In a historic meeting on February twenty-sixth, between the Garifuna Language Commission, the Chief Executive Officer, as well as the Chief Education Officer in the Ministry of Education, approval was granted for the use of the Garifuna Language Curriculum in the teaching of the Garifuna Language in Schools Program. This approval comes after years of dedicated effort and collaboration between the National Garifuna Council and the Battle of the Drums Secretariat.
Sheena Zuniga, President, National Garifuna Council
“It has been a journey all in an effort to get to this point. The National Garifuna Council collaborated with the Battle of the Drums. We decided [that] we needed to be on the forefront to try to retrieve our Garifuna language which has been dying over the years. In an effort, we created the Garifuna Language Commission which includes Dr. Gwen Nunez-Gonzalez, Dr. Albarita Enriquez and Dativa Martinez. Those three women have been on the forefront to create the Garifuna curriculum that we have currently submitted to the Ministry of Education. Through that effort, we created the curriculum and we also applied for the professional development plan where we would be able to train Garifuna teachers in southern Belize to be able for those trainings to be part of their CPD hours. It‘s a real historic event for us because we have been working for the past three years to get to this juncture. We‘re glad that we would be able to have Garifuna language being taught in the six traditional Garifuna communities, starting in August and September of this coming year and we are hoping to launch this program in April in collaboration with our Garifuna Survival Day activities.”
The National Hydrological Service of Belize is seeking to secure a tri-national groundwater management collaboration with Mexico and Guatemala. Belize already holds such a partnership with the neighboring countries, but now aims to elevate the project in order to maintain its groundwater reserves. Today, a groundwater conference was held at the Belize Civic Center with representatives from various organizations to discuss the resource preservation. News Five’s Britney Gordon attended the event for more information.
Britney Gordon, reporting
In an effort to preserve Belize’s groundwater reserve, the Belize Hydrological Service held a workshop alongside partners at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, and the Green Climate Fund. The workshop aims to secure international agreements with neighboring countries that will ensure the adequate management of water resources in the region. Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist at the National Hydrological Service, gave us some more information.
Tennielle Hendy
Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist, National Hydrological Service
“What we’re hosting today is an internationally shared aquifer resources management workshop. Belize has transborder watersheds. We have five. All of them we share with Guatemala, and one we share with both Guatemala and Mexico. We have a dependency ratio of thirteen percent which means that we rely on our neighboring countries for our water resources. So it’s critical for us to foster partnership, cooperation, collaboration to manage this very delicate and finite resource.”
Hendy explained that Belize holds several partnerships in order to manage the country’s water reserves and is on its way to securing collaborations that will provide a more in-depth monitoring system.
Tennielle Hendy
“So we have collaboration, both in country, and we have with our regional partners. So Belize has a by national water commission with Mexico, of which ConAgua, which is like their IWRM agency in Mexico that collaborates with us on several different actions. We’ve completed quite a number with them. We’ve done a water quality monitoring program on the Corozal Bay, the Rio Hondo, looking, at what’s the pollutants coming out of that system that we share. We have next up for us to establish a binational monitoring system with Mexico and Belize. So we’re looking forward to that. With Guatemala, we have water quality discussions through the joint OAS committee which fosters collaboration between us and Guatemala as well.”
In attendance at the event was a Science Sector Program Specialist at UNESCO, who shared what kind programs are being implemented by the organization when working with Belize.
Alibek Otambekov
Alibek Otambekov, Science Sector Program Specialist, UNESCO
“We have different programs that make a specific focus on the transboundary issues and one of them is Menin Biosphere, which advocates and promote the Biosphere Reserve and Geoparks, including transboundary Biosphere Reserve. There are about twenty-two Biosphere Reserves worldwide, which are serving across the different countries. And also there’s a program of intergovernmental hydrology program in the science sector, which serves the water issues related to climate change and to disaster risk reduction and this also bring our focus to Belize issue of the transboundary issues with with Mexico and Guatemala.”
Hendy stated that the main objective for this workshop is to secure another tri-country project with Mexico and Guatemala, which would allow for a more dynamic management system to be implemented in the countries.
