Channel 5
Breaking News: 3 Belizeans including Cyclist Darnell Barrow Robbed, Kidnapped in Northern Mexico
There is a late evening report of the robbery of three Belizeans—well-known cyclist Darnel Barrow, Albert Leslie and another known only as Mark. Leslie daughter, Elisa, phoned in [...]
Customs Sets Contraband Ablaze in Yo Creek
The flow of contraband items from across the northern border is brisk. It’s big business, though risky, for contrabandistas to illegally bring in tons of items via various transshipment points. [...]
The Liquidation of the Civil Service Credit Union
In April of 2016, the Central Bank of Belize announced plans to liquidate four credit unions across the country. These were the Citrus Growers and Workers’ Credit Union; Mount Carmel [...]
Corozal Chinese Shopkeepers Robbed, Pistol-Whipped in Front of Customers
There was a brazen armed robbery on Thursday afternoon in Corozal Town. The mid-afternoon crime was carried out by a trio of thieves, two of whom were armed with guns. [...]
On Return, P.M. Too Busy for Media Questions
Earlier this week Prime Minister Dean Barrow left the country with his family on personal business in the United States. As has become common practice, the local media camped out [...]
CitCo Struggles with Overnight Flooding
Overnight, heavy rains came down on Belize City and other parts of the country. The downpour immediately caused flooding across the city and water levels are rising in the Belize [...]
West, South Inundated By Rains
But even before the heavy rains in Belize City, torrential rains across western and southern Belize caused flooding of bridges and farms. NEMO is reporting that no homes have been [...]
B.D.F. Driver to be Sentenced for Knocking Down Boy
Civilian driver for the Belize Defence Force, forty-year-old Hubert Martinez, awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to a charge of manslaughter by negligence. He admits causing the death of three-year-old Jahston [...]
Banker Fined for Friend’s Accidental Death
A banker made a decision while intoxicated to put a licensed firearm in a friend’s mouth, which cost that friend his life. Forty-five-year-old Edwardo Torres has avoided jail time after [...]
Weed Busts in Teakettle, San Lazaro
A drug bust in the village of Teakettle in the west, yielded police eight thousand five hundred and three grams of cannabis, the equivalent of eight pounds of the drug. [...]
Guyana to Go Ahead with Nomination of Kenneth Benjamin Despite Opposition
Attorney General Michael Peyrefitte has said that Chief Justice Kenneth Benjamin has not indicated any plans of leaving Belize and his post. But Guyanese President David Granger still wants him [...]
Argument Continues over Responsibility for Sunshine Loans
The case of Sunshine Holdings and the B.T.L. Employees’ Trust was finally before a judge in the Supreme Court, albeit briefly on Thursday. The crux of the case is whether [...]
Belize Rides the Wave of Regional Push for Direct Consumption Sugar
The proposed move to transition to direct consumption sugar continues to be discussed among millers across the region, Jamaica being the latest country to endorse the idea of producing plantation [...]
Can Imports be Reduced?
The issue of Common External Tariffs not being applied to imported white sugar continues to affect millers. The Sugar Association of the Caribbean, according to McLachlan, is looking at the [...]
After Sub-Par Year, C.D.B. Turns the Page
This week, the Caribbean Development Bank held its annual press conference at its headquarters in Barbados. The headline is that the performance of its nineteen member countries economically in 2017 [...]
Bankers Tout Sponsored Infrastructure Improvements, Advise Belize on Controlling Debt
Belize recorded just a half a percentage point increase in GDP in 2017, and projects about one point five percent, hampered by increases in debt. But still, the C.D.B. remains [...]
B.T.L. Park Star-Studded Saturday Concert Features Cham, Cecile, Ernestine, Supa G…
The City Council is celebrating the fourth anniversary of the B.T.L. Park with a free grand fireworks showcase and concert on Saturday night. The event kicks off with celebrations for [...]
Mellow Out on Sunday with Bob Marley and Dara Robinson at Birds Isle
There is another concert taking place this weekend. Dara Robinson wants you to come out and support the sixteenth annual Bob Marley Tribute and Food Drive on Sunday. The annual [...]
