July, 2024 - Channel 5 Belize

Belize Women’s Volleyball National Team Secures Historic Gold

On Saturday night, inside the Belize City Civic Centre, Belize’s Under-21 Women’s Volleyball Team made history. For the first time since the nation organised a national volleyball team in 1990, Team Belize secured a gold medal. Their victory in the twentieth Under-21 Women’s Central American Volleyball Championship marks a significant achievement, catapulting them to new heights. Despite being the country with the smallest population in the region, Team Belize dominated against countries with populations ten times larger. News Five’s Paul Lopez was there to witness the historic event unfold, and here is his report.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

A parade through the streets of Belize City is just one of the events organised to celebrate the National Under-21 Women’s Volleyball Team’s gold medal victory. For five days, Team Belize performed before cheering fans inside the Belize City Civic Centre. Night after night, they displayed dominance and overcame their opponents.

Allan Sharp, President, Belize Volleyball Association

“At lot of sports have come asking, how did you get there, what did you do? I think the number one thing to remember is it is not an overnight thing. It takes a long time to develop. Our first national team went out in 1990. None of you were born. You are under twenty-one.”

A press conference was held this morning at the Marion Jones Sporting Complex to celebrate the historic gold medal. Allan Sharp, the President of the Belize Volleyball Association, underscored the significance of this gold medal victory.

Allan Sharp

“What was fantastic with this one is that it was dominant, dominant, three zero every time. I think only Nicaragua get past twenty in one set. We made it known that little Belize, of the forty plus million people in all of Central America, we with the four hundred thousand, we got talent.”

Belize played its gold medal match on Saturday night against Guatemala, a team that has dominated the tournament in the past. But Guatemala was no match for Belize’s strategic plays, height, and strength. The stadium erupted in celebration the moment Team Belize scored its final point to secure victory. National pride beamed throughout the Civic Center. News Five witnessed the moment and spoke with the players.

Gareth Bruce, Team Captain

“This is such an emotional and amazing feeling. Belize made history. Our first gold medal ever. OMG, this is so amazing. It is so different because in 2022 we got silver. We lost to Guatemala. So not just getting gold is bringing the amazing feeling in this tournament, but also winning them again.”

Paul Lopez

“And you also did it in fine style, not only going undefeated but with a perfect score as well. How is it that you all were able to maintain your focus throughout this week and accomplish that?”

Gareth Bruce

“We had good coaching staff, good fans, good teammates, and as a leader I just had to keep my team motivated even when the times were getting difficult, I needed to keep them motivated and well disciplined.”

As the champions stood on the podium, proudly adorned with gold medals, confetti explosions marked the moment. Nisan Martinez received the Most Valuable Player of the Tournament award.

Nissan Martinez, M.V.P.

“Mein, I don’t know how to feel. I am so excited. I am so proud. All the hard work really pays off. I want to say a big thank you to my team, staff, coach, all of us who put our all into this all year round. Lately we have been focusing on this tournament. We went to the U-Twenty-Three in preparation for this tournament. So, that definitely paid off for real.”

We also heard from coach Nelissa Martinez. Coach Martinez has played on national teams that have medaled before. On Saturday, she celebrated the nation’s first volleyball gold as a guide and motivator on the sidelines.

Nelissa Martinez, Coach

“I was seh this pan news, I hope all the players get a piece of land, get money if it is possible. I am serious about it, because we invest a lot in volleyball, Ms. Lupita invest a lot in volleyball. We don’t want to just see faces come around all of a sudden to take pictures. We need them to do something for us. Do something for the team.”

Spoken like a true coach who understood the time, energy, and resources invested behind this gold medal win.

Minister of Sports Rodwell Ferguson was present at today’s press conference to congratulate the team. He announced that his ministry is working on logistics to reward the team with an all-expenses-paid weekend in San Pedro for the Belize International Music and Food Festival.

