In a show of solidarity, union members of the Social Security Board (SSB) are declaring, “Enough is enough!” This week, they are donning black ribbons to symbolise their sorrow and frustration over what they describe as the management’s bad faith in disregarding their Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
SSB union members are represented by the Christian Workers Union (CWU).
SSB union members say they are committed to wearing it daily until their demands for respect and compliance with the CBA are met.
“You thought that was all? Nopes! These union members are also saying enough!!! Respect OUR CBA. Today a black ribbon, tomorrow a black ribbon until we get back the respect and compliance of our CBA!”
After an intense and controversial election over the weekend, Venezuela ordered the withdrawal of its diplomatic personnel from Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay. The move came after these countries refused to recognise President Nicolás Maduro’s victory in the July 28 elections, prompting a retaliatory demand for the expulsion of their representatives from Venezuela.
The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry condemned the refusal to acknowledge the election results as an attack on its sovereignty. In an official statement, it said, “The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has decided to recall all members of its diplomatic missions in Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay due to a heinous precedent, which is an attack on our sovereignty, and also demands that these countries’ governments recall their diplomats from Venezuela.”
Chancellor Yvan Gil Pinto, who is a Venezuelan diplomat and politician serving as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Venezuela, further emphasised the government’s position, highlighting international support for the election’s legitimacy while strongly denouncing what he called ‘violence and interventionism’ from the Venezuelan opposition and international actors.
Maduro’s third term triggered the reaction of international leaders across the Americas. Panama President Jose Raul Mulino announced, “We are putting diplomatic relations on hold until a complete review of the voting records.”
“Maduro’s regime must understand that the results are hard to believe…Chile we will not recognise any result that is not verifiable,” declared Chilean President Gabriel Boric. A stance echoed by the government of Argentina, “We do not recognise fraud, we call on the international community to unite to restore the rule of law in Venezuela,” stated President Javier Milei.
Venezuela has vowed to take all necessary legal and political measures to defend its right to self-determination and counteract what it views as attempts to destabilise its governance.
Following the devastation of Hurricane Beryl, Caribbean leaders have appealed to the UK for a “Marshall plan” to aid reconstruction efforts. The hurricane, which struck on July 1, claimed 11 lives and caused widespread destruction, leaving thousands homeless in Grenada and St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG).
Prime ministers from Antigua and Barbuda, SVG, and Grenada have written to UK officials, highlighting the financial strain from recurrent hurricanes and proposing a comprehensive recovery plan. This plan, inspired by the post-WWII Marshall Plan, would include debt cancellation, cheaper loans, debt restructuring, and grants for climate-related damages.
The letter, addressed to the British government, calls for immediate debt cancellation through a prearranged mechanism that activates automatically in the event of a qualifying disaster. The Caribbean leaders warned that their countries cannot sustain the rising debt from continuous rebuilding efforts.
Scott Furssedonn-Wood, the British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean, commented, “I haven’t seen the letter yet, but I understand the call for a Marshall Plan. The UK government, in office for just a month, is still considering these issues. I hope to discuss this with the foreign secretary soon.”
Dominica’s Prime Minister, Roosevelt Skerrit, expressed support for the initiative, stating, “The Caribbean clearly needs assistance. The impact of Hurricane Beryl, along with previous storms, shows the urgency for climate financing. The process must be streamlined to provide timely economic and financial support, similar to what was offered to Europe after WWII.”
The letter was sent as Caribbean countries sought help in the aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, which caused significant damage and loss of life. During the CARICOM summit, leaders discussed climate change impacts, the need for the Loss and Damage Fund, changes to the Regional Insurance Scheme, and access to financing for rebuilding.
Is the state conspiring against self-styled journalist Joseph Budna following his latest brush with the law, and is there sufficient evidence to charge him criminally for helping to commit a capital offense? This morning, the controversial figure appeared before the magistrate’s court in Belmopan, where he was arraigned on a single count of abetment to murder. This in connection with an incident that occurred three years ago which resulted in the death of fifty-year-old Guatemalan national Armando Cacao. On July twenty-third, 2021, Cacao’s lifeless body was discovered on Guyana Street in Belmopan with a cut wound to the throat. At the time, two persons were detained for questioning, but it wasn’t until Friday that the Belize Police Department formally arrested and charged Joseph Budna for his alleged role in the crime. Of particular note is that he has previously run afoul of the law in Guatemala where he absconded from a prison facility and made his way back to Belize. Since his return, Budna has also been involved in several incidents, including an attack that resulted in the death of a young man identified only as Kevin. Tonight, we begin with an interview with the Commissioner of Police and Budna who spoke with the media after his arraignment.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I had put together a team of specialized investigators from Special Branch, Major Crime, CIB, and GI3. And I had tasked them to look at all the past murders that we have had. So what they’re doing is that they’re going particularly in the Cayo and Belize district area. Those areas that we do have the SOE. So for them to look at all those murder investigations and see if they can go back and re interview witnesses, look at video footages, read the statements and see what additional work could be done to be able to identify the perpetrator of these murders. And that team that I had put together, which is headed by ACP Dawson. I must say had been doing a very commendable job in, the sense that they have been able to solve three murders. One, we had the murder of the man who was killed in Fresh Pond during the robbery. For that, the guy Arnold was charged. Then they also solved the murder with Coleman in Belmopan. And then this one now for which Budna has been charged for, I think, abetment to murder. Again the perpetrator or the principal offender in that particular instance from what we gather had left the country and was killed, I think, in Honduras. So the actual perpetrator of that crime from what we are gathering has been killed in Honduras. So we were only able to arrest Budna because there’s evidence to suggest that he had something to do with that particular crime, and the police do have the evidence. So that’s the reason why he was arrested.”
