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With Belize’s referendum date not set, and a potential trip to The Hague still a few years away, Belize and Guatemala must continue to co-exist as neighbors and tackle important issues together. We asked Foreign Minister Jovel to outline her priorities, and she said the most important is untangling the issue of the dispute from […]
With a budget for the 2018 fiscal calendar in place, one that does not include allocations for a public education campaign ahead of the pending referendum, just how much is government prepared to spend on the exercise? That’s what we asked Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber on Tuesday. Despite a previous comment made by Foreign […]
Written on April 18, 2018 | Posted in
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On Tuesday night, we shared the story about the squatters who have brazenly settled in a reserved piece of land in Belmopan. They were given fourteen days to move out and some of the squatters told us that ain’t happening. They will move only if they are given a piece of land to relocate. So, […]
Written on April 18, 2018 | Posted in
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Tensions are high in the Majestic Alley-Jungle area. A spate of shootings and murders associated with the gangs in those areas has led to an increased hostility. Now, Police say that they are actively working in that area albeit a challenge due to high tensions. According to Chester Williams, Operations ACT has expanded from region […]
Today, cops were visiting residents in the Jane Usher Boulevard area in their meet and greet sessions. Things have been relatively calm in this area since more boots were put on the ground. Deputy Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said that they received a lot of positive feedback on the law enforcement efforts in the […]
Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber has chimed in on the outcome of Guatemala’s referendum, sharing with the media a personal view on the democratic process in the absence of a cabinet meeting. On Monday, the Government of Belize issued a statement applauding Guatemala for successfully carrying out its national exercise. Roughly twenty-five percent of the […]
The possibility of voters saying no to the ICJ is a very real likelihood. If that were indeed the case, Faber says that government would have no choice but to respect the will of the people. The drawback, however, is that Belize would once again find itself in the very same predicament with Guatemala that […]
On Monday, Opposition Leader John Briceño told News Five that government has fallen short of meaningfully consulting with the People’s United Party on what has long been a national issue. This evening, Deputy Prime Minister Faber responded by saying that the P.U.P. are in fact the ones that are using the referendum as a political […]
News Five, in an interview with Guatemala’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, touched on two topics of special interest to Belizeans in the wake of Sunday’s referendum. The first concerns relations between the countries. At the highest level, says Sandra Jovel Polanco, things could not be better. Polanco cites that she has met cordially with her […]
But could relations be soured or broken irretrievably if the International Court of Justice, assuming assent from both populations, rules in Belize’s favor? It’s a question that makes both sides uncomfortable considering Guatemala’s prior reputation and the scale of how much Belize has to lose. But Minister Jovel Polanco insists that Guatemala will respect the […]
While there were bouquets across the border between Belize and Guatemala following Sunday’s referendum result, color the Belize Progressive Party unsurprised and unimpressed. They said as much in a press statement issued Monday evening, reminding that the Guatemalan leadership was taking advantage of what it called local “facilitation” that puts Belize at severe risk to […]
Approximately twenty teachers of Gwen Lizarraga High School this morning staged a sit-out from classes in continuing fallout over the appointment of members of the school’s board of governors. While from the outside it appeared as though things looked normal, the protesting teachers, we are told, remained inside the staff room rather than teach class. […]
This afternoon, Education Minister Patrick Faber told reporters that he was scheduled to meet with the teachers later on. He insists that as Collet area representative and education chief, he has tried to stay out of the school’s business. But in this case, he is willing to stand up for the former city councilor on […]
As for Doctor Lorna McKay, who was unceremoniously thrown out of her post last August, her case is still before the Teaching Services Commission. A ruling found evidence to support a few of the charges raised by the Gwen Liz High School Board, but not enough to warrant dismissal. Here is how Faber explained it. […]
Belize’s ambassador to Guatemala, Alexis Rosado, today provided a primer of the countries’ relations and plans surrounding resolving the Guatemalan claim. He notes that there is not much Belize can do short of a legal settlement that will resolve our ongoing border issues both in the west at the Chiquibul, nor in the south at […]
Detractors of an I.C.J. resolution have insisted that Belizeans will now face undue pressure for a ‘yes’ vote from the Government for the simple reason that we will not look good in the international community for saying no to what many feel is the last, best chance for a resolution of the claim. Ambassador to […]
There’s a growing squatters settlement on a reserved land in Belmopan and authorities want them to vacate the area within fourteen days. The squatters, all believed to be immigrants, have since cleared several acres of land where they have built houses and commenced farming. The problem is that the squatting is illegal – but this […]
Written on April 17, 2018 | Posted in
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For a second time in a few weeks, Corozal North Area Representative Hugo Patt has been named Acting Prime Minister. The appointment comes in the absences of Prime Minister Barrow and Deputy Prime Minister Faber who have both been out of the country on official business. Earlier today, we asked the DPM about the prime […]
Written on April 17, 2018 | Posted in
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Last week, we told you about the U.S Embassy’s community policing presentation with Belize City cops. The purpose is to share tips and ideas with local authorities on how to build a strong relationship with the people they serve. Well, today, they took that presentation to Belmopan. As you may have heard, community policing has […]
This morning, Senior Superintendent Howell Gillett addressed the inmates at the Wagner’s Youth Facility at the Belize Central Prison. In his statement, Gillett touched on a number of topics including conflict resolution, anger management, bullying, gang violence and a range of other topic areas. With the blessing from the U.S. Embassy in Belize, the Police […]
The Eastern Division South Commander also signed an agreement today with Whalther Campos of Dibary Group of Companies that will see the Officer of the Month starting April and for the rest of the year receive a five hundred-dollar gift certificate to shop at the business. Senior Superintendent Howell Gillett says the aim is to […]
The Inter-American Development Bank in collaboration with the Statistical Institute of Belize kicked off a four-day course on administrative data. For the past two years, both institutions have been working on pooling together administrative data from public sector agencies to see how it can help policy makers. The concept is for all Belizeans to have […]
Written on April 17, 2018 | Posted in
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The Lions Clubs International Peace Poster Contest has been ongoing for thirty years; this is the eleventh year since Belize has been competing. The competition encourages young people between the ages of eleven and thirteen to express their perspectives on peace through the creative art of drawing/painting. After competing in their respective countries, the winner […]
A few hundred high school students converged on the Civic Center this afternoon in somewhat of a dry run. The facility opened its doors this afternoon for a pair of pre-exhibition games, ahead of an official launch on April thirtieth. Minister of Sports Patrick Faber told us more. Patrick Faber, Minister of Sports “We […]
Guatemala has spoken and its citizens have done so decisively, those who came out on Sunday to participate in the referendum. Following a somewhat abbreviated education campaign which commenced in that country in mid-January, voters took to polling stations across twenty-two departments, including neighboring Peten. When the results began coming in sometime after ten p.m., […]
