FOR TODAY'S BELIZE WEATHER, CLICK HERE
Click for our Daily Tropical Weather Report.
Specials and Events
Last night's TV news on Channel 7, Channel 5, LOVETV, PGTV, West Vision (Cayo) and CTV 3
Also with the most recent Open Your Eyes, Rise and Shine Morning Show, and the Dickie Bradley Specials
The San Pedro Sun
Island Invasion: the party you don't want to miss!
San Pedro Town is without a doubt the party capital of Belize. Hundreds upon hundreds flock to the island every holiday/festival weekends. From Easter to Costa Maya and even New Year's, everyone wants to party like an islander! And one of the most anticipated parties has to be Island Invasion! Organized by King of the Island Promotions- aka Brian Halliday- and held under the largest palapa in San Pedro, Fido's Courtyard, this is a party of epic proportion. For the past several years, Island Invasion has been the leading event for dancing until the wee hours of the morning. Brain certainly does a superb job at having the hottest line up of DJs at every event. The high energy party atmosphere keeps crowds of over 800 dancing till their feet hurt to the best tunes of old and new school soca, dancehall, club, house, reggae and pop. With cocktails and cold beers flowing courtesy of the talented bartenders at Fido's, the energy level never falters.
Statement by the Caribbean Tourism Organization on the influx of sargassum seaweed
The seasonal influx of Sargassum seaweed on Caribbean beaches has got the attention of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and tourism policymakers and practitioners across the region. Sargassum is a natural occurrence believed to originate in the Sargasso Sea, a two million-square-mile body of warm water in the north Atlantic near Bermuda, although some scientists believe the current influx was brought into the Eastern Caribbean through the North Brazil Current and because it thrives in warm, nutrient-rich water, the Sargassum simply spreads throughout the region
Sancas Realty breaks ground for San Cas Plaza commercial project on Ambergris Caye
"We are extremely excited to bring this project to San Pedro," said Gil Castillo, President, SANCAS Realty. "The growth of Ambergris Caye has been amazing. As our community expands, we need to invest in additional retail and office space to help support local business. San Cas Plaza will provide essential commercial real estate inventory for marquee tenants."
SANCAS Realty, the exclusive Christie's International Real Estate affiliate for Belize, will serve as the anchor tenant for the building. Founded in London in 1766, Christie's is the world's most exclusive real estate brand, encompassing a network of top luxury brokers and agents from around the globe.
The San Cas Plaza project will provide solid employment for workers on Ambergris Caye, according to Castillo. He expects the building to be completed within 10 months, Orange Walk based AM Construction is serving as the general contractor.
Let's Build-A-Beach!
A group of dedicated San Pedro volunteers have embarked on a one- of- a- kind project that involves turning the unsightly and smelly Sargassum (seaweed) into a beach. The group of volunteers is led by Dimas Guerrero via a movement called "Build-A-Beach Campaign." The activity takes place every Sunday at 10AM with everyone convening at the Sir Barry Bowen Bridge before heading to Northern Ambergris Caye.
The Sargassum seaweed creates an unsightly and smelly situation, which has been making it very inconvenient for a swim near the beach. However, Guerrero came up with a great idea to get rid of that unpleasant experience while making good use of the Sargassum. "The Sargassum is gathered, spread out on the beach to dry and then buried in holes which are dug along the beach. The Sargassum actually stabilizes the beach, bringing minerals to it while we use it as a landfill. The holes dug on the beach are then filled with Sargassum and covered with white sand, thus building the beach," explained Guerrero.
Ambergris Today
25 Years Ago: Remembering when WE USED TO� in San Pedro Village
SEA GRAPES:
A long time ago going to pick sea grapes was a source of great enthusiasm and fun. We used to plan for the day and the village folks used to share information about the places where the grapes were plentiful and where they were the largest and even where they were the sweetest. Don't laugh but plastic bags were not available yet, so we used to tie our T-shirts and made bags. SELLING LOBSTERS:
Many years ago the big thing was not the opening of the lobster season or Lobster Fest but rather the selling of lobsters door to door. We USED TO boil whole lobsters and offered red juicy whole lobsters door to door to the village folks. Again don't laugh but the selling price was of five cents per whole lobsters. COMIC BOOKS: I think most of the kids in the 1950's USED TO learn to read Spanish with these comic books. Then you have to remember that there was no television at that time, therefore reading comic books was extremely popular. We used to rent them for five cents from a lady in the village whose name was Mrs. Manny Manrique.