Joseph Budna
Joseph Budna, Charged for Abetment to murder
“The government is doing a witch hunt against me. I had been an activist. I had stand up for what is right. I had spoken. I did a lie from in front of the Ministry of Police. And when I did that, immediately charges started to come against me. Even though there’s not sufficient evidence. They try to put me in prison. They are trying everything. They bring charge whole of this week to me. And if they find me dead in my cell, right, it’s the, it’s the government to be blamed, right? If I am found in my cell, it’s the government to be blamed, right? Because they’re trying to get me to prison. If I don’t get my medication, it’s not that I deny. If they don’t want to give me my medication, they are trying to get rid of me for speaking what is right. This is after doing a lie on Friday afternoon in front of the Ministry of National Security. That’s police.”
Reporter
“Are you saying the charges are false? Huh? Are the charges false?”
Joseph Budna
“They are false. There is no evidence to the charges. Right? There’s no evidence. So if I am found dead in a cell block, it’s the police.”
The ninety-day state of emergency enacted by the Belize Police Department has received mixed reactions from the public. While some view it as a necessary step in ensuring the safety of citizens, others see it as an infringement on their freedom, particularly from those living in neighborhoods known to the police for frequent gang activity. Recently, the mother of a thirteen-year-old boy released a statement to the media explaining that her son has been held under the S.O.E. for over a month; an act she believes is unjust. Today, we sat down with Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, who explained that, although a minor, the individual is known to the police for gang-related activities and is being held for the safety of the public as well as his own.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Have you not reported on many instances where minors are either being charged for murder or a heinous crime? And even situations where minors are killed. You have had a number of those reportings, right? So it is not farfetched to have a thirteen-year-old under the SOE. The thirteen-year-old year old in question, I know him and I believe that he had been shot once. Reports to us just Two days prior to the SOE was that he was accused of chasing somebody in the Martins area with a gun to shoot. It is sad to see that it’s a thirteen-year-old year old and while we’d like to be empathetic towards him, I think that the current situation he’s in is one that is going to enable him to really reflect on his life very long life. In terms of, does he want to continue that lifestyle of crime and violence, or does he want to step out of it? I think that as a society we need to look at things holistically and don’t just look at it from the standpoint that he’s a thirteen-year-old year old, but look at it from the standpoint that if he’s not there and he’s left to roam the streets, you might report of him being killed or you might report of him killing somebody. And I Do believe that what we’re doing is going to help him more than affecting him.”
The teenage minor was picked up over a month ago, along with other individuals known to the police for gang-related activities. ComPol Chester Williams explains that the minor is being held for the safety of the public and himself. However, some concerns were raised by the public regarding the decision to place the individual at the Belize Central Prison, instead of a facility for minors such as the New Beginnings Youth Development Center at mile twenty-one of the George Price Highway. We spoke with Commissioner of Police Chester Williams for more insight on that decision.
Reporter
“I think one of the criticisms to that was couldn’t he had been held at a different facility as opposed to the Belize Central Prison?”
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Myself and Minister have discussed that and we were looking at the powers under the SOE. If the Minister do have the power to confine him, we’re looking at Mile twenty-one. And we’re not seeing that in the legislation, but perhaps it can be done. But, we have to be careful again. If we put him at mile 21, the children who are kept at mile twenty-one are not at his level. Putting him there may also have a far negative effect on the children. Children who are there at mile 21. He might be able to influence them to become more violent. So it is something we have to look at and try to see how we can find the best solution to the problem or to the issue.”
On Friday, we brought you Minister of Education, Francis Fonseca’s input on the thirteen-year-old boy who was rounded up as a part of the state of emergency. The minor is presently at the Wagner’s Youth Facility, but there has been some criticism that someone his age does not belong in that kind of setting. Minister of Human Development, Dolores Balderamos-Garcia explains to News Five that there needs to be an investigation to determine where the youth actually belongs.
