More than five years after he stabbed Christie Carrasco to death, Osmar Sabido was today sentenced to life in prison for the crime. The lengthy judgment was read into record by Justice Herbert Lord as family members of the victim packed the courtroom. Outside, friends of the Carrasco family stood silently, waiting in shirts marked […]
In cases we’ve covered, sentencing would usually be reserved pending mitigation pleas on behalf of the convicted. But in this case sentencing was immediate, as requested by Selgado after conferring with his client. Selgado says that it is almost certain that the matter will be appealed, but either way, a life sentence does not necessarily […]
All was quiet today at the adjacency zone as well as in the Sarstoon where Guatemalan troops have been deployed. But are the Belize Territorial Volunteers being defiant by staring in the face of clear warning from Prime Minister Barrow not to venture into the Sarstoon? Given the military presence in the area, government has […]
In Guatemala City, La Nacion Newspaper is reporting a protest in front of the Belize Embassy by about two dozen protestors bearing placards with the names of ten Guatemalans that they claim have been killed in Belize since 1999. President Jimmy Morales told reporters today that he hopes that those responsible for the death of […]
The death of thirteen year old Julio Alvarado Ruano was ventilated today in the Guatemalan Congress where the rhetoric went up notches. Congressman Oliviera Garcia claimed that Guatemalans have been robbed and assaulted by powers with whom Guatemala signed agreements that were never respected. He said they cannot speak about a border with Belize because […]
There are also reports that Belizean Joseph Budna was attacked in a prison in retaliation for the death of the thirteen-year-old boy killed in la Cebada, Chiquibul last Wednesday. The incident occurred at Cantel prison in Quetzaltenango; five persons were injured in the chaos and three were taken for medical treatment. It is believed that […]
Following the incident in the Chiquibul, where a minor was shot and killed when the B.D.F. came under fire, Guatemala’s version of events went immediately viral, led by an inflammatory video message by President Jimmy Morales. The perception has been that Belize’s response, on the other hand, has been subdued and inadequate, giving our western […]
Barrow says that in running away with Guatemala’s version of events, the international media seems to have missed a critical aspect of the incident – that the B.D.F. soldiers were fired on first by Guatemalans in the dead of night and were only returning fire. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “I don’t hear anybody, I […]
The Prime Minister explained that he understands that when the country is under threat people want immediate action, but the events of this past few days have underscored the importance of continued talks, and continued lines of communication…with the US Southern Command, for example. SouthCom and the US, says the PM, have continued to play […]
While a crisis of military proportions has been averted in the days following the death of thirteen-year-old Julio Alvarado Ruano, there is still a level of unease between Belize and Guatemala as it pertains to diplomatic relations. One area of concern that is seemingly overlooked is the trade relation between the neighboring countries. There has […]
The Belize Territorial Volunteers has received its share of flak from government for purportedly aggravating the Guatemalan Armed Forces at the Sarstoon. While they have been criticized as troublemakers, the BTV is also being credited for bringing the Sarstoon debacle to light. According to Tux Vasquez, if it were not for the many unwelcome trips […]
The increased hostility between Belize and Guatemala over the past week has prompted a number of organizations, both political and non-governmental, to chime in on the escalating border situation. Aside from the Chamber, the N.T.U.C.B. has also issued a statement. This afternoon, President Marvin Mora told the media that the general council of the trade […]
Mora also weighed in on the seemingly hasty release issued by the Organization of American States following the deadly shooting. While the N.T.U.C.B. has taken notice of the O.A.S. apparent knee-jerk reaction, it finds itself in somewhat of a pickle where the Belize Territorial Volunteers are concerned. That proverbial catch twenty-two prohibits the umbrella organization […]
There has been much discussion regarding the internationalization of the Belize/Guatemala dispute and the need for the world to become familiar with what is taking place between both countries. While it is widely seen as a task for the government, the N.T.U.C.B. plans on doing its own global awareness campaign, beginning first with the Caribbean […]
A Belize City man was linked to a burglary after CIB personnel lifted a finger print from the home of the victim whose house was burglarized. The alleged burglar, Tyrone Myers, was arraigned in court, before Magistrate Deborah Rogers and read a single charge of burglary. Allegations are that on February first, the house of […]
Nicholas Swazo, the man accused of killing Gerald ‘Shiny’ Tillett last Saturday in Dangriga, has been arraigned on a number of charges related to the deadly weekend shooting. As we reported previously, Swazo was shot twice in the back during a savage attack at the Wadani Shed which left Tillett dead and three others, including […]
Earlier you heard the N.T.U.C.B. take a stand on the release issued by the Organization of American States in which it prematurely “repudiated” the death of Julio Alvarado Ruano at the hands of the B.D.F. Today, the Belize Progressive Party expressed disappointed with PM Barrow’s response to the O.A.S. statement. News Five spoke with B.P.P. […]
The N.T.U.C.B. could not support the trip the Sarstoon, but according to B.P.P. Chairman, “those who on their own volition choose to go on the expedition know the inherent risk, but anything worth having is worth sacrificing for.” Paco Smith, Chairman, B.P.P. “Our counterpart association, the Belize Territorial Volunteers, we plan to visit the […]
Executives of the Belize National Teachers Union are meeting this week to schedule a date, as well as a venue for a subsequent sensitization forum on the Belize/Guatemala territorial dispute. A nationwide campaign dubbed Stand Up for Belize was launched on April fifteenth, in Benque Viejo, where hundreds of educators from across the country converged […]
Our cameras captured images of a humpback whale last week as our news team traveled to the Sarstoon. The whale was in Belizean waters for the past eight weeks, but was trapped in a gillnet off the coast of Barranco. On Monday, the whale died after being in distress for days in the shallow murky […]
Earlier this year, the Financial Intelligence Unit and the Customs and Excise Department signed a Memorandum of Understanding which amended the law in respect of the declaration of currency in excess of ten thousand U.S. dollars. But in order for the Customs Department to enforce the new laws and procedures, the FIU today conducted training […]
On Tuesday night, the Belize Tourism Industry Association, in collaboration with the Belize Tourism Board and McNab Publishing unveiled the new theme for the 2016/2017 Destination Belize Magazine. “Travel Curious: This Journey Will Change You,” is expected to capture the unique cuisine, locations and cultural experiences of the country. The B.T.I.A. has been working on […]
The fatal shooting of a Guatemalan minor inside the Chiquibul has stirred a lot of emotions among Belizeans. There was unease across the country as Guatemalan President Jimmy Morales made his inflammatory statements followed by reports that thousands of Guatemalan troops were being deployed to the Sarstoon and along the adjacency zone in the west. […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow returned to Belize from New York on Sunday after holding discussions with the United Nations, the Organization of American States and others on the aggressive stand by Guatemala, following the killing of a minor inside the Chiquibul. Guatemala’s President Jimmy Morales and other high-ranking officials ramped up the rhetoric and mobilized […]
The de-escalation of the tension, according to the PM, came despite the positions taking by both leaders – Morales seeking justice for the death of thirteen year old Julio Rene Alvarado Ruano, and Barrow maintaining that the shooting was justified…self-defense after a B.D.F. patrol came under fire. Prime Minister Dean Barrow “President Morales committed […]
