Over fifty purported gang members were incarcerated inside the Belize Central Prison during the recent Southside State of Emergency. CEO Murillo has seen various SOE’s over the years. He spoke about the core issues that need to be addressed to effectively tackle the issue of gang violence. Virgillio Murillo, CEO, Kolbe Foundation “We keep […]
There is a brewing land dispute over acreage near the outskirts of Santa Cruz Village, where residents are concerned that a private land owner is developing real estate they say was set aside for the expansion of the community. Since assuming chairmanship of the village, Vincent Scott, has visited the Lands Department in Belmopan on […]
All weekend people were wondering about the curfew and today they got their answer. The Ministry of Health and Wellness has reverted to the previous curfew hours of nine p.m. to four a.m. The release further states that restaurants, saloons, diners and other similar establishments allowed to operate may offer dine-in services by reservation only. […]
Along with the new S.I. comes the implementation of a new policy where vaccination cards must be presented for entry into to public buildings and government offices. Persons who fail to produce a vaccination card must be able to present negative results from rapid or PCR COVID tests. Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police “In […]
The murder of fifteen-year-old Dwayne Gabourel continues to play in the minds of households across the country. The promising SJC student was targeted by a gunman as he went to buy bread last Saturday; shot multiple times inside a store on New Road, a short distance from where he lived. But in the last two […]
Executive Director Nicholas says that as a society, we are reactive and not proactive enough. But will the unfortunate killing of Dwayne Gabourel trigger the necessary changes and interventions at all levels – community and policy level? Margaret Nicholas, Executive Director, NCFC “The killing of Dwayne may really and truly propel us to do […]
Talking about interventions, while we were with the Director Nicholas of the National Commission of Families and Children, she spoke of the need for change in legislation for the age of mandatory education. The data is showing that a lot of young persons are on the streets and out of school. Margaret Nicholas, Executive […]
Today is World Maritime Day. The International Maritime Organization is celebrating it under the theme, “Seafarers: At the Core of Shipping’s Future” and focusing attention on seafarers who are facing unprecedented hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the importance of their vital role as essential workers for global supply chains today and in the […]
We are in week-two of additional measures put in place by government to curb the rising COVID-19 numbers. The benefits of these measures will not be seen for another few weeks, but is two weeks enough? Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa says that the longer the measures are in place, the better control of the spread. […]
Attorney General Magali Marin-Young appeared on Open Your Eyes on Tuesday morning to discuss a number of issues, including new changes that are coming into force on October first, where additional COVID regulations are concerned. Among those changes are a requirement for individuals to present a vaccination card or a negative PCR or rapid test […]
Although he is still in Mexico City as part of G.O.B.’s official delegation, this morning Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Christopher Coye joined Channel Five’s Open Your Eyes via zoom to talk about the progress of the offering to bondholders. The Minister of State said the recent salary cuts and other fiscal […]
The Government of Belize is only a couple days away from enacting its October first vaccine regulations. Referred to as a soft mandate, persons entering public owned buildings, which include Government owned buildings, statutory bodies, social security and public health care facilities, must provide proof of vaccination. In the event you have not yet taken […]
There is one change to report. Minister of Health Michel Chebat has decided to scale back the reach of the regulations, reportedly after consultations. Viewers may recall that when he first made the announcement, live on Open Your Eyes two weeks ago, Minister Chebat said the mandate would apply to all buildings the public has […]
AG Young also discussed the legality of these new regulations. She affirmed that while the Constitution of Belize affords Belizeans certain fundamental rights, those rights are not absolute. Here is how she explained it. Magali Marin Young, Attorney General of Belize “We live in a society where we have to give and take to […]
This Sunday, September twenty-sixth and then again on October third, persons will only be able to leave their homes for medical purposes, emergencies, as an essential worker, for food supplies and fuel. The no movement Sundays is part of a recent statutory instrument introduced by G.O.B. in an attempt to thwart the active COVID-19 cases […]
Now tourist destinations such as San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Hopkins and Placencia, curfew begins at nine p.m. and not seven o’clock like the rest of the country. While residents are allowed to spend time at resorts across the country, ComPol breaks down what will be expected of them who will be traversing the various highways […]
There is a collective sigh of relief as the garbage impasse has come to an end. After months of non-payment by the Belize City Council to Belize Waste Control, the collection of garbage will resume on Monday, September twenty-seventh. CitCo and BWC have brokered an agreement and the backlog in garbage collection in various areas […]
The Ministry of Health and Wellness has spoken at length about COVID-19 health measures, such as wearing your mask, washing your hands and physical distancing, as means of preventing the spread of the virus. While Doctor Melissa Diaz-Musa reemphasizes what needs to be done by residents to protect themselves from COVID-19 and its variants, she […]
As we have reported, San Pedro and Caye Caulker are among the communities enjoying certain exemptions from the recent COVID-19 regulations. On Monday, we spoke with Area Representative Andre Perez, for Belize Rural South, who told us that San Pedro is not out of the woods. In fact, there are seventy-five active cases on the […]
Perhaps, a further silver lining for these two tourist communities, amidst the pandemic, is their high vaccination uptake. According to Perez, eighty percent of Caye Caulker’s population has been vaccinated. Meanwhile, up to fifty percent of the population in San Pedro has also taken the vaccine. Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural “I am […]
Undocumented immigrants are another vulnerable population that is being considered for vaccination. According to Perez, undocumented immigrants are often fearful of visiting a vaccine center because of their status. He has given assurance that undocumented immigrants will not be penalized when they visit a vaccination center. Andre Perez, Area Representative, Belize Rural South “That […]
Belize’s growing anti-vaccination movement had its eyes set on the Old Capital this weekend where several groups were planning to converge on downtown Belize City to protest the government’s vaccine mandate. Among them was the Belize Rights and Justice Movement, led by former mayor Zenaida Moya who was been vocal in her objection to the […]
As we mentioned earlier, several motorcades were prevented from arriving in Belize City on Saturday and law enforcement officers were deployed to the George Price and Philip Goldson highways to thwart their attempt at protesting downtown. According to Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, with Belize City being the current epicenter of COVID-19, such an activity […]
Attorney Arthur Saldivar and a team of lawyers are preparing to represent up to two hundred claimants in a constitutional challenge against the COVID-19 regulations. His clients, many of whom are from the Mennonite community, are saying that their constitutional rights were infringed upon on Saturday when they were blocked by police in La Democracia […]
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams also spoke on the matter, adding that the constitution provides for certain limitations of those fundamental rights and freedoms. A public health crisis is reason enough for limiting those fundamental rights and freedom, as per the constitution, says ComPol Williams. Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police “You would know that […]