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia
Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development
“Momentarily or temporarily, I could say, he is at the Wagner’s Youth Facility, but we are making a further check to see what is happening because I do know that UNICEF and our partners and even the prison authorities themselves are concerned about the tender age, but the information that our ministry had received from the police is that the, youth was a – what we would call a tough customer. But of course, we as the Ministry of Human Development have a responsibility to check and as a matter of fact, we’re at the Community Rehab Department right now and they are the ones who are assisting us, to make the check to see if the child would probably remain at the Wagner’s Youth Facility, or if the child should be transferred to New Beginnings. Because let me, mention a little something here, Marion, New Beginnings – what used to be called Youth Hostel, we call it New Beginnings now because we want to give that impression of helping the children. The difficulty that we have in our country is that we don’t have separate facilities for all different kinds of children, so sometimes at New Beginnings, you might have sexually abused children, or you might have somebody who was neglected. You might have a migrant child, or you might have children who have already come in conflict with the law. So, it’s not that we don’t want to deal with each and every case individually, but we don’t have the level of facility to really accommodate all the different kinds of children. In relation to the thirteen-year-old, there are ongoing interventions, there are ongoing investigations and if we see that thirteen-year-old really belongs at New Beginnings, then we will certainly make that transfer. So, I want to assure you that it is sometimes a difficult balance between the protection of the rights of children who are under eighteen and the protection of the community because even at a young age, you can have gang members who are influencing young children to go out there and do wrong.”
2024 has been a violent year for Belize with fifty-seven murders recorded, as of June, according to statistics from the Belize Crime Observatory. To mitigate the incidents of gang-related crimes, the Belize Police Department enacted a state of emergency. Initially a sixty-day declaration, it was later extended to ninety days. Under the S.O.E., the nation has observed a decrease in murders. Nonetheless, there have still been reports of violent crimes. On Saturday, a man informed police that he had been attacked by two armed men. Police responded to the report, leading to one of the suspects being shot. A.C.P. Hilberto Romero provided further details of the incident.
Reporter
“Sir for 2024, the country is recording ten murders a month. What Is that the police department can do to get those numbers lowered?”
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“How much has been reported this month? I think what we can do is to keep the perpetrators behind bars like we are doing now.”
“On Saturday police responded to a report in Teakettle Village. Upon their arrival, they phoned Orlando Reyes, who reported that two male persons had attacked him who were on a motorcycle. He mentioned that the persons may be armed. Police checked in the area and spotted the motorcycle. They saw two persons. Information is that upon seeing the police, one of them lifted up a firearm and pointed towards the police. The police returned fire towards him. One of the persons was shot. The person was identified as Kevin Tillett. He was taken for medical treatment and has since been released. He is now in custody and will be charged for aggravated assault. We are seeking one more person who escaped from the area upon seeing the police.”
Reporter
“What were they doping in the area?”
Hilberto Romero
“They were just in that area when these persons came on a motorcycle and started to harass them and attack them.”
Reporter
“Any Motive?”
Hilberto Romero
“We don’t have a motive at this time.”
Reporter
“The person shot, what condition is he in?”
Hilberto Romero
“He is stable has been released, so he will be charged.”
According to the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, officers have been hard at work to reduce crime in the twin Towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena. Over the past few months, police have increased operations to target known criminals in the communities. These operations include raiding the home of San Ignacio resident Khader Habet, whose house has been searched as many as thirteen times. Habet claims that he is being harassed by police. However, Williams says that the police are just doing their jobs to ensure that known criminals are targeted by the police for the safety of the entire country.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“As the Commissioner of Police, I have given directions to my officers in terms of what I want to see them do to make the good people of San Ignacio and Santa Elena feel safe. I think that the situation reaches a stage that idea where businesses were closing down and many others were threatening to close down as well because of the fact that they didn’t feel safe as a result of criminal activities. And most of these activities are driven by persons who want to have dominance in the drug world. And so when it comes to the young man, Habet what he failed to say to the media is that he is in this area where police operations in the past and even recently had led to the discovery of large number of drugs and a number of firearms hidden in the lot right beside him. We know how most of these people in the criminal world operates because they know the police is going to be targeting them and coming to their homes to search. They’re not going to hide these items in their yard or in their homes. They would hide it next door so that if the police finds it, they will not be able to tie it to them. Our intelligence have told us many things where he is concerned and he is a person of interest to us in that area. And so the police is going to continue to go to him. If it feels like going to the media and complaint is going to have the police back down from him, that is not going to happen.”
Over the Weekend, thousands of Belizeans travelled to La Isla Bonita, San Pedro for the Belize International Music and Food Festival. There, many were able to enjoy a variety of food and music from several genres. There have been overwhelming reviews about the success of the event, but others have openly complained about poor service, a lack of drinks, and the heavy rains during the performances. Despite these complaints, Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, says that the event was a grand success and commends the efforts of the Belize Police Department for its contribution to the safety of the public.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I want to commend the police officers in San Pedro as well as A.C.P. Greenwich and Superintendent Gamboa for the stellar job done in San Pedro during the The Food and Music Festival People were able to go to the island and celebrate in peace. Thanks to the work of the police. I went out there yesterday and just to see the coordination between the police and B.T.B. and I was pleased with what I saw. I was pleased what I saw in terms of how they had the entire area properly cordoned off and so forth. Big respect to the police. And these are things that we don’t normally get commended for. We have police and number of huge events and those events goes through without any incidents that goes to show that as a department we plan and execute properly and we need to continue that.”
