CTV3
Yo Creek Road Claims Another Life
The infamous Yo Creek road has tonight claimed another life, the second since the start of 2017. The incident occurred shortly after five o’clock this evening just a short distance away from Cuello’s Distillery on the Yo Creek road. The victim, identified as sixty year old Miguel Soliz, was reportedly traveling in this white jeep Cherokee heading towards August Pine Ridge, where he lives, when he apparently lost control of the vehicle, causing it to flip several times and landed on the opposite side of the road.
Soliz apparently died on impact after receiving various head and body injuries and was trapped in the vehicle and personnel from the Orange Walk fire department had to pry it open in order to get Soliz out. Forty six year old Gildardo Balam who was also traveling in the vehicle at the time of the incident was transported to the northern Regional Hospital, complaining of pain to his neck.
Union Leader Slams Patrick Farber Over Comments
On Monday’s newscast, Minister of Education Patrick Faber raised everyone’s eyebrows when he extended his personal congratulations to newly elected Belize National Teacher’s Union Senator Elena Smith on her victory at last Thursday convention. Now, we all know that the BNTU and Faber have had a testy relationship for almost the entire time Faber has served as Minister of Education. In his interview with the media, Faber placed the difficult time squarely on the leadership of Luke Palacio and alluded to expecting better days under Smith. Today while appearing on Krem Radio morning show both the Senator and the outgoing President made it clear that Faber should not be rejoicing as much as he is.
Will Farber Pay A Heavy Price for Honorarium Position?
And while Minister Faber speaks of smoother times between him and the BNTU, his actions say something else, as his Ministry is moving full steam ahead with their controversial plans to pay out nearly $1m to teachers who chose to attend classes instead of join the strike led by the BNTU last October. In media interviews yesterday, Faber went on heavy defensive mode and took on the critics of the million dollar honorarium proposed by him and supported by Cabinet. Faber walked back on earlier statements when he explained that the purported million dollars was an exaggeration.
BNTU Says Farber's Position Taken May Have Repercussions
This morning Palacio responded to Faber’s comments, emphasising that if the Minister is willing to go down for the position taken, then so be it. Luke Palacio, BNTU outgoing President: “Is that our members and others in the public are saying to us you should not just leave this matter like this because this is an attempt at Union Busting and because it is we at BNTU will have to discuss, we will have to view our options including legal options and the minister went out yesterday even further to attack those bodies that supported our Press Release and our position that this is Union busting, he said it yesterday that he doesn’t care what the Chamber says, he doesn’t care what NGO says, he doesn’t care what NTUCB says and if that means he is going down with that brother then let it be, but I am saying when a majority of the Organizations that have been relatively silent but hey are also advocates, speak out and a minister will say to them I don’t care what you say, this is taxpayers money...”
LOVE FM
Mr Middleton Slated to Reappear for Senate Investigation
The Special Senate Select Committee will continue its probing into the Auditor General’s Special Visa and other findings Report on the Immigration and Nationality Department for period 2011-2013. (VO STARTS) Since the start of the inquiry last year, more than fifteen witnesses have been called, including former UDP Belize City Deputy Mayor Eric Chang. The […]
EU’s Assistance to Belize Goes Beyond the Sugar Industry
There has been a longstanding economic cooperation between the European Union and Belize promoting sustainable development and poverty reduction. One of its largest collaborative efforts have been in the sugar industry where under the Accompanying Measure for Sugar Program, the EU has funded a number of projects that have not only had a direct impact […]
EU Says Cane Farmers Are Preparing Well in Belize for Upcoming Changes
While representatives of the European Union were in northern Belize today to attend the opening of preschools funded by the EU, they took some time out and met with sugar cane farmers at the Sugar Industry Research and Development Institute. The representatives heard a number of concerns raised by the farmers as the date for […]
Home Affairs’ CEO Alludes to ACP Chester Williams Being Ineffective
Assistant Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams has been in the media on numerous occasions either as the person being interviewed or, on a few occasions as the subject. The last time he was the subject was back in 2016 when he moved to change the shift schedule for his officers in the Eastern Division South […]
DPP To Determined Fate of Magistrate Accused of Rape
Yesterday we told of an allegation being made against a Court Magistrate by a woman. The allegation is that the magistrate took her to his home and had sexual intercourse with her against her will. While we have verified the name of the accused, we are waiting on further details from the investigators prior to […]
Three Northern Primary Schools Courtesy European Union
Today the Government of Belize in collaboration with the European Union opened three preschools in northern Belize. New buildings were built at Trial Farm and San Jose Villages in the Orange Walk District and one in San Pedro Village in the Corozal District. This enables 150 more children to access early childhood education says Chief […]
San Ignacio Mayor Clears Up Rumors on Plans for City Hall
In San Ignacio Town one of the landmarks in that municipality is the structure that once housed the Town Hall. As of this week, however, the building is no more as it is being demolished. Of course, such a move will raise questions and PUP’s Michel Chebat has introduced those questions recently on social media, […]
