Appearing on the Dickie Bradley Special on Monday, Hubert Elrington, a former U.D.P. Minister, blasted the government, claiming that there is absolutely nothing to cheer about under this administration. Not only that, but he cautions that when Petrocaribe goes away, and it will, then reality will set in. Hubert Elrington, Former U.D.P. Minister “The […]
Earlier this year the Belize National Teachers Union (B.N.T.U.) announced that they were holding countrywide consultations with their members about the Petro Caribe Bill 2015. The consultations were a part of the B.N.T.U.’s strategy to educate their membership on an issue that has become national discussion. Several other unions have been vocal on their position […]
And where does the N.T.U.C.B. stand on the issues of the workers and B.S.I./ASR? President Marvin Mora says that the concerns of the Belize Workers Union have been brought to the attention of the Congress so they are monitoring the situation. There has been no formal request for support, but he has an inkling that […]
Gillnetting is a common fishing method that is closely monitored and regulated by fisheries management and enforcement agencies. Unfortunately, the practice used by commercial fishermen is not adequately controlled, despite a call from OCEANA in Belize to ban the exploitative use of gillnets. The Sarstoon River is one such waterway that is littered with the […]
Since it went into receivership in 2012, reports of the purchase of the Port of Belize have circulated. Earlier this year, we told you that at least one local businessman had very serious interests in acquiring the facility. When we spoke with Arturo Vasquez, who is the receiver C.E.O., on Monday he told us that […]
British Honduras was built on logwood and mahogany trade. That colonial history was based on exploitation of natural resources and people. Though we have achieved independence, Belizeans still depend on the natural resources as a food source as well as an avenue for economic activity. Along the coast of the Jewel, many villagers contribute to […]
There is a dark cloud of controversy and contention over the La Inmaculada Credit Union following a special general meeting held Saturday in Orange Walk. That meeting was demanded by LICU members who want an explanation for the termination of long-time General Manager, Yolanda Gomez. Gomez was placed on administrative leave in May…then terminated without […]
Ray Davis – is he in or out as senator for the unions? Well, our sources say he’s out, but when we spoke with President of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize, Marvin Mora, he would not confirm that. What we do know is that there was a meeting on Saturday with representatives of […]
And what is the position of the unions in respect of the Belize Territorial Volunteers’ recent encounter with the Guatemalan Military near the Sarstoon Island? President of the N.T.U.C.B. says that the position hasn’t changed, but they haven’t had a chance to sit and discuss the recent happenings to issue an official statement. And while […]
A small detail of territorial volunteers, led by Wil Maheia, is headed to Sarstoon Island on Tuesday morning again. The trip is the first of several planned visits to the remote location where Belize Defense Force personnel will be on routine patrol. As explained by Brigadier General David Jones in a previous interview with News […]
Over in Guatemala, there is huge political crisis which could lead to the collapse of the government of President Otto Perez Molina. On Friday, the former vice president, Roxana Baldetti who resigned back in May, was arrested at a hospital for customs fraud in which three point seven million dollars in bribes were accepted as […]
For the past few weeks, we have been reporting about the Bank of America severing ties with banks in Belize. Since then, Heritage Bank has been put on notice that it will also be losing its correspondent banking relationship with Bank of America. The pulling out of BOA from the banks in Belize has been […]
Exactly one month ago, we spoke with Marvin Mora, wearing his hat as President of the BEWU. Mora said that the union was cautiously optimistic after meeting with Minister of Labour Godwin Hulse following a deadlock in negotiations with B.E.L. Board over salary adjustments demands. Prior to that meeting, staffers went on a three-day peaceful […]
A national bipartite workshop facilitated by the International Labour Organization (ILO) in partnership with the Caribbean Employers’ Confederation (CEC) and the Caribbean Congress of Labour (CCL) was held today at the Radisson as a part of a series of meetings held across CARIFORUM member states by way of a three year project funded by the […]
The Government of Belize has received a certification from the International Organization for Standardization for meeting the universal requirements of information security management. The yearlong program commenced in August 2014 and saw the staff of the Central Information Technology Office undertaking training in protecting and securing sensitive government information from cyber crimes. According to Director […]
The numbers for tourist arrivals between January and July have been released and, according to the Belize Tourism Board, those figures are showing an improvement. Overnight arrivals saw a one point six percent increase in June and almost doubled in July. Meanwhile, cruise arrivals have increased marginally by zero point two percent. The overall decline […]
In April, Santiago ‘Santino’ Castillo stepped aside in Caribbean Shores to make way for current Belize City Mayor and aspiring Area Representative Darrell Bradley. That signalled the end of a very short-lived political career, though Castillo is still serving as a Minister of State. But does his departure from Caribbean Shores mean he’ll be retiring […]
Christie’s is one of the world oldest and most prestigious art auction houses, but it is also a certified powerhouse in the real estate industry – high-end real estate. That’s why it’s big news when this giant comes to town, and it has…partnering with a local top-shelf merchant brand, the San Cas Group, to form […]
Deputy Commissioner of Police Miguel Segura, who remains on interdiction, following a fatal road traffic accident on August sixteenth, 2014, is being sued by the family of Yolanda Valencia. The fifty-five-year-old woman was a passenger inside a taxicab driven by Yanie Cu when she perished in a head-on collision with the government-issued Nissan Pathfinder assigned […]
The Eastern Division of the Police Department is the recipient of some much needed donation of surveillance equipment and other items to assist with intelligence-led policing methods. The donation, valued at twenty thousand Belize dollars, is being made by the United States Embassy through the Central America Regional Security Initiative, better known as CARSI. According […]
This morning, three representatives from the Northern Territorial Volunteers met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow at his Belize City office. The NTV is a different entity from the Belize Territorial Volunteers, but they work closely together and share similar goals. When they emerged from the meeting just before midday, NTV leader Giovanni de la Fuente […]
At a press conference on Wednesday, PM Barrow sent out an appeal that any assertion of sovereignty should be left to the military and to diplomats. B.D.F. Commander, Brigadier-General David Jones went so far as to state outright that the actions of the volunteers are putting his soldiers at risk. De la Fuente today says […]
Apart from accusing the BTV of endangering the lives of his soldiers, Brigadier General Jones goes further to blame them for the aggression of Guatemalan soldiers at the Sarstoon, claiming that they are changing the status quo of military encounters. That point, De la Fuente does not accept. Brig. Gen. David Jones, Commander, Belize […]
So what’s next for the Northern Territorial Volunteers? Another expedition, of course! But it likely will not be back to the Sarstoon or to the Gracias a Dios border marker at Belize’s southernmost tip – not because they’re afraid, but because the expeditions are expensive and resources are scarce. Giovanni de la Fuente, Head, […]
The first release from the National Security Council, issued just before the expedition on Sunday, broke the news of “countless encounters” between the B.D.F. and Guatemalan military. The release speaks also of attempted interceptions, and the clear indication is that this has been happening since the B.D.F. started travelling up the Sarstoon to change troops […]