Tennielle Hendy
“We’re hoping that we can get a tri-country project. We have one, which is where what’s what we’re presenting here today on the Yucatan Peninsula on the aquifer, and we’re looking forward to having more actions like this. But we want to upscale. We’re trying to pilot dynamic water resources assessment tool, which was said before, in the speech that is like your bank account. It’s like your water bank account. We need to know how much water is there. What can we take out? What do we need to leave for ecosystem services? What can we, I don’t want to say waste, but what can we, have not so much control over? But for that, we need groundwater information. We need to know the thickness of the aquifer. We need to know how much water is down there. What’s How long will it take to recharge that aquifer? Right now we’re operating on limited information and so we are trying to advance this knowledge, so we’re hoping that we get another project that will help us to delve deeper into getting the information we need so that we can create the water balance for Belize. If you’re off balance, you fall down. And we don’t want to do that.”
For months, changes in the appearance of the New River in Orange Walk have raised concerns regarding the health of the water and the living organisms within. Several assessments have been carried out in order to identify the issues and plans of implementing a new watershed management system are in the works. Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist at the National Hydrological Service, spoke about the situation.
Tennielle Hendy
Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist, National Hydrological Service
“I haven’t seen any gases being emitted, so that’s a good thing, but I can tell you that the issue that contributed to the new river situation is what I said, surface water and groundwater being linked. If we over abstract, we take water, we just waste it, it has an impact on our groundwater and the groundwater provides base flow, which keeps our rivers and streams alive. If we waste the water and we remove that outflow into that river system, then you will get all kinds of things happening. It’s a delicate balance. Flow provides mixing, oxygen, different, chemicals, natural processes within the river require that influence, requires that movement. The New River is basically flat, which means that it doesn’t have slopes, and slopes help us with mixing. When we are flat, we kind of stay a little bit stagnant, it takes a little bit longer time for things to travel. So there are multiple reasons. We are committed, along with the Department of the Environment, to doing a watershed management plan for the New River. So we’re looking forward to bringing to the table implementation plans such as these for funding in this conference.”
Residents of Toledo have been on the receiving end of several droughts and have struggled with adequate access to water for years. The National Hydrological Service is aiming to address these issues with the implementation of technology that will be able to locate groundwater reserves. Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist at the N.H.S. gave us more details on the situation.
Tennielle Hendy, Principal Hydrologist, National Hydrological Service
“The Toledo district experiences the highest rainfall, so the common assumption is that if you are getting a lot of water, you shouldn’t have water issues. Contrary, that is not the case. Um, just as though we have hills and valleys above the surface, we have hills and valleys below the surface. But if we don’t know where those hills and valleys are, we drill for wells. We either don’t find water at all, or we maybe find only twenty gallons per minute, which is not sufficient for one household, let alone two hundred people in a, in a village or a community. So that’s the crux of the matter in terms of the water scarcity we want to explore. It’s costly to explore but if we don’t find water, what do we do? We have to just try to find funds to do more, but we don’t want to be in a state of reactivity. We want to be proactive and so through the IDB, we are learning to use geo resistivity. And this type of technology allows us to put electrodes into the ground, and it allows us to see deep into the aquifer. Now, I must say, it cannot quantify, because we often see these new technologies and fill out, Oh, it’s going to tell us how much water is there. No, it’s just going to tell us whether there is presence of water there. So you need to physically do the investigations, which are very capital intensive. And so that’s one of the challenges that we face in exploring groundwater resources in the country.”
A Mennonite farmer was arraigned on a single charge of murder when he appeared in the lower court in Belize City this morning. The victim, thirty-three-year-old Alexander Viamill, was reportedly engaged in a physical altercation with David Friesen when he was apparently strangled to death with a charging cable. The arrest of twenty-eight-year-old Friesen follows the discovery of Viamill’s body near a bus shed in Corozalito Village last Wednesday. Ladyville police were responding to a missing person’s report for Viamill and, while searching for him, happened upon his body a short distance from the roadside. An investigation revealed that on February seventeenth, Viamill attended a dance in Maskall Village and, upon leaving the event, was said to be heavily intoxicated. He was reportedly in Friesen’s company. Earlier today, Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero provided a few additional details on the incident.
“On Wednesday, February twenty-first, police responded to a report at Corozalito Village in the Belize District, that the body of a male person had been found. Police visited the area where they found the lifeless body of Alexander Viamil with injuries to the neck and face. He was taken to the KHMH where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigation revealed that Alexander Viamil was last seen a couple days before Wednesday and was reported missing the day before. Police conducted an investigation and a post mortem examination was conducted on him and the results were handed to the investigator. As a result, David Friesen, twenty-eight-years old Belizean farmer of Corozalito has been arrested and charged for the crime of murder.”
