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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, and other specials


The San Pedro Sun

Big Red the Scarlet Macaw; imprisoned at Harvest Caye
Scarlet Macaws are one of the most poached birds in Belize, and about a year ago one of them was rescued by the Belize Bird Rescue (BBR), a non-profit organization located outside of Belmopan City. The male bird was given the name of Big Red and underwent rehabilitation for wild release. However, on May 23rd, he was reportedly handed over to personnel of Harvest Caye, a premier island destination in southern Belize where he would be kept in captivity. Since then, the management at BBR have joined forces with other environmental organizations in an effort to raise awareness and get Big Red out of Harvest Caye and back into the wild where he belongs. Big Red made his way to BBR when the Forest Department confiscated him during a routine inspection for their licensing program last year in November. He was discovered in somebody's possession and brought to BBR for rehabilitation. "He was only a few months old at that time," said Nikki Buxton, Managing Director at BRR. "There was no reason to consider any alternative other than release."

Caye Caulker residents claims Heredia has forgotten them; Village Council says not so
Residents of Caye Caulker Village have been claiming that their Area Representative, Minister of Tourism and Civil Aviation Honourable Manuel Heredia Jr. is not fulfilling his duties on the island. They claim years of neglect by Heredia, and demand that he address the social issues affecting their community. However, according to local authorities on La Isla Cari�osa, Heredia has been meeting their expectations and addressing many issues. Heredia, who is in his fourth term, was re-elected as the Area Representative for Belize Rural South during the last general elections in November 2015. His constituency includes Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker and St. George's Caye. According to Hicaque�os, after winning the elections, Heredia once again veered his attention towards Ambergris Caye, abandoning Caye Caulker in the process. Their complaints address issues such as lack of infrastructure, degraded roads, condemned police housing and most importantly, the lack of a well maintained health centre. According to residents, schools are functioning with insufficient resources, and many children even need assistance with at least one meal during classes.

Be part of Belize's September Celebrations
All Belizeans living at home or abroad are invited to submit their ideas for the theme of the 2017 September Celebrations in commemoration of the 219th Anniversary of the Battle of St. George's Caye and the 36th Anniversary of Belize's Independence.

Gear up for the San Pedro Lobster Festival 2017!
The opening of the lobster season is just around the corner, and with it comes the annual San Pedro Lobster Fest Extravaganza. Activities begin on Thursday, June 15th, and will culminate with a grand block party on Saturday, June 24th at Central Park. With just a few days left before the festivities, organizers are busy at work, making final touches for this year's much anticipated 2017 Lobster Fest. One of the most popular activities is the Lobster Crawl, in which crawlers are invited to visit the participating establishments and get their Lobster Fest Passport stamped. This year's Lobster Crawl will open at the El Divino Restaurant at Banana Beach Resort on Thursday, June 15th at 3PM with the live performance of Cuban group Morena Son. The celebration will continue on Friday, June 16th during the day at Wahoo's Lounge, while Pirate's Treasure Restaurant and Bar will host the evening. There are similar activities hosted by different businesses June 20-23. The festival will then end with a huge block party at the Central Park on Saturday, June 24th. The block party starts at 6PM, and will feature booths providing a variety of lobster dishes and refreshing cocktails throughout the evening. There will also be musical entertainment from the Pannerifix Steel Band, among other local artists.

Ambergris Today

San Pedro Tour Guide Association Says No To Offshore Oil Exploration In Belize
In a letter directed to Yvonne Hyde, Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Economic Development, Development, Petroleum, Investment, Trade and Commerce, the San Pedro Tour Guide Association (SPTGA) stated its stance against all forms of oil exploration in Belizean Waters. After a meeting held on Tuesday, May 30, 2017, the SPTGA was informed by Janelle Chanona, Vice President of Oceana Belize, that there is still ongoing threats of offshore oil exploration in Belize. She stated that currently there is an oil prospector company filing for an offshore oil license and if granted, it will give them access to two of Belize's protected areas.

Misc Belizean Sources

mzz

Reef Clean up in San Pedro Saturday
Join Oceana Belize in a Reef Clean up this Saturday, June 10, 2017. Help celebrate World Oceans Day by cleaning her up! The clean up starts at 8:00 am sharp from Chuck and Robbie's Dock. ~Snorkeling Gear will be provided for those that don't have and Refreshments will be given at the end of the clean up.!

Olympic Day Run
The Belize Olympic & Commonwealth Games Association will be having its annual Olympic Day Run on Sunday, June 11th, 2017 commencing at 6:30 a.m. in front of James Brodie on Regent Street, Belize City. Join it in celebrating this global event that commemorates the founding of the Olympic Movement and with the goal to encourage everyone around the world, regardless of age, gender or athletic ability to practice physical activity. The first 100 participants registered on the morning of the run will receive a commemorative T-shirt. Medals will be given to the top three participants in the Masters, Open, Juniors and Infants (10-13 years) category and refreshments will be served after the event. Registration is free and everyone is encouraged to participate in the 2017 Olympic Day Run.

Interview with Miss Teen Belize 2017
Kiah Lisani Pastor, as Miss Teen Belmopan, was recently crowned Miss Teen Belize 2017. The 18 year-old, 5'5" beauty will represent Belize at Miss Teen Earth International, which is scheduled to be held in Ecuador in early September. She's also the cousin to former Miss Belize International (2012) and Miss Costa Maya (2013) titleholder Destinee Dominique Arnold. We caught up with Miss Pastor to find out more about her and her preparation.

Repairs on the ferry at the Xunantunich Archaeological Reserve are nearing completion
All this is being done to ensure the safety of our visitors to the site, making it easier on vehicular traffic across the Mopan River.

RAMADAN MUBARAK TO BELIZE WITH LOVE!
Seen in this classic and historic photo of Belizean Muslims in the Los Angeles Belizean diaspora in 1985 are brothers Nuri Akbar of BREDAA, Belizean Islamic Social Worker, Saeed Rasool, Imam Nuri Muhammad former leader and Imam of the Muslim community of Belize, the late Ismael Omar Shabazz of the United Black Association for Development of Belize (UBAD), Brother Cecil Gill, and yours truly Bilal Morris of BREDAA and Belizean Legends.

BELIZEAN ISLAMIC SOCIAL WORKER---SAEED RASOOL!
Belizean Muslim Saeed Rasool's journey to establish a solid foundation for himself and his family came through his embracing of Islam in Belize in the 1970s, and taking that serious level of discipline as a Belizean immigrant to the United States into the U.S. arm forces and later as a psychiatric social worker. Rasool life in Belize as a teenager embodied the highly mannered culture and discipline of being a scout and an athlete to that of becoming a Muslim with a high level of respect for life and authority. He was one of the pioneering members of the Belizean Muslim community in the early 1970s under the leadership of Imam Nuri Muhammad.

