Following an incident in the Sarstoon between the Guatemalan military and a group led by the Belize Territorial Volunteers on Sunday, the People’s United Party has condemned the actions of Guatemala. Claiming that five vessels carrying Belizeans were trespassing in Guatemalan waters, senior Guatemalan naval officers attempted to forcefully stop those vessels. The government has […]
The People’s United Party did not form a part of the expedition, but former P.U.P. Foreign Minister and current Senator Lisa Shoman was present and accounted for…as was P.U.P. Deputy Leader Carolyn Trench-Sandiford, who is a member of the Belize Territorial Volunteers. Both took the opportunity to recount their experiences of Sunday’s Sarstoon incident, and […]
Immediately after BTV’s trek to the Sarstoon, the government of Belize, through the National Security Council, announced that they had been on top of things, monitoring the entire expedition – start to finish – with multiple agencies. But when met with multiple claims that Guatemala aggressed Belizeans in Belizean waters, Foreign Minister Elrington has been […]
The release from the National Security Council has been met with disbelief and outrage in certain quarters, largely because it does not even acknowledge that there was any incident at all. In fact, the NSC expresses its, “profound pleasure” that there was no incident. The BTV isn’t impressed by the release, and according to de […]
Fonseca says that while all eyes are on Guatemala and the threat to the Sarstoon, there is another critical issue on the front-burner which has potentially devastating consequences on Belize’s economy – the crisis in our banking system. In recent months, Belize Bank, Belize Bank International and Atlantic Bank International have lost correspondent bank relationships […]
Seventy percent of the population of SICA member countries identify crime as the main threat to sustainable human development and one of the biggest contributors is the trafficking of illegal small and light weapons influenced by the extensive legal and illegal market for such weapons. To control firearms trafficking and reducing violence with a firearm […]
On Sunday, Guatemalan military personnel attempted to turn back five Belizean vessels carrying members of an expedition led by the Belize Territorial Volunteers. The incident occurred in the early afternoon near the mouth of the Sarstoon River, an area known to be well within Belizean territory. Following a brief ceremony held on a sandbar in […]
The incident with the Guatemalan military occurred in the early afternoon…actually close to the end of the expedition to the Sarstoon. The morning was spent further north, where about one hundred and twenty-five men, women and children stood in knee-deep water off the coast to send a message to the governments of Guatemala and Belize. […]
The National Security Council release issued Sunday evening states that the O.A.S. confirmed that the vessels which transited Sarstoon Island did so from the north and the south. The NSC credits what it proudly boasts as its diplomatic safety net for protecting Belizeans from any major fallout from that, “no doubt inadvertent occurrence.” That bit […]
The National Security Council reiterates that, “assertion and maintenance of sovereignty over the Sarstoon Island and our half of the river is best left to the Belizean military and Belizean diplomats.” We wonder what the military and those diplomats are making of the Guatemalan version of the events on Sunday. As we showed you, there […]
Senior Counsel Gian Ghandi, a career public officer who has served extensively with the Government of Belize, passed away in Belmopan earlier today. Gandhi has had a long and distinguished occupation, having served for over thirty-seven years in various capacities, including Crown Counsel, Director of Public Prosecutions, Solicitor General, and most recently as Legal Counsel […]
The Belize Territorial Volunteers are in full gear for this weekend’s Sarstoon Island trek and have received the blessings of Bishop Dorrick Wright. One person whose blessings they don’t have is Minister of Foreign Affairs Wilfred Elrington. He has gone on record to say that the BTV’s trek is an “imprudent act” and he maintained […]
The Belize Territorial Volunteers have formally requested the presence of the Belize National Coast Guard on their mission to Sarstoon Island this weekend. The call is for personnel from the naval service to be on hand to ensure that safety measures are in place before departing from Barranco Village on Sunday morning. According to organizer […]
Sunday’s expedition to Sarstoon Island will see a rather large civilian contingent representing various organizations, including the Northern Territorial Volunteers and COLA. The maritime leg of the journey, from Barranco to the southernmost tributary separating Belize and Guatemala, will be covered without the protection of the coast guard. Likewise, the trek to the remote location […]
Notwithstanding stern warnings from government and its military branches, the BTV will be heading to Sarstoon Island on Sunday morning. But before doing so, Northern Territorial Volunteer Orlando de la Fuente visited with Roman Catholic Bishop Dorick Wright to get his blessings on the trip to the suddenly very controversial and uncertain area of the […]
The usually reserved Roman Catholic Bishop also chose to speak on the Guatemalan claim on Belize which is obviously close to his heart. He told media personnel that as far as he is concerned, the ICJ may not be the way to go and Guatemala should really just leave Belize alone. He spoke in the […]
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and current P.U.P. Senator Lisa Shoman announced on Thursday that she would be on the expedition to Sarstoon Island. That resulted in an immediate government release expressing consternation and accusing Shoman of a blatant political ploy. The release goes on to add that Shoman will be going on the trip […]
Today at the Inspiration Center in Belize City, children who access the services of the center were treated to a family fun day. Along with their parents, the staff and administration, the children participated in several sporting activities and more. As a special treat, the members of the Belize Jaguars were present to celebrate with […]
A summer camp in the Pickstock Division taught over twenty students the art of puppeteering. The children spent a couple weeks learning how to make puppets and how to manipulate them for a show. The project was carried out in partnership with NICH/ICA, Samuel Haynes Institute and other partners. News Five stopped in at the […]
International Youth Day was observed on Wednesday under the theme Youth Civic Engagement and today the Department of Youth Services led the charge with a youth expo at the ITVET. News Five stopped in at the expo where we spoke with the Public Relations Officer Sabreena Daly about the importance of today’s event. Sabreena […]
On Wednesday morning, the Belize Territorial Volunteers, on a scouting mission in the vicinity of Sarstoon Island, had a near brush with Guatemalan military personnel upon returning from the remote location. That incident, along with recent comments made by the Minister of National Security on a pending expedition to the secluded area, has motivated Senator […]
According to Shoman, the idea that local military presence in the area, while accompanying the volunteer expedition, can inflame an already hostile situation with Guatemalan armed forces is total nonsense. She maintains that military personnel from both countries have routinely conducted joint operations in that corner. Furthermore, Shoman says that her capacity as a senator […]
Since last week, a school improvement planning workshop has been ongoing across the country. It is the continuation of a Quality Child Friendly Schools Initiative that was piloted back in 2010. Adjustments were made to the process and now the program is being rolled out to primary schools across the country. Fifty-four primary school principals, […]
One developing school, St. Luke’s Methodist School in Belize City is participating in the workshop. Principal, Pamela Bodden spoke on the benefits of the sessions for the school. Pamela Bodden, Principal, St. Luke’s Methodist School “St. Luke is a school that was selected. We first did the school curriculum planning that was last week […]
On Wednesday, August twelfth, the world observed International Youth Day under the theme “Youth Civic Engagement”. While opportunities for youth to engage at political, economic and social levels are low or non-existent, this day is set aside to raise awareness of the importance of youth and to encourage their participation as a key element for […]
