February, 2024 - Channel 5 Belize

U.D.P. Chides Briceño Administration over Refusal to Release Cabinet Docs

The opposition is chiding the Briceño administration after Cabinet denied a request from the Senate Special Select Committee. In its request, the committee sought documents pertaining to the Portico Definitive Agreement that were tabled in Cabinet. News Five is in possession of a copy of one response from Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie to the Senate Committee. It says “I have been obliged to seek legal advice on the matter. That advice was sought from the Attorney General’s Ministry. Based on the legal advice received, I regret that I am unable to accede to the request”. As a rule, every member of Cabinet takes an oath to keep Cabinet deliberations confidential. Furthermore, section twenty-three of the Freedom of Information Act prohibits the release of Cabinet documents to the public. Notwithstanding these conditions, a copy of the Portico Definitive Agreement was leaked to the public back in May 2023.But a body like the Senate Special Select Committee that is undertaking such a serious task may not be able to rely on a leaked document for official deliberation. Today, Michael Peyrefitte, the Chairman of the United Democratic Party weighed in on Cabinet’s refusal to release those files.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“The committee asked him for the documents that they considered, they looked at, to help the committee do its work and they have just flat-out said no. And, I don’t know what the committee will do from here. Technically it is like this, you have a committee formed to produce and agreement and the government doesn’t even want to produce the agreement. So, how, what does that tell you and the terms of reference were clear, the terms of reference were clear, we want to know what were the circumstances that lead to the signing of that agreement and we want to know what was the circumstances that led to the Prime Minister tabling that set of papers in Cabinet, asking Cabinet to approve a document with accompanying legislation, even after one of the best lawyers in the world told him that that agreement was essentially trash.”

Paul Lopez

“Is it your view then that a request from the senate committee trumps the constitutional convention which indicates that Cabinet papers are considered confidential?”

Michael Peyrefitte

“Show me in the constitution where documents in Cabinet can never be released to the public, show me that.”

Paul Lopez

“Section 23 of the Freedom of Information Act states that Cabinets documents are exempted from disclosure.”

Michael Peyrefitte

“When we were debating the bill, none of the six PUP senators, not even the leader of government business who many like to think is the greatest lawyer since Terry Mason, not even he objected to this because Cabinet papers are confidential and cannot be released to the public based on this particular law. Nobody said that until now, where you get that from? The committee in its request did not ask for a tape recording of the Cabinet. It said, listen the documents that were sent to Cabinet, what are those?”

U.D.P. Chairman Tells Senate Committee to Stick With Terms of Reference

But, is the Chairman of the United Democratic Party being sanctimonious in his criticisms against the Briceño Administration? On Wednesday when the former Lands Commissioner, Wilbert Vallejos, was called before the Senate Special Select Committee, he was reluctant to answer any of the questions posed to him. Vallejos served under the U.D.P. administration as lands commissioner for eleven years. He appeared before the committee with Senior Counsel Dean Barrow, former Prime Minister and U.D.P. Leader. Hugo Patt, the Deputy Leader of the U.D.P. and former Minister of Natural Resources, has also indicated to the Senate Committee that he does not intend to answer any questions his legal counsel deems irrelevant to the investigation.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“There is a reason why you have terms of reference and you must stick within the terms of reference and the committee yesterday, in my view, was trying to go outside its terms of reference. And, this is the thing. If you don’t like the terms of reference then change it. We were in a Senate meeting last week. Mr. Barrow was right in telling Mr. Cal that it is a shame you nuh adjust your terms of reference to indicate where you want to go with your investigation.”

Reporter

“You can’t have it both ways. You cannot be criticizing the PUP for a lack of transparency when all the UDP personalities involved in the land transaction or adjacent to the land transaction have been willfully obfuscatory. Now, the former prime minister has appeared to block any ventilation of this Portico adjacent issue.”