ALBERT PYREFIETTE SINGS BELIZE'S FATHER & SON!
When Belizean musical artist and Theologian, Albert Pyrefiette, the son of the legendary Belizean musical artist Louis Pyrefiette walked away from a major record deal with the Hollywood mogul and giant Warner Brothers to become a Christian theologian and minister, many of his friends wanted to know if he was crazy or just plain foolish. But since his departure from the music business in the 1990s to become today a Christian Minister and doctor of Divinity, Pyrefiette has not look back since, and in an exclusive interview with Belizean Legends, he tells his story of raising up under the shadows of his father, Louis Pyrefiette, who molded him well to become an outstanding singer and vocalist.

COUNTRY WIDE TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT
The Department of Transport (DOT) Enforcement Officers will be engaged in monthly countrywide traffic enforcement activities, which will entail routine vehicle check points (V.C.P's) and high visibility patrols. The DOT is embarking on this new strategic operation throughout Belize in an effort to educate, sensitize and enforce the Motor Vehicle and Road Traffic Laws of Belize with the view of bringing about awareness and to curb the behaviour of those blatant violators who constantly breach the law; thus creating problems within our traffic system.

Open letter to the prime minister of Belize
Dear Prime Minister Barrow: I invite you to consider leaving as a part of your legacy the pardoning of Nora Parham. It has been 54 years now and many articles have been published on the subject. All Prime Ministers before you have been asked for a pardon for Nora Parham and none of them have been able to pull it off. I acknowledge to date that you are the most powerful Prime Minister in Belize's history and a feat such as this will be one more of your most historic achievements, which can be done with the stroke of your pen.

NEAB Statement on Church State Commission
In September 2016 Church leaders and Church organizations were invited by the Prime Minister into a Church State Commission. That Commission was tasked to make recommendations to Cabinet on the ramifications of the Chief Justice ruling in the Section 53 sodomy lawsuit. It has been a wonderful, respectful process of unity on matters of extreme importance to our nation, our children and grandchildren, and our way of life. We were deeply saddened to hear of Bishop Phillip Wright and Bishop Papouloute's sudden withdrawal from the Commission as valued partners. As all involved would testify, the Commission's 9 months were full of respectful, cordial discussions with a spirit of teamwork. We would like to see the Commission fulfil its purpose inclusive of all members.

Belize September Celebrations Street Festival
Save the Date, September 10th 2017. Between Market St and LaBrea on Nutwood in front of Little Belize Restaurant. Booths are going fast. For booths call 3238226687

Hawk Watch Certification Program
Our 2017 Hawk Watch Certification Program is approaching and we are taking applications for acceptance into the 5 week program. It consists of 20 days of in-field hawk watching and 5 days of in-classroom training. At the end of the program upon completion each participant will receive a certificate of achievement. It is restricted to 20 Belizeans. However, we will consider out-of-country applicants. This is a one-of-a-kind certification program to learn about raptor migration, ecology, conservation, research, identification, and all aspects of raptors. All costs will be covered (food stipend, transportation and housing while on your 20 days of hawk watch). We do encourage guides or affiliated participants to have their lodge or organization cover their fees. If you are interested please send us a cover letter that explains why you want to be part of this program and why you are a good candidate, as well as your resume and one letter of support to [email protected].

Congratulations to the winners of Oceana's "Trash Art" competition in Corozal!
Be a part of Belize's solution, not pollution.

Channel 7

After Stiff Sentence, Orlando Vera's Attorney Tries to Get Him Out of Jail
Last night, we told you about Orlando Vera. He's the former deputy head of the National Forensic Science Services, who was sentenced to 2 years in jail for abetment to the perversion of the course of justice. The Chief Magistrate condemned his behavior as corruption, after she heard Vera on a voice recording soliciting a bribe, so that he could make Michael Modiri's firearms case go away. But even as the sentence was being handed down, his attorney, Anthony Sylvestre, was already working on a plan to get him out of jail. He was going to apply to the Supreme Court for bail, because they have already started the process of appealing the conviction and sentence in the Magistrate's Court case.

Security Guard Shot For His Weapon
Tonight a security guard is recovering from life saving surgery after he was shot last night by thugs who wanted his weapon. It happened just before 9:00, in Belize City on Police Street. 50 year old John Hoare was on duty when two men walked up, and one of them opened fire. After shooting shooting him in the chest, they stole his loaded 9 millimeter firearm and ran off into the night. I spoke to his family today at the hospital and they updated me on his condition - saying, off camera, that his prognosis is encouraging and they need blood:..

Police Killed A Man In Chunox
Tonight, reports say another man has been killed in Corozal. This time it's in Chunox village in Northeast Corozal, and initial reports say he was shot by the police. We have these images posted by a resident on Facebook. It happened about an hour ago and information is very sketchy at this time, but reports from the village say that police were trying to evict the man from the house, and that he ran after them with a machete. Police responded with multiple gunshots - the impressions of which can be seen on parked vehicles and wall surfaces.

Evangelicals Calling The Bishops Back
The church State Commission did not present its position paper to the Deputy Prime Minister as planned this week - and that's because two Bishops pulled out of the church group. That came in the same week when all the church leaders were supposed to have a retreat to hammer out their final position for presentation to the government. That retreat got derailed by the withdrawals of these two leading religious personalities. President of the Council of Churches, and Methodist Bishop Roosevelt Papouloute, and the head of the Anglican Church, Bishop Phillip Wright, said they felt their views were not being represented in the final position paper and so they pulled out.

US Embassy Has Little To Say About Castro And Saldivar
About a week and a half ago we told you about the sudden cancellation of Minister of Transport and NEMO, Edmund Castro's diplomatic and tourist visas for the United States. The cancellation came the day before Alvarine Burgess testified that Castro took money in return for visa recommendations - a claim which he denies. We've spoken to Castro since then and he told us that the revocation happened because his visas were about two months away from expiring. The Embassy asked Castro, to come in for an interview but the Minister said that he wasn't interested. At the time, we also spoke with Embassy official, J. Nathan Bland, but he was not able to disclose any information. Today we had the opportunity to speak to the US Embassy's Charge d'Affaires, Adrienne Galanek, about the situation. Here's what she had to say...

Large Mound Looted In Louisville
The Institute of Archaeology is reporting that a minor mayan site in the Corozal District has been ruthlessly looted. It's a large mound in Louisville Village where thieves have raided the site to get to the cut limestone blocks which they then sell to area residents. They also steal black soil form the area. NICH has been monitoring it for some months, and every time they visit, the site is closer and closer to being destroyed. Archaeologist Josue Ramos told us more via phone:.. "We have been monitoring the situation since March. Every time we go back we see that the individuals keep on removing dirt and also the cut stones and we have reach to the point where we saw the wall, so the reason for the report was to make the people from Corozal and surrounding villages aware and not to be purchasing stones from the site. All we are asking is for the assistance to call the institute of archaeology office or the nearest police station so we can hopefully apprehend which is a criminal act to be looting."

Health CEO Figueroa Says No To Extra Fees
Over the last few weeks reports of health care and service providers charging patients extra and illegal fees have been circulating. While it is difficult to pinpoint exactly which hospitals or clinics this is happening at, the Ministry of Health is already aware of the illegal acts. CEO in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Ramon Figueroa, told about how the Ministry is planning on dealing with these cases... Dr. Ramon Figueroa, CEO - Ministry of Health: "My understanding is that in that in a particular area in the country ambulance was charging for services to populate the transfer of patience and when it's a government ambulance, there should be no charge. So that's why the notice went out."