Sargasso Situation Causes Tourism Cancellations in Caribbean, Is Belize Next?
Belize is lucky that is has not been hit hard with the influx of unwanted and unsightly Sargasso; other Caribbean and Central American countries are feeling the pressure with tons of seaweed posing a threat to their tourism industry. It stinks and takes away from the beach experience of visitors.
Mexico is pledging $1.9Mil towards cleanup campaigns of the massive amounts of Sargasso that has piled up along its Caribbean shores, affecting the popular tourist hotspots like Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Cozumel. The Caribbean nation of Tobago has deemed the Sargasso invasion a natural disaster, having injected $3Mil into cleanup efforts already.
The seasonal influx of Sargassum seaweed on Caribbean beaches has even gotten the attention of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) and tourism policymakers and practitioners across the region.
Local Belizean Cast in American Movie Filming in Belize
Filming commences this week for an American movie that is being called the 'Jungle Move" by director/filmmaker Christopher Coppola in which a Belizean actor has been cast in a supporting actor role.
Local San Pedro, Ambergris Caye resident Horacio Luis Guerrero and star in the La Isla Bonita Telenovela, will be acting alongside Hollywood celebrities Debra Unger, John Savage and Vincent Spano in the film directed by Christopher Coppola, brother to A-list actor Nicolas Cage. Coppola is nephew of Francis Ford Coppola and actress Talia Shire and cousin of director Sofia Coppola. He began his filmmaking at an early age by creating super 8 films that starred his brother, Nicolas Cage. Horacio Guerrero told Ambergris Today that he was made aware of the movie role during his participation at the Belize International Film Festival,
"Belize's Film Commissioner, Mr. Nigel Miguel saw the novela at this year's film festival for the first time and he was impressed with what he saw," commented Horacio. "He had just been informed about the Coppola movie and how they were looking to cast a local Belizean, he immediately thought about me."
Misc Belizean Sources
Paint 'N Splash Seahorse
Thursday, August 20 at 2:00pm,
Crazy Canucks Beach Bar in San Pedro, Belize
Mr. Gian Chand Gandhi, S. C. passes away
It is with deep regret that the Office of the Prime Minister announces the passing of Mr. Gian Chand Gandhi, Senior Counsel and Legal Counsel in the Ministry of Finance. Mr. Gandhi passed away in Belmopan City on Monday, 17th August, 2015 after a long illness. He was 82 years of age.
Mr. Gandhi has had a long and distinguished career in the Service of the Government of Belize having served for over 37 years in various capacities such as Crown Counsel, Director of Public Prosecutions, Solicitor General, and most recently as Legal Counsel in the Ministry of Finance.
Mr. Gandhi also served as Director-General of the International Financial Services Commission since 1999.
Prior to coming to Belize, Mr. Gandhi worked as a legal officer in the British Public Service in the Departments of Trade and Health and Social Services.
He is survived by one sister and two brothers.
Funeral services will be announced at a later date.
BOLEDO DRAWING for Monday, August 17, 2015: 19. PICK 3: 9 9 5
Rotaract Paints Mount Carmel
The Rotaract Club of Benque visited Mount Carmel Primary School, where they painted some of the classrooms as part of their ongoing community service project. Looks good. Thanks, Rotaract!
"Today, Sunday, August 16, 2015, our members painted an Infant 2 classroom at Mount Carmel Primary School. Another classroom will be painted in the coming week. We express our sincere gratitude to the Lincoln Woodstock Rotary Interact Club for their generous donation of three buckets of paint. Thank you to our members and Ms. Rosita Silva, Vice Principal at Mount Carmel Primary School, for taking the time to assist us today."
FCD Karst Rangers exploring the Solitaire Valley
Along the Chiquibul River for caves and sink holes.