Reporter
“Has Friesen related to the police why?”
Hilberto Romero
“The investigation revealed that they were involved in a fight, at which point Viamil received injuries which caused his death.”
A pair of fisherman, both residents of Dangriga, has been arrested and charged for the murder of Delroy Menzies. As we reported on Friday, Menzies, who recently relocated to Dangriga from Belize City, was shot and killed while socializing at the Kulcha Kitchen on February twenty-second. On Saturday, twenty-eight-year-old Egbert Martinez and twenty-one-year-old Maxwell Ventura were charged jointly for the deadly shooting. Here’s more from the Belize Police Department.
“On Thursday, February twenty-second, around 9:20 p.m., police responded to a shooting incident at Plum Street in Dangriga. Upon their arrival, they found the body of Delroy Menzies, thirty-two years old. He was taken to the hospital where he was to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. [An] investigation revealed that Delroy Menzies was at a veranda, at a business place, at a location when a male person came and fired shots towards his direction, causing his fatal injuries. Two persons are in custody awaiting charges in regards to this murder.”
An altercation at Starz Nightclub in Belmopan in the early hours of Saturday morning, ended with Belmopan resident Leon Hoare suffering from injuries he received after being shot. The incident happened in the Las Flores community where Hoare, a thirty-eight-year-old construction worker, was socializing at the establishment when he got into a misunderstanding with an unnamed individual. He left for home shortly thereafter and, upon arriving at his residence, was accosted and fired upon. Hoare reportedly ran inside his house and called the police. Despite receiving non-life-threatening injuries, the victim is refusing to cooperate with the police investigation.
“On Saturday, February twenty-fourth, around 2:45 a.m., Belmopan police visited an area at Las Flores, in Belmopan, where they found Leon Hoare with gunshot injuries. He was taken to the hospital where he was treated. Information was that Leon Hoare was at a nightclub in Belmopan when had an argument with some persons. Thereafter, he went home and that is where he was shot. Leon Hoare was treated and he has since been released from the hospital. [An] investigation into this report continues.”
Reporter
“Is he cooperating with police?”
Hilberto Romero
“No, he is not cooperating.”
Reporter
“Any suspects at this time?”
Hilberto Romero
“Not at this time. No.”
Reporter
“A possible motive?”
Hilberto Romero
“There was an argument at a nightclub before the shooting.”
A jury of nine has found Belmopan business man Brian August guilty of causing death by careless conduct. August was charged in connection with an accident in March 2019 that claimed the life of twenty-eight-year-old Vladamir Aguilar. It was alleged that August was driving a Chevy Silverado when he attempted to overtake a bus and collided head on into Aguilar’s motorcycle in the vicinity of Scotland Halfmoon. Aguilar was flung from his bike and he succumbed to his injuries. Almost five years later, August’s fate has been decided. After three hours of deliberation, the jury of nine unanimously reached a guilty verdict. The jury heard addresses from the prosecution and the defense. During his address this morning, prosecutor, Riis Cattouse, asked the jurors to pay keen attention to the elements that the crown must prove against August to substantiate the charge. Cattouse emphasized that August is on trial before the court for causing death by careless conduct. He told the jury that there are several elements that the crown must prove including, that someone died; that the death was caused by unlawful harm; that it was August who caused the death, that August was careless in his driving, and that he was going more than twenty five miles per hour. The law states that when driving in villages, drivers must be within twenty-five miles per hour. In his defense, August admits to knocking down Aguilar but claimed that it was not because he was careless, but because Aguilar was riding his cycle without any lights. Justice Candace Nanton has set sentencing for a later date.
The twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena are striving to stay on top of tourist activity with the addition of new park and boardwalk near the Macal River. Today, a double groundbreaking ceremony was held by the Belize Tourism Board to introduce phase one of the project. News Five’s Britney Gordon attended the ceremonies today to learn more about the initiatives. Here’s that story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
The twin towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena are well-known for their luscious foliage and the shining waters of the Macal River separating the two towns. These assets have always been able to attract tourist and locals to the area, but with the addition of a boardwalk and park, the Belize Tourism Board is confident that the area is set to be bustling with activity within the next year. Today, two groundbreaking ceremonies were held on the banks of the Macal River to set into motion, phase one of these endeavors. We caught up with Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations, Anthony Mahler in San Ignacio, who spoke with us about the El Cayo Boardwalk.
