We asked the Leader of the Opposition to explain his reason for boycotting today’s House Meeting. He said that if the Opposition had attended the session, it would not have sent the message that they wanted to send. He also shared with the media his concerns over a couple of the bills.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of Opposition
“When you see that the Speaker has allowed the Executive to abuse the rights, the duty, and the privileges that the Opposition members enjoy in the House, this boycott of today’s Sitting arose as we have disclosed to the media by way of the house deviating from established protocol which gives a seven-day notice, five clear days, five business days but seven days from the Sitting is when the Speaker would notify all members. The Prime Minister is the minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, and he is well aware of the established protocol and this contemptuous behaviour will not be tolerated by the Opposition. Why is it important that we get seven days’ notice five clear days because of Standing Order? 19 (3) Standing order 19 (3) requires that in order to questions to ministers you must give them five clear days’ notice. So, by giving us three days’ notice of a host meeting, you abrogate the privileges of the members in a very, crucial tool that we have for oversight that we have for representing.”
Marion Ali
“You are known, Leader of the Opposition, to present vehemently or argue strongly against presentations that are made during the host proceedings. Your absence, your entire Opposition’s absence does not give you that opportunity to stand up and to debate or to make a point today.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“We will make that point right now. That is why we have the media. With the bills that are being passed today, let’s start with the motions. We have the loan motions that amount to $48 million Belize. That adds to the already $1.45 billion. And we have a government that decried. The debts that the U.D.P. amassed in a 13-year period and now in one term they have amassed more debt than the U.D.P., more loans than any government ever in their first term. And what they have done is a very clever manoeuvre, whereas they present these loan motions under captions that one would be hard-pressed to disagree with. But then the learned members of the Opposition and the public, you look closely and you scrutinize it and that there is no transparency and there is no accountability. You have with the urban development, for instance, and all of the loan motions that they have presented, there is never a pathway to accessibility, which allows for corruption and abuse because the $1.5 billion that this government has amassed in loans that the taxpayers have to pay back, it is not the P.U.P. taxpayers that will have to pay it back. It is all taxpayers, but what we see is a lack of transparency that allows for corruption and abuse of the process, whereas you have, for instance, in Toledo East, you have the, one of the candidates, Dr. Osmond Martinez telling you that Toledo East is still in the dark ages, and Toledo East is one of the worst constituencies in a deplorable state. Yet we have come into this honorable House and pass loan motions for rural development, rural funding to help.”
The Clerk of the National Assembly spent his final day at work participating in the sitting of the House of Representatives. After fourteen years, Eddie Webster is saying goodbye to parliamentary life following his resignation from the post a week ago. Earlier today, the Speaker of the House acknowledged Webster’s contribution to the Government of Belize and the National Assembly.
Valerie Woods
Valerie Woods, Speaker of the House
“The National Assembly staff committee did receive the resignation from Her Excellency Governor General Froyla Tzalam of our clerk of parliament, Eddie Webster. Mr. Eddie Webster has completed fourteen years of service with the National Assembly. His family joins him in the gallery and we would like to publicly acknowledge his years of committed service to the National Assembly of Belize. If you would allow me, please, a round of applause for the service of Mr. Eddie Webster. Today marks Mr. Webster’s last sitting of the House of Representatives, perhaps not as the rambunctious Mr. Webster but it is the last sitting. His effective date is the thirtieth but operationally, today would be the last day. Thank you, Mr. Eddie Webster.”
In the House of Representatives today, Prime Minister John Briceno introduced a proposed amendment to the Fiscal Incentive Act which will do away with the need for a definitive agreement to be signed with outside investors. According to P.M. Briceño, the proposed amendment will create economic and employment opportunities for thousands of Belizeans.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“To avoid all of this, to ensure that everything can be done above board, to avoid these definitive agreements, passing laws for special investments, our government decided for us to set a minimum amount of investment that is needed to be able to get other incentives and the rest of the regular investments that they do in Belize. And so, we felt that by setting up the bar at over two hundred and fifty million U.S. dollars, which is half a billion Belize dollars, we believe that by making these amendments then that will be easier to be able to attract investments or investors and that the investors do not have to worry that the opposition will be using that as a football just for their political gain. This will ensure transparency. As you all know, whenever we approve these investments it is made public so that everybody can see what is taking place. But in the context of amending this fiscal incentive act, the new incentives that will be included for investments of over half a billion Belize dollars or two hundred and fifty million US dollars is one: the customs duty exemptions, and then G.S.T. exemptions for goods and services for the project construction and establishment. Once the construction is finished and the business starts to operate then they will be removed from that exemption. Thirdly, because of the size of the investment, in many instances they need to be certain types of skilled workers. So all foreign skilled workers or managers of the investment are to be granted six months duty exemptions for their personal items such as furniture and equipment when they first relocate to Belize. This is unlocking hundreds of millions of dollars of foreign direct investments in Belize and leading to hundreds, if not thousands of construction jobs and ultimately permanent operation staff for Belizeans. Madam Speaker, this bill is good for business, good for investment and good for Belize and it has the recommendationof the Cabinet.”
