On 14 August 2024, Mexico’s Sistema Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemiológica (SINAVE) issued an epidemiological alert regarding the recent rise in Mpox (Monkeypox) cases in the Africa Region, specifically related to Clade I. This alert follows a global increase in cases during the outbreak.
SINAVE highlighted the increased risk of Mpox cases in Mexico due to global outbreaks, especially in Africa, where population movement is high. According to SINAVE’s report, there have been 7,385 reported cases of Mpox in Mexico since 2022, with 4,130 confirmed. From 1 January to 5 August 2024, 212 cases were reported, 49 of which were confirmed across 11 states, with no fatalities confirmed. The report outlines the distribution of these cases across Mexico, with the state of Quintana Roo having the most cases confirmed.
The 49 cases are not related to the new subvariant, Clade 1b, spreading in Africa, which WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern on August 14.
A probable case is any individual, regardless of age or gender, who exhibits symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, swollen lymph nodes, fatigue, joint pain, or lower back pain accompanied by one or more lesions, such as macules, papules, vesicles, pustules, or scabs.
Mexican health officials urged continued vigilance, strict adherence to current epidemiological surveillance protocols and prompt reporting to manage the outbreak effectively.
Private bus operators in Belize City continue raising concerns about how the new electric buses are affecting their businesses. Arthur Saldivar, attorney for City Shuttle Limited, Lopez Bus, and Lemoth and Sons, claims his clients are struggling financially due to the e-buses’ ‘competitive pricing.’
In an interview with News 5 on Friday, Saldivar criticised the price changes of the e-buses, which he claims now compete directly with the private sector. He stated, “They have slashed prices to be in direct competition with the private sector operators.”
In response, the Belize Assembly for Persons with Diverse Abilities (BAPDA) has expressed support for the new electric buses. In a press release dated August 17, 2024, BAPDA praised the e-bus initiative for improving accessibility and service for persons with disabilities. BAPDA criticised the existing bus operators for their resistance to fleet improvements saying, “For many years, the city and district buses were asked to improve their fleet, to upgrade, to become more safety aware and to offer better services to their commuters and, for years, they have resisted, found fault with and basically ignored all warnings, edicts, proposal to do better.”
BAPDA noted that despite minor issues, the new electric buses are already a significant improvement, stating, “There are minor kinks to work out but they are running and better serving the community of Persons with Disabilities (PWD) and, for that, we are highly appreciative.”
After seven weeks on the run as one of Belize’s most wanted criminals, another man has been arrested for the murder of thirty-two-year-old Stanley Moore and the attempted murder of twenty-seven-year-old Joshua Gillett. He is twenty-six-year-old Ulide Allen, who appeared unrepresented in court today. He was formally arrested and charged with the crimes of murder, attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm and dangerous harm. The incident occurred on June twenty-third, 2024, when Moore and Gillett were travelling in a B.M.W. in the Lake Independence neighborhood in Belize City. They were heading in the direction of Central American Boulevard when a motorcycle carrying two men pursued them. One man opened fire on the vehicle, critically injuring both men. A wounded Gillett drove to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was taken to emergency care, while Moore was pronounced dead on arrival. Two days after the shooting, police arrested and charged twenty-four- year-old Marquis Conorquie. Due to the nature of the offenses, no plea was taken, and bail was not offered. Allen was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until October seventeenth, 2024.
Police are investigating an alleged case of sexual assault in northern Belize that was reported earlier this week. On Wednesday night, a woman reportedly awoke to a disturbance in her home and was quickly met with an unknown man wielding a knife. She claims that he proceeded to hold the knife to her throat, threatening to kill her if she made a sound. The woman told police that she pleaded for the man to not rape her as she was menstruating, but he allegedly proceeded to remove her tampon and sexually assaulted her. We await an official police report for further details.
A police officer who was charged for pointing a gun at his wife during a domestic dispute is tonight, a free man, after all charges were dropped against him earlier today. He is thirty-nine-year-old Myron Williams who was arraigned on criminal charges of aggravated assault with a firearm and harm in mid-July. However, this morning his wife, Wendy Williams took the stand and informed the court that she does not wish to proceed with the matter against him. Before the charges could be withdrawn, she was asked if she was forced, promised anything or threatened to do so. But according to his wife, she was doing the withdrawal on her own free will. With the request for no court action against the Police Corporal and no evidence in the case, he was told that the charges were dismissed. Corporal Williams was arraigned on Monday, July fifteenth, after his wife reported that upon arriving home the night before, her husband pulled out his gun and pointed it in her direction from about two feet away, while accusing her of infidelity, prompting her to call the police and file the report.
