Suspected murderer Ellis Meighan remains in the United States where he is seeking asylum. Meighan fled to the U.S. after reportedly killing Placencia resident Roy Lee Burgess and severely injuring Maia James during a shooting incident along the Placencia Road on April fourteenth. Efforts are being made by the Belize Police Department to have him repatriated and stand trial for murder.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We have submitted every required documentation to our counterparts in the US, including the wanted poster, the arrest warrant and a number of other documents. They have acknowledged receiving those documents and so I believe that they are just going to go through the asylum process because I think he’s claiming asylum and once that is rejected then he should be returned to Belize and once he returns to Belize we have everything prepared for him to be charged for murder.”
The Belize Police Department is yet to make an arrest following a shooting incident in Roaring Creek that saw the police station in that village come under heavy gunfire. The Commissioner of Police says they know who they are looking for, but are yet to catch up with the alleged perpetrator who opened fire on the building, sending P.C. Amin Leslie diving for cover. But what led to the brazen shooting, a first-of-its-kind attack on a police department? Here’s more from Commissioner of Police Chester Williams.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“A person may do things for various reasons. We don’t know yet what’s the reason, we have a basic idea, but to say that it’s an anti-police sentiment, I would not go that far. But I will agree with you that it must be condemned to its greatest and the person who is responsible or persons responsible must be brought to justice and we are going to make sure that we do what we can to have that happen. We are concerned, our police station was shot up. That’s like our house. Our police officer’s life was put in danger, but I’m not going to make it more sensational for you. What the media wants is to make it more sensational to make the police look bad. I’m not going to play into your games, I’m not going to do that. As I said before, we condemn it to its strongest terms and all of us as a society, including the media should condemn it to its strongest term. We cannot do things or say things that are going to make criminals feel like we’re glorifying them because that is what propels them to do the things that they do. The fact that you saw the number of operations in Roaring Creek yesterday, the fact that we called an SOE for Roaring Creek, it shows that we are not taking this for granted and we are going hard after those persons who are responsible.
Reporter
“Was it the station that was targeted or was it PC Leslie in particular?”
Chester Williams
“At this time we don’t know, we have done interviews with PC Leslie to try and verify from him if it he had any personal issue with anybody per se. That interview yield that there is no one he believed that would have been able to do that. So we are looking at just maybe a random act, someone who just want to create a scenario for themselves. And so, that’s how the investigation is looking at this time. Had we just left Roaring Creek and not Cotton Tree then they could always say that they no longer live in Roaring Creek but now live in Cotton Tree and detaining them would be a violation of their rights. So capturing Cotton Tree brings them into the fray and makes it better for us to be able to deal with them.”
Former Port Loyola Representative, Anthony “Boots” Martinez has been making strides to get the P.U.P. Area Representative in that area, Gilroy Usher removed through the court system. The U.D.P. had Phillip Willoughby as its standard bearer in the area since Usher’s victory. But the party is looking for someone else to represent it at the next general elections. That’s because during a recent meeting of the U.D.P.’s leadership and executive bodies, a decision was taken to remove Willoughby from that position. Willoughby recently got married, and reports are that it was Barrow who sponsored the wedding rings. But the person who Willoughby married is the daughter of his political rival in Port Loyola, Gilroy Usher. And when the news broke it came to the party leader as a surprise. Today, Leader of the Opposition Barrow said that this revelation, along with Willoughby omitting that bit of information when he shared the news is something he should not have done.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“The decision was not a unilateral decision at all by any means, but I certainly was disheartened. I was disappointed because I had stood up for Mr. Willoughby when he received massive criticism after the extremely poor performance, very much in the municipals, and I was going to stick with him and see him through to the general elections. But, when the news came out, coupled with the omission, you saw the information that he mentioned everything except that it was the daughter of his opponent, which I would think, definitely something he would want to tell the leader of his party. And regardless of whether I was generous or not to help him with the wedding ring I would. I think as the leader of the party, it would certainly be something, if you’re telling me that you’re getting married, you might want to mention that part. But I took the matter to the cabinet, because he used to serve in the cabinet, and unanimous, everybody said that there’s a conflict of interest there. This is not – I’m not saying that Philip is a bad person, or, I don’t, I’m not here to condemn him or crucify him, I’m just saying there’s a conflict there. And we can’t take the risk. It’s just a matter of risk management. And certainly, all of us feel that omitting the information definitely casts a cloud of suspicion that just cannot be removed because, like, why?
