race. The next one is scheduled for 2018. There are 1000's of pictures on the MMAC page. "Congratulations to the winners of The Maya Mountain Challenge 2016. Thank you to all of the racers, donors, volunteers, sponsors and spectators that made the 2016 Maya Mountain Adventure Challenge was an incredible success!"

Belize Zoo
The Belize Zoo: Home to Former Movie Stars! Once upon a time, film producers specializing in documentaries about life in tropical forests chose Belize as their favorite destination. Critters now living in the Belize Zoo were once “stars” of these documentaries, but after film crews completed their projects, some of the animals had become so habituated to humans, they could no longer live in the wild. In 1983, film crew members plus Belize animal lovers carved out a zoo home for these animals and since then, animals who have been orphaned, rescued or rehabilitated enough to join the family have come to live here, too. It’s fun to see this unique zoo and a visit is guaranteed to delight kids of all ages. Belize’s version of what a zoo should look and feel like won’t match your previous experiences. While the animals you view are in enclosures, don’t be surprised to see animals who “visit” from the outside to do what all social beings do: hang out with like-minded creatures, steal some food and thrill visitors. What species are you most likely to see? Some will be familiar; raccoons, snakes and squirrels, but you may never before have seen exotic species who make their homes here, like tapirs, gibnuts, coatimundis, jaguars and other exotics, plus gorgeous birds in every rainbow color. First, if you’re a fan of the humane treatment of animals, you will be impressed by the way this little zoo is run. It’s not fancy and it’s not huge, but this zoo has a different vibe than any zoos you’ve seen in the past. The aforementioned visits from jungle animals who linger nearby to commune with the zoo’s inhabitants makes this one unique facility. From quiet, spellbinding species to loud-mouthed black howler monkeys who aren’t shy about chatting up their relatives on the periphery of the zoo, the variety of animals you’ll see is impressive. For the best of all experiences, take the Belize Zoo’s night tour to see nocturnal residents awake and alert. The zoo compound is situated on 29-acres of savanna, but all of the action happens at the zoo’s epicenter, located just 29 miles from Belize City. Any time you like! The zoo is open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Zoo residents don’t take vacations nor do they mind bad weather. Take the George Price Highway from Belize City if you’re driving, but your best bet is booking a tour through a resort like Cahal Pech. They can handle all details, including transport and a guide to make your visit enjoyable and relaxing.

Videos

March 5, 2016

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

Football Action at Five-a-side Tournament
Five-a-side action is nearing its ends as the San Pedro High School (SPHS) and Island Citizen Sporting Club (ICSP) Football Tournament heads into its ten round nearing the first elimination. The most recent set of games saw some teams struggle while others just dominated. As always, fans come out to the Angel Nuñez Auditorium to cheer on and support their favorite teams. Sunday, February 28th: Game 1: (under 11) El Pescador FC 4 – 0 Bayern Leverkusen; Game 2: (under 11) FC America 7 – 1 Beyern Munich B; Game 3: (under 11) Inter de Millan 9 – 1 PSG; Game 4: (female) Spice Girls 0 – 1 Blue Ocean Sands Girls; Game 5: Los Dorados FC 8 – 2 Empire FC; Game 6: San Juan FC 5 – 6 Island Pure FC; Game 7: United FC 1 – 0 We Them Boys; Game 8: Pro Divers FC 6 – 5 Reef Sharks FC. No matches will be played this coming weekend.

Belize defeats Mexico during MMA Showdown
Belize took on Mexico on Saturday, February 27th during a seven round Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) Competition. Held at the Belize Biltmore Plaza and hosted by Body 2000, the showdown featured MMA fighters from across the country of Belize as well as from the Mexican institutions of PriMMAtes in Chetumal and Campeche’s XFM. Among the Belizean representatives were members of Dawson’s Pit Fighters which operates out of San Pedro Town and members of Prevail MMA Club in Belize City. While MMA is still relatively new to Belize, our local fighter still managed to keep the win at home, defeating the Mexicans 7-1.

The National Institute of Culture and History launches new cultural video
Guillermo “Mito” Paz, director of the San Pedro House of Culture began the event by briefly thanking everyone for attending the official launching and commending the students for being there. This was followed by a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem performed by students of the San Pedro Roman Catholic School. Welcoming the attendees was NICH’s Senior Research and Education Officer Selene Solis. She also presented a colorful poster depicting images of Carnivals, which comes with the video. Solis reminded the students that the carnival tradition in our country shows the colors of the cultures that everyone represent. The video highlighted images of the carnival in San Pedro Town and Caledonia Village, Corozal. Solis hopes that by introducing the video to young students, the tradition will continue and it will alleviate the concern about it disappearing one day.

The San Pedro Sun introduces new staff members
The San Pedro Sun is pleased to present two new members of its staff: Noel Mattu and Chelsea Hall. We ask the community to welcome them both as they work hard alongside us to positively contribute to the island newspaper. Noel Mattu, Office Manager, Sales and Marketing: Born and raised in the Corozal District, Noel has always had a strong affinity for the arts. With the desire to constantly be learning, he took on the computer sciences at Belize Adventist Junior College. Chelsea Hall, Reporter: Originally from Corozal, Belize, Chelsea was raised in the United States from the age of two and adopted the American dream. She was always a great contender when it came to school. At the age of 15, she determined her own destiny and established that she wanted to become a journalist as her career.

SHINE lanches 2016 Capital Campaign
During an informal and informative reception held at Mahogany Bay Village, the organizers of On Eagles Wings Ministries (OEWM) Belize and SHINE Girls Club outlined their vision for building a SHINE Center on Ambergris Caye. Invited guests mingled with those who have undertaken the task to bring the center to fruition, discussing goals and ways to achieve them. As the program has grown, the need has certainly been felt for a permanent location to host the girls through their 6-week empowerment courses. Beyond the young women’s need for a space to interact and feel secure, there is also a need to provide a safe haven for abused women and children, and victims of human trafficking, amongst other issues. There is no place on the island offering shelter to the displaced that have made the difficult decision to leave their abuser. As such, the numbers who do in fact walk away to begin a better life are marginal.

Ambergris Today

Ruta Maya River Challenge has begun
Early Bird team made it to San Ignacio for the start of the Ruta Maya Race, Belize's biggest sporting event. Seems like everybody is here.

San Pedro High Take On Sagicor Visionary Challenge Again
Two teams from San Pedro High School’s Academic Department have once again entered the Sagicor Visionary Challenge taking place March . A challenge that encourages secondary and high school students to develop effective, innovative and sustainable solutions to the challenges facing them. Their challenge consists of finding a problem affecting the community and coming up with a solution through their science background. The teams at San Pedro High have identified two main problems affecting the community of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye which they have pinpointed to be the hygiene/skin care solution and Nutrition Cleanse. In order for them to accomplish their goal and the requirement of promoting the project by educating primary schools in the community and at the same time carry out both project plans at San Pedro High and the community, the Science Department is requesting assistance from the community.

Misc Belizean Sources

McGregor Battles it out vs Nate Diaz & Holly Holms vs Merisha Tate
Battle for a Title belt !! Who's it gonna be ? Come find out here at Feliz at 7pm for the prelims!! We shall see you here. Saturday March 5th!

Fabulous Images of La Ruta Maya
Images from this morning's race at the start and at the construction of the new bridge area.

Benque Archaeological Reserve Inauguration
Benque's new Archaeological Reserve was inaugurated yesterday. The CTGA got some pictures too.

FCD public outreach
The FCD educator in Belize is centering its public outreach on two topics: Beauty of Chiquibul and River Conservation. In February alone, he presented Beauty of Chiquibul to 952 students in the Cayo District.

Benque Women in Art Fiesta
Women in Art Fiesta Schedule 2016! Make it a Date Saturday March 12th, 2016

The 18th La Ruta Maya 2016 - San Ignacio
The 18th La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge kicked off today in San Ignacio, under the historic Hawkesworth Bridge, the oldest suspension bridge in Belize, Central America. What started off as a marketing campaign ended up being one of the biggest sporting events in Belize & Central America, and brought about environmental awareness.

Sunshine Charity Fashion Show
Happy and Grateful to be apart of The Sunshine Charity Fashion Show benefiting The Sunshine Scholarship Foundation of Belize. Thank you to all the organizers, models, boutiques, press and friends for making this event happen. Hope to see you all on the beach and making a splash at the pool party! At Corona Del Mar in San Pedro, Today!

Caribbean Growth Forum
Representatives from 14 Caribbean countries came together in Belize City, from Monday, February 29 to Wednesday, March 2, to take stock on key lessons learned from the hundred reform actions implemented through the Caribbean Growth Forum, and announce a Communique to move forward on their pro-growth agenda. During the meeting, countries discussed and agreed on how to create result-based roadmaps to accelerate reforms and help track the implementation of actions linked to these reforms in the areas of investment climate, skills and productivity, and logistics and connectivity. “Belize is proud to host this meeting. This is an extraordinary opportunity for Caribbean nations to build on the results achieved so far by the Caribbean Growth Forum and enhance the competitiveness of our respective countries.”

Upcoming Free Pediatric Services in San Pedro
Don't forget that this Sunday, March 6, the Friends of Pediatrics Belize will be at the Dr. Otto Rodriguez Polyclinic from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for consultations. Don't miss out on this great opportunity!

Women in Art Fair 2016
The 2016 Women in Art Fair is next Saturday, March 12th, at the Cayo Welcome Center. Thanks, NICH!

2016 La Ruta Maya Training
Humorous article about training for La Ruta Maya. Cayo spots are all over the article, from Log Cab-Inns to Bamboo Bar. ""What do all of these things have in common? Auto repair, meat pies, Guinness, canoe accidents, metal shops, street meat, markets, new friends, jalapeno margaritas, multiple injuries, breakfast burritos, Patrick Warrior, cookies, pizza, Belikin, roulette, penny slots and paddling……. All of these (and much, much more!) were part of our 3 day 'training' weekend in Cayo to prepare for La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge!

Celebrity Basketball Rematch
The Celebrity Basketball Rematch is tomorrow night at the UB gym, starting at 7:00pm. "It's almost here! The Celebrity Basketball Rematch goes down THIS SATURDAY, March 5th at the UB Gym! Come on out and cheer on your fave celebrities as they battle for this year's championship title! Who will it be???"

