Amandala
Inflation hits new high
Consumer prices continue to push upwards as a result of increases in transport costs, primarily due to airfare prices and the cost of fuel at the pumps, reflecting higher world market prices as well as increased tax levies implemented by the Government to raise additional revenue for the 2017-2018 fiscal year which began in April.
For the first time since 2012, the cost of goods and services procured by Belizean households has shot up beyond 2% for two consecutive months, according to data published by the Statistical Institute of Belize (SIB).
Cost of living contracted in 2015 but increased by 0.7% in 2016, according to the SIB, and since the year 2017 began, inflation rates have well exceeded that figure.
Hon. Edmond Castro “explains” the cancellation of his US visas
The U.S. State Department’s revocation of Minister of National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) and Transport, Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro’s diplomatic and personal visas may be an indictment of the corruption currently afflicting the Dean Barrow-led United Democratic Party government.
As the Senate hearings into the corruption in the Passport and Nationality department draw near to a conclusion, it is becoming clearer with each hearing that some of Barrow’s Cabinet ministers were involved in a massive visa hustling scheme at the Immigration Department, which the US may have viewed as compromising US national security, and it caught the attention of the US Department of Homeland Security.
Ready Call Center will trim its workforce by 239
Tomorrow, June 2, Ready Call Center Ltd. will be celebrating its 12th anniversary of operations in Belize. For the company, however, it is a bitter-sweet anniversary, because a part of the company operations will cease and that will affect 239 members of its current workforce.
In a telephone interview with Amandala late this evening, David Avisa, who works in the finance department of the company, said that the company, which has 7 accounts, will lose one of its accounts, and this will have an impact on the employees at the Burrell Boom junction office.
Avisa said the operations at the Burrell Boom office will cease and the company will only be operating from the ICON Building, located on Newtown Barracks in Belize City.
Finally, Ministers named!
Whistleblower Alvarine Burgess took the witness stand in May 2015 in defense of herself in a defamation lawsuit in the Supreme Court filed by Hon. Edmond “Clear the Land” Castro.
Yesterday, Wednesday, Burgess appeared before the Senate Select Committee inquiring into the Auditor General’s Report on the Immigration Department covering the period 2011 to 2013.
At the Supreme Court hearing, Burgess proved to be a credible witness and her testimony eventually led Minister Castro to retreat from his defamation claim.
Belize’s former Ambassador to (China) Taiwan testifies at the Senate immigration hearing
The Senate Select Committee investigating the Auditor General’s report on irregularities at the Immigration Department between 2011 and 2013 met today in Belmopan at the National Assembly building after its hearing last week was postponed due to the tension created by UDP chairman Alberto August and Macebearer Brian “Yellowman” Audinett, who behaved in a disruptive manner in the last hearing.
With additional police presence today, the Senate Select Committee heard testimonies from two persons — Cherie Nisbet, the former Belize Ambassador to (China) Taiwan, and whistleblower Alverine Burgess.
Surprisingly, Ambassador Nisbet testified that no one from the Belize office in Taiwan ever attempted to contact a Honduran diplomat, Alejandro Young, through whom Belize City Deputy Mayor Eric Chan said, he had gotten to know Korean criminal Won Hong Kim.
“My vision is bigger than my disappointments.” What’s next for Kaina Martinez?
A source inside the Belize athletics community suggested over the weekend that he suspects that Belizean star sprinter, Kaina Martinez might be “going pro” after she graduates from Texas A&M University, Kingsville in a few weeks’ time.
To our email query following congratulations yesterday, Kaina confided that she intends to come home in about three weeks “to deal with some things. Until then, I’ll continue to work hard.”
But on the matter of entering the professional arena, she had no such plans.
Pepsi NEBL champion will be crowned Saturday night
The Pepsi NEBL 2017 champion will be crowned on Saturday night, June 3, at the San Pedro High School in San Pedro Town. The game will tip off at 9:00 p.m. between Belmopan Bandits and San Pedro Tiger Sharks. The winner of this decisive game 3 will be the Pepsi NEBL 2017 Champion. Following the game will be the presentation of individual and team awards. The game will be live on TNC.
