Ras Dara, whose feeding program also takes in children who have lost loved ones to gun violence, also weighed in on the scourge of crime and violence that continues to grip the country. Dara Robinson, Philanthropist “We could look every year and she a hundred and twenty dead dis year, but to each one […]
The 2021-2022 sugar crop comes to a close on Friday, and while the season got off to a rocky start, the American Sugar Refinery/Belize Sugar Industries (A.S.R./B.S.I.) says it ended on solid footing. At the start of the year, there was bad weather that caused unforeseen delays and a protest by members of the Belize […]
The dispute between A.S.R./B.S.I. and the B.S.C.F.A. Sugar Cane Farmers Association hovers mainly over them not being able to come to terms on a commercial agreement. But to sign off on that agreement, there are several factors at play. We heard from both sides today about what their gripe is with the other. What they […]
While the two parties continue to negotiate to sign off on a commercial agreement, another issue this year was that there were significant losses from cane that remained in the field, or what is called stand-over cane. The numbers we’ve been given are around a hundred thousand tons of cane that will go to waste […]
Over the past two months, there have been two trucks belonging to Belize Sugar Industries Limited that were involved in serious traffic accidents. Luckily for the drivers behind those vehicles, they were not hurt. Today, we asked B.S.I.’s Director of Finance, Shawn Chavarria what measures the company has in place to ensure proper safety of […]
Cabinet met on Tuesday to discuss a number of issues of national concern, including a proposed seven million dollar loan from the Social Security Board to Pharmacy Express Limited. On Sunday, the Ministry of Health and Wellness issued a release stating its objection to S.S.B. making available a loan facility to the pharmaceutical company that […]
Elsewhere in today’s Cabinet brief, Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde and Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Religious Affairs provided an update on a recent meeting with church leaders. During the meeting, the issue of holding the cannabis referendum was raised. Following the meeting, Cabinet accepted the recommendation to postpone the referendum until further notice. Meanwhile, […]
This morning in the Lake Independence community, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Doctor Richard Rosado led a team from the Leadership Intervention Unit into gang-ridden neighborhoods in an attempt to broker a ceasefire among feuding groups. Tension between various gangs has increased considerably since Sunday when several persons were injured during a shooting on La Croix […]
According to Doctor Rosado, today’s meeting with members from the respective groups was intense, as relatives of the individuals injured in the recent spate of shootings are still reeling from the senseless violence. On the phone: Dr. Richard Rosado, Deputy Commissioner of Police “The tension was somewhat high because of what had transpired and […]
You might be surprised to hear that the murder rate for this year is so far below what it was at this same time in recent years. But when we spoke with Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams on Wednesday, he indicated to us that yes, 2022 is not as murderous as previous years, so far. […]
Today at the House of Culture in Belize City, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Science and Technology officially launched the National Curriculum Framework. The document released is comprehensive and looks at refocusing the curriculum with a view to encourage national development. The consultation process began after the Briceño administration took office and involved all education […]
During the presentation today, President of the Belize National Teachers’ Union, Senator Elena Smith said that during the consultation, secondary school teachers expressed concerns about job security. Would the new curriculum framework see some teachers displaced? Education Minister Francis Fonseca confirmed that that will not be the case and that in fact, teachers will need […]
Pediatric vaccines for children ages five to eleven will be expiring in the next few months and the data shows that of that population, only five thousand, six hundred and twenty-six or seven point six percent have received two doses. While with Minister Fonseca, he was asked if there were any concerns since schools will be […]
The Ministry of Health and Wellness has restocked its supply of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines. A donation of ten-thousand doses of AstraZeneca vaccines arrived in Belize yesterday from the Government of India. This is the second direct donation of vaccines that India has provided to Belize. A release from the Government of Belize notes its gratitude […]
The Belize Defense Force Volunteer Battalion is conducting its Annual Battle Camp in San Antonio Village, Toledo District. The training, which runs from July seventeenth to July thirty first, is focused on jungle survival. The Volunteer Battalion is being taught the basics when it comes to weapons handling, patrolling in the jungle, and first aid. […]
The Young Leaders Alliance of Belize (YLAB) has named its representatives to the People’s Constitution Commission. A release from the youth organization says its membership decided that Alea Gomez will be the lead representative on the P.C.C. and Mandela Wade will be the alternate. YLAB’s release says, its P.C.C. representative and alternate will be supported […]
Our Circle has partnered with the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives to provide training towards enhancing the visibility, inclusion, and rights of families formed by lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, and transgender persons living in Belize. For the past eight years, Our Circle has been training its volunteers to serve the marginalized. Now, twenty-five young and emerging […]
Ahead of Emancipation Day 2022, the National Institute of Culture and History re- launched its Documentary Heritage of Slavery and Emancipation in Belize. The website gives visitors an insight into the harsh realities enslaved African persons in Belize were subjected to based on historical records. One of the earliest records of slavery in Belize is […]
The Government of Belize has made a proposal for Moises Cal to sit on the Public Service Commission as chairman. Back in 2007, under the Musa administration, Cal, in his capacity as Ambassador to Guatemala, was accused of money laundering and He was being investigated by authorities in Panama after they found a million dollars […]
The Kriol Council of Belize and two youth representatives have been added to the People’s Constitutional Commission, following Monday’s committee meeting inside the National Assembly. Prime Minister John Briceño says no further representatives will be sought to sit on the commission. He made this announcement ahead of a joint release from the East Indian Council […]
There will be a change in the proposed date for the referendum on the legalization of cannabis in Belize. Initially, the referendum had been tentatively set for September fourth, in keeping with the process outlined in the Referendum Act. But, due to concerns within the banking sector, the Government of Belize decided to stall the […]
Prime Minister John Briceño briefly weighed in on the controversial seven million dollar Social Security Board loan proposal to Pharmacy Express Limited. In a release yesterday, the private pharmaceutical company noted that it did not seek political or government influence to have the loan approved. On the other hand, the Ministry of Health and Wellness […]
The shooting murder of ex-gang boss, Darien Banks on Monday, was reportedly provoked by a shooting on Sunday night, and the shooting of Kenrick Walton just moments after Banks’ murder have no doubt raised a level of anxiety among residents in the area. The shootings have also prompted the Belize Police Department to put measures […]
Clearly Belize City, because of its demographics with the various gang zones, is the most murderous municipality in the country. And the incidents of late have again put the Lake Independence area particularly under close police watch. But Commissioner Williams said he’s not going to refer to the recent flare-ups in the old capital as […]
There have also been a number of crimes over the past few weeks in Dangriga. Commissioner Williams said that while there are gangs operating in Dangriga, the investigations into the recent incidents do not reflect that they were gang-related. Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police “In the first case with the stabbing, these were persons […]