Channel 7

Crossfire in Chiquibul; BDF Shoots Guat Civilian in Leg
There's been another shooting in the Chiquibul Forest - no one was killed but a BDF soldier shot a Guatemalan civilian yesterday. Reliable reports reaching 7News tonight say that a BDF patrol came under fire, and they returned fire, injuring one. At this time, the Belize Defence Force is not releasing any information because the top brass has to get a debriefing and the members of the BDF patrol haven't recorded their statements yet. What we've learned is that the incident happened yesterday in an area of the Chiquibul known as Cebada. The BDF were conducting a patrol when they came upon 2 men near the Western Border, about 1 kilometer inside Belizean territory. Preliminary information is that the men were cultivating marijuana inside Belize.

Mother of 8 Hacked To Death In Salvapan
A mother of 8 was viciously murdered this morning in Belmopan. Police found 45 year old Maria Chacon's body inside her home on Panama Street in Salvapan. Reports are that she got in a terrible fight with her common law husband and he allegedly hacked her to death. But this is not the first time he has attacked her. I traveled to Belmopan today to find out about the history of violence that led to Chacon's death. Courtney Weatherburne reporting It's on this scorched homemade stove that Maria Candelaria Chacon fried plantains. She would wake up early every morning to make plantain chips, then she would package them and go out to sell. Chacon was happy because she had gotten a fresh stack of plantains to fry this morning. But she didn't get to them because she was murdered right inside her rented room. Chacon had a fight with her common law husband last night and it only got worse this morning. A neighbor told us off camera that around 5:30, she was awakened by a commotion.

Cops Says Husband Will Be Charged This Weekend
Police expect to charge the common law husband who allegedly killed Maria Candelaria Chacon. He's been in custody since morning and the cops also have the machete she was killed with. The officer commanding Belmopan gave us the latest in the investigation:... Supt. Howell Gillett, OC - Belmopan: "The investigation as you may well know that it just occured this morning. So we are still in the initial stages of the investigation and in deed we have the husband in custody. He is in custody and certain admissions were made. We have a machete in our custody and we believe it could likely be the murder weapon. We have that in our possession also. There was a problem at the home and noises were heard and the neighbors might have seen some of what had happened. We will likely proffer charges sometime over the weekend."

One Fired For Youth Hostel Tragedy
It's one of the worst tragedies we've ever reported: In November of last year, 3 teenaged girls perished in a fire at the Youth Hostel. An investigation was immediately launched into the various breakdowns in protocol that left the girls locked in a wooden building which no one could open. Tonight, almost four months later, there are still more questions than answers but we can at least confirm today that, as a result of that internal investigation, one person has been terminated. And according to CEO of that Ministry, more are still in line to receive further disciplinary actions. Judith Alpuche, CEO, Min. of Human Development: "The investigation that we did was internal to us because we needed to understand what went wrong and for our own clarity and for us to take the necessary action as well. The processes that we're talking about, are processes that have to do with disciplinary procedure. In our case, one person has been terminated because that was within the purview of the ministry to do that. But there are other people who have to go through the public service process that they come in the domain of the public service commission and so those are the processes. The report is completed. what we have been advised though is that there are certain processes that are still on going in terms of disciplinary actions that need to be taken etc. so the advice that we're getting is that we need to ensure that these processes are completed before we can come forward publicly. "

CEO Not Happy With Human Traffic Decision
When 64 year old Estella Gonzalez was convicted of human trafficking in February, she became Belize's first conviction for that widespread offence. When she went to court for sentencing, her attorneys asked for leniency citing Gonzalez's multiple health problems. The judge agreed to fine her 75 thousand dollars, and not confine her to prison. Today we spoke to CEO in the Ministry of Human Development Judith Alpuche, who said she was aghast when she learnt about the court ruling on Estella Gonzalez. "We're very disappointed, because this was a hard fact case. We certainly from our perspective know the pain and the suffering that this young woman went through. She was incredibly brave in ensuring that she was a witness that sat on the stand for many days in search of justice, in helping others to get that conviction."

Caught With Conch, Men Taken To Court
Yesterday, we told you about the 4 fishermen that the Fisheries Department caught with just under a thousand illegal fisheries products, including a little over 800 juvenile conch. Well they are 31 year old Freddy Cortez, 21 year old Yadir Vargas, 49 year old Cipriano Flores along with 18 year old Ricky Teck. Tonight all 4 men are out of bail. They were arraigned late yesterday evening on the charge of possession of undersized conch, and each were separately charged for a small portion of the conch, which the Fisheries Department claims they took ownership of. But in court, they told the sitting magistrate that the fisheries products weren't theirs, and they pleaded not guilty to that. After that, they were released on bail.

Internal Beef In PUP Belmopan Constituency
Jason Patrick Andrews was the PUP Candidate for Belmopan - but now committee members are accusing him of cleaning out the constituency office. They've made a complaint to police about all the stuff he took - they say it was donated to the office, while he seems to think it was donated to him. The items include a water cooler, a laptop computer, a flat screen TV and other items. Belmopan police today confirmed that a report was made a few weeks ago, but the officer commanding told us he's handling it with some level of discretion:... Supt. Howell Gillett, OC - Belmopan: "The police always like to be in the middle of everything. Its politics. I don't want to go into any details more than to say that yes report has been received at Belmopan Police Station and we are dealing with it through civil means. I believe that as the commander here in this formation, what we are doing is the best way forward. It's been dealt with internally and I believe we will have a resolution very shortly. I am personally involved and I believe, with the experience that I have dealing with these matters, I believe that very soon we will have a complete resolution to the issue."

Data Paying Off For BTL
As we told you two nights ago, BTL is embarking on a major investment with the new 40 million dollar 4GLTE switch. It's a necessary investment because the present 4G System is congested after experiencing explosive growth in the past year. And that's because phone users are increasingly shifting their usage preference to data. And it's beginning to pay off for BTL, whose revenue had been sagging because fewer phone calls are actually being made. Instead phone users are now spending that same money on data, and at Tuesday's press conference, BTL Executive Anwar Barrow said the company's revenue was showing strong growth:.. Anwar Barrow, Chairman, Exec. Committee - BTL: "Our revenues this year are going to be up substantially. I wouldn't want to say exactly how much, but we are closing our financial year at the end of this month and we've had a significant uptake in revenues after 6 years of decline. We've had a complete turn around there. So, a big part of that turn around has been possible because of the 4G network and our ability to connect people on that network." BTL's financial year ends at the end of March - and shareholders will see the accounts and get their dividends at the annual general meeting in September.

US Ambassador Not Impressed With Debates
Taking a turn now to US politics, Donald Trump is the frontrunner for the Republican Party nomination in the US Presidential Election. Just the thought of that, has the establishment of America's Grand Old Party…well…you could say they are shaking in their boots. The US Ambassador is a Democrat, so he doesn't have a dog in the Republican fight - but speaking with us yesterday in Benque Viejo he did tell us that he feels the debates have sunk to a new low - and that's due in no small part to Donald Trump:… Ambassador Moreno was nominated by US President Barack Obama to head the Belize mission.

Ladrick Gets A Run
Two weeks ago we told you about Ladrick Shepard, the Orange Walk politician who said he was being blocked from running for President of the Orange Walk Football Association. Well, it seems his complaint was heard because a release sent out by the FFB Secretariat says that Sheppard has been approved to contest the election. He will run for Chairman against Carlos Umana. The election will be held on Sunday March 13, at La Immaculada R.C. School.

A Maya Site For Benque Viejo
Benque Viejo has some of the richest Mestizo traditions in Belize - but if you want to experience mayan grandeur, you have to head a few miles east, to Xunantunich. That premier Mayan site with the magnificent El Castillo structure is the pride of Succotz Village. Well, now Benque has its own Mayan site. Now, it's not Xunantunich - but was we found out yesterday, it is a part of it. Jules Vasquez has the report:... Benque Viejo Town now has its own Maya site. Xunantunich in the nearby village of of Succotz still casts a long shadow - but here a few miles away, Benque is holding its own with more than just the sweet sounds of the Marimba Youth Academy. Hilberto Rancharan, Mayor, Benque Viejo: "The Benque site has been restored. A temple among and within the town isn't that special enough?" Dr. John Morris, Director of Archaeology, NICH: "We said, 'look, you know there's an archeological site right in the middle of Benque that we want to preserve. We can do some work here, let's come together apply for some funds and this will attract people who come here' and not only people who come to Xunantunich but people coming to Benque will have an area to go to."

Seeds For Safety
240 Women from all across the country have received seed grants to start up their own businesses. This was an initiative done under the BA1 project- a regional effort geared towards the prevention of violence against women through empowerment. The project is an initiative led by the Government of Belize and BELTRAIDE in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Population Fund, and the Central American Integration System. Originally over 300 women were taken up by the program and trained in business and life planning but only these 240 women graduated and are now being assisted with a $500 US dollar grant. Today they were honored with a symbolic handing over of the grant. Judith Alpuche, CEO, Min. of Human Development: "This is one component or one activity of this project that has gone on for a bit more than a year now. We're on the last stages of it and it really focuses on economic empowerment for women. Economic empowerment is both a prevention and intervention strategy for gender based violence. The idea is and studies bear this out - that if women are financially stable, if they can stand on their own two feet, so to speak, they will be less vulnerable to being victims of gender based violence. And also it's an essential tool to help them to get out of situations."

Protest Note Sent
On Tuesday, we showed you our interview with Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington. He discussed what exactly will be in that protest note to Guatemala about the weekend Sarstoon showdown between the Guatemalan Military and the Territorial Volunteers. He made the point that even though the language will be calm, the Belize Government will still be forceful in their protest of the actions taken by the Guat Navy. Well, it seems that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has done just that. This photo, which has been attached to the protest note, looks to be the direct positioning of the boats at the Mouth of the Sarstoon last week Saturday. In the top, sitting in Belizean waters, you can see the two boats from the Territorial Volunteers. Right at the entrance, in the form of a blockade, you can also see 3 Guatemalan Vessels, one of which is squarely in Belizean territorial waters. The other looks to be in neutral waters, and the third is in Guatemalan waters.

