May, 2024 - Channel 5 Belize

Leaving Space for Sustainability in Our Oceans

This week, dozens of stakeholders from across various organizations are gathering to participate in the Multi-sector Marine Spatial Planning Workshop. This workshop is one of many carried out for the advancement of the Belize Sustainable Ocean Plan. The purpose of the workshop is to kickstart activities that for the delivery of commitments related to the Belize Blue Bond Agreement. Today’s events covered what marine spatial planning is and possible areas for new biodiversity protection zones. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Marine spatial planning refers to a process where stakeholders plan what activities will be restricted to certain areas of the ocean to ensure that the sea space is being used with conservation in mind. To meet the milestones outlined in the Belize Blue Bond agreement, consideration for biodiversity reserves and sustainability must be kept in mind when making these decisions. That is why a Multi-sector Marine Spatial Planning Workshop was held today in Belize City. Samir Rosado, MSP Process Lead at the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute, explained how these topics would be covered in today’s workshop.

Samir Rosado, MSP Process Lead, CZMAI

“During the workshop, day one of course, would be setting the stage for what spatial planning is. Specifically, what Marine spatial planning is. Giving the definitions, the context and really setting the stage for day two. which would be actually getting into the work. So we’ll be looking at existing conditions, in order to plan for the future, we definitely need to understand what the demands for space are currently. We’ll also be looking at compatibility between uses. Within our ocean space, as we refer to it there are a lot of different demands for related to various activities, fishing, tourism, so on and so forth. And so we need to see spatially, where overlaps exist if they are complementary or if they conflict. And really the purpose of day two and part of this workshop is to really determine where those conflicts would be and to assess whether or not, they can be assessed and separated to avoid any sort of negative effects to the delivery of the activity.”

Jamani Balderamos, a marine spatial planning specialist at The Nature Conservancy, told us that part of the workshop would be learning how to make use of a tool designed specifically for spatial planning. He said that the Marxan is publicly available on the internet and can be used by anyone with a graphic information system.

Jamani Balderamas, Marine Spatial Planning Specialist, TNC

“Marxan is actually a spatial planning tool, and it’s to help achieve conservation goals and objectives. So it will look at the entire ocean space, and in Belize we’re considering our internal waters, territorial seas, and exclusive economic zones. You can put in data such as ecosystems and human uses, and Marxan will look at how all these things are valued and try to minimize tradeoffs. you can customize the program to help you determine the best use of space to meet particular objectives. So if you want to look at the blue economy, you And we want to look at allocating space for tourism and so on. Marxan can then look at the tradeoffs and help us to determine the best use of space.”

A key component in the Belize sustainable Ocean Plan is the Belize Blue Bond agreement, which enables the country to reduce debt-burden and increase long-term ocean conservation. Safira Vasquez of the Blue Bond and Finance Permanence Unit explained how this factors into today’s discussions.

Safira Vasquez, Senior Technical Officer, Blue Bond and Finance Permanence Unit

“The Belize Blue Bonds have several conservation milestones and commitments. And today’s event is actually a part of us leading up to our milestone four which we should meet in this year, November 2024, which is the for the designation of. up to twenty-five percent of our ocean space in biodiversity protection zones. So today’s event is basically they will be building upon some of the ground work that has been done by the coastal zone management authority, which is the government lead agency for our Marine Spatial Plan, which is known as the Belize Sustainable Ocean Plan. And so they will be building up on some of the work that they have been conducting with our various ocean users.”

Rosado said that allocating space within the ocean for varying uses such as fisheries, tourism, coastal development, and protection for ecosystems is a necessary step in conservation.

Samir Rosado

“There’s a lot of power in assigning space for activities because it takes away the instability of these activities and ensures that moving forward, these activities are sustainable over time. And really, the objective of marine spatial planning is to assign the space with a view to balance the multiple objectives that these activities may have. There’s environmental uses, there’s social uses, recreational, and then there’s economic uses. And the idea is to have, establish that balance to ensure that all of these objectives are satisfied through one process.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

B.T.B. Beautification Project Battles Theft and Vandalism

Since September 2022, the Belize Tourism Board has undertaken the task of making Belize City a beautiful municipality. The beautification project involves planting greenery throughout the city and creating spaces that are attractive for residents to socialize in. While it was estimated that the project would be nearing completion by now, there have been an overwhelming number of setbacks for the team; mainly, theft and vandalism. News Five’s Britney Gordon spoke to Elena Usher, one of the lead consultants on the project for more details on the situation.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

The Belize Tourism Board’s City Beautification project is in dire need of an intervention. For nearly two years, a team has been diligently planting greenery across the city to cool the atmosphere and create a more pleasing aesthetic. However, the team has been discouraged and angered by people stealing and destroying the plants. Elena Usher, one of the two lead consultants on the project, aired her grievances with us.

