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On Thursday, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Economic Development held an inauguration ceremony for the installation surveillance cameras across the Old Capital. The equipment was procured under the Belize Integral Security Program, a sixty million dollar project that is funded by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, CABEI. News Five’s […]
Written on January 12, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
Environment |
Comments Off on Fifty New Surveillance Cameras for Belize City
A small demonstration was held in Punta Gorda Town this morning by residents from Columbia Village and other neighboring Maya and non-Maya communities. In light of the Toledo Alcaldes Association’s rejection of the draft Maya Communal Land Use Policy, the Minister of Indigenous Peoples Affairs has weighed in on the provisional document from government’s perspective. […]
Written on January 12, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Protestors in PG Criticize TAA’s Position on Draft Communal Land Use Policy
This week’s edition of “The Bright Side,” delves a bit further into the heartwarming tradition of meeting the New Year’s baby. While many eagerly await the arrival of the first baby born on New Year’s Day, we decided to visit with the proud parents taking on this new journey. Sauri Robles and Pablo Lara were […]
Written on January 12, 2024 | Posted in
People & Places |
Comments Off on New Year, New Parents
Prime Minister John Briceño came under scrutiny recently for the perceived manner in which he handled the sugar dispute between the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and A.S.R./B.S.I. The head of government was soundly criticized by the leadership of B.S.C.F.A. for dropping the ball during the negotiations between both parties regarding a new commercial agreement […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on PM Briceño Discusses Positive Outcome in Sugar Crisis
According to Prime Minister Briceño, the fact that both the B.S.C.F.A. and A.S.R./B.S.I. are private entities, he was limited in his intervention during the discussions. He told reporters this morning that he was forced to wait until the appropriate time to take control of the situation. Prime Minister John Briceño “Well, you just can’t […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Economy,
Featured,
People & Places |
Comments Off on PM Briceño, “You just can’t intervene before it is time.”
It took a ministerial sub-committee and in the end, the intervention of Prime Minister John Briceño to eventually lead the parties in the sugar dispute to an agreement. A.S.R/B.S.I. and the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association had reached a stalemate in finding common ground and signing a commercial agreement, slowing down the maximum production capacity […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Agriculture,
Featured |
Comments Off on Musa Says Sugar Negotiations Were Tough
Senator Eamon Courtenay demitted office as Minister of Foreign Affairs at the end of December, but he retains certain rights and privileges as it pertains to Cabinet. When news of his pending departure was made public several weeks ago, it led to speculations that all is not well within the Briceño administration. The Office of […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on PM Briceño Breaks Silence on Courtenay’s Resignation
Three men perished in a road traffic accident on Wednesday night in the Orange Walk District. The mishap occurred near the San Estevan roundabout near mile twenty-nine. The victims are forty-уеаr-оld Nоеmіаѕ Саntun, nineteen-уеаr-old Реdrо Меndеz, and nineteen-year-old Victor Tamai. Reports are that the men were travelling in Cantun’s taxi van from the Corozal Free […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Auto Accidents,
Economy |
Comments Off on Three Perish in Traffic Accident in San Estevan
Meanwhile, a second fatal traffic accident in Trinidad Village earlier on Wednesday has claimed another life. The incident happened in Trinidad Village and the victim, was fifty-three-year-old Terencio Cal from San Jose Palmar. Reports are that Cal was driving a pickup truck in Trinidad Village, Orange Walk sometime around two-thirty in the afternoon. The sales […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Auto Accidents |
Comments Off on Another Orange Walk Accident Claims A Life
A fourteen-year-old girl was reportedly gang-raped in Belize City on Monday night, allegedly by three of four men who stopped her. Reports are that the girl was riding a bicycle on Oleander Street when the men stopped her and forced her into аn аbаndоnеd hоuѕе іn thе аrеа, where three of the men are said […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places |
Comments Off on ComPol Says Accused Rapists Will Be Charged
In our final episode in a series of feature stories we’ve produced on Copal Tree Distillery, we focus on the employees who make the world-class Copalli Rum an award-winning spirit. The team consists of thirty-two men and women who are committed to excellence in the craft of rum making. Tonight’s installment of Belize on Reel […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Employee Satisfaction Powers and Drives Copal Tree Distillery
On Wednesday, Belize welcomed the highest number of visitors for the season thus far, with sixteen thousand passengers arriving on Belizean shores. This surge in visitors showcases a remarkable recovery for the industry since 2020. 2023, alone, saw a twenty-five percent increase in overnight stays and a forty-seven percent increase in cruise ship visits from […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places |
Comments Off on 2024 Projected As Belize’s Biggest Tourism Year in History
A rise in seawater temperatures, along with other enduring factors and practices, has resulted in recent coral bleaching events impacting Belize’s reefs. While these occurrences are not unusual, the trend and seriousness of mass coral bleaching events has been unremitting. The Belize Fisheries Department, together with the National Coral Reef Monitoring Network, is conducting an […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Environment |