BPP Will Join Deputy Will
But that is no appeasement for territorial activist and third party politician Wil Maheia. He's going to Belmopan to protest on Tuesday. And the Belize Progressive Party - of which Maheia is deputy leader say they have his back. The party issued a release today saying it confirms its participation in what it calls a non-partisan event. The release ends by saying, quote, "The BPP joins our territorial volunteers in condemning Guatemala's de facto seizure of Belizean territorial waters in the Sarstoon." End quote.

Sharim Takes On The Cops
Today in the Supreme Court, Justice Sonya Young presided over the end of the evidence taking phase of a civil suit brought by 28 year-old Corozal Resident Sharim Baeza. He's suing the Government of Belize and a retired cop for what he believes was malicious prosecution against him. Back in 2003, almost 13 years ago, Sharim Baeza's father, 34 year-old Wilfredo Baeza, was killed at their home in Corozal; he had been shot in the head. Police accused the young Sharim - who was only 16 years-old at the time - of conspiring with his stepmother to hire his two older brothers to kill his father. He was then arrested and charged with Abetment and Conspiracy to commit murder. He was tried in October 2006 before Justice Troadio Gonzalez, and the cornerstone of the prosecution's case against him was that he supposedly gave a caution statement in which he confessed to the crime. He was convicted in that trial and sentenced to life in Prison, but his attorneys appealed to the Court of Appeal. They won that appeal, and a retrial was ordered.

La Ruta Maya: A River Runs Through It
The 2015 edition of the La Ruta Maya race started at 7:00 this morning under the Hawkesworth Bridge. 61 teams - a little less than last year - paddled off at the start - down the Macal River headed for Banana bank. 49 miles later, Koop sheet metal was the first to reach Banana Bank and are currently holding the lead. Tonight the teams are camped out at there and head off to Double Head Cabbage at dawn tomorrow. Channel 7 will have live coverage when the race enters Belize City for the finish on Monday morning at around 11:00.

Street Art Sayonara
And as we close before this first long weekend of 2015, we take a clip form last weekend's Street Art Festival. Monday will be Heroes and Benefactors day, and certainly one of the cultural heroes' has to be Pen Cayetano and here he is performing with the Original Turtle Shell Band.

Channel 5

A Guatemalan Poacher is Shot South of Chiquibul Forest
There is a confirmed report tonight of a Guatemalan national being shot in an area south of the Chiquibul known as Cebada.  Brigadier General David Jones told News Five earlier [...]

A Mother of 7 is Hacked to Death by Her Common-law Husband
Domestic violence has been the cause of several murders in 2015. Tonight, there is a report of a femicide in which the life of a forty-five year old woman of [...]

Foreign Minister Elrington Says Belize has no Defense Guarantee
In an extended and exclusive interview this morning with Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington, we touched on a long list of pressing issues in respect of the Sarstoon waters in southern [...]

A Diplomatic Note is Sent to Guatemalan Government
This morning, we also asked about the diplomatic note that was to be dispatched to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Guatemala, in light of the incursion in the Sarstoon [...]

What’s the Latest on Independent Investigation into Deadly Youth Hostel Fire?
On November seventh, 2015 a fire broke inside one of the buildings at the Princess Royal Youth Hostel at mile twenty-one and a half on the George Price Highway. Three [...]

Illegal Guatemalan Settlements Popping Up in Belize
There are reports of new Guatemalan settlements popping up in areas of southern Belize. Those are in addition to others in the Chiquibul where xateros and gold-panners operate within the [...]

Is Burning Down Their Structures a Solution to the Problem?
The issue of illegal settlements was raised with the Foreign Minister. His response was that Belize is likely to continue to rely on the O.A.S. to assist in the removal [...]

Maya Leaders Alliance Weighs in on Continuing Incursions in the South
Program Coordinator for the Maya Leaders Alliance, Pablo Mis, has also weighed in on the ongoing issue.  Despite all efforts to notify relevant authorities of any incursions, it requires a [...]

What’s Sedi’s Take on O.A.S. Involvement? Is Belize Getting Needed Support?
Does the government support the re-internalization of the territorial dispute?  The P.U.P. has made that recommendation given the current situation in the south where the Guatemalan military appears to be [...]

BA1 Project Rolls Out Seed Capital to 240 Belizean Women
“Opportunities, Risks, and Victories: Women carving their own images on Belize’s canvas” – it’s the theme for a project ceremony held today at the Radisson that empowers women into achieving [...]

C.E.O. Judith Alpuche Explains BA1 Project Process
The symbolic handing over ceremony held today signals the success of stage one of the project, which is being carried out by the Government of Belize through the Women’s Department, [...]

UWI Hosts ZIKA Symposium
A few weeks ago, the University of the West Indies (UWI) marshaled a task force consisting of its best medical practitioners and experts for the express purpose of fighting the [...]

Multimillion Dollar Education Project Launched in the North
The University of Belize, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sports and the European Union today launched a two-year project at the Corozal Junior College to [...]

4 Fishermen Arraigned for Possession of Undersized Conchs
On Thursday, we reported on a group of fishermen that was busted with over one thousand undersized conchs.  The men were onboard a vessel which was located south of Belize [...]

Ruta Maya 2016, Koop Sheet Metal Dominates First Leg of Annual Race
This morning at the foot of the Hawksworth Bridge in San Ignacio, sixty teams of paddlers gathered on the Macal River to commence. The annual La Ruta Maya Challenge.  It [...]

CTV3

LOVE FM

La Ruta Maya 2016 – Day One
The 19th running of the Belikin La RUta Maya Challenge got underway this morning from San Ignacio, Cayo District. Here is a snapshot of the 180-mile race down the Belize River.

Domestic Dispute Leaves Woman Dead
A domestic dispute turned fatal in western Belize. Angelica Cruz has the story.

Cattle Disease Crisis Ongoing; Livestock Owners Advised
A notice coming out of the Belize Agricultural Health Authority is strongly advising cattle owners to get their livestock vaccinated against rabies if they haven’t been vaccinated within the last year and to also get them vaccinated against Blackleg if they haven’t been vaccinated within the last six months. The notice comes about following the […]

Accused Aide in Murder Case Acquitted; Arresting Officer Now Goes to Court
The civil suit brought by 28- year-old, Sharim Baeza, against the Retired Superintendent of Police, Eugene Fuentes, Commissioner of Police, Allen Whylie and the Attorney General’s office wrapped up today in the court room of Justice Sonya Young. The case has its root in the 2003 murder of 34 year old Wilfredo Baeza- the father […]

Hostel Investigation Completed; Results Unrevealed
Shadisha Arnold, Anna Carlos and Elizabeth McKoy are the names of the three teenagers that perished in a fire at the youth hostel on November 28 of last year. An investigative report was to be submitted in January of this year and apparently, it has been completed but nothing has been released to the media […]

CEO Alpuche Disappointed in Outcome of Human Trafficking Case
Last month 64-year-old, Honduran national Estela Gonzalez was found guilty of human trafficking. Gonzalez escaped jail time and was instead given a fifty thousand dollar fine to pay. Two doctors gave testimonies that Gonzalez is suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and urinary tract infection which were taken into consideration and thus she […]

A Seat for Cordel Hyde at the PUP Executive Table
The People’s United Party has spent the last few weeks getting its house in order under the new leadership of John Briceno. There are still some vacant seats on the party’s National Executive which Briceno says he has gotten the green light to restructure. With this restructuring in mind, it begs the question whether there […]

PUP Wants Re-registration and Redistricting Done
Yesterday we told you of the various committees that are being formed in the People’s United Party. One committee we did not mention was the one that will be tackling and lobbying for re-registration of the electorate and re-districting of the constituencies. Other committees being formed are the Legal Team, the Economic Development Team as […]

Plans to Picket at Next House Sitting
After Belize Territorial Volunteer’s (BTV) encountered Guatemalan vessels in Belizean waters, leader of BTV Wil Maheia has decided to demand the attention of the Government in a different fashion. He has decided to picket at the next Sitting of the House and is inviting members of the public to join him as Government officials gather […]

PlusTV

Hon. Dean Barrow Appointed as a Member of the Privy Council
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has announced that Prime Minister of Belize Hon. Dean Barrow has been appointed as a Member of the Privy Council. With this, the Prime Minister can now legitimately be referred to as the Right Honourable Dean Barrow. The announcement was published on the website of the...

Shots fired during attempted robbery in Belize City
Shots were fired on Wednesday evening in Belize City. Thankfully, no one was injured. According to reports, it was an attempted robbery of Vega’s Distributors. Sometime around five p.m on Wednesday March 2, Vega’s Distributors of Benque Viejo del Carmen, Cayo was in Belize City on Central American B...

CPBL delays payment to growers pending approval of loan facility
The citrus industry has been rocked by news that producer company Citrus Products of Belize Limited (CPBL) will not be able to pay this week’s payroll to growers, pending the Central Bank of Belize approving an application made to Heritage Bank in December for 10 million Belize dollars in working ca...

Ex-Mayor loses appeal on traffic case
Ravell Gonzalez, the former Mayor of Orange Walk Town, lost the appeal of his conviction by a jury of two counts of causing death by careless conduct upon a 2 year old child, identified as Martita Lopez, and a family friend, Manuel Coto. The aspiring attorney is now on the hook for more in court fin...

Government Must Return $2.8 Million to Coye Family
The Government of Belize must return 2.8 million dollars of the more than 3 million which was seized from the Coye family back in 2008. Melanie Coye was convicted of money laundering in late July of 2012, but appealed in 2014 and won. The Coyes have been trying to get back their money which was se...

18 Pounds of Weed near Corozal Free Zone
There was a hefty drug bust in the North on Tuesday. A joint operation involving customs, coastguard and B.D.F. personnel on Tuesday night, near the Corozal Free Zone, led to the arrest of a Cuban national, forty-three-year-old Waldo Bernal Pol. Police say Pol and another man were seen in the area a...