The House of Representatives met today in regular session and one of the main highlights of the proceedings was the presentation of a Disabilities Bill. The bill seeks to promote, protect and ensure the full and equal privileges, rights, interests, benefits and treatment of persons with disabilities. It calls for the establishment a National Commission for Persons with Disabilities and a Disabilities and Equal Opportunities Rights Tribunal. Minister of Human Development, Dolores Balderamos-Garcia presented the proposed piece of legislation.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development
“Madam Speaker I will try to be brief because we did give some information at the first reading of this bill. And I do sit here, humbly, this afternoon, to continue to urge that we pass this Disabilities Bill today. It will establish the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and it will have In addition to government representation, it will have representatives from the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Social Security Board, the National Trade Union Congress, civil society organizations, and also the ex officio member of the National Commission for Persons with Disabilities, and our C.E.O. of Human Development will chair the commission. We also want to mention at this second reading, Madam Speaker, that the functions of the commission will various. Please allow me, once more, to read it into the record. It will oversee the implementation of the policy to give special attention to persons with disabilities. It will make recommendations to the government. It will coordinate and monitor the implementation of the said policy. It will monitor our compliance with the United Nations Convention and do monitoring and evaluation on the impact of our policy. It will recommend changes to existing laws, support the development of relevant programs, collect and record important data. promote and foster capacity development, promote and coordinate the employment of persons living with disabilities, produce annual reports. Address grievances. And maintain, importantly, maintain a register of persons living with disabilities.”
The bill received the support of Prime Minister John Briceno, as well as from the ministers of Education, Francis Fonseca and Labour, Oscar Requena. All these officials made references to either their own relatives or an associate who had a disability and believe the bill will be beneficial to people like their loved ones. The bill’s popularity came when Opposition Leader, Moses “Shyne” Barrow
also supported the bill and paid compliments to Marshall Nunez, who is the Disability Desk Coordinator in the Ministry of Human Development. Even as Barrow acknowledged Nunez, however, he wished the Opposition was included more in the decision-making process.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“I must applaud Marshall Nunez who is the champion behind the Disabilities Bill. I know that he worked exhaustively on this. He has been one of the premier advocates for people with disabilities. It is a very ambitious bill. But I am never one to shy away from having revolutionary ambitions, but I do applaud Marshall Nunez, who is the champion behind this. And so this is one thing that we can support. And we do hope that the government will do everything to assist in meeting these very ambitious targets. But one of the criticisms we have is the lack of representation of the Opposition on these commissions, on these boards. It makes no sense for continuity, for democracy, for diversity. to exclude the Opposition. And remember, this is a government that said they would be different. They said they would be able transparency on good governance, so why is it that you can’t have the Opposition on these very important boards for continuity, so it is when we become government because governments change in a democracy, we can be seized of all that is happening in these different places.”
She was known for her exceptional musical skills, her transformative wisdom and her captivating personality. Jennifer Lovell or “Jenny Love it Lovell”, as she was affectionately known, has passed away. Reports are that Lovell experienced a bad fall on Thursday while home alone. Lovell was found and transported to the hospital by a couple of her colleagues who grew concerned after she stopped responding to their calls and messages. After being released from the hospital, Lovell spent the night at the home of one of her friends who also works as a nurse. She passed away early this morning in the care of that friend. Lovell was a true Belizean icon. News Five’s Paul Lopez filed the following report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Belize has lost a beloved icon. Jenniffer “Jenny Love It” Lovell passed away in the company of a friend today in Belmopan. Throughout her lifetime, Lovell impacted the lives of many with her effervescent personality, musical talent, and wisdom as a mental health herapist. Lovell received the nickname “Jenny Love It” as a judge on Channel Five’s Tuesday night entertainment shows, such as KTV, KTV the Remix, and Duets. Live Show Host, William Neal, reflected on his memories of her, with tears in his eyes.