Regulating Big Pharma
On Tuesday the Office of the Director of Health Services issued a press release informing importers of pharmaceuticals about new customs regulations and guidelines being put into place. From now on all customs entries for pharmaceutical products are required to be processed by the Ministry of Health. Figueroa told us about the transition, and how it will help the Ministry keep track of pharmaceutical drugs coming into the country... Dr. Ramon Figueroa, CEO - Ministry of Health: "There is 2 things; one is the issue of custom and customs entries and the other is the establishment of a registry for Belize. What we want to do is we want to regularize the whole importation and distribution of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment, because for too long we've had importations of medication and this is particularly I must say for the private sector where we get a lot of pharmacies having products that come from dubious pharmaceutical companies from dubious countries."

Family Clamoring For Answers In Kisha's Case
In February of 2016, we told you about Kisha Michael, the Belizean - American mother of three who was fatally shot 13 times by Inglewood Police Department officers. At the end of May, the Mayor of that city announced that the five Inglewood police officers are no longer police officers in the city. But, the family still hasn't gotten the answers they desperately want. Her twin sister told the LA Times as much in this video:

Perdomo Stands His Ground, And Wins His Point
On Wednesday's newscast, we showed you the testimony which Cabinet Secretary Carlos Perdomo gave to the Senate Select Committee. They were questioning him about the decisions that he made back when he was the Minister in charge of Immigration. He had to defend himself against the allegation that he directed immigration officers to give a passport to an applicant who did not qualify. But, while he was testifying in the Senate Hearing, Business Senator Mark Lizarraga wanted to discuss the case a Palestinian national to who he granted nationality in June 2011, through marriage.

Cops On Scene In Chunox
And confirming now on a story we told you about earlier, police are on scene in Chunox village in the Corozal district. This is after a the police killed a man there this evening. So far, he is known to us only as Richard. At around 5:30 police were reportedly called to remove him from a house he had been occupying as a guest. He reportedly came out of the house with a machete, and feeling threatened police responded with multiple gunshots - at least one of them hit him and killed him on the spot. The scenes of crime team is now on the scene. Well have more on this on Monday.

FFB Gen. Sec. Vehicle Almost Torched
All this week we've been reporting on the heavy feuding inside the Football Federation of Belize. It's because elections are coming up a little over two weeks - and two candidates, Sergio Chuc and Cruz Gamez have been barred from running. That has caused great division inside the Federation, and great rancor. Many are blaming FFB General Secretary Michael Blease, who - as chief enforcer - has no shortage of enemies within football circles.

Ladyville Medical Center, Beyond the Horizon, And Over The Rainbow
Today the US Embassy held the first of four opening ceremonies for buildings constructed as part of the Beyond the Horizon project. The Embassy handed over the keys to the newly renovated Ladyville Medical Center to the Ministry of Health. We spoke to the CEO of the Ministry, Dr. Ramon Figueroa, and Charge d'Affaires at the US Embassy, Adrienne Galanek, about the event... Next week, the Beyond the Horizon project will also be handing over the keys to a new clinic in Double Head Cabbage, expanded rooms and an incinerator building at the Western Regional Hospital and a new classroom at St. Matthews Government School.

Defense Minister Defiant and Triumphant
Earlier on in the news, you heard the US Embassy's Charge D Affairs comment on the issue involving Defense Minister John Saldivar, who used Coast Guard vessels to ferry his private basketball team, the Bandits. And last week, we got comments from a number of ministers, including his boss, the Prime Minister, who all said, they wouldn't have done it - or words to that effect. For context in our story, we revisit those now:.. Hon. Elodio Aragon, Min. Of State - Home Affairs: "Under my watch we will ensure that such abuses do not hamper the police department."

Channel 5

U.S. Re-States Authority on Fate of Edmond Castro Visa
The diplomatic and visitor's visas of Minister Edmond Castro were revoked in May, but the reason remains under a cloud of suspicion. News of the revocation came via a press [...]

Washington Watches Belmopan, But is Not Recording
In open court, as well as during a recent testimony before the Senate Special Select Committee, Burgess has gone on record to state that the U.S. Embassy is in possession [...]

U.S. 'Discusses' Saldivar Coast Guard Situation, Assured It Will Not Happen Again
The Belmopan Bandits recently played its last game in the NEBL Finals.� Players and fans of the basketball team owner by Minister of Defense John Saldivar did not show up [...]

Orlando Vera Challenges Conviction, Seeks Bail
He faces two years in prison, but senior forensic ballistic examiner Orlando Vera, convicted for abetment to pervert the course of justice, is fighting his conviction and sentence. �Today, he [...]

Trio in Tanya Carter Robbery Spared Jail
A trio of teenagers were handed suspended prison sentences for their roles in the robbery of entertainer Tanya Carter more than a week ago. Magistrate Carlon Mendoza sentenced nineteen year [...]

A Child's Mischief; a Teacher's Frustration; a Mother's Outrage in San Pablo
Corporal punishment was outlawed in Belizean schools in 2013, despite much complaint from the teaching corps. Previously, it was only the province of the principal or designated teacher to spank [...]

Man Shot to Death by Police in Chunox
There is another fatal shooting up north in the Corozal District. At this time, police are at the scene in the village of Chunox where a resident was shot this [...]

Security Guard Shot, Left Critical for Firearm
A security officer remains hospitalized tonight after an attempt on his life on Thursday night. John Hoare is employed by Technical Security System from Cayo but was on duty in [...]

Kidnapped San Pedro Girl Back in Belize
Hamy Reyes is tonight safe at the San Ignacio Police Station. The seven-year-old student of Ambergris Elementary School in San Pedro was abducted by her grandmother from the babysitter's house [...]

The Barrier Reef Still in Danger
The Belize Barrier Reef System will remain on the UNESCO world heritage site 'in danger list.'� It has been on this list for eight years and in March of this [...]

U.S. Opens New Ladyville Health Center
The key for a new health center was delivered today by the U.S. Government to the Ministry of Health. The project was undertaken by the Beyond the Horizon 2017 humanitarian [...]

Evangelicals Dismayed by Church-State Split
This week, the Church-State Commission suffered a fracture with the withdrawal of Reverend Roosevelt Papouloute, president of the Belize Council of Churches, and Bishop Philip Wright of the Anglican Diocese, [...]

Churches Want Role in Solving Violence in Belize
While the rate has slowed down of late, especially in Belize City, crime and especially murder remains an issue at the forefront of the national consciousness. Valiant efforts are being [...]

Farewell to Kaina from B.A.A. Prez
It's no secret that the Belize Athletics Association and Belizean Track and Field athlete Kaina Martinez have been at odds, after she was not chosen to participate in the Rio [...]

Harvest Caye Can't Have 'Big Red'
Over two weeks ago, a Scarlet Macaw named 'Big Red' was taken from the Belize Bird Rescue and transferred to its new home on Harvest Caye.� About a year ago, [...]