While disgraced officer Myron Williams walked away from court earlier today a free man, his colleagues in the Belize Police Department were being recognized for their outstanding achievements and dedication to law enforcement. This morning, the Minister of Home Affairs and the brass of the police department acknowledged a cohort of men and women who have served in uniform for the past ten, fifteen and twenty years, respectively. It’s the kind of morale boost that is necessary to encourage officers to continue protecting and serving. News Five’s Isani Cayetano has the following story.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
Recognizing the men and women of the Belize Police Department for their years of service is essential because it serves as a powerful motivator. It also reinforces positive behavior and encourages officers to continue doing well. When officers feel appreciated, their morale improves, leading to increased job satisfaction and commitment to their duties.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs
“We are here today to mark an important milestone for police officers who have given decades of service to the Belizean people, tireless nights and long, fulfilling days. Today is a celebration of all the days, those that start at six a.m. and end at six p.m. of selfless service. People like Kyle Serano have given a decade of service and so has Felicia Davis. Officers like Juan Choc and Leticia Moguel have given fifteen years of service. Stretching beyond that, persons like Lazaro Catch and Shirlette O’Brien have given two decades, that’s twenty years of service. And then you have those like Tedford Garbutt and Hilberto Romero, the media’s favorite police officer, who has given thirty years of their lives to us.”
Acknowledging exceptional performance reinforces organizational values and expectations. When leaders recognize officers who go above and beyond, it sets a standard for greatness and encourages others to follow suit.
Bart Jones
Bart Jones, Deputy Commissioner of Police
“It is indeed a pleasure for me to represent the commissioner at this event, one that recognizes the hard work and dedication of the rank and file officers of the department. These ten years, fifteen years, twenty years do not come easily, we know that it comes with tremendous personal and family sacrifice. Along the way, some of us would have lost loved ones, broken families and some of us, as well, because of the work and lifestyle we fall to illness on account of this job. Many of what we do goes unrecognized. We often hear that the police are in the news for the wrong reasons, but for a majority of the times, majority of us are doing the thing for the right reasons and I want to commend you all and give yourselves a round of applause.”
Oftentimes, recognition outranks salary as a motivator, especially when pay rates within the police department are already competitive. Acknowledgment taps into intrinsic motivation, which is more sustainable and meaningful than other rewards such as money. Appreciating exceptional performance also reinforces organizational values and expectations.
Kareem Musa
“This is no small milestone, ladies and gentlemen, the gift of service to one’s nation, to one’s government, to one’s people, is one of the greatest contributions that can be made as a citizen. You’ve sacrificed and dedicated yourselves to personal and professional development. You’ve done us proud. We hope that we have made and we will continue to make your time worthwhile, more impactful and more resonant with the ever changing needs of government administration, but also in your more direct roles as those who serve and protect.”
Recognizing years of service fosters loyalty, it also encourages officers to remain in law enforcement, contributing to community safety over the long term.
Bart Jones
“I want to also thank the minister and the ministry for having these ceremonies across the country to recognize officers for their years of service. And so I thank you on behalf of the Commissioner and the High Command, thank you and congratulate you and wish you all the best.”
The United Democratic Party remains an organization in shambles and despite numerous attempts to convene an urgent meeting to get the house in order, those repeated calls have all gone unanswered. Earlier today, a group calling itself Alliance for Democracy issued a press release in which it stated that a reminder has been sent to Chairman Mike Peyrefitte regarding an N.P.C. that was petitioned for last Monday. This afternoon, we sat down with Albert Area Representative Tracy Panton who provided an update on the latest developments within the embattled U.D.P.
Tracy Panton
Tracy Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“I think the one we sent earlier today would have been just about five letters. We’re trying to follow and adhere to the constitution of the party. We have been champions of following the constitution, it is the most important institution that the United Democratic Party has to its disposal. And so we have written to him yet again asking for an urgent meeting of the National Party Council. We have attached the requisite signatures that are required by the constitution for this meeting to be convened and we are hoping that he will respond. We had called for one earlier in June and it took us seven weeks for a meeting to convene and then that fell apart. So we are trying again. We feel it’s important that there be a discussion on what’s going on internally and trying to find a way how we can move forward in the interest of the party and more importantly in the interest of having a robust opposition for the country.”