Michael Peyrefitte

“That nuh mek no sense. You have the terms of reference. If it is so important to the Portico investigation, if it is so critical, so central, such a thing that it cannot exist without it, well put it in your terms of reference. If it is not in the terms of reference of an investigation you cannot go into it. That is a simple thing. And I don’t care what anybody says, it is not having it both ways, it is one way. We have terms of reference. When they called me to testify I went. They could call me back if they want. But what I am saying you cannot go outside the terms of reference and if you want that to be in the inquiry then put that in the terms of reference.”

Does Questionable 2020 Public Land Transactions Warrant Investigation?

Outside the considerations of the Senate Special Select Committee, Peyrefitte was asked if he believes that the seventeen questionable government land transactions that occurred only weeks before the 2020 general elections warrant an investigation. As we reported, some eight hundred and fifty acres of public land were sold and seventeen titles were issued for them, all on November fourth 2020. These parcels are located in close proximity to the proposed site for the Portico cruise ship project. Here is how Peyrefitte responded.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“If you are a private individual, and attorney representing your client or whatever and you are engaged in transactions that has to be approved by the government, say for example, I buy a piece of land from you and I have to take that to the Natural Resources Ministry to get the transaction approved in terms of stamp duty or whatever. Or if I am buying land from the government and the government has to approve the sale of it, it was enunciated very well in a court appeals case recently, the responsibility lies on the government or the public official. You and I can do whatever we want to do, the government still has to approve it. So, you and I can get into a million ideas of what we want to do with government land or the transfer of land. All of that has to be stamped and approved by the government. So, if two private individuals gets into land transactions and it is approved by the government, then how can you blame those private individuals. In a case like that you will have to question the minister and those who approve it, yes. But that is not for this terms of reference with Portico, that is a separate thing all together. Whatever questions they want to ask Mr. Vallejos or the honorable Hugo Patt, just check the records. Go to the ministry of Natural Resources and ask them to produce the records of all transactions and the committee can have it.”

If Re-Elected, U.D.P. Chair Vows to Release Cabinet Confidential Papers

U.D.P. Chairman Michael Peyrefitte, also told reporters that if the U.D.P. was in office they would honor the request of the Senate Special Select Committee for Cabinet confidential papers. In fact, Peyrefitte pledged that the next U.D.P. government will provide any Cabinet paper requested. Here is how he responded when reporters asked him about a decision by the Briceño Cabinet to release confidential documents would set bad precedents.

Michael Peyrefitte, Chairman, U.D.P.

“This is not a precedents setting government. This is not a government you want to copy or refer to at any time for the rest of the history of the country. This is a five years that the country will want to forget. They will set no kind of precedents. The next United Democratic Party government that the people will elect in will give you whatever Cabinet paper you want, you know why, because there is no secret to it. People come with proposals to the Cabinet for deliberations. If people want those documents and want to know what agreement the government came to or they want to find a definitive agreement that the government signed or any sort of agreement, it is for the people. There is no such thing as a private, public document. That is all public unless you are talking about issues that have to do with national security.”

P.D.M. Leader says “Fawda” Henry Excommunicated from Political Movement

The leader of the People’s Democratic Movement, Estevan Perera, is defending his name and that of his newly established political organization, after his former city council candidate berated him publicly. Last night, we told you that Phillip “Fawda” Henry, a candidate for the movement, is no longer a member of the PDM. Henry told News Five that he withdrew his candidacy because Perrera has not been forthcoming about funds he purportedly collected from private businesses to run his campaign. Well, Perrera visited our office today to clear his name and set the record straight. He says Henry was excommunicated from the P.D.M. for being defiant.

