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In diplomacy, ‘appeasement’ is a dirty word dating back to Neville Chamberlain and his accommodation of German dictator Adolf Hitler’s expansionist ideals, which led directly to the Second World War. It has been used before in relation to the current Government’s policy on Guatemala by opponents, and in the wake of the Guatemalan Armed Forces’ […]
The incident at the Sarstoon River over the weekend, involving members of the Guatemalan armed forces, disrupted BTV’s Sarstoon Eco Challenge. During that event, Guatemalan vessels entered into Belizean waters. That, according to former Foreign Minister Eamon Courtenay, constitutes a military offensive, one that the Government of Belize is yet to respond to. Eamon […]
This year, Belize and Korea are commemorating thirty years of diplomatic cooperation. To recognize this milestone, on Monday the Republic of Korea sent a delegation to Belize bearing a four hundred thousand dollar gift. Lee In-ho, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in El Salvador, presented equipment and vehicles to Belize’s C.E.O. in the Ministry […]
Over the weekend, Belizeans were harassed and turned back from traversing the Sarstoon River and circling the island during an organized canoe race at Belize’s southern boundary. The Belize Territorial Volunteers’ second-annual Eco-Challenge canoe and kayak race was threatened to become an international incident this past Saturday. Guatemalan gunboats manned the entrance of the river, […]
This, of course, is not the first time that the B.T.V., or even the Belizean military and press including this station, have encountered Guatemalan military actively seeking to stop Belizeans from traversing the Sarstoon. Prensa Libre claims that Wil Maheia led a group to Sarstoon Island to install the Belizean flag and sing the national […]
NICH got a hundred thousand dollar boost today. The Taiwan Government handed over a cheque to help with cultural and artistic development. The monies will be used for a number of projects with a focus on cultural preservation and youth involvement. News Five’s Andrea Polanco has more. Andrea Polanco, Reporting A cheque of one […]
The Senate Committee has heard many different explanations for how Won Hong Kim’s picture got into the Belize Passport Information System despite his never having been in Belize – that a doppelganger went to the passport office; that a photo of his passport picture was taken and entered in the system, and others. But none […]
Written on September 6, 2017 | Posted in
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You heard here on News Five how well known businessman John Zabaneh has been cleared of the ‘Kingpin’ label. Zabaneh and alleged associates were designated as a trafficking organization and operatives of the Sinaloa Cartel in Belize. But for five years Zabaneh challenged the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control and just weeks ago he […]
Protests continue in Guatemala where Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales attempted to remove the head of the U.N. anti-corruption commission, known as CICIG. Numerous countries have denounced the attempt to expel Ivan Velasquez, including the U.S. The State Department has expressed concerned over President Morales’ decision and threaten to review its aid program with Guatemala. Charge […]
In Guatemala, the Constitutional Court has upheld its provisional ruling that President Jimmy Morales cannot expel Ivan Velasquez, a veteran Colombian prosecutor who leads Guatemala’s International Commission against Impunity, known as CICIG. In seeking to expel Velasquez, President Morales dismissed his Foreign Minister, Carlos Raul Morales, for not following through on his order. Guatemalan prosecutors […]
Written on August 30, 2017 | Posted in
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The Chinese Disabled People Performing Arts Troupe departed the country earlier today, after spending a few days in Belize visiting with the local Chinese community. But their brief stay in the Jewel wasn’t without its share of controversy, as government refused to waive their visa fees. The Belize Chinese Association was up in arms following […]
Written on August 29, 2017 | Posted in
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Across the western border, Guatemala has been thrown into a political crisis following an attempt by President Jimmy Morales to expel United Nations anti-corruption commissioner Ivan Velasquez. It succeeds an announcement on Friday that Velasquez and Chief Prosecutor Thelma Aldana would seek the removal of the president’s immunity so he could be investigated for campaign […]
Written on August 28, 2017 | Posted in