Belmopan First Division Tournament update
The Belmopan First Division Closing Tournament 2017 continued over the weekend with 5 games at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium.
On Friday, May 26, in a Group B opener, Roaring Creek United shut out Wingz FC, 4-0, with goals from Amir Torres (39’), Kenny Williams (70’ & 91’) and Jermaine Joseph (90’). And in the Group A nightcap, Police FC crushed Juventus FC, 4-1, with a goal each from Kishane Pech (19’), Khalid Martinez (47’), TV Ramos (80’) and Kyle Thomas (88’). Juventus’ only goal was by Belhem Guzman (33’).
Race to the playoffs; back-to-back days of Smart 13 & Under at MCC
It is a very tight race, indeed, to the Top-4 playoffs in the 6th Annual Smart 13 & Under, Football Tournament; and two Weeks of games will be packed into the coming weekend, as a full slate of 6 games each will be played on Saturday and Sunday at the MCC. So far, no team has secured a playoff spot; but a few might be a lot closer to doing so after this weekend.
Rural North Football Tournament, weekend semifinals results
The Belize Rural North Football Tournament for the Edmund “Clear the Land” Castro Cup 2017 continued on Sunday, May 28, at the Lucky Strike Football Field with knockout semifinal games in both the U-15 and Senior categories of the competition.
In game 1, (U-15) Ladyville Rising Stars and Sandhill Youths ended 1-1 in regulation. Kenroy Allen (22’) gave Ladyville the lead, but Keiron Requena (38’) equalized for Sandhill. They then went straight to penalty kicks, where Ladyville won, 5-4.
In game 2, (U-15) Maskall Youths dropped Face of Belize, 3-2, on 2 goals by Joseph Morales (28’ & 36’) and the other by Trent Humes (42’). For Face of Belize, Bjarn Gabourel (38’ & 54’) got both goals.
Editorial: Washington sends a message
The United States Embassy in Belize revoked Hon. Edmond Castro’s diplomatic and tourist visas less than twenty four hours before the United Democratic Party (UDP) Transportation Minister’s great nemesis, Alvarine Burgess, was scheduled to appear before the Senate Committee inquiry into the scandals and corruption at the Immigration Department.
When Alvarine did begin to answer questions late Wednesday morning, May 31, it was exactly two weeks after UDP Chairman Alberto August had led roughnecks into the National Assembly building to disrupt the Senate hearing. During the course of that fracas, the UDP-appointed mace bearer in the House of Representatives, who was one of Chairman August’s six or seven “soldiers,” had verbally and physically assaulted three members of the media – from Channel 7, PLUS TV, and KREM Radio/TV.
From the Publisher
In February of 1970 the Cabinet of the ruling People’s United Party (PUP) made a decision to arrest and charge two leaders (myself and Ismail Omar Shabazz) of the United Black Association for Development (UBAD) with sedition (seditious conspiracy, to be precise). That PUP Cabinet decision, I would say, began a series of events which eventually led to a massive UBAD uprising in the streets of Belize City on the night of May 29, 1972 – 45 years ago.
On Monday morning of this week, the 45th anniversary of the May 1972 explosion, Lisa “Love” Myvett and Kareem “Frisco” Wallace, two KREM Radio announcers who host the “Morning Stew” show, asked me to speak on air about the events of the night of May 29, 1972. I could only give my personal observations of the night, because the principal actors in the dramatic events which followed the UBAD march were Secretary-General Norman Fairweather and two UBAD members, the late Michael Hyde (my younger brother) and Edwardo Burns (the older brother of River of Fire – the well-known poet).
So Barrow in 1995, so Saldivar in 2017!
In 1995, as the Executive Officer of the BDF Maritime Wing, I received instructions from the Commandant of the BDF to provide a boat to take some people to Caye Caulker and then on to San Pedro. The instructions, according to the Commandant, were directly from the Minister of National Security and therefore I was to ensure that we did not “screw up”.
