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Former Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Courtenay has made it quite clear what he thinks about the Government’s latest move to push a ‘yes’ vote for the upcoming April tenth ICJ referendum. On Wednesday, five former Foreign Affairs Ministers Said Musa, Godfrey Smith, Lisa Shoman, Assad Shoman, and PM Dean Barrow signed a declaration in support […]
According to Courtenay, one of the fundamental reasons why he decided not to be part of the collaborative work of the five former Foreign Affairs Ministers is because the declaration is misleading the Belizean public. Eamon Courtenay, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs “This thing for example as far as I am concerned misrepresents things, […]
During the discussion this morning, Courtenay proposed an alternative to holding a referendum and taking Guatemala’s claim to the I.C.J. Courtenay is proposing a ‘deep freeze’ scenario in which both countries would agree to halt negotiations for two and a half decade. Eamon Courtenay, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs “My belief is that we […]
Courtenay says that if Belizeans go to the polls on April tenth, he will not attempt to convince them to vote ‘yes’ unless certain conditions are achieved by the government. Eamon Courtenay, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs “One, there must be and update for a legal opinion. Two, there must be a legal opinion […]
There are new details tonight about the home invasion and kidnapping of former minister Elodio Aragon Senior, the father of the junior minister of police. Aragon Senior was abducted from his house in Orange Walk on Thursday morning and taken by two persons to an area, miles away and then released. He showed up at […]
Written on January 11, 2019 | Posted in
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A Belize City man was stabbed multiple times this morning and left for dead. Forty-three-year-old taxi driver Stephen Leiva was set up by a woman he knows. The woman went to his house near Bel China Bridge and asked to use his bathroom and when Leiva opened his door, two women and a man attacked […]
Written on January 11, 2019 | Posted in
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The father of the Minister of State in the Ministry of National Security was abducted. A police report says that Elodio Aragon Senior, a former Minister of Government, was kidnapped after his home was burglarized. The release is very sparse with details – with no mention of what time the incident occurred or how many […]
Written on January 10, 2019 | Posted in
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It is no secret that Belize’s location makes the country vulnerable to transnational organized criminal groups such as the drug cartels. In recent months, we have seen an alarming number of drug plans land across the country. And on January third, Vicente Zambada, son of one of the bosses of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel, dropped […]
There is another worrisome report. A document published by Friends for Conservation and Development in March of 2017 speaks about an increase in cattle ranching along the western border. The report, based on aerial observations and ground assessments, shows the alarming development that if not contained will pose a serious trend in the transformation of […]
While some of the well known threats to the Chiquibul such as xaté and poaching have received attention, narco-cattle ranching has not been addressed by the government despite many reports. It requires a concerted effort from many governmental agencies. Rafael Manzanero, Executive Director, Friends for Conservation and Development “We need to understand that if […]
Freetown Area Representative and former P.U.P. Leader Francis Fonseca took to social media on Wednesday to weigh in on G.O.B.’s move to join five former Foreign Affairs Ministers to sign a declaration in support of a ‘yes’ vote. In his post, Fonseca joins a long line of critics who have said that the government has […]
A national telephone poll on the I.C.J. Referendum conducted by www.pollBelize.org is showing a higher number of persons who would vote ‘no’ on April tenth. The poll was conducted in November 2018, utilizing the same sample design and questionnaire as the previous poll conducted in August. The results of the poll show that more people […]
Five former foreign ministers on Wednesday, however, gave the thumbs up to take the claim before the I.C.J. Former Prime Minister Said Musa, during his second term in office, met with O.A.S. Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza in 2007 to discuss a possible solution to the longstanding territorial claim. At the time, the advice given […]
It was a rare appearance by four People’s United Party former foreign ministers and Prime Minister Dean Barrow, who has also served as foreign minister. This morning they stood united on stage at the Biltmore Plaza where there was only standing room, shaking off the political mudslinging that has characterized the relationship between the P.U.P. […]
Over the past few months the Belize Peace Movement, a team of politicians from the People’s United Party and the Belize Progressive Party has been running its own counter campaign against going to the I.C.J. The group has pored over the details of the 1859 Treaty and has since come up with specific inadequacies with […]
It was truly a historic moment that played out at the Biltmore today; former P.U.P. Prime Minister Said Musa joined current U.D.P. Prime Minister Dean Barrow sharing the same stage and views on the I.C.J. Absent from the stage was the sitting foreign minister, Wilfred Elrington; but he was in the room as his predecessors […]
Attorney Lisa Shoman was Foreign Affairs Minister between June 2007 and the 2008 general elections. While today she signed the declaration, back in April 2018, Shoman, who made her thoughts known through her Facebook profile, posted a status in which she expressed her disagreement on holding any referendum on going to the I.C.J. until certain […]
A recent poll commissioned by the government revealed that the number of persons who are against taking Guatemala’s claim to the I.C.J. for final resolution has increased by twelve percent when compared to an earlier poll in August 2018. The poll also found that the ‘NO’ vote was prominent in the south and that the […]
Many have criticized the Government’s I.C.J. Referendum Education Campaign, saying that information is not being distributed impartially to the wider population. Prime Minister Dean Barrow today assured that by April tenth, the Referendum Unit would have increased efforts in the campaign to enable voters to make an informed decision. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “Everybody […]
Vicente Martinez, the whistleblower, held a lengthy press conference on Tuesday calling out names of high ranking police officers he claims are involved with drug cartels that have been landing planes in Belizean territory. Martinez has promised evidence, but that has been hard to come by though he can be credited with verifiable intel on […]
Written on January 9, 2019 | Posted in
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The name Edward Martinez may ring a bell. He is a former self-admitted contrabandista and also the brother of a government minister. Martinez has been posting critical information on Facebook in respect of drug plane landings in Belize. Though police have not always been successful in apprehensions, Martinez has been on the bottom with some […]
Written on January 8, 2019 | Posted in
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Incarcerated Mexican drug trafficker Vicente Zambada dropped a bombshell in a U.S. Supreme Court last Thursday when he testified against Joaquin ‘El Chapo’ Guzman. Under oath, Zambada touched on El Chapo’s expansive drug operations in Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. The C.E.O. in the Ministry of National Security says that Zambada has been locked up overseas […]
Written on January 8, 2019 | Posted in
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Within minutes of a press conference hosted by Chester Williams, a brief release was issued confirming that Williams is moving up as Commissioner of Police beginning this Wednesday. Allen Whylie is vacating the post to proceed on retirement after almost six years as ComPol. Williams is a career police officer and an attorney. He has […]
With today’s revelation, though largely unsubstantiated, the incoming top cop will have to address the issue of his officers being involved in drug trafficking. With Edward Vincent Martinez coming forward to expose the department of corruption and complicity at this critical juncture, will he be prepared to work with ComPol Williams in providing useful information? […]
Written on January 8, 2019 | Posted in
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On Monday, the Police Department said that two cops who brutalized two brothers from San Pedro and caught on widely circulated videos, will not face criminal charges. Less than twenty-four hours later, however, incoming ComPol, Chester Williams, announced a change. Police Constables Tyrell Rowley and Samir Medina will be taken to court now that the […]
Written on January 8, 2019 | Posted in
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