San Ignacio resident charged with Drug Trafficking
28 year old Jeffery Navarette of San Ignacio has been arrested and charged for the offence of Drug Trafficking. On Wednesday the 2nd of March, a passenger bus was stopped and searched on the Phillip Goldson Highway in front of the Sandhill Police Station. Navarette had on a knapsack which was...

The Reporter

Woman chopped to death during domestic dispute
A woman was beaten and chopped to death during a domestic dispute early Friday morning in Belmopan. Maria Candelaria Reymundo, 45, was at home on Panama Street with her common-law husband, Jairo when sometime around 5:00 a.m. neighbours heard a commotion coming from the house […]

PAHO/WHO develops new test for confirming Zika infections
To aid in Zika virus control efforts, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) has set new guidelines on how to identify a case of infection. PAHO/WHO is working with the Arbovirus Laboratory Network (RELDA) and has already agreed on new guidelines using a […]

Last 2 samples sent for testing negative for H3N2 virus
Lab results from samples taken from two of three persons who died suddenly in January after suffering from respiratory-related issues have returned from the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA) in Trinidad and Tobago, testing negative for the presence of the H3N2 virus. Director of Health […]

KHMH doctor now a master of critical care
Staff RTeporter Dr. Jorge Hidalgo, head of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH), has increased his qualifications by earning a Master’s degree in Critical Care Medicine from the American College of Critical Care (ACCC). Hidalgo received his award at a ceremony […]

Chetumal checkpoint lifted; roadblock cleared
After two days of traffic interruption at the Chetumal entrance outside the Navy office (Secretaria de Marina), last Wednesday and Thursday, the municipal government of Subteniente Lopez, Quintana Roo decided to lift a checkpoint for travelers entering and exiting Mexico through that zone. After merchants […]

PUP weighs in on Guetemalan incursion
The People’s United Party this week condemned the recent incursion of the Guatemalan military into Belizean territory and called on the government of Belize to take a strong stance against it. Eamon Courtenay, member of the PUP ‘s newly appointed Guatemala Advisory Committee, explained that when the […]

Belize City Council implementing new security measures after Albert Street Shooting
The Belize City Council (CitCo) is considering new security measures after armed robbers targeted CitCo security personnel in the Albert Street shooting where a female cop was shot to the head earlier this week. The individuals who were held at gun point on the pavement, […]

Mexican trade mission meets with local counterparts
A Mexican trade mission, comprising businessmen in the construction industry, is scheduled to meet with their counterparts in Belize on Tuesday, to share information on the scope of their products and services. Seven companies from the Chetumal area are expected to be represented during the […]

CDB grants UB $800,000
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB), has allocated $800,000 from its Special Fund Resources, to grant to the University of Belize (UB) for infrastructural development. President of UB’s Faculty and Staff Association, Harryson Flowers told the Reporter that a committee has been formed to look at […]

Woman Police Officer shot in robbery attempt on Albert Street
Woman Police Constable Sheneah Caliz was shot to the head on Monday night as police officers encountered an armed robbery in progress on Albert Street, Belize City. Caliz, 27, a WPC attached to the Traffic Support Unit from Precinct Three was in a Traffic Police […]

American Model drowns at Hopkins Bay Resort
An American model, 32-year-old Tiffany Karhanek drowned while on vacation with her 65-year-old husband at the Hopkins Bay Resort, last Saturday. Karhanek arrived in Belize on February 26 from Miami and drowned the following day during a kayaking trip with her husband. The husband, Micheal […]

Forged Drivers Licenses trigger security measures in Belmopan
The Department of Transport is in the process of improving the security features on driver’s licenses issued by its various branches. The department is also working to speed up the process to standardize licenses, with one set of security features , formatting and stamp. The […]

Thief robs cable company of almost $10,000
An armed thief held up and robbed Southern Cable Company in Dangriga of almost $10,000 in cash on Monday afternoon, along with a laptop and a cell phone. Officer Commanding the Dangriga police formation, Superintendent Roy Joseph told the Reporter that the receptionist at the […]

BPP In It For the Long Haul…Opens Central Headquarters!
The Belize Progressive Party (BPP) didn’t exactly make a big splash in 2015 General Elections, garnering exactly 1.63% of votes, but the alternative party says that it’s sticking around. Commemorating just over 100 days in office, on Tuesday, leaders of the BPP signed a 10 year lease on its first […]

Briceno names new PUP Senators
People’s United Party (PUP) Leader, John Briceno has replaced the party’s three Senators who were appointed under former leader, Francis Fonseca. The new Senators-elect are Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay; former Belize Tourism Board (BTB) Director Valerie Woods, who is the Country Representative for Chukka Caribbean […]

NEAB does not support marijuana decriminalization
The National Evangelical Association of Belize (NEAB), this week, declared that it does not support the government of Belize’s decision to decriminalize marijuana. Pastor Lance Lewis, NEAB president, said that decriminalization was a major topic of discussion at the Association’s Annual General Meeting which gathered […]

CPBL can’t pay citrus growers
The Citrus Products of Belize Ltd. (CPBL) has fallen behind in payments to citrus growers again. CPBL had fallen behind in its payments for two weeks before growers got paid last week, but is once again late in payments. The Citrus Growers Association (CGA) […]

GOB snatches Coye family’s $3.2M… Supreme Court says give it back!
The Government of Belize is going through an admitted financial lull, and a decision handed down in the Supreme Court yesterday certainly will not be welcome. On Wednesday afternoon, after a short session in chambers with attorneys for Melonie Coye and the Commissioner of Income Tax; Justice Courtney Abel ruled […]

Cops intercept more than 34 lbs of weed
In less than 24 hours, Orange Walk police and the Customs Department seized over 34 pounds of high-grade marijuana, presumably coming from Chetumal, Mexico destined for Belize City, this week. The bust was made in two separate operations. On Wednesday around 3:19 p.m. two officers […]

Editorial
We find ourselves in disagreement with those who say Belize does not have the laws needed to go after people who use social media for publishing vulgar and scurrilous material about persons. The existing law against libel and slander can work equally well for the social media as it does […]

Laws of Belize get an upgrade
After seven years of preparation, the Government of Belize has officially published the latest edition of the Substantive Laws of Belize. The latest edition, the Laws of Belize Revised Edition 2011, represents the state of the law up to December 31 for that year, including […]

EU funds project to fight domestic violence in the Caribbean Read more: EU funds project to fight domestic violence in the Caribbean
A team of Caribbean and United Kingdom experts, headed by Professor Adele Jones from the UK’s University of Huddersfield, in partnership with The Sweet Water Foundation in Grenada, has been awarded €400,000 (US$439,409) from the European Union (EU) to implement a new project on preventing domestic violence in the Caribbean. […]

Taiwan’s President Ma Ying Jeou to pay official visit to Belize
President Ma Ying Jeou of Taiwan is set to pay an official visit to Belize this month, as he completes his last term in office. President Ma’s visit will take place on March 16 and 17, as part of a farewell tour to the United […]

The Belize Times

Guats Take Over Sarstoon – Sedi’s damning admission
Foreign Minister Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington has made a damning admission that Guatemala has taken over the Sarstoon Island and Sarstoon River, which form part of Belize’s territory in Southern Belize. Elrington confessed in media interviews this week, after Guatemala’s military once again blocked a group of Belizeans who were travelling to the Sarstoon Area on Saturday, February 27th, that Guatemala’s “…position is consistent, they claim the area and therefore they think they are protecting their territory”. Sedi’s admission is the clearest indication that the Foreign Ministry and Barrow Administration are fully aware that the Guatemala military is not only encroaching on Belizean territory, but also that Guatemalan military is enforcing Guatemalan law on our land. This law enforcement has meant that Guatemala prevents any Belizean vessel or national from going onto Sarstoon River. They threaten to use military force. Elrington’s admittance is a serious national concern. Not only because of the meaning of the words uttered but also because in the face of Guatemala’s aggression, which has been going on ever since the Barrow Administration took office and which intensified in July last year, the Barrow Administration has not seriously defended Belize’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

PUP Rejects Guatemalan Claim to Sarstoon
On Saturday 27 February 2016, the Foreign Minister of Guatemala, Carlos Raul Morales, claimed, in Guatemalan media, that all of the Sarstoon River is Guatemalan territory. That is false and provocative. Based on reliable reports, it is clear that on the 27 February 2016 a Guatemalan military vessel entered Belizean territorial waters. This was an egregious violation of Belizean sovereignty and a breach of international law. The People’s United Party categorically rejects the false claim by Foreign Minister Morales, and strongly condemns the provocative and illegal acts by the Guatemalan Navy. The PUP calls on the Government of Belize to immediately deliver a strongly worded Diplomatic Note to Guatemala rejecting the spurious claim by Foreign Minister Morales, and to recall our Belizean Ambassador to Guatemala for urgent consultations. We further call for an urgent ministerial meeting between Belize and Guatemala at the Organisation of American States to adopt measures that reduce tensions whilst fully respecting Belize’s territorial integrity.

GSU shoot disabled father of 2 near Guat border
GSU shot 28-year-old Roberto Chan in the back of his right shoulder as he drove his wife Lupe, and their 2 children home in his white Toyota 4-runner after visiting a friend on the road to Santa Rosa near the Guatemalan border at about 7:15 last Wednesday evening, February 24. Roberto, a vegetable vendor, and Lupe say they were unaware of any danger until two shots rang out and one bullet broke the back windshield, went through the driver’s seat and hit Chan in his right shoulder. Unable to drive, he pulled up while Lupe screamed at the gunmen to stop shooting because they had children in the car. The bullet could have easily hit Chan or Lupe in the head. Mercifully their 6 year old daughter had dozed off, lying flat on back seat, while Lupe cradled their 7-month old son in her arms. Lupe says they believed they had been attacked by bandits who had come across the border, until they saw the green camouflage uniforms of the GSU in the lights of their vehicle. Roberto said there was no road block or police vehicle on the road as they passed, and the GSU had come out of the bush behind their vehicle after they had passed and opened fire.

