The coronavirus, crime and the recent crash of a B.D.F. helicopter, in which four soldiers perished; are heavy and hugely critical issues facing the nation. First on the matter of crime, a press conference was held this afternoon by the top brass of the Police Department. The biggest item to come out of that is […]
While police conducted an early morning raid today, it is believed that a number of persons, who are wanted for involvement in gang activity, may have given them the slip and are headed to other parts of the country. According to ComPol Chester Williams, a bulletin with the identities and photographs of all those individuals […]
It is expected that of the eighty-two persons, who are presently in custody and are headed to the Belize Central Prison for the next thirty days, a number of them—through their respective attorneys—will be seeking judicial relief via the Supreme Court. They will likely be applying for bail. But Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte told the […]
Equally challenging for the Belize Police Department, in its attempt to put away known gang members, is the fact that the lower courts continue to impose fines and grant subsequent extensions when they cannot meet their payment schedules. This allows known criminals to remain on the streets to wreak havoc. According to the Commissioner of […]
Minister of State Elodio Aragon Junior, himself a former ranking police officer, is responsible for the day-to-day operation of the Ministry of National Security which includes the Belize Police Department. While additional men and women have been deployed into the streets of the city, more boots on the ground will not solve the issues of […]
One of the preventative measures taken in preparation against the novel coronavirus is that schools at all levels and across the country will be closed for two weeks leading into the Easter holidays. Classes are expected to resume on Monday, April twentieth. A press conference was hosted by the Ministry and Education Minister Patrick Faber, […]
Going forward, schools are being asked to provide parents with a home-based learning plan for their children. Parents are to ensure that students spend a part of each day in reading and learning activities. Faber also stressed that should a school conduct online classes, access to internet services as well as the appropriate devices to […]
As for the Primary School Examination and the CSEC, those have been postponed indefinitely, says Minister Faber. According to Faber, it is not certain when students will sit the tests. Patrick Faber, Minister of Education “The Primary School Education examinations scheduled for March thirtieth and April thirtieth are now suspended and at a later […]
Eight areas across the city are on lockdown tonight as a state of emergency is in effect. The crime that swept through the Old Capital at the start of the week left seven persons dead. Derrick King, an employee of Bowen and Bowen, was shot and killed on Tuesday afternoon on West Street while he […]
As we’ve said, the security measures put in place by the Ministry of National Security was triggered by the bloodbath in the Old Capital. Within less than forty-eight hours, seven persons were killed and nine others injured in as many as nine shooting incidents between Sunday night and Tuesday morning. The north side of Belize […]
Another innocent infant was senselessly killed in the spate of violence in the city. Five-year-old Kia Herbert was sleeping with her mother inside their bedroom when a gunman aimed his gun at the house on Pitter House. Frances Herbert was struck once to the shoulder, but baby Kia took three bullets to the abdomen and […]
The Lake Independence area is in lockdown, having been identified as a hotspot for gang activity. B.D.F. soldiers and police officers are stationed at all streets and access to that community. On Monday night, the gun violence in the Old Capital ended up on Gladden Street where a father of one was executed. Collet Morter […]
Minister of Education and the U.D.P.’s former Deputy Leader Patrick Faber today confirmed to the media that he has submitted his application to contest the party’s leadership convention. His opponent, former National Security Minister John Saldivar called on Faber to support Omar Figueroa as the new leader in an endorsement convention. But the caveat is […]
But the convention will have to wait since, according to Faber, during a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, it was decided that the leadership convention be postponed indefinitely as the country deals with the COVID-19 threat. Faber welcomes the postponement of the convention since he says he can focus on preparing his division to take preventative […]
Late this evening, the Ministry of National Security held a press conference about the investigation into the fatal helicopter incident. The press was informed that the reports, one from Belize Civil Aviation Department and one from BELL, the manufacturers of the UH1H helicopter, have been completed. The report wasn’t shared at the briefing; instead, it […]
Before the press conference, the ministry met with the families of the deceased B.D.F. soldiers. Following that meeting, attorney for Mendez, Choco and Baizar families, Audrey Matura, spoke with reporters to share some of the takeaways from the Honduran report. Audrey Matura, Attorney “The key things are that we were looking at is still […]
Attorney Audrey Matura also shared more information on the matter of compensation. She says that the Minister of National Security has made a commitment to pay each of the affected families an ex-gratia payment of one hundred thousand dollars. Matura explains how that will work. Audrey Matura, Attorney “We had been asking for the family […]
Belize’s economy is heavily dependent on tourism so that the looming COVID-19 is presenting major shocks to the industry. The Philip Goldson International Airport remains open, but the number of flights and passengers are dwindling. Hotel cancellations are fast and furious and cruise ships are not calling on port. Businesses all over are scaling down […]
Health officials have warned that it is not a matter of if; it is a matter of when the novel coronavirus gets here. The government has introduced some preventative and containment measures for the country. While Belize remains one of three countries in the region where there are no confirmed cases, some one hundred and […]
The novel coronavirus is particularly deadly to the older population, many whose health conditions are worsened by pre-existing conditions. HelpAge Belize manages two institutions with a concentration of folks who are most at-risk of the virus. So how are they preparing the elderly for COVID-19? News Five’s Hipolito Novelo has the following report. Hipolito […]
There is a lot of information available on the internet on COVID-19. In the following story, we walk you through the steps to help you minimize risks. Now, soap and water are your best defenses against viruses, but hand sanitizer is a good substitute. Washing with soap and water is a key public practice that […]
