Tonight, the Belize Police Department has one of its own in custody, following a shooting incident shortly after midnight on Friday. Twenty-nine-year-old Jeneah Arzu, a police officer attached to the Prosecution Branch, was at home on Trinity Street when her boyfriend, Kendale Nunez, arrived at the residence. At the time, PC Arzu was socializing with other members of her family. It is reported that the couple got into a domestic dispute at which point Arzu took possession of PC Nunez’s police issued pistol. In a statement taken from Nunez, he told investigators that while exiting the yard, Arzu fired a single shot in his direction. That shot flew wide of its target. Arzu then allegedly threatened to shoot her boyfriend in the head. Amid the argument, officers from Precinct Two, who happened to be in the area, responded to the scene and were able to disarm Arzu. The Domestic Violence Unit was called in and PC Arzu was taken into custody. Recovered from the scene was one nine-millimeter expended shell that was fired from a nine-millimeter Ruger.
Month: September 2024
PM Briceño Says Novelo’s Bus Terminal has to be Redone
On Thursday afternoon, fifty-three-year-old Ana Chanim and another unnamed woman were injured when a piece of concrete fell on them at the Novelo’s Bus Terminal here in Belize City. Chanim was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital after the cement fragment injured her right collarbone. It’s an accident that has left many questioning the soundness of the structure. The Transport Department has since issued a statement informing us that an investigation is underway. The ministry also says that it will be reaching out to the families and doctors for updates on their conditions. This afternoon, Prime Minister John Briceño spoke briefly about the need to repair the building.
Reporter
“Sir, would you weigh in on the incident at the bus terminal. As the Minister of Finance, do you believe that monies should be allocated to that entire structure? At the bus terminal a portion of concrete fell on a woman and it could have practically killed her.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Well, I have not gotten the report as to what happened and I am not going to dispute it but yes, that whole area has to be completely redone.”
New Member of Parliament Sworn In
For the first time since the construction of the National Assembly Building, the parliamentary proceedings are being held at another location so that the building can be renovated. The George Price Centre for Peace and Development will for the next twelve months, be the venue where all House Meetings will be held. The first order of business at the new location today was the swearing in of the House of Representative’s newest member, Doctor Osmond Martinez, who replaces the late Mike Espat in Toledo East. Martinez took the Oath of Office, after which Prime Minister John Briceño welcomed him officially as an elected representative to the House.
Osmond Martinez, Area Representative, Toledo East
“I, Osmond Martinez, do swear that I will bear true faith and allegiance to Belize, and will uphold the Constitution and the law, and that I will conscientiously, impartially, and to the best of my ability, discharge my duties as a member of the House of Representatives, and do right to all manner of people, without fear or favor, affection or ill will, so help me God.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Dr. Martinez, or the honorable Member from Toledo East, comes from very, very humble beginnings, living in a banana farm, and his parents were, um, originally from another country. And here we have this gentleman who, as a child, did not have electricity, and he lived in a very, very humble family, at a very humble beginnings, but because of his determination and working in school and because there were so good teachers that mentored him, he managed to get to the point where he earned a doctorate, and that today the people of Toledo East decided to elect him to represent him, so I want to congratulate, Oswald, my brother. Congratulations to you, your mom must be very proud. So is your dad, who’s not here, but your entire family and friends. So on behalf of all of us here on this side, and I’m sure on the other side, congratulations and welcome.”
Government and LOO Disagree on Celebrating Ties with Taiwan
Taiwan has been Belize’s diplomatic ally since October eleventh, 1989, and Belize has benefited from Taiwan’s friendship under both U.D.P. and P.U.P. administrations. Today, Prime Minister John Briceño presented a motion to celebrate our two countries’ thirty-fifth anniversary of those ties, a motion that got overwhelming support from the government representatives and from the Collet and Albert area representatives, Patrick Faber and Tracy Taegar-Panton. Representatives referred to Taiwan’s significant support for women empowerment projects to improve the lives of Belizean women. With Taiwan’s Ambassador, Lily Li-Wen Hsu in attendance as a guest at the House Meeting today, the Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow did not support the motion. We share tidbits on Taegar-Panton and Faber’s support of the motion, followed by PM Briceño expressing his disappointment that the Leader of the Opposition did not endorse the motion. During that portion of the presentation, Barrow blurted out that Taiwan had supported the PM’s sister’s non-government organization with funding in the past.
Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet
“On behalf of the Opposition, we express our full support -there’s one Opposition. It’s an Opposition to the government. His Majesty’s loyal opposition. On behalf of the Opposition, we express our full support for this motion to commemorate and celebrate 35 years of diplomatic ties between Belize and the Republic of China, Taiwan. This longstanding partnership has been built on mutual respect, shared values and a commitment to democracy, freedom and human rights.”
