The Belize Police Department has made an arrest in the Sunday morning murder of Otoniel Mateo in Cotton Tree Village. Earlier today, twenty-six-year-old Armin Amado Bouchub, a stevedore of Cayo District, was arrested and charged in connection with the shooting death of Mateo. As we reported, Mateo was inside his apartment in the early hours of Sunday morning when a pair of men came knocking at his door. When Mateo opened the door, the men got into a physical altercation during which he was fatally shot. His attackers then fled the scene of the deadly shooting. On Monday, police began circulating a wanted poster of Bouchub, but did not specify the reason he was being sought. During an interview on Monday, Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero told reporters that the motive for the murder was an argument over a woman.
Twenty-nine-year-old Keinen Bermudez, a call center agent, is on remand after being arraigned for abetment to murder. This is in connection to the shooting death of Dimitrie Usher that took place here in Belize City on August twenty-fifth. While there has been no arrest for Usher’s murder, Bermudez is accused of aiding another individual in the execution-style murder last Sunday on Wood Street. Earlier today, Bermudez appeared unrepresented in the lower court where he was arraigned before a senior magistrate. It was explained to him that due to the nature of the offense, no bail can be offered to him. With that, he was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until November twenty-seventh.
Motorcycle accidents are among the most common mishaps in Belize, prompting insurance companies to increase premiums for motorcycle owners. On Tuesday afternoon, a surveillance video on Barrack Road captured what could have easily been a deadly collision between a motorcycle and a vehicle. What’s worse is that the passenger, a six-year-old child, was not wearing a helmet and suffered head injuries when she was flung under the vehicle that they crashed into. Thankfully, six-year-old Emily Molina did not suffer any concussion when she was flung off the motorcycle. The Holy Redeemer student was being driven by her father, Silas Molina after he picked her up from school and they were heading on Barrack Road towards the clock. He apparently decided to overtake a vehicle in front of him, but changed his mind when he realized another car was coming in the opposite direction. By then it was too late. Molina’s motorcycle skidded on the street and the father and child were flung off the motorbike. Karen Vernon was at the location when the incident happened and rendered assistance.
Karen Vernon
Karen Vernon, First Responder “I was on the scene before it happened because I was parked on the side waiting for someone and I heard this loud bang. I’m bracing myself for an impact because I thought, you know, something was going to hit my vehicle. And when I looked in the mirror and start opening the door at the same time, I saw this man on the ground on his back. And I started to, you know, ask him, you know, what he needed and if he was in pain? And he said, my baby, my baby. And when I looked over, there was the car and the child was under the car, inches away from the front wheel. So, I don’t know where people came from, but everybody just came to help. And, you know, like, I’m on the ground trying to get the child out from under the vehicle. And some men came and lifted the vehicle. They actually, like, four, I don’t know. I didn’t see any faces. I just saw men, and they lifted the vehicle. And I got the child from under the vehicle. And she was crying to me, which was a good sign, because she’s crying, she’s conscious. And, you know, I’m asking her where it hurts. There was a gash in her head. She was bleeding from her mouth. And, And, um, she’s asking for her dad, like, where’s my dad, and I told her, your dad is okay, you know, we’ll take care of you, and then we’ll check on your dad.”
We have been hearing about the Millennium Challenge Corporation since the start of the year. The Government of Belize previously announced that the MCC is granting Belize one hundred and twenty-five million US dollars to address poverty through economic development. Well, that grant agreement was officially signed today at a ceremony in Belize City. Representatives from the MCC, including Chief Executive Officer Alice Albright, were present. So was Prime Minister John Briceño, as well as Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow. News Five’s Paul Lopez was also there and filed the following report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Today, the Government of Belize and the Millennium Challenge Corporation formally signed the Belize Compact Grant Agreement. The one-hundred-and-twenty-five-million-dollar grant is aimed at strengthening Belize’s education and energy sectors. The Toucan Room at the Biltmore was filled with government officials, U.S representatives and a special appearance by the Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow. Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer of MCC, explained that the Government of Belize will invest an additional forty million dollars to the project, bringing the total to one hundred and sixty-five million U.S dollars.
Alice Albright
Alice Albright, Chief Executive Officer, MCC
“Your dedication to reform and your commitment to improving the lives of your people serves as a beacon to what is possible when it comes to reducing poverty through economic growth. So it is a big number and a big number we should all be proud of given the tradeoff involved in making those kinds of investments.”