Watch Out for Manatees in Placencia Lagoon
Norwegian Cruise Line's Harvest Caye destination in the South has drummed up big business for the company and to a lesser extent for Belizean vendors. But the increased traffic in [...]

Ministry of Health Takes Control of Pharmaceutical Imports
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health issued a notice through the office of the Director of Health Services, informing that the processing of all customs entries for pharmaceutical products will [...]

Construction, Accreditation and Standards
The Belize Bureau of Standards joined the rest of the world today to observe world accreditation day. This year, the focus is on delivering confidence in construction and build environment. [...]

Haven House Hosts Anti-Domestic Violence Walk
The Haven House is a non-profit shelter for women and children who are victims of domestic violence. It was established in 1993 to provide support and intervention services including emergency [...]

The Olympic Day Fun Run Takes Over Downtown
On Sunday, the annual Olympic Day Run takes place in downtown Belize City; the event is organized by National Olympic Committee and executed by the Belize Athletics Association. It started [...]

LOVE FM

Why Castro Lost His US Diplomatic and Tourist Visas �.
On May 30, 2017, Minister Edmond Castro issued a release notifying the media of the cancellation of both his diplomatic and tourist visas. In an interview a few days later, Minister Castro told the media that he has no interest in visiting the United States and is not bothered by the cancellation. He says that [�]

US Embassy Unaware of Alvarine's Claims of Recorded Convos
Alvarine Burgess is a Belizean woman who has admitted to being involved in a visa ring with her having the job to take the documents to the Immigration Department in Belmopan for processing. Her admission is not recent news as she had attested to this when she implicated Minister Edmond Castro in the visa business [�]

US Embassy Assured BCG Boats Will Not Be Misused Again
Minister of Defence, John Saldivar has been greatly criticized in recent weeks due to the decision he made to utilize the Belize Coast Guard vessels to transport the Bandits athletes to San Pedro for scheduled games. Despite the Coast Guard Commander saying that the fuel was reimbursed to the unit, the focus for many is [�]

Corruption Sighted at Public Health Clinics
Ministry of Health officials are putting the public on guard as they have uncovered instances of corruption being carried out by some public health workers. Earlier this week a release was issued on the matter which we queried about via an interview with the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Health, Dr Ramon Figueroa. [�]

Health CEO Says Drug Importers Must Report to Ministry
One month ago the Director of Health Services, Dr Marvin Manzanero told Love News that the Drug Registry is in the process of being in place and will require the participation of all those importing pharmaceuticals. Earlier this week, there was a release from the Ministry of Health which indicated that Customs' entries must be [�]

Security Guard Critical Following Attempted Murder
A man is in critical condition after being shot in the chest shortly before nine o'clock last night. According to police, fifty year old John Hoare, a security guard for Technical Security System, was approached by two men while he was guarding slot machines owned by the Princess Casino in an unfenced residential yard. Head [�]

No Need to Feel Unsafe, Says ACP Williams
The murder of twenty seven year old Jerson Carballo has the Belize Police Department perplexed. This is what Assistant Commissioner of Police Chester Williams told the media on Wednesday. That is because police have been unable to establish a motive for Carballo's murder since he was not known to police and there is no substantial [�]

Gang Related Murders on the Decline
And while the police continue to investigate the latest murder, being that of Jerson Carballo, ACP Williams says that the numbers of gang related murders for this year as compared to previous years have reduced. He says the numbers for April and May are down. CHESTER WILLIAMS "Well the comparison for this year is below [�]

Solar Lights for Rural Toledo
Solar lights were presented to families in 11 Toledo rural communities. Correspondent Paul Mahung reports. PAUL MAHUNG "The needed and helpful solar lights were presented during last week to village households jointly by representatives of Great Earth Rotary International District 5870 of the US and Labor, Local Government and Rural Development Minister Hugo Patt who [�]

Accreditation Day: The Tool Box Talk
Today Belize joined in the celebration of World Accreditation Day. This year the day is being observed under the theme, "Delivering confidence in construction and the built environment". This year's theme highlights that standards and accredited conformity assessment are market based tools that can be used in the construction sector. In celebration of this day, [�]


Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 84,397
Marty Offline OP
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Amandala

Families' worst nightmare realized: couple found murdered
The foreboding felt by relatives and friends of Zeidy Orozco, 34, and her common-law husband, Baltazar Lopez, 41, that something terrible had happened to them was confirmed when their decomposing corpses were found six days after they disappeared. Orozco, a domestic from San Andres, and Lopez, a construction manager, who lived together in Ranchito, Corozal, have been missing since 9:30 Thursday night after they were last seen together on the Coro Blu beach in Corozal Town. Orozco's car was subsequently found in a cane field on Friday afternoon, burned and totally destroyed. A search had been carried out by friends, volunteers, family members and police, but the efforts were in vain, and hopes that they would be found alive began to dwindle after four days of searching.

An ex-cop for Kolbe!
Firearms examiner and the country's leading ballistics expert, Orlando Vera, who is also the second in command at the Belize Forensic Science Service, was sentenced to serve two years in prison after being convicted last week on a charge of abetment to pervert the course of justice. At his sentencing hearing this morning before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith, three character witnesses spoke glowingly about Vera's leadership abilities and his ability to inspire positivity in those with whom he came in contact. The first to address the court was Cardinal Lopez, who told the court that he has known Vera, 41, since, around, 1988, when he was a police constable (he is now a civilian). "Mr. Vera has always been a person who inspires me. He has displayed a lot of fortitude. He was like a soldier," Lopez, who works at the Belize Forensic Science Services, said about his colleague, who rose from humble beginnings to earn a Master's Degree.

CabSec Carlos Perdomo badmouths Therese Chavarria
Today, Carlos Perdomo, the current Cabinet Secretary and former Minister of National Security (which had then included the Immigration Department), returned from his vacation in Los Angeles. However, before attending to his Cabinet duties, he was summoned to appear before the Senate Select Committee tasked with investigating a widespread pattern of irregularities in the Immigration Department. Perdomo was questioned in regard to a portion of a report by the Auditor General, Dorothy Bradley, on her Special Audit of the Immigration Department, in which she revealed that Perdomo had influenced the issuance of a passport to an applicant that was using another person's birth certificate.

Two brilliant stars rise in the South
The southern districts do not usually make it on the annual roster of top 25 performers in the Primary School Examination (PSE), but this year, Devyne Lopez, 12, of Punta Gorda Methodist School, achieved a major milestone not just for herself, but also for her school and community when her name appeared third on the list. "I knew from the get-go that we have something special in Miss Lopez," said her teacher, Ernest Westby, a career educator who is also the grandson of the legendary Rev. William Altimon Faux, who before his passing left him with this maxim: "Don't just aspire to be a teacher, but aspire to be a famous teacher!" Speaking with Amandala today, Devyne revealed that it was her mission to attain 95% on the PSE. Her sister, Hyddie Lopez, this year's valedictorian at Julian Cho Technical High School in Punta Gorda, had scored 92% when she sat the PSE.