I in turn, instructed Lieutenant Valerio to command the vessel and to report to the Fort George pier in good time and in good order. Shortly before the vessel was due to depart, I got a call from Lieutenant Valerio that some people had arrived to be transported to Caye Caulker but that they were all wearing political tee shirts. He inquired what to do. My training has always been that the BDF serves the people of Belize through the democratically elected government of the day but that public resources must never be used for political purposes. On the basis of this training, I instructed Lieutenant Valerio to inform the persons at the pier that they could not ride the BDF vessel wearing political paraphernalia. They therefore had two options: remove the political tee shirts and replace it with non-political attire or be denied access to the vessel. Some people were able to place another top over the political tee shirts and some of the men reversed their tee shirts so that the political slogans were not so obvious. Satisfied that there were no glaring displays of partisanship, and after I had consulted the Commandant, the vessel departed.
My Experience on the EPI –Belize ecology course
Editor Sir,
A few weeks ago, from March 24 to April 1, a group of 17 persons, including six students from Galen University, four students and a professor from Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon and two instructors from Ecology Project International (EPI-Belize), embarked on a field-based ecology course to Calabash Caye and Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. We were going to learn about the ecosystems and importance of these natural resources while also learning to collect scientific data.
Upon our arrival at Calabash Caye, where we spent our first five days, we, the students, were given a quick tour of the University of Belize’s ERI research facility where we were accommodated. The first step was learning how to snorkel. The majority of us, including myself, had little to no experience with snorkeling. However, our instructors, Connally Canto and Katherine Brady, graciously taught us step-by-step how to snorkel confidently. After what seemed like three nervous panic attacks for me, I finally mastered the basics of snorkeling and became comfortable to participate in all activities.
Get prepared for above normal hurricane season, Belize Met office chiefs say
Officials at the National Meteorological Service in Ladyville today said that Belizeans need to be prepared during the 2017 hurricane season, which is forecasted to have above average cyclone activity. The season begins tomorrow, June 1.
Chief Meteorologist, Catherine Cumberbatch, told the press during a mid-afternoon briefing that this year is forecasted to have at least 14 named storms, higher than the seasonal average for the Atlantic at 12 named storms. The forecast also calls for 7 hurricanes, nearly double the 4 hurricanes which would strike during an average season. Meanwhile, 3 of those hurricanes may be major hurricanes, with strength of category 3 or higher – or winds higher than 110 miles per hour.
Miss Belize Universe controversy takes a new turn
In the wake of controversy over the abruptly terminated reign of Miss Belize Universe, Rebecca “Bexx” Rath, a press release was issued by Orson Elrington, who said that he was speaking on behalf of himself and Reynaldo Malik, who together own a 2/3 majority in Queen of the Jewel Ltd., saying that the statement which had been released the prior Friday by shareholder and pageant director, Opal Enriquez, was unauthorized by them.
“While we own 2/3 of the company, for various reasons we have left the running of the company and its affairs to Ms. Enriquez. Moving forward that will no longer be the case,” said the release.
The release added that Enriquez had resigned as pageant director on Friday, May 26, but she told us that while she did indicate to Elrington that she was resigning, she was not resigning as pageant director.
Erin Linarez, 23, missing since Tuesday morning, May 23
Erin Linarez, 23, a laborer of San Ignacio, has been missing since Tuesday, May 23. He was last seen at Remar Rehabilitation Center in Bullet Tree Falls, Cayo District.
According to the manager at Remar, Linarez left around 4:30 a.m. that Tuesday morning and no one has heard from him or seen him since.
His mother told us today that they have formed a search party and are looking for him.
GOB does not intend to pay multi-million-dollar Newco award
Financial Secretary Joseph Waight told Amandala today that the Government of Belize “does not intend to pay” the arbitral award handed down several years ago in favor of Newco, a company which had been granted a long-term concession to run the Philip Goldson International Airport, with the deal later aborted by the Musa administration in favor of Belizean investors who were connected with members of the then administration.
Official sources tell us that the tab is now in the region of US$6.5 or US$7 million due to interest accruing on the unpaid award.
This January, the US Court of Appeal refused to hear a request from the Government of Belize to quash the US$4.26 million arbitral award in favor of Newco, while it also refused to hear the Government’s challenge to other arbitral awards in favor of companies connected with British billionaire Michael Ashcroft.