Channel 7
Showdown Sunday in The Sarstoon
Sunday may be the slowest day of the week - but yesterday, Belizeans all across the country were on high alert: would there be a showdown in the Sarstoon between the Guatemalan Navy and the Belize Territorial volunteers? Well, there was - and the media captured it up close. Daniel Ortiz was on the ground, and chest high in the waters of the Sarstoon - here's his story:..
Daniel Ortiz reporting
The 4 Belizean boats moved off. The intention was to give everyone a tour of this now infamous Sarstoon Island that has become a flashpoint for the Belize/Guatemalan Territorial Dispute.
There was no sign that the Guatemalan Navy had changed their sentinel mode, and so the Belizean vessels slowly made their way into the Belizean side of the river.
About 10 minutes in, this leisurely throttle in the river became instantly pressurized when 2 Guatemalan Navy boats made a direct path to the lead vessel, cutting off it off from any further movement. There, the most senior officers of the Navy, who had been watching in the distance for about 3 hours, spoke to the leaders for the first time that day and gave them a stern warning that they had entered Guatemalan territorial Waters.
Rage On the River
As you saw in the story, at the height of the confrontation, Orlando De la Fuente captained the lead boat, and he tried to out-maneuver the Guatemalan Navy vessel which kept chasing after him.
While most of the cameras were focused on that showdown, the biggest Belizean vessel, Dore, was forced to hang back while the other 4 smaller boats managed to escape the Guatemalan blockade. Well, that's the boat Audrey Matura-Shepherd and Wil Maheia were in.
When the trip was finished, they also spoke on how, from their perspective, the Guatemalans rammed their boat as a justification to use force. Here's their account:
Audrey Matura-Shepherd - Participant, Sarstoon Expedition
"Well I say what happened when they realize that the other smaller vessels took away and break away because we saw when they were trying to push the other smaller vessels into their waters to try and bully them. But the problem is our vessel was bigger, so Wil said well we are moving ahead. But we told them when they came, we are going in Belizean waters. They came and brought their vessels as to come and jammed us. But of course we can't afford for them to jam us, so we kept going more to the side, but then we had to stop because the water would have been too shallow. So what we told them then is that you are in Belizean waters. You need to move. We made 7 attempts right Wil? The last one we did it in front of the OAS for them to see that these people are in our waters and refuse to give us passage. Every time their intention is to jam our boat. Three times we almost made contact and different one of us push the boat."
Seeing Sounds In The Jungle
On Wednesday we told you about the echolocation workshop held at the Belize Council for the Visually Impaired. That was phase 1, just an introductory session for the kids. But this weekend the group took it to the Caves at Tiger Sandy Bay to refine their skills in the real world. We traveled along with the group on Saturday and found out just how life changing the exercise was for the kids and their families.
Courtney Weatherburne reporting
An adventure: that's what these kids were ready for. With a trekking pole and a cane they started down this grassy trail - leaping, swiping and prodding the earth to find their way.
But they weren't limited to these two canes. They also had to use their ears and make tongue clicks to be able to traverse this dense forest.
That method is known as echolocation: the ability to see through sound. These blind and visually impaired kids are practicing this technique outdoors for the first time.
It took a while for them to orient themselves to this new environment. But with a few tips from the instructor, Juan was able to make it under the log.
Brawl Leads to Murder In City
After cresting in May and June, violence in the city had been on a downswing recently - that was until this weekend when there was a murderous gang brawl on Newtown Barracks near the BTL Park - the spillover from a misunderstanding that had happened at a nearby bar.
After all the fists were thrown - two men lay unconscious - one of them would be dead within hours while the other is still clinging to life tonight. Monica Bodden found out more:..
Desiree Phillips, Assistant Commissioner of Police
"It has to do with an incident that occurred on Saturday August 15th. Shortly after 3am, police responded to a call with regards to a fight in the Newtown Barracks area where several persons were observed with varied degrees of injuries. One person was lying on the ground as a result of that fight. Reportedly a vehicle sped off from the area and ran over this person that was lying on the ground. Of the 5 persons that were injured, one is Joel Bishop, 28 years old and he suffered head and body injuries. All persons were transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
Teenager Shot In City
And while police were responding to the early morning brawl, there was a shooting at the corner of Mapp and Cran Streets. After a concert at ITVET, 17 year old LYNDON ST. CLAIR was walking on Mapp Street heading towards North Front Street when a car pulled up and a gunman opened fire.