Elena Usher, Consultant, BTB Beautification Project

“When we started, everything was going very well. And then the hurricane came, which was the first hurdle. But that was nature, natural, so that was not a problem. After that, we started to have people stealing the plants. Tremendous amounts of plants have been stolen. And it has been frustrating because to have to replace all of these plants, we cannot see the progress that we need to make. That we should have been seeing at this time of the project. If it’s not the stealing of the plants, people just vandalize them people just root them out leave them there or people school children high school children just walk and just, tear out the plants from where they are. They just destroy them. That is one of the most frustrating thing is the theft of the plants. The job is not a problem it’s just the people that don’t appreciate what it is that BTB is trying to do for the city, besides the aesthetics of it being very nice, it will cool down the city. It will create new environments, beautiful areas to sit, to walk. To be able to just move around the city and be in a very nice atmosphere”

Usher said that the team had plans to finish in about two and a half years, but due to the hurdles, they have been pushed extremely behind schedule. She explained that some of the smaller plants range between ten to fifteen dollars while large plants can cost five hundred dollars or above.

Elena Usher

“We wanted to do basically palms and big trees to make it really shady and cool in the city, but that could not happen. And then underneath all of this, we wanted to do ground covers that would eliminate. The Belize City Council having to send their people out there to do cutting and weeding.And so we wanted to do beautiful ground covers and have the over big trees to cover the area to make it cool. The smaller plants are what people are just stealing. It’s easier for them to just pass and route it up or drive by in a car and just take amounts that they want.”

Usher explained that he team has been working on some areas since it was launched and although there have been setbacks, she anticipates that the BTB will expand it to other areas upon completion.

Elena Usher

“We are still working on the Central American Boulevard. That’s the first area we started. We have redone Constitution Park, and we have also done the Mahogany Street project marketplace. We are now working on the Memorial Park, and then we have the other areas like the Albert and Regent Street, which is the next project we’re going to do. Princess Margaret Drive, the New Tongue Barrack area, Marine Parade, and um, Cemetery Road.”

She said there have been attempts to hinder acts of theft and vandalism, but it remains difficult to prevent them entirely.

Britney Gordon

“Have the BTB taken any precautions to prevent people from stealing or vandalizing?”

Elena Usher

“Yes. For example, in the Constitution Park when that park was being redone, they stole the windows, the doors, the plants, they destroyed. What has happened is the cameras have been placed in these areas and burglar bars have been put on the building. The wire fence have also been put in because people were also using the park as a bathroom. So these are some of the things that have been done, other than that, It’s hard.”

Despite the challenges, Usher says she is determined to see this project completed and hopes that Belizeans can enjoy the benefits of the endeavor.

Elena Usher

“At the end of this project, I would like to see the city very green. I would like to see great green spaces parks that can be very healthy and soothing for all of us. That would be enjoyable for everybody to come and sit, to have a good time, to just relax. And the cooling of the city. To make it so green that When you’re walking or driving, it’s, there’s not that tremendous air of heat just surrounding you, with the greenery, it should make it feel a lot cooler. That’s my main goal.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Belize Bank Named One of Best Banks in Central America

Central American economies have flourished in the pandemic’s aftermath due to the region’s lower-than-average inflation, allowing central banks to impose more-accommodative policies than larger economies worldwide.

However, the region received a further boost in 2023 owing to record-breaking remittances and an improving labor market, buoyed mainly by the near-shoring boom, thriving tourism and continued profitability across the commodity spectrum. As a result, Central America’s combined GDP is estimated to have grown 3.5% year-over-year (YoY) in 2023, significantly above the global average of 3.1%, according to the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (Eclac).

In the banking sector, continued efforts toward further digitalization—one area in which the region still lags—and commercial loan portfolio growth were the main drivers of profitability among the more prominent players.

In Belize, the winner, Belize Bank, grew its investment and loan portfolio to maintain its position as the country’s largest bank in assets and profitability. It held a commanding 1.9 billion Belizean dollars (approximately $939 million) in assets as of July 2023, according to the Central Bank of Belize.