Belize Joins Defence Counterparts at Regional Security Conference
The top three men in Belize’s Defence sector have joined their Central American counterparts in Cozumel, Mexico for the annual security conference known as CENTSEC. Defence Minister, John Saldivar, Coast Guard Commander, Admiral Borland and BDF Commander, Brigadier General David Jones left the country earlier this week for the conference being held under the theme, […]
Trio Charged for Killing Santiago Garcia
Police down south have arrested and charged three persons for the chopping murder of 22 year old, Santiago Garcia. They are 20-year-old, Arnoldo Xol of San Marcos Village; 23-year-old, Sabanito Cal and a 16 year old minor both from Trio Village, Toledo District. All three individuals were jointly charged for the crime of murder. As we […]
FCD Wants Government to Take Action to Stop Gold Panning in the Chiquibul
In the recent weeks we have reported on several Guatemalans caught in the Chiquibul Forest gold panning. Friends for Conservation and Development, FCD, which has taken up the challenging task of looking over the Chiquibul Forest says that gold panning is an incessant problem and the first most impactful threat in the Chiquibul landscape today. […]
Minister Faber Makes No Apologies for The $1M Honorarium
Ever since Minister of Education, Patrick Faber announced that government is allocating one million dollars to compensate teachers who did not take part in the strike last year, he has fallen under serious scrutiny and criticism. That of course has not only been by the Belize National Teachers Union but from the opposition PUP, the Belize Chamber of Commerce and the public at large. Today, he finally elaborated on the decision and explained the logic behind paying teachers additional monies, which he calls an honorarium. Faber says that, one, teachers who will be paid are in effect those who did not participate in the strike and two, even union members who desisted from going on strike the second time in January 2016 will receive payment. Those who were on strike got their pay for those eleven days and would now be making up for the lost days but those who were not on strike will be giving ten additional days and hence he says, deserve some form of compensation.
Amandala
Give up the missing gold!
Judge Algenon Marbley, a United States District Judge for the United States District Court of the Southern District of Ohio, warned Thomas G. “Tommy” Thompson, 65, on Friday, April 21, that he could face a third criminal contempt charge if he does not cooperate with the court in helping to ascertain the location of 500 missing gold coins said to have been deposited with an international trust registered in Belize.
Litigation has been dragging on for several years in the face of Thompson’s refusal to reveal the location of coins minted in California from a gold treasure recovered after his 1988 discovery of S.S. Central America, a 280-foot vessel which sank on 12 September 1857 with an estimated 18-21 tons of gold mined in the California Gold Rush, amid a category 2 hurricane off the North Carolina coast, killing over 400 people who were not among those rescued before the ship met its tragic demise.
Belize trading over US$300 million in goods with the US
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) Secretariat’s Deputy Chief of Mission, Christopher Wilson, said in a statement released today on the occasion of Belize’s 3rd trade policy review at the World Trade Organization (WTO) in Geneva that, “Belize has an important role in the region as an open and growing economy…”
“Our countries continue to maintain close and cooperative relations. Bilateral trade in goods totaled [US]$323 million in 2016, and the United States provides for duty-free import for a variety of products from Belize,” Wilson said.
He added that the United States is home to the largest expatriate Belizean community, estimated to be more than 70,000.
Decomposing body of hunter found in well
Balthazar Santos Lino, 45, a hunter of Progresso, took his dog with him when he went hunting in an area between Progresso and Caledonia on Good Friday, April 14.
Yesterday morning, six days later, Lino’s dog returned, without his master, and Lino’s family became alarmed. His family went looking for him in the area where he usually went to hunt, and on their arrival at about 5:00 yesterday, they smelled rotting flesh.
The stench became stronger as they drew closer to a well.
“Freak storm” rips through Biscayne
The National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) confirmed today that a freak storm had ripped through Biscayne Village in the Belize District on Saturday evening, devastating the homes of 9 families but thankfully not resulting in any loss of life or significant human injury.
“Three (3) homes were destroyed beyond repair and six (6) others were significantly damaged, most of the families losing their roofs and much of their belongings,” the report said. Chief Meteorologist Catherine Cumberbatch of the National Meteorological Service told Amandala that a thunderstorm had been forecast for inland Belize for Saturday. “That is just what had happened,” she added.
There was a chain of thunderstorms that came across from Mexico and it flared up due to the daytime heat and instability, causing severe weather conditions which affected the area.
“One [band] was very intense and produced gusty winds… It was not a tornado!” she told us, adding that, had it been a tornado, it would have appeared on the radar as a bright yellow spot with a hook or elbow.
Joyjah Estrada bound for London!
Her distinctive, freckled face cushioned by her long, curly hair has caught the attention of the London-based modelling agency, Squad Management.
As a result, 22-year-old Joyjah Estrada, who lives in Belize City, has relocated to London for the next three months.
When our newspaper asked Joyjah how she was able to secure such a promising opportunity, she told us that it was initially because she was selected as one of the faces of the United Kingdom’s LOVE magazine earlier this year.