The Reporter
Mexican law enforcers stop their citizens who demand reopening of border bridge
Mexican law enforcers had to pull out muscle to keep order at the Subteniente Lopez border bridge this week, after Mexicans threatened another day of disturbance. The Mexican civilians, mostly merchants who sell their products on the Mexican side of the bridge, and some […]
The healing circle book of poems launched
A book of poems entitled, “The healing Circle”, was launched last week Thursday at the Saint Catherine Academy multi-purpose center. The book highlights 64 poems, penned by 17-year-old Azizi Hoy and 70-year-old Myrna Manzanarez. Both women are Belizean icons in their own right and bring […]
Cuban and Mexican embassies to host cultural musical presentations
A joint collaboration between the Mexican and Cuban Embassies to Belize will result in a cultural musical presentation showcase at the Institute of Mexico in Belize City on June 6th. The event is expected to commence at 7:00 p.m., and will gorm part of the […]
Saldivar/Defense Ministry respond to allegations of misuse of public assets
The reports that Minister of Defense, John Saldivar has used Coast Guard boats and fuel to take his privately-owned Bandits team members and their family and friends to San Pedro for scheduled games have garnered responses from Saldivar and his ministry. On Tuesday, the Ministry […]
Honduran diplomat in Belize fired for transcription error
A Honduran diplomat in Belize was fired this week after he made a grave error in translating an official communiqué regarding his country’s position on the current civil unrest in Venezuela. Honduras’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Tuesday that he “dismissed” Carlos Villanueva, chargé […]
Lights, Cameras, Action! Just not in people’s bedrooms please!
People’s interactions and behaviour, particularly on the south side of Belize City, is something the Belize Police Department has started to literally zoom in on, with the acquisition of the first set of high definition surveillance cameras, strategically-placed in areas called “hot zones”. […]
Opal back pedals on Ms. Belize status
After a firestorm of bad publicity over the apparent dethroning of Ms. Belize 2016-2017, Rebecca Rath, Opal Enriquez, former pageant organizer, has recanted her position on Rath’s status. Enriquez had issued a release on May 26 stating “Effective Immediately, the official title of Miss Belize […]
Belize City and South Korea signs MOU
Belize City Mayor Darrel Bradley signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at City Hall last Friday with the Mayor of Yeosu, Ju Cheol Hyeon of South Korea. The MOU was officially signed on Friday May 26, and seeks to strengthen relationships and foster developments […]
Belize city mayor address UN forum on Sustainable Development
Belize City Mayor Darrel Bradley, returned from New York last week after attending the United Nations Economic and Social Council Forum on Financing Sustainable Development. The forum was an international conference by the United Nations Economic and Social Council to discuss the implementation of sustainable […]
Mexico extends visitors card stay
Holders of Mexico’s Regional Visitors Card are advised that there has been a recent amendment that extends visitors temporary stay from 3 to 7 days. The embassy sent out a press release last week stating that the recent amendment became effective on May 19 and […]
Delegation wraps up official visit to Cuba
A delegation consisting of government ministers and experts from Belize led by Deputy Prime Minister Patrick Faber recently concluded an official visit to the Republic of Cuba. The tour was held from May 22-26. Faber was accompanied by Tourism Minister Manuel Heredia Jr. and […]
Wife stabs husband dead; DPP says self-defense
An argument between a wife and husband turned into a fight and ended in death when the husband was fatally stabbed two days before their first anniversary, but the wife has been released on grounds that she acted in self-defense. The two got […]
Mother detained for throwing newborn in river
A Guatemalan woman and man from San Vicente village in the Toledo District are detained by police pending investigations into the death and disposal of a new born baby. The body of the decomposed male baby was recovered from the San Vicente river by police […]
Police investigating partially decapitated body in Bella Vista
A resident of Trio Village in the Toledo district was found brutally murdered on Sunday. His head was partially decapitated, and he had multiple gunshot wounds to his chest along with chop wounds to both of his shoulders. The body of 21-year-old Armando Alverenga […]
Three policemen in Corozal accused of extortion
Three policemen assigned to the Corozal police station have been accused of extortion, but the complainant says the three accused are still on the job and are now harassing him, even after he paid monies they demanded. The businessman, Elijio Briceno, gave […]
Customs Broker fined for stealing
Justin Longsworth is a 29 year old customs broker accused of stealing eleven flat screen television sets from his employer, the customs brokerage house of Valdez Global Shipping. Last week a court convicted Longsworth of stealing from his employer and ordered to pay a fine amounting to $1,100. . It […]
Editorial
The Senate Inquiry into passport irregularities at the Ministry and Department of Immigration which was interrupted two weeks ago by disturbances from the gallery, resumed this week with spectacular disclosures from an acknowledged passport player, Mrs. Alverine Burgess. She explained in detail how the scam wasrun. . She testified that […]
PM to Saldivar: ‘Stop using Coast Guard boats!’