3 men accused of murdering BDF soldier
Three men who are accused of murdering Belize Defence Force (BDF) soldier James Noralez, 28, back in November 2012, are fighting a retrial order handed down by the Belize Court of Appeal this March, with an application to the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) to hear their request for leave to appeal in the country's highest appellate court as "poor persons." Anthony Sylvester, attorney for the three men, told Amandala that they have yet to confirm a date on which the CCJ will consider the matter, filed on April 28, 2017. When the accused men-Orel Leslie, Tyrone Meighan, and Brandon Baptist-were tried without jury in the Supreme Court before Justice Troadio Gonzalez, the judge ruled in favor of a no-case submission filed by the attorneys for the defendants, and were freed.

2017 PSE top performer is Curt Smith of Bernice Yorke Institute of Learning
Curt Smith, a towering youth, 5 feet 11 inches tall and only 12 years old, attained top honors in this year's Primary School Examination (PSE), having earned a cumulative 387 points out of a possible 400 (or 96.75%) for four subject areas: English, Math, Science and Social Studies. Smith, a student of Bernice Yorke Institute of Learning in Belize City, ranked first among 7,077 candidates who sat the PSE this year. "I was pleasantly surprised when I saw the results. In Math, I got 100%. For Social Studies and Science I got 96 and for Language I got 95," said Smith, who got wind of the good news yesterday.

National Over-40 Tournament 2017 Week 1 results, Week 2 schedule
The inaugural National Over-40 Football Tournament 2017 kicked off over the past weekend with 3 games played. On Saturday night, June 3, at the Isidoro Beaton Stadium, Benque Veterans dropped Belmopan Veterans, 3-0, with goals from David Aldana (3' & 56') and Luiz Martinez (53'). On Sunday afternoon, June 4, at the MCC Grounds, visiting Mango Creek Veterans bombed the BDF Veterans, 4-nil, with goals from Roger Munoz (34'), Benigno Espinosa (38' & 76') and Robert Muschamp (74'). Meanwhile, at the Norman Broaster Stadium, San Pedro Veterans demolished San Ignacio Quintas, 7-1, with goals from Abdon Sanchez (15'), Carlos Briceno (34'), Edgar Lima (45' & 81'), Ernesto Umana (51'), and Orlando Pinelo (64' & 66'). San Ignacio's only goal was by Juan Hernandez (75').

Cricket Corner
Hello, all cricket fans, followers and supporters, wherever you are! With gratitude to our sponsor, Bowen and Bowen, the Harrison Parks 2017 Cricket Competition continued under the auspices of the Belize National Cricket Association. Two lovely games were played on Saturday and Sunday. To start off, on Saturday at Bermudian Landing, Team Wicked 11 went there against Summer Fever. Their goal was to try seal off the series and go to the semifinals as they, Wicked 11, had won at Flowers Bank last Saturday against this team. Well, Summer Fever had news for them, as they took to bat first. How they drilled the Wicked ones! At the fall of the last wicket, 218 was on the score sheet. This seems like a winning score for the high spirited Fever boys. Wickets fell in this order: 1 for 15; 2 for 19; 3 for 20; 4 for 53; 5 for 69; 6 for 81; 7 for 111; 8 for 141; 9 for 160; all for 218. In that inning, Jermaine Baizar scored 55, followed by Kenton Young with 44. Walter Flowers and Keon Robinson took 3 wickets each.

Rural Female Softball results for Sunday, June 4
Three games were played on Sunday, June 4, in the 2017 Belize Rural Female Softball Tournament, all with big scores. Lords Bank Sunrise crushed Easy Does It, 12-2, behind winning pitcher (WP) Karen Hilton, while the losing pitcher (LP) was Margaret Hendy. Orchid Girls swept Arrows United, 30-0; WP - Valorie Vernon, and LP - Sheryll Ferguson. And Power Outage won, 13-4, over Beverly Hill Flames; WP - Yvette Flowers, and LP - Sheraine Westby.

OWFA U-10 and U-12 championship games
The Orange Walk Football Association (OWFA) held championship games for its U-10 and U-12 competitions at the Technical Field on Saturday, May 27. In the U-10 third place game, Real Madrid and Bel-A-Rose ended 1-1 in regulation. Haneel Pratt scored for Real Madrid, while Mark Bainton tallied for Bel-A-Rose. Bel-A-Rose proceeded to win, 3-2, in the penalty shootout. In the U-10 championship game which followed, Minions won, 5-0, over Progresso Rising Stars, with goals from Rydon Alvarez, Kendir Chi (3) and Zidane Carcanio.

Editorial: 1773, 1798, 1823, 1838, and 1898
There is an official narrative concerning the Battle of St. George's Caye in September of 1798, and clearly that official 1798 narrative, which has come to include the "Flowers Bank 14" story over the last decade or so, is heavily supported by the leaders of the ruling United Democratic Party (UDP). In the late 1950s, the leaders of the ruling People's United Party (PUP) began to poke holes in the official narrative which had been handed down from British colonial days at the time of Centenary in 1898. The skepticism expressed by PUP leaders about the Battle of St. George's Caye never received a proper academic airing, because that skepticism became public shortly after PUP Leader George Price had been sent home from London "in disgrace" in 1957 because of discussions he held with a Guatemalan official. In addition, the most aggressively "Belice es nuestro" Guatemalan President ever, Ydigoras Fuentes, was elected in 1958 and began frightening the stuffings out of Belizeans with his threats and his activities.

From the Publisher
There is a theme in The Godfather movie trilogy which is repeated several times, and that is the theme of "being strong for the family." Vito Corleone, the patriarch of the Corleone family, had been shipped to New York City from Sicily as a child by family friends. In his hometown, his father and his older brother had been killed by the Mafia chieftain, and then Vito had watched his mother murdered before his very eyes. In being "strong for the family," Vito Corleone began a life of violent crime as a desperate young father in New York, and in this life of violent crime he was followed by his youngest son, Michael. The most violent of crimes, then, are committed in the name of the family. The heroes murder in the name of their children, "being strong" for them. As viewers of these movies, we are seduced into being sympathetic to the stars, in this case the Corleone family, and thus we participate psychologically in the family's crimes, which, I repeat, were originally and are continuously justified on the grounds of the family's interests.

Right to the Point: Of lawyers � laws and lawlessness
It's been a while that I have not written and I went without saying a word, but I hope my apology is accepted and I am forgiven for making the ink in my pen run dry and for keeping my thoughts to myself� but sometimes it is best not to put to paper that which you know and to just step back and mull over it and let it all pass by like a film reel playing out before your eyes. I must apologize for the abrupt departure� but hey! I am back! While I do not say much about my private life, I will share just a bit, in telling my readers I had gotten very ill after a doctor did a procedure that went really wrong and could have cost me my life. I will write about that and expose it all with time, since I think too many cases of malpractice go on in this country and doctors take it for granted that our options are limited and our legal recourse too inaccessible for many, who could barely afford their medication much less a lawyer. But I am a lawyer and I know better!