We don’t even understand why you did it. We don’t even understand anything about it. Like, you said, it’s unprecedented. But if there were a benefit of the doubt to be given, it would have been given at that point. And he could have said, this is what it is, man. Please understand. This da Romeo and Juliet and walk me mentally through it so that when we got to that point, I would have stood up for him possibly, the way that I stood up for him on the other situations where he was under attack but there was nothing that I could do. I call him Philco, I called him, and told him do the right thing brother, nuh put the party through this. I’m not upset, with Phillip I don’t have any grievances with Philip. Maybe he does with me, but I don’t have any problem. I wish them well, and I’m happy to have contributed to the wedding ring, and I hope that they live happily ever after.”
While the U.D.P. looks for a new standard bearer to represent the party in Port Loyola for the next general elections, out in Belize Rural South, the Leader of the Opposition is banking heavily on the support of the party’s former area representative, Manuel Heredia to take that seat from the P.U.P.’s Andre Perez. Barrow said that they must do what is in the best interest of the U.D.P. and they are relying on whoever Heredia recommends, and maybe the party holds a convention if there are other candidates in that constituency.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“We had a situation in Belize Rural South and the candidate had to be moved. We voted for the candidate to be moved and then we need to move forward. So certainly I played a role as far as going to the constituency and meeting with very many members of the executive past and present, including Manuel Heredia. And so no one is mentioning that the crooks of the matter with Belize Rural South. No one is icing Mr. Guerrero. He has applied. But what happened is no one else was allowed to apply. There was a rush to fill the vacancy and at the objection and protests of people like Manuel Heredia, who I will say right here and right now, we cannot win Belize Rural South without the support of Manuel Heredia, bottom line, and I want to win. Andre Perez – the weakest candidate of the P.U.P.s, he and Usher are neck and neck. We can definitely win in Belize Rural South, but we cannot do that without the support of the former minister. We have to do what is in the best interest of the party in order to win in the Belize Rural South constituency. And so the fact that Mr. Guerrero was not sworn in allowed for us to correct the error and open up the application. It is not that Mr. Guerrero, his application is there, but now, the former minister and whoever he thinks will be the best candidate and anybody else in Belize Rural South that is a member of the United Democratic Party can now apply and we may have a convention.”
The Leader of the Opposition also spoke about the recent breakage in some sections of the Coastal Plain Highway. Last week, portions of the road washed away under heavy rains. Notably, the Coastal Plain Highway was opened less than a year ago. Today, Barrow said the Opposition was shocked at the
deterioration, but blamed it on the government for compromising quality for savings.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“What was so appalling about it, the P.U.P. immediately put out an ad saying climate resilience and just completely dishonest. But what this highlights is all smoke and mirrors. They said that they were cutting costs, what they were doing was cutting quality, just to try to say that they were doing something special and they were implementing cost saving measures, but you don’t cut costs at the risk of what we’re having now, which is that the infrastructure is washing away. And so this is shameful P.U.P. tactics. which is it was more important for them and then you know, you hear about all types of corruption in infrastructure. Even the current minister of infrastructure, when he was in opposition and he and his prime minister, they claim that so much corruption was happening in the infrastructure ministry. With the lack of transparency, the lack of opening the pay stream, the lack of transparency, procurement measures tendering that is happening at infrastructure that they get like 200 million dollars every budget. We don’t know where that money is going, how it’s being spent, and whether we’re getting quality. I know we see that we have a quality issue, where the coastal road is concerned, and I would not blame it on the contractor. I would blame it on the government that forced the contractor to deliver. Outside of the agreed upon quantum that it would have taken to get it done where it would be climate resilient.”
Barrow has a wish to make necessary amendments, if his party becomes the next government, to allow for Belizeans living abroad who want to vote in subsequent elections to do so from where they live. Today, he explained to reporters his reason for holding this position on the matter. He used his mother, who lives abroad and who has lived in Mesopotamia and still supports that community, as an example for having this position.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“Right now as it stands, there are Belizean-Americans that come home to vote. And why do they need to do that? We can put the infrastructure in place. Bukele did it. The Americans do it. I’ll do a cost analysis and put the infrastructure in place so that they don’t have to come home. Those are the things that I promised.”