Seventy-four million U.S dollars of those funds will be invested in the education project. The primary objective is to increase training for teachers to combat low-quality education. And what about the need for additional teachers in institutions where there are reported shortages?
Francis Fonseca
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
“It is a very important issue but I think what this grant intends to do is to really take a comprehensive look at our education system. We will look at all the legislation involving he education system, all the structures that have in place for decades, to see how we can make the education system more effective. A critical component of that is how we improve opportunities for our teachers. How do we enhance our teachers capacity to contribute to education in Belize. How do we improve in terms of incentives for our teachers.”
Twenty-one million dollars of the funds will be invested in the energy sector to reduce the cost of electricity for Belizeans.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Our research has focused on finding sustainable ways to reduce the cost of energy for the people of Belize. Through this grant, we will facilitate new power purchase agreements for low-cost renewable energy, modernize our grid to efficiently manage an influx of various power generation and support the organizations that oversee our electricity infrastructure. This grant is a testament to the strength of our partnership with the MCC an independent U.S. Government international agency whose mission to reduce poverty by fostering economic growth is fully aligned with the priorities of this government.”
In total, ninety-five million dollars is being allocated to the education and energy projects. The additional funds will be used to meet administrative costs associated with staffing. As it pertains to oversight, Prime Minister Briceño noted that the entire process has been and will continue to be transparent.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“The whole process for the signing of this compact has been open and transparent. Everybody has been on board on how this has been set up. This is nothing new that has been done in Belize. I think it follows from different templates that has been done in other countries. There is no hidden agenda. We are bound by this agreement to be able to be open and transparent. So I don’t think there should be any concern.”
Alice Albright
“The oversight and implementation will be very much a joint effort and a joint partnership between our folks in Washington and then the entity we set up here.”
Michelle Kwan
Michelle Kwan, U.S Ambassador to Belize
“This is a very momentous occasion. I know it has been two and a half years in the making. This is the eighties compact of MCC and it is the celebratory occasion, and it is also the beginning of a lot of work. A hundred and twenty-five million dollars focused on education which will be eight percent and twenty percent on energy. I think as the prime minister has said in the past, this impact will be transformational for this country. It will impact a hundred and forty thousand Belizean student across the country and every single Belizean will feel the lower cost of electricity when they get their bills at the end of the month.”
In July, the opposition cautioned the Briceño administration concerning the one hundred and twenty-five-million-U.S.-dollar grant. Patrick Faber questioned the U.S organization’s true intent. Well, today, we asked Alice Albright, the Chief Executive Officer at MCC. For reference, we revisit that clip from Faber inside the House of Representatives.
Patrick Faber
Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet
“Let’s go down that road for a minute and please nobody doesn’t go misquote me or say anything contrary. I am not anti-united states, but whenever you see the U.S doing something it is a part of a larger plan. And so everything that the United States does is geared towards an agenda for the United States.”
Paul Lopez
“What does the U.S get from this, in terms of returns? What is expected of Belize. There were certain suggestions that the population would be bugled down to be forced to sign on to certain treaties, certain conventions, forced to support the U.S. in certain internation issues as a result to the size of this grant. How do you respond to the question of what is expected of Belize moving forward?”
Alice Albright
Alice Albright, C.E.O, MCC
“Let me answer it on two levels. We have an eligibility framework at MCC that guides us in the decisions of which countries we choose to work with. Leading up to December 2021, Belize was considered eligible to work with MCC and our board of directors decided to work with MCC on that basis. So that weas the origin of the decision. WE have signed an agreement, and it includes a number of details about the nature of the work we will be in parentship with GOB on. Part of it is education, part of it is on energy and there are mutual expectations of both partners, but they are really surrounding the project that is at hand.”
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“There is no hidden agenda with this agreement. It is open, transparent and we have not signed any secret agreement to get this compact. It is just that we have qualified for it.”
The objectives set out under the MCC’s grant agreement is to be accomplishedwithin a period of five years. So, what are the immediate areas of priority for the Briceño administration? Minister of Finance, Christopher Coye provided some details.