Rodwell Ferguson, Minister of Sports

“We are trying to find a hotel room for you if you want to go, but it is a bit difficult. That would be our prize we offer to you from the Ministry of Sports to allow you to go to the fest in San Pedro once we find hotel rooms. So far it is almost impossible. But we are trying to get in Caye Caulker and makes sure we get a good boat to take you to Caye Caulker after the concert to make sure you get to Caye Caulker safely. So, by the end of the today we will call Mr. Allan. If you all want to go we will provide a room for you in Caye Caulker to visit on the weekend. If it is a good gift for you let me know, let me say yes or no so we can continue.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Dangriga Man Shot; Critical

A man lies critically wounded in the Southern Regional Hospital after he was shot. Today, the police informed the media that Rayshawn Middleton was at a wake when he got into a fight with other persons who were tampering with his motorcycle. Middleton left the scene, and when he returned to get his motorcycle, he was shot. A.C.P. Hilberto Romero told the media that the information suggests that the suspect was trying to steal Middleton’s motorcycle.

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Saturday, the 20th day of July 2024, police responded to a shooting incident at the Benguche area in Dangriga. Upon arrival, they found Rayshawn Middleton with gunshot injuries. He was taken for treatment and remains at the hospital in a critical condition. Information received that Middleton was in the area at a wake when he had an altercation with other persons. He then ran from the area and came back to check on his motorcycle, at which point he saw the other person tampering with his motorcycle. He intervened, at which point one of the persons pulled out a firearm and fired several shots towards his direction, causing his injuries. An investigation was carried out and we have since arrested and charged Norbert Smith for the crimes of attempt murder and use of deadly means of harm.”

Reporter

Did the victim know the suspect?

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“Yes, he knows the person.”

Reporter

“Was the suspect trying to steal the motorcycle?”

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“That is what it appears that he was taking the motorcycle.”

Police Arrest Minor for Orange Walk Shooting

There was another shooting that occurred at the start of the weekend, this time in the Orange Walk District. It happened on Friday on the outskirts of the town, in Trial Farm Village. Luckily for the complainant and his family, no one was injured, and police say the gunman was a seventeen-year-old minor. The motive – an “old beef.”

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Friday, the nineteenth day of July, 2024, police responded to a shooting incident at Trial Farm in the Orange Walk District. Upon their arrival, they met Julio Castillo, who reported he was at home when he heard several bangs. Thereafter, he noticed that there were bullet holes on his front door. Thereafter he called the police. The police responded. An investigation was carried out. Since then police have arrested and charged a seventeen-year-old minor for the crimes of aggravated assault and damage to property.”

Reporter

“And the motive?”

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“Some rivalry that they have with this person.”

Robbery in Springfield

It is not one of the more modern communities in Belize, and perhaps that was why robbers targeted Springfield over the weekend. On Saturday, four gunmen held up four persons in the community, located several miles out of Belmopan off the Hummingbird Highway. The robbers got away with a vehicle, cell phones, and other belongings, as A.C.P. Hilberto Romero shared.

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Saturday, the twentieth 20th day of July 2024, police responded to a robbery report at Springfield. On their arrival, they found Richard Belisle and three other persons. They reported that they were at a farm at Springfield, when they were approached by four male persons who were armed with firearms. The persons proceeded to rob them of personal belongings, including cell phones, and thereafter stole a Ford Ranger pickup valued at seventy thousand dollars from Richard Belisle. The person then fled from the area. We have no suspects at this time for this robbery.”

Reporter

“How many persons was it?”

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“There were four persons at Springfield, and they were approached by four other male persons who did the robbery.”

Reporter

“Were they in the car at the time of the robbery?”

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“No, they were at a farm outside of the vehicle.”

Kareem Franklin Found Not Guilty of Attempted Murder

Belize City resident, Kareem Franklin, was found not guilty of two counts of attempted murder. However, Justice Candace Nanton found the twenty-seven-year-old guilty of two counts of use of deadly means of harm with intent to cause grievous harm. Investigators say that Franklin was involved in a shootout that took place in Belize City on March first, 2016 in the Saint Martin’s De Porres area. Sentencing is set for September 26, 2024, and he faces up to ten years imprisonment on each count. Franklin was accused of attempting to murder two police officers, P.C. Stephen Choco and Joseph Sutherland. On the day of the incident, the officers were on motorcycle patrol on Mahogany Street when they encountered Franklin, who was acting suspiciously. Franklin opened fire at the officers, but fortunately, he missed them. Franklin denied being present at the scene, claiming he was at home and later at a football field when the incident occurred. However, video footage captured near a dental clinic in the area showed a man identified by two separate police officers as Franklin with a gun in his hand. In her ruling, Justice Nanton stated that while the Crown did not prove Franklin intended to kill, his actions showed an intention to cause grievous harm. Franklin was represented by Attorney Ronell Gonzalez.