LOVE FM
Belizean accommodations win TripAdvisor Awards
Twenty four accommodations including Bread and Breakfasts, Inns, Hotels and resorts in Belize were among the recipients of this year’s Trip Advisors Awards in the World and Central America categories. The winners were determined based on the millions of reviews and opinions collected in a single year from TripAdvisor travelers worldwide. This year, Coco Plum …
Amandala
2 Cotton Tree villagers charged for Israel Perez’s murder
The search for Israel “Prince” Perez, 27, of St. Matthews, Cayo District, who had been missing since Sunday, January 28, eleven days ago, came to a tragic conclusion at about 6:00 Tuesday morning in Harmonyville, and two Cotton Tree men will be arraigned in court for his murder.
Perez’s body was found in an advanced state of decomposition in a shallow grave (a dugout). There were multiple stab wounds in his chest and upper body.
His hands and feet were tied, and his head was covered with a plastic bag. The body was partially exposed and a stench of decomposition was heavy in the air.
4-year contract for Citco admin, Candice Miller
At the cusp of the impending March 7 municipal elections, the outgoing Mayor of Belize City, Darrell Bradley, has signed a four-year contract for Belize City Council Administrator, Candice Miller. She will now serve in the capacity of city administrator until 2022, and will thereby outlast whoever succeeds Mayor Bradley.
While the move has been criticized by the Opposition, Mayor Bradley had no apologies. According to him, it is a part of his efforts at reforming municipal staff throughout the country.
Bradley said, “This is part of our reforming of the municipal staff, so that this is not something that only the Belize City Council did.
Cycling prez, Dion Leslie, under fire
Belize Cycling Federation president, Dion Leslie, who is also the governing United Democratic Party’s mayoral candidate, has come under fire from a young man who is aspiring to lead the cycling organization.
Tariq Cano, who is not shy about his aspirations to topple Leslie from the top spot at the cycling federation, called a press conference today in which he called into question Leslie’s performance as the leader of the cycling federation.
Cano, who was accompanied by his lawyer, Hector Guerra, told the media that since last November he has been requesting information about the election for the Cycling Federation of Belize.
Security guard charged with theft of friend’s cellphone
Dajion Staine, 19, a security guard at the Samuel Haynes Institute of Learning who has been accused of stealing an LG cellular phone, valued at $250, was read a charge of theft today by Senior Magistrate Aretha Ford.
Staine wanted to plead guilty to the charge, but Senior Magistrate Ford entered an equivocal plea of not guilty when Staine said he did not act alone in the commission of the offence. She offered Staine bail of $1,000 and adjourned his case until April 5.
The theft occurred around 8:45 p.m. on February 6. The complainant, Adrian Hall, 19, a tour guide, reported to the police that he was at A Plus Restaurant on Mahogany Street socializing with Staine and Lyndell Parham, and when he left, he forgot to take his phone from the table.
Belizean Hezron Parks, 21, charged by US authorities for 2nd degree murder
Hezron Parks, 21, a Belizean national from Independence Village in the Stann Creek District, has been employed by the e-commerce company, Amazon, and living in the United States legally for the last five years.
However, his life changed permanently on Monday when he was arraigned in connection with the murder of an off-duty Marine veteran.
The Marine veteran, Captain Kyle Brayer, 34, was shot in the head in what appeared to be a road rage incident. American media outlets are reporting that prior to the shooting, Parks had been out partying in Scottsdale, Arizona, and got into a fight with a bouncer at one club, was denied entry to another and left a third club because he did not like his drink.
Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) rates Belize
The Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) released its 2017 Caribbean economic review and its 2018 outlook at an annual press conference held in Barbados on Wednesday this week. A review of the publication revealed that although several Borrowing Member Countries (BMCs) suffered from devastating events like hurricanes, last year there was an overall uptick in economic growth, to 0.6 per cent.
The publication informed that although there was some growth in 2017, the region continues to underperform when compared with other country groups. For the last nine years, the annual growth in the region has averaged 0.8 per cent, while in other small developing states, growth has averaged 4.8 percent.