According to Joyjah, while at that magazine launch, she was approached by a woman who had previously managed Winnie Harlow, a Canadian fashion model.
International Festival of Culture will hold regional writers’ conference on May 6
The Community of Artists for Cultural and Historical Endeavors are celebrating their seventh International Festival of Culture with a regional writers’ conference that will be held at the Mount Carmel High School, Benque Viejo Del Carmen, on May 6 from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The writers’ conference will feature writers and poets from Belize, Mexico and Guatemala, said David Ruiz, one of the organizers, who will deliver the welcoming remarks and will introduce the visiting writers and poets.
Writers will speak on and explore the theme of the conference: “The Writer as Inspiration for National Unity, Self-Confidence, and Pride.”
WW Cross Country Race results
Here are the results from the Weekend Warriors (WW) 2017 Cross Country race, held yesterday. The “A& B” riders rode from Georgeville to Leslie’s Imports, for 62 miles, while the “C” riders rode from Roaring Creek Gas Station to Leslie’s Imports, for 52 miles.
Some 54 “A&B” cyclists started the race, and 44 finished. Finishing order was: 1st place – Kent Gabourel (Kulture Megabytes, 2:44:10); 2nd Barney Brown (Scotiabank, 2:45:53); 3rd Palas Joseph (Lampaz, st); 4th Kirk Sutherland (Digicell-4G, st); 5th Mark Gentle (FT Williams, st); 6th Jack Sutherland (Digicell-4G, st); 7th Derrick Smith (BFSC El-Pescador, st); 8th Warren Coye (Santino’s, st); 9th Santi Castillo (Santino’s, st); 10th Hector Tzuleta (Valvoline, st); 11th Dean Belisle (Bel-Cal, st); 12th Andrew Brown (Kulture Megabytes, st); 13th Sherman Thomas (Santino’s, st); 14th Ryan Willoughby (Valvoline, st); 15th Clarence Tescum (Santino’s); 16th Marvin Hyde (Lampaz); 17th Kenneth Butler (FT Williams); 18th Mark Reid (Santino’s); 19th Sean Duncan (Smart); 20th Alicia Thompson (Kulture Megabytes); 21st Kenny Gooding (FT Williams); 22nd Collet Maheia (Kulture Megabytes); 23rd George Abraham ((Bel-Cal); 24th Frank Burns (Cayo Rentals); 25th Fred Usher; 26th Willie Chan (Valvoline); 27th Gilberto Acosta (Santino’s)...
The women are ballin’; National Amateur Women League Week 5 results
–If what we saw at the MCC Grounds a couple weeks ago on Saturday, April 8, is happening all across the country, Belize women are really reaching another level in their football. The women are “ballin” indeed.
In Week 5 games this past weekend: On Saturday, April 22, at the Victor Sanchez Union Field in Toledo, visiting Griga Smart Pumas grabbed the 2-1 victory over home standing Toledo Strikers. Tenisha Zuniga (17’) and Nykemah Kuylen (36’) shook the net for the Pumas, while Sherese Paulino (29’) got the lone goal for the Strikers. And on Sunday at the People’s Stadium in Orange Walk, it was Gladiators FC with the 3-2 win over Gentle Touch from Cayo. Gladiators got a goal apiece from Julia Puerto (14’), Miriam Villamil (23’) and Noriely Terry (53’); while Vicky Ponce (9’ & 83’) struck twice for Gentle Touch.
Bandits and Verdes victorious in PLB semifinals game 1; decisive game 2 this weekend
After 14 weeks of regular season play, the Premier League of Belize (PLB) 2016-2017 Closing Season Top-4 best-of-2 games semifinal playoffs got under way yesterday afternoon at the MCC Grounds in Belize City, where #4 seed BDF FC hosted #1 seed Belmopan Bandits SC; and at the Norman Broaster Stadium in San Ignacio, where 3rd seed Verdes FC hosted 2nd seed Police United FC.
There was no surprise yesterday at the MCC Grounds in Belize City, where undefeated defending champions, Belmopan Bandits SC scored a late goal to clip home standing BDF FC, 1-nil, in game 1 of their semifinal series. Since demolishing BDF 4-0 in the Opening Season final game at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium, the Bandits have pretty much “owned” BDF, defeating them twice in the Closing Season regular competition, 2-1 and 4-0; and they maintained that supremacy on Sunday, defending well against BDF on the rugged MCC field, and pouncing on a late “contra golpe” initiated by goalkeeper Shane Orio, to gain the 1-nil victory on an 89th minute strike by Jairo Rochez.
Smart 13 & Under Mundialito football tournament 2017 Week 1 results, April 22, MCC
The 6th Annual Smart 13 & Under Mundialito football tournament kicked off on Saturday, April 22, after opening ceremonies at the MCC Grounds, where all 12 participating teams saw action in Week 1 of the competition. It’s a single round-robin tournament, with all teams in action each Saturday at the MCC. Special guest speaker at Saturday’s opening was semipro football star Jarret Davis, who did the ceremonial kick-off of the first ball to start the tournament, after advising all the kids to “stay in school.” As traditional, all uniforms for participating teams were provided by the sponsors, Smart.