Opposition Leader addresses land concerns in Trio Village
Opposition Leader John Briceño met on Sunday, February 28th with the chairman and residents of Trio Village to discuss their concerns over land ownership. The villagers are being threatened with homelessness after finding out that the land they have been living on for years was sold to South Korean national Sang Yin in 2014. Yin is reportedly urging the residents to leave the land if they cannot pay $20,000. The village residents are mostly poor farmers who have been living on the lands for over twenty-five years. Now they have no one to turn to, as the Government has clearly favoured the foreigner and his money from the start.

PENINSULA CITIZENS FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (PCSD)
Elizabeth Pridgeon: PCSD is a not-for-profit corporation, run by a group of volunteers, who seek to protect and respect the natural environment along the entire length of the Placencia Peninsula. Established in 2006, PCSD now has a strong following of active members from all three villages of the Peninsula (Placencia, Seine Bight and Maya Beach) alongside an avid group of interested people who follow the organisation’s invaluable work from further afield. A grass-roots environmental group of this nature is a critical force in the sustainable and appropriate development of any tourist area in Belize, and as such it is guaranteeing the livelihoods of future generations of the Peninsula. This week’s Nation Builder is therefore the PCSD as an organisation, and its Board of Directors in particular. PCSD has multiple objectives, all of which it actively ensures it fulfils. The organisation circulates information to local residents (and other interested parties) about environmental and developmental issues of contemporary importance on the Peninsula, ensuring that dubious developmental plans cannot be ‘slipped’ through the approval process without the majority of residents being made aware of the implications. Numerous such occasions could have caused mass-destruction of the native habitats without the prompt and proactive involvement of PCSD. Controversial issues, such as Placencia North International Airport, the Robert Trent Jones II Golf Course and Placencia Marine have been vociferously contested, a campaign which has been continuously led by PCSD.

Think About It
The ongoing battle between Guatemala and Belize entered another round on Saturday 27th February 2016, at the Sarstoon River. It was another victory for Guatemala. And another discouraging defeat for Belize. For the last three rounds, this February, last August and last July, Belize had thrown no punches and in return was given a barrage of left jabs and upper-cuts to the face and chest. Belize staggered away humiliated. Guatemala is way ahead on points and Belize is once again looking like a loser. Wil Maheia and a small band of his territorial volunteers announced their intention to be in Sarstoon River and possibly visit the Gracias A Dios border marker. It was one year ago that Guatemala illegally entered Belize and as promised by Guatemala their militarily took away a Belizean vessel with dozens of Belizeans and kept them overnight at Livingston, Guatemala. This Saturday they again, with military might, prevented Wil Maheia and his volunteers from travelling on what is now the former Belize side of the Sarstoon River. The Volunteers had been warned repeatedly by the Belize government not to go. The Belize government has messed up the match between itself and Guatemala. Apparently, they are taking instructions from their coaches and sponsors, who unfortunately have a stake in Guatemala winning the fight. So Belize is going along with wrong advice and needs to seek new coaches and trainers.

On Red-herrings & Belize State of Affairs
As Belize prepares for perhaps its most challenging budget exercise ever, an age old political football has been thrown into play. Last Saturday, members of the Belize Territorial Volunteers (BTV) attempted to travel up the Sarstoon River for a ceremony at the Gracias a Dios Falls. As noted in the excerpt from the treaty above, Gracias a Dios is one of the definitive points of reference for Belize’s border with neighbouring Guatemala. The BTV was hoping to commemorate the anniversary of an occasion where 37 or their group had been detained and carted off to Livingston for an unplanned visit to the Guatemalan town. As fate would have it, the BTV never made it past the mouth of the Sarstoon River since they were met by a military blockade of Guatemalan ships reportedly well within our waters. As per normal, our Foreign Minster blamed the BTV accusing them of inciting trouble. This Guatemalan issue is a powder keg with a fuse that’s getting shorter and more dangerous. Since 2011 when a few patriotic Belizeans led by firebrand activist Wil Maheia formed themselves into what is now the BTV, the group has been making regular trips to the border. They have been attempting to clear and properly demarcate some areas and more importantly, to bring attention to the aggressive behaviour of Guatemala’s military, some peasants and her political hierarchy. Recently-elected President Jimmy Morales had made it clear even before assuming leadership that one of his goals was to pursue the claim to Belize.

Editorial: From Rio Hondo to Old Sarstoon?
This UDP Government has completely sold out to Guatemala. The Government of Belize has openly and unapologetically surrendered control of Belizean territory to Guatemala. Sarstoon Island is located on the south end of Belize’s territorial map. The UDP Government is compelled to inform the Guatemalan military before it does anything on Sarstoon Island, even if it is just to carry out a coast guard visit. We have seen the video footage of “boat races” involving BDF vessels and Guatemalan navy boats, as Belize’s military attempts to conduct patrols of our border points. We have seen the UDP Government’s handling of the situation. More and more, the feeling is as if Sedi and his boss have banded against Belizeans. None of them want Belizeans on or near Sarstoon Island, it appears. Over the weekend, the Belize Territorial Volunteers group came again under aggression by Guatemala’s military during a trip to the Sarstoon Area. The group wanted to go to the Gracia a Dios border marker.

Carmelita Jrs & Blackwater win in O.Walk U-19 football
Carmelita Juniors and Blackwater enjoyed big wins in the Orange Walk Town Council’s under-18 football tournament; while Vibes Alive and Crystal posted wins in the under-15 tournament at the Orange Walk Technical High School field on Saturday afternoon. In Game 1, the Orange Walk Central Stars ‘A’ schooled the Blackwater Eagles: 3-zip with goals scored by Jesse “Beast” August, Alexis Chan and Alfredo Gongora. In Game 2, a single strike by Joan Bull was enough to give Vibes Alive the 1-zip win over Orange Walk Central “B” Stars.

St. Martin de Porres girls win national basketball champs
The St. Martin De Porres RC School girls defeated the Cayo district champions, the girls of St. Francis Xavier RC School of Esperanza Village, 16-4 to win the primary schools basketball nationals held at the Orange Walk Multi-Purpose Complex over the weekend. For St. Martin’s Shantel Flowers scored 11pts while Cherish Wade added 5pts. The Martin’s girls won 15-8 over Holy Family School girls from Hopkins, Stann Creek to advance to the nationals. The Cayo girls had eliminated the Orange Walk girls 11-6. For 3rd place Stann Creek won 11-4 against Orange Walk; led by Shendra Casimiro with 6 pts and Leandra Ramos scored 4pts. Orange Walk’s Isabella Baeza scored 4pts.

Joel Vanegas sweeps Belmopan Cycling Classic
Team DigiCell 4G’s Joel Vanegas rode a record-breaking pace in the 35th annual Belmopan Cycling Classic over the 100 miles on the George Price and Hummingbird Highways to the finish line in front of the A&R; Center on Queen Elizabeth Boulevard on Sunday. Top 10 Elites 1st Joel Vanegas – Team DigiCell 4G LTE – 3:53:03 – $1,000 prize & trophy 2nd Giovanni Lovell –Team DigiCell 4G LTE – $700 prize & trophy 3rd David Henderson Jr. – Team Benny’s Megabytes – 3:53:39 – $500 prize 4th Nissan Arana – Team Westrac Alliance – $300 prize 5th Richard Santiago – Team DigiCell 4G LTE – $150 prize

Eulogio de Enrique Modesto Samos
Enrique Modesto Samos, J.P. nació el 15 de Julio del 1946, falleció a la edad de 69. En sus propias palabras “todo el Benque celebra mi cumpleaños porque 15 de Julio es la feria del Benque”. A la edad de 20 años fue cuando conoció y se enamoró de Dalia Asaeta con quien se casó a la edad de 21 años. Es matrimonio trajo 2 hijos y 2 hijas, Dalia Juanita, Jose Enrique, Rafael y Crystal Samos, 6 nietos, Alarice, Nailah, Elijah, Zahira, Rafael Jr y Carlito. Don Tito, como lo conocían su familia y sus numerosos amigos siempre fue orgulloso de sus hijos, los 2 hijos doctores, y las dos hijas cosmetólogas. Estudio en la escuela Monte Carmelo y por ser muy inteligente lo brincaban de clases sin terminar el año escolar. Luego estudio contabilidad por correspondencia. Finalmente estudio otro curso de contabilidad en Nova Scotia, Canada.

Precedent in Guatemala
There is an important event and much drama unfolding in our neighbor country Guatemala. It started just a few weeks ago, on February 1st to be exact. Of course for proponents it took much, much longer for commencement to actually be made. I am talking about the rape and crimes against humanity trial of ex army officers, a case brought to Court by eleven women who were systematically raped, sexually abused, and enslaved at the military base of Sepur Zarco in the southeast in the 1980s. The horrendous human rights abuses against these indigenous women occurred during Guatemala’s long armed conflict, in which thousands upon thousands of indigenous persons were brutalized and killed by the military. A comprehensive history of the why and the how of Guatemala’s civil conflict has, I believe, yet to be written, and the United States has a lot to answer for, but that is really for another time.

PUP Leader visits Southern PUP Executive Committees
PUP Leader Hon. John Briceño has intensified his nationwide tour of PUP committees, visiting leaders and supporters. On Friday, February 26, Hon. Briceno held a meeting with the PUP Executives of Stann Creek West and Dangriga. On Saturday, February 27, Hon. Briceño met with the Executives for Toledo East and Toledo West along with their Area Representatives Hon. Oscar Requena and Hon. Mike Espat.

Belize is in serious trouble
Every week things get worse in Belize on every level. Every week it gets harder to make ends meet. Every week we see more and more evidence that this UDP government only cares about a few rich friends and family members. The rest of us can go to hell and they couldn’t care less. All over the world fuel prices have gone down. In Belize they keep going up. This week the UDP shafted us again. The latest shipment of fuel came in and we were supposed to get a big break at the pumps. But the government decides that we don’t deserve a break and they raise import duties on fuel WAY UP – AGAIN. So instead of prices going DOWN, they went UP. How much more of this can we take? Diesel went up by $1.00. Our public transportation system is already in shambles with operators grumbling that they are barely surviving. Commuters are forced to ride on deteriorating buses with onion-skin tires, breaking down all the time, because the margin of profit in the industry is so small that operators can’t pay taxes, salaries, fuel and upkeep. But the fat cats in government don’t care. You think you’d ever see Dean Barrow riding a Tillett’s Bus to Orange Walk, or taking a Shaw Bus to Belmopan?