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“I stand in this honorable house, Madam Speaker – can we have respect for the motion Member for Pickstock, thank you – to affirm and support this motion that seeks to solidify the relationship, the friendship, the partnership between Belize and Taiwan. We thank the government and people of the Republic of China Taiwan for their solidarity, for their support for Belize’s sovereignty, as it relates to the territorial claim of Guatemala on portions of our country. We thank them for supporting our shared values.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“We have two of the members getting up and to support this motion, but it troubles me, Madam Speaker, that the official leader of the opposition for now, I don’t know for how long, refuses to get up and to say that they support this motion. I find this incredible. After all that Taiwan has done for this country, this gentleman over there is going to sit down quietly and refuses to get up and say that they support the good people and government of Taiwan. It is troubling to this country, Madam Speaker, because it seems that he wants to sell out. It seems that that is what he wants, you want to sell us out now to the other side, why you don’t want to get up and talk? Come on. It’s a shame, man.
[Barrow interrupting]
“See, there you go, see?”
Valerie Woods, Speaker of the House
“No member, there’s no point of order. Member.”
Valerie Woods
“Leader of the Opposition. Leader of the Opposition.
Shyne Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
[Interruption]
“Madam Speaker, the point is that we have two honorable members of the opposition that had the decency and the honor to get up and support this motion.”
LOO Explains Objection to Support Belize-Taiwan Celebration
During a break for House Committee matters, the media got an opportunity to speak with Barrow and asked him to explain his refusal to support the thirty-fifth anniversary of Belize-Taiwan relations. He said, as he had blurted out in the House, that Taiwan has basically meddled in Belize’s politics and has assisted P.U.P. family members with funding for projects that are outside of diplomatic relations.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“Those of you who have paid attention in the House have, I’m sure you’ve picked up on things that I’ve said to the Prime Minister, maybe off the mic as relates to Taiwan. I have to tell you that one of the reasons I did not get up is because as a party, the United Democratic Party, we have not discussed the matter in totality. But there are definitely many members of the executive that have a serious issue with the interference that Taiwan has been doing in the political affairs of Belize, which is very anti-democratic. I know for a fact that the Taiwanese gave three million dollars, there abouts to the sister of the Prime Minister in an NGO and the FIU was investigating that and senior executives in the FIU were terminated because of that investigation. And that type of money is being given to that NGO and then dispersed to members of the government is a direct interference in our democracy, whereas the Opposition has NGOs and we don’t get any such assistance from the Taiwanese. There are also other matters, for instance, with the three million dollar grant that was given to Oscar Mira or given for housing in Belmopan, a three million dollar grant that was given literally sixty days before the municipal elections and other electioneering that we took offense to. And we have registered that offense with the Taiwanese and there has been no resolution put forth but out of respect for my colleagues because there are colleagues in the party that do appreciate the contributions that Taiwan has made historically but I am of the view that this type of interference in our democracy that when the government has all the resources at its disposal and the opposition is always at a disadvantage to compound equality, to compound the viability of the Opposition finding its way to be able to be competitive to me is very anti-democratic and I take issue with it.”
Collet Area Rep Says He Will Never Resign from the U.D.P.
With all the internal wranglings in the U.D.P. over the past few months, the Opposition has whittled to the point where the seating arrangement in the House of Representatives has also been changed. Today the media noted with interest that the Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow has instructed that the Collet and Albert Area Representatives, Patrick Faber and Tracy Taegar-Panton, sit furthest away from him. Interestingly, the representative from Queen Square, Denise “Sista B” Barrow, who has missed all but one sitting, has been moved to sit closer to the leader. Today, however, Faber got up to say he doesn’t care where along the line they put him to sit, but he will never resign from the UDP.
Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet
“I feel compelled to stand this evening to make it unequivocally clear that my colleague from Albert and I have not resigned from the United Democratic Party, nor do we accept, Madam Speaker, the Leader of the Opposition and the leader of our party’s opposition, that we have resigned from the United Democratic Party. I say, Madam Speaker, that we are not aggrieved enough. Even though, I will tell you, that it..”
Valerie Woods, Speaker of the House
“Just for clarity of the record, what is the matter of, public importance? We normally ask that that be stated.”
Patrick Faber
“The matter of public importance, Madam Speaker, is that the Leader of the Opposition, even though it was not his official presentation, just now when he stood on the adjournment, I would have left it alone, had he not been allowed to say things. And I don’t accuse you, Madam Speaker, you probably did not even know that what matter he would have spoken. In fact, he just snuck it in there. He was actually speaking on the hospital land deal. But the Belizean people must know, and if that is going to reflect on the record, then we must put on the record that we absolutely have not resigned, and that we reject, and we reject the Leader of the Opposition and the leader of the UDP’s position that we have constructively resigned. Just let me, let me, let me illustrate to you, Madam Speaker, because we do have a Member from Mesopotamia.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“Please, on a point of order, Madam Speaker, you asked what is the issue of national importance. I still have not heard in that response.”