Christopher Coye, Minister of Finance
“In connection with education, I think everything has to be tied back to the root causes of the constraints to economic growth in education and the equality of education and how that translates over towards the labor force. So, focus areas will include education, quality improvement that already ties in with work that is being done by the ministry of education to complement that work. Alongside that will be training as well. So we have talked about teachers training, all the work being done. This will support that, but in a broader sense. Those would be specific areas in focus and for implementation. The implementation period is over five years. It is not an overnight thing. A lot of work ties into what the constraints are and how we will address those challenges. In energy it gets technical. There will be a lot of policy development. A crucial part of the work is the development of the grid code so that there is more efficient use of electricity through our grid. There will be some work that we have to focus on and what we want to advocate for is support in battery energy storage and how much of that grant can assist us in funding battery energy storage.”
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Francis Fonseca says the Government of Belize has sent a diplomatic protest note to the government of Guatemala, following a conflict between a group of Belizeans and Guatemalan Armed Forces on the Sarstoon River. The Belize Territorial Volunteers organized a trip to the Sarstoon River over the weekend. During their visit, a team of GAF soldiers rammed their boat into BTV’s vessel. According to Minister Fonseca, the incident has also been reported to the Organization of American States. He gave us further details.
Francis Fonseca
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs
“We absolutely, of course, state very clearly that we, our sovereignty and territorial integrity over, a part of the Sarstoon River that is absolutely clear. The median line of the Sarstoon River is long established between Belize and Guatemala. So, anything north of that median line is Belizean waters. So, you know that that’s our very clear position.”
Reporter
“Minister, what do you say to Will Mejia? Who says you all have taken a stance against Israel. That’s all the way over there. And then you have Guatemala’s military violating us here in our backyard. Why not take a more serious diplomatic stance against them, too?”
Francis Fonseca
“But what more serious diplomatic standing can we make? We have agreed, the people of Belize have voted for us to resolve this issue through the International Court of Justice. We are pursuing that path to a peaceful resolution on this matter. You know, no disrespect to Will. I like Will. Will has never been in authority. He has never held power. He has never had responsibility for making decisions. On behalf of the Belizean people. We have that responsibility. I have that responsibility at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And we will exercise that authority with absolute competence, with absolute recognition and respect for the people of this country with their interest. It is not about being emotional and beating your chest and going down there and pretending you are big and bad. It is about doing the right thing in the interest of Belize.”
On Monday, we showed you the incident at the Port of Belize where an eighteen-wheeler whose container filled with imported goods, careened off the pier at the Port of Belize Limited and plunged into the sea below. Dockworkers were quick to render aid to the driver, who fortunately escaped unscathed. The truck that he was driving was not submerged before he got out. Today, the Management of the Port informed News Five that the accident was not caused by any deliberate driver negligence. It’s also not the first time that an accident like this has happened at the port facility. The accident happened while work was being done on the pier. A plumber reportedly crossed the pier to allow for the truck to pass, but in doing so, the driver swerved a little too much away to avoid hitting the plumber and hit the guard rail on the other side. The rail broke and the truck fell. The port equipment and consignee cargo are fully insured and that will take its normal course. The pier is outfitted with guard rails and pillars along both sides but those could not stop the load of around seventy-five thousand pounds from breaching the barriers. The truck was salvaged on Tuesday, using a crane to load it on a barge. While the truck is not expected to be useful because of being in the sea for two days.
September is a time of celebration. A time to celebrate Belize, its culture, and its people. Today, seven Belizean artists were honored by the National Celebrations Commission with Creative and Cultural Excellence awards for their contributions to Belize’s rich and diverse art sector. We attended the ceremony held at the House of Culture today to meet the awardees.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Do not be surprised when future history books mention the name Adela Peterson Vallejos. While you may not recognize the name now, she is well on her way to becoming someone you can’t forget. She is one of seven recipients of the National Celebrations Commission’s Creative and Cultural Excellence Awards. She received the Leela Vernon Prize for Creative Community Action and Safeguarding Cultural Heritage. It is said that culture is the spirit of a nation, and these winners are keeping the spirit alive.
Adela Peterson Vallejos
Adela Peterson Vallejos, Winner, Leela Vernon Prize
“It’s a big step forward. I represent the Yucatec Maya culture, and the Yucatec Maya culture has been marginalized. Their language is near extinction, so for everyone to recognize our efforts mean the world to us. Maybe now people will take attention and see that we need to do much more to preserve our ancestral language.”