Corozal – The Best Is Yet to Come!!
Dear Editor, As a resident of Corozal Town I am very worried with the recent closure of the Fruta Bomba/Fruit Packers companies in Corozal and the recent banking situation and other business issues at the Corozal Free Zone. At the height of the industry, Fruta Bomba and Belize Fruit Packers employed approximately 1000 persons and the Free Zone at its peak also employed as much as 3,000 workers. It is now the reality that we have lost the jobs in the Papaya Industry as Fruta Bomba/Belize Fruit Packers has announced its closure and has already terminated most of its employees. With the recent banking issues and the incompetent management of the Corozal Free Zone, more employees are being terminated and or advised that they will be working less hours/days. This is translating to a major part of our workforce being underemployed. If the low price for sugar cane is added to these two issues, the employment picture gets real bleak for Corozaleños.

Call to a national protest!!
Dear Belizeans, The Sarstoon incident with the Belize Territorial Volunteers has impacted and shamed my sense as a Belizean. The BDF, the Coast Guard, the Police and any other official body which protects our national integrity has been SHAMED and “slapped” by the Guatemalan authorities. The FREE access to our national waters has been blocked by a foreign authority. Our National Anthem has been embarrassed – humiliated – disgraced and discredited. In national protest to our GOB authorities – for ineffective diplomatic results – I call on all Unions, Radio Stations and Media Houses specifically the TEACHERS UNION that for the next month our national anthem is not sung by our children, nor played by radio stations. How can any Belizean sing the national anthem – where it says from the Sarstoon to the Rio Hondo – with pride and dignity when we are embarrassed, shamed and “slapped on the face” by not having the privilege as citizens of this our jewel to travel our own waters????

Mutiny in the UDP
There is mutiny in the United Democratic Party. The UDP held a National Party Council meeting on Saturday but it turned out to be more of a bashing exercise against their leader Dean Barrow whose leadership is getting weaker by the day. The BELIZE TIMES has learnt that the ruling Party is slowly breaking into factions, with loyalties switching without mercy. Gaspar Vega has his crowd. Patrick Faber has his too. John Saldivar is also picking up steam but his attention is squarely on football at the moment. Saldivar was still able to get his minions to attend the Party Council meeting and they sent a strong message to Dean Barrow. His crowd was joined by Faber supporters who, we understand, attempted to pass a motion demanding Barrow to step down before the next election.

Breaking Belize News

Soldiers involved in shootout near Caracol
Reports reaching our newsroom are that late last night, members of the Belize Defense Force were engaged in a shootout with a group of Guatemalan pouchers near the Caracol Archaeological Site in the Cayo District. Unconfirmed reports are that one of the Guatemalan poucher […]

Guyana hosts 29th Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) on Youth and Culture
The 29th Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) on Youth and Culture opened on Thursday in Guyana and sees the participation of Regional Ministers of Youth and Culture, ministry officials, representatives of regional and international organizations and CARICOM Youth Ambassadors. The week began […]

Alleged drug traffickers arraigned in Orange Walk
The three alleged drug traffickers caught in a police stakeout on Wednesday afternoon appeared in court on Thursday. Michael Requena, 24, Alrick Smith, 30, both from Ladyville and Keith Patrick Flowers, 24, from Belize City appeared before Judge Marlene Moody on the charge of ‘drug trafficking’. The trio […]

Ministry says Estella Gonzalez should have been jailed
The actions of Estella Gonzalez, who held a teenager in “slavery” conditions at her George Price Highway bar and forced her to have sex for money, should have condemned her to prison despite her health issues, Human Development CEO Judith Alpuche told reporters today. Justice […]

One terminated, others to be disciplined in youth hostel fire case
CEO in the Ministry of Human Development Judith Alpuche has confirmed that one worker at the Youth Hostel on the George Price Highway was fired and others face discipline following the deaths of three teenage girls last November in a fire at the facility. A […]

Southern Secondary School Sports Association (SSSSA) regional softball competition
On Saturday March 5th at the Michael Ashcroft Stadium in Independence Village, high-schools from down South will challenge each other to make it to the Southern Secondary School Sports Association (SSSSA) national level starting at 9:00 a.m. In the Female category, Stann Creek Ecumenical High from Dangriga, George Town […]

Basketball and Football Weekend Excitement
Cayo’s Western Ballaz will start off the exciting long weekend hosting the Belize Hurricanes tonight at 9 inside the Sacred Heart Auditorium. Also at 9 tonight Belize No Limit will play in Sugar City against Orange Walk Running Rebels, while down South, Dangriga Warriors will host Belmopan Bandits. Then on […]

Belizeans travel to Japan as part of exchange program
This month four Belizeans will travel to Japan as part of the exchange program “Juntos”, a Japanese Friendship Ties Program with Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Cecy Castillo, Christa Hulse, Donghoon Choe and Raphael Martinez will act as ambassadors during the trip “to promote […]

Murder reported in Belmopan
A woman was murdered this morning in Belmopan. Our reports say it took place around 5:30 in a rented apartment on Panama Street, and the perpetrator was a man who either beat or chopped her to death. Information to us suggests the male was behaving in an […]

Kidney Association of Belize plans activities for World Kidney Month
March is World Kidney Month and the Kidney Association of Belize will kick off activities on Saturday with its third Annual Kidney Walk and Raffle in Belize City. President Mrs. Ruby Nicholas and administrator Kirk Lainfiesta say the raffle will raise funds for the Association’s activities on […]

Blogs

LIVE BLOG: The La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge 201
Over the years the race grown to see up to and over 120 unique canoes in competitions with notable mentions like BATSUB and the Belize Bank, Pine Lumber and Coop Sheet Metal teams all vying for that coveted first place. Winning isn’t everything, however, as anyone who has paddled from start to finish will proudly say “I survived La Ruta Maya River Challenge!” and proud they should be! So as has been done since 1998, on the 18th anniversary of La Ruta Maya, 60 teams lined up under the Hawkesworth in hopes to paddle their way ahead to the finish line in Belize City on Monday, carrying with them all the excitement and long awaited fun. So to all the teams, good luck, and have a safe, fun filled weekend! This blog is live and will be updated over the course of the competition with the latest photos and statistics.

La Capitana Pontoon Boat
What do you do when you live on Ambergris Caye and want to take a local vacation? We needed a change in scenery from the white sandy beaches and coconut trees. After all, just how much sailing, snorkeling and languishing in the Caribbean waters can you take? So, we decided to head to the mountains of mainland Belize to hang out in the jungle with the monkeys and the toucans! Ironically, what was the first thing we wanted to do when we got there? Why get on a boat and play in the water of course! But this river experience promised to be far different from the standard island fare. While staying at Martz Farm Treehouses and Cabanas Ltd in the Cayo District, we were excited to learn that one of the many adventures they had to offer is their signature La Capitana Pontoon Boat tour on the nearby Macal River. Years ago, we had kayaked the same stretch of river before the Vaca Dam was completed in 2010, and we were eager to see how the area had changed. Now, this section of the river has transformed into a lazy tributary, perfect for a pontoon boat tour. What better way to weave through the lush jungle landscape and dramatic cliffs that border the river while exploring waterfalls and playing in the cool mountain water? We couldn’t get our swimsuits on fast enough!

Palapa Bar Jam Rant
Longtime tacogirl reader Gary Bowline had this to say about the new Jam. “The Palapa Bar has made Boca del Rio the place to go now for live music. Scott and Jodie have done a fantastic job of remaking the old Wet Willy’s into a great place for food, drinks and Jack is building a vibrant live music scene.” After having gone four times for live music there, I agree with Gary. The new Palapa Bar and Grill is breathing new life into the face of the ever changing music scene on Ambergris Caye. So far I have been there three times for Jam and once to see the current house band Dennis Wolfe and the Swingers. It’s pretty much a guaranteed good time, and with amazing traveling musicians coming together to play with great local talent and the house band, it gets people dancing – hence the reason Dennis picked Swingers as part of the band name.

International Sources

A Comedy Team in Mexico Takes the Law Into Its Own Hands
Acting on a tip from a disgruntled neighbor, two comedians dressed as drag queens confronted parking officers in broad daylight. The pair wanted to know why the officers, who so ruthlessly enforced parking limits, had never so much as given a warning to the local fruit salesman, whose battered Ford Explorer sat illegally parked all day, every day, in the upper-class neighborhood of Polanco. “So apparently, this car is protected by the god of fruits,” yelled Arturo Hernández, the founder of the Supercívicos, an activist group of comedians whose mission is to embarrass the bad actors of Mexican society with punishing humor. “My, what healthy corruption we have going on here,” he said. The comedians, who brought a camera crew with them, had every intention of making a scene. One of the officers laughed in response, until she was reminded that the video would be uploaded and watched by, at last count, nearly 200,000 people. “Don’t tell me that,” she said, dropping her head. Bad behavior in Mexico, like many places, often goes unpunished. In the most serious example of this, some estimate that 98 percent of killings here go unsolved. More minor infractions — like illegal parking, refusing to throw out garbage and public nuisances — are typically endured with an admirable resolve. But a group of Mexicans is embracing a new way of enforcing the fragile rule of law: public shaming. Epitomized by the Supercívicos, an assortment of urban dwellers, activists and even government officials have taken up the habit of embarrassing illegal parkers, corrupt police officers and bad neighbors who often get away with misbehavior.

Janice Roberson enjoys mission trip to Belize
Janice Roberson enjoyed traveling to Belize Feb. 13, through the organization “Fishers of Men International Missions.” This is a non-profit organization formed to spread the love of Jesus Christ in the country of Belize. This organization believes by first meeting the physical needs, through medicine and construction, a better platform is created to meet the spiritual needs. This particular trip was designated for medical and dental treatment. Over 50 people consisting of dentists and others from various work backgrounds joined together for a week of service. Over 1,200 patients with medical and dental needs were seen. Their focus was to assess the needs of children and adults of all ages and administer the needed care. Upon seeing the patients, they wanted to show love and compassion and spread the gospel of Christ. Janice stated that her task was to sterilize instruments. This job assignment allowed her to visit the dental stations to console a frightened child or sing “Jesus Loves Me” with a group having to hold down a child getting first time dental care. Janice saw patients getting dentures for the first time and seeing their bright smile was very fulfilling. She received many hugs.