Comments Off on Coral Bleaching Event, Possibly the Worst in a Decade
The Belize Fund For A Sustainable Future wants Belizeans to get involved in its mission. The private non-profit conservation trust fund endeavors to open up a dialogue regarding marine conservation and its mission of creating a transparent and inclusive financing mechanism in order to achieve that goal. The fund held a media sensitization presentation today […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
Environment,
People & Places |
Comments Off on A New Approach To Conservation Conversations
The Corozal Free Zone received over a million visitors in 2022, and there has reportedly been a forty-two percent increase in vehicles and persons since then. So the opening of a refurbished access road to the facility is expected to attract even more business. Today documents were signed between officials from the Central American Bank […]
Written on January 11, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
Environment |
Comments Off on Ground Broken for New Free Zone Access Road
On Tuesday afternoon, Cabinet met in Belmopan and during the meeting of senior government ministers it was announced by Prime Minister John Briceño that there would be a reshuffling of chief executive officers in the ministries of Immigration, Transport and Human Development. The transfer of C.E.O.’s within those respective portfolios follow the departure of former […]
Written on January 10, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on C.E.O. Reshuffle Sees Tanya Santos Transferred to Immigration
Senator Eamon Courtenay, as we’ve reported, has returned to private practice as an attorney at his law firm, Courtenay Coye LLP. He also remains the Leader of Government Business in the upper house. His privileges in Cabinet, however, remain unclear. While he was not present at Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, there are many questions surrounding the […]
Written on January 10, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on What are Eamon Courtenay’s Cabinet Privileges?
On Tuesday, the Toledo Alcaldes Association issued a stern release denouncing government’s draft Maya Customary Land Policy. The TAA’s primary concern was that it was not consulted prior to the Briceño administration proposing to recognize only zero point seven-five miles to one point eight-five miles from the center of the village, depending on the size. […]
Written on January 10, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
Featured |
Comments Off on Did TAA Jump the Gun on Draft Land Policy?
Earlier today, the Belize Indigenous Alliance for Collective Resiliance, a non-profit organization based in Punta Gorda, also issued a release, standing in solidarity with the Toledo Alcaldes Association. The organization, “urges the government to revisit the drafting process of the Maya Customary Land Policy, with sincerity and inclusion”. Notwithstanding that position, the Minister of Indigenous […]
Written on January 10, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
Environment,
Featured |
Comments Off on G.O.B. has to Recognize Rights of Private Land Owners in Toledo
Commissioner of Indigenous Peoples Affairs Greg Ch’oc is stepping down from that post later this month when his contract with the Government of Belize comes to an end. He has been serving in that role under the Ministry of Indigenous Peoples Affairs for the past three years and is also returning to private life as […]
Written on January 10, 2024 | Posted in
Featured,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Greg Ch’oc to Step Down as Commissioner of Indigenous Peoples Affairs
The second session of a Senate inquiry into the controversial Portico Definitive Agreement got underway today in Belmopan. That Definitive Agreement was granted to Portico Enterprises Limited which is seeking to establish the Port of Magical Belize. This particular inquiry seeks to determine the origins of the agreement between the past U.D.P. Government and David […]
Written on January 10, 2024 | Posted in
Economy |
Comments Off on BELTRAIDE Exec. Dir. Says Portico Port Project Failed to Meet Requirements
During his testimony, Doctor Almendarez was asked whether he knew about the Portico Definitive Agreement. Not only did he tell committee members ‘no’, Doctor Almendarez said that for him the Definitive Agreement does not exist. Dr. Leroy Almendarez, Executive Director, BELTRAIDE “I believe, and I am trying to stay away from mention because you […]
Written on January 10, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Dr. Leroy Almendarez says Portico Definitive Agreement “Does Not Exist”
As we’ve mentioned, today was the first time that the Executive Director of BELTRAIDE, Doctor Leroy Almendarez, was called before the Senate Special Select Committee to give evidence. News Five spoke with him as he exited the National Assembly Building following his testimony. Dr. Leroy Almendarez, Executive Director, BELTRAIDE “My role as the Executive Director of […]
Written on January 10, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Senate Witness Says He’s Never Seen the Definitive Agreement
The second person to appear before the Senate Special Select Committee was Lands Commissioner Talbert Brackett. Brackett took office recently under the Briceño Administration. In June 2023, Prime Minister John Briceño told the House of Representatives that seventeen parcels of land were signed over to Portico a day before the Definitive Agreement was signed under […]
Written on January 10, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places |
Comments Off on Lands Commissioner Appears before Senate Committee
The tourism high season has only just begun, but the tourist village is already buzzing with activity. Just today, Belize experienced the busiest day of the season, with four cruise ships boasting approximately sixteen thousands visitors. This year, Belize is expected to welcome as many as nine hundred fifty thousand tourists, according to the B.T.B. […]
Written on January 10, 2024 | Posted in
Economy,
People & Places,
Travel |
Comments Off on High Season Kicks Off With 16,000 Tourist
