A major component of his job is listening to people who feel their rights have been violated, or claim to be victims of police brutality. To help him become an advocate for the rights of all Belizeans, Ombudsman, Paul Rodriguez has been invited to a meeting of Central American ombudsmen in Managua, Nicaragua in November. […]
Belize Electricity Limited got a shock from its employees this week, when they threatened to walk off the job. The Belize Energy Workers Union says it will go on strike in twenty-one days unless all employees are terminated, rewarded for their years of service and immediately rehired. The union says it acted in good faith […]
A strike generally refers to an industrial action by employees against management but what if the management tells the workers not to work? One Belizean bus company has done just this, shutting down its entire operation, forcing ninety employees to sit idly by. The owner says he had to resort to such drastic action to […]
Today the Venus Bus Terminal in Belize City looked like a ghost town. On Saturday the service, one of the country’s biggest, went on strike. The move has put approximately seventy people out of a job temporarily but City Branch Manager Edilberto Chen, says the strike is to protest what Venus management says is unfair […]
You may pass it everyday on your way to work and noticed that the Belize Supreme Court building is badly in need of a facelift. Rust has taken over the iron railings, fence and gate while the paint on the walls has faded. While you would expect it would be a job for the male […]
The Family Court has been relocated to the third floor of the Commercial Centre in Belize City. The new offices were opened today. According to the staff, the new site is definitely an improvement. Counselor Lorna Cayetano says their old office at the Paslow Building was far too small and limited their ability to expand. […]
At five thirty every evening the Belize City Swing Bridge opens so sailboats and other vessels can enjoy safe harbor for the night. In the morning at the same time, the bridge swings again to let the boats go out to sea. But the Port Authority says for the last few years, boats have moored […]
Today government and B.E.L. released details of the long awaited completion of the electricity company’s privatization. According to its prospectus government will be selling its current fifty-one percent stake in B.E.L., which amounts to fourteen point seven million shares. At the asking price of two dollars and seventy-five per share the offering, if fully subscribed, […]
More and more tourists and local travelers are using water taxis to get to the cayes, but more and more sailboats and tugs are also parking at the mouth of the Haulover Creek. Today the members of the Water Taxi Association who use the Marine Terminal said they are tired of being unable to maneuver […]
While the September spirit may not yet be in full swing, there has been a shift in the general atmosphere, and a sense of good things to come. But with the carnival groups doing such a good job of getting publicity for the road march on the eleventh, the public may not have noticed that […]
The Police Department is hosting the Commissioner General of the Nicaraguan police during her Central American tour to promote more awareness of women and children’s issues. Eva Gurdian met today with Minster of National Security Jorge Espat, Minister of Human Development, Women and Youth Dolores Balderamos Garcia and visited the National Women’s Commission, Belize Organization […]
Representatives from law enforcement agencies, treatment and rehabilitation centers, education and the judiciary are meeting over the next three days to design and devise Belize’s first National Anti-Drug Plan. According to Jules Vasquez, the chairman of the National Drug Abuse Control Council, NDACC, the plan will set guidelines and policies. Jules Vasquez, Chairperson, NDACC “So […]
At a quarter past seven on Monday night, News Five was called out to a gruesome scene at the corner of King Street and Southern Foreshore. The body of a male baby had been found floating in the drain. According to Nelson Contreras, a security guard on duty, he was alerted by some young boys […]
School children all over the country are preparing to go back to school and their teachers are working hard to get everything ready for their return. One Belize City school has enlisted the help of the Belize Electricity Board, but not to rewire the school, to paint it. B.E.L. has not only donated forty gallons […]
Amid the wave of disconcerting child abuse reports, there has been one positive report. The Scout Association of Belize announced on Saturday that it will not tolerate any incidence of child abuse, specifically within the organization itself. Ava Pennill, the Director of Youth in the Ministry of Human Development, Women and Youth, says the move […]
Even though his office only officially opened today, Ombudsman Paul Rodriguez says he has already received an onslaught of complaints, mostly about land claims and police work. He says so far he has had few problems while conducting his investigations. Paul Rodriguez, Ombudsman “Generally good. I think most of the people, all of the people […]
If you are among those unlucky Belize City residents forced to deal with stray dogs on a daily basis, you will be interested to know that steps are being taken to get the animals off the streets and into a shelter. The members of the Belize Humane Society, junior chapter, hit the streets of the […]
Delegations from government, NGOs and the private sector frequently travel abroad for training or to meet with colleagues. What made a recent trip somewhat unusual for a group of Belizean union leaders was that while in St. Vincent and the Grenadines last week members of the P.S.U. delegation got to take part in some industrial […]
While seniors at the Sister Cecilia Home will be benefiting from gifts sent by Belizeans abroad, some children on the other side of town now have somewhere to stay while their mothers go to work. News Five was there for the opening of a child care center at the corner of Gil and Sanker Streets. […]
With four children murdered in Belize City, two more in the northern districts and sex crimes against children rampant throughout the country, a number of agencies that deal with families and children are hoping to focus national attention on the problem. An ecumenical rally will be held at the Pound Yard in Belize City this […]
You generally only hear about teachers mobilizing when there is a wage dispute, but today teachers and staff of the Belize Teachers’ Training College and members of the Belize National Teachers’ Union staged a protest against something of much greater concern: murder. News Five met the protesters on Princess Margaret Drive. Three Toledo teachers were […]
Police have yet to make any arrests for the murder of a teacher from the Toledo District and the wounding of his companion earlier this month, but Pio Coc’s colleagues from the Belize Teachers’ Training College and the Belize National Teachers’ Union will protest his death later this week. The B.N.T.U. says the suggestion was […]
It began with a candlelight vigil to try and mobilize the community against the murders and abuse of Belize City children. Now the effort continues with a National Ecumenical Rally to highlight the fact that child abuse is a countrywide concern. On August 15th churches from all denominations, from every corner of Belize are invited […]
Did you know that if a woman lies about who the father of her child is she can go to jail, or that a man who moves to another house in order to avoid paying maintenance can be fined up to three thousand dollars? Were you aware that you have to be at least 25 […]
It’s an issue most parents grapple with every time one of their children does something that requires discipline…how to punish without using physical force. In a two-day conference, the National Organization for the Prevention of Child Abuse met with parents and teachers to discuss alternative ways of disciplining children. According to Minister of Education Cordel […]