Prime Minister, Dean Barrow has said that the Minister of Defence, John Saldivar must stop using the coast guard vessels, gifted by the US government, for transporting his privately-owned Bandits basketball team, relatives, and fans to San Pedro for games. Barrow said he was impressed […]
Hundreds fear losing job at Ready Call
More than 100 people are faced with sudden unemployment after Ready Call, one of Belize’s oldest call centers, announced it had lost a U.S. client and would be downsizing and consolidating its operations to the ICON building on Newtown Barracks in Belize City. Ready Call’s […]
US strips Castro of diplomatic and tourist visas
The US State Department has revoked the diplomatic and tourist visas they issued to Minister of State with responsibility for National Emergency Management and Transport, Edmond Castro some years ago, but the news seems to have more effect on Prime Minister Barrow than […]
Alvarine Burgess provides explosive testimony
Whistleblower, Alvarine Burgess, this week, accused three Ministers of Government and a ranking officer of the Belize Police Department of high level immigration fraud, during her testimony to the Senate Select Committee. Burgess took the stand on Wednesday, accusing Ministers Edmond Castro, Erwin Contreras, and […]
Central Bank loses another corresponding bank?
A new report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) indicates that Belize’s Central Bank has lost another correspondent banking account, suggesting it may have been due to offering nesting services; however, the Central Bank has responded denying the claim, saying it will seek clarification from the IMF.
The IMF’s latest report on the issue of correspondent banking relations (CBRs) dated March, 2017 and titled “Recent trends in Correspondent Banking Relationships” details Belize’s troubles with the “de-risking” phenomenon between 2015 and 2016, noting that major global banks terminated around 22 CBR accounts (out of 31) in 9 of Belize’s 11 commercial and off-shore banks. “The Central Bank of Belize had also lost three of its five CBRs in the same period, including one that was used to process selected wires for banks that lost CBRs. As a result, transaction costs and processing times had increased substantially,” the IMF report said.