Reporter
“So you would support, within 100 days, or 200 days –.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“Of course, I’m doing a cost analysis right now, so by the time we come.”
Reporter
“That Belizeans living in the United States and other countries, presumably.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“Who come home to vote be allowed to vote there. They come home to vote anyway.”
Reporter
“Not all of them come home to vote. A small percentage.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“I’m just saying, they’re allowed.”
Reporter
“You don’t have a problem with the principle of being able to vote in a constituency in which you do not live, in which you do not live the reality?”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
“See, you look at the two examples, Bukele and the United States, when they say they treasure their diaspora, they live it through policy, through legislation. When we say we appreciate the remittance, we appreciate all the give back from our diaspora, which really helps our economy. How could you tell like my ma that supports whoever in Mesopotamia and I was born in Mesopotamia. We live in Mesopotamia. Why would my mother, who still helps people in Mesopotamia, not have a right to vote in the division where she has her ties and has her roots?”
The legend of X’tabai is a tale of jealousy and vengefulness. The story of two women, one promiscuous, but kind and the other pure, but cruel, has been told across the Yucatan Peninsula for decades. It is said that the malicious spirit lures men to their demise with her beauty as she roams the earth in her afterlife. In tonight’s episode of Kolcha Tuesday, News Five’s Britney Gordon dives deeper into the legend that has impacted the lives of many who grew up in rural Belize, inspired authors and even earned itself a movie. Here is that report.
Aurelio Sho
Aurelio Sho, Encountered X’tabai
“Upon approaching, we felt the cold seed and this huge no-good feeling at all, they’re like your normal self is fighting this different encounter, and then we realized that there was no one, no we didn’t see no one. And then we realized that immediately on the dock, that we saw some footprints, but instead of that of a human, we saw something like a turkey and something else different, like two different. Like you could see the footprints walking all the way to the end of the dock and it was really fresh and you could see like the turkey or the chicken, and then when we saw that we look at each other and we just run all the way home.”
Britney Gordon, reporting
If you were to see a beautiful woman with long black hair, beckoning you over on the side of the road, would you think twice about approaching her? What if the woman was cloaked in white and had one foot of a turkey and the other of a goat? Then the thought may cross your mind that you are looking at the spirit of X’tabai, the femme fatale, luring you to your death. David Ruiz, a Belizean storyteller, details the legend.
David Ruiz
David Ruiz, Belizean Storyteller
“It comes from that pre-Hispanic Mayan culture which represents A princess, a man princess in ancient Yucatan, who, who is hexed by another lady because of jealousy, no? She was a, she was being courted by one of the noblemen and the other lady, gets jealous and hexes Princess Sulay, X’tabai. And from there she’s doomed to roam the planet’s eternity in search of a suitor, of a male suitor and that’s where it comes to us as the lady that in the temptress that attracts men.”
The vindictive spirit is known for targeting men because even though she lived as Utz-colel, a pure woman, she died with an evil heart. Unlike her counterpart Xkeban who, although promiscuous and shunned by society, embodied characteristics of good and kindness. Aurelio Sho says that he encountered X’tabai twice in his youth. He detailed the second encounter to us where he stumbled upon a woman brushing her long black hair while he was crossing the Blue Creek Bridge at four thirty in the morning.
Aurelio Sho
“I stopped to watch and then, but when you stop for that few seconds of trying to make that connection, that is where it lets out that. I don’t know. I don’t want to call it evil spirit or whatever, but.”
Britney Gordon
“That negative energy?”
Aurelio Sho
“The energy was so overwhelming, and it started to compete with yours. And then that’s how, when they start to bring you down, the cold seed. I feel like all my hair stand up, and it’s quite an encounter. Honestly you get really afraid, and immediately then and there, I realized that was the X’tabai and in no time, it’s like somebody spray a perfume where just a very strong scent of a natural something, like a perfume, that’s what it let out. And then like in no time, that there is nothing in the river, but then you know that it’s the X’tabai.”
According to legend, those who are lured by X’tabai don’t typically live to tell the tale, as she turns herself into a snake and devours her captive. Sho says he was fortunate both times because he was taught how to recognize malicious spirits.
Aurelio Sho
“Growing up you learn a lot of things from your grandparents, from your parents and especially learn to survive and traditional knowledge. So you would have, I would know what to do and what to, you say your lee prayer if find yourself being trapped or to be overcome by any of these things, and I think this is the uniqueness of our culture. We adapt and we learn to live in harmony with nature.”
