Adolescents and youths are taking the stage to participate in national dialogues on the Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda. On Saturday, the Ministry of Sustainable Development, and Climate Change, in partnership with the Ministry of Youth, Sport, and Transport and the United Nations, hosted the first-ever National Youth Conference on the Sustainable Development Goals that are anchored within the Voluntary National Review, VNR. The VNR is a process by which countries assess and take stock of the progress of the implementation of the developmental goals. Currently, there are seventeen developmental goals that Belize is aiming to assess in the 2024 VNR, as opposed to the four that were assessed in the previous review conducted in 2017. The conference was also used as a platform to initiate engagement with youths and allow them to advocate for and monitor the goals. We spoke with the Director of the Sustainable Development Unit at the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Climate Change for more information.
Victor Alegria
Victor Alegria, Director, Sustainable Development Unit, Ministry of Sustainable Development & Climate Change
“And so what we’re doing as part of this youth forum was to one, to be able to inform them of what the sustainable development goals are, the 2030 agenda’s principles and for them to be aware of what that means. And then second, to be able to come up with some statement, some position that the user actually want to share with us as part of that report, including that report in terms of where they stand in terms of the sustainable development. Their voices are important, and they’ve expressed that very clearly in that conference that we had. And so we want that to be reflected adequately in that respect. Very importantly, before we even went to this conference, one of the things that we did, we built capacity at least twelve young people across the country for them to be able to then inform and educate and build awareness to the 2030 agenda on the respective communities from PG down to Corozal up North. And so then they themselves began to make that movement. And so if you were there on Saturday, you would have seen that we had a significant participation, and we actually were able to participate and they were all engaged in the process, getting their sentiments, their views and all of that is important for the decision making process. And again, when we’re talking about youth, we’re talking about youth across not only the regions of the country, but also across ethnicity, religious belief, and in terms of vulnerability, in terms of handicapped and other incapacities, we want to make sure that when we take it up with the youth, we’re talking about everyone that is within that spectrum that participated in that event.”
Like many Belizeans who did not get the chance to refuel before this morning, you may have noticed a significant difference in the prices. That’s because the cost of regular gasoline increased by twenty-three cents while diesel went up by thirty cents. As changes in fuel are a significant factor in the livelihoods of taxi drivers, we spoke to some today, to hear how they are feeling about this increase. Several noted that they were unaware of the increase as they had not stopped for fuel for the day. Bue Albert Robinson, a Belize City taxi driver of over forty years, said there was nothing to be said about the increase, as it was all a part of the reality in Belize.
Britney Gordon
“How long have you been driving a taxi, sir?
Albert Robinson
Albert Robinson, Taxi Driver, Belize City “Well, I started back in 1977. When I took off for about 8 years. I went to work with the Central Bank for free and the program for police for like five years and I came back here since then. So from about 1985 until now, I am operating the taxicab.”
Britney Gordon “So how are you feeling about the recent change in gas prices last night, it went up about twenty-three cents for regular and thirty cents for diesel. How is this affecting you?”
Albert Robinson “You know that you are telling me this. I didn’t know that it went up. Because one of the problems is that most of the time when gas prices fall, we know from the customers, because they want you to reduce your price too. They are telling you, oh, gas gone down, and you still charge the same fare, but then when it goes up, nobody remind you, and the thing with them, our business is not only gasoline, it’s wear and tear, plus you have to labor, you have to work, so you have to get some kind of income, from what you are making, and there’s nothing planted out here, you got to get out here, and do what you need to do, and it’s good that I give thanks to some people that really patronize me for who I am, you know, I respect them and I give them thanks all the time because, especially out here at Albert Street, most of the taxi people, if you leave anything in your, in their vehicle, you’re sure to get it back. You know what I mean? Once they are aware that it is in there, they’re sure to get it back. So it’s safe and we do, we try to do the best we could in keeping, upkeeping the vehicle. And it takes maintenance, not only gasoline, you have to spend on everything. I think taxi operators are the people that contribute the most when it comes to taxis and things like that. Because when we make the little fare from the taxi, When we shop and buy anything, we pay taxes. We have to license ourselves. We license the vehicle, insure the vehicle. So, where do we go from there? What do you understand from that? You know what I mean? And try to be as reasonable as possible with the fare. And try to be hospitable with the customers and give them thanks.”