Desiree Phillips, Assistant Commissioner of Police
"The second incident has to do with a seventeen year old male who was walking at the corner of Mapp and Cran Street Sunday morning August 16th, sometime after 3a.m. and heading towards North Front Street, he reported that he heard shots that came from a moving vehicle that passed him and realized that he was hit to the left leg. He is presently at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital receiving treatment. He is in a stable condition and the police are seeking two persons for questioning."
The shooting is believed to be gang related.
So far no one has been detained.
Infant Killed In Violent Vehicle Flip
An infant was killed yesterday in a traffic accident. Ariani Rodriquez was flung from this 2006 Mitsubishi Endeavor when it flipped between miles 50 and 51 on the Hummingbird Highway. She was one of 10 people in the very over loaded SUV. Driver 25-year-old Marvin Zuniga, a Honduran from Salvapan was driving and lost control while driving from Armenia Village towards Belmopan. His ten passengers included owner of the vehicle 32-year-old Claudia O'Brien who received head and body injuries, 12-year-old Lizeth Martinez, who received two fractured legs and a large cut wound to the head, Amir Rodriguez who received a large cut wound to his head and a fractured arm, 9-year-old Gabriel Martinez who received a cut wound on the right side of his face, bruises to his forehead, Stephanie Rodriguez who received head and body injuries and a fractured right leg, 14-year-old Manuel Martinez, who received a fractured left arm, facial injuries, cut wounds and bruises to both legs, Graciela Martinez who received a cut wound on the right side of her head, Leonela Rodriguez who received head and body injuries, and 15-year-old Tirelly Martinez who received abrasion to her legs.
Two Men In Pickup Died
On Friday's newscast we showed you the late evening traffic fatality that claimed two lives between miles 6 and 7 on the Phillip Godson Highway. Well, police say that 24-year-old Eaton Belisle of Saint Paul Village was driving the Mercedes Benz Car when crashed into a pickup truck driven by 51-year-old Yaun Sheng He. Two of the three passengers in the pickup, Rudolph Locke and Shane Goff were fatally injured from the collision.
Man Dies In Pickup/Car Collision
And while that accident happened on Sunday - 24 hours earlier, on Saturday night at 7:00, the George Price Highway was the scene of another fatal accident. It happened between miles 68 and 69 where a Dodge Ram pickup and a Toyota corolla Car had a head on collision. 68-year-old Davis Turner was driving the pickup and he died from the impact.
The Corolla was driven by 40-year-old cab driver Carlos Chanek, from Benque Viejo Town. His passengers, 34-year-old Barry Gongora, 30-year-old Kevaun Gillett, 31-year-old Allan Gongora and 31-year-old Randy Andrews all of Ontario Village, received varying degrees of injuries.
PUP Draws Thousands In Big Falls
2 weeks ago, we told you about the Opposition Party's Power to the People Rally, an effort to energize the electorate and excite some ardor for the PUP before general elections are called. The first rally took place in San Ignacio Town, and yesterday evening, it moved on to Big Falls in the Toledo District. Our information says that 46 buses were mobilized to get the communities to the event, which had an attendance of more than 3,000 persons. That's a much higher turn out from they Cayo rally, and we stopped in to see how it went:
Hon. Julius Espat, Deputy Party Leader - PUP
"Numbers is not really that important to us, it's the participation of the people in the different zones and we had full participation of the south which is a good thing. It was a vibrant event and when you walked in you felt cold seed and all. It was a good thing I must say for the People's United Party."
Daniel Ortiz
"What was the topic which was of highest priority of persons who attended?"
Hon. Julius Espat, Deputy Party Leader - PUP
"The topic is where were you and what you were doing today? That was the topic in reality: the Sarstoon. People wanted to know how you guys were being treated by the Guatemalans.