Editorial: The truce
The Hon. Michael Finnegan, United Democratic Party (UDP) Mesopotamia area representative and Housing Minister in the Dean Barrow government, of late has been claiming that he began his political career in 1965. If that is so, no one knew of him, so he must be referring to accompanying his mother, who was a political campaigner for Hon. Philip Goldson’s National Independence Party (NIP) in the original Collet constituency, which up until 1984 included most of what are now the Lake Independence, Collet, and Queen’s Square constituencies.
We know that Hon. Finnegan, who was a member of the United Black Association for Development (UBAD) in 1971 and 1972, was one of the people who helped to found the UDP in September of 1973, the young Finnegan having attached himself to the attorney Dean Russell Lindo, who would be named, by internal decree, the first UDP Leader.
Finnegan worked very hard for the UDP for twenty years before he become the UDP’s Mesopotamia standard bearer in 1993, succeeding the late Curl Thompson, and since then he has become an electoral powerhouse, winning the Mesopotamia seat a total of seven consecutive times up to the present, by increasing margins.
Belizeans worse than Guatemalans?
Dear Sirs,
Belize’s waterways are under threat from…Belizeans.
Don’t worry about a few poor Mayans trying to survive on land that was stolen from them. What is a mother going to do when her child steps on a broken bottle in one of our waterways?
We can’t eat the fish because of sewage in the rivers. The rivers flood because we have destroyed the land holding the banks in place. The waterways won’t support wildlife anymore (iguanas, fish, turtles, crocodiles, birds), because the water is diverted for a few big farmers or for commercial purposes, or that stupid dam.
These problems affect thousands of Belizeans; the gold panners or tree-cutters are the least of Belizes problems. Belizeans need to get their house in order before they worry about Guatemalans.
Remembering the great Jack Lind
Remembering the great Jack Lind
Dear Editor,
I just read two letters on your website that mention Jack Lind. He passed away thirteen years ago before the birth of his first great grandson. He was a great man and loving grandfather.
I will one day be returning his ashes to Belize, as he wished.
Sincerely,
Adrian Adams, loving grandson
Eulogy for David E.A. Jenkins
Good afternoon friends and family,
David Emmanuel Alexander Jenkins, born on September 24th, 1933, the only child of Hazel Baptist and David Jenkins, was truly a special man. He was David and Dave to his loving wife Joan Kay, his mother Hazel Baptist, his only living sibling Catherine Jenkins Miller and to Enid and Olive Gullap who were like his sisters; he was Dad or Daddy to his Marthee, Dennis, Vannie Van, Cynthie Pie and Baby Girl, Di. for Solitaire, myself, Klay Jr., David, Kayla, Orlando, Kara, Alexandra, Shakira, Halle and Ethan; he was granddad and great grandfather and gunging to Rony, Kyra, Jalen, Lucas, Kylie, Mya, Leo, Elijah, Judah, and Tessa. For my brother and I not only was he a grandfather, he was truly a grand father because for more than half of our lives, he was like our father, a father that was simply grand and known to us as “Fadigran.”
For 83 years, he was David, Dave, “Brainwave”, Mr. Jenkins, Mr. Jenks, Mr. J, Sarge, “Radio Man”, “TV Man”, the man that took off his Saturdays for a year, closing his shop in order to go out to Battlefield park to fly a Belizean flag design which was half blue and half red; in the end not even to enter his design into the flag competition because it was never about him, never about recognition, he had achieved his goal to raise awareness of the issue and build public sentiment to have red on our Belizean Flag.
Belize pioneers with 1st national cyber-security forum
On the occasion of Cyber Awareness Day 2017, Belize this morning took a pioneering step in bringing together a wide cross-section of internet users, regulators, educators, law enforcement officials and even members of various arms of government, including the judiciary, for a week-long symposium to address the pervasive threats posed by cyber-bullying, cyber-crimes and related security threats.
The event, being held at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza, was organized by the Public Utilities Commission (PUC), in an effort to raise national awareness of the pressing issues, but also to lead the way towards the drafting of the country’s first national cyber security framework, to be concluded by December, to address the requisite laws and training needed to tackle the issues, as well as to raise public awareness and lead a sustained effort on what has become one of the world’s leading security concerns.
In speaking with the media today, Adrienne Galanek, chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Belize, noted that everyone – government agencies, private sector firms, young people or adults — is vulnerable to the threats that cyber-crimes and cyber-violence pose.
Belize Government cracking down on excursions to La Union
If you have just signed up for an excursion to “La Union,” a Mexican settlement to which the Belize-Mexico border crossing in Orange Walk owes its name, you may want to rethink your plans.
That is because even though a police station is nearby, “La Union” remains an un-official border crossing without any Immigration office.
As a result, Immigration officials are unable to stamp your passport before you cross, and so, crossing would constitute an offence.
