Almost two weeks ago, on January fourteenth, a first round of consultations was held with residents and stakeholders in San Pedro over the Blackadore Caye Tourism Project. The mega eco-tourism development, owned by Leonardo Di Caprio, includes the construction of villas across a massive platform that stretches in an arc over the water. But the […]
A forum was held this morning in Belize City entitled Fish Right, Eat Right to promote the sustainable harvesting and consumption of seafood. As the name suggests, the program aims to educate fisher folks to use good fishing practices. At the other end, it provides incentives to stakeholders who promote the consumption of legally caught […]
Today, FECTAB called a press conference to air concerns which they are facing in the industry, and called on government to hear them and act on a number of issues. The umbrella organization has maintained a contentious relationship with large foreign companies Dark Night and Chukka, claiming that they have been given unfair advantages. The […]
FECTAB member and tour operator Yhony Rosado says they deliberately waited until after elections to come public, since they didn’t want to be tarred with a political brush. Still, he says, they are forced to come out now because the small tour operators are losing their livelihoods due to government policies. One major problem, says […]
FECTAB also weighed in on the situation surrounding the now halted Stake Bank project. Developer Mike Feinstein has requested exclusivity from Government or at the very least a tangible show of support to allow him to recover his investment in the long term. Government has responded by stating that it is not prepared to offer […]
The Guatemalan fisherman found in the immediate vicinity when American Anne Swaney was killed is back in his home country, out of the reach of Belizean investigators. The executive producer on Chicago’s ABC7 was on a one week vacation at Nabitunich in San Jose Succotz when she was murdered. Police found Menjivar fishing nearby. Twenty-four-year-old […]
Martin Muzikant, a Czech national who also goes by the name Petr Maneth, is in trouble with the law tonight. Muzikant gained prominence when he was accused of an alleged bribery against attorney Marcel Cardona. A press release issued by Citizens Organized for Liberty through Action (COLA) this evening says he is in detention at […]
A year and a half ago, the MCC Grounds in Belize City was closed to facilitate a much needed upgrade. The works were contracted out and scheduled to be completed in two months. But that never happened. The contractor dug a trench around the field and never filled it back in. The field has been […]
While we had the Sports Director in the hot seat, we also asked about the white elephant Marion Jones Sporting Complex. About the only thing sports-related at the facility are a running track and an incomplete cycle track and football field. According to Dominguez, the facility is certainly on his list of priorities. Ritchel […]
More than six months ago Santander and thirty-one farmers who had been involved in a lengthy dispute came to an agreement on a settlement. The farmers had no title to the land on which they had been farming for many years, but the terms of the understanding determined that they would. That was a half […]
The Prime Minister and a delegation are now in Washington DC where they will be meeting high level officials of the U.S. Government on the correspondent banking issue. On Friday that matter came up at the House Meeting which was the shortest we’ve ever attended, and certainly the least bloody. There were no fireworks or […]
Creating an Enabling Environment at Community Level…It’s a project of the European Union and the United Nations Children’s Fund that promotes the rights, survival, development and protection of children. This morning, at the UNICEF Office in Belize, a grant of over one hundred thousand Euros, which is a little over two hundred and sixteen thousand […]
Ladyville police took time off the streets briefly on Sunday and instead turned up mass this weekend at Our Lady of the Way Roman Catholic Church. Officers attached to that Rural Eastern Division branch made acquaintances with fellow churchgoers as part of the ongoing Meet and Greet initiative. Senior Superintendent Edward Broaster says that the […]
The very curious tale of Dark Night owner and alleged murder contractor Bradley Paumen continues to dominate local headlines. The American investor has been charged for putting a hit on four persons – all over a piece of land which blocks access to Dark Night’s caves. Just for background, in mid-2015 the Supreme Court quashed […]
In November the Government of Belize was humiliated after Mexican-American fugitive David Nanes Schnitzer slipped out of its grasp with the greatest of ease. Nanes had been formally requested by Mexico, and located in San Pedro with the assistance of U.S. Marshalls. But days after, he was granted bail of ten thousand dollars and vanished […]
Nanes was found in possession of a number of illegal Belizean documents including a fraudulent passport, was remanded in custody and then got bail despite an extradition request by Mexican authorities for the wanted businessman. In the wake of his flight, many, including United States Ambassador and former California Supreme Court Judge, Carlos Moreno, and […]
In a judgment which must have given Prime Minister Dean Barrow a world-class migraine, the Government of Belize has been ordered to pay Titan Securities eight point nine million dollars. In 2014, the Financial Intelligence Unit descended on Titan’s offices at the Matalon Building and seized all documents, computers and equipment, closing down operations. Titan […]
There is new interest in revisiting an ill-fated and never realized project in Belize, the Carnival Cruise Ship Terminal in Port Loyola. The news came two weeks ago from Prime Minister Dean Barrow. He told News Five that he would be more than willing to meet with two parties who had expressed interest. That matter […]
Talk of a cruise port in Belize received new life after Stake Bank developer Mike Feinstein indicated that he would be pulling out. Feinstein told News Five that he would need exclusivity from G.O.B. to ensure that he could recover his mega-million dollar investment. The developer has actually asked the Prime Minister for just that, […]
Where is Christopher Guild? The thirty-two year old unemployed of a Barrack Road address has not been seen or heard from since January tenth and the family is fearing that something terrible has happened to him. Christopher, who is the brother of Karate Sensei Leon Guild, was last seen two weeks ago by his mother […]
A program for sustainable fishing has successful completed. Pride Campaign for Managed Access was launched back in July of 2013 and after thirty months of groundwork and research in fishing communities. The industry contributes three to five percent in revenues to the local GDP; last year, a total of twenty point five million dollars was […]
Tourism is the main industry on the island of San Pedro and among the top revenue generators for the country. Residents on the prime tourism destination depend on it for their livelihood; from hoteliers to restaurateurs, tour guides, vendors and small entrepreneurs thrive from the tourism dollar. But tensions have been bubbling since the beginning […]
A meeting of high level policymakers is taking place in Belize to discuss ways to tighten up on money laundering, human trafficking and private security, which are perennial issues in the region. The Forum of Presiding Officers of Legislative Assemblies of Central America and the Caribbean Basin, FOPREL, convened a meeting to present proposed legislations […]
The proliferation of guns and ammunition into the country is forcing lawmakers to take a critical look at existing measures, as well as alternative means of dealing with persons found in possession of illegal firearms. While the method of gathering ballistics information was introduced several years ago, Peyrefitte says that other options are being explored […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow has gone on record recently to state that he is considering a proposal for a cruise ship harbor in Port Loyola, should a feasibility study indicate that developers can successfully build a facility at that location. In fact, he says that the possibility would be absolutely welcomed. While that may be […]