X’tabai is so solidified in Belizean culture that a movie depicting the character was produced in 2012 by the late Matthiew Klinck through the production company Make-Belize Films. It starred nearly an all-Belizean cast and was filmed within the country. Klinck’s former business partner, Horacio Guerrero. told us about the role of X’tabai in the film.
Horacio Guerrera
Horacio Guerrero, Director, Make-Belize Films
“The plot of the story is we have these students that escaped their village in San Antonio because a curse has been placed on the village and the people are in fever, some are dying. And then the village is locked down by the government because they’re afraid for it to spread. And then these group of adventurous students escape into the jungle to see if they can find the cure or how to break that curse from the X’tabai. And of course, from there, everything escalates and they go into the jungle and they start, you know, meeting with the demon and having, you know, all these encounters. Then, you know, you see if they, they find the, Break the curse of the X’tabai.”
Guerrero explained that Klinck’s vision for the movie was to create something that would capture the attention of and resonate with Belizean audiences.
Horacio Guerrero
“He needed something where the audience would be captivated and something that was, that all Belizeans would know about. So upon his arrival here and talking to people, he saw that folklore was something that Belizeans are very much into. And everybody, you know, across the board, doesn’t matter, Mestizo, Creole, Garifuna, everybody kind of knows about folklore. And the X’tabai just seemed to be that creature, that, that monster that would captivate.”
Belize has maintained its Tier 2 status on the U.S. Department of State’s Trafficking in Persons Report for 2024. According to the report, the Government of Belize does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking but is making significant efforts to do so. The release notes that the government demonstrated overall increasing efforts compared with the previous reporting period. As a result, Belize remained on Tier 2. Among the achievements listed in the report is the conviction of two traffickers, as well as the continued prosecution of five alleged traffickers. The U.S. Department of State also commended the Government of Belize for identifying more victims and increasing investigations. The report, however, notes that the government did not meet the minimum standards in several key areas. It says quote, “Belize did not adequately address official complicity in trafficking crimes nor initiate any new prosecutions. The government did not take adequate measures to screen Cuban medical workers, People’s Republic of China nationals, or Indian workers for indicators of trafficking. It also did not adequately oversee labor recruitment or train its diplomats”, unquote. A release from the Government of Belize says that the Tier 2 ranking acknowledges Belize’s substantial efforts to comply with the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking.
Last night, we brought you part one of a two-part report on lobster fests in Caye Caulker and San Pedro. We showed you the economic impact of these festivities on the two tourist destinations. Tonight, in part two of our report, News Five’s Paul Lopez takes a closer look at the sustainable fishing practices that are important to ensure the longevity of Belize’s lobster stock and the beloved lobster fest celebrations. Here is that report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The 2024 lobster season is upon us and there will be an increase in demand for lobster. Hundreds of pounds of lobsters are sold by restauranters during the lobster fest weekends.
Jennie Staines
Jennie Staines, Chef, Elvi’s Kitchen
“Thank God that every year I have participated in lobster fest I have had tails on the booth until late at night and one year I sold two hundred and fifty pounds of lobster.”
Elsa Guzman
Elsa Guzman, Owner, Happy Lobster
“We usually get at least a hundred pounds to see if we will sell all of that. If we sell all of that we have fishermen who will be waiting for our call.”
Ruby Jimenez
Ruby Jimenez, Chef, Elba’s Little Kitchen
“We started off with maybe thirty pounds to start of the first day and it depends because the lobster fishermen are ready. They bring it fresh; it goes from the fishermen to the grill to your belly.”
All that crustacean is sourced directly from the sea by fisherfolks who see their largest earnings during lobster season. For fisherfolks, preparation begins months ahead of the opening of the season. Jody Leslie has been a commercial fisherman for the past fifteen years. He uses shades to catch lobsters. Shades are an alternative to traditional traps. Lobsters use the shades as a dwelling place. When the season opens, Leslie dives down and makes his catch from the shades.
Jody Leslie
Jody Leslie, Commercial Fisherman
“There is a high increase during lobster fest but the good thing is that the season just opened up so there is plenty of lobster readily available during these first few weeks of the opening season which is lobster fest as well.”