Canopy Watch International
Share the canopy, save the forest. An interesting blog written by a professor/friend discussing central american forest canopy ecology and conservation. The forest canopy has been likened to an undiscovered continent, a last frontier escaping exploration. It is also the greatest warehouse of biodiversity on the planet. The difficulty of climbing or seeing into the canopy means that we know relatively little about this realm. Also, how do we inspire an appreciation for something, or a desire to conserve it, when it is out of reach, out of sight, and largely out of mind? In the 21st century as biodiversity is being erased from the planet faster than ever, it is essential that we establish connections between the forest canopy, science, and public involvement. Canopy Watch International is dedicated to making forest canopies worldwide a target for science, education, and conservation. We seek to inspire curiosity and passion for one of Earth’s last unexplored spaces by taking our audience to the forest canopy via the sharing of videos, sound files, and conversations. We highlight scientific questions on our website and actively pursue and promote scientific research on the ecology of canopy systems. We conduct canopy expeditions as a way to share our excitement for the canopy, and attract international attention to this unique realm. Last, we take people into the tree tops so they can appreciate life at the top of the world.

Getting SMART about Wildlife Crime
From Laos to Belize, forest personnel use the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) to more efficiently anticipate and combat wildlife crime. Judging by his army green forester’s uniform, baseball cap emblazoned with a tiger head on the front and WWF panda logo on the side, and wildlife law enforcement experience, you wouldn’t think Jampel Landhep grew up shooting endangered animals. When he was five years old, Landhep began hunting with his father, a Bhutanese poacher who scrupulously trained him in identifying wildlife signs and setting traps. Four years later, however, after killing a serow – a Himalayan goat-antelope – calf and its anguished mother, the ranger’s father cried and prayed in repentance, and taught little Landhep nonviolence toward animals instead. After high school, the boy trained to become a ranger and put his father’s lesson into practice. Since 2011, he’s been atoning for his family’s poaching legacy by patrolling Bhutan’s Royal Manas Park, where he’s been using the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool (SMART) over the past three years to enhance wildlife law enforcement. In the tool’s first oceanic deployment, SMART has helped Toledo Institute for Development and Environment (TIDE) field and office staff collaborate to counter illegal fishing in Belize’s Port Honduras Marine Reserve (PHMR). “SMART is helping rangers prove to management the work we do,” says one PHMR ranger. “We have seen the areas that need more patrols and we are able to present more valuable data.”

Two Studies Strengthen Links Between the Zika Virus and Serious Birth Defects
The Zika virus damages many fetuses carried by infected and symptomatic mothers, regardless of when in pregnancy the infection occurs, according to a small but frightening study released on Friday by Brazilian and American researchers. In a separate report published on Friday, other scientists suggested a mechanism for the damage, showing in laboratory experiments that the virus targets and destroys fetal cells that eventually form the brain’s cortex. The reports are far from conclusive, but the studies help shed light on a mysterious epidemic that has swept across more than two dozen countries in the Western Hemisphere, alarming citizens and unnerving public health officials. In the first study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that 29 percent of women who had ultrasound examinations after testing positive for infection with the Zika virus had fetuses that suffered “grave outcomes.” They included fetal death, tiny heads, shrunken placentas and nerve damage that suggested blindness.

US names fourteen major money laundering countries in the region in latest report
Fourteen nations in the wider Caribbean have been named by the US as “major money laundering” countries in the 2016 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) released by the US State Department on Wednesday. A major money laundering country is defined as one “whose financial institutions engage in currency transactions involving significant amounts of proceeds from international narcotics trafficking". Belize is not a major regional financial centre; however, it has a substantial offshore financial sector. Belize is a transshipment point for marijuana and cocaine, and human trafficking is a concern. There are strong indications that laundered proceeds are increasingly related to organized criminal groups involved in the trafficking of illegal narcotics, psychotropic substances, and chemical precursors. The government of Belize continues to encourage offshore financial activities that are vulnerable to money laundering and terrorist financing, including offshore banks, insurance companies, trust service providers, mutual fund companies, and international business companies.

Videos

March 4, 2016

FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE

Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.

Specials and Events

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

The San Pedro Sun

Mexican construction suppliers seek Belize market
The San Pedro tourism industry is constantly growing and expanding with new hotels springing up everywhere, and this new expansion might well benefit from new technologies and materials offered by five construction suppliers from Chetumal, who participated in a trade mission to Belize on Tuesday, March 1. Breaking with the popular hispanic tradition of: “En martes no te cases, ni te embarques” (Never get married on a Tuesday, nor embark on a trip), some 15 representatives of five major construction companies from Chetumal met with over 30 Belizean construction contractors, engineers, architects and suppliers during a business forum organized and hosted by the Mexican Embassy at the Institute of Mexico in Belize City Tuesday morning. Mexican Ambassador H.E. Carlos Quesnel Melendez was on hand to welcome the delegation; which included “Aceros Lamasi”, the company which supplied the steel for the construction of the Institute of Mexico in Belize City. The company’s foreign sales and wholesale representative, Lic. Maria Del Caribe Rueda Lopez, led their delegation, offering the company’s line of construction steel materials, which included steel bars, beams, I-beams for columns, steel sheeting and other fastenings for the rapid construction of a modern building that can withstand the forces of nature. The company also supplies the “Sika” brand of sheetrock panels, adhesives, surface coatings and finishes to complete a state of the art building to international standards in matter of weeks, rather than months.

BTV Expedition greeted with a blockade from the Guatemala Armed Forces
Tensions at Sarstoon River remain high between Belize’s and Guatemala’s armed forces. Even with the ongoing construction of the joint Belize Coast Guard (BSG) and Belize Defense Force (BDF) Forward Operating Base (FOB) at the mouth of the river, Guatemalan armed forces still venture into Belizean water, imposing their territorial claim and driving away Belizeans who they deem to be ‘trespassing’. Most recently, Guatemalan forces blocked the Belize Territorial Volunteers’ (BTV) trip to Sarstoon River on Saturday, January 27th, which is an area within Belizean Territory. This is not the first time Guatemalan forces do such a thing, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is finally taking action. Maheia indicated that Guatemalan authorities do not respect Belizean territory or its people. “There were like five Guatemalan military boats. They didn’t only have one or two people on it; some of these boats had up to 15 people on it. So of course, its human being, human nature – it’s very intimidating what they did. They tried to push our boats towards our military outpost. But the minute we tried getting into it, they’ve blocked us clearly inside Belize waters again. So, I mean right now as a Belizean we cannot even access our own military base without having to check in with the Guatemalans. I just find that this is very disappointing. Clearly they are undermining us. But clearly we can’t give up. This is Belize and we have to fight for ever. So I think that we cannot give up,” said Maheia.

Community Observes Child Stimulation Month Once Again
It’s that time of year where crayons or anything imaginable can turn into real-life. It is Child Stimulation Month and nothing is better than commemorating the significance of education by kicking it off with a festive parade. The theme “Early Childhood Development: The Foundation to a Brighter Belize” has set the tone for this school year. All preschool institutions country wide dedicate the month of March to the enlightenment their students with many entertaining activities. According to Lea Miron, teacher at San Pedro Pre-School, “Our students have a month full of different activities, such as sports day, movie day, reading out loud and more. Like they say, all children are smart, but at their own pace.” Who says that education has to be dull and boring? “It is always important to make learning fun,” said Miron. From balloons, costumes, and even the San Pedro Roman Catholic Primary School’s drum corps have taken learning to another height.

Free Pattern Making Classes to be held in San Pedro
The long years of studying template creation in sewing and fashion design can now be a thing of the past. It may sound unreal but acclaimed Lutterloh system guarantees to eliminate the long hours of training. Those wanting to learn can enjoy a free Pattern -Making class on Saturday, March 5th, at the San Pedro House of Culture. Classes will be available at 5PM and 6PM, and according to the organizer, one hour will be more than enough to master the job. The classes are open for beginners and experts, and according organizer Frank Lutterloh, a lot can be learned. During the one day event on the island, participants will be able to learn how to make their own custom-fit patterns no matter what their measurements are. There will be demonstrations on how to make vests in minutes to fit volunteers at the classes.

Misc Belizean Sources

Mildred Cannon's Potato Salad with Durkee Sauce
Made this yesterday.... yummmmm... I halved the total amount, tweaked the spicing, and seriously increased the amount of Durkee over the original recipe which can be found here ... A classic recipe complete with Ms. Mildred's secret ingredient...Durkee's Famous Sauce, a popular tangy sandwich spread has been around for over 100 years! It was even served in the Lincoln White House! Peel and dice the potatoes Bring salted water to a boil in a large stock pot. Toss the potatoes into the boiling water. Boil until tender, approximately 11-12 minutes. Chill in cold bath to stop the cooking. While the potatoes are boiling, bring a smaller sauce pan of water to a boil. Boil eggs. Once the eggs are done, take them out of the water and set them aside.

Incredibly sweet dog found, now at SAGA
Incredibly sweet young female dog followed a nearby guest home to Mata Grande area last night. No collar. Torn right ear. I tried to foster her for the night but she got out and went to another house ..... She is at Saga now.

The Placencia Breeze March 2016
Pg 3 BTIA news Pg 6 2016 Placencia Sidewalk Art Festival / Greta Leslie T-Shirt Logo Designer Pg 9 Rotary Club Annual Auction / Reef Week Events Pg 10 Placencia Sailing Club Pg 11 Point of View - Bitters / Chili Cook Off / St. John’s Thank You / IHS Student Lunch Pg 13 Placencia Humane Society / Rotary Club Scholarship Pg 14 Sidewalk Art Festival Pictures Pg 15 & 18 Placencia BTIA members Pg 16 & 17 Placencia Peninsula Map Pg 21 Events & Calendar / Save the Date Pg 24 Beating Cancer through Music Pg 26 Community Corner Pg 27 Swan Villas’ Art Competition / Creature Feature - Monkey Shines Pg 30/31 Paid Listings

National Agriculture and Trade Show 2016
The National Agriculture and Trade Show Committee under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment and Sustainable Development hereby announces the dates for the National Agriculture & Trade Show to be held April 29th, 30th and May 1, 2016. The Committee advises that reservation and sale of concession stands, food stalls, open spots and commercial booths will commence on March 4, 2016 at the office of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, Fisheries, the Environment and Sustainable Development – Market Square old lands building in the City of Belmopan between the hours of 9:00 am to 4 pm. Previous holders of concession stands, food stalls, open spots, and commercial booths who participated at the 2015 National Agriculture & Trade Show are also advised that they must make arrangements for the renewal of their lease by April 15, 2016.