During the COVID-19 crisis, Rotary Clubs in Belize and Port Moody developed a grant to install RACHEL computer labs, providing offline educational content to schools and the Belize Central Prison. The programme is now expanding to eleven schools with the aim of enhancing literacy and mitigating dropout rates through technology access. Through a collaborative effort, the Rotary Club of Belize, and the Rotary Club of Port Moody, supported by the Rotary Foundation, have committed two hundred and ten thousand Belize dollars to execute this impactful project. Each learning lab will comprise a RACHEL server, twenty Chromebooks, headphones, a monitor, and a storage cart or unit. Teacher and administrator training began this week in Belize City. News Five stopped by to find out more.
Ardeth McFadzean Kelly
Ardeth McFadzean Kelly, Principal, Belize Rural Primary School
“One of the most things I’m excited about is seeing the children using the RACHEL program as they surf the different websites on their own and guided by the teacher. And as we evaluate their progress from where we start to, let’s say, maybe the end of the first cycle of the school year.”
Janeen St. Bernard
Janeen St. Bernard, Principal, Lucky Strike Government School
“I am really enjoying the training. The experience is great because we’re introduced to this program where we have many resources that we can take back to the classroom and to the teachers. And it will enhance learning in a whole with our students.”
Glen Brown
Glen Brown, Rotary Club of Port Moody
“We implemented the pilot project at the Belize Central Prison just prior to COVID. So what was really interesting about that project is that we essentially gave the inmates there and the staff, the equipment, the Rachel server and Chromebooks with relatively minimal direction. But one of the things that we know about learning is that you provide students, adults, with tools and information and they discover it for themselves. And so there really was a process of discovery at the prison with the inmate tutors learning how some of the systems within Rachel would work. And, and really started to advance and to use those things at a very high level.”
Katherine Meighan
Katherine Meighan, President, Rotary Club of Belize
“So I should add that this is the first part of a wider project because there’s more we’re going to be seeing of you good people. It’s really starting off with 11 schools. It’s a nice project, good size. It gives us an opportunity to then train teachers and administrators and also work very closely with the Ministry of Education to make sure that this project is working the way we want. Examples of the 11 schools, and it’s a mix from the Belize district area, or Belize rural area, and Belize city as well. Examples include Lucky Strike, we also have Biscayne. We also have Belize Rural. These are examples of schools that will get access to the Rachel Program. Additionally, we have a few in the city. They include St. Ignatius School, St. John’s Anglican. We also have Unity Presbyterian, Salvation Army and I’m also excited that we were able to add in that 11th school, and that’s Stella Marris. Because we know the age ranges at Stella Marris is wider. We are adding additional programs, for instance. It’s a tool that can be used to support cooking programs, sewing programs, things that could think things that can help and support the young persons, whether they’re five years old or whether there are 15 years old, right? So it’s a really amazing tool that can teach literate literature. Literacy, math, English grammar so much.”
Peggy the Loggerhead turtle is on her way to the U.S.A., and Belizeans are cheering her on in real-time. Peggy was tagged in 2023 by the environmental NGO, MarAlliance. She is one of three turtles, and the only female, currently being tracked and observed as they navigate through their migration period for mating season. Kirah Foreman Castillo, National Coordinator of MarAlliance, told us that tracking the movements and habits of these turtles plays a significant part in their preservation, as the research exposes challenges the animals face as they attempt to migrate.
Kirah Foreman Castillo
Kirah Foreman Castillo, National Coordinator, MarAlliance “So one of the things about sea turtles is that they tend to migrate across borders. They don’t, they tend to live in one area, they feed in another, they feed in that area and then when it comes to reproduction, to mating, they often leave. We know a lot about that turtles migrate between the Caribbean, within the Mesoamerican region where we’re located. But we weren’t quite sure what was going on with our population. Where are they going? We know that we have turtles coming from other regions, to nest on our shores, but what’s going on with the Belizean turtles, those that live and forage within our water. So we decided to undergo this like tagging program. At the moment we have three turtles tracking. First of all, we were kind of prioritizing males because we know a lot about females, but we didn’t know about males. So Peggy was kind of our lucky female to get a tag and glad that we did because we would have never had known that our females are not only our males are moving but our females are still going across borders. And one of our focuses to looking at the males is that we know a lot about where the females are going. Because they go to nesting beach, because of their life cycle, they have to go to their natal beach. So they need to, wherever they’re born, this is where they go back to when it comes to nesting. So more than likely Peggy was born somewhere, if she goes to the U.S., everybody’s guess so far is Florida. If she goes to Florida, whichever beach she lands on, this is where she was born, this is where she was hatched. As a hatchling and then they go off into their adult habitat where they live and where they feed, which we know is Belize, and the females will go back to their natal beach. That is very important for us to note when it comes to management of the sea turtles, because oftentimes we have a lot of development occurring. You can imagine getting back to your beach now and you have a seawall. And this is where you have to go and nest, you know, and then you’re not able to access that beach. So, either they find another suitable site, or a lot of times they’ll just discard the eggs into the water because they cannot access their nesting beaches. So it takes about twenty years for a female to return back. We know that Peggy is an adult. She is at reproductive age. She’s probably already over fifty because of her size but it takes about twenty years for them to become reproductive.”