Estevan Perrera Sr., Leader, People’s Democratic Movement

“Mr. Henry is a problem child and he has to understand that he must listen and abide by the laws and regulations that is set in our constitution and manifesto. There is no special treatment for anyone and to set the record straight, he did not resign. We had a meeting and we all got together, the executive and fellows running in this election coming up and we decided to move him from the People’s Democratic Movement, not because we dislike him or anything, but because of the bad habits and we have spoken to him several times a for him to change and he will not listen. First of all in our manifesto it says, fifty percent, we will give to all elderly people that are living in a home that belongs to them and we believe that is reasonable, fifty percent discount that is. He keep on saying they will pay nothing, it is free. We keep on telling him nothing is free, we got to collect something. But, he will not listen. So, we left him alone. Then again he came up and said, within my movement and people, telling them that I collected money from business people. Well when he said that I said this guy is questioning my integrity now. He is really out of bounds. So then I called a meeting with my entire executive and council and I told Fawda you said I collected money from business people, could you kindly tell my friends in here who that business man is and how much I collected. He didn’t say nothing. So as a result we excommunicated him, took him out all together. We have nothing to do with Mr. Henry.”

Paul Lopez

“With Mr. Henry’s exit, how much candidate to you now have on your slate?”

Estevan Perrera Sr.

“Present it is ten. I need one more. I will be campaigning tomorrow. I got two candidates today but when I talked to them they said they don’t want to run. So I got to go out tomorrow and no problem I will find a candidate to replace him and we will have eleven candidates to run on this election day.”

OSH Bill Amendments Approved by Cabinet

The issue of occupational safety and health has been a concern for many in the private and public sectors. On several occasions, we have reported on persons being injured or losing their lives while on the job. The National Trade Union Congress of Belize has long been clamoring for the passage of the OSH Bill. Earlier today, Cabinet issued a release announcing that it has approved workplace safety measures through OSH Bill amendments. The move draws attention to the Ministry of Labor’s efforts to prioritize the welfare and safety of the workforce. In November and December of last year, various consultations and sensitization meetings were held with a range of stakeholders in partnership with the OSH working group. At the end of January, the proposed amendments were submitted to Cabinet and were later approved. The Attorney General’s Ministry is in the process of revising the bill before it is presented to the House of Representatives.

G.O.B. Launches Plan to Transform Belize’s Investment Climate

The Government of Belize is seeking to reform the way we do business and facilitate investments as a country. That is why, this morning G.O.B. launched its Belize Investment and Business Climate Action Plan. Three public institutions have been identified to lead the charge in this initiative. They are the Investment Policy and Compliance Unit, the Economic Development Council, and BELTRAIDE. The overall objective is to unlock greater business opportunities and secure a prosperous economic future for all Belizeans. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

In its pursuit to promote an effective investment and business climate, the Government of Belize has undertaken an initiative to harmonize three of its key business and investment policies under one umbrella strategy. That is the Belize Investment and Business Climate Action Plan or BIBCAP. Doctor Leroy Almendarez, the Executive Director at BELTRAIDE, spoke about the statutory body’s role in the initiative at its launch this morning.

Dr. Leroy Almendarez, Executive Director, BELTRAIDE

“Today we are launching this initiative called the Belize Investment and Business Climate Action Plan. This looks at wholesomely the whole environment we are doing in Belize. Many times we might say we are open for business but are we making sure we are addressing any challenges for persons who potentially want to do business in the country. Are we addressing that? So this has to do or really it is an output from three different initiatives, one being the National Investment Policy and Strategy, the MSME Policy and Strategy and an Export Competitiveness Road Map. In essence, we look at are we ready for investment to come into this country and when we talk about investments it is not only foreign investments but also local investments? Are we meeting their needs, do we have the legislation? Yes, we have new legislation and the new legislation makes it much easier to do business.”

BIBCAP has been established on nine key policy pillars that seek to increase facilitation of domestic and foreign investments, foster MSME growth and development, promote innovation, and enhance Belize’s overall competitiveness across the region. Ishmael Quiroz, the Executive Director of the Economic Development Council, explained that technical groups have been created to take action on these objectives.

Ishmael Quiroz, Executive Director, Economic Development Council

“Today’s event is actually the activation of technical working groups that will be tasked with implementing the nine pillars of the now Belize investment and Business Climate Action Plan. So, what we have brought together are the action owners, the technical persons involved from the public and private sector and other organizations that have a role to play in actioning the items that are to be delivered. Today’s event is meant to bring everyone together so that everyone is on the same page in terms of the objectives, the tasks that need to be completed and their critical role in achieving success.”