On the other hand, Porfilio Guzman, a fisherman for the past five decades, utilizes a combination of shades and traditional lobster traps. His practice has evolved with the times.
Porfilio Guzman
Porfilio Guzman, Fisherman
“It changed a lot because here in Caye Caulker we use to use lone lobster traps, but now we have another strategy to catch lobster we call it shade, lobster shade. Most of the younger generation, instead of going to traps they go to shades. It is a bit easier to work than the traps. It values about the same price of a lobster trap. But its advantage is that with the lobster traps after the season is closed you got to take them out of the water, put them to dry then you got to rebuild them and then you put them back. That is with the traps. With the shade, you cannot take them out, they stay there.”
According to Guzman, a good shade can last anywhere between two to three years on the seafloor. There are regulations in place that guide fisherfolks like Leslie and Guzman. The minimum carapace or shell length that can be caught is three inches and the minimum tail weight is four ounces. Leslie uses a hook to pull lobsters from his shades which requires some eyeballing expertise. He also takes with him a measuring tool known as a caliper. He then takes his catch direct to restaurants.
Jody Leslie
“It has been fluctuating every year. Last year it started at thirty-five Belize a pound per lobster tail. Usually two three lobster tails to make a pound. But, every year is a little different. I am not sure what it is going to start at this year. We have been having some conversations within us fishermen, everybody try to keep at one same price.”
And, if fisherfolks start their sales at thirty to thirty-five dollars a pound, then it is no wonder why a lobster tail dish can cost as much as sixty-five dollars. To ensure that lobsters are available for generations to come, fisherfolks must abide by the catch regulations in place. Restaurants also play a role when they refuse to purchase undersized lobster, though temptation may arise when lobsters become scarce.
Jennie Staines
“I think most people here in San Pedro are very aware that we need to take care of our industry. We have to make sure if we buy lobster tail that they weigh four ounces, make sure they are not soft shell, make sure that the persons brining lobster are licensed fishermen. That is one, we cannot be buying from fisherfolks that are not licensed to fish.”
Elsa Guzman
“I have been in my restaurant twenty-six years, food industry more than thirty years. Believe me, I just look at the lobster and I know the size so I don’t have to put it in the scale for sure.”
Ruby Jiminez
“If you don’t follow rules I don’t buy your lobster and that is how the game is played. It is very important because we want to have lobster fest for years and years and years. We don’t want for it to turn out that we don’t have more lobster to fish and more lobsters to serve people.”
The Mundo Maya is a region that includes parts of five countries in Central America, including Belize where the Maya civilization once flourished. In 1992, these five countries came together to establish the Mundo Maya Organization to develop the region’s cultural value and promote it to tourists. The Ministry of Tourism took on the presidency of the Mundo Maya organization in January. This week, the ministry is hosting delegates from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala for strategic planning sessions. These delegates will also be participating in the National Institute of Culture and History’s annual archeological symposium set to begin on Wednesday in San Ignacio. We stopped in at the strategic planning session here in Belize City where we spoke with Nicole Solano the C.E.O in the Ministry of Tourism, as well as Honduras’ Vice Minister of Tourism.
Nicole Solano
Nicole Solano, Chief Executive Officer, Ministry of Tourism
“As you know, archaeology is an important part of the tourism product. We work all the time closely with the institute to make sure we can develop those sites with tourism infrastructure and for the tourism product. So we continue to work along with them. the symposium begins tomorrow and that will run Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. But, our Mundo Maya delegates will actually do presentations in the afternoon tomorrow so they will be talking about tourism best practices and a number of things. The idea of Mundo Maya is to have regional integration where we come together behind the common product of the Maya history and heritage. So we are talking not only of the archaeological sites. You have Chicen Itza in Mexico, Tikal in Guatemala, Copan in Honduras, in Belize we have Characol as one of our large sites.”
Reizel Vilorio
Reizel Vilorio, Vice Minister of Tourism, Honduras
“We have important cities in the Mayan culture. We have Copan which are really important and attractive for tourism around the world. Honduras has two main products which is the coral reef, we are with Belize, we have the second largest barrier reef in the world. And, we have the Maya heritage which we have focus on Copan. But it is really important because people of different countries love knowing and getting to learn about cultures. They want to come to our countries and see what we have. As we have a product in common with all these five countries it is important we develop multi-destination packages so that tourists can travel around these destinations and see what we have in the lower cost and the longer stays.”