However, that has become the norm at the Orange Walk border. The Immigration and Customs Departments are seeking to regulate that crossing, and Belizeans who do not live along the border crossing are prevented from paddling across the Rio Hondo River to get more bang for their buck in that Mexican settlement.
Breaking Belize News
Gas jumping $10 at midnight
The cost of fuel is going up again, but this latest price hike will send regular gasoline above $10 a gallon.
BBN has confirmed that at midnight tonight the price of regular gasoline will go up by 47 cents, from $9.71 to $10.11.
Diesel fuel will also go up by 29 cents from $9.10 – $9.39. Premium fuel, which stands at $10.79 per gallon, is the only fuel which will see a price decrease.
Cow Pen village gets upgrade
Funding from the Government of Belize and the European Union (EU) has enabled the upgrading of Cow Pen village’s main road in the the Stann Creek District.
This project has benefited more than 3,000 villagers of Cow Pen and New San Juan who use the road.
At 2:00 p.m. on Thursday there will be an official inauguration ceremony on site for this latest project.
No injuries in container truck accident
The driver of a container truck lost control while driving up Joseph Andrew’s drive.
The container fell off and into a fence in front of Sacred Heart College in San Ignacio Town.
Authorities meet to discuss cyber security
Representatives from the public and private sector are holding a week-long symposium, to discuss issues relating to cyber security in Belize, in preparation for drafting the first National Cyber Security Strategy and Action Plan.
The Deputy Prime Minister, the Special Envoy for Women and Children, Chief Justice of Belize and Attorney General of Belize, were only a few of the participants gathered at the Best Western Belize Biltmore Plaza, to discuss the current state of affairs regarding cyber security in Belize, and what progressions the country needs to make.
Fake cops thrown in jail
Two fake cops were remanded to real jail after appearing in court yesterday. Last Wednesday they were seen in uniform standing at the entrance to the Public’s Supermarket on the Philip Goldson highway. A police mobile investigated and realized the men were impersonating cops. […]
Fourteen-year-old San Ignacio girl missing
According to police reports, 52-year-old Quiterio Vasquez of San Ignacio reported that yesterday around 5:30, he was at home when his daughter Lisbeth Vasquez, 14, arrived from school. She informed the family that she was heading out to exercise as she was entering a race. […]
Knife weilding horseman outruns Roaring Creek cops
According to police, on Saturday in Roaring Creek at about 3:20 p.m., cops responded to a report of a violent man on a horse. Police reportedly saw Alwin Cruz Sr. on a horse attempting to stab a female with a knife in Roaring Creek […]
Minor and two others arrested for Trio village murder
On Sunday, BBN reported a vicious machete attack in Trio Village, Toledo that claimed the life of Santiago Garcia Jr. and injured several others. Today, police arrested and charged a minor from Trio Village, along with Sabanito Cal, 23, and Arnoldo Xol, 20, both […]
Hunter believed to have been killed by jaguar
On Friday we had reported that the body of a Progresso Man, Baltzar Lino, was pulled from a well near Caledonia. Lino had reportedly gone hunting when he became the hunted. The 44-year-old man was seen with deep scratches to his neck, which medical authorities […]
“No apologies for honorarium,” says Faber
Minister of Education Patrick Faber, says that he intends to pay out the honorarium to the teachers that didn’t strike, regardless of heavy criticism from the opposition and other organizations. Faber explained this week, that he does not care about the criticism of the […]
San Pedro selected as one of world’s best honeymoon destinations
San Pedro has been selected as one of 22 of the world’s best Luxury Honeymoon Destinations by Canada’s Largest Travel Agency, Flight Network. The article highlights Belize’s Barrier Reef, its pristine beaches, marine ecosystems and Mayan temples.According to the article, San Pedro is a […]
Amber Mckoy honored for painting depicting Mexico
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico through the Institute for Mexicans abroad promotes the “Let’s Draw about Mexican Music and Traditions” children’s competition annually. Children from around the world participate by submitting their paintings depicting the Mexican culture and traditions. “Este es mi […]
#VaccinesWork; World Immunization week 2017
World Immunization week is being observed from the 24th to the 30th of April 2017. The observation of the week aims to raise awareness about the critical importance of full immunization throughout life and its role in achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. The […]
Weekend freak storm hits Biscayne Village
On Saturday afternoon around 5:00, a freak storm struck Biscayne Village in the Belize district affecting nine families. Minister of the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) Edmond Castro led response team in the Village. Three homes were destroyed beyond repair and six others were […]
Da time fi sorosi, Belizeans. Da time fi purge di parasites. Da time fi call for re-registration, NOW!
Recently, a very close friend of mine asked me a very pertinent question. He asked me – “Are you serious about politics and running for office?” I smiled and I politely replied – “I can’t think of anyone, other than the alternative political […]
Get Out Your Calendars: The Spring & Summer Festivals of Belize
Belize has seasons. In fact, we have more seasons the average place. When it comes to weather, we have winter (cooler & dry) leading to the Easter winds, the weather gets warmer and rains lead into storm season and…repeat.
