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The Caribbean Court of Justice’s scathing denunciation of the Accommodation Agreement and Settlement Deed and the actions of their signatories as “malignant tumours,” eating away at democracy has been cited many times by the Government. But the judgment, as pointed out by Senator Eamon Courtenay, also contained advice for the Government about not waiting to […]
Written on January 30, 2017 | Posted in
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As Courtenay pointed out, no one, least of all the Opposition, intended to vote against legislation intended to protect Belize from these and other similar awards. And that spirit of unity – with some misgivings – was in large part led by the Social Partner Senators, who one by one addressed the chamber to say […]
Written on January 30, 2017 | Posted in
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Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte blasted Lord Michael Ashcroft saying that he will ensure that neither Caribbean Investment Holdings Limited nor Belize Social Development Limited gets their hands on the foreign reserves. But as he told reporters following the meeting, the new legislation applies specifically to Belizean companies and individuals – the “vulture funds” that Prime […]
Written on January 30, 2017 | Posted in
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The community of Maya Mopan, located about a mile outside of downtown Belmopan, witnessed tragedy on Saturday afternoon. Eighteen-month-old Edwin Lorenzo Duarte was playing near a well at the back of the family’s residence on La Mux Street, when he apparently fell inside, drowning in the water. He died on arrival at Western Regional Hospital […]
Written on January 30, 2017 | Posted in
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FECTAB is back in the news tonight after an extended hiatus from the media spotlight. This time it is joined by COLA and both organizations are rallying around a common cause, that government has forsaken the Belizean people. The cruise tourism industry, since the opening of Harvest Caye in November, has seen a significant loss […]
Written on January 30, 2017 | Posted in
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And now back to the senate. Osmany Salas, president of the Belize Tourism Industry Association, formally took the oath that marked his ascension to the Senate as its thirteenth member, representing non-governmental organizations. It ends nine years of back-and-forth that started with a campaign promise by the ruling United Democratic Party that gripped the national […]
A Special Sitting of the House of Representatives was called for today, Friday. It is the second in a month and caught just about everyone by surprise. There were two bills left over from the committees and a motion for the re-appointment of Ombudsman Lionel Arzu to a further one-year term. The majority of the […]
Written on January 27, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on House Meets to Plot Strategy on Arbitration Awards
The other piece of legislation is an amendment to the Crown Proceedings Act. It intends to make provisions on enforcements of foreign judgments against the Crown, and is also a direct answer to the efforts of B.S.D.L. and Caribbean Investment Holdings to enforce the arbitral awards. According to the Prime Minister, notwithstanding the refusal of […]
Written on January 27, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Jail for Attempts to Encourage Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards
On the second reading of the new bill, a debate was held in which the Opposition raised its concerns of punitive action against Caribbean Investment Holdings and B.S.D.L. and the extremely short notice on which the bill was brought to the House, something for which the Prime Minister apologized in length several times. He noted […]
Written on January 27, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Opposition Complains About Notice and Prolonging B.T.L. War
The division of the House on the second reading was a rare unanimous vote in favour, with all twenty-nine representatives present voting ‘Aye.’ It was something for the Prime Minister to savour, but his troubles – and Belize’s – are not over yet. He admits there are no guarantees even after the bill is signed […]
Written on January 27, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on New Legislation Alleviates Issues, But Not Entirely, Says P.M.
The final words of ex-Director of Immigration Ruth Meighan at her Wednesday appearance before the Senate Special Select Committee continue to reverberate in the national consciousness. She admitted that quite a few persons that the Department nationalized in the rush before general elections in 2012 were not in compliance with the requirements in place and […]
Written on January 27, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Speaker Shuts Down Immigration Debate in House; P.M. Says No “Actionable Corruption” Among Ministers Yet
Thursday evening saw the time elapse for Belize’s consent solicitation offer to holders of the Belize 2038 U.S. Dollar Bonds, aka the Superbond. But the Government has confirmed that the offer, which was roundly rejected by bondholders, has been extended to five in the evening on Friday, February third – a week from today. They […]
Written on January 27, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on The Superbond Negotiations Continue; P.M. is Cautiously Optimistic
The Government of Belize appears to be breathing a sigh of relief, as the fall of the Puerto Azul project for a grand resort project at the Northern Two and Sandbore Cayes in the Lighthouse Reef Atoll was exposed as a massive fraud and Ponzi scheme that never made it past an environmental impact assessment. […]
Written on January 27, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Puerto Azul, We Hardly Knew You!
Wednesday was a big day at the Senate Special Select Committee as former Director of Immigration Ruth Meighan closed her testimony. We have full coverage of the many revelations coming from that meeting in tonight’s newscast, but perhaps the biggest one was reserved for the tail end of the hearing, which concluded just before two […]
Written on January 26, 2017 | Posted in
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On Wednesday, we showed you how ex-Immigration Director Ruth Meighan took responsibility as senior officer for not taking advantage of the resources available to her to properly vet documents. But there is a greater mea culpa she took on, and that is for most of the entire state of affairs under her tenure. While she […]
Written on January 26, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on My Most Grievous Fault: Meighan Says Sorry for Immigration Fumbles
Wednesday’s public hearing of the Senate Special Select Committee on Immigration touched many issues and provided many revelations. One is the extensive back and forth with regard to the issue of recommenders for visas and passports, and the contrast with letters from persons seeking investment opportunities or sponsoring family members to come to the Jewel […]
Written on January 26, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on No Record of Ministers’ Many Recommendations, At Least Not Officially
The Senate inquiry has revealed that Ministers wielded outsize power as it related to the workings of the Immigration Department. While Minister of Immigration Godwin Hulse has contended that none of his fellow Ministers had the power to intimidate employees of the Department into doing favours for them, it turns out there was a lot […]
Written on January 26, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Ministers Made Many Visits to Immigration – But What Were They Doing There?
Jin Chen An. He or she, depending on who you ask, was a Chinese investor consultant working with one Roger Tien, seeking a visa to come to Belize. He was invited by Minister of Trade Erwin Contreras in 2012, despite apparently living in Belize from 2007 and even opening a place of business, National Bar […]
Written on January 26, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Aldo Salazar Indicts Officers for Failing to Collaborate on Applications
Thirty-nine-year-old Elsworth Morter is spending a second night at the Belize Central Prison after being sentenced to three years for drug trafficking. A GSU raid on his Oleander Street residence on Monday night yielded over thirteen pounds of cannabis. At the time of the sweep, seven others, including six adults and a minor, were inside […]
Written on January 26, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on 3 Years in Jail after G.S.U. Sweep Nets 13 Pounds of Weed for Elsworth Morter
A gang of six would-be thieves, busted during a foiled robbery attempt at the Northern Fishermen’s Cooperatives on January tenth, appeared before the lower court on Wednesday. Taxi driver Gilroy Thompson, Dorian Blair, Aaron Flowers, Kenroy Vanzie and Collet Montero were previously arraigned for possession of a firearm with intent to commit a crime. They […]
Written on January 26, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Northern Fishermen 6 Charged Over Stolen Gun
Former Director of Immigration and Nationality Ruth Meighan returned to an already hot seat at the National Assembly as the latest to testify in the Senate Special Select Committee’s hearings on the Special Audit of the Immigration Department. As the top boss, she presided over most of the time covered in the Audit, but questioning […]
Written on January 25, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Eamon Courtenay Turns Up the Heat on Ruth Meighan at Senate Inquiry
Ministers of the Government of Belize tend to enjoy their power, especially when it comes to influencing their constituents. Of course, constituents tend to take advantage of that power and influence when they so wish. In the case of Immigration and Nationality, all members of the National Assembly are among the recognized recommenders for passports, […]
Written on January 25, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Did Ministers’ Recommendations Sway Immigration Officers?
So, is there anything Director Meighan would have done differently? She acknowledged the changes made to the Department’s system since her time there and said that in hindsight, she might have taken more advantage of the resources available to her to properly vet documents. In addition, she agreed that a full audit was necessary and […]
Written on January 25, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Ex-Immigration Director Admits She Would Have Done Things Differently
You can say it’s common knowledge that the bondholders of Belize’s international debt, known as Superbond 3.0, rejected a third restructuring proposed by the Government of Belize. G.O.B. is now seeking to avoid further credit risk and strengthen Belize’s economy. But will the government turn to retrenchment and increased taxes, as proposed by the International […]
Written on January 25, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on G.O.B.: Yes to Cutting Expenses; No to Higher Taxes and Retrenchment
Last week, we reported on the arrest of the principals of the proposed multimillion dollar Puerto Azul tourism project on the islands of Sand Bore and Northern Two Cayes in Belize. The eight-star ultra-luxury resort was a pyramid investment swindle that netted so-called developers Domenico Giannini and Fabio de La Rosa millions of dollars. Giannini […]
Written on January 25, 2017 | Posted in
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Comments Off on Belize Should Be Safe from Puerto Azul Fallout, Trade Minister Believes