In its totality, the nine pillars identified two hundred and sixty-six actions for which a total of sixty-seven deliverables have been identified. It is expected that by 2030, Belize’s business and investment climate will be one of the most advanced in Central America and the Caribbean. Lincoln Blake, the Director of the Investment Policy and Compliance Unit, is leading the charge in developing the policies to this end.

Lincoln Blake, Director, Investment Policy and Compliance Unit

“Our strength within that organization or structure is policy. We drive the policy changes and recommendations for there to be change and objective to be met. One of the main objectives of BIBCAP is that by 2030 we expect to be a significant investment hub within the Caribbean and Central America. So all of our initiatives, the two hundred and sixty-six actions are geared towards that objective and the deliverable of that objective. We have sixty-seven. The main deliverable is to produce employment, increase production and diversify the economy. Hence, having a better standard of living, that is the main drive behind it. We are already looking at ways to fast track investments. We are looking at amendments to the Designated Processing Areas Act, the Fiscal Incentives Act. We have created more tools for the enhancement and support of MSMEs because they are one of the key drives for the economy.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Off the Beaten Path and into the Wild With Wild Tracks Belize

In tonight’s episode of Belize on Reel, we journeyed far north to Sarteneja where we visited Wild Tracks Belize. It’s a conservation organization that was established a little over thirty-three years ago by husband and wife couple, Paul and Zoe Walker. Together, they have worked tirelessly to rescue, protect and raise awareness about manatees and monkeys, as well as other mammal species native to Belize. News Five’s Isani Cayetano headed to the far-flung coastal community and has the following story.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

Manatees are a keystone species that play an important role in maintaining the health and diversity of aquatic ecosystems. They are also a beloved marine mammal that face many threats from human activities at sea and in rivers. As a conservationist, Paul Walker has dedicated much of his life protecting these amazing creatures.

Paul Walker, Director, Wild Tracks Belize

“We started working with manatees in 1999. So you may remember the name Woody, Belize’s first orphaned manatee that was raised and rehabilitated in Belize. That was done here and he was successfully released down in Southern Lagoon. And when he was successfully released we were then asked to become the national manatee rehabilitation center and we were like, “Uhmm, we didn’t sign on for that.” But at that point, no one else was stepping forward and we had learned quite a lot about manatees with that one.”

Manatees, or sea cows as they are locally called, are a cultural and economic asset for Belize. They attract tourists, researchers and educators and have a long history of coexistence and interactions with humans. When Paul Walker and his wife, Zoe, established Wild Tracks Belize in 1990, after relocating from the UK three years earlier, the couple did not foresee that its conservation efforts would become what it is today.

Paul Walker

“Back in the end of 2010, the mandate for primate rehabilitation also transferred to Wild Tracks by the Forest Department and that’s really when our wildlife rehabilitation program mushroomed significantly. Numbers went up. Manatee numbers in rehabilitation, thankfully, are generally quite small, an ongoing trickle, whereas the monkey rehabilitative needs are much, much more extensive.”

So much so that Wild Tracks Belize has had to expand its operations. The organization, located in Sarteneja, has a dedicated staff. It is also assisted by volunteers who come down to Belize to learn more about monkeys and manatees.

Kyra Dixon, Manager, Wild Tracks Belize

“My love for wildlife started when I was a child. I was actually interested in both manatees and primates, so this is the perfect place for me. I started off as a volunteer and hopefully I showed leadership skills. I came back as an intern leading the day-to-day tasks with the animals and the volunteers and then I was asked to stay on to manage. I think it’s been sort of a learning experience throughout the years that I’ve been here, developing my role and I think I am now finally settling into it and really enjoying my position.”

Along with a volunteer, Kyra Dixon enters the shallow water in an enclosure at the edge of the Sarteneja Lagoon. Together, they are bottle-feeding a pair of rescued manatees, a little over a year old. It’s part of a list of responsibilities that is carried out every day to ensure that these animals are fed, taken care of, and properly rehabilitated.

