All the senior officers who have visited the Senate Special Select Committee complained that there was little to guide them other than their own judgment, and in some cases, the wishes of the Ministers of Government and their hangers-on. But Saldivar-Morter today contended that the standard manuals for each section of the Department – minus […]
But what of Saldivar-Morter herself? At one point in the Auditor General’s Report, she was mentioned as one of the persons who asked for the Department to facilitate visas for selected persons, and there is an appendix in the report listing the names in question. But Saldivar-Morter insists that she knows better than that; as […]
The first witness to be called today was Edgar Cano, the former head of the Services Section of the Immigration Department and briefly posted to the Western Border. Cano, accompanied by attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley, has been a public officer for thirty-two years and with the Department for twenty-eight years. But one incident appears to […]
Further questioning by the Committee established that Edgar Cano did not leave Belize during his vacation and that he was contacted about the missing visa foils by a Department employee, whom he advised to report the matter to the then-Director. The matter even went to the Public Service Commission, whom Cano says could not determine […]
The matter of Ministerial influence in writing recommendations for passports, visas and even nationality has been a continued topic of discussion in the Senate’s public hearings. But to a man, or woman, the senior Immigration officers called so far have insisted that they did not treat applicants who had a Minister’s ear any different from […]
Over a week ago, you heard Senator Valerie Woods raised concerns in the Senate over a proposed beach development at Caye Chapel. The proposed works include a beach club and beach area measuring nine hundred and eighty-five feet long by ninety-eight feet wid. The concern centered on the point that the project was green-lighted by […]
On Monday, the Forestry Department announced amendments to the Forest Act that provide for stiffer penalties for illegal logging. The increase in fines will be imposed on persons found with woods like Rosewood, Zericote and Mahogany and based on three key indicators. But the Department is giving the public a grace period to take in […]
Over the past years, the Forest Department and its partners have joined efforts in addressing an increasing number of intense wildfires in remote forested areas. To strengthen the works of the teams that tackle these forest fires, five agencies received over a hundred thousand dollars in wildfire gears and equipment. The donation was funded through […]
Officers of the Immigration Department countrywide were serious enough about the issue of promotion in the ranks that they were reportedly willing to stage a go-slow at their offices on Monday and today, Tuesday. But after an urgent meeting between the Public Service Union and representatives of the Ministries of Immigration and Nationality and the […]
Even with the promotion matter now cooled down, there is context – the ongoing public hearings of the Senate Special Select Committee on Immigration. While only current and former senior officers have so far been called, we questioned whether the timing of this issue coming up had any effect. Both Willoughby and Neal rushed to […]
Minister of Defense John Saldivar and his C.E.O. Felix Enriquez today commenced a national tour of facilities operated by the Belize Coast Guard. The visit started in the south with a visit to the Forward Operating Base at Hunting Caye. Now, you would recall that construction was interrupted on the building of the new forward […]
Just last month, Donald Trump was sworn in as the President of the USA and since that day, Carlos Moreno’s tenure as US Ambassador to Belize came to an end. Handling the Ambassador’s role at the US Embassy in Belmopan is Deputy Chief of Mission Adrienne Galanek. Today when we caught up with her, she […]
Since taking office, President Trump has looked to fulfill some of his campaign promises by using executive orders. One of those executive orders is to ban federal money going to international groups which perform or provide information on abortions. In the last few days, Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump has fought against the LGBT executive order […]
Last week the People’s United Party complained of Government’s plans to postpone re-registration once again, this time to after the 2018 municipal elections. However, there are plans to proceed with re-districting of electoral boundaries. The Belize Progressive Party, the youngest of Belize’s political movements, blames both parties for putting the matter off when it suited […]
When we caught up with the Progressive Party chairman Paco Smith today, he also weighed in on Belize’s current troubles with the various arbitration awards under dispute here and in the United States. Like most, Smith believes the issue could have been resolved much earlier. That it can’t, he says, must keep Belizeans vigilant and […]
Wednesday’s meeting of the Senate Special Select Committee will feature appearances from Edgar Cano, senior immigration officer; ex-C.E.O. in the Ministry of Immigration Candelaria Saldivar-Morter, and one other person. And while Belizeans are anxiously awaiting any new revelations to come out of the public hearings, the Belize Progressive Party is thinking of the long-term and […]
In the nation’s capital this morning, senior citizens showed that age ought not to get in the way of being healthy and active; in it is just a number. They dusted off their shoes and danced away the Macarena like pros. Others also joined in the flash mob to celebrate the anniversary of the National […]
While the National Council of Ageing is plowing along, there is much more to do to ensure that the rights of the elderly population are protected. Executive Director of the NCA, Ixchel Poot told News Five that they have been trying to strengthen care for older persons. Ixchel Poot, Executive Director, National Council of […]
One area that the country has made progress in is the standardization of the care-giving for the elderly. The Council has partnered with BTEC in the past to train caregivers within communities. According to Ixchel Poot, this year, the council is linking up with Belize Natural Energy to train eighty caregivers across the country to […]
Rebecca Rath returns to Belize on Friday from the Philippines where she competed in the Miss Universe pageant. Rath picked up support from Belizeans from all walks of life. And even though she didn’t win, there has been a surge of support for the beauty ambassador from Dangriga. The Institute of Creative Arts will be […]
In the weeks leading up to and during the preliminaries of the pageant in Manila, Philippines; Belizeans thrust their full support behind Rath. Thousands participated in online voting on various platforms and apps, posting rave reviews about the beauty ambassador as she represented the Jewel after a ten-year hiatus at the Miss Universe Pageant. But […]
Chair of the Executive Committee of Belize Telemedia Limited and company C.E.O. Anwar Barrow has begun his final week in that capacity, as he leaves office on February tenth, 2017. In a statement released today, the state-owned company says that it continues to recruit a new C.E.O. and has appointed chief financial officer Ivan Tesecum […]
The Public Service Union is to meet with representatives of its membership in the Immigration Department on Tuesday in Belize City. It comes amid reports that up to twenty clerks of the Department were planning to stage a “go-slow” today, protesting plans to promote a female employee. This is despite the officers’ belief that they […]
The Government has once again extended its offer to bondholders for a renegotiated 2038 Superbond. On Friday, it announced that the offer remains open until this coming Friday at five p.m., New York time. When it was opened in January, the original Consent Solicitation Offer included a reduction in the interest rate to four percent […]
Three weeks ago the controversial Puerto Azul project for a massive luxury resort and hotel complex in the Lighthouse Reef Atoll unravelled. Seven persons were arrested including chief developer Domenico Giannini, while nearly thirty-nine million Belize dollars in property and financial assets were seized. Belizean government officials have been scrambling to reassure the public that […]