Francis, The Doctor Says No Time For PUP Show
And while the PUP rallied in Big Falls, again, the G-11 didn't show up. And this time none of them showed up - whereas in San Ignacio, Cayo Central's Dan Silva and Belize rural South's Elito Arceo were there. But in Punta Gorda, it was zero for 11. It's a sign that the party remains divided - and yesterday instead of filling up a bus with supporters headed for the south - the ad hoc spokesman for the group, Dr. Francis Smith, called the media to his office at Belize Medical Associates to explain that he didn't go to Punta Gorda because he has political work to do, rather than being in what he calls a show:...
Dr. Francis Smith, PUP Std. Bearer - Pickstock
"I am not here to be a show pony in a circus. This is not a show. My business is to make sure I bring in Pickstock, that I beat Sedi Elrington and in July and August my business is to be on the ground house to house looking for new registrations and transfers. We are cash strap. I am not getting any money from Ashcroft. I am not getting any money at all. I am getting it from my business at Belize Medical Associates. So I am free. I am a standard bearer for the People's United Party. My leader is Francis Fonseca, but I am a free thinker and my view is that I cannot be in PG at this time."
Jules Vasquez
"Sir, will you face a sanction for not attending today's meeting?"
Dr. Francis Smith, PUP Std. Bearer - Pickstock
"I couldn't care less. As I said, I am fearless."
Deputy Julius Reacts
Those are strong words - and Smith has voiced them before - most recently at that meeting of the Standard Bearers and the National Executive - where insiders tell us Deputy Leader Julius Espat called him "crazy". And while that was said behind closed doors, what did the PUP's unofficial director of discipline Espat have to say about the absences yesterday?
Here's what he had to say about the issue of Francis Fonseca's leadership remaining unchallenged due to an endorsement convention:
Hon. Julius Espat, Deputy Leader - PUP
"What and why is Francis Fonseca our leader and he is not going up for an elected convention? Well we have a very peculiar situation where the UDP infiltrated our party in 2012 and because of that made us lose and we made a decision that we will now allow the UDP to do that once again and so it is a decision. It's a strategic and a tactical decision on our part, to not have the other side infiltrate us and that is what politics is all about. It is our responsibility to put our best players out, so that we can have a better chance of winning the election - so that we can have a better chance of serving our people."
The End Of an Era: Gian Chand Ghandi Passes
The Legal Counsel in the Ministry of Finance and Director-General of the International Financial Services Commission, Gian Ghandi died early this morning at the Western Regional Hospital after a long illness. Ghandi, who was the consigliore to the most powerful men in Belmopan for the past two decades, was 82.
Ghandi worked in the Government Service for 37 years and was considered virtually indispensible in the Esquivel, Musa and Barrow administrations between 1995 and 2015.
Ghandi first came to Belize as a Crown Counsel in the late 1970's from the British Public Service and worked his way from Crown Counsel, to Director of Public Prosecutions, to Solicitor General, and in his final posting, as the one of Prime Minister Dean Barrow's must trusted advisors in the job of Legal Counsel in the Ministry of Finance.
Couple Recovering From Home Invasion
There was a home invasion last night in Hattieville. It's the kind of thing no one wants to ever experience - but today Augustine and Irma Ramos told Monica Bodden how they survived it:..
Cops Catch 16 Gauge
And while Hattieivlle police look for that burglar, around 12:30 on Saturday morning the rural response team received information of a man carrying an unlicensed firearm. Police set out on a search intercepted 32 year old Daniel Maine. We found out more.
Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster, Commander, Eastern Division Rural
"On Saturday 12am, the Rural Rapid Response Team received information of an individual in possession of a firearm. They were dispatch and they intercepted one, Daniel Maine, thirty-two years, who was dressed in camouflage having in his possession a 16 gauge shotgun along with 4 cartridges of 16 gauge and 20 gauge. He was taken to the station where he was processed and charge for kept firearm without a license."
Maine was charged with keeping a firearm without license.
Teenaged Girl Missing For 4 Days
Police are asking for the public's help in finding this girl: 15-year-old NETHANIA ACOSTA, a Palotti student of 7 Poinsettia Street in Belize City. She was last seen at 7:30 on Friday morning. That's almost four days ago, and NETHANIA hasn't been seen since. She is 5 feet four inches tall and weighs 140 pounds. Anyone seeing her is asked to contact the nearest police station.