Sibling Dispute Leads to Hospitalization of Pregnant Woman and Arrest of Sister

A family dispute at the Tzul residence on North Front Street has resulted in one pregnant sister being hospitalized, while the other sister has been arrested and charged with grievous harm. This afternoon, twenty-three-year-old Monique Tzul, a cashier from Belize City, was arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on a charge of grievous harm. She pleaded not guilty to causing grievous harm to her twenty-one-year-old sister, Aailyah Tzul, a call agent. The incident allegedly occurred on Wednesday, July seventeenth, 2024. The prosecutor objected to bail, citing the possibility that Monique might interfere with her sister again and the serious nature of the offense. The matter was paused briefly to check the health status of the pregnant mother and her unborn child. Upon confirmation that both were in good health, the magistrate granted bail to Monique. She was released on bail of two thousand dollars with one surety of the same amount. Conditions of her bail include no contact with the complainant, maintaining a distance of a hundred yards from her sister, not reoffending while on bail, and signing in weekly at the Mahogany Street Police Station. Additionally, she is prohibited from visiting the family home on North Front Street while the case is ongoing and must reside at her home on Morning Glory Street. Her next court date is set for September twenty-third, 2024. In her report to the police, Aailyah stated that on the day of the incident, she had texted Monique, urging her to spend more time with her four-year-old daughter, who was being cared for by their mother. This led to a verbal altercation when Monique arrived at the house. The argument escalated, and Monique allegedly punched Aailyah in the head, causing bruising and swelling. Aailyah then retaliated, and Monique reportedly stomped on Aailyah’s stomach, despite knowing she was pregnant.

U.D.P. Standard Bearers Meet in O.W., Discuss “General Reform”

Last week, the United Democratic Party suffered a crushing defeat in the Toledo East by-election. The party’s candidate, Dennis Williams, lost to the People’s United Party’s Doctor Osmond Martinez. Doctor Martinez received three thousand two hundred and sixty-nine votes, while Williams garnered one thousand one hundred and fifty-nine votes. And it seems that key players in the U.D.P. are using this latest defeat to remove Party Leader Moses Barrow again. Reports reaching News Five indicate that at least eighteen of the party’s standard bearers convened for an informal session today in Orange Walk Town. The meeting reportedly included prominent leaders such as Tracy Panton, Second Deputy Leader Beverly Williams, and former leaders Patrick Faber and John Saldivar. Discussions centered around the need for “general reform.” A National Party Council meeting is scheduled for August 3rd, where recommendations concerning the future of the U.D.P. will be presented following its devastating defeat in the Toledo East by-election. We’ll keep following this story.

The Urgency of Now: Ending Aids in the Caribbean

The end of the global AIDS pandemic is within reach and if countries can increase preventive measures and treatment, it can be achieved by 2030. According to the joint United Nations Program on H.I.V. and AIDS, UNAIDS, the Caribbean has displayed substantial progress against H.I.V. since 2010, however, AIDS-related deaths continue to be a concern in several countries including Belize. Today, we spoke with Doctor Russell Manzanero, Director of Epidemiology Unit at the Ministry of Health and Wellness to learn how close Belize is to the endeavour.