Paul Walker

“In terms of logistics, it can be difficult at times, particularly under COVID. So we use huge amounts of feed for the animals in rehabilitation. Typically, we’d be spending a little over a thousand dollars per week just on fruits for the fruit-eating animals, plus the milk powders and the solid foods, and pellets, everything else that go in. During COVID, that was a significant logistical challenge when northern Belize was closed off from southern Belize for those first few weeks. The bananas that we use come from southern Belize, so even just having clearance to get bananas in was difficult.”

With those challenges behind, the focus continues to be on the animals and their wellbeing. On the wooded property, there are monkeys, lots of them, and they are as agile as they are playful.

Kyra Dixon

“I think there is never a normal day at Wild Tracks, something’s always happening here. But yeah, I definitely do rounds with all the animals, making sure that all the animals are healthy and being fed properly, behaving properly. I do a lot of oversight of integrations, so having animals meet each other for the first time, building troops for the wild or groups for releases and then oversight of food prep for the animals, enrichment for the animals. We make a lot of toys and that sort of thing for the animals to play with while they are here at Wild Tracks.”

Howler monkeys are a group of large, loud, and leaf-eating primates. It is important to conserve them because they are a source of biodiversity. These primates also act as seed dispersers that help to regenerate and maintain the forest. For its continued work in conservation, Wild Tracks Belize has been recognized at home and abroad.

Paul Walker

“It’s always appreciated and humbling to actually receive acknowledge. So the first and significant acknowledgement was being awarded the James Waight Award through Belize Audubon Society some years ago. That’s a very significant national award and we were really delighted to be recipients of that. More recently, we were on the King’s New Year’s Honors list receiving MBEs which was completely out of the blue and that means that someone here in Belize has recommended us for that and somewhere in Britain they’ve done the background and found that yes, what they were being told was credible and indeed we received the two MBEs which was very humbling.”

The recognition, Walker maintains, is for the work of the entire team at Wild Tracks Belize. Isani Cayetano for News Five.

Kim Simplis Barrow is New Cancer Society President

After many years serving as the head of the Belize Cancer Society, Laura Tucker-Longsworth stepped down from the role and has been succeeded by former Special-Envoy Kim Simplis-Barrow. The organization announced on Wednesday the newly-appointed members of the board. News Five’s Britney Gordon visited the Belize Cancer Society for more information.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

The Belize Cancer Society has big hopes for the future. On Wednesday, a new board was announced with Kim Simplis Barrow serving as the newly elected president. Barrow spoke to News Five, giving us an update on the organisation’s way forward.

Kim Simplis-Barrow, President, Belize Cancer Society

“Our major objectiveat this point is to really work on our strategic plan for the next five years. The current strategic plan is outdated. A part from that, we want to continue our outreach program. We want to continue our advocacy role. To ensure that people are aware of what they can do for healthy living and prevention of cancer and the services that are offered by the Belize Cancer Society. So there’s a lot to do. There’s a lot that has been done. But there’s still so much that we need to do. We have the cancer walk that’s coming up. We’re looking at the end of May and so huge preparation for that has already started. So a number we will see, I believe, a number of things happening throughout the year.”

Former President Laura Tucker-Longsworth shared her sentiments about the newly elected board and their mission for the Belize Cancer Society.

Laura Tucker-Longsworth, Former President, Belize Cancer Society

“I’m excited about the new boards. Seriously, we’re very happy that we put together a really dynamic slate of men and women with different expertise, as you know. The Belize Cancer Society went through a really bad time, like other organizations, during the COVID pandemic, and they were literally operated without funds, but we stayed, our doors remained opened, and so we have been making that recovery over the past two years. And so now we’re here ready and poised to really move the organization to another level. The board members and new board members are highly skilled. They are cancer survivors, many of them. I think we have over six individuals on the new board that are cancer survivors. So they understand the journey and that’s will allow great advocacy For those in the community and a greater understanding of how important it is to conduct public awareness campaigns and so on.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Will Costa Rica’s Screwworm Crisis Impact Belize?