William Neal
William Neal, TV Host
“What you saw on television was definitely not a facade. She had the incredible talent, not just of singing in terms of talent, she also had the talent to make you listen and to make you feel seen. When she said love it, love it, love it, that was what she was all about. She was a person who believed that love would conquer all and you had to love people through everything. A year ago when my mom passed and stuff she insisted that I come see her. First she gave me some money and I said Jenny it is ok. She said, no I want you to have this money. Secondly, she took me through grieve counselling for more than two hours. I really don’t know what Tuesday night will be like when I am on the stage and look down and there is no Jenny there. I know in a world where people can be really mean, she was perhaps meme more than anybody else. That didn’t deter her. She showed up. I don’t know what Tuesday nights will be without her but Jenny showed us that in a cruel world that sometimes kindness is what you remember and need.”
For more than a decade, Lovell led a segment on Open Your Eyes Morning Show called “Bruck It Down with Jenny”. As a trained psychologist, she imparted invaluable knowledge to viewers on numerous mental health topics. Former Open Your Eyes Host and now Chief Executive Officer at Channel Five, Marleni Cuellar spoke about Lovell’s irreplaceable character.
Marleni Cuellar
Marleni Cuellar, C.E.O. Channel Five
“She partnered with us willingly, came and answered questions from viewers, mental health questions, coping with life, building self esteem kind of that mental care that people needed. She did so because she was an advocate for people to have better mental health.”
Paul Lopez
“Why was it important to have Jenny remain a staple on KTV the Remix?”
Marleni Cuellar
“Because you can’t replace a Jenny. She was an icon, rightly earned. She is passionate about helping to develop talent in the country, especially musical talent. What a lot of people don’t know is that behind the scenes she mentored some of the singers. She worked with us at Summer Fest to get some of them ready for the stage. If she saw someone with talent, she wanted to help them make it better and help to make them shine.”
Paul Lopez
“What do you think when you think about the future of KTV without Jenny there?”
Marleni Cuellar
“You know, all players in KTV is essential, from the people brave enough to go on stage, to the judges who are brave enough to face the public and audience. I suppose, as they say, the show must go on, but it will never be the same.”
Inside Price Barracks, where all the buildings are designed and painted to reflect discipline and dullness, Jenny Lovell’s office inside the BDF’s Wellness Center was a stark contrast. It emanated peace, wellness and her vibrant personality. She had been volunteering as a mental health therapist for the Belize Defense Force for the last decade. She was scheduled to be at Price Barracks this morning to conclude a self-care training she led for more than a dozen soldiers. Major Megan Aspinal is the Head of the BDF Wellness Center.
Megan Aspinal
Major Megan Aspinal, Head of BDF Wellness Center
“Today was the culmination of the training where the participants would have been given their certificates and have a little social with Ms. Jenny and her team that came with four students who are currently pursuing their master’s degree in counseling at U.W.I. She had asked me if they can do their practicum and internship here. Most of us are still in shock because the last we saw Ms. Jenny Tuesday when she said to us she was not feeling well but the young ladies from U.W.I. can continue the training. Then we hear today she passed. We are still in disbelief. This office is all Ms. Jenny. This office was not pink. It was cream as the other office. And, one day she is like I need this office to have life. The soldiers need to understand that coming to counselling you can’t see colors that are depressing as well, you need to be vibrant. So, she is like, I want cotton candy pink. She told the young men that work with us, so she made it happen and she brought all her décor, her pink flowers, everything to match with and one of the soldiers who paint painted the picture on the wall in pink supporting what she wanted.”
Lovell was employed as Director of the Department of Human Service when she returned to Belize as a retired U.S Navy Lieutenant in the late nineties. She was then appointed as the first director of the Community Rehabilitation Department within the ministry. Chief Executive Officer within the Ministry of Human Development, Adele Catzim, was the CEO in the ministry at the time. Catzim and Lovell developed a bond that led to them becoming best friends.
Adele Catzim
Adele Catzim, C.E.O., Ministry of Human Development
“Jenny was an icon. She has such a wonderful personality. She is such a public persona, but Jenny was also a very private person. She had a small circle of friends that she was very close to and so we are the ones that would know what was really on her mind about a lot of things. She was a very spiritual person, so we clicked and talked about spirituality and personal development all the time. Her life was about Belize and development. She was a super volunteer at the Belize Defense Force, a super volunteer at one of the rehabilitation centers called Hedges. She volunteered; she was working with our ministry because she was a master trainer, currently for our community and parent empowerment program. Of course she was a lover of the arts. She contributed so much to the arts through KTV and through her beautiful voice and singing and all of that.”