Nineteen-year-old Glenford Dougall recounts a tragic accident where his girlfriend, Denia Rowland, lost her life while they were returning from a football game. The accident occurred on the Philip Goldson Highway near the Sandhill Police Station. The couple was in the back of the pickup truck driven by Oscar Alexander Galindo who was reportedly under the influence. Despite Dougall’s efforts to persuade the driver to slow down, the vehicle flipped, resulting in Rowland’s death. Dougall remains admitted at the K.H.M.H. where News Five’s Hipolito Novelo spoke to him. Here is that report.
Hipolito Novelo, Reporting
Nineteen-year-old Glenford Dougall saw his life flash before his eyes when the Ford Ranger pickup truck he was in flipped several times.
Glenford Dougall
Glenford Dougall, Boyfriend of Deceased
“I just saw a bright light and when I saw bright and I wake up, when I wake up, I never knew that my foot was broken. Nothing.”
But that wasn’t the worst of it. In Dougall’s arms, his girlfriend of one year and four months, nineteen-year-old Denia Rowland dead.
Glenford Dougall
“All I knew that was my girlfriend wasn’t breathing in my arms still as in the accident when I think she flew has flown out. She was in my arms. And then when I woke up, she was still in my arms. And then I was so mad and pissed and I was. I don’t know. I couldn’t help myself that night and I don’t, I, I don’t want to ask God or judge God or anything. Right. But I just said like, why her? Why, why, why couldn’t me as well as I was with her in the accident, I was still with her. So why didn’t me as well?.”
The fatal accident happened on Saturday morning on the Philip Goldson Highway near the Sandhill Police Station. The couple was returning to Belize City from a football game.
Glenford Dougall
“She came to my house at the night and I told her I was going to the Sandhill to watch the game. So I say, like, all your peoples are there, would you want to come too? So she said, yes, I don’t mind, baby, I will come. So then, we take her, we all went, it was at the game. Then, our first driver, with amount of people who was in the car, we went to drop them off, and when we went to drop them off, we, it looked like, when they drop off the first driver, the first driver was high, was drinking as well as the rest, but me and my girlfriend wasn’t drinking. None of that because I just came out of the hospital, I cannot drink, I cannot smoke. When we can drop the driver off with three female friends that he had. So it looked like when we can drop them off, they switched driver or something like to another driver. And then we were still in the back of the pickup truck me, my girlfriend and my friend and the driver was at the front. And it seems like when we was coming back, three of us fall asleep behind the pickup truck with my girlfriend in my arms. To be honest, going when we first left from the city, the first driver was speeding like they was racing with another dirt bike. And then, my girl, she was complaining at the back, make we slow down, they slow down. So I tell my friend and we tell him we slow down. So they start slow down, they did slow down, but look like coming back home, second where we drop asleep at the back, we know the focus where it happened, and the next driver he was drinking too, he was under the influence, and look like he lose control, and the car flipped. When I woke up and I was, my girl was in my hand, I got up. My friend was beside me that invited me to go on the trip cause he invited me and I invited my girl. He, I was talking to him and I was like, why Wilson? Why, why did you invite me? Why, why we end up to come? Why you never tell me that all of this may happen? Things like that. And then. I’ll be honest. I did hit him out of ignorance. I hit him, but I apologized to him because it wasn’t his fault. And then I went to the driver and I saw the driver and then I was, I was crying and I was explaining to him why, why did you do that? What happened? What was the problem? And all he did was watch me in my face, hang on his head and shake his head from side to side.”