Adela Peterson Vallejos was born and raised in Libertad Village in Corozal and has made her mark in the world by founding a chapter of the Consortium for Belizean Development. Wanting to connect with roots, she dedicated a portion of her life to learning her mother’s native tongue, Yucatec Maya, later establishing the To’one Masehualoone NPO.
Britney Gordon
“And I know that you decided to take the step to connect with that part of your heritage What does it mean for you to be an example that is never too late to take the step towards that.”
Adela Peterson Vallejos
“Yes, we can all make a difference. We just have to do something today.”
The winners hail from all over the country and vary in their areas of expertise. The other six winners are: Teresita Ulloa, recipient of the Beverly Smith Prize for Acting in Theatre and Film; Alfonzo Tzul, recipient of the Don Elijio Prize for the Protections and Development of Traditional Knowledge; Rowland Parks, recipient of the Zee Edgell Prize for Literary Arts; Mercy Sabal, recipient of the George Gabb Prize for Visual Arts; Mohobub Flores, recipient of the Andy Palacio Prize for Belizean Music; and husband and wife duo, Matthew and Virgin Martinez, recipients of the Rosita Baltazar Prize for Dance. Minister of Culture, Francis Fonseca acknowledged the significance of celebrating the trailblazers of the past, while acknowledging those who continue their work and create a new era culture.
Francis Fonseca
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Culture
“Cultural and creative moment. excellence awards. It’s all about making sure that we are recognizing, acknowledging, paying respect to our artists, our artistic community, our creative community. We do so by honoring great icons, so the awards are named after seven great artists, great creative people.”
It is vital that recipients feel supported as they pave the way for new generations of activist and artist.
Francis Fonseca
“We have gone through a process of identifying individuals in our country who have continued that work. And who continue to contribute to believes this cultural development. So it’s absolutely important very important for any country to honor and recognize its creative community. Culture is really the lifeblood of any nation. We’re very happy that we’ve established this. And that each year we’re able to identify and recognize and pay tribute to wonderful Belizeans who continue to contribute through culture to the national development of Belize.”
The pool of winners showcases Belize’s diverse population, not only in ethnicity but talents and abilities, such as Rowland Parks, the blind journalist leading the charge in literary excellence and Teresita Ulloa, who didn’t think she would be able to outdo her competition when she applied to be a librarian. She has since transformed the library into a place that fosters a love for learning. Peterson Vallejos hopes that by leading through example, the heart of her culture will beat on for years to come.
Britney Gordon
“What is your hope for the future of other Belizeans that might want to dip their toes into the work that you do?”
Adela Peterson Vallejos
“Well, everyone needs to do their part to preserve our ancestry, and to create a legacy for the next generation.”
Minister of Education, Francis Fonseca has weighed in on reports that at least three students were sent home from the Anglican Cathedral College because their hairstyle was deemed as unacceptable. As we reported, the students showed up to school on the first day with braids. The decision has sparked quite the public discourse. Some are of the view that students should adhere to every school rule, even if they don’t agree with the rule. Others are of the opinion that a hairstyle does not prevent a student from learning in the classroom. Well, today Minister Fonseca, in no uncertain terms, declared the school’s decision unlawful. He says it is improper to refuse a child entry because of their hairstyle.
Francis Fonseca
Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education
“The Chief Education Officer immediately contacted the school, the principal, the administration, to resolve that issue. And as I have said over and over again, many times on the public record, the schools have the right to set certain rules and regulations and guidelines. But certainly, the length of your hair, the style of your hair is not one of them. So it is absolutely improper and in fact unlawful for any school to refuse a child entry into their school because of the style or length of their hair.”
Reporter
“In many case then, it seems that there’s a disconnect between these rule books in schools and the ministry’s policy and the law. How do you rectify that?”
Francis Fonseca
“Yeah, I mean, these are resolved through discussions, engagements. in the case of ACC, there’s a new administrator there, a new principal. And I think that may have contributed to some of the misunderstanding. No judgment on her, I think she is a very good principal and wants to act in good faith. But, you know, sometimes we do have this conflict between the church and the state even though we are partners in education. Sometimes they want to impose their standards and values on students and we support some of that in terms of reasonable guidelines, but, certainly as I’ve made very clear, in this particular case, they should understand what the rule is.”
