It’s a historic YES. Early on Wednesday night, a clear picture began emerging that Belizeans had decided in favour of taking the Guatemalan territorial claim to the International Court of Justice. The turnout was better that anticipated and a tidal wave of Yes was sweeping across the country. But the certified results were announced until […]
Prime Minister Dean Barrow was in high spirits this afternoon when he addressed the nation, following the results of a historic referendum held on Wednesday. While the territorial dispute between Belize and Guatemala is still years away from being resolved, the overwhelming decision to take the matter before the world court is momentous. Before an […]
In admitting that both campaigns have divided the people, PM Barrow has reached out to the Opposition as a show of unity. This is despite the fact that he is yet to speak with Opposition Leader, John Briceño. According to the prime minister, the belated effort at bipartisanship is a reminder nonetheless that it is […]
The Maritime Areas Act, once a divisive piece of legislation that caused a rift within the United Democratic Party almost three decades ago, will be revised in the days ahead. It is the first order of business as government prepares to formalize its position for going to the I.C.J. PM Barrow outlines the extensive process […]
Will Guatemala’s disclosure relating to its claim over Belize be made public? It’s a question that is at the forefront of the minds of many. After all, Belizeans need to know what exactly Guatemala is seeking before the I.C.J. But PM Barrow could not provide a direct answer. It is a question, he promises, will […]
Belize City comprises ten constituencies with the south side being a traditional stronghold for the U.D.P. and north side normally polling in for the P.U.P. at General Elections. The battle here was fought long and hard, but on Wednesday, the U. D. P. machinery cranked up and out-maneuvered the P.U.P. and the NO vote. At […]
Leader of the Opposition, John Briceño released a pre-recorded statement today, following the outcome of Wednesday’s referendum. In a separate press release, Briceño first thanked Belizeans for being part of the referendum process and lauded the peaceful exercise of democracy. The Party Leader says that it will be the responsibility of the people to hold […]
This afternoon, the Guatemalan Government issued a recorded statement by President Jimmy Morales alongside his Foreign Minister Sandra Jovel. Morales celebrated Belize’s decision to take the territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice and expressed hope that the issue be resolved soon. Here is an excerpt from the two and a half minute statement. […]
The Commonwealth Observer Group is winding down its visit to Belize. The group was formed by the Commonwealth Secretary-General, Patricia Scotland following an invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to observe the referendum, which was originally scheduled for April tenth. The Observer Group is led by Hubert A. Ingraham, former Prime Minister of The […]
There were several issues raised with the Observer Group as matters of concern. Some potential voters were reportedly being denied the franchise as a result of the inability to produce their required voter re-registration documents from the Office of Vital Statistics. The concerns also included the adequacy and sufficiency of voter education and the lack […]
Fuel prices see another hike as diesel goes up by seventeen cents at midnight tonight. The new pump price increases from ten dollars and twenty-six cents to ten dollars forty-three cents per gallon.
As the counting of ballots was underway in the City, a newspaper vendor was ambushed and executed on Lacroix Boulevard. Thirty-eight-year-old Karl Lamb was speaking to an individual when he came under attack. A gunman approached him from behind and fired multiple shot, killing him instantly. News Five’s Duane Moody reports. Duane Moody, Reporting […]
An internal investigation by the Professional Standards Branch is ongoing in southern Belize after two persons in police custody were able to escape from the cellblock inside the police station in Independence. Gregory Flowers and Clinton Coleman somehow damaged the lock to a detention cell and escaped without detection by any on-duty officer. It was […]
Meanwhile two of three prisoners who escaped from the Central Prison are back behind bars in Hattieville. Christian Neal, Rafael Mencias and Wilser Echevarria were incarcerated for different crimes from carnal knowledge to murder and manslaughter and escaped on Tuesday afternoon. Mencias was captured soon after, while Echevarria was re-detained by prison authorities on Wednesday. […]
An elderly man from southern Belize remains hospitalized after he was chopped multiple times by his nephew on Tuesday night sometime around seven o’clock. Sixty-five-year-old Elias Coleman was in the Yemeri Grove Village, Toledo when he was attacked by a Mark Cadle, who is almost half his age. Coleman was rushed to the Punta Gorda […]
On Monday night, a Lakeview Street resident was targeted by a gunman in the Old Capital. Osbert Gentle was shot in the neck during a brazen attack in front of his home. A gunman entered the alley that leads to his house and opened fire at Gentle and another person who stood talking with him. […]
Thomas Requeña, who was wanted by Belmopan police for the stabbing of his common-law wife, Katherine Anthony, is tonight in police custody pending charges for the crime. Anthony was attacked by her husband on Saturday night following an altercation between the couple at a house on Sarstoon Street in Belmopan. There was no record of […]
Back to the referendum….In the Orange Walk District, two of the four constituencies voted in favour to submit the claim to the I.C.J. Orange Walk South and East voted YES while Orange Walk Central and North voted NO. Hipolito Novelo takes a closer look at the figures. Hipolito Novelo, Reporting Similarly to polling areas […]
Further up north in Corozal, the results were similar to those in Orange Walk. The south east constituency went NO where the P.U.P. has been strong for years. The difference was in the bay where at the national level, U.D.P.’s Pablo Marin has been representing the constituency, which went blue in the recent municipal elections. […]
Our reporters and correspondents were deployed across the country, including La Isla Bonita. The message in the Belize Rural South constituency was YES to the I.C.J. Admittedly, both the Area Representative Minister Manuel Heredia Junior and his political opponent, Andre Perez from the P.U.P., are on the same page of the referendum. Here is Dalila […]
From north to south….Toledo voters said NO to the I.C.J., but residents in Dangriga, including Sarawee and Hope Creek, voted a resounding YES. The voter turnout in southern Belize surpassed the fifty percent of the total number of newly registered voters. In Toledo east, fifty-seven percent of the voting population cast their votes. Of these, […]
Looking at Dangriga, which includes Sarawee and Hope Creek, there are four thousand four hundred newly registered voters; sixty-one percent cast their votes. Unlike Toledo, fifty-nine percent of the voters went YES. Correspondent Jolie Pollard followed the process in the division. Reporter “Did you fell prepared to make this decision today?” Sylvia Kuylen, […]
There were surprises in the Cayo District. Cayo South constituency, which is represented by the P.U.P.’s Julius Espat who is a staunch NO supporter, voted YES. If that was unexpected, it was also so for the border community in Benque Viejo del Carmen, a U.D.P. stronghold. There, in Cayo West, there was a resounding NO […]