Mother of 8 Year Old Disappears
25 year old mother MARIA ZELAYA AGUILAR is also missing. Her common law husband Rufino Reina came to our office today to say that she left home last week and has not returned - but she left after a public quarrell:..
Anyone with information can call Rufino at 651-0-5-7-2.
Mayor Says Market Wholesalers Made Their Own Bed Hard
On Friday's news, you saw all the drama and hard talk at the Michael Finnegan Market when the wholesale vendors were moved form in front of the market. The city Council says that the wholesalers are retailing - and in so doing are underselling the market vendors - who are their main customs. But the wholesalers say the mayor is pushing them all the way to the back of the market - where there's no light and many criminals lurking. On Saturday, the mayor told us he doesn't know about all that:...
Darrell Bradley, Mayor - Belize City
"The fact that that had to be relocated, meant that they broke that bargain with the city that they engaged in retail businesses which they are not supposed to do and that relocation was precipitated because we had complaints from market vendors. The area in which they were relocated I am not very familiar with the space. This is not something that comes to my desk. It is something that it's dealt with from the technical side and so their relocation is as a result of that. I am not familiar as I said in relation to the space they they've relocated, but we would not have a problem if they be in the original location if they just stop with wholesaling."
Indian Ethos in Belize
We caught up with Bradley at the celebration of Indian Independence Day on Saturday in Belize City. It is the 68th anniversary of the independence of the largest democratic country on earth. And the Indians in Belize say their Indian roots make them better Belizeans:..
Sing a New Song
On Friday night, the finals of the 2015 National Song competition was broadcasted on national television and right here on Channel 7. There were 2 songs performed in the Belize Song Junior category 9 in the Belize Song Senior Category, and 7 songs performed in the Carnival Song category.
19 artists who took the stage for 18 performances, but in the end there could be only 3 winners, one in each category. Well, in the Belize Senior category, Cecil Jenkins Jr., last year's winner in the Junior's category, stepped up and proved that last year's victory was not a fluke. We spoke with him shortly after he had learned that he won yet again:
Carnival Song veteran Ernestine Carballo took the stage for the last time as a competitor in National Song Competition, and managed to win with her song "Til Di Sun Come Up". We discussed the win with her:
Channel 5
Guatemalan Military Attempts to Thwart BTV Mission in Belizean Waters
On Sunday, Guatemalan military personnel attempted to turn back five Belizean vessels carrying members of an expedition led by the Belize Territorial Volunteers. The incident occurred in the early afternoon [...]
Territorial Volunteers Successfully Complete Expedition to Sarstoon Island
The incident with the Guatemalan military occurred in the early afternoon…actually close to the end of the expedition to the Sarstoon. The morning was spent further north, where about one [...]
What Role Did O.A.S. Play in Weekend Trek to Remote Island?
The National Security Council release issued Sunday evening states that the O.A.S. confirmed that the vessels which transited Sarstoon Island did so from the north and the south. The NSC [...]
Guatemala's Skewed Version of Events Reported
The National Security Council reiterates that, "assertion and maintenance of sovereignty over the Sarstoon Island and our half of the river is best left to the Belizean military and Belizean [...]
Joel Bishop Stomped and Ran Over in Deadly Melee, Three Others Injured
Just before three o'clock on Saturday morning, there was an all-out brawl near the entrance to the MCC Grounds across from the Ramada Belize City Princess. Four residents from the [...]
Seventeen-year-old Victim of Drive-by Shooting
Exactly twenty-four hours later, on Sunday morning, shots rang out at the corner of Mapp and Cran streets in the city. A seventeen-year-old was targeted by gunmen in a vehicle; [...]
Trio of Fake Cops Pulls Off Home Invasion Near Boom Cutoff
A scary home invasion took place on Sunday night around ten on the Boom Road near its junction with the George Price Highway. A family was inside their home when [...]
Double Fatality in Road Traffic Accident
On Friday night, we showed you the fatal traffic accident that took two lives between miles six and seven on the Philip Goldson Highway, earlier that evening around five thirty. [...]
Motorists Escape Grave Injuries in RTA at Scotland Half Moon
An accident in Scotland Halfmoon Village on Saturday night left several people nursing injuries. While no one was fatally injured at least eight people, including children, received cuts and bruises [...]
