The third murder for the New Year occurred on Wednesday night in Dangriga, and the victim is a fifteen-year-old minor. Joshua Flores was travelling on a dirt road that is known to be gangland, when he was gunned down by one of the persons he was with. Flores is not known to be caught up […]
Two hours later, there was another shooting also in the Back-a-Town area of Dangriga. The victim, fifty-two-year-old Bartholomew Ramirez, received multiple shots to the body. According to the investigation, Ramirez was standing with another man on Banak Street when a gunman rode up on bicycle and opened fire in their direction. Commissioner of Police Chester […]
Is this recent gun violence in Dangriga the proverbial straw that has broken the camel’s back when it comes to policing efforts in that southern municipality? We can confirm tonight that there may be a shakeup in the police command in Dangriga because according to ComPol Chester Williams, since last year; there have been a […]
Officer Commanding Stann Creek Formation is Superintendent Gerald Jones and Senior Superintendent Daniel Arzu is the southern regional commander for the Belize Police Department. Clearly expressing his disappointment with their performance will these officers be removed from their posts and reassigned elsewhere? Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police “I can tell you off the bat […]
Among those who have been in dialogue with the department, sharing concerns over criminal activity in Dangriga is Mayor Robert Mariano. The former Deputy Commissioner of Police says that he reached out to the ComPol and his assisting with the installation of a booth in the hotspot area of Back-a-Town in an effort to have […]
Sixty-year-old Caryl Smith Sr. remains hospitalized after being knocked down and left for dead on the Philip Goldson Highway on Wednesday night. His family was at home celebrating a birthday when they got a call that the Sand Hill resident had been the victim of a hit and run incident. It happened around eight p.m. […]
The killing of Flores brings the murder count for 2022 to three. That’s three murders in six days. The first two came by way on a double murder in Sand Hill Village on the night of January third. Justin Milligan and Raymond Dominguez were riddled with bullets when at least two gunmen entered Dominguez’s house […]
The Belize Coast Guard is currently assisting with a desperate search to locate a woman who went missing at sea on the second of January. Twenty-two year old Angie Pena was riding a jet ski near a beach in Roatan, Honduras, when she suddenly disappeared. After days of fruitless searching nearby waters, her family fears […]
Just because the sugar crop has begun doesn’t mean trouble is over in the sugar belt. Two factions of the Corozal Sugar Cane Producers Association continue to be at odds with each other. One group, led by Everaldo Uk, a former Association Director, is calling a special annual general meeting on Sunday. But, another group, […]
Uk is also calling for greater transparency from the current Board of Directors as it pertains to the management of Fair Trade funds. Annually, thousands of dollars are distributed to associations under the fair trade agreement. These funds are ear marked to improve farmer productivity. According to Uk, however, C.S.C.P.A. members have not received a […]
We also heard from the Chairman of the C.S.C.P.A, Vladimir Puck. In their releases, the association urged members to, open quote, “stay at home and not get involved with such calling for them to participate at this A.G.M., as it is not legally decided by the present administration of the C.S.C.P.A.”, end quote. On […]
The National Trade Union of Belize has commended the Belize Sugar Cane Farmers Association and the Belize Sugar Industry for agreeing to an interim commercial agreement. A release from the N.T.U.C.B. also recognizes the Government of Belize for its role in ensuring both parties acted in good faith during the talks, and notes the presence […]
On Wednesday, the Public Utilities Commission issued a stinging press release announcing that electricity rates will go up by a penny per kilowatt hour this month. But, the utility regulator explained, from its point of view, that the Belize Electricity Limited had made purchases of power on occasions during the latter part of the year […]
But, B.E.L. refutes the claim and its General Manager of Corporate Services, Dawn Nunez said today the company is disappointed in what it calls unfair and untrue allegations and accused the P.U.C. of being the one to not respond to its requests. During a zoom press conference today, she explained how B.E.L. dispatches power and […]
But while B.E.L says it has complied with the P.U.C’s requests for supplementary documentation, the P.U.C. official says that not only has B.E.L not done so, it has a history of not following through. Gomez said the P.U.C. will move to amend the S.I that governs how B.E.L. conducts this type of business. Ernesto […]
The P.U.C. has accused B.E.L of continuing to flout the law and intentionally ignoring reasonable requests for information. This is language that B.E.L’s representatives say they have taken note of with disappointment and regret. Leon Westby, Regulatory Affairs Liaison, B.E.L. “It was disheartening and it would be discouraging, but as Dawn explained, our leadership […]
Well, the holiday spirit is certainly winding down fast, and the price change of two fuel products is not going to help consumers during the “maga season.” The Ministry of Finance announced that as of Friday January seventh, regular gasoline will increase by twenty-nine cents, from eleven dollars and forty cents to eleven dollars and […]
Members of the Belize Police Department participated in an election earlier today to choose a new executive for the Police Association of Belize. As many as ten candidates offered themselves for various seats on the central board, including Sergeant Jermaine Hyde, who was elevated to president in 2021 when the duly elected president ascended in […]
Does the Commissioner of Police influence the outcome of the Police Association’s elections? There have been suggestions that the ComPol holds sway over the management of the association, but no one has come forward with a formal complaint against him. Those questions were put to Home Affairs Minister Kareem Musa when he sat with the […]
The murder of fifteen-year-old Joshua Flores in Dangriga on Wednesday is the first incident for the New Year to claim the life of another male minor. The homicide came a few hours after the Minister of Home Affairs had outlined several initiatives to get young people off the streets and back into the classroom through […]
If you’re a COVID patient and you’re at home struggling to breathe, doctors recommend obtaining a tiny instrument that could mean the difference between life and death. In fact, anyone who suffers from a respiratory illness can purchase this, and they are not that expensive. Here’s Marion Ali with this week’s COVID Chronicles. Marion […]
