The budget debate concluded late on Friday evening. During his closing statements, Prime Minister John Briceño pointed out that the National Budget is designed to help people, not based on party politics, but everyone, based on need. And the assistance, he said, spreads across the various ministries that deal with education and scholarships, natural resources and land, and other areas of need.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“The broad reach of the budget also exposes the failure of those on the other side. Year after year, they have mostly nothing good to say about the budget, nothing but criticize, criticize and complain. I want to say to the voters of Mesopotamia, in Albert, in Queen’s Square, in Collet, in Corozal North, that you should not accept excuses from your area representatives for what is their own failure to identify and to source assistance for you, where such programs are a part of the National Budget. The National Budget is not designed to assist only the P.U.Ps. When increments are given to the public officers deh nuh give deh because this one da U.D.P and this one da P.U.P. We give that based on merit.
Our budget is working for all the people. The Ministry of Education supports students with scholarships. Dehn nuh ask dehn if dehn da P.U.P or U.D.P. They look at what you need and give them a scholarship. The Ministry of Natural Resources, when they’re holding their clinics, dehn nuh goh and tell the people, “You have to bring a note.” Dehn tend to everybody weh show up.”
The Prime Minister also summarized some of the accomplishments that his government has realized over the time they have been in government. He spoke of the benefits raising the minimum wage has brought to Belizeans who were earning just over three dollars an hour when they got in office, to how they have been able to see the rate of inflation decrease over the past year.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“How could you not celebrate the fact that when you raise from – where was it per month – when the minimum wage was at $3.30 and went up to $5, over 40,000 Belizeans benefitted. And the honourable member from Belize Rural Central said it best: “A rising tide raises all boats,” because what has happened, I was talking to Michael Bowen a few months ago and he was telling me, “I can’t hire anybody at minimum wage anymore. I have to increase my salaries to $8 and $9. The call centres (interruption). The point I’m trying to make is that salaries have gone up all over this country, and yes, when we spoke to the I.M.F they said that it has affected inflation a little bit. But what do you want? Do you want to continue to have high unemployment and paying the people on pittance? Well, I rather we raise the salaries to the people even if we have to deal with wa lee bit ah inflation, which is what we’re doing because now it’s going down. People are making more money, and that’s something to be proud of, my brother. You’re supposed to be celebrating that fact. They have more money. When you have more money you could buy more and when you buy more, the businesses do more and they could hire more people, and have more jobs and more jobs and this is how you grow the economy.”
Goodnight, and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. As we near the end of Women’s Month, we begin tonight’s coverage with highlights from the thirty-third running of the Women’s Cross Country Cycling Classic. Eleven riders lined up at the starting line in San Ignacio. Among them were three Belizeans, including defending champion Kaya Cattouse, four American riders, two Mexicans, a Trinidadian, and a Jamaican rider.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Heading into Central Farm, its Jamaican rider, Lory Sharp, setting the pace. Twenty minutes later, Sharp is still in the lead, followed closely by Trinidadian rider Alexis Ramirez in second place. At this point in the race, Kaya Cattouse is the only Belizean rider keeping up with the main field of lead riders. The other two have fallen behind. In Camalote Village, Sharp has displayed a great deal of endurance and stamina as she continues to lead the charge. LA Sweat’s Elizabeth Stevenson in hot pursuit. These riders have created a gap between themselves and the other riders.They maintained their lead until mile forty, when the chase group caught up with them, led by LA Sweat’s Mia Scarleto.
Mexican rider Julie Aguilar launched an attack just outside of St. Mathews Village. LA Sweat’s Regina Doty immediately rose from her seat in hot pursuit. Well, folks, that was the last the other riders would see of Aguilar and Doty. Here is the main field of riders, two minutes behind the two lead riders. Kaya Cattouse, the only Belizean rider still in the pack, is among this group. Heading into Belize City, it is all Doty and Julin Aguila. With less than half a mile to the finish line, Doty and Aguila turn up the heat for an all-out sprint. And here it is folks, the sprint to the finish line. Regina Doty followed by Julin Aguia.
Regina Doty
Regina Doty, Champion, 33rd Women’s Cross Country
“If you race fearful, you are never going to win.You cant race with fear. I was willing to give it all I have. I attacked to see what she had. I attacked and attacked quickly, even after seventy miles. I know what my body is capable of. I was trying to see if she was strong enough, but she didnt want it and I was there to take it.”
Kaya Cattouse
Kaya Cattouse, LA Sweat Rider
“Going into it, our game plan was to bring it down to the line for me. We quickly realized that the other team’s focus was on me. Our back up plan was to get one of our other stronger pacers on the road and hopefully they could deliver that W. That is exactly what happened today when we realized we couldn’t get away from them for third place, i launched Liz down the road for that third spot. Belizeans wanted a Belizean win but we came for an LA Sweat win and that is exactly what we got today.”
Kaya Cattouse came in sixth place. From cycling, we move into some basketball action. The San Pedro Tiger Sharks took on the Belize City Defenders. The Sharks had something to prove after being defeated by the Defenders the last time they faced off inside the Belize City Civic Center. The San Pedro Tiger Sharks are on a roll. After defeating the number one seed in the BEBL, Benny’s Belize Hurricanes, last week inside the Civic, on Saturday night they went up against the number two seed, the Belize City Defenders. It is safe to say that this is a new Tiger Sharks team we are seeing after also winning their game against the Defenders one hundred and four to seventy points.