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The unrest is particularly worrisome for Elrington who says that Belize must now be extremely conscientious of its relationship with its neighbor since the territorial dispute can be used as a smoke screen to distract Guatemalans from internal conflicts. Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs “Whenever you have these occurrences in our region, […]
Written on August 28, 2017 | Posted in
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So, with Carlos Raul gone, should Belize step up its security presence along the western border? According to Elrington, that has been his intonation all along; however, it doesn’t mean that Belize’s security forces should take on a confrontational approach. When asked what the present state of affairs signifies for the recently approved referendum process […]
Written on August 28, 2017 | Posted in
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The Chinese Disabled People Performing Arts Troupe arrived in Belize over the weekend and took to the stage free of cost at the Bliss on Sunday, as part of a two-night cultural presentation in the city. But the arrival of the thirty-three visually impaired performers was not without controversy. The Belize Chinese Association is up […]
Across the region, the economic and social well-being of the Eastern and Southern Caribbean have been plagued by high levels of violent crimes. Formally known as CariSECURE, short for Strengthening Evidence Based Decision Making for Citizen Security in the Caribbean, the initiative is part of USAID’s Youth Empowerment Services. It aims to improve youth crime […]
The Belize Chinese Association is not happy with G.O.B. They have had to fork out thousands of dollars after they requested a visa waiver for The Chinese Blind People Performing Arts Troupe. The group was denied a waiver for entry into Belize to do a performance at the Bliss. The inspirational group with different abilities […]
Foreign Minister Wilfred ‘Sedi’ Elrington, in an interview with the media on Wednesday, once again raised the ire of many, including former Foreign Minister Lisa Shoman. While speaking on the issue of going to the International Court of Justice for a resolution on the longstanding border dispute with Guatemala, Elrington reiterated that Belize does not […]
Shoman who has been an advocate for going to the I.C.J. has now changed her position in light of what is being said by the incumbent foreign minister. That is unless a practical Sarstoon Protocol has been established and until Guatemala respects our borders. The notion that Belize would go to the I.C.J. based on […]
Following a round of fruitless bilateral discussions with Guatemala in Istanbul, Turkey in May 2016, which ultimately failed to produce a Sarstoon Protocol, the former foreign minister’s perspective on the matter has shifted to one of skepticism. The pending referendum, she says, will find Belize in a catch twenty-two, since the holding of separate voting […]
The Guatemalan press reported that Taiwan is to grant that country six hundred fifty million U.S. dollars in assistance to construct the CA-Nine Highway to Puerto Barrios, Guatemala. But the Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize has responded that his country is not in a position to accommodate the multi-million dollar request. According to Foreign Minister Elrington, […]
Today, we also found politicians tying down loose ends in assisting residents with expenses for the new school year. This morning, Albert Area Representative Tracy Panton received a donation from Taiwanese Ambassador Charles Liu. A cheque for five thousand dollars, earmarked for the people of Albert, was handed over to Panton as the first of […]
Guatemala’s request for six hundred and fifty million U.S. dollars to construct the CA-Nine Highway to Puerto Barrios, according to Ambassador Charles Liu, is simply a request that remains under consideration. Last week, reports emerged that Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales had secured funding from the government of Taiwan during a recent visit to Taipei […]
Written on August 8, 2017 | Posted in
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Ambassador Charles Liu has weighed in on the sixty million dollar grant awarded to Belize by the Taiwanese government. His comments are in relation to the six hundred and fifty million U.S. dollars that neighboring Guatemala received in grant and loan from the island nation to construct a road to the harbor community of Puerto […]
Written on August 7, 2017 | Posted in
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Chief Executive Officer Patrick Andrews, who recently assumed that post with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, formally introduced himself to the media this morning during a brief press conference here in Belize City. Following his assignment as Permanent Representative of Belize to the Organization of American States in Washington, D.C., Andrews returned to the country […]
Written on August 4, 2017 | Posted in
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