An article entitled “Seven Countries Near Bankruptcy” was published on August eighth listing Belize, along with Jamaica, Argentina, Belarus, Greece, Venezuela and Ukraine, as countries in precarious financial state and at risk of default. Of the seven countries, the article says, “…which still carries a significant credit risk. These countries are approaching or have narrowly […]
The issue of constructing a forward operating base near Sarstoon Island remains a controversial subject. The matter has seemingly been exacerbated following recent comments made by Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales during a press brief at the end of last month. Morales went on record to say that in the Confidence Building Measures, Belize […]
Additionally, P.M. Barrow maintains that informing Guatemala of the intent to erect a forward operating base or to increase Belize’s military presence near its boundaries in the west and the south is simply an act of good neighborliness. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “In talking to the group of friends, people will always advise caution […]
The Organization of American States recently commissioned Great Belize Productions to conduct a series of interviews with residents of Benque Viejo and other neighboring communities in Guatemala. The aim is to shed light on the relationship between members of the respective communities, amid the existing border dispute. The result is an interesting mixture of responses […]
While Guatemala’s territorial dispute will take time to solve if it lands before the ICJ, trade relations between Belize and Guatemala are moving along. In June 2010, after years of negotiations, a partial scope agreement was signed with Guatemala. Today, discussions took place at the Belize City Ramada Princess on the functions of the Administrative […]
C.E.O. in the Ministry of Trade, Mike Singh, expressed optimism that in the next few days all the wrinkles will be ironed out in the cross-border trade. Mike Singh, C.E.O., Ministry of Trade “We do offer the Central American countries, including Guatemala, a strong opportunity to enter into the CARICOM market, which is […]
In recent days, not much has been heard about the John McAfee, the eccentric millionaire who remains a person of interest in the murder his neighbour, Gregory Saul in San Pedro back in 2011. But on Sunday night, according to U.S. newspaper accounts, McAfee was arrested in Tennessee, where he has taken up residence. He […]
Four very special athletes returned home to a warm welcome today. And they did not come empty-handed; the athletes returned to the jewel with medals around their necks after taking on much older and season athletes from around the world. The sport is bocce and it put Belize in second place over all in the […]
Even in the face of improved compliance to banking regulations set out by the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force, Atlantic International Bank Limited is the latest financial institution locally to lose its US correspondent Bank. The bank was not providing comments today, but a release posted on its website and dated July twenty-eight, made the […]
In a short while, the second in a series of Caribbean Climate Change exchanges will commence at the Ramada Belize City Princess and will be broadcast right here on Channel Five. The first was held less than a year ago in Barbados. The series is providing clarity on how climate change has affected the region […]
Guatemalan Foreign Minister Carlos Raul Morales and Ambassadors of the Group of Friends of Belize are in the country this week to promote a program entitled culture of peace as a confidence building measure. The initiative is being coordinated by the office of the Organization of American States which maintains a presence at the Adjacency […]
There were various pointed questions for Foreign Minister Morales today – ranging from the payment for the damage to our reef and the altercation at the Sarstoon to the alleged investigation into the murder of Danny Conorquie. But he says that today is not the time for a debate…all that will be for the International […]
Government’s official position is that the International Court of Justice is the only option left to Belize to solve the territorial dispute. Elrington reiterated that stance this morning, but he was also very careful to point out that there will be no ICJ without a mandate from the people, and that mandate can only come […]
Guatemala’s official position is the same as that of Belize. They want to go to a referendum, and if successful, on to the ICJ. Where that referendum is concerned though, there’s been a delay caused by months of civil unrest in Guatemala, which has pushed a referendum down on a list of critical priorities. Guatemalan, […]
The session, which likely would have gotten much more uncomfortable and intense for the officials of the O.A.S. and Guatemala, was cut short. But outside there was more waiting for them. A very small group of protesters including representation from COLA and the Vision Inspired by the People stood outside with placards to vent their […]
During a working visit which culminated in Mexico, Foreign Minister Elrington also signed eight bilateral agreements with that country on issues including energy management, social security, intellectual property protection and promotion of patents, climate change research and consumer protection. Elrington says it is important that Belize work with both Guatemala and Mexico, especially where security […]
Mexican newspapers are reporting that a Belizean minor was found in the nude and in a drunken stupor in a bushy area of Cancun where she has reportedly been in a relationship with Mexican national. Residents of the area did not respond to screams and later on Sunday morning, the fourteen year old girl was […]
A delegation from the Belize Foreign Ministry headed by Foreign Minister Wilfred Elrington was in Mexico City for the signing of eight bilateral agreements between both countries. Signing on behalf of Mexico was Elrington’s counterpart, Jose Antonio Meade. Among the agreements penned on Monday were on air transport, and the innocent passage of ships; cooperation […]
Former Permanent Representative of Belize to the Organization of American States, Nestor Mendez is spending his first day as the new Assistant Secretary General of the O.A.S. The ambassador will serve for a five-year period and is the only Belizean so far to assume that post in the hemispheric body. In his first statement as […]
Former Benque Viejo Mayor Edgar ‘Whitey’ Contreras was detained in Guatemala on Saturday after being found in possession of an unregistered firearm in that jurisdiction. While the handgun is licensed for personal use in Belize, Contreras was well within the boundaries of Melchor de Mencos when a search of his person yielded the weapon. The […]
The Department of Youth Services, in collaboration with the CARICOM Secretariat, is doing a follow-up training to Creativity for Employment and Business Opportunity. The regional initiative was piloted in five CARICOM member states back in 2012 and has now been introduced to a total of thirteen countries in the region. It looks at providing youths […]
But the visit by the regional delegation is also to establish local CEBO trainers in an effort to sustain this youth and entrepreneurship effort locally. Hilary Brown, Program Manager, Culture & Community Development, CARICOM Secretariat “Initially, we only trained three facilitators in the CEBO methodology from each of the countries in a regional workshop. […]
In the next few weeks Belize, FIFA will determine which country national team will play in round three of the World Cup qualifying games having badly beaten the Dominican Republic and winning the Cayman Islands. But even before that is known, today the Jaguars got a huge boost. FIFA has moved up the national team […]
The arrest on June twenty third, 2015 of Maya Leaders Alliance spokesperson Cristina Coc and twelve other residents of Santa Cruz Village has become an international issue. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights of the O.A.S. has written to the government seeking information on the arrests on the grounds that the life and personal integrity […]
More than one percent of the population is living with HIV/AIDS and that number could very well be higher. The fear of discrimination and confidentiality remain one of the biggest hurdles to testing, especially among men. Since Friday and throughout today, the National AIDS Commission has been promoting a regional initiative to get tested. The […]