Published by Global Finance

NTUCB Slams SSB’s Unilateral Board Appointments as ‘Distasteful’

The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) has expressed deep concern over the decision by the Social Security Board (SSB) to appoint three external directors to the board of the Public Administration Campus Limited Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) without consultation.

The NTUCB says that the proposed five-member board, consisting solely of private sector members selected by the Government of Belize (GOB), lacks a balanced representation of private, public, and worker interests.

“Instead of adhering to recommendations and advice for a maintained tripartite structure as prescribed by the law or a similar equitable representation of investors’ interests, the SSB has once again disappointed the workers and people of this country,” said the NTUCB in a statement.

The NTUCB questions the SSB’s deviation from legal guidelines and its duty to ensure responsible financial management. The organisation demands that the government rectify this imbalance to ensure true representation and transparency in the management of public funds.

PM Briceño Visits Mexico, Signs ALCE Agreement

Prime Minister John Briceño is on an official visit to Mexico where he was warmly received by President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador at the National Palace. The PM’s trip comes during a time of heightened concerns among Belizeans, following a recent spate of cartel-related violence in Quintana Roo. During his visit to Mexico City, PM Briceño signed an agreement on behalf of Belize establishing the Latin American and Caribbean Space Agency. The Prime Minister was accompanied at the signing by Ambassador Oscar Arnold. Belize bolsters the regional integration mechanism by joining twenty-one other countries in signing the accord. It will also be able to enter into cooperation agreements with other Latin American and Caribbean countries involving satellite observation of environmental conditions and other risks. ALCE, as the agency is otherwise known, will use the technological capabilities of the member countries to promote development, improve satellite communication systems; and increase the observation systems involved in preventing natural disasters and improving agriculture. Mexican Foreign Secretary Alicia Barcena witnessed the signing of the ALCE agreement.

Police Leading Rio Hondo River Operations; BDF Lending Support

The Belize Police Department, with support from the Belize Defense Force, has been conducting increased operations along the Rio Hondo River in the Orange Walk District. This is being done to address the security concerns in that area that stems from an increase in cartel activities within parts of neighboring Mexico. The Rio Hondo River has long been a hot spot for border jumpers, contrabandists, human traffickers and narco-traffickers. But, with the perceived threat stemming from recent occurrences, law enforcement officials and the Government of Belize are taking no chances. Significant resources are being pumped into law enforcement efforts along the northern border. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The Belize Police Department and the Belize Defense Force have increased their presence along the Rio Hondo River, in response to a recent uptick in cartel-related violence in neighboring communities along the Mexican border.

Colonel Anthony Velasquez, Deputy Commander, Belize Defense Force

“The area has always been an area of interest for us. There has always been the contraband issue. There has always been human trafficking and also the drug trafficking issue. Recent occurrences in Chetumal area, the Quintan Roo area has brought to our attention that the security issue has become increase.”

Commissioner of Police Chester Williams describes the operation as highly sensitive.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“This is a very highly sensitive operation that we’re conducting and because of the nature of the operations, we cannot include NGOs or persons who are not a part of the security apparatus in the planning for several reasons.”

According to ComPol Williams, the Government of Belize has spared no resources to equip the department in its efforts along the northern border.

Chester Williams

“I can say that whenever we approach the Prime Minister for equipment or resources to be able to carry out our mandate, the Prime Minister is always willing to assist.”

The Belize Defense Force is working alongside the Belize Police Department in this operation. But BDF soldiers act only in a support role. It is the police department that is leading the charge; however, the BDF has doubled its troop presence in the area. The effectiveness of these operations is depends on the relationship that the BDF has with its Mexican counterparts.

Colonel Anthony Velasquez

“It is a very pivotal relationship. We share information. The Mexican military impart critical information to us that helps us to perform our operations in an effective manner. So, it is a very important relationship. Also, we share information with them when it is necessary, and we coordinate our actions along the border. So, there is there is a hot spot or a flash point, we coordinate the area and saturate the area on both sides of the border in order to maintain peace in the area.”

These types of operations are not foreign to the Belize Defense Force. It has provided support to the Belize Police Department in intercepting numerous drug planes and detaining suspected narco-traffickers. The Belize Defense Force is also equipped with air and riverine assets. Colonel Velasquez says that the show of increased presence alone acts as a deterrent.

Colonel Anthony Velasquez

“Majority of our operation are to maintain military presence and deter illegal activity out there. So, we also have operatives in the area that are intelligence operatives. They are covert, but generally we saturate the area with soldiers so that people can see we are patrolling. We are doing vehicle patrols, river patrols and foot patrols so that people can see we are out there, and we also do intelligence driven operations where we receive critical intelligence and we react to that, always in conjunction with the Belize Police Department.”