Oscar Galindo
On Monday, the driver, twenty-year-old Oscar Alexander Galindo was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrates where he was slapped with several criminal charges. He was charged with manslaughter by negligence, causing death by careless conduct, drove motor vehicle with alcohol concentration above the prescribed limit and negligent grievous harm. Police told reporters on Monday that Galindo was under the influence and speeding. He was offered bail of six thousand dollars which he met. Galindo must report to the Racoon Street police station every two weeks. He is expected to reappear in court on June seventh. Contrary to reports, Rowland was not pregnant. Dougall who suffered a broken right leg, says they had plans to build a life together.
Glenford Dougall
“To be honest, words can’t explain, sir. I cry, I still feel like I want to cry, I cried from the day, I cried to know, So much time I think about suicide just for me time because we’ve, I’ve, me and my girl fight, we fight for everything together. So, at this point I feel like, because she gone, I at least want the day we time to fight this too. But everybody tell me it don’t make sense because, she what I want, I be strong, and still help out to the family and thing. But, I put it away that, it just don’t hurt that, it just don’t hurt and, I don’t know how to let go. And I just have to because in a day, only God knows why.”
The Head of the Prosecutions Branch, Alifa Elrington called her ninth witness to the stand today in the Bladen twelve trial. Several of the twelve men accused of facilitating the land of a suspect drug plane in southern Belize are claiming that they were physically abused by police while in their custody. As a result, the court is currently undertaking a void dire, what is commonly known as a trial within a trial, to determine the validity of the men’s claims and the admissibility of their caution statements. It is an issue that will determine the trajectory of this case, and with ten witnesses set to take the stand, it is almost at its conclusion. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Police Corporal Radro Muschamp, attached to the GI3 Unit in Punta Gorda Town testified before the court today in the Bladen twelve trial. Muschamp told the court that he was at home on the night of November fourth when he received information that led him and three other police officers to Bladen Village. He says they made a stop in Indian Creek Village and walked about half a mile along a dead-end dirt road. There they reportedly came across a white Toyota Hilux. According to Corporal Muschamp, two men exited the vehicle, Moses Perez, and Armando Martinez both farmers from Ranchito Village in the Corozal District.
They are currently standing trial in this matter. Corporal Muschamp testified saying that Perez immediately confessed to them that he was there to help a friend he knew as Ferguson in a plane landing.Muschamp testified that Perez was repeatedly cautioned as he continued to say that he was there to help a police officer he identified as a Ferguson. He also told the court that Perez told them that he brought eight men to the area, including Ferguson, two other police men and a Mexican.
Corporal Muschamp says that Perez also told them that the plane’s cargo was left along the Golden Stream Village riverbank and that he was willing to lead them to it. A search was later conducted in the area, but nothing was found. This afternoon, attorney Richard Dickie Bradley crossed examined Corporal Muschamp. In the ongoing void dire, the defense is claiming that several of the defendants were beaten or threatened while in police custody following the discovery and seizure of the plane, and that their caution statements are inadmissible as a result. Attorney Bradley was not able to complete his cross examination before the court adjourned. But, he asserts that Corporal Muschamp is the officer accused of inflicting injuries upon the men.
Richard “Dickie” Bradley
Richard “Dickie” Bradley, Attorney- At- Law
“This is an important witness. The allegation made against him by some of the defendants is that he is the one beating, he kicked, stumped, beat them bad. I will not release the photographs and medical papers. I will speak to attorney Banner about this matter. But this is more than just this case. If the allegations are true, we cant proceed this way. When somebody says something to the police or they write something incriminating themselves that is important evidence. The law in our country is that you cannot use anything obtained from an accused if he was threatened, promised anything, coerced and worse if he was beaten or tortured. The law is very clear on that matter. The judges from when all my hair was black they always upheld that important principle. When you say somebody agree to give a caution statement they might not know what is a caution statement. A caution statement is yo the sink yo self. So, it is important. This officer is accused of doing things he should not have done.”
Paul Lopez
“It appears that all he have said an written is contrary to the allegations being raised by these accused?”