Recently, the government of Costa Rica issued a state of emergency after two hundred and three cases of screwworm were detected among various animals such as cattle, horses, pigs, sheep and dogs. Screwworms are a species of parasitic fly that is well known for the way in which its larvae eat the living tissue of warm-blooded animals. The recent breakout originated but has since moved upward to Costa Rica, leaving some to wonder if this will have any effects on Belize’s cattle Industry. We spoke with Minister of Agriculture, Jose Mai for more Information. News Five’s Britney Gordon Reports.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Belize’s cattle industry has been on the rise for the past few years, increasing a reported 21.4 percent between 2022 and 2023. This generated over seventy million, five hundred thousand dollars in revenue. Belizean cattle is also certified disease-free, but a recent outbreak of screwworm detected in Panama and Costa Rica has raised concerned about the security of the cattle industry. Minister of Agriculture, Jose Mai, briefed us on the situation.

Jose Abelardo Mai, Minister of Agriculture

“Last year, October, I think it was that, cases of Screwworms showed up in Panama. I believe it Screwworms were eradicated from Belize in 1993, I think it was. I was a member of the technical staff that worked then eradicating squirrels from Belize. So we eradicated Screwworms in nineties, ninety-three, I think, nine-two, ninety-three. Thereafter, Guatemala eradicated, Salvador all the way down to Panama. There’s a natural barrier between Panama and Colombia where the flies don’t come over. But for some reason or the other, last year they claim climate change and they claim the migration of people from South America into North, into Central America. They claim that that must have been the reason why we found the screwworm flies now in Panama. From Panama it then spilled over to Costa Rica. Panama right now has more than a thousand cases, I think. Costa Rica has a number of cases. I think they found two hundred and two last week. And they, actually they made a declaration, an emergency declaration, that they’re having Screwworms”.

Mai further stated that countries that have invested heavily in cattle such as Mexico, the United States, Belize, and Guatemala are especially concerned about the outbreak due to the risk of significant economic damage to the industry.

Jose Abelardo Mai

“But every country in Central America through ORISA, which is the Regional Organization for animal and Plant Health, are working together to put a plan to try to contain the spread of this pest. Now, you will probably know that the way how screwworms are controlled is by releasing sterile flies. There is a plant in Panama that produces sterile flies and then these are spread across the areas that have incidences and when they mate with the fertile flies, then the eggs do not hatch, so you break the cycle. But we understand that there’s not enough flies to disperse in the area. Hence we are having increased cases of worms. So it is a concern for all of us. We have stepped up our surveillance programs. We do not allow cattle or any animals to come into the country because they can be infected. And so the movement of animals across the region is slowing down. It’s being watched carefully. So we have stepped up our game to that.”

We also spoke with Roxanna Alvarez, Chief Veterinary Officer & Technical Director of Animal Health of BAHA, who gave further insight into Belize’s current preventative measures.

Roxanna Alvarez, Chief Veterinary Officer & Technical Director of Animal Health, BAHA

“What we’ve been doing is that we’ve been sending regular press releases out to remind the public of animal health emergencies. We’ve been encouraging farmers and producers through their association groups that they need to report cases of masses. This is actually when there is an infestation of a wound by larvae. So we’re asking farmers to repeat report cases of this to their local livestock officers or to our BAHA offices. So, we’ve started that process already. We’ve also been working at training our field officers and our laboratory officers in identification in prevention and treatment and all of this of the screwworm and we’re participating in regional workshops on the response to these emergencies.”

Mai explained that sterile flies are a key part of containing the outbreak and neighboring countries are pooling resources in order to ensure that every nation is equipped.

Jose Abelardo Mai

“Now, there is a call from Mexico to us, to help in financing the cost of dispersing flies. It’s not a cheap operation to produce the flies and to disperse. Mexico has asked us to I believe we will have to every region, every country in the region will have to add some kind of resource in no specific quantities, but we have to just contribute to controlling the outbreak. If we don’t do so today, it will be even more expensive in the next year or so. So we will step up our game quick and do it very fast.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.