But we also have “Busy Season” and “Slow season”…”High Season” and “Low Season”. Busy lasts from Christmas to, in my estimation, the end of May…and then slows down to the end of August. September, October and November are the doldrums…the slowest of the slow when it comes to tourism and the money that it generates.
And I’m going to introduce a new season – THE SEASON OF FESTIVALS! When things slow down a bit work-wise, as the weather gets warmer and the kids start to get out of school, it’s time to celebrate in Belize.
And I can think of no better time to visit. When a village is celebrating what it does best…what it loves most…
Here is a schedule for the upcoming FESTIVAL SEASON:
Romantic Belize | 7 Honeymoon Hotels in Belize
Located on the east coast of Central America, bordering Mexico and Guatemala, and with shorelines lovingly lapped by the warm, gentle waves of the Caribbean Sea, Belize is a world-class destination for romance.
Tropical sunshine, beautiful Caribbean beaches, cultural antiquity, intrepid adventure, breath-taking biodiversity and the second largest barrier reef in the world make Belize an extraordinarily unique destination, which despite being the only English speaking country in Central America is still largely undiscovered by European tourists – further still increasing its romantic desirability.
So if you are looking for a laid-back beach getaway, romantic honeymoon hideaway, an anniversary adventure or a tropical barefoot wedding – Belize is a destination that demands your attention!
Including beach and rainforest locations our recommended romantic hotels and resorts in Belize offer exceptional romantic experiences and hospitality for couples.
Cahal Pech Maya Ruins
As the oldest-known Maya site in the Belize River Valley, this ruin was built between 1500 and 1000 BC. It’s a spectacular example of Pre-classic period architecture, some of which has survived thousands of years. The name Cahal Pech translates as “Place of Ticks,” referring to tick-infested pastures on which area farmers grazed cattle over time. Archaeologists believe this community was once 10 square miles in size, but the concentration of structures open to visitors is around two miles, so it’s an easy place to navigate. There’s much to see here: 34 structures include a mix of workplaces, homes, temples, palaces, ball courts and stelae, one of which is the oldest in the region.
If you’re staying in San Ignacio, walk to the site since it’s only about a mile south of town. Follow Buena Vista Street and turn right when you see the sign to locate the visitor’s center. You may wish to hire an independent guide or just set off on your own, with or without the guidebook you may have bought before you left for Belize. Allow time enough to take in the royal burial chamber where an ancient Mayan ruler was laid to rest amid a huge cache of assets including blades, jade, shell and bone ornaments and especially the priceless jade and shell mosaic mask considered Cahal Pech’s most precious artifact.
Big Rock Waterfalls – All You Need to Know Before You Go
Would you miss seeing Niagara Falls or Victoria Falls while traveling? Of course not, so put Big Rock at the top of your must-see list while in Belize. The force of nature is located not far from the Cayo District, making it a perfect day trip. As waters rush over rock formations from so great a height, snap photos, picnic and feel your body release and relax amid the soothing sounds. Splash in the pool at the waterfall’s base. You can tell the world afterward that you just visited the tallest waterfall in Central America.
It’s a trek to reach the waterfall located within this deep and dense 300 square mile pine forest populated with Jurassic Age limestone and granite boulders, hills and valleys. If you love a challenge, feel free to drive from San Ignacio. A ranger station will greet you when you enter the park. Beyond the gate, signage can guide you the four miles to your destination.
International Sources
Could We See Caribbean Tropical Development During The First Half Of May? It’s Possible
The long range operational GFS model and its ensemble members continue to strongly hint at the potential for tropical development to occur somewhere in the Caribbean during the first 2 weeks of May. As I mentioned a couple of days ago, the idea of tropical development posed by the GFS model guidance may not be so far fetched. The reason why is because the long range weather pattern could become favorable for tropical development in the Caribbean as we get into early May.
First things first though – Do not concentrate on exactly where the GFS model is forecasting tropical development to occur in the Caribbean. The reason why is because the area of the Caribbean the GFS model is forecasting tropical development to occur will likely change often over the next couple of weeks. For instance last night’s GFS model forecast showed tropical development in the eastern Caribbean that impacts the Lesser Antilles around May 6th to May 9th and also eastern Pacific tropical development during the week of May 8th. Fast forward to the most recent forecast of the GFS model which now forecasts tropical development in the western Caribbean during the week of May 8th.
Coastal Living magazine. "20 Best Places to Live 2017
Belize, the Bahamas and Playa del Carmen, Mexico have been named some of the best places to live along the coast.
Coastal Living magazine. "20 Best Places to Live 2017" list, which considers everything from the coastal lifestyle to urban and community design, expat life, ease of transition, real estate ownership, location and quality of destination.
It's a list tailor-made for retirees looking for property along water-front, sun-soaked coastlines in North America and the Caribbean, or ocean lovers and water babies looking to live near its wildness.