Minor Perishes in Traffic Mishap on Hummingbird Highway
A terrible accident on Sunday evening on the Hummingbird Highway has left one child dead at the scene, another reportedly succumbing to injuries today, the driver missing and seven other [...]
Police Intercept Daniel Meighan with Unlicensed Firearm
The Rural Rapid Response Team was out in the Hattieville Area when they intercepted Daniel Meighan with an unlicensed firearm and cartridges. Police shared details of the discovery. Sr. [...]
P.U.P. National Tour Heads South
The People's United Party gathered en masse in Big Falls on Sunday where the leadership of the country's oldest political organization met with its rank and file.� The southern leg [...]
Pickstock Standard Bearer Francis Smith a No-show in Big Falls
While Smith attests to not having the means to shuttle supporters from his constituency to Toledo, he maintains that the true idea of public consultation is to have those in [...]
Former SolGen Gian Ghandi Passes Away
Senior Counsel Gian Ghandi, a career public officer who has served extensively with the Government of Belize, passed away in Belmopan earlier today.� Gandhi has had a long and distinguished [...]
Belizean Artists Take 2015 National Song Competition
The National Song Competition 2015 took place this past Friday at the Memorial Park in Belize City. A total of two juniors, nine Belize Song seniors and seven Carnival song [...]
Football and Cycling Over the Weekend
Good evening, I'm James Adderley and this is Sports Monday. Verdes FC begins its sojourn into the 2015 CONCACAF Champions Tournament tomorrow, Tuesday, with a home stand against the [...]
CTV3
Mendez's Case Adjourned Again
This morning, the People's United Party Orange Walk East Area Representative Dr. Marco Tulio Mendez was back in court following his arraignment on six charges stemming from allegations made by a pair of minors in February of this year. But there was no court case as the matter was once again adjourned this time to August 31st, 2015.
PUP Approved Trip To Sarstoon Island
And sticking to the topic of the trip to the Sarstoon Island, today the People's United Party weighed in on the issue as it expressed its solidarity with and pride in those 200 Belizeans who travelled to Barranco and to the southernmost boundary of Belize.
According to the P.U.P, these Belizeans quote "Demonstrated in a clear and unambiguous manner that we have every right to travel to any part of Belizean sovereign territory and that the independent spirit of Belizeans is alive and assertively proud, even in the face of foreign aggression. Those Belizeans who travelled to the Sarstoon demonstrated, by their peaceful presence, the ineffectiveness of the current administration in asserting our national rights and upholding our sovereign dignity." End quote.
NSC Says Belizeans Navigated Into Guatemalan Waters
While the group awaits a response from GOB as it pertains to the behavior of the Guatemalan Military and their incursion in Belizean waters, they have heard from the National Security Council of Belize who was totally against the trip. While that position has not changed, the council issued a release yesterday afternoon after learning that all those that took par ton the expedition had arrived safe in Barranco Village.
The release states and we quote "The welfare of Belizean citizens, no matter what the circumstances, is always of paramount concern to the Council and the Government of Belize. Thus, nothing can take away from the Council's pleasure that no misadventure overtook the hundred plus Belizean men, women and children that journeyed to the Sarstoon." End of quote.
Alpuche Discusses Withdrawal Of Case Against Him
Last week we told you about the case that was dismissed against Efrain Alpuche and Saulito Vasquez who were accused of burning BSI sugar cane fields. Over the weekend, we spoke with Alpuche who told us more about that welcomed news. He said they had gone to court last Friday which was where they first heard of the dismissal.
"We were informed that a memorandum came on the DPP's office withdrawing the case against us, we were not given the details of the memorandum and I think my attorney will query that and will find out but we weren't given the detail why it was withdrawn."
Special Operations Leads To Detention Of More Than Twenty Females Employees
Several bar raids on Friday night in Orange Walk Town resulted in over twenty female workers being detained and tonight, they are still spending time behind bars. According to their attorney, Marcel Cardona, at 4:00pm today, a little over 66 hours have elapsed since a special operation carried out by Belmopan Immigration Department resulted in the detention of twenty six female bar workers. From what we have been able to gather, on Friday around 10:00pm, teams descended to popular entertainment spots around Orange Walk Town resulting in the detention of the 20 female workers. Attorney for the detainees Marcel Cardona says, authorities are limited to a 48 hour detention period and after that time has elapsed, if there is no evidence of charge that the arrestees deserve to be free. Here's what he told us outside the police station today�.