Cricket regular season opens this weekend
Yesterday, the Belize National Cricket Association (BNCA) announced that its Sir Barry Bowen 2018 Harrison Parks Cricket Competition regular season will commence this coming weekend with 7 games scheduled, 6 on Saturday and 1 on Sunday. The planned season opening Marathon, which had been twice postponed due to rain, has been cancelled. Below is the Week 1 regular season schedule, all games starting at 10:30 a.m.:
Some FFB news items
The following are a few selected items from an FFB press release on Monday, February 5:
President Sergio Chuc says farewell to Renan Couoh – Technical Director
On Friday, February 2, the Football Federation of Belize (FFB) held a farewell ceremony for Mr. Renan Couoh. At this ceremony, President Sergio Chuc thanked Renan for 10 years as the Technical Director of the Federation, during which years he assisted in the development of many programs, leaving a legacy for the new Technical Director, Mr. Phillip Marin to continue.
PLB Week 4 summaries and Week 5 schedule
Sunday, February 4:
Wagiya FC vs Belmopan Bandits SC at Carl Ramos Stadium – postponed.
San Pedro Pirates FC 2:1 BDF FC at Ambergris Stadium. (San Pedro Pirates – Highking Roberts 16’ and Carlos Pertuz 90’; BDF – Shane “Chucky” Flores 47’)
Verdes FC 2:0 Placencia Assassins FC at Norman Broaster Stadium. (Verdes – Alcides “Paco” Thomas 8’ and Elroy “Bibbs” Kuylen 47’).
Police United FC 2:1 Freedom Fighters FC at Isidoro Beaton Stadium. (Police United – Marlon “El Matador” Meza 81’ PK and Carlton “Fubu” Thomas 28’; Freedom Fighters – Kyle Flowers 12’)
Cycling fireworks building momentum to Cross Country
The 2018 Cycling Calendar hit the pavement with a bang on New Year’s Day, featuring the Krem New Year’s Day Cycling Classic, the next biggest annual cycling event to the historic Holy Saturday Cross Country Classic.
We have been treated with some regular weekly reports on races hosted by the Weekend Warriors, as well as by individual cyclists or groups foraging into special events across our northern border, in Merida and Ciudad Del Carmen. This coming weekend, we understand that the Cycling Federation will be holding its annual DigiCell Elite Valentine’s Tour.
Editorial: The myth of our inferiority
This Friday, February 9, is the 49th anniversary of the founding of the organization which established this newspaper, Amandala, six months after UBAD’s founding, in August of 1969.
Next year July will mark the centennial of the epic Ex-Servicemen’s rebellion in Belize Town in July of 1919. UBAD was founded almost fifty years to the day after the Ex-Servicemen’s rebellion. And UBAD was founded just 19 years after the radical, anti-colonial People’s United Party (PUP) was formed in 1950.
At the time it was formed, the PUP was considered militant and revolutionary in British Honduras. So that, for UBAD to challenge the PUP less than two decades later on the grounds of militant and revolutionary commitment requires careful study and analysis.
The creation of wealth
Dear Editor:
The creation of national wealth occurs when ordinary people come up with creative, useful and sometimes not so useful ideas, build them, improve on them and then market them. This can be a product as well as a service, a new way of doing something, a process or even a concept. That is pretty much the basis of wealth creation, and it’s no great secret, as some might be led to believe. However, in most instances it is not overnight and takes persistence, patience and a dogged determination to succeed. Individual success grows into companies and eventually to some of the large successful Fortune 500 conglomerates we see today. As the saying goes, a great forest fire starts with a simple spark. This process is commonplace — from the man who started Facebook to the person who invented the common paperclip.
A piece of land for every Belizean!
Darrell Bradley’s term as Mayor of Belize City ends on March 7th this year and his coup de grace was to “gift” 195 employees of the Belize City Council, each a parcel of land. In aggregate, we are told, the land totals 57 acres and the entire project took about two and a half years to come to fruition. I am genuinely happy for the recipients of the lands, many of whom are first-time land owners. However, I am disgusted at the notion that a politician must grant us our own land. Mayor Bradley’s gesture, apart from floating his own political boat, has served only to reinforce the existing system of partisan political distribution of public resources.
Of pesos and “pedimentos” …
Dear Editor,
The country of Mexico is one of Belize’s best friends, there is no doubt about that. A lot of us are descendants of Mexicans who came to seek refuge from the Caste War, Mayans and Spanish alike. Mexico also supports our independence and would like to see us prosper, unlike our neighbor to the West and South who would like to gobble us.
But, our trade imbalance is hugely in their favor and methinks they can do much more to help us.