Breaking Belize News
World Croc day June 17
The Belize Zoo and the Crocodile Research Coalition is inviting Belizeans to join them in celebrating World Crocodile Day 2017. It will be celebrated on Saturday, June 17, 2017 at the Belize Zoo from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The day will include games, […]
September Celebrations Theme Competition
The National Celebration Commission today announced the 2017 September Celebrations Theme Competition. The commission is inviting Belizeans living at home or abroad to submit their ideas for the theme of the 2017 September Celebrations in commemoration of the 219th Anniversary of the Battle of […]
NEMO Coordinators discuss state of readiness
National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) coordinators from around the country came together today in Belmopan for a State of Readiness meeting to mark the start of the new Hurricane Season for 2017. Minister of National Emergency Management, Edmond Castro addressed the coordinators asking that […]
Justice Denys Barrow is new Judge of CCJ
Yesterday, Denys Arthur Barrow was sworn in as Judge of the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) and became the first Belizean to be sworn in to the CCJ bench. The ceremony was held at the Belize Biltmore Plaza in Belize City. Barrow was sworn […]
National Song Competition 2017
Belizeans are being invited by the National Celebrations Commission to highlight Belize’s rich and unique cultural heritage and to commemorate our national celebrations. The National Song Competition was created to provide professional and amateur musicians with the opportunity to create and showcase their original […]
Belmopan police officers commended for quick response
Yesterday, five officers from the Belmopan police formation were commended for their hard work. On Saturday, a vehicle belonging to Pesticide Control board was stolen along with 4000 Euros. The officers’ commitment and determination led them to the discovery of the vehicle, recovery of […]
Belizean canoe team represents in Puerto Rico
A delegation of six Belizean athletes from the Belize Canoe Association (BCA) are representing the country this week at the Puerto Rico Olympic Cup, a regional canoe and kayak competition. Amado Cruz, Bayron Cruz, Jesus Linares and James Alford; and two females, Ruth Cruz, Milenie […]
Motorcycle valued at $2000 stolen in Belize City
Police in the old capital are reporting that sometime between the hours of 11:00 p.m. on the 31st of May , and 7:30 a.m. on the 1st of June, 2017, someone stole a red 2013 Meilun brand motorcycle with license plate number MC-3784 from Anthony Francisco. According to Francisco, the motorcylce is valued at $2000 and […]
Diabetes: a growing problem for Belize
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are 150 million people worldwide, living with diabetes mellitus. The WHO also says that the amount of people living with diabetes may double by 2025. Belize is not exempt from the world’s diabetes problem: data compiled […]
San Ignacio Police vehicle involved in crash
Reports reaching our newsroom are that one of the vehicles assigned to the San Ignacio Police formation crashed into a lamppost in front of the Police Station around 1 this morning. BBN has obtained pictures of the truck . Police is yet to issue […]
Expats Are Still Falling in Love with Belize and Here’s Why
Located just a few hours’ flying time from the United States, the small nation of Belize in Central America is rapidly becoming one of the top destinations for retirees and expats. As the only country in the region where English is the official language, Belize is easy to navigate for expats, and Belize is the only other country besides the United States to still continue using miles, gallons, and other non-metric measurements.
Here are other reasons why expats love Belize:
Goff’s Caye: A Stunning Island off The Coast of Belize City
In Belize, all of the offshore islands are referred to as cayes (pronounced “keys”) and Goff’s Caye is definitely one of the more popular thanks to its close location to Belize City, gorgeous sandy beaches, and healthy marine system replete with a coral reef and a foraging area for sea turtles.
Belize City is separated from several nearby islands by a waterway called the English Channel. Goff’s Caye is located on the north side of the English Channel and measures just 1.2 acres.
The only way to get to Goff’s Caye is by boat. There are no regular water taxi services to and from the island but many domestic charter and tour companies offer transportation to and from Goff’s Caye. It takes approximately 20-30 minutes between Belize City and Goff’s Caye.
International Sources
We Will Be Keeping An Eye On The Gulf Of Mexico This Weekend Into Next Week For Possible Tropical Development & Then The Area Around The Yucatan Peninsula Starting Around June 10th For Another Chance For Tropical Development
Current weather analysis showed a surge of moisture streaming northeastward into the Gulf of Mexico and across the Florida Panhandle. This moisture stream is from a eastern Pacific tropical depression that is making landfall in southern Mexico. The eastern Pacific tropical depression is expected to move across southern Mexico and will continue to produce heavy rainfall and flash flooding across southeastern Mexico today into this weekend. In fact, at least 2 landslides have been reported in Mexico’s Oaxaca state from the eastern Pacific tropical system.
The remnants of the eastern Pacific tropical system is expected to emerge in the Bay of Campeche sometime on Saturday and then move slowly north-northeastward across the Gulf of Mexico during this weekend and into early next week. Current analysis indicates that wind shear values across the Gulf of Mexico are very high with 30 to 50 knots of shear being reported.