Hon. Dean Barrow Appointed as a Member of the Privy Council
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II has announced that Prime Minister of Belize Hon. Dean Barrow has been appointed as a Member of the Privy Council. With this, the Prime Minister can now legitimately be referred to as the Right Honourable Dean Barrow. The announcement was published on the website of the Office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on March 1, 2016. This comes after the Rt. Hon. Dean Barrow’s appointment to his third term as the Prime Minister of Belize. Rt. Hon. Barrow was first elected Prime Minister in 2008, followed by his consecutive wins in 2012 and 2015.

20,000 Strong Women's Rally
March 11th, 2016

2016 CCRIF Scholarships
Applications for the 2016 CCRIF Scholarships are hereby invited from individuals who are citizens of CARICOM member countries and/or CCRIF member countries in the Caribbean1. Eligible programmes include one-year Masters-level courses in the following areas which are available at eligible regional universities** or at universities in the United Kingdom/ United States/Canada: (Catastrophe) Risk Management, Property/Casualty Insurance, Meteorology, Other hazard/disaster related disciplines. Eligible programmes also include an MBA with a Major in risk management and/or insurance or a related field.

Miss Nils passes away
We are sad to report that Miss Nils, one of the legendary ladies of the Roots in the Sea documentary, has passed. Another Hicaquena called home. R.I.P. Miss Nils.

Corozal Town Council Employee sacked of day's Tax Deposit
Corozal Police have indicated to the media that earlier this week a Corozal Town Council employee was readily pillaged of his deposit bag while on his way to a routine deposit at the bank. The employee was robbed of an undisclosed amount of tax monies but Corozal Police assert that the amount could be anywhere between $7,000 to $15,000.

Spanish Lookout Commercial Expo 2016
From www.facebook.com - Today, 9:33 AM The Spanish Lookout Business Expo was this weekend, and Rumors Resort was there to get some pictures. They got some great pictures from above. "If you’re the type who appreciates fantastic bargains on items for construction/ gardening, automotive, and foods, then the Spanish Lookout Commercial and Industrial Expo is certainly something you’d want to start marking down on your calendar for the next event."

Upcoming BTB tour guide courses
Please secure your spaces now for the upcoming tour guide courses for 2016 by contacting the institutions and persons listed below.

Car park by Sylvestre Sports Complex now open
We would like to inform the public that the car park located in front of the Hon. Louis Sylvestre Sports Complex, is now open for long term parking free off charge. Please use this car park if you are going to park all day, this will free up parking in town for short term parking. San Pedro Traffic Department

OPTIMIZE YOUTH PARTICIPATION, REGIONAL MEETING URGED
CARICOM Youth Ambassadors Vice-Dean, Belizean Ms Tarun Butcher is urging optimum participation of young people in the activities of the Caribbean Community. Ms Tarun was addressing Regional Ministers of Youth and Culture, Ministry officials, representatives of regional and international organisations and CARICOM Youth Ambassadors at the opening of the 29th Meeting of the Council for Human and Social Development (COHSOD) in Guyana, Thursday.

Scholarship Opportunities!!! Take Note Corozal!
The Organization of American States (OAS), through the Department of Human Development, Education and Employment (DHDEE) and the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), through the OAS Partnerships Program for Education and Training (PAEC), are offering scholarships to qualified candidates of the Americas to participate in masters degree programs below.

Having Fun with Rights Launch
Having Fun with Rights had its release party. Thanks, Special Envoy Belize! "Having Fun with Rights: A Children's Rights Activity Book was launched today at the Bliss! Photos coming soon!"

Clean-up campaign in Arenal
Arenal is one of the 19 communities targeted for a healthier Mopan River. Garbage continues being a trans-border issue. FCD’s educator led a community clean-up campaign in the village.

Channel 7

A Zinc Fence Between Leader Briceno and The Old Guard?
Tuesday March 7th, that's the date for first house meeting in John Briceno's second go as leader of the opposition. But this time, the often-accommodating Briceno looks like he's playing hardball with his party's old guard. He already turned down old guard favourite Lisa Shoman who wanted to stay on as a Senator - and on Tuesday in the house, he's putting what you might call a zinc fence between himself and the old Guard. And by zince fence, we mean Cordel Hyde. Reports to 7News say that the seating arrangements for the opposition bench have been finalized, and it's a shocker: the four term Lake I Representative - who is not on the PUP executive - is going to take the seat right beside Briceno - while Francis Fonseca and Said Musa will then be seated after Hyde. Now, that second seat right after the leader is usually reserved for a former leader or a deputy leader; it's a mark of respect and seniority. But, Briceno, who did say he would find a meaningful place for Cordel Hyde is putting him in the second seat - suggesting a sort of de-facto deputy. The actual deputies, four of them will be seated after Said Musa. Now, the arrangement of seating on the opposition bench in the house of representatives is mostly political trivia for deep insiders, but it does give a very clear indication of the balance of power, as to who's in play and who is not.

Why Did NICH Do The Deal With Bradley Paumen?
American Tour Operator Bradley Paumen - his name hasn't been in the news for a few weeks now - but for a while there in January and February, he dominated the headlines. After all, it's not everyday that one of the largest tour operators in the country gets accused of orchestrating an elaborate murder conspiracy and lands up in jail on remand for it! But, Paumen is out on bail and back to operating his business - and he does so in partnership with NICH - which gave him exclusive rights to use two caves which are part of an archaeological reserve. Of course getting to the caves involved the trespass on Michael Modiri's land - which is the cause of all the criminal confusion. But what is the NICH side of the story? Today, after weeks of trying to get a comment, we got a chance to ask the NICH President Diane Haylock and the Director of the Institute of Archaeology Dr. John Morris about it. We caught them at another event in Benque Viejo and here's how Morris explained the approach to the contract:..

Will Diane Be Moving On?
But, back now to Diane Haylock. Persistent rumours for the last 6 weeks or so say that her time as President of NICH could be coming to an end. There is a new minister who's been actively recruiting new members for the NICH Board - and reports suggest he might also be shopping for a new president. Today we asked Haylock squarely about those rumours:... Jules Vasquez: "Is it true that is rumored that there is a new minister of state in youth and culture and person may have intensions for another president? You've been president of NICH for 8 years. Are you moving on as president?" Diane Haylock, President - NICH: "I'm on my way for 8. Jules, I cannot answer that question. I really don't know." Jules Vasquez: "Might you be tipped for an ambassadorial post in maybe Taiwan?" Diane Haylock, President - NICH: "There is as of rumor floating around town?" Jules Vasquez: "What is your presence? We know that you are a favorite of the Prime Minister. So you can't be treated likely." Diane Haylock, President - NICH: "For me that's not an issue until there is something to talk about."

Meheia And Volunteers Will Protest At House
At the top of the news we told you about the opposition seating for the House of Representatives next week Tuesday, but while that's playing out inside, outside the house, Wil Maheia and the Belize Territorial Volunteers will be picketing the meeting. Maheia and the volunteers don't believe that the Government's response to the aggressive tactics of the Guatemalan Navy in the Sarstoon River is enough. So, they're calling all Belizeans who feel the same to join them on Independence Hill. But, he might not get the support of the 39 Mayan communities in the south. That's because they say he misspoke this weekend when he suggested that illegal Guatemalans have been welcomed freely into Mayan Communities, without the same level of strict scrutiny that non-Mayan Belizeans are subjected to. The Program Coordinator for the Maya Leaders Alliance told us via phone today that Maheia's suggestion that Guatemalans are allowed into Mayan communities is completely wrong:

Trio Charged For weed, Bailed
Last night we showed you the major weed bust that Orange Walk police made. They caught 16 pounds of weed coming down from the north. The marijuana was stuffed inside the panels of a Cadillac Escalade. Police believe the Escalade was being escorted by a Mercedes sedan. Today, the three men in two vehicles were taken to Orange Walk Magistrate's court to be arraigned for drug trafficking. They are: Alrick Smith, Keith Patrick Flowers and Michael Requena. They were taken to court this afternoon, where they were represented by attorney Dickie Bradley. They were bailed for twenty thousand dollars each. The marijuana is compressed and police believe that it originated in Mexico. They had intelligence that Smith and others would be bringing it down from the north.

PM Barrow Ascends To Privy Council
All members of the national assembly, 12 Senators and 31 Representatives carry the title "Honourable" before their names. But only two living Belizeans are called "Right Honourable": they are Manuel Esquivel and Said Musa. George Price was also "Right Honourable." All of them are multi-term Prime Ministers. Well, only one PM was left out of that club: Prime Minister Dean Barrow, and, now in his third term, he's "Right Honorable" too. The Government Press Office made it official today. A release says "Queen Elizabeth the Second has appointed Prime Minister Barrow as a member of the Privy Council." With this, he will now be called Right Honourable Dean Barrow - and that's even after he retires from politics. The appointment was announced on the website of the Office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom two days ago. Typically the designation "Right Honourable" is conferred after a prime minister has served two terms - usually ten years, but Barrow did his two terms in just 7 years - so, we imagine the old Queen is just catching up.

DPP Says Ravell Should Pay More, Court Agrees
In June 2008, Ravell Gonzalez, who was Orange Walk's Mayor at the time, knocked down and killed two people on the northern highway. He was arrested and charged with 2 counts of causing death by careless conduct for the deaths of Manuel Coto and his 2 year-old toddler Martita Lopez. He was tried and convicted last year in the Supreme Court, and Justice Troadio Gonzalez imposed fines to a total of $8