At present, Belizeans trek across the border daily into Chetumal to purchase millions of pesos in all types of goods, paying a hefty 16% IVA tax.
If you aren’t rich, you should be socialist
Agriculture as the chief means of making a livelihood in British Honduras has not yet been forced upon the people. For the present, thanks to the demands made by the American market for our woods, the country is seeing a return of comparative prosperity. But the evil day will come, and only the more surely because it is put off for a time. The forests are being denuded…no provision is being made by the enforced planting of trees to replace…
Almost all our eggs are, as Governor Moloney worded it, in one basket. When this basket breaks, there will be a return to the evil day of 1901 – emigration to Spanish Honduras, to Yucatan and even to Guatemala will set in, and homes in Belize will be broken up.
ABUSE IN YOUR RELATIONSHIPS … Cruelty in law
It is interesting some of the cases of abuse I have come across in my line of work over the years and how from then to now the cases I have encountered have become even more heinous and prevalent. From the start of my career as a journalist I have had the privilege of having people confide in me, and me willing to offer support and encouragement. Now in the legal field I have had to not only listen but seek legal redress for women in very abusive relationships.
I always reflect on how most of these relationships started with promises of love, companionship and security, but then it turns to hate, loneliness and lack of personal security… sadly, the abuse comes from the person to whom you have given your heart. Or is it love? I opine, without the need to be a relationship expert, that it is not love.
Flash flood impacts Unitedville, Cayo
Rains in the hills led to a flash flood that impacted the residents of the lower areas of the Cayo District today. The flash flood entered homes, flooded farms, and inundated the Iguana Creek Bridge near Unitedville/ Blackman Eddy, causing traffic delays.
In an interview with Plus TV, a Unitedville resident said that he saw the river (Belize River) rising from about 10:00 this morning, but he didn’t pay much attention to it. He said the river continued to rise, and by 1:00 in the afternoon the water covered the Iguana Creek Bridge, making it impassable.
However, at about 2:00 this afternoon, the river began to recede, and by 3:00 the bridge was again passable.
Maya Leaders Alliance calls for respect in referendum education in Toledo
The Referendum Unit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been working in the Maya villages of the Toledo District, but their work has given rise to questions about the impartiality of the methods that are being employed, and this has prompted Pablo Mis, the Program Coordinator of the Mayan Leaders Alliance, to appeal for respect of the process and to caution those conducting the operation to not attempt to extract answers that are supportive of the government.
Mis calls for the referendum campaign to be conducted in a fair, independent and objective manner.
“Given the magnitude of this concern, we have been in touch with the Referendum Unit from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; they are the ones who are tasked to lead the awareness campaign.
Norman Slusher, accused of the 2012 barbershop murder of Jason Canto, on trial
On Tuesday, a trial by judge sitting without jury began in the Supreme Court of Justice Adolph Lucas for the man accused of the May 2012 murder of Jason Canto, 30, who died in a hail of bullets sprayed at him inside Dale’s Barbershop, located at the corner of West Canal and Bishop Street.
The accused murderer, Norman Slusher, who is said to be an affiliate of the George Street Gang, also sustained gunshot injuries at the murder scene. Businessman Jose Shoman was a customer inside the barbershop and had his licensed firearm on him when two armed men appeared.
Slusher, 28, is being defended by attorney Simeon Sampson, S.C., while the Crown’s evidence is being led by Crown Counsel Janelle Tillett.
“It’s stupidity on stilts,” says attorney for the BTL Employees Trust, Eamon Courtenay, SC
Most Belizeans thought that the government acquisition of Belize Telemedia Limited (BTL) was settled at over half a billion dollars, but this morning attorneys for Sunshine Holdings and the BTL Employees Trust gathered in the chambers of Supreme Court Justice Courtenay Abel, where a new round of litigation began to take shape.
When the attorneys were finished, dates were agreed upon, for a full hearing of a claim from Sunshine Holdings.
Attorney Rodwell Williams, SC, who is representing Sunshine Holdings, explained what is involved to reporters who were camped outside the court.
“Pending before the court were two applications, one by the claimant, Sunshine, to continue the freeze, and for an ancillary order to the freeze, and one by my friends to strike out the claim.