First Ladies of Belize and Trinidad and Tobago support the Global Strategy for the Health of Women, Children and Adolescents
The wife of Belize's Prime Minister Kim Simplis Barrow and the First Lady of Trinidad and Tobago, Reema Carmona, expressed support for the regionalization of the United Nations’ Secretary General Global Strategy for Women's, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health 2016-2030. The Global Strategy seeks to end the preventable deaths and achieve health and well-being of women, children and adolescents; and expand enabling environments for this population to thrive. "This meeting is timely and necessary," said Carmona during her participation in the consultation organized by the Regional Coordinating Mechanism for the adaptation of the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health to the Latin American and Caribbean context. The Mechanism is composed of the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), World Bank, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Pan American Health Organization/ World Health Organization (PAHO / WHO) and United Nations Secretariat for HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).
Much Ado About Nothing: Belize PM Defends Embattled Transport Minister
Mounting calls for Prime Minister Dean Barrow to sack his Transport Minister Edmond Castro, whose US diplomatic and tourism visas were recently cancelled, have fallen on deaf ears.
Barrow is standing by his minister, saying there’s no evidence of any wrongdoing by Castro.
“There is no indication of any reason for the revocation of the visa,” he told reporters.
The Prime Minister explained that the minister declined an invitation from the US Embassy to come in when he was invited to do so to discuss the renewal of the visas.
Belize: New WBG Country Partnership Framework
Fort Lauderdale Airport's New $200M Concourse in Southwest Terminal to Open June 30
A new $200 million launch pad for more international flights at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is set to open later this month inside Terminal 1, the Broward County home of Southwest Airlines.
The new Concourse A passenger facility -- part of an estimated $333 million modernization and expansion project under way at Terminal 1-- is expected to begin welcoming travelers on June 30, airport officials said Thursday during a preview tour.
Concourse A will sport five new gates, more restaurants and shops and a Customs and Border Protection inspection station. It will link Southwest's existing Concourses B and C through a connector building that will also offer more food and beverage and retail outlets in coming months.
Petro Caribe Has Benefitted the Caribbean
Monies from the Petro Caribe Initiative continue to assist in the development of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
A number of presidents of Venezuela floated a number of programs aimed at assisting the Caribbean, but there was very little follow-up.
However, it was the late President Hugo Chavez who unveiled what is now known as the Petro Caribe Initiative, which allowed Caribbean states to purchased petroleum products at concessionary terms.
Under the Agreement signed on June 29, 2005, at Puerto la Cruz in Venezuela, petroleum products from Venezuela were and are sold to many Caribbean countries, at prevailing international market prices.
It was during the administration of the late President Hugo Chavez in October 2000 that the concept of an energy agreement between Venezuela and Caribbean and Central American countries the Caracas Energy Agreement was signed.
This afforded Belize, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Haiti, Jamaica, Nicaragua, and Panama to purchase Venezuelan oil products at low-interest.
The Caribbean advance in the adaptation of the Global Strategy for the Health of Women, Children and Adolescents
For two days, representatives of public health systems, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and civil society from 18 Caribbean countries and territories met together with the international agencies that integrate the Regional Coordination Mechanism for the Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health, in order to adapt the Strategy to the context of the Caribbean.
“We need to identify interventions, that are practical, affordable and impactful, while ensuring that we bear in mind the cultural, ethnic and economic diversities that make the Caribbean such a colorful, varied and interesting region of this world”, said Godfrey Xuereb, the Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO) representative for Barbados and Eastern Caribbean.
WCU professor hoping to unlock Mayan mysteries by scanning bones
Five centuries later, a group of Mayan bones from Central America are in South Mississippi, where medical professionals are using state-of-the-art technology to study them.
Dr. Jennifer Hotzman, an assistant professor of anatomy at William Carey University, is studying the bones that were excavated from Tipu, which is located in modern-day Belize, in the late 1970s.
"This site was post-contact, so the Spanish had just come to this Mayan population," said Hotzman, "So what I'm interested in looking at are the juvenile remains. And I want to see what kind of impact that the Spanish had on the health and development of the children."
She says she's accomplishing that by analyzing the long bones that are present to see if there were any kind of developmental delays or if they developed as we would expect them to as a healthy population.
"We basically want to learn exactly how the Mayan individuals, the native population, were affected or influenced by Spanish contact," said Hotzman.