Ask an animal expert
Dear Belize Humane Society, When hurricane Earl passed through Belize last summer, I was lucky enough to be able to stay home and keep my dogs safe and sound inside with me. Unfortunately, I noticed that a lot of people left their dogs outside to fend for themselves during the hurricane. I know hurricane season can get really hectic, but there must be a better way for people to keep their animals safe. How can we make sure our pets are safe during natural disasters? Signed, Concerned Animal Lover

Opposition Leader John Brice�o on PM Barrow and his embattled "visa" Minister
In the 1960s Grammy award-winning vocalist, Tammy Wynette, sang, "Stand by your man, give him two arms to cling to�" And that is exactly what Prime Minister Dean Barrow did on Friday when he went out on a limb in defense of his embattled Cabinet minister, Edmond Castro. Castro's diplomatic and personal visas were unceremoniously revoked by the U.S. State Department last week. Castro claimed to have had no interest in travelling to the United States and so declined an invitation by the US Embassy, he said, to discuss the renewal of his visas. PM Barrow told the press that Castro's visa was revoked only because he declined the invitation to discuss the renewal of his visas which were nearing expiration.

Orange Walk man convicted of rape released and new trial ordered
An Orange Walk man whom a jury voted 8 to 1 to convict on an indictment of rape was released from the Belize Central Prison, where he was serving an 8-year sentence for the offense. This morning, the Court of Appeal allowed his appeal against the conviction and sentence, quashing both conviction and prison sentence, and ordering a "retrial with a different judge." Court of Appeal president, Justice Manuel Sosa, told Antonio Gutierrez, 36, sitting in the dock hunched forward and listening, that the court, consisting of Appeal justices Christopher Blackman and Murrio Ducille, was releasing him on a self-recognizance bail of $4,500 and two sureties.

Ashcroft group forms new overseas company in bid to collect US$27.5 million from GOB
There has been almost non-stop litigation between the Barrow administration and the Michael Ashcroft group spanning at least 8 years, and even as the US Court of Appeal yesterday handed down a decision rejecting a request from Belize for the D.C. Circuit Court to rethink its decision made earlier this year to confirm an arbitration award of US$18.5 million in favor of the Belize Bank, that bank and its parent company, Caribbean Investment Holdings Limited (CIHL), announced the formation of a new company, Midway, to which a separate award, now estimated at US$27.5 million in the dispute involving Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL), is to be assigned. Law360 reported out of Washington, USA, yesterday that the D.C. Circuit had "summarily refused to reconsider its decision affirming the confirmation of an $18.5 million [USD], plus interest, London arbitral award won by [the Belize Bank] against the government of Belize."

The Reporter

BBS celebrates World Accreditation Day
The Belize Bureau of Standards (BBS) is holding a seminar for Technical and Vocational Education Training (TVET) students today, in celebration of World Accreditation Day. The seminar gathers TVET students from all over the country to learn about the importance of standards in the construction [�]

Ladyville Health Center gets an upgrade
Today the United States Army, South and the Government of Belize held a joint inauguration of a new facility for the Ladyville Health Center. The facility was designed to increase the capacity of the existing health center, to enable health officials to better serve the [�]

US wants Guatemala's ex VP for drug trafficking conspiracy
Roxana Baldetti, 55, Guatemala's former vice president, is wanted by the United States for conspiring to smuggle cocaine to the US between 2010 and 2015. The US has sought Baldetti's extradition to face trial there. US authorities say Baldetti Baldetti was arrested in 2015 and [�]

PSE results and top performers list is out
The Ministry of Education this week released the preliminary results of the 2017 Primary School Examination, along with the list of the 25 students, who had the best scores in the country. There were 7,271 candidates who registered for the exam; however, 7,077 completed the […]

14 Atlantic storms projected for this year. How ready is Belize?
The 2017 Atlantic hurricane season will be a more active than normal year, with 14 named storms, seven of which are expected to develop into hurricanes, and three of which are projected to become major hurricanes with category 3 strength or higher. Local meteorologists have […]

"HIV infections on the rise in the Caribbean," says UN HIV Envoy
United Nations Special Envoy on HIV to the Caribbean, Dr. Edward Greene says findings in the 2016 UNAIDS Gap report state that HIV infections are on the rise in the Caribbean. Greene pointed out that Cuba and Jamaica were two of the leading countries for […]

Football players paid by BDF?
Information on who exactly were members of the team for the Belize Defense Force (BDF) in 2009, when they were the Belize Premier League champions proved difficult to come by this week, because nobody who the media contacted seemed to know about it, or was […]

Bella Vista girl receives Princess Diana Award
A 17-year-old female Belizean student from Bella Vista, Toledo was awarded the Princess Diana Award at the St. James Palace in London, England on May 18.   Elsia Pop, a Belize Natural Energy (BNE) scholar, was bestowed with the prestigious award by the famed princess’ two […]

Police ballistics examiner goes to jail for offering to tamper with evidence
In a stunning reversal of fortunes, Police ballisics examiner, Orlando Vera, finds himself behind bars after a benchmark trial before Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith. In a seven-page ruling, the Chief Magistrate convicted Vera of offering to pervert the course of justice by tampering with the evidence, and sentenced him […]

D.O.E reminds investors and developers to use Bill Payment ID System
The Department of the Environment is reminding and advising persons to use the bill payment ID system method to make payments to the department in order to avoid a failed transaction.   The bill payment ID is a six-digit identification number given to investors or developers, […]

Media wants Yellow man gone, Barrow disagrees
News directors of the independent media are calling for Brian "Yellow Man" Audinet to be banned from attending the remaining Senate public inquiries; however, Prime Minister Dean Barrow says that he feels Audinet should not be sent home.   Last Thursday, the news directors of nine […]

Climate change work will continue without US, says CARICOM
Countries in the Caribbean Community have committed to keeping their Nationally Determined Contributions committed to under the Paris Agreement, despite the United States' announcement of withdrawal.   CARICOM Chairman, David Granger, said that the community is "deeply dismayed and disappointed"� after US President Donald Trump announced […]

Southwest Airline introduces new flight to Belize
Tourism arrivals are expected to grow as a new direct flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Belize was introduced by Southwest Airlines last Sunday.   To mark the occasion, two inaugural ceremonies were held, one in Ft. Lauderdale prior to the flight and the other at […]

Soca queen’s brother shot dead; police have no clues
Jerson Carballo, 27, the younger brother of Soca Queen, Ernestine Carballo, was shot dead on McKay Boulevard, as he rode towards his house further up the same street just after midnight on Tuesday.   Carballo had just left a friend’s house, got on […]

Woman drowns at sea after boat capsizes
A woman from Sarteneja Village in the Corozal district drowned after a boat she was traveling in capsized while she along with several persons were returning from a shopping trip in Calderatias village, last Thursday.   Search parties combed the seas for three days looking for […]

Missing elderly man drowns in Belize River
An elderly man who was reported missing by his daughter last Friday was found floating in the Belize river on Sunday morning.   At around 8:00 p.m. on June 4, San Ignacio police pulled the body of 79-year-old Eduardo Landero from out of the Belize […]

Editorial
It appears that slowly but surely law enforcement officials are gaining the upper hand against street crime as more and more resources of manpower and equipment are poured into the fight. Surveillance cameras are also playing a leading role in documenting street crime, and the police mobile patrols have been […]