Jenny Lovell’s musical career was just as illustrious as her contributions to mental health wellness. In the early seventies Lovell was a member of The Mission Singers, a musical group that was created by music extraordinaire Francis Reneau. Karen Vernon worked alongside Lovell in the arts.
Karen Vernon
Karen Vernon, Colleague
“I knew her through my work with the Francis Reneau project over the years. I worked with her as a judge here at KTV. A lot of people know her through KTV and not beyond that. But Lovell was a singer for Mass in Blues. That was in the late 1960’s, early seventies. They toured the U.S in 1971 and produced the Mass in Blues album of which Jenny was a soloist on many of the songs in that album.”
One of the timeless solos on that album by Jenny Lovell is entitled Help Me Accept. We also heard from Francis Reneau who revealed that he has begun writing a song dedicated to Lovell.
Francis Reneau
Francis Reneau, Musician
“What I was attracted to was the quality of her voice. There was a purity of sound and her understanding of music even though she may not have studied music in the way I studied music was quite natural and it was actually astounding that she could turn music into something that was communicative and expressive and I think that was what all musicians looked for in a great singer. I didn’t believe it at first, I saw these things coming and my phone started ringing and ringing and I said what is going on and I thought I better just checked and I said this cant be true. I thought I would wait a little while to see if it was real or not. I texted her sister and she confirmed that it was true. I am writing something for her memory as well and I hope it gets performed at some point.”
Prime Minister John Briceño also extended his condolences to the family of Jennifer Lovell on behalf of the Government of Belize. P.M. Briceno reflected on the many contributions Lovell made to Belize. He thanked her family for sharing her life with the nation. Here is what he said today inside the National Assembly.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“This morning the nation woke up to the sad news that we lost Jenny Lovel, the incomparable Jenny Lovell who we all have seen on Channel Five KTV. I think just this week she was also on live TV. That voice, you remember Mass in Blue, I guess probably the best album Belize has ever produced with Franky Reneau. All of them were just little kids when they took our Mass in Blues. I wish that more and more Belizeans should be aware of that music. She was a national treasure and I joined others, our colleagues on this side of the house and the entire country in extending condolences to our family and our friends and everybody who loved Jenny because of her appearance on Channel Five. She loved singing and she loved Belize and for this we are a grateful nation, and we thank her family for sharing Jenny with us and may her soul rest in peace.”
The Belize Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in identifying the body of a man that was found earlier today. This morning, at around five fifteen a.m., a man of Hispanic descent was pulled from the harbor near North Front Street in Belize City and has since been listed as a John Doe. The individual has several tattoos, including one of a cross surrounded by flames on his left arm. For those with information that can assist police with the investigation, contact crime stoppers, or make a report to the nearest police station.
One of two suspects accused of a triple murder walked free today after being acquitted due to a lack of evidence. He is twenty-three-year-old Shawn Flores, who stood trial for the murder of Alarice Andrewin, Vidal Yuman and Maria Juarez. All three individuals were bound and shot during a home invasion at mile ten on the George Price Highway in June 2019. Subsequently, then nineteen-year-old Kyle Zetina was charged for the crime after video footage placed him at the scene and, then eighteen-year-old Shawn Flores was jointly charged. However, in the case of Flores, there was no evidence linking him to the crime other than his caution statement, which his defense claims was beaten out of him by police. With no other evidence to link him to the murder, Flores was acquitted this morning. Unlike his co-accused, the crown has presented substantial evidence to be admissible in the trial against Zetina. His trial will continue July fifteenth, 2024.
Lobster season opens on July first, which means that tourist destinations are gearing up for lobster festivities. Placencia will be hosting the first of three lobster fests scheduled for this year. The small, slow paced, coastal community has been putting on its lobster fest for almost three decades. This year’s event promises to be the biggest and most entertaining yet. News Five’s Paul Lopez travelled down to the peninsula on Thursday. He filed the following report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Placencia Lobster Fest is a once-a-year event that draws thousands of visitors to the village without fail.
Doyle Gardner
Doyle Gardner, Owner, Doyle’s Smoke Yard
“Party and great energy, foodie a foodie paradise, people love it.”
The start of the lobster season is such a big deal for residents that it is worthy of having its own song.
Doyle Gardner
“Ih name spinny spinny…..it is the best.”