The Shark’s number seven, Bobby Athur Williams, played thirty-seven minutes and put up an impressive thirty-three points. That includes three of four from the three-point line and five of eleven two pointers. Williams also banked fourteen of his sixteen free throw attempts. Francis Arana followed behind with eighteen points off the bench, scoring five of his ten two-point attempts and two of his six three-point attempts. He ended the game with eleven assists. Arana was also big on the defensive end, securing five steals for his team on Saturday night. Jihad Wright and Daniel Conorque both finished the game with fifteen points each. What Wright lacked from the arch he made up for with his two-point shots and free throws. Conorque was forty-four percent efficient from the field on Saturday night. We heard from coach Rico Black and Francis Arana following their victory.
Rico Black
Rico Black, Coach, San Pedro Tiger Sharks
“The beginning of the season, it was very difficult to get my players together. We had to transition from San Pedro and come here and we couldn’t get the Civic to work out. So it was very difficult. The opening night you saw we weren’t playing, we weren’t really then we gave our game to the Defenders, the second game. But now that we are working out, odd hours, ten to twelve at nights, but we are making the sacrifice. So we are getting together, the team is believing in themselves. I am letting my bench believe that they can play at this level.”
Francis Arana
Francis Arana, San Pedro Tiger Sharks
“Well as the season goes on we are gradually getting our chemistry together. SO now we are learning to play together much better. And we are seeing the chemistry everytime we come out and put in the work together and it is showing on the court now.”
The Tiger Sharks are now second in the league’s standings. Well folks, that’s all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one.
Embedded within the extensive government funding package signed by President Biden on Saturday is a provision prohibiting the flying of LGBTQ Pride flags at U.S. embassies. Despite this inclusion, the White House immediately expressed its intention to overturn the ban.
The provision was just one of numerous ancillary issues included in the $1.2 trillion funding package aimed at financing the government until September. Its passage saw Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson reportedly leverage the Pride flag ban to secure support from his party members.
The White House says it will repeal the ban, citing concerns over the exploitation of the legislative process to target LGBTQI+ Americans.
Immigration officer Monique Escalante is being accused of extortion. Investigators say that she extorted Jamaican, Jahnoi Shaun Dhee Richards last week. Richards claims that she extorted him of three thousand US dollars while he was at the Philip Goldson International Airport. Prime Minister John Briceño, who is also the Minister of Immigration said that if the immigration officer is found guilty, she will have to face the music.
In Haiti’s capital, where violence is rampant and death is a daily occurrence, residents are taking a stand against gang attacks. They are determined to safeguard their neighborhoods at any cost.
Each day in Port-au-Prince begins with updates on the ongoing clashes plaguing the city. Bodies litter the streets, ignored by passersby due to financial constraints preventing proper burials. Scenes of violence, from shootings to charred remains, have become commonplace, desensitizing the populace to the horrors unfolding around them.
The city’s atmosphere is tense and perilous, with roads once bustling now deserted, signaling danger. Even the route to the international airport, guarded by the military, is treacherous, reflecting the city’s isolation from the outside world. Port-au-Prince feels like a besieged enclave, its residents trapped within its confines.
France will provide special flights for its “most vulnerable” citizens to leave Haiti, the French foreign ministry said Sunday, after air links with Port-au-Prince were cut during political chaos.
UDP Leader, Moses ‘Shyne’ Barrow, told News Five on Saturday that two police reports have been filed against Brian “Yellowman” Audinette. Audinette who has been posting several messages on Facebook against Barrow is being accused of theft and making threats. Barrow told News Five, “I know that the police, two police reports were filed against him, one for stealing and one for threatening one of our party officials…He stole a fridge and a TV and a microwave from our property, which is why he was terminated.”
During the 262nd Ordinary Board Meeting of COCESNA convened in Madrid, Spain, on March 19, Prime Minister John Briceño nominated s CEO in the Ministry of Blue Economy and Civil Aviation, Kennedy Carrillo for the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) for the term 2025-2028.
The Central American member countries on the COCESNA Board unanimously endorsed CEO Carrillo’s candidacy.
ICAO, a global UN body established to advance the safe and systematic development of civil aviation worldwide, convenes every three years to chart its course with input from its 193 member states. During these sessions, 36 member states are elected to the ICAO Council. Belize, as per its rotation agreement, is slated to occupy the Central American seat from 2025 to 2028.
In a letter dated March 25, Opposition Leader Moses Barrow informs Governor General Dame Froyla Tzalam of the appointment of Mark O’Brian as UDP senator. The letter says, “I write to you on this occasion in accordance with Part VI Section 64(2)(e) of the Belize Constitution to advise Her Excellency to declare the seat of Senator Beverly Williams vacant. In accordance with Part VI Section 61(4)(b) of the Belize Constitution, I hereby nominate Mr. Mark O’Brian to fill the seat left vacant by Beverly Williams.”
We note that Williams boycotted the UDP’s National Party Council meeting, which was held on Saturday at the party’s headquarters in Belize City. Instead, Williams joined John Saldivar, Patrick Faber, Edmund Castro, and others for a private meeting at the Biltmore Hotel.
Venezuela’s parliament has given the green light to establish a new state in the contentious and oil-rich Essequibo region, situated across the border in Guyana.
This move has drawn strong criticism from Guyana, which denounces it as a blatant infringement on its sovereignty. The decision comes after years of Venezuela asserting its claim over Essequibo, particularly since significant offshore oil reserves were discovered in 2015.
In response, Guyana’s foreign ministry condemned the action, labeling it a direct violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. The international community was urged to reject Venezuela’s expansionist agenda and uphold the rule of law.
Essequibo, historically administered by Guyana and subject to ongoing border disputes at the International Court of Justice, has become a focal point of geopolitical tensions, exacerbated by the discovery of substantial oil reserves.