These operations undoubtedly come with several risks. Common dangers include encounters with wild animals and falls. Greater risks include encounters with armed cartel elements. That is why the riskiest operations are assigned to the elite units within the BDF.

Colonel Anthony Velasquez

“Yes, Belizeans should feel safe. However, that does not negate your personal responsibility to take care of yourself as well. Do not travel in these areas. Do not cross the border illicitly in these crossing points. Many Belizeans do. You are putting yourself in danger. But law-abiding citizens should be confident that the police department and the Belize Defense Force are out there to maintain our territorial integrity, our sovereignty, and to maintain the rule of law.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Foreign Affairs Delegation Travels to Guatemala

Moving now to Belize’s southern frontier, tensions on the Sarstoon River were high a couple weeks ago when a group of reporters accompanied by Belize Defense Force soldiers had an encounter with Guatemalan Armed Forces. As we reported, the GAF claimed the entire Sarstoon River as Guatemala’s territory and informed the group of Belizeans that permission is needed to traverse the river. Following the encounter, many Belizeans, including the Leader of the Opposition, called on the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign Affairs to issue a protest note to the president of Guatemala. There is also the issue of Guatemalan incursions, illegal logging and farming within Belize’s forest reserves. Well, Minister of Foreign Affairs Francis Fonseca was in Guatemala on Monday, along with Chief Executive Officer, Amalia Mai. There they met with Guatemala’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Martinez. Based on a press release from the ministry, it appears that these issues were raised. But the ministry’s release summed up the results of that discussion in only one sentence. It says quote, “during their meeting, they reached a mutual agreement to foster cordial neighborly relations and maintain an open dialogue to effectively address challenges along the shared border”, unquote. There is no indication that the actions of the Guatemalan Armed Forces and Guatemalans within Belize’s forest reserves were strongly protested or that a commitment was made to put an end to these illegalities. We will continue to follow.

Youth Shot During Double Murder Undergoes Surgery

Police continue to investigate the double murder of Saida Perez and her common-law husband, Morcel Neal of Roaring Creek. The couple was at their home in the Hilltop area of the village on Sunday night when they were targeted. Perez’ fifteen-year-old son was also shot but survived the deadly ordeal. He has undergone surgery to remove a bullet that was lodged in his leg and his prognosis is said to be promising for a full recovery. Perez, a cook, had hoped to be able to provide for her young son since his father had died some years ago. Now that she has also died, his only family ties are his aunt and elder sisters who live in Belmopan. An arrest in this recent incident in Roaring Creek is yet to be made.

Trio Arraigned for Illegally Logging in Monkey Bay

A trio of loggers, including a Guatemalan national, was arraigned earlier today for illegally felling trees within the Monkey Bay National Park back in January. The men were charged jointly for four offenses, including unlawful cutting of forest produce, unlawful possession of forest produce, unlawful conversion of Mahogany using a chainsaw and unlawful collection of forest produce. Forty-two-year-old Tyrell Banner, a truck driver of Camalote Village, his son, nineteen-year-old Kaylon Gabourel, and Guatemalan national David Morales Sandoval, a resident of Salvapan, appeared before a senior magistrate this morning where they were read the four charges. They pleaded not guilty to the offense and were offered bail in the sum of eight thousand dollars, or two sureties of four thousand dollars. During the arraignment, the senior magistrate inquired about the length of time that it took for the men to be brought up on charges. According to a representative of the Forestry Department, they had to seek legal advice on how to proceed with the charges. The matter was adjourned to July tenth, 2024.

Fisherman Arrested for Attempted Murder

Tonight, a Los Lagos fisherman, is on remand at the Belize Central Prison after he was arraigned for abetment to murder and attempted murder charges. He is thirty-three-year-old Ludrick Andrew Usher, who was brought in for the attempted murder of twenty-year-old Jahshiel Cervantes. On Saturday, around ten fifteen p.m., Cervantes had been socializing in Majestic Alley with a group of men when he was approached by an SUV and fired at. Using surveillance footage from the area, police were able to locate the vehicle and suspect. Usher, who was unrepresented, appeared before a Senior Magistrate in Court at around two thirty p.m. today where he was read two indictable offenses. Allegations being made against Usher are that on Saturday he purposely aided an unidentified individual in the commission of murder. Due to the nature of the offenses, no plea taken from Usher and Usher was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until August seventh, 2024, where he is pending bail.