Anthony Mahler
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations
“Pretty much it’s just a groundbreaking for the development of this area. I think this is a beautiful era for people to gather and to enjoy the natural assets that Belize has. And we will continue to roll out these projects all across the country. Like I said, in another fifteen or twenty minutes we go over to the other side and do one on Santa Elena. And then on Friday we do in Succotz.”
Mahler explained that the boardwalk project, which he anticipates will be completed within the next eight months, will cost about nine hundred thousand dollars and is to be filled with various amenities for entertainment and leisure.
Anthony Mahler
“I always believe that any project that we do of this nature should create an environment where people could come in and generate a living. So it has to have some kiosks where people can sell their products. Whatever it is, it has to have some area for entertainment. And it has to have some of the basic facilities like bathroom and that type of thing and those are the infrastructural needs that a project like this would come with.”
Partnering in the project was Minister of Sustainable Development, Orlando Habet, who expressed his excitement for the potential of the boardwalk
Orlando Habet
Orlando Habet, Minister of Sustainable Development, Climate Change & Disaster Risk Management
“As a project I think it is very beneficial to our community because it will bring some economic activity, but also some entertainment. And it also provides a space for our people to come out, view the river be able to witness sort of on a grand stand, a larger landscape scale whatever is happening on the river, whether it’s sporting events, canoeing, the Ruta Maya and also we plan to have during celebrations, for example, the twenty-first September celebrations, we have our fireworks. We can do the fireworks on a platform in the river where people will be able to view not only the lights up in the sky, but also the reflection on the water and making it so beautiful.”
According to Cayo Central Area Representative, Alex Balona, this park project has been in the works for many years and will be a token of pride for residents of Santa Elena, especially.
Alex Balona
Alex Balona, Area Representative, Cayo Central
“For many years we have wanted to create something along the riverbank of the Macal, on the Santa Elena side. So today, our groundbreaking ceremony for the Santa Elena River Park, marks one of the things that we have in our manifesto. When I visited the people in Cayo Central, this, one of the things they ask for something where they can go and spend time, especially with their families. This here is something that will add to the attractions, the tourist attractions for Santa Elena, and also in the second phase of the project is where we will be creating these booths and stalls where people, small entrepreneurs who are engaged in handicraft can come display their products and sell them to the visitors to our town.”
Balona stated that this project, which costs around seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars, is set to be completed within a year and aims to be as environmentally sustainable as possible.
Alex Balona
“The first phase shouldn’t take long because its basically addressing, creating the walk along the river here, having a wall retainer, everything, I want to stress that it is natural the sand, we might be importing some white sand, but the retainer wall, everything is natural because we want as much as create something that is attractive to our tourists, we want to ensure that it is eco friendly as well.”
On February twenty-third, the Federation of Cruise Tourism Associations of Belize, FECTAB, held a conference in order to voice complaints about the current state of cruise tourism in Belize. Even though it was reported by the B.T.B. that 2024 is set to be a record breaking year for arrivals, according to the association, local operators are struggling to make even a dollar after a day’s work. Among the complaints were the rising prices of entrance fees for archeological sites. We caught up with Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations, Anthony Mahler for a response to those complaints.
Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism & Diaspora Relations
“We’ll have to look into that, seriously. I’ve had conversations with all the vendors, all the people who operate out there, actually in, I believe in December we had a big gathering with them. I sat down and spoke to everybody but we have to be able to raise our game all across the country for us to be able to continue to generate the revenues necessary to sustain yourself and your business and your family. And so I’ll sit down and have a conversation with them. They know that we have an open door policy for them, I think the press conferences that they do is just a gimmick and they’re not serious about what they’re saying.”
Britney Gordon
“So about the concerns of the raise in fare to enter archaeological sites, is there anything being done to address that?”
Anthony Mahler
“In this country we have a tendency to undervalue the natural resources that we have, even our cultural resources. You can’t be charging ten dollars to go into Caracol. It makes absolutely no sense for the growth and development of the site. Most of these things will be passed on to the visitors. And there was a lot of noise about, for a little while, about the departure via the airport. But January was a record breaking month and February is on pace to be a record breaking month for overnight. Now, cruise is lagging a little bit behind because there is need for a docking facility, and I keep saying that. But we’re working on that, and I believe we’ll have some announcements very soon. Hopefully within the next few months.”