Patrick Faber
“It is a matter of national importanceIt is a matter of national importance, Madam Speaker, when the leader of a political party attempts to have duly elected representatives of his own party be removed, if that is not an emergency for the nation and I don’t know what is.”
PM Chides Opposition; Encourages Them to Work Things Out
Before the day was done, Prime Minister John Briceño chided the United Democratic Party on how their internal rifts have resulted in a weak opposition. He encouraged the members on the other side to deal with their differences and to – in his words – get their act together. The PM said that while it makes for a good laugh otherwise, democratically, it speaks badly of the U.D.P.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“It’s important that you guys get your act together. It’s funny, yes, we could laugh, but it’s a part of the democracy in this country. We need a strong democracy and so it saddens me to see what’s going on. When the Leader of the Opposition is going to put a ghost ahead of you two – a person that has not attended a house meeting in three years, and this man, because he wants to spite you, he puts them sitting down ahead of you, something is wrong. You guys need to get your act together. And yes, it’s funny, and yes, we’d be happy for you to continue to fight because it’d make it easier for us to win the election. But patriotism is love for country, not only entering an election to win. It’s important for you to get your act together.”
TV Ramos Road Receives Upgrade in Segments
Infrastructure work to upgrade the Thomas Vincent Ramos Highway, formerly the Southern Highway, is underway and will proceed over the next several months. Today in the House, the Minister of Infrastructure Development, Julius Espat explained that the project was scheduled to begin in July and will continue until next March. The scope of the works extend from the mile six junction with the Hummingbird Highway to the Hopkins junction. Espat said that after accepting bids, Teichrob and Sons Limited got the contract.
Julius Espat, Minister of Infrastructure Development & Infrastructure
“The contract amount is for nine million, five hundred and ninety-five thousand, one hundred and sixty-seven dollars and seventy-five cents. The distance is sixteen point two kilometers long. It starts from the junction at Dangriga, and it will be completed at the junction in Hopkins. It is the initial stages of the rehabilitation of what we know as the Southern Highway, but the official name is Thomas Vincent Ramos Highway. So this is the first section that we are doing because the roads have experienced damage because now the road is being used by heavier trucks, meaning the trucks that are coming in from the Orange Walk District from BSI and the trucks that are coming in from the Cayo Districts from Santander and other trucks that are using now the port in the south. So this is the first phase of the project we are doing, as I said, from Dangriga to Hopkins, and we will be making additional proposals to the government of Belize to continue from Hopkins to Placencia, then from Placencia to Independence and then from Independence all the way to Punta Gorda. We are doing it by phases, so we’re trying to be as responsible as we possibly can start date is July 2024. Completion date is March 2025.”
Does Government’s Land Acquisition Fall Under FARA?
Speaking with Prime Minister John Briceño following today’s house meeting, the issue of the controversial land purchase which saw the Government of Belize acquiring fifteen acres of land from an Asian businessman for six point nine million dollars was brought up once again. The PM was asked whether the Attorney General’s ministry provided legal advice on the matter and whether it falls within the scope of the Finance and Audit Reform Act. Here’s his response.
Reporter
“Did the government get any advice from the Attorney General about land purchased by the government, if it falls under FARA to require open tender, in the case of the six point nine million [dollars]?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Yes, the Attorney General says it does not. It’s not under FARA.”
Reporter
“If the NTUCB takes you to court which it plans to, do you expect to win?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“It’s their right, they can do as they wish and of course we’ve gone through the entire process and have been careful to ensure that what we have done is under the law.”
Reporter
“As former Minister of Natural Resources, how does land that doesn’t have infrastructure on it raise in value from the baseline which was one hundred thousand to one hundred and fifty of land sold in that vicinity?”
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I think that’s a question you need to ask the DPM. You’re trying to find a roundabout way to ask me the same question and I really can’t add no more to it.”
PM Reiterates GOB’s Position on Compulsory Acquisition of Stake Bank Land
Prime Minister Briceño also reiterated his administration’s position on the compulsory acquisition of the acreage of disputed land on Stake Bank Island. He explained to reporters why government finds it necessary to complete the cruise tourism project that was started by the Feinstein Group.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“As what I have explained, and I will say oy one more time, the Barrow administration passed two pieces of legislation for Stake Bank. They have the definitive agreement and the first thing I said is that this is in the national interest of the country and we need to finish that. We need to do this project. We got into government, now fast-forward to today, two hundred and seventy million dollars have been spent. There’s a dispute between the investors which is something that we don’t need to get into, and now that project is washing away. A few acres have already been washed away because nobody has been working, the seawall and stuff that has been needed, the millions of dollars that have been there on the infrastructure is just withering away. When we look at the numbers on tourism, cruise tourism, they are going down, they are not going up because now the ships are bigger and they want to be properly anchored to get their passengers off on solid ground. In this case, for Stake Bank.”