The Reporter
Couple busted with almost 20 pounds of weed
A man and woman have been charged by Belmopan police for drug trafficking after they were busted with seven parcels of cannabis totaling just over 18 pounds. Brittany Hutchinson 22, of Teakettle village and Ernesto Almendarez, 29, of Belmopan were charged yesterday in Belmopan Magistrate Court. According […]
Rescue dogs used to search for Taiwan’s earthquake victims
As the fight against time gets crucial in finding survivors of Taiwan’s earthquake, rescue dogs are now being used more. A four-year-old golden labrador whose name translates to “Iron Hero”, worked through dangerous aftershocks to search for survivors after the 6.4-magnitude temblor struck the city […]
Two women charged for trafficking crack cocaine
Orange Walk police arrested two women for trafficking crack cocaine on Wednesday after cops discovered the drug during a search at their residence. Cops raided Raquel Gomez’s, 25, home in Trinidad village, Orange Walk on Wednesday morning and found a plastic container with 7.2 grams of crack […]
Magistrate’s SUV stolen in Ladyville, burnt on Lake I Blvd
A magistrate’s SUV was stolen over the weekend in Ladyville, but her misfortune was compounded when police discovered that the stolen vehicle was then set on fire on Sunday morning closer to Belize City. Police Crimes Investigations Branch (CIB) Chief, Assistant Superintendent Alejandro Cowo told […]
Murder suspect nabbed in Canadian drug bust, to face extradition to Belize
A Canadian national is detained pending extradition to Belize to face a charge of first-degree murder after he was arrest drug bust at a residence in Sudbury, Ontario last Friday. Jordan Bacchus, 28, who is wanted in Belize for the May 6th, 2016 murder of […]
Man accuses police of abuse of authority
A man is accusing three policemen of abusing their authority while they held him in their custody on Saturday night. Dorita Muschamp told the media that she had just left her son, Yulide Allen at a shop on Jasmine Street and headed to her house. […]
Belizean-American charged for road-rage shooting of fire captain
A Belizean-American living in Phoenix, Arizona was detained over the weekend by police there after he allegedly, turned himself in and confessed to shooting an off-duty fire captain during a confrontation in Scottsdale, Arizona on Sunday night. Hezron Parks was handed over to Scottsdale police where he […]
ComPol cracks down on police special duties
Commissioner of Police, Allen Whylie, said the department is cracking down on police officers working special duties at private establishment without his knowledge or consent. At a press conference hosted at the Racoon Street Police Station on Wednesday, Whylie said the police department is a […]
US Embassy gifts thermo-cycler machine to Belize Central Medical Laboratory
The United States Embassy in Belize, last Wednesday, gifted a thermo-cycler machine including supplies and support training valued at approximately USD $ 150,000 to the Central Medical Laboratory, which will allow the lab to conduct rapid and accurate detection of viruses and bacteria that causes diseases including […]
Mexico supports peaceful solution to territorial conflict
Our neighbour to the north, Mexico was the first country to support Belize’s political Independence at the United Nations in 1981, and that country supports a peaceful solution to the territorial conflict that Belize shares with Guatemala. Mexican Ambassador to Belize, Carlos Quesnel Melendez told […]
Ministry of Agriculture import sheeps from the US
Twenty-nine Dorper and sixteen Barbados Black Belly sheep, which were born and bred in the United States (US), arrived at the Philip Goldson International Airport last Monday, imported by the Ministry of Agriculture. The imported sheeps are a part of the December 2015 “Genetic Improvement […]
Traditional Mayas march for slain sisters in the South
Over the weekend, 39-Mayan Communities in southern Belize rallied and marched for justice and peace in memory of slain sisters, Crescencia and Josephina Oh, who were both viciously slaughtered on their way home in San Jose Village, Toledo on January 21. Committee Organizer, Maya Choc, […]
Toledo resident Lusilla Vernon turns 100 years old
Lusilla McNab Vernon completed 100 years on January 26th 2018. She was born in Punta Gorda, Belize on January 26th, 1918. She is one of the 13 children of Sam Vernon JP and Isabel Vernon. She was married to Eddie McNab, and has five children – Dorothy, Edgar, Sandra, Anthony […]
RISING DEATH TOLL IN BELIZEAN MALES
6 out of 10 people who die in Belize each year are males By Adele Ramos Freelance Reporter Over the past decade, there has been a widening gap between the number of males who die in Belize and the number of females. A review of data sourced from the Ministry […]