Second double murder in Corozal!
Missing lovers, Zeidi Orozco, 33, and Baltazar Lopez, 41, were found dead in an advanced state of decomposition in a wooded area, about two miles off the Consejo road in Corozal on Wednesday. The couple had been reported missing the Thursday before, when they were […]

Belize loses another multi-million dollar lawsuit in US courts
Belize took another loss in the D.C. Circuit Court this week, which will cost the Government over US $18.5 million. On Wednesday, the court ruled that it would not reconsider its decision to affirm the arbitration award granted to Belize Bank by the London International […]

Ex-Minister Perdomo to Senate: I did nothing wrong
Former Minister of Immigration, Nationality and National Security, Carlos Perdomo, testified before the Senate Select Committee this week to answer accusations that he misused his ministerial powers to help an unqualified applicant get a passport. The Committee questioned Perdomo about the application of Paul Ku, […]

Orange Walk man shot dead
A 21-year-old Orange Walk resident was followed and shot� in the head as many as four times� while he was walking along a road in the Dominguez� Layout of Corozal Town on Tuesday night. Brandon Lee Tesecum died from his injuries on the pavement of […]

Breaking Belize NewsPJ

Big upgrades for Ladyville Health Center
Residents of Ladyville and Lord's Bank will have even more access to healthcare facilities, thanks to the new building inaugurated at the Ladyville Health Center today. The inauguration is one of several that will be taking place throughout this and next week, as a part of the Beyond the Horizon project, done in collaboration with the United States Army, South, and several other entities.

Corozal man charged with 5 traffic offenses
Adrian Ucan, a labourer of San Victor Village, Corozal District was charged for five (5) offences, namely "Drove motor cycle without helmet", "Drove motor vehicle without being a holder of a Belize Driving license", "Drove an unregistered motor vehicle", "Drove motor vehicle not covered by a Third Party Insurance", and "Used an unlicensed motor vehicle" by Traffic Warden attached to the Department of Transport Corozal.

San Pedro man busted for illegal gun
Yesterday morning, San Pedro Police were conducting an Anti-Drug operation in the San Pedrito area of San Pedro. Officers searched the residence of George Cowo, which resulted in the discovery of a .38 revolver containing six rounds of ammunition.

Belize City cops find weed
Yesterday , Belize City police conducted a search in an abandoned lot on Electric Avenue, Belize City which led to the discovery three plastic bags containing 666.9 grams of cannabis.

Transport department announces enforcement activities
The Department of Transport (DOT) has announced that Enforcement Officers will be engaged in monthly countrywide traffic enforcement activities, which will entail routine vehicle check points (V.C.P's) and high visibility patrols.

Two men busted in PG for drug trafficking
According to police reports, yesterday morning around 8:00, police conducted a search at the residence of 52-year-old fisherman, George Moreira located on Far West Street in Punta Gorda. Present at the time of the search were Moreira and Kevin Pandy, 41, of a Belize City address.

Security guard shot for gun, remains critical
Last night Belize City police visited an open residential yard in the Police Street area where cops saw 50-year-old John Hoare, security guard of #11 Simon Lamb Street, Belize City suffering from a single gunshot wound to the chest.

Fight for FFB Presidency heating up
Belize's largest sports league, the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) will have elections later this month on June 24. Reports are, however, that the fighting continues inside the organization. Yesterday the FFB Electoral Appeals Committee met and decided that Sergio Chuc and Cruz Gamez [�]

Mr. Belize launches scholarships fund for Corozal students
If you are living in Corozal and attending primary or secondary school you may be able to benefit from a tuition scholarship by Mr. Belize Body Builder, Rigo Vellos. According to Vellos, through his fitness club, Spartan Fitness Club, the scholarships have become a [�]

Child abducted by grandmother found alive
There is a sigh of relief for one San Pedro mother.Anaide Chacon, had reported to police that on Sunday her daughter was abducted by her grandmother. She had feared that her mother would take her daughter to her home in Guatemala. Cayo police have confirmed to BBN [�]

Blogs

Belizean Smiles: Jorge Cunil Acosta
One of the friendliest waiters at Ramon's Village Resort, Jorge is from the Corozal District in Northern Belize. His favorite thing about his job is being able to make people happy. As a front-line person, he is often tasked to give suggestions to visitors wanting to explore more of the island. He suggests that they take a day to explore the north side of the island. "Rent a cart and drive up north. The roads are SO much better now, and that means you can reach the many bars and restaurants that way. The beaches are great for a quick dip, and you can really get to know the rest of the island beyond the center of town. You will love it!"

Visit Belize's Tobacco Caye
A tiny island measuring just 5 acres in size and easily traversable on foot in 10 minutes or less, the lovely Tobacco Caye off the coast of southeastern Belize is one of the most beautiful spots in the country. Located within the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, a division of the greater Belize Barrier Reef, Tobacco Caye is approximately a 30-minute boat trip offshore from Dangriga in southeastern Belize. With a few affordable Belize resorts and small hotels on the island, you'll want to book a few days to truly relax and enjoy the rhythms of life on Tobacco Caye.

Placencia Carnival, Hopkins Mango Festival, and some gorgeous pics in the village!
So Placencia had a super charming, old-fashioned (and I mean old - like the rides and games you'd see in a movie from the 50's-70's - some might even call it reminiscent of a horror movie.....anyway...) we were thrilled to have it and I wish we had this permanently. Here's some pics to take you back to old school carnival days (thanks Sue for the great pics!!)..... Also this week was Mango Festival in Hopkins....this is pretty self explanatory. If you are headed here, you MUST get a local mango from the farmer's markets scattered all through the village, they are truly one of the greatest things I've eaten here.....

Belize Summer Weather
Summer is a great time to visit Belize. With abundant sunshine, warm water temperatures, and deliciously cool breezes at night, Belize has everything that families, honeymooners, couples, and adventure travelers can enjoy. Here are just a few exciting things you can do in Belize during the summer:

Help send Verge of Umbra to Wacken Open Air in Germany!
I've told you about my favorite Belize band, Verge of Umbra. They're the insanely talented group of men who combine rap and reggae to form some of the most unique style of music. Clearly, their sound has its fans, and at the Metal Battle of 2017, held in Guatemala City this past March, they were rewarded for their work when they won the battle itself! Verge faced bands from Costa Rica (Heresy), El Salvador (Dreamlore), Honduras (G.O.D.), Guatemala (Kramer) and Panama (VoTraster). After intense head-banging, electrifying musical goodness rocked the stage, Verge came out on top, winning the opportunity to represent Central America at Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany.

Visit the ATM caves in Belize
Actun Tunichil Muknal (the Cave of the Crystal Sepulchre), also known locally as ATM, is a cave in Belize, near San Ignacio, Cayo District, notable as a Maya archaeological site that includes skeletons, ceramics, and stoneware. There are several areas with skeletal remains in the main chamber. The best known is "The Crystal Maiden", the skeleton of an adolescent (an 18-year-old girl, possibly a sacrifice victim, whose bones have been calcified to a sparkling, crystallized appearance. The ceramics at the site are significant partly because they are marked with "kill holes", which indicate that they were used for ceremonial purposes. Many of the Maya artifacts and remains are completely calcified to the cave floor. One artifact, named the "Monkey Pot", is one of just four of its type found in Central America.