Placencia Loster Fest was launched in 1998 by the then village council and members of the Belize Tourism Industry Association Placencia Chapter. Elysia Dial, now the general manager at Barefoot Bar, joined the organizing team in 2001. The festival was established to help businesses in the tourist destination earn much needed income during the low tourist season.
Elysia Dial
Elysia Dial, General Manager, Barefoot Bar
“At first it was more like a rice and beans fest to be honest. We actually had to put out a rule for vendors to have some lobster dish on their menu because it is lobster fest. Originally, you know the parking lot, that is where lobster fest started out. It was just towards that cement pavement which was shell gas station. And that is where lobster fest was. One year we had a big wind storm come through right after Bowen and Bowen set up the tents and they crashed up into the house and there was no electricity. It was a lot of thing but we still got lobster fest going.”
Marcelo Sierra, the founder and former owner of Omar’s Little Kitchen, was among the first to participate in Placencia’s lobster fest. He has since handed over the restaurant to his children, but their presence at the weekend festivities continues.
Marcelo Sierra
Marcelo Sierra, Former Business Owner
“It was not as big and bombastic like now. Now dah some wild event the take place and different era, different people the different kind of businesses and so it grow a lot. So kudos to who the out deh the bun up deh eyes, I get enough of that.”
Reporter
“And I understand your restaurant had some sort of unique lobster dish in the days.”
Marcelo Sierra
“Yeah we started with a kind of a cultural way of doing our lobster. We started with fire heart. We never use no gas range. All we had to do dah get some mango, craboo and grapes and people want to see it done culturally. A lot of business stray from that which is not good. Omar’s still have a fire heart outside, my daughter still dash thing pan that. I try mek deh keep it culturally. If you the do it culinary wise and culturally people wah love that because deh wah the pass and get that smell.”
In 2023, Doyle Gardner won the prize for best lobster dish at the event. He is returning to defend his title and he hopes that the number of chefs participating in the competition this year will increase from the handful that participated in the 2023.
Doyle Gardner
“I did a big lobster. I did it open cooked, charred first and then roasted garlic butter. My plating I think was what really won it. I used a big calabash. I still have that calabash upstairs. I should have brought that, but on the bottom of the young coconut leaf, half the coconut and the rice on top of that. I didn’t have any horns so I took some branches from the miniature bamboo shoots and stuck them in their and that was a part of the design pretty much. I already made my menu and everything. I just came off of vacation. I was in Barbados and San Pedro I am working on that title to keep that title. I already have my idea but I am not going to give it away right now.”
Fisherfolks are the backbone of Placencia Lobster Fest. They make it possible for hungry visitors to have that sea-to grill-to table experience. Kurt Godfrey Senior is a second generation fisherman. Long before Placencia Lobster Fest was established, Godfrey would go free diving for lobsters with his father off the coast of the peninsula. His children are doing lobster catching these days.
Kurt Godfrey Sr.
Kurt Godfrey Sr., Fisherman
“First we were free divers as my late father was the founder of free diving. It became a sport. Time change and we learn that you put shade which is a hidden under and then fast-forward the government sent us to Mexico and w learnt about casitas. Casitas is one I want to invent in Belize because it is a healthy way of catching lobster.”
Paul Lopez
“So for you being environmentally conscious is important.”
Kurt Godfrey Sr.
“That dah how I become a pro, because I environmental happy ever since I learn scuba and free dive. I throw back my young lobster, my females I throw them back, especially when they have eggs and people could tell you, my workers can tell you that I did that.”
Paul Lopez
“For lobster fest on average how much lobster can a fisherman sell for lobster fest celebration.”
Kurt Godfrey
“Talking for myself, from the casitas I could probably sell about two hundred pounds of whole live lobster.”
The festival begins on July fifth and ends on July seventh. A variety of entertainment and competitions have been organized for each of the three days. Warren Garbutt, the chairman of the village, says there will be no shortage of fun and food.
Warren Garbutt
Warren Garbutt, Chairman, Placencia Village
“The event start very early on Friday around midday and then it goes to about two o’clock, two a.m. and then it starts again Sunday morning at ten and then it goes to about two a.m. and then Sunday again from ten until midnight. There is plenty of entertainment at the lobster fest grounds. It has grown tremendously over the years. We have a total of ninety booths this year. Of course mixed with food vendors, arts and craft, NGOs present sharing some the sustainable efforts. So it is a mix of different organizations and vendors.”
