Secretary-General of the Organization of American States Luis Almagro arrived in Belize today as part of a scheduled two-day visit to promote the culture of peace at the Adjacency Zone. Details of his itinerary have not been confirmed, but we do know that today he met with Prime Minister Dean Barrow, Minister of Foreign Affairs […]
Belizean born mathematical physicist Doctor Arlie Petters has been appointed to dean of academic affairs and associate vice provost for undergraduate education at Trinity College in North Carolina, U.S.A. Doctor Petters holds Trinity College appointments as a professor of math and physics, as well as an appointment at Duke’s Fuqua School of Business as a […]
To close the news tonight, we report on a recent statement made by Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales. Morales was interviewed by a New York Times reporter and was asked specifically for his thoughts on the proposed wall that presidential candidate Donald Trump says he will build to keep away immigrants from Mexico. A TV comedian […]
There is significant, though certainly not surprising information in respect of eleven proposals presented to Guatemala by Belize. News Five has received information indicating that Guatemala has responded to the eleven protocols on the Sarstoon presented to them just over a week ago. The news is that Guatemala has allegedly rejected those protocols outright, and […]
The B.T.B. is forecasting that it will be reaching the million mark number of cruise tourism visitors to the jewel this year. It has already contracted the Brighter Group firm of the UK to promote Belize in Europe and specifically in the UK. In the first quarter of this year, January to March, overnight visitors […]
According to Ambassador Ho, the helicopters will be used for emergency evacuations and to crack down on illegal drug trafficking or illegal human trafficking. Benjamin Ho, Taiwanese Ambassador to Belize “As you know the relation between our two countries is always so cordial and so close; it grows each year. We cover not only […]
Last Friday, our News Five team camped out under a “hammans” tree outside O.A.S. Office in the adjacency zone for hours. Inside were top diplomats from Belize and Guatemala, Foreign Affairs Ministers Wilfred Elrington and Carlos Raul Morales. They were joined by top military commanders for both countries, General David Jones and General Carlos Eduardo […]
A resolution within days may be a matter easier said than done. Guatemala maintains that the Sarstoon is theirs, and in a recent diplomatic note stated that they will continue to assert that sovereignty over what is theirs. They have done just that. While diplomats from both countries sip tea and share anecdotes, the G.A.F. […]
By now, most would have heard of the controversial Panama Papers, a trove of documents leaked by the Washington-based International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). In a nutshell, the documents taken from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca reveal the ways in which powerful individuals can exploit secretive offshore tax regimes, but interestingly no one […]
It’s being dubbed as the biggest leak in the history of data journalism – eleven point five million leaked files, two point six terabytes of confidential documents – linking current and past world leaders as well as prominent world figures to billions stashed in offshore accounts. The leak came from a Panamanian law firm known […]
It’s a good week for outstanding Belizean women. Immigration Officer Deborah Baptist Estrada was singled out as the first Belizean woman to promote issues such as human and gender rights, peace and other social issues. Her recognition as made by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry. Today, we can report that world-renowned pepper producer Marie […]
But there is some good news to report and that is because Port Commander of Immigration and Nationality Department Debra Baptist-Estrada has won the International Women of Courage Award. The award is given annually to women who have gone the extra mile to show leadership in advocating for peace, justice, human rights, gender equality and women’s […]
There are reports tonight that U.S. immigration agents have arrested more than one thousand suspects and have charged them for attempted murder and witness tampering in an anti-gang sweep. The operation called Project Shadow was aimed at international gangs operating in the Los Angeles, Atlanta, San Francisco, Houston; and El Paso, Texas areas, according to […]
Today’s session in the House of Representatives, the second day of the new budget for the fiscal year beginning April first, was led by Area Representative for Pickstock Wilfred Elrington. But for him, as for his colleagues before, issues took precedence over any actual debate in the figures in the budget book. For Elrington, the […]
The head of this country, Prime Minister Dean Barrow, has condemned the aggressive actions of the Guatemalans at the Sarstoon, not only in the wake of this last incident but on a previous occasion when Guatemalan military attempted to stop a BTV expedition from entering the river. In separate press conferences, the Prime Minister has […]
Still on the issue of the Sarstoon, Guatemala’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has responded fast and furious to a release from the CARICOM Secretariat in which the region expresses support for Belize in the backdrop of the recent incursions in the Sarstoon by the Guatemalan Armed Forces. The GAF blocked the Belize Territorial Volunteers and […]
Belize’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs appears unsure about what happened in the Sarstoon on Saturday, and maintains that Guatemala is being mature, and its behavior impeccable. But interestingly, CARICOM does not share that opinion. In a very strong release issued today from the Secretariat in Guyana, CARICOM expresses grave concern over the incident, and states, […]
Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou departed Belize around eleven o’clock this morning, following an overnight visit during which he met with various government officials, including heads of state from St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent. His journey to the Jewel, only the second since assuming office in 2008, was the final stop on a farewell […]
Outgoing Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou touched down in Belize shortly before eleven o’clock this morning, following the arrivals of the prime ministers of St. Kitts, St. Lucia and St. Vincent. The occasion of his visit is to bid farewell to the Jewel, one of Taiwan’s strongest allies in the international community. The Phillip Goldson International […]
Twenty-five members of Belize’s armed forces are heading to Las Vegas, Nevada where twenty of them will participate in the Challenge Cup Relay – Baker to Vegas Race. The one hundred and twenty mile race is open to serving or former members of the armed forces, and it is the first time that a country […]
Details were released this afternoon of the two-day visit of President Ma Ying-Jeou of the Republic of China which begins this Wednesday. The visit comes at the end of Ma’s presidency and is seen as a farewell tour. He arrives here from Guatemala. Now, due to a hectic schedule, the president is unable to visit […]
There is currently unease in the halls of government following an incident in the Sarstoon on Saturday. While reports started circulating that night, the first official verification came via G.O.B. release twenty-four hours after, on Sunday evening. That release acknowledged that tension in the Sarstoon was at an all time high, and used language like […]
In that release issued Sunday, the Government also stated that it would send a strongly worded protest note to Guatemala to condemn the very aggressive action by its military in the Sarstoon, as well as the encroachment into Belizean waters near the Forward Operating Base on the banks of the Sarstoon. That has actually been […]
While Belize has operated on the premise that at least half of the Sarstoon is sovereign territory, the Guatemalans claim that the Sarstoon, and much more than the Sarstoon is theirs. Neither side is willing to abandon its position. But recent events show that Guatemala is quite prepared to step forward aggressively, and PM Barrow […]
We first heard about the BTV in the role of troublemakers in 2015, after Guatemalan gunboats attempted to stop boats carrying BTV expedition members who were intent on circling Sarstoon Island. Back then, both the Prime Minister and Brigadier General David Jones claimed that the actions of the BTV ratcheted up the tension. That’s been […]