Richard “Dickie” Bradley
“Well if you have been around the block and hang around Wagner’s lane and the street side, as I said in court, no police ever ever come to court and say yes your honor I kick ah eena ih mouth, I kick out ih teeth, dah me burn ih testicles, never, never, never. So we are not gullible. He will come and say that. Why did he give them water? The man seh he gives them water to wash ih face because he was under blood. No mark deh pan ih farrid. They have pictures. Deh nuh beat deh self. A man batty buss right up, he nuh beat himself. In fact, when they went to court just two or three days afterwards they made the complaint and showed the matter and the police had taken them to hiospital. Does anybody ever just get up and tell the police, oh guess what happen, dah me mih the off load the plane and mister so and so help me. People act like that? My bway if you the deal with cartel and you open your mouth you gwen dah burying ground. Nobody does that. That stupid mein.”
Two men have been charged with the murder of Dylan Anthony. They are twenty-nine-year-old Hugh Middleton and eighteen-year-old Marlon Gideon. Investigators believe that the two men fatally shot PC Anthony on the Roaring Creek Bridge on March twenty-third. PC Anthony was on his motorcycle heading home to Camalote Village when he was murdered. He was mistaken for another individual and targeted. Police Commissioner Chester Williams told reporters on Monday that Gideon was the driver and Middleton was the pillion rider. The Compol explained that Middleton and Gideon, along with the intended target, are all currently at the Belize Central Prison under the State of Emergency.
Thirty-three-year-old Lincoln Bejerano has been convicted of murder. The High Court found that Bejerano murdered taxi driver Isidro Suar in January of 2016. He had been on the run for two years after he escaped from police custody in Belmopan in October 2016. He was later listed on Interpol’s most-wanted list. He was captured by Guatemalan authorities in 2019. The body of Isidro Suar was found on the George Price Boulevard. He had been shot to death. Bejerano now awaits sentencing.
Recently, a video depicting a man being physically assaulted by two men went viral. In the video, a young man with dreadlocks was depicted beating up another before another man joined in to assist in holding down the assailant. The victim of the assault has been identified as Mark Avilez. The footage also shows that, during the assault, a toilet bowl was thrown at Avilez. The incident occurred on March thirtieth but was not reported until a week later. The perpetrator has since been identified as thirty-year-old Emmerson Garnett, who was arraigned for two counts of common assault, to which he pleaded. As Garnett was a first-time offender for a violent offence, he was imposed a fine of five hundred five dollars, including cost of court, which he was given until July fourth to pay in default of three months’ imprisonment. Garnett explained why he pleaded guilty.
Emerson Garnett, Guilty of Common Assault
“The reason why I plead guilty da because I noh wa waste the court time and I noh wa waste my time because I goy my job an di noh want lose my job same way to. You understand?”
Reporter
“You know in my view, you watched the video. You saw the video, right?”
Emerson Garnett
“Yeah, I saw the video.”
Reporter
“The video look like you? That person look like you?”
Emerson Garnett
“The person noh look like me but end of the day da me so I wat ek the weight of what come my way. You understand? Once I do something, I noh mind tek the weight of it tek the consequences weh come behind it. Besides that, once I neva do it, I just mi ah plead not guilty but I noh want waste the court time because I know I do it. So I just wat ek the weight of what come my way because I know I do it.”
Reporter
“You were charged with common assault, the magistrate questioned the charge.”
Emmerson Garnett
“Yeah.”
Reporter
“You believe that was common assault?”
Emerson Garnett
“Yeah because I noh use no weapon or nothing like that. I just slap the person. I just slap the person about three or four times.”
Reporter
“How about the bowl?”
Emerson Garnett
“I noh really want to talk about that part.”
Reporter
“But at the end of the day, did the virtual compliant want any court action?”
Emerson Garnett
“Well from the time they mek the report and thing and they charge me, it look like da mi wa court action ney wa so I noh mi wa waste the court time, waste my time, waste nobody time. So I just plead guilty. You understand.”
Twenty-five-year-old Jose Fuentes was arraigned today for allegedly choking his mother during a fight on Saturday at their residence near mile twenty on the George Price Highway. Fuentes initially pleaded not guilty to a charge of common assault. He told the court that he wasn’t in his right mind because he was drunk. He later changed his plea to guilty, but despite his plea, the magistrate emphasised that intoxication does not excuse violent behaviour and reminded Fuentes of the seriousness of his actions. He was fined two hundred dollars plus a five-dollar court fee. He is expected to pay the fine by May fifteenth. He was bound over to keep the peace with his mother for one year, with a warning that any violation would result in a three-month jail term.