Belizeans safe after second 6.4 magnitude quake rocks Taiwan
Belizean students and workers in the People’s Republic of China, Taiwan are all safe after an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Hualien, eastern Taiwan at 11:50 on Tuesday, killing 10 people, injuring more than 260, and toppling buildings […]
Police unveils its 2018 National Crime Fighting Strategy
The Belize Police Department, on Wednesday, launched its new ‘National Crime Fighting Strategy 2018-2020′, which includes a detailed and comprehensive action plan aimed at addressing, combating and reducing major crimes and gang violence across the country. The new strategy was unveiled by Commissioner of Police, […]
Editorial
Police Commissioner Allen Whylie this week outlined a broad initiative, which aims at breaking the power and influence of the gangs in Belize by targeting the leaders and by bringing under surveillance, people who support gangs and provide help and comfort to their leaders. At the same time the Commissioner […]
Civil Service Credit Union bled dry
Share holders and members of the Civil Service Credit Union (CSCU) are unable to get their money, amounting to some $1.2 million, after the organization went into insolvency. Cedric Flowers, Chartered Public Accountant, explained that of the 1,200 people affected by the insolvency, some 200 […]
Flash floods affect families in western and southern Belize
Between four and six families in some villages in the Cayo district were faced with a last-minute evacuation emergency situation just before midnight on Wednesday when they woke up to sweeping, cold flood waters threatening their lives and properties. The families gathered as much as […]
Israel Perez’s suspected murderers jailed
Two days after St. Matthew’s resident, Israel Perez was found stabbed to death inside a shallow grave in Harmonyville community along the George Price Highway, police have charged two Cotton Tree residents for his murder. Just before midday on Thursday, Cruz Castillo, 33, and Stanley […]
Cycling Association combats woes
The Cycling Federation of Belize and its President, UDP Mayoral Candidate Dion Leslie are being challenged for a lack of transparency and failure to hold elections, by one of its members, Tariq Cano. According to Cano, the Federation has not held an election for a […]
Iguana Juan’s: Fresh Food in a Fresh Location
Back Street is probably the least “touristy” and my favorite.
But now a cool new spot has opened – in a location that has languished since being refurbished a few years back. It was my first time up these stairs to visit the new Iguana Juan’s. What a great location! To sip a margarita and enjoy some really delicious food and just hang out. And watch the real world, San Pedro.
The owners, Shannon and Brad. They sold a HUGE comedy club in Raleigh North Carolina about 5 years ago and were looking for a tropical way of life. They lived in Hopkins, Belize for a while and then came up to Ambergris to open their new business. They will also be holding cooking classes featuring tamales. I tried a sample of really delicious brushetta on homemade bread.
The Museum of Belize celebrates its 16th anniversary
In 2002, Her Majesty’s Prison was converted into the Museum of Belize, and on February 5th, celebrated its 16th anniversary. Dedicated to the collection, preservation and exhibition of scientific, historical or artistic objects of interest, the Museum is a treasure trove of Belizean history. From the earliest stamp of Belize featuring Queen Victoria to the Buenavista Vase depicting mythical Maya Hero Twins dancing in victory over the Lords of Xibalba, the former prison has come a long way since it housed inmates when it was built in 1857.
The 16th anniversary celebrations included educational and interactive activities that patrons and stakeholders, as well as visitors and friends could enjoy. Monday’s activity included the unveiling of a new temporary exhibit featuring Belizean artists.
International Sources
5.5 earthquake jolts Caribbean islands
An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.5 jolted several Caribbean islands on Friday but there were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.
The Trinidad-based Seismic Research Centre (SRC) of the University of the West Indies said that the quake, which occurred at 1.43 pm (local time), was felt in Barbuda, St Kitts and St Maarten.
It said it was located Latitude: 18.71N, Longitude: 61.43W and at a depth of 10 kilometres.
“The event occurred north of Barbuda and was reported felt in St Kitts and St Maarten,” the SRC said.
Mangroves protect coastlines, store carbon – and are expanding with climate change
With the help of technology, humans can traverse virtually every part of our planet’s surface. But animals and plants are less mobile. Most species can only live in zones where temperature and rain fall within specific ranges.