Island Living: How to Move to Belize
Hearing the cries of howler monkeys during her weekly office meetings isn't why Cynthia Roberson moved from Kissimmee, Florida, to Belize in 2013 - but it's certainly one of the perks of living amid the jungle of this Central American paradise. Although Roberson has no immediate plans to retire from her financial controller job with Chaa Creek Resort in San Ignacio, she knows that she definitely will retire in Belize someday. Medicine is cheap, as is car insurance, groceries and every other living expense. Plus, the love affair she's enjoying with the forests, beaches and reefs isn't one she's ready to give up on any time soon. All available jobs are first offered to Belizeans, advertised in the local paper for two weeks. Thus, the more specialized a position is and more likely that only you can fill it, the better the odds that you'll be granted a work permit. "We have thousands of waiters in Belize," says Roberson. So don't expect to score a job serving, despite the country's 800 hotels and resorts. But most resorts are hiring. Americans should keep an eye toward specialized fields such as accounting, graphic design, PR, marketing, IT and Web design.

International Sourcesizz

President Donald J. Trump Proclaims June 2017 as National Caribbean-American Heritage Month
National Caribbean-American Heritage Month is a celebration of the accomplishments of Caribbean Americans and our long, shared history with the peoples of the Caribbean. We are grateful for the culture Caribbean Americans have shared with our Nation and the many contributions they have made to our society. Throughout our history, Caribbean Americans have helped create and maintain the strength and independence of our Nation. Alexander Hamilton, who came from poverty in Nevis, was a key contributor to our Constitution and the first Secretary of the Treasury, helping to establish our modern financial system and to create the United States Coast Guard.

Caribbean must press ahead with adaptation to climate change
Despite US announcement of withdrawal from Paris Accord. MIAMI - A grouping of representatives of the Caribbean American and US private sector, non-government organizations and regional governments has urged that the Caribbean region, while disappointed with America's withdrawal from the Paris Accord, use this development to generate greater enthusiasm among Caribbean populations to move ahead with enhanced measures for adaptation to climate change. The meeting identified among the possible enhanced measures greater collaboration among stakeholders to include the business sector, intensified public education programs on environmental issues, the establishment of a US/Caribbean Sea Council and strategic use of social media as a means of fundraising so as to be able to execute relevant programs.

Phase II of Exercise Tradewinds 2017 set to begin in Trinidad
Phase II of the international military exercise entitled Exercise Tradewinds 2017 will be conducted in Trinidad from June 13 - 17, 2017. Phase I is being held in Barbados from June 6 - 12, 2017. Tradewinds is a multi-national maritime security and disaster response exercise in the Caribbean. Participants from 20 partner nations will join in the exercise, including Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, St Kitts and Nevis, Suriname, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago, as well as military personnel from the United States, Canada, France, Mexico, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.

Videos

  • New Vehicles Gifted under Chiquibul Forest Investment Initiative, 3min. The Protected Areas Conservation Trust (PACT) hosted an official vehicle handover ceremony in Belmopan on May 29th. Six new vehicles, valued at over $450,000 were handed over to the four beneficiaries of the Chiquibul Forest Investment Initiative (CFII). The CFII Consortium includes the Belize Defence Force (BDF), the Belize Forest Department, Ya'axch� Conservation Trust, and Friends for Conservation and Development (FCD). The BDF received three new vehicles while the remaining three organizations received one vehicle each.

  • Celebrating World Oceans Day in Toledo, 7min. Today across the world was observed World Oceans Day. It is a day set aside to highlight the importance of oceans and the need to protect and preserve the natural resource. On Wednesday, OCEANA Belize took journalists for a trip off the waters of Punta Gorda Town. Local journalists got the opportunity to visit the Port Honduras Marine Reserve and surrounding areas. The reserve contains a diverse set of eco-systems from coastal to tidal wetlands, as well as coral reef and cayes - but parts of it are open for public use under managed access - so hundreds of residents from Punta Gorda and surrounding communities rely on this reserve. Andrea Polanco was in Punta Gorda on Wednesday and has more.

  • Xunantunich Belize, 3.5min.

  • Diving trip to Mexico and Belize, 13min.

  • Amberjack on the Belize Flats 2016, 3min. Amberjack on the flats just off of the reef in Caye Caulker Belize 2016.

  • Belize 2017 Land Slideshow, 6min.

  • Flashes in Belize 2017, 7min.

  • This is what swimming with dozens of sharks looks like, 3min. An impressive video has emerged of two people snorkelling in the middle of a sharks off the coast of Belize.

  • WHEN RAYMOND GONGORA REVOLUTIONIZED BELIZEAN THEATER! (FINAL PART), 17min. 1970s Belizean theater can be dubbed as "The Belizean Artistic Renaissance" since its period of high quality accomplished Belizean drama taken from the streets of Belize City and the underlining Creole villages of Belize District carried the narratives of Belizean ancestors of African Creole folklore. But these stories would not have been preserved if it was not for the work of a drama group from Belize City called, "The Square Peg Players", that was the brilliant brainchild of the legendary Belizean actor, playwright, and visionary, Raymond Gongora. Gongora's range as an artistic interpreter was seen in his ability to take the language of the common day Belizean folk of the 1970s Belize, and captured it in prose and drama. He was the architect of Belizean comedy theater pulling from the incredible works of legendary Belizean artists and playwrights like Evan X Hyde, George Gabb and Sandra Coye. He turned these works into masterpieces of Belizean artistic freedom that served as a main source of entertainment at that time when radio was the only medium of communication and the coming of television was never even realized.

  • RECAP MURDER OF MISSING COUPLE FROM COROZAL TOWN 2017, 7min.

  • It's howler monkey release time again!, 1.5min. This year we have eight Yucatan black howler monkeys (three groups) that have successfully completed rehabilitation and are now moving into the release stage. Group One: Kat and Baloo. Group Two: Darwin and Sansa. Group Three: Inni, Vicki, Maggie and Finn. The final preparations are being made - today they headed down to Fireburn, to spend a couple of days in the pre-release cages to get used to the sights, sounds and smells of their new location. On Monday, the doors will be opened and they will start living as free monkeys, monitored by the pre-release tracking teams, joining the 49 monkeys that have re-established a healthy population over the last five years. They have come a long way...

  • Belize 2017, 3.5min.

  • Unbelizeable - 2 Weeks in Belize, 10min. Two weeks exploring the beautiful country of Belize. For a small country in Central America there is so much to do here. We snorkelled with incredible sea life, visited Mayan ruins, went caving, crossed the border into Guatemala to visit Tikal, hiked waterfalls in the rainforest, slept on a hut above the water and ate lots of rice & beans.

  • Belize Zoo Night Tour - Tapir encounter, 1/2min.

  • Belize Zoo Night Tour - Feeding the Puma, 1/2min.

  • Belize Zoo Night Tour - Feeding the Jaguar, 1/2min.


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