The Customs and Excise Department confirmed, via a press release, that it has seized an amount of liquor from the Victor L. Bryant Warehouse in Belize City. The liquor is suspected to be uncustomed and bearing fraudulent Supplies Control Unit labels. The department carried out an operation at the warehouse on Monday. According to the release, the department is currently conducting a detailed exercise to confirm the actual quantity and value of the seized liquor. The department is also working closely with the Supplies Control Unit to investigate the apparent fraudulent labels. In their release, the Customs and Excise Department placed emphasis on the fact that it is an ongoing investigation and that its officers are working diligently to ascertain the extent of the seizure. We will continue to follow this story.
Over the last four days, Rotarians have been toiling in the sweltering heat to upgrade the playground for the students at All Saints’ Anglican Primary School in Belize City. The playground was completed and opened for play today. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
All Saints’ Anglican Primary School in Belize City has a new playground. And, although students are out on holiday, some of them were present for its grand opening.
Maria Price
Maria Price, District Governor, Rotary District 4250
“With the Emmanuel Foundation, today Belize City has had fourteen playgrounds put in, this being the fourteenth one. So thank you very much for coming here and really doing such a great job for our children, our schools and our communities.”
Members of the Vegreville Rotary Interact Club in Canada were also present for the official opening of the playground. This is the ninth time that these clubs have collaborated with the Rotary Club of Belize to rehabilitate a playground.
Greg Senko
Greg Senko, Rotary Club of Vegreville
“We are very grateful and privileged to come to such a beautiful country. I would like to thank the interact club for going beyond the call of duty. Yesterday in the heat, it was a pretty crazy event. And also, super big thank you to Cisco for providing the party and all the other help you have given us.”
Rylee Heisler
Rylee Heisler, Interact Club of Vegreville
“A special shoutout to all the amazing students I worked with. We all united with a common goal, to build a playground and to bring joy to this community. Our hard work, teamwork and positive spirits kept us motivated to keep us going. Today we laughed, worked and made a lasting impact. I am grateful for every one of you.”
A little over six hundred students are enrolled at All Saints’ Anglican Primary School. The Rotary Club of Belize undertakes these kinds of creative educational initiatives as a part of its annual service projects, which also include feeding and literacy programmes.
Maria Price
“For the teachers, the students and community for all saints, this playground is a gift, a gift that has been donated by not only the Canadian people but the Rotary Clubs, the interact clubs who come here every year to do these projects and get such good feedback from us. So I hope from the local community wise that you take care of the playground.We found that playgrounds enhance attendance at schools, enhance education for children because they wish to come to school.”
Collin Estrada
Collin Estrada, Principal, All Saints Anglican School
“I pledge that the playground will be a safe space for our students, that it will be a place of friendship and comradery for our students. That is our pledge. On behalf of everyone, I would want to thank the Rotary Club of Belize, the Rotary Club of Canada, the Vegreville interacts who have been here. They have had a change in temperature whereby it is minus forty right now and it is snowing when they left home and they came to this blistering sun hot and they have done so without complaint, so let us give them a round of applause.”
The declaration of the state of emergency has resulted in several police raids in areas of high gang activity or in the homes of crime affiliated individuals. On Tuesday morning, during one of those raids, an officer of the Mobile Interdiction Team was discovered in the homes of one of the targeted individuals. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams said that the officer, John Gamboa, is a relative of the homeowner and wasn’t breaking any law by being there.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I think Mister Gamboa lives with the daughter of one of the person in that particular area. They are his in-laws. If there was nothing illegal found at the home when the police raided, then I don’t see what charges can be levied against him. It would have been good if he was not there, certainly. But again, his common-law and his child live there. And if he sees the need to go and visit them, then we can’t stop him.”
Reporter
“Do you see this as a possible compromise in terms of information reaching out of the police department, given the familiarity between these two persons?”
Chester Williams
“I don’t think so because Jean Gamboa would not have known of the SOE. And if a matter of fact, if he had the information then, and he would have shared it, then we would not have found nobody at the house.”
Reporter
“But in terms of other operations, the MIT might be going on, that he could warn somebody living in the house?”
Chester Williams
“Certainly, that’s something we’ll have to look at.”
Saint John’s Credit Union in Dangriga is boasting spanking new offices. The branch opened its doors to Dangriga residents a little over a decade ago, and now it has moved into its own building. President of the Board of Directors, Alvan Haynes, explained what this means for its members in the Culture Capital.
Alvan Haynes
Alvan Haynes, President, Board of Directors, S.J.C.U.
“We’re now at a membership of over 5, 500 in Dangriga, Stann Creek District. And we purchased a property some years ago and got it renovated, completely redone for, for our self-owned branch office. So this was the inauguration of our very own office that we now own. So we’ve moved from renting to establishing a permanent base in Dangriga town. It means obviously there’s, there’s a removal of rental costs. Ownership obviously also has responsibilities and liabilities. You’ve got to maintain your own building, pay taxes, et cetera. But, it means that we don’t need to undergo that concern that we’ll outgrow the building or we will need to ask for upgrades or extensions on the building because it’s now ours. We’ve planned for growth. We have the ability to, expand the building upwards as, as in the future, if required, we can also now invest in things like, um, our own backup generator to continue operations in cases of extended blackouts without having to require landlord’s permission to put permanent structures, etc. So, the overall feeling is one of comfort out.”
A delegation led by Ambassadors of Investment Jaime Briceño and Haisam Diab, alongside Belize’s Ambassador to Mexico Oscar Arnold, convened with representatives from Mexico’s Tren Maya Railway Project.
The meeting took place at the Teya Tren Maya Station in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico, on March 25.
The delegation engaged with Carlos Imanol Belausteguigoitia, Mexico’s Director General for Central America and Caribbean, along with officials from Mexico’s Secretary of National Defense (SEDENA). Among them were Brigadier General D.E.M. Germán Redondo Suárez, in charge of Corporate and Commercial Strategy Development for Tren Maya, and Lieutenant Colonel Jair Garcia Pineda, overseeing Social Communication at Tren Maya.
Tren Maya Route
Key discussions revolved around the potential establishment of a station at Belize’s Northern Border with Mexico, facilitating passenger and freight services between Belize and southern Mexico.
This initiative also grants access to Mexico’s Interoceanic Railway, a pivotal route connecting major port cities on both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts. Mexico’s Government has entrusted its military with the construction and management of Tren Maya routes to ensure competitive pricing and project security. Five out of seven routes have been completed, with the Chetumal to Cancún route slated for June-July 2024.
The youngest mayor of Ecuador, 27-year-old Brigitte García, and her communications director, Jairo Loor, were found shot dead Sunday morning. García, who served as the mayor of San Vicente, a small coastal city, was discovered in what appeared to be a rental car, alongside Loor, both having sustained fatal gunshot wounds.
Initial investigations indicate that the shots were fired from within the vehicle. The Ecuadorian Ministry of Government characterized the occurrence as a “criminal action”. No specific individual or group has been implicated in the killings.
Ecuador has been confronting a surge in violence perpetrated by armed gangs. In January, the nation declared a state of emergency following the escape of notorious gang leader José Adolfo Macías, also known as ‘Fito’, from a prison in Guayaquil. President Daniel Noboa subsequently declared an “internal armed conflict” and ordered military operations to curb the violence, resulting in the apprehension of over 2,000 individuals within two weeks of the decree.
The Ministry of Immigration announced on Tuesday the reinstatement of the emergency/24-hour passport service. The ministry says that following diligent efforts to resolve technical issues affecting the passport system, the service is now fully operational.
A release from the ministry says that effective immediately, individuals requiring urgent passport services can once again access the emergency/24-hour service.
“The Ministry apologizes for any inconvenience caused during the temporary suspension and appreciates your patience and understanding. Our priority remains providing efficient and reliable passport services to all our citizens and residents.”
Belize made history by being the first Caribbean nation to officially ratify the ocean biodiversity agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).
The global commitment to safeguard 30 percent of the ocean by 2030 hinges greatly on the implementation of the BBNJ agreement, which spans two-thirds of the world’s oceans. This agreement is designed to promote the conservation and sustainable utilization of marine biodiversity, presenting opportunities for deep-sea research, capacity building, and the development and transfer of marine technology, particularly beneficial for small developing countries like Belize.
Belize’s ratification now sets the pace for the Caribbean’s engagement. The nation is actively collaborating with other Caribbean Community member states to raise awareness and build momentum for regional participation. A workshop in the Caribbean is scheduled for April 11 to 12, 2024, to further bolster the region’s efforts towards ratification, with Belize also slated to host a Caribbean BBNJ workshop later in the year.
Belize joins Chile and Palau to have ratified it so far. The BBNJ will “enter into force” when at least 60 countries ratify it. The agreement was opened for signature on September 20, 2023. It will be closed on September 20, 2025
In the 2024 World Happiness Report, Finland clinches the title of the happiest country for the seventh consecutive year. Following closely are Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Israel, and the Netherlands, as revealed in the annual survey released on Wednesday, March 20, 2024. This survey ranks countries based on the perceived happiness of their citizens. European nations, including Norway, Switzerland, and Luxembourg, continue to dominate the top 10.
An interesting note from the report is that the survey in Israel was conducted after the attacks on October 7, 2023, but before the subsequent escalation in the conflict.
Australia stands out as the sole non-European country in the top 10 for 2024, securing the 10th position. The United States experienced a notable decline, dropping to 23rd place from its 15th position last year.
Similarly, the United Kingdom slips one spot to 20th place compared to the previous year’s rankings.
Belize did not make the list and this may be because of a lack of data.
World’s 20 happiest countries in 2024
1. Finland
2. Denmark
3. Iceland
4. Sweden
5. Israel
6. Netherlands
7. Norway
8. Luxembourg
9. Switzerland
10. Australia
11. New Zealand
12. Costa Rica
13. Kuwait
14. Austria
15. Canada
16. Belgium
17. Ireland
18. Czechia
19. Lithuania
20. United Kingdom
At the bottom of the list
Afghanistan remains the world’s lowest-ranked country for happiness. Lebanon, Lesotho, Sierra Leone and Congo also ranked at the bottom.
A State of Emergency is now in effect in southside Belize City and Hattieville, as well as specific areas in the Cayo District such as Roaring Creek Village, Another World Area, Camalote Village, and Young Bank Area. This SOE comes after a violent weekend last week, when gun-related crimes increased at an alarming rate. Three persons were murdered in less than two days, with other shootings taking place in Belize City. The SOE will remain in place for one month. Statutory Instrument number fifty-eight gives the police the power to enter any premises, stop and search any vessel, vehicle, or individual, and seize anything found that they believe was intended to disrupt public safety and order without a warrant. We spoke with Commissioner of Police Chester Williams for an update on the situation.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“At this present moment, the police and the B.D.F. are on operations within, not just the Antelope area, but practically the entire south side Belize city. As you would be aware by now, a state of emergency was declared this morning covering the almost entire south side of Belize city and the Hattieville and another world area of Roaring Creek village, as well as Young Bank area of Camalote village. And so, we also have police and BDF operating in Roaring Creek and Camalote, picking up those persons who we believe are part and parcels of the flair up of gun violence in the Belmopan area. Here in Belize City, you know that we have had a slate of shootings, two of which were fatal and we have I believe about two other persons who are currently admitted in the hospital in a critical condition. Those were shot on Sunday in the Jane Usher Boulevard area and so due to the flare up of gun violence in the city as well as in the Roaring Creek and the Camelote area the state of emergency was declared, and we are now going after those persons we believe are part and parcel of those flair ups. Well, the truth is we have seen a long lull Belize City. Again, I always said it takes one idiot to pull a trigger and that could cause a flare up. And these flare ups are going to happen occasionally, and we have to be able to have the right approach in dealing with it. As I have said to the minister when we discussed the SOE that it had reached a stage where if we don’t do something, then the cancer is going to spread further and then the other gangs are going to feel like, oh, over there it’s flaring up and nothing’s been done to them, so better we have our own thing to. So we have to ensure that we do something that is measurable and that is going to bring some calm.”