As regions become warmer due to climate change, plants and animals in those areas will either move to more appropriate climates or be replaced by newcomers who are well-suited to the new conditions. These changes are already occurring. For example, many plants, animals and birds in the Northern Hemisphere have shifted their ranges northward.
My research team studies mangroves – salt-tolerant trees with branches that intertwine like dense jungle gyms. Mangroves line the world’s coastlines and prefer warm temperatures, so they have traditionally been restricted to subtropical and tropical environments. But they have many features that have enabled them to survive major climate shifts in the past. Now, in a harbinger of climate change, mangroves are expanding from tropical zones into temperate areas. Scientists are finding them at higher and higher latitudes in North America, South America, Asia, Africa, Australia and Latin America.
Human Sacrifice in the Yucatán
One of the world’s great civilizations, the Maya, flourished in southern Mexico and parts of Central America for more than three thousand years. From about 2000 BC until the Spanish Conquest in the 16th century AD, various Mayan centers rose in their far-flung territories in Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.
Maya peoples developed a hieroglyphic writing system, as well as ornate arts and sculpture designs, architectural innovations, complex mathematics and a detailed calendar based on their highly sophisticated astronomical calculations. Over the centuries the Maya withstood conquest by other indigenous peoples, sometimes for prolonged periods, and the systematic destruction of their culture by the Europeans.
The Spanish demolished Mayan temples, spreading Catholicism and disease wherever they went. The island of Cozumel, off the eastern Yucatan coast, now a destination for cruise ships and scuba divers, was once a sacred site of pilgrimage for the Maya, home of their Moon Goddess, where women came to seek fertility. At least ten thousand Maya were living on Cozumel when the Spanish arrived in 1520. But the smallpox they brought soon reduced the native population to a few hundred, who were later forcibly relocated to the mainland. As Wikipedia succinctly notes: “The Spanish conquest stripped away most of the defining features of Maya civilization.”
Videos
Saying No to Single-Use Plastic, 2min. This is a short clip about my research at Turneffe Atoll, Belize made for my ENG 393 class.
Scuba Diving Belize PalapaTours Greg Mansur, 2min. Greg Mansur. Scuba Diving. Nancy Chartier. Belize. San Pedro.
My Trip to San Pedro Belize 2018, 4.5min.
Grace & You - Banana Pudding Parfait, 23min.
BTL Park 4th Anniversary Concert, 19min.
Travlers - Valentine's Day-inspired recipes, 9min.
501 Xtreme Dance Group, 27min.
“Johnny-Cakes”The Old Fashioned Way, 4min.
Ceiba trees outgrow all trees in the jungle, 1min. Sacred tree for the ancient Maya
Belize Now | February 9, 2018, 30min. 1. Belize Police Department launches new National Crime Fighting Strategy.
2. Restore Belize - Eight years later.
3. Belize City Resident leads initiative for new park.
4. Belize to receive funding from Global Fund for malaria elimination project.
5. National Oil Spill Consultation 2018.
6. UAE-funded rural electrification project to be implemented in Belize.
Mary Tate celebrates 104th Birthday!, 3min. Mary Tate of the Sister Cecilia Home for the Elderly celebrated her one hundred and fourth birthday today in grand style. She was serenaded by the other residents, ate birthday cake and spent time with her granddaughters. We found her in high spirits and full of energy. Tate told us that she lived on Pickstock Street for more than thirty-years after she relocated to Belize. News Five’s Andrea Polanco was at the Sister Cecilia Home for the celebrations.
National Geographic World Legacy Awards Winner:Chaa Creek, 1min. Recognizing direct and tangible economic and social benefits that improve local livelihoods, including training and capacity building, fair wages and benefits, community development, health care and education.
Vacation in my parents hometown Belize & Mexico!, 7min. I visited family, went to concerts, and went ziplining for the first time.
Belize Trip 2018, 75min. Brad and Kenzie leave their creature comforts of America and travel into the foreign lands of Belize. Do they film anything other than animals? Probably not.
Belize, 5.5min. 2018 Belize Trip.
TRAVEL WITH ME | Belize Vlog |, 16min. Here is a fun travel with me vlog from my trip to Belize! We BARELY survived almost being eaten by a crocodile and shooting with the beautiful Belizean waterfalls. I had so much fun on this trip and miss it already!
Dangriga Dream Ballers vs Verdes, 3hr.
AmbergrisCaye.com 
