Mother and son duo, Primrose Gabourel and Dion Zabaneh, were back before Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford this morning. The Department of Environment is attempting to levy new charges on Gabourel and Zabaneh. This is after D.O.E. withdrew six charges against the seventy-six-year-old mother and her forty-three-year-old son earlier this year. D.O.E. had charged them for […]
According to Attorney Emil Arguelles this morning proceedings did not require his clients to submit a plea. Arguelles’ objections revolved around the prosecution’s decision to bring forth new charges which he described as abusive. Emil Arguelles, Attorney for Defendants “We had pleaded autrefois acquit which is the legal equivalent of having been put in […]
Then there is the matter of who owns the land in question. Parcel number four-six-seven-zero was acquired by the Government in 2006 but according to Attorney Emil Arguelles, his client Primrose Gabourel, is being brought to the courts as the landowner. Emil Arguelles, Attorney for Defendants “This is like the thirtieth charge against these […]
A sailing vessel, believed to be captained by Guatemalan fishermen, ran aground on the reef near Sapodilla Caye in the waters of southern Belize. The Belize Territorial Volunteers set out to sea earlier today to conduct a routine visit of the area and discovered that the boat had crashed into the reef less than a […]
According to Maheia, the proximity of the vessel to the F.O.B. at Hunting Caye makes it near impossible for coastguard personnel stationed on the island not to see it in the near distance. Maheia also says that there is another vessel grounded on the reef in the same area but it appears to have been […]
Belize has joined the international community in celebrating World Water Day. The day is set aside every year as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The World Water Day Committee held official ceremonies in Cayo last Friday where the Chief Executive Officer […]
Youths who live along the border communities in Belize and Guatemala got together earlier this month for a bi-national youth exchange. The two-day event was held in Peten, Guatemala where the youth programme reviewed their work plans and signed a declaration that outlines the community work they hope to do along the border. With help […]
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams and the police department came under fire in January when pictures surfaced on social media of the horrible and filthy state of the detention centre. Those pictures were taken and shared by Corporal Darrel Usher who spent some hours in the holding cell after being accused of assault. Well today, […]
For the umpteenth time, the government is seeking funding for the Caracol Road. During Friday’s budget presentation, Prime Minister Barrow sought money for the Caracol Road in western Belize. This time it was twenty million U.S. dollars from the Kuwaiti Fund on top of another forty million U.S. dollars from OPEC Fund last year. It […]
Like the Caracol Road, the opposition is also wary of the cost and funding of the Coastal Road. At the end of October 2018, P.M. Barrow informed the nation via press conference that a feasibility study was being concluded, prior to moving to a design stage before going out on construction. The P.M. went on […]
Notwithstanding objections from the other side of the house, Prime Minister Barrow explained the source of funding, as well as the process of arriving at the estimated cost of building the Coastal Road. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “This money is coming via the CDB as a vehicle through which the British are making their […]
A sixty-two-year-old market vendor out west drowned in the Belize River on Friday night sometime after eleven. of Duck Run Village and his brother went in search of his nephew in an area called Mennonite Beach in the village. While at the river Molina Senior and his brother were drinking and later Molina’s brother realized […]
In Belize, like elsewhere in the Caribbean, the queen conch is under threat due to over fishing. If you are a seafood lover, you will know that the queen conch is one of three seafood exports that fetch significant foreign exchange for the country. The conch season is underway from October first, 2018 to June […]
The Ministry of Forestry celebrated the International Day of Forests with a tree planting ceremony today in Belmopan. Minister Omar Figueroa and staff from the Forestry Department gathered at U.B. Campus in Belmopan today to plant trees to observe the day. International Day of Forest is celebrated every year on March twenty-first as it is […]
Last year the government announced that it wants to reduce plastic and Styrofoam pollution through the phasing out of single-use plastic shopping bags and Styrofoam as well as plastic food utensils. The Department of Environment has drafted legislation to make this all happen and today they met with about sixty of their stakeholders in a […]
Shortly after five on Thursday evening, a fire broke out inside the Extra House compound on the George Price Highway. Fire officials say that the blaze didn’t destroy any of the buildings, but it destroyed five old cars and a couple storage containers. The National Fire Service was alerted of the fire at Mile Two […]
The presentation of the Belize National Land Use Policy Implementation Road Map and Action Plan was held in Belize City this morning by the Ministry of Natural Resources. It forms part of a bigger initiative known as the Belize Climate Resilient Infrastructure Project being undertaken by the World Bank. Its implementation is part of the […]
The roll-out will see the restoration of a stretch of road between Vista del Mar and Biscayne on the Phillip Goldson Highway to meet climate resilient specifications. According to Project Coordinator Windell Parham, the Ministry of Natural Resources is also putting together a record spatial data from across the country because climate change affects everything […]
A woman in Salvapan is without a roof over her head tonight. Nicolasa Cus, who lives in the community just on the outskirts of Belmopan, says that this morning personnel from the RECONDEV knocked at her door and served her a notice to get out of the house because it was going to be dismantled. […]
Our effort to reach someone at the RECONDEV for comment was unsuccessful. We touched base with the Belmopan City Council and they told us that they didn’t know anything about the incident until it was reported to them this morning. According to City Administrator Ralston Frazier, the Council had absolutely no part in the dismantling […]
Today, Friends for Conservation and Development signed a declaration of good intent to promote the protection, conservation, and restoration of natural eco systems that connect Belize and Guatemala. The initiative will see partnerships between different sectors that will bring together local and indigenous community participation. The F.C.D., along with six other local organizations signed for […]
In October 2018, the Department of Environment issued a stop order to businessman Hiasam Diab for a construction that had commenced along Sand Lighter’s Promenade, next to the Ramada Princess Hotel. D.O.E. was concerned about the disposal of garbage and sewer. It was later explained that Belize Waste Control would deal with that matter and […]
As the Belize City Commercial Centre nears completion, Mayor Bernard Wagner has been left with the task of sourcing funds to furnish the huge structure. According to Wagner, the previous U.D.P. City Council did not budget monies to furnish and equip the interior of the building which will also houses City Hall. He says that […]
A regional forum hosted by the Wildlife Conservation Society, involving representatives from ten countries across the Caribbean, concluded today in Belize City. The purpose of the workshop was for the exchange of experiences and reflections on technology solutions for enforcement and compliance for fisheries and marine protected areas in the Mesoamerican and Caribbean Region. Nicole […]
Using the Spatial Monitoring and Reporting Tool, SMART, participants demonstrated solutions to combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fisheries using drones. They also discussed commonalities of Marine Protected Areas compliance gaps, as well as capacity needs for the region. Julio Maaz, Technical Coordinator, WCS “The Wildlife Conservation Society works across the globe in the conservation of […]
