Tropical Storm Nadine swept through southern Belize City on Saturday, bringing powerful winds and heavy rain that tested the city’s resilience. Despite the storm’s intensity, the old capital has shown a remarkable recovery. Mayor Bernard Wagner shared insights on how the storm impacted the city and praised the community’s swift response and resilience.
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
“No, it was to the best of my knowledge and the reports that I receive is that we just had the flooding in the streets. Some of the flood prone areas that are usually flooded, got extensively flooded, but with the king tides coming in and climate change and all of these converging it’s important that we put in place actions such as this climate action doing our part in reducing greenhouse gases. If we don’t do our part you’ll continue to see stronger storms more adverse climate conditions in our country.”
With the recent debut of the iconic New York pizza chain Sbarro in Belize City, Mayor Bernard Wagner has expressed his support for introducing more international franchises, such as Starbucks, to the Belizean market. While some fear these additions could harm local businesses, Wagner believes they offer more choices for consumers and create opportunities for economic growth. According to the mayor, Belize has space for both local and international brands to thrive.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor of Belize City
“Having a franchise doesn’t mean that it’ll be a International owner. A franchise doesn’t mean that the business establishment will be owned by international. I t means that a local person goes and apply for a franchise and that franchise in the United States or wherever comes in and give them the sort of assistance in terms of how they go about getting their brand on their business. But there’s no way that you will say that listen a franchise is coming in its own by foreigners. A franchise most of the franchises I know are run by locals, but I am a I enjoy all the local coffees. I’m a coffee drinker. And I just believe that there are other options available. We need to get out of this state of where we just want to hold on. We need to give our people options.”
This weekend, over two hundred persons who are immobile will receive wheelchairs from members of the Rotary Club of Belize. The distribution around Belize comes through a donation from the Rotary Club of Naples, Florida, and the Belizean Americans who live there. Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children, Rossana Briceño says the folks in Naples contacted her and made the offer for Belizeans who need the wheelchairs. But the whole opportunity came about when one man in Florida had an accident and was left immobile. His son decided to start a foundation in his honour to buy wheelchairs for people who need. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
One man’s misfortune many years ago in Naples, Florida, led to a positive opportunity for Belizeans who have mobility issues. John Danner is in Belize along with other Rotary club members from Naples. They raised funds for the Howard S. Danner, Jr., Wheels for Wheels Cycling Challenge. Danner Jr says the fundraisers are held in honour of his father, who lost his legs because of a traffic accident at the age of sixty. And when he, John, turned sixty, he began the charity work to keep his father’s memory alive.
John Danner
John Danner, Founder, the Howard S. Danner Jr., Foundation
“People gather up pledges and then they ride a certain amount of miles. Whatever they choose, they collect the money and it all goes into the fund. And this year we raised enough money for a shipping container of wheelchairs. Dad was in an accident, he was hit by a hit and run driver and left in the road and was paralyzed for seventeen years in a wheelchair. And I determined when I turned sixty, which is about the age when he was hit, that a good way to do something in his memory would be to raise money for wheelchairs.”
The opportunity materialized for Belizeans in need when Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children, Rossana Briceño, was contacted by the Ixchel Foundation, and collