While Tomlinson’s case has been discharged and the government of Belize is absolved, the legal challenge is now compelling lawmakers to make the necessary revisions. Attorney Nigel Hawke explains. Nigel Hawke, Attorney General’s Office “The application is dismissed based on state practice, right, and the fact that Mr. Tomlinson did not ever come to […]
Senior Counsel Lisa Shoman, who has an interest in the outcome of the matter, sat in on the decision this morning. She represents Caleb Orozco of UNIBAM who is also filing a constitutional challenge in the Supreme Court in respect of section fifty-three of the criminal code. Following the judgment, which was delivered via teleconference, […]
While the CCJ handed down an unduly delayed judgment today, a little over a year after submissions had been filed, the Supreme Court of Belize is yet to come to a decision on a constitutional challenge to Section Fifty-Three of the Criminal Code. That particular aspect of the Laws of Belize speaks to the penalization […]
Minister Pablo Marin is out of the country, but it is likely that he will return to what is amounting to a storm of controversy over the political appointment of Audibaldo Monima. Monima is now the Regional Health Manager for the North charged with creating healthcare policies in Orange Walk and Corozal and overseeing their […]
Two Bulgarian nationals, who were caught stealing from the Belize Bank ATM in early May of this year, begin a prison term behind bars tonight. Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser imposed a custodial sentence upon both after they pleaded guilty to eighteen counts of theft each. Jeorji Petrov and Halid Yuksel Aptula will have to serve […]
The O.A.S. General Assembly is slated for next week. The annual session is the highest level of political engagement in the hemisphere between foreign ministers. It was stated at the much talked about meeting in Istanbul, Turkey in May that the foreign ministers of Belize and Guatemala would meet at the soonest possible time on […]
The very strong remarks made by former Deputy Prime Minister Gaspar Vega have gotten very positive attention locally. Vega castigated Guatemala for what he called a troubling shift in foreign policy which had resulted in military aggression at the Sarstoon – and he called for support from the Association of Caribbean States. The positive attention […]
Foreign Minister Elrington also, during his extended interview, explained that allegations that Guatemala is annexing the Sarstoon are unfounded and impossible. Shoman says she respectfully disagrees. Lisa Shoman, Member of Opposition’s Belize/Guatemala Committee “First of all, if someone comes into your yard and claims the line of mango trees along the fence and start […]
And then there was that unexpected assertion from Foreign Minister Elrington on Tuesday. He claimed that based on Guatemalan’s repudiation of the 1859 Treaty, that country is now claiming the entire territory of Belize. According to Elrington, “What is the proper situation is to say that they are stopping people from using the Sarstoon because […]
On Wednesday night, News Five broke the story of Audibaldo Monima, Belize’s brand new Regional Health Manager for the north, including major health facilities in Orange Walk and Corozal. Almost one month ago Monima was given the post, at the same time his wife was named Primary Care Coordinator at the Corozal Community Hospital. But […]
There was a three vehicle pileup on the George Price Highway between mile thirty-four and thirty-five this afternoon. A white Isuzu D-max, the property of Belize Telemedia Limited, was extensively damaged when it crashed into a cargo truck driven by Guillermo Canto. The D-max was driven at the time by Mark Anderson. According to Guillermo, […]
In the most recent chain of losses for the Government of Belize, a federal judge in the District of Columbia confirmed on Wednesday the enforcement of the arbitration award against G.O.B. in the bank’s UHS related claim. The award is the equivalent of thirty-six point nine million Belize dollars plus interest accruing from December 2012 […]
There is a new regional health manager for the two northern districts. Thirty-year old Audibaldo Monima Junior, an officer with the Belize National Coast Guard has been given a contract for the top post, approved by the Minister of Health Pablo Marin. But from what we gather, senior officials in the ministry did not know […]
Just how much of Belize is Guatemala claiming? It’s a valid question, but the answer may surprise you. We’ve always thought that the claim was for roughly half of Belize, and there’s a 1999 letter which specifically refers to all areas south of the Sibun River, including all cayes except St. George’s Caye. In fact, […]
The O.A.S. is getting set to commence its investigation into the death of a Guatemalan minor in the Chiquibul. And according to Minister Wilfred Elrington, that organization will also be looking into the murder of Danny Conorquie and the shooting of B.D.F. Staff Sergeant Richard Lambey, which seems to be a very recent request despite […]
For days we have received reports that dozens of Guatemalans students have been lining up for enrolment at Mount Carmel High School and other schools in Benque Viejo Del Carmen. For years there has been an organized program for the Guatemalan students to come to Belize to study and by the hundreds they arrive by […]
An autopsy was conducted on the body of thirty-five-year-old John Jay Rodriguez at the K.H.M.H. morgue this afternoon. The well-known musician was callously slain during a robbery attempt in Dangriga on Friday night. Rodriguez was one of several patrons inside the Havana Club at the time of the deadly shooting. While another person was also […]
There is growing concern over the findings of the IMF team released in the recent Article Four consultations. That report points to a weakening fiscal position which has proportionately increased the nation’s vulnerability. It’s not a glowing report, far from it, but government has yet to formulate an official response. The Chamber of Commerce has, […]
Patrick Faber was sworn in as Deputy Prime Minister on Tuesday, and as expected, a majority of Cabinet did not show up to share in his proud moment. While not one of the members of Cabinet will admit it on the record, there is a very deep rift in the hallowed halls of government caused […]
There is a new Deputy Prime Minister. He is thirty-nine year old Patrick Faber who moves up to the second most powerful man in the corridors of power in Belmopan even as he retains for now the Ministries of Education, Sports and Culture. Faber took the oath today in the presence of family, friends and […]
The Istanbul talks on the Sarstoon were held on May twenty-third, and today was the first opportunity the media has had to debrief Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington, so to speak. Much has happened since that discussion between representatives of Belize and Guatemala, including an informal agreement which may or may not have actually […]
While Guatemalan officials have not hesitated at any point to name and shame Belize, those very same Guatemalan officials have bristled whenever Belizean officials question the actions of their government. From Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales’ response to Vega in Cuba, it is clear that they were caught off guard. But did the comments create more […]
On May twenty-seventh, just days after the Istanbul talks and word of an informal agreement allowing untrammeled access to the Sarstoon, Guatemalan Armed Forces refused to allow access to News Five. But more than that, Guatemalan officials informed Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs that they were unhappy with G.O.B.’s release mentioning that so-called informal understanding. […]
The media was stopped by the GAF, but an expedition of P.U.P. parliamentarians and executive members who made the trip exactly one week after were not. In fact, that expedition was able to circle Sarstoon Island with not a peep from the Guatemalan military. Peace reigns in the Sarstoon, right? Well, no. What happened is […]
And tonight’s question is: Given the grim IMF economic report, do you think additional taxes will be imposed? Send your comments and responses using your SMART phones to 8686 or post your vote on our e-poll at channel5belize.com. You can also send an email with your comments to questions@channel5belize.com
