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The Secretary General of Commonwealth, Right Honorable Patricia Scotland was in country on an official two day visit. Officially she visited to promote the Commonwealth and its work. However, during her visit she has taken the opportunity to reiterate the Commonwealths support for Belize’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. For Belize, the membership of commonwealth has […]
Baroness Scotland is recognized as an esteemed international public leader and a former Attorney General of the United Kingdom. In her interview she was also asked to share her perspective on the role of the international community in the Belize Guatemala territorial dispute. Rt. Hon. Patricia Scotland, Secretary General of Commonwealth “I don’t want […]
Since the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington, addressed the United Nations one year ago, the government has announced a date for the referendum on whether or not Belizeans want to head to the International Court of Justice to bring resolution to the Guatemalan claim. That date is set for April tenth2019. In Guatemala, in April […]
The referendum is set for April tenth. 2019. It is the day when Belizeans will go to the polls to decide if the Belize-Guatemalan territorial dispute should be taken before the I.C.J. It is arguably the important voting decision that Belizeans will have to make. And while there has been very spirited debate on whether […]
As the I.C.J. Referendum campaign intensifies, the Belize Network of N.G.O.’s launched an online I.C.J. survey last week Thursday. The aim of the survey according to N.G.O. Senator Osmany Salas is to gather data on the perspectives of Belizeans on Guatemala’s claim to Belize. The survey primarily targets the online Belizean community with twelve short […]
The general debate of the United Nations opened this morning at the UN headquarters in New York. The Guatemalan President, Jimmy Morales was among the speakers on the first day of the debate. Morales spoke at length about the CICIG, which is the UN anti-corruption agency in Guatemala that is investigating acts of corruption which […]
The three arms of the Ministry of National Security have taken a collective position as it relates to the International Court of Justice. Appearing in uniforms this morning on Open Your Eyes, were Deputy Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, Rear Admiral John Borland of the Belize Coastguard and Brigadier General Steven Ortega from the Belize […]
Written on September 24, 2018 | Posted in
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The Belize Defence and the Belize Coastguard are charged with protecting the sovereignty of Belize and its internal security. The B.D.F. and the Coastguard are both active in the Sarstoon where the Guatemalans have been turning Belizeans back from traversing the river. This morning, the B.D.F.’s Steven Ortega said that it was his view that […]
Written on September 24, 2018 | Posted in
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The Referendum Unit of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has launched its awareness campaign to educate the public about the territorial claim and taking it to the International Court of Justice. The referendum takes place on April tenth, 2019, but the road to that historic poll is full of uncertainty for Belizeans. So what happens […]
Minister Wilfred Elrington says there will be a lot more effort in the awareness campaign outside of Tuesday night’s town hall meeting organized by Great Belize Productions/Channel Five. He says that a combination of mediums will be used as the campaign is rolled out in phases. Elrington told the media that he has been very […]
On the eve of independence, the question of going to the International Court of Justice is front and center in the minds of Belizeans. On Tuesday night, things got a bit heated during a town hall meeting where the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wilfred Elrington was responding to questions on all things I.C.J. Held at […]
Reports of aggression against Belizeans by the Guatemalan Armed Forces at the Sarstoon River have stirred national ire. The river is shared, or should be shared, by Belize and Guatemala, but there have been repeated claims backed up by images that the GAF has been turning Belizeans away impeding them to freely paddle up the river. Belizeans […]
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has sent a protest note to Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the two recent encounters between the Belize Territorial Volunteers and the GAF. The incidents happened this past Friday and Saturday when the BTV went out scouting and conducting their Sarstoon Island Eco Challenge which is a kayak competition […]
Leader of the Opposition John Briceño reacted to Government’s protest note against Guatemala’s armed forces which aggressed members of the BTV and civilians on the northern channel of the river as the kayak eco challenge headed to the Sarstoon Island. The GAF was on three vessels carrying seventeen soldiers and a gunboat was docked in […]
While the government is protesting the GAF, Elrington also spoke about the actions of the Belize Territorial Volunteers. He says that for the BTV to take citizens to the Sarstoon without following protocol to notify the B.D.F is not only reckless but also irresponsible. He says that BTV puts women and children at risk and […]
Minister of National Security John Saldivar also weighed in on the Sarstoon incidents. He says that they have made it clear to Belizeans that in an effort to ensure safety; they must check in with the B.D.F. to escort them on the Sarstoon River. In this case, Saldivar says that the Belize Territorial Volunteers failed […]
Written on September 19, 2018 | Posted in
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Minister Wilfred Elrington says that the ongoing public awareness campaign shows that Belizeans don’t know enough of the facts about Belize going to the I.C.J. That lack of knowledge, he says, is influencing people from a yes vote. Elrington pointed out that the reception has been positive despite the fact that there are certain groups […]
Opposition Leader John Briceño is pro-I.C.J. He says that after attempting all other avenues, taking Guatemala’s claim to the I.C.J. is the only way to settle the centuries-old dispute. Briceño strongly believes that Belize will not lose any land if the I.C.J. rules on the matter. John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition “I believe […]
And so the timing of the signing of the agreement between both countries, following two aggressive incidents with the GAF in the Sarstoon, raises eyebrows. Today in an interview with the UK Minister of State for Armed Forces, he was asked if this signing should be interpreted as a message to our neighbors in the […]
At eight-thirty tonight, the third in a series of town hall meetings on taking the territorial claim to the International Court of Justice gets underway at the University of the West Indies Open Campus in Belize City. Here at Great Belize Productions/Channel Five, on this occasion, we partnered with U.W.I. for the televised live event. […]
The flow of traffic has slowed down significantly at the northern border since reports of a mandatory private vehicle insurance surfaced these past few weeks. News Five understands that authorities on that side of the border have begun enforcing regulations which require Belizeans to buy Mexican insurance if they want to drive their private vehicle […]
Smack in the middle of the national celebrations there has been encounter in the Sarstoon. The Belize Territorial Volunteers, lead by Wil Maheia, was up the Sarstoon River prior to this weekend’s eco-challenge. As the group was on the river, a vessel with at least five members of the Guatemalan Armed Forces drove up and […]
Still on the State of Public Emergency, the Taiwanese Government has issued an advisory to its citizen living in Belize to exercise caution. The advisory was issued on Monday by Taiwan’s Bureau of Consular Affairs which advised its citizens to remain vigilant and pay attention to their own safety, avoid crowded places and stay tuned […]
Written on September 12, 2018 | Posted in
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The fourteen-million-dollar drug bust of a plane that came from Venezuela was achieved through cooperation from security agencies in the region. Today, the U.S. Embassy in Belize is commending Belize’s security forces for the cocaine bust. The U.S. Embassy says that the bust shows the important work Belize is doing to combat the transshipment of […]
The U.S. embassy has issued a warning to its nationals advising that checkpoints are in place throughout the south side and that there is an increase in personnel to detain individuals. The Embassy further advises its citizens to take the necessary precautions when visiting the south side and to monitor local media for updates, avoid […]