Caribbean Parliamentarians Urged to Scale Up Action Against HIV and AIDS
Minister of Justice, Hon. Delroy Chuck, is calling on the region’s parliamentarians to scale up action in the fight against HIV and AIDS in the Caribbean.
He said that priority must be given to tackling stigma and discrimination against people living with AIDS, and removing legal and social barriers that drive the epidemic underground and limit access to prevention and treatment.
He said parliamentarians must also support and advance actions for social protection of people living with HIV, and become advocates and ambassadors for HIV and AIDS in their communities, constituencies and in the Parliament.
Martinez earns top LSC honor
The Lone Star Conference office announced Friday that Texas A&M’Kingsville's Kaina Martinez was voted the 2017 LSC Female Track Athlete of the Year by the league's head coaches.
Martinez earned the award for the second consecutive season and is the first Javelina female to achieve the accomplishment.
Martinez, a native of Belize, placed second in the 100-meter dash at the 2017 NCAA Track and Field Championships with a time of 11.58 seconds, seventh in the 200 (24.10) seconds and was part of the women's 400-meter relay team who ran an impressive 44.98-second time to place third. Martinez along with LaGae Brigance, Keandria Taylor and Plaserae Johnson went gold in the 400-meter relay in the conference championships (45.32 seconds).
Invasive lionfish had no measurable effect on prey fish community structure across the Belizean Barrier Reef
Invasive lionfish are assumed to significantly affect Caribbean reef fish communities. However, evidence of lionfish effects on native reef fishes is based on uncontrolled observational studies or small-scale, unrepresentative experiments, with findings ranging from no effect to large effects on prey density and richness. Moreover, whether lionfish affect populations and communities of native reef fishes at larger, management-relevant scales is unknown. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of lionfish on coral reef prey fish communities in a natural complex reef system. We quantified lionfish and the density, richness, and composition of native prey fishes (0–10 cm total length) at sixteen reefs along ∼250 km of the Belize Barrier Reef from 2009 to 2013. Lionfish invaded our study sites during this four-year longitudinal study, thus our sampling included fish community structure before and after our sites were invaded, i.e., we employed a modified BACI design. We found no evidence that lionfish measurably affected the density, richness, or composition of prey fishes.
Videos
Belize Honeymoon, 5.5min.
Girl Guides Association of Belize Pageant & Fundraiser, 13min.
Mens Health Feature - Belize Diagnostic Center, 32min.
Building People Movement, 33min.
Scuba School And Family Dive Center Belize, 2.5min. As a professional dive training facility, we offer all our divers an ongoing educational experience even when doing recreational dives. We have instituted numerous steps to make you the very best diver right from the start.
Belize, 9min.
2017 05 05 Mosquito Canyon with Belize Pro Dive Center, 13min. Three nurse sharks seeking lionfish in reef are very poor hunters even though I keep telling them where the lionfish is. Someone please identify multicolored fish at 00:30 and organism at 08:52. Loggerhead Turtle at 10:02. Lionfish, Bluehead Wrasse, Rock Beauty, Fireworm, Lobster, Honeycomb Cowfish, Hogfish, Bluehead Wrase, Trumpetfish, Sea Urchin, Nudibranch? Yellowtail Damselfish
Study Abroad in Belize, 16min. Spent 2 weeks in San Ignacio studying large animal veterinary practices through CELA Belize. The trip an unforgettable experience! So grateful for all the people I met and the lifelong friends I made. Belize will always have a special place in my heart.
Rio On Pool & Waterfall (Belize), 7min.
In The Jungle At Caracol (Belize), 5min.
Caracol Mayan Ruins (Belize), 20min.
Animal Sanctuary (Belize), 20min.
Belize, 5min. Beyond the Horizon 2017
944th CES
Belize Now - June 2, 2017, 30min. Senior Counsel Denys Barrow officially joins the Caribbean Court of Justice, New Vehicles Gifted under Chiquibul Forest Investment Initiative, and Placencia’s first cruise passengers enjoy the peninsula's hospitality. These stories and more on this week’s edition of Belize Now. Thanks for joining us on this Friday, June 2nd, 2017!
AmbergrisCaye.com 