Destinations are divided into different categories. For those in search of a smaller coastal town, the list includes Fernandina Beach and Sarasota in Florida. There's also Grand Haven in Michigan, Langley in Washington and Orleans in Massachusetts.
More dynamic destinations in the "cities" category include Boston, San Diego, Santa Barbara and St. Petersburg, Florida.
For those looking for something more exotic and tropical, experts singled out Ambergris Caye in Belize, Harbour Islands in the Bahamas and Playa del Carmen, in Mexico.
Belice es Nuestro . . . Pero ¡YA NO! (Belize is ours. . . But not anymore!)
Belice, En la psiquis Guatemalteca siempre ha sido una de las piezas importante del imperio imaginario que Guatemala supuestamente heredó de España, y lo tratan como derecho divino.
Belice es para los guatemaltecos como el territorio de sus propias Amazonas y tierras míticas. Aunque no lo conocen, no saben mucho de ello y nunca lo han visitado, cuentan y re-cuentan como hechos, numerosas leyendas y mitos del “departamento número 23”.
Todo guatemalteco está enamorado de Belice y aunque ningún político se ha molestado ni esforzado en viajar a Belice en los últimos 150 años, seguimos con la farsa que “Belice es Nuestro”.
Cuando el chapín platica con extranjeros, nunca pierde la oportunidad de mencionar que “¿sabías que Belice era nuestro, pero nos lo quitaron?”. Por si acaso el extranjero dice que no sabía de esta tragedia, entonces le empiezan a recontar un listado completo de injusticias territoriales, que incluyen el “robo del Yucatán” y el “hurto de Chiapas”.
Suspect in 1978 Slayings of British Tourists in Belize Dies
A California man has died while awaiting trial in the slayings of two British tourists on his boat during a sailing trip from Belize nearly four decades ago, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Silas Duane Boston, 76, died Monday night while he was being treated at an outside hospital for what the Sacramento County sheriff's department said were significant health problems.
He had pleaded not guilty to two counts of first-degree maritime murder in the 1978 deaths of Christopher Farmer and Peta Frampton, both 25 and originally from Manchester, England.
Boston was arrested Dec. 2 at his home in Paradise, California.
‘Shoulder to Shoulder’ for a stronger tomorrow
The Louisiana National Guard welcomed delegates from Belize to tour the state’s Youth Challenge Programs, April 10-12. Belize is working on plans to establish a program for at-risk youth in Belize that is similar to the YCP program in Louisiana.
Brig. Gen. David Jones, commander of the Belize Defence Force, Felix Enriquez, chief executive officer of the Ministry of Defence, Judith Alpuche, the chief executive officer of the Ministry of Human Development, Social Transformation and Poverty Alleviation of Belize, and the Wilfred Elrington, Minister of Foreign Affairs, all visited the three YCP sites in Louisiana. The delegation also met with Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards.
For more than 20 years, the LANG and the BDF have trained and worked together as part of the State Partnership Program, which is administered by the National Guard Bureau. Over the years, the two countries have participated in 257 events. The success of this partnership has now led to include programs such as YCP.
How to Turn a Vacation with Kids into an Adventure
Parenting is like living in the Rolling Stones’ song “You Can’t Always Get What You Want.” Except that what you want changes all the time. When your kids are babies and you are semipsychotic from sleep deprivation, all you want is to take an honest-to-God vacation where you can put your feet up and read a book for more than 60 seconds in one sitting. The problem is that vacations with little ones are not vacations unless you are independently wealthy and have brought along multiple babysitters and doting grandparents. Because wherever you go, there they are.
For our first real vacation with our daughters, ages six and eight, we decided to go to Belize. English is the official language, U.S. currency is accepted almost everywhere, and it’s just over a two-hour nonstop flight from Houston. Coming from Santa Fe, New Mexico, we didn’t even have to switch time zones. There’s also the absurdly clear Caribbean water, the world’s second-largest coral reef, stellar bonefishing for my angling junkie of a husband, lush inland jungles, Mayan ruins, and more than 600 species of birds, all in a country the size of Massachusetts.
From acclimation to adaptation: the plastic life of a Caribbean soft coral
A recent study published in BMC Evolutionary Biology demonstrated that a transplanted soft coral from the Caribbean Sea (Antillogorgia bipinnata) changed its shape consistently as the corals living in the new environment. This type of manipulation known as “common garden experiments” allowed the authors to determine the adaptive value of that change that means life or death for a species across a depth gradient.
This individual capacity is called phenotypic plasticity when the same genotype can exhibit several phenotypes due to environmental influences, and it is the equivalent of a person getting a tan after some holidays on a sunny beach.
Garifuna Festival Celebrated at Museum of Latin American Art
Sunday, April 23rd, the Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA) hosted the inaugural Garifuna Festival. The Garifuna Festival celebrates the arts, music and language of Black Caribs- Garifuna people Central America (Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua). The day long festival featured art workshops, children’s story time, Garifuna drumming, and face-painting. The festival also featured Garifuna craft vendors, mouthwatering food and drinks.