"Simultaneously they started raiding all bars in Orange Walk in particular I understand it was Mexically Bar, Picame Bar, Copa Cabana Bar, and at each of these bars they picked a number of females that may have been around the place or inside people that they believe may have been associated with these bars it is my understanding that at Mexicaly bar two young ladies of Guatemalan nationality were detained as well as two from Honduran nationality, at Copa Cabana Bar one of the three young ladies detained were of Guatemalan nationality whilst two were Honduran nationality, ...
Taxi Driver Involved In Traffic Accident
At dawn on Sunday morning, authorities in Orange Walk Town responded to traffic mishap on the Belize-Corozal Road that left one taxi operator injured. Twenty eight year old Julio Castillo reported to police that around 4:00 Sunday morning, he made a taxi run to Enramada Hotel then decided to head home. Upon reaching the pedestrian ramp in front of Home Protector Insurance Company, Castillo says he noticed a vehicle behind him that was blinding him with his lights. Castillo reported that upon reaching the junction to Liberty Avenue, the vehicle in question drove up beside him and cut him off causing him to swerve to the extreme right and onto the sidewalk, then slamming into the cement fence on the property of Ernesto Reyes. Authorities say the impact caused the vehicle to swerve back onto the road in an East to West position activating the air bag which flung Castillo through the windshield onto the ground. The grey and white Sephia car's front portion was extensively damaged. Castillo complained of pain to the body but was treated and released from the NRH. He was charged for driving a motor vehicle without due care and attention
O/W Calls On Government To Heed The Message Sent By BTV
Today the Mayor of Orange Walk Kevin Bernard also saluted all the Belizeans who made the journey to the Sarstoon River on Sunday and took a stand and send a strong message.
At the end of the release issued today, Mayor Bernard called on the government to heed the message sent by the Territorial Volunteers and to act with all dispatch to actively maintain our sovereignty and territorial integrity.
If Guatemala senses weakness, it will utilize that weakness to its advantage. That is natural. Belize cannot afford to show weakness. We cannot cede even one inch of Belizean territory. It is our right, and our obligation to hold our ground, notwithstanding any unfounded claim, says the release.
Guatemalan Marine Says Sarstoon River Belongs To Guatemala
While the trip to Sarstoon headed by the Belize Territorial Volunteer, now forms part of Belize's history, there is no doubt that it is an issue that will be widely discussed both here in Belize and in Guatemala. And of course, as expected, when it comes to the Guatemala they will have their own version of the happenings that took place during the trip especially when the group arrived close to the Sarstoon Island. While the group is stating that their pathway to the island was blocked by Guatemalan armed forces, a report emitted today by Canal Antigua of Guatemala is saying otherwise. In fact, that part of the story relayed by the group and clearly shown in the various footage captured by Belizean media houses, was not even mentioned in the report. What was stated though, is that Belizeans are misinformed and misguided and that the Sarstoon River historically belongs to Guatemala. This statement was made by the Vice Admiral of the Guatemalan Marine, Carlos Thomas who further me mentioned that the group pretended to take possession of a property belonging to Guatemala. Here is that report.
Dr. Francis Smith Talks About PUP Moving Forward
The Pickstock constituency is one of the smallest areas in Belize City. At the last election the P.U.P. stronghold went red in the tidal wave that swept across the country. But Doctor Francis Smith hopes to change that and return the division to the blue corner. Over the weekend, the P.U.P Standard Bearer gave the media a fifty minute interview where he spoke on several issues of national importance including the party's strategies and vision for the upcoming General Elections. Smith says the only way the PUP can gain legitimacy is to propose a reform movement to the people with their intention to serve the people.
"We need to demonstrate to the people that we can practice these things while in government so there are concerns, we have to face our concerns of our constituents, our people how do we engage persons, how do we do best practices that are enshrined with the People's United Party.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
