Belize finally has an ambassador to Guatemala. On Wednesday Moises Cal presented his credentials to Guatemalan President Alfonso Portillo in a ceremony at the presidential palace. Cal, who formerly served as the programme officer for the United Nations Development Programme in Belize, succeeds Ambassador Mike Mena, who passed away on May second. In a reciprocal […]
Tensions on the border with Guatemala may be easing in the future, as today, for the first time, military and police officers from the two countries met for official talks. Representatives from the Belize Defence Force and Guatemalan Armed Forces met this morning in Melchor de Mencos at ten and the talks lasted until mid […]
In yet another story out of Hattieville prison, authorities there today transferred seventeen Guatemalan inmates who will serve the remainder of their sentences across the border. The move was supervised by Guatemalan Charge d’Affaires in Belize Carlos Avila along with Prison Chairman John Woods, Executive Governor Bernard Adolphus and Ombudsman Paul Rodriguez. The release of […]
Mexico has a new President and he’s a “Fox”, Vicente Fox that is. On his 58th birthday, Vicente Fox of the National Action Party (PAN) was chosen to become the next President of Mexico, breaking the 70-year political reign of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). Mexico’s Ambassador to Belize, Enrique Hubbard, told News Five this […]
The PM might have only gotten home on Sunday, but he’s off again tonight. Earlier today, Prime Minister Said Musa left the country enroute to St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Musa will be attending the 21st meeting of the Conference of CARICOM Heads of Government from July 2nd to the 5th. At that meeting, the […]
For the past forty years, there has been a trade embargo levied against the island of Cuba by the United States Government. But on Tuesday it looked like things might be changing, and for the better, for the Cuban people. The U.S. government announced that it had approved a document that would allow food and […]
Belize has signed an agreement with the European Community that has the primary aim of getting rid of poverty. It’s called the Cotonou Agreement and over the next twenty years, the European community and its member states, as well as the African Caribbean and Pacific Group of States have pledged to increase trade and promote […]
His tour de Europe complete, tonight PM Musa is back at the helm. Musa returned on Sunday after visiting England, Rome and Spain to strengthen Belize’s relations with those countries in areas such as trade and economic development. But on his travels abroad one issue on the home front always on top of the “to […]
Tonight the Prime Minister is still in Madrid, Spain and by all accounts his visit has been very successful. P.M. Musa has met with several business groups and trade investment organizations to strengthen economic ties with Spain. And it seems most of those ties should bring about tangible benefits for Belizeans. One company, the Dragados […]
Prime Minister Said Musa has met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. During the meeting, which took place Saturday at Number 10 Downing Street, Musa sought the UK government’s support for Belize in our dispute with Guatemala. To that end Belize’s P.M. reported on his satisfaction with the presence of the British Army Training Support […]
In Great Britain, billionaire Michael Ashcroft has been the subject of continuing controversy over his recent appointment to the House of Lords. In Belize he’s in the headlines because of a feud with aspiring billionaire Glenn Godfrey over their respective banking and telecommunications empires. Today’s news out of Buckingham Palace is sure to increase his […]
If the British press have any questions to ask about our newly minted knight, they shouldn’t have to go very far. The man who recommended him, Prime Minister Said Musa, just happens to be visiting London. According to a government press release Musa held talks on Thursday with Commonwealth Secretary General Don McKinon. The discussion […]
Prime Minister Said Musa is in the United Kingdom seeking to improve relations with the nation that once held the reins of power here. On Wednesday Musa met with Robin Cook, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs. According to a Belize government release, Great Britain is still strongly supportive of Belize’s sovereignty and […]
With the successful visit of Cuba’s foreign minister fresh in his memory, Prime Minister Said Musa hit the road on Saturday for an extended working visit to Europe. Musa’s first stop will be the United Kingdom where, as a guest of the British government, he will call on a number of cabinet ministers as well […]
Prime Minister Said Musa is not the only family member involved in diplomacy. On Friday his wife Joan, Head of the Women’s Commission and special envoy to the United Nations, addressed that body’s general assembly which was meeting to follow up on the Women’s Summit held in China five years ago. In her address Musa […]
In day 2 of his visit to Belize, Cuban Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque met for talks with Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Said Musa in Belmopan. Topics on the table included additions to the agreements of education and health between the countries, but tourism and trade were also discussed. Janelle Chanona, Reporting […]
His name is Felipe Perez Roque, Cuba’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and tonight, he’s in Belize. His visit is marked as historic and precedes the anticipated arrival of his President, Fidel Castro. This morning, News Five joined the welcoming committee at the airport. Janelle Chanona, Reporting Just after 9:00 this morning, Cuba’s Foreign Minister, Felipe […]
Cuba’s President, Fidel Castro won’t be in Belize until later this year, but in the meantime, he’s sending his Foreign Minister. On Thursday morning, Cuban Minister Felipe Perez Roque will arrive in Belize for a 2-day visit aimed at strengthening bi-lateral programs between Belize and Cuba. Belize’s Ambassador to Cuba, Amalia Mai says this first […]
This week a representative of CARICOM is in Belize to provide Belizeans with more information on the establishment of a new regional court. Sheldon McDonald, Coordinator of the Preparatory Committee says the Caribbean Court of Justice would replace the appellate role of the Privy Council in England and would also resolve trade disagreements within CARICOM. […]
The relationship between Belize and Cuba continues to deepen as next week Belize will host the highest ranking Cuban official to yet visit these shores. He is Foreign Minister Felipe Roque. Roque and three other members of his delegation will arrive on June 8th and depart on June 10th. While here they will hold discussions […]
He came on a mission to resuscitate a relationship that may have been suffering from neglect. But by the time CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington and his 7-member team left the country this afternoon it looked like Belize’s geographic position had been moved at least several hundred miles to the East. This morning Carrington, his […]
Belize received some welcomed support over the weekend in its continuing fight against Guatemala’s territorial claim to the country. The Central American Human Rights Commission, meeting in Guatemala City–the proverbial belly of the beast–passed a resolution denouncing the claim as a flagrant violation of Belize’s right to self-determination. The resolution was proposed by the Belize […]
It’s not often that we get to see the Secretary General of CARICOM in these parts so when we do, it tends to be a little bit special. Edwin Carrington arrived on Sunday and will spend the next few days spreading the gospel of regionalism to an audience that is not always sure of just […]
Next week CARICOM Secretary General Edwin Carrington will be in Belize for a 3-day visit. While here, Carrington will be consulting with Belizean officials on the possibility of holding the Third Sitting of the Assembly of Caribbean Community Parliamentarians (ACCP) in Belize, which would be held later this year. Prime Minister Said Musa, Minister of […]
Relations between Belize and Guatemala, which reached a low point with the kidnapping of four Belizean law enforcement officers in February, may soon be getting back on track. Representatives of the two governments met Monday and Tuesday in Washington to set an agenda for a ministerial level meeting to be held in July. At that […]