Arriving guest were entertained by the infectious dance beats laid down by DJ Fuego of Matralleta de Oro manning the sound boards.
The Garifuna culture was on full display throughout the afternoon. Lidereibugu Garifuna Ensemble (LGE), led the crowd and I on a tour of the vibrant Garifuna community through dance and drumming, with special guest recording artist Lil June. The crowd were invited onstage to dance with the ensemble.
Trinidad President Tells Rest of Region It’s Time to Dump UK Privy Council
Trinidad and Tobago President Anthony Carmona has expressed frustration that his country and other CARICOM states have not replaced the Privy Council with the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) as their final authority in legal matters.
Though 12 of the 15 CARICOM territories have signed the agreement establishing the CCJ, which was launched in 2005 as the final arbiter in legal disputes among and within regional members, only Barbados, Guyana, Dominica and Belize have accepted this court as the end decision-maker.
Carmona, who served as a High Court Judge before being appointed as President in 2013, expressed his frustration in Barbados during a presentation on Redefining Caribbean Pride for the 21st Century Youth, to University of the West Indies, Cave Hill Campus, undergraduate organization, Students Today Alumni Tomorrow.
US considers fee on money-transfers to Guyana, other countries to help fund Trump’s border wall
United States-based Guyanese could soon be asked to pay more to send their relatives and friends a ‘small piece’ or a ‘frek’ if a Bill is passed to impose a two percent tax on all remittances sent to Guyana and several other countries to help fund the construction of a US-Mexico border wall.
Introduced to the House of Representatives on March 30, 2017, the Border Wall Funding Act seeks to amend the Electronic Fund Transfer Act to impose a fee for remittance transfers to certain foreign countries, and for other purposes. The US-Mexico wall, a major campaign promise by American President Donald Trump to keep out illegal aliens and other undesirables from entering the US, is estimated to cost US$21.6 billion
“If the designated recipient of a remittance transfer is located in a foreign country described in subparagraph (B), a remittance transfer provider shall collect from the sender of such remittance transfer a remittance fee equal to 2 percent of the United States dollar amount to be transferred (excluding any fees or other charges imposed by the remittance transfer provider),” states the Bill that was referred on April 21, 2017 to the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, and the House’s Committees on Financial Services, Foreign Affairs and Judiciary.
Locals stumble across ancient Mayan god monument while clearing debris in Mexico
Locals accidentally uncovered an ancient Mayan artefact while clearing debris on privately-owned land in the Mexican state of Chiapas.
The monument, believed to be the head of the Mayan god of maize and abundance, dates back to the late classical period between 600 and 900 AD. It was found underneath a house in the city of Suchiapa.
Archaeologists of the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) identified the authenticity and antiquity of the artefact.
The monument has been kept at the Regional Museum of Chiapas since it was found in September 2016.
Videos
Sudden Storm Lashes Biscayne, Rips Through Homes, 5min. A freak thunderstorm swept through parts of Biscayne, Belize District over the weekend. Though not unusual, it left in its passage considerable damages to property, fortunately, there were no injuries reported. The storm had been forecasted, but residents did not expect its severity. Today, we found them picking up the pieces. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Maycan Beach Belize. CA, 3.5min.
Belize Trip, 7min.
Cruising Off Belize Coast, 15min.
Ministry of Health Vaccines Week, 28min.
UNIBAM & NAC host 2Day Conference on Sexual Orientation/ Gender Identity & Law, 34min.
United States Embassy - Young Leaders of the America's Initiative Applicatioin Process, 26min.
Welcome to Harvest Caye: Alcatraz or Paradise?, 7min.
BELIZE'S FOOTBALL GREATNESS: RUPERT "CANALAYTE" ANDERSON! (PART ONE), 40min. Meeting the legendary Belizean football goalkeeper, Rupert Anderson, for the first time in person after seeing him play so many games as the "hard to score on" iron clad defense for first team Landivar in the 1960s and early 70s, then Spurs, and later on White Label in the late1970s and early 80s, Belizean Legends embarked on one of the most prestigious production to date two weeks ago to document the incredible story of one of Belize's most celebrated athletes of all times.
The keen vision of Belizean sports enthusiast and athlete, Everett "Koby" Coburn, who invited yours truly to Florida to chronicle the life and times of the man they called "Canalayte", Rupert Anderson, has got to be appreciated here. Being a visionary in many ways, Coby saw the story and pressed me urgently since the long time Belizean goalkeeper has been ailing, and found it very important that Anderson's classic work as probably Belize's best goalkeeper of all times be respected and not be forgotten by all means necessary.
Belize Sunrises, 1.5min. A selection of sunrises from our recent trip to Belize.
Wow-Belize Adventures, 2.5min. Here is an awesome video shot last weekend, by our client and friend Ramon Wilson from LA.
Maruba Belize Experiences, 1min. Maruba Resort Guest Experiences Video Review.
Belize shark, 1.5min. Kate's video of a close encounter with a shark in Belize.
Police Check Point Talk Show, 60min.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