Isani Cayetano
“Following the failed N.P.C., you have written to the chairman on several other occasions and we’re not certain whether those letters were responded to. I think of the letter that had been written in respect of the Andrew Bradley removal from Caribbean Shores. Speak to us in that context, if you don’t mind.”
Tracy Panton
“There has been no response to that letter. I have been removed arbitrarily and unilaterally from all the communication mechanisms of the party, so I don’t know if they’ve had any discussions in those mechanisms since I’ve been removed, so I can’t speak to that. But there has been no formal response to my letter to the chairman on Andrew Bradley. I understand that the post has been declared vacant and an ad is out. A deadline for August sixteenth [has been set] for applications to be sent into the party to fill that post. Our concern is that these decisions are not being done in alignment or in accordance with the constitution of the party.”
Viewers would recall that the failed National Party Council that had been scheduled for August third saw the U.D.P. chairman walking out of the meeting after declaring the N.P.C. suspended. But is the presiding officer of the U.D.P. being partial to the leadership of the party and not budging to the will of its supporters?
Isani Cayetano
“What do you say to the position that the party leader has taken which says that in August of last year, during the last N.P.C. it was a near unanimous position that the seat of the leader would not be challenged until following the next general elections? But you’re not happy with the leadership and the outcomes of several of the elections that he has presided over. What happens in that situation where he is saying that you would have to grin and bear it until he is done in 2025?”
Tracy Panton
Tracy Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“There is no provision in the constitution of the party that says you have to grin and bear it. We have the requisite number of signatures, any decision of the N.P.C. or even any decision of the national convention can be reversed. You have the right to change your mind, there’s a threshold you have to meet and once you meet that threshold then the matter is tabled for consideration. The problem that we’re having is that we can’t even have a discussion. We can’t even have a meeting to discuss or to find a way forward. There has been a complete shut out, if you will, of being able to engage.”
Isani Cayetano
“One would think that the role of the chairman is to be as impartial as possible but at the same time flexible where certain things are concerned. Do you believe that based on what transpired at the last N.P.C. and the fact that the chairman hasn’t necessarily responded to the letters that you’ve written to him that he is being, in a sense, inflexible or is not budging?”
Tracy Panton
“I think he’s being completely biased. I think the chairman has shown his complete bias in this situation which is unfortunate. He is the guardian and the caretaker of the constitution of the party. He should help to facilitate this dialogue, not shut it down.”
Opposition Leader Shyne Barrow is presently out of the country and has spentthe better part of this week in Jamaica. During his visit, Barrow has met with Prime Minister Andrew Holness at Jamaica House. P.M. Holness is the Chairman of the Caribbean Democratic Union and Tracy Panton is the Vice Chair of the C.D.U. But is his visit to the land of wood and water a mere distraction from the internal strife that is tearing apart his party? That’s what we asked Panton earlier today.
Isani Cayetano
“What do you make of the party leader’s many outside visits to other heads of state, heads of government and other political leaders outside of Belize in the face of inner strife within his own party?”
Tracy Panton
Tracy Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“He has his own approach to leadership, I certainly, if I were in his position, I would try to be in country and find a way to sort this all out. That would be my approach. There is very little we can garner externally if we can’t fix our house and we can’t right our ship internally. But that’s his choice, that’s his call.”
On Thursday night, a video clip of dancehall recording artist Vybz Kartel went viral when he put Belize on notice that he will be visiting the Jewel in the weeks ahead. He also mentioned that he will be calling on his “brother from another mother”, Party Leader Shyne Barrow during his time in the country. Kartel, as many would know, was recently released from prison after spending the last thirteen years incarcerated for the murder of Clive “Lizard” Williams. While with the Albert Area Rep this afternoon, we asked her for her thoughts on the friendship and Kartel’s plan to vacation in Belize.
Isani Cayetano
“What do you make of Vybz Kartel mentioning that he’s going to visit Belize in the next two weeks to spend some time with Shyne and, of course, his girlfriend? What do you make of that announcement?”
Tracy Panton
Tracy Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“You know, the party leader chooses who his friends are, I don’t have any say in that. It’s a very personal situation. I think that we have a lot of serious national matters, issues that need to be addressed that the U.D.P. should be giving far more attention to than we are able to at this time. But Vybz Kartel, as well as anybody else, is welcomed to come to Belize to vacation and get to know the country and the people. That’s his friend.”