Dr. Russell Manzanero, Director of Epidemiology Unit, MOHW

“The use of the Dolutegravir, which is a newer medication, which is WHO approved and which we are now using at the ministry and rolled out nationally, that has pretty much shown to be effective. So we rolled that out, Dolutegravir, perhaps eighteen months now. So at this time we will, when we look at the data and we look at how the management is, we’re seeing that the individuals who are on that medication are showing a good response. By that, I mean that if they continue to do their regular checkups, we’re seeing that the viral load is going down. Their CD4 is going up. Clinically, they’re looking well. They’re responding well to it. And we see fewer drug resistance with this new medication. Of course, every time the person has to go in for their checkups, it’s the patient, too, that has to take that time to go back and say, okay I need to check on my liver, my kidneys and everything to ensure that everything is okay. With this, we do believe that in a span of two years, which should be in the next six months or by the end of the year, we should start seeing a decrease in our mortality. Yes, the numbers might still be as weh we dih see right now. But we should start seeing a decrease in immortality. We’re still trying to throw out the messages of prevention. That has not changed. We have gone as far as introduction of prep now for that purpose, just to make sure that individuals are have an ex armor. Besides having a Condom use and all of that, of course, education, desensitization, the political as well. Now, we also have this armory of prevention with prep. Of course, that is to be used among our serial discordant couples. If you’re in that position, but of course, they’re not anybody to take. You still need to go in, have a little talk with your physician, make sure that you’re a candidate, make sure you do the tests and all of that.”

MOHW: Belize Displays Steady Rate of HIV Cases

New H.I.V. infections are on the decline globally, but according to the Joint United Nations Programme on H.I.V. and AIDS, there is still much work to be done to end the pandemic. The disease has been a challenge for the Caribbean for decades, particularly in countries such as Haiti and Jamaica. However, while some countries like Belize have made strides in preventative measures, there is still work to be done to decrease the number of AIDS-related deaths. Doctor Russell Manzanero, Director of Epidemiology Unit at the Ministry of Health and Wellness, provided us with some insight on those numbers.

Dr. Russell Manzanero, Director of Epidemiology Unit, MOHW

“For the past years, the numbers for H.I.V. pretty much have plateaued. It has not, I have not seen a decrease in the numbers as other countries have done. But I haven’t also seen that sharp increase either. So we have maintained or self-retained that like two hundred. It’s not, it differs probably just a little bit or go down and go up. So those numbers have not changed. We still have H.I.V. related deaths. So that is something that we also are seeing a decline in other areas. But in Belize, we’re still seeing that we do have HIV related deaths yet. Based on what we’re doing, as a ministry and as an entire response, because with the call on the National AIDS Commission and everybody that’s a part of that is how do we address the situation right now? How is it that we’re going to look at what is the best way to address this? To be done and do we need to do more targeted interventions with specific groups? Do we have this epidemic concentrated in a certain population? So those are the things we’re trying to work at.”

Using Data to Better Understand the Needs of Belize

The Statistical Institute of Belize and UNICEF have teamed up, once again to host a data needs assessment workshop for the Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey. This survey is used to gather critical data that will inform policies and programmes to improve the lives of women and children in Belize. The workshop consisted of participants from across the country and representatives from the S.I.B. and UNICEF. We spoke with Wendy Benavides, Mixed Coordinator at S.I.B. for more information on the training. Here’s more on that.

Wendy Benavides, Mixed Coordinator, S.I.B.

“So we have a group of trainees from across the country. People from Corozal, in Orange Walk, down to Toledo district that are here on their first day of training. We’re going to be training them for a duration of four and a half weeks. We have here field supervisors and interviewers. Then we’re going to be joined later on August first with other persons and their role will be that of measures.”

Britney Gordon

“So this training is supposed to benefit women and children in Belize. What type of strategies are they learning in order to achieve that?”

Wendy Benavides

“So we’re going to give them a walkthrough of all the topics in the questionnaires. We have questionnaires related to, in general, the household characteristics, getting information on all members of the household. We’re going to also inform them about the purpose of it. The use of the data. We’re going to invite some experts that are knowledgeable on the topics and for them to be knowledgeable of what or how the information have been, has been used in previous rounds of the mix.”

Britney Gordon

“So how is this supposed to affect Belize and benefit the country?”

Wendy Benavides

“So we want to, mostly this information will be helpful in to help in the identifying or getting more information to close the data gaps. So there is some outdated information there. We have done the mix, the last mix was done in 2015. So you want updated information for the policy makers to make informed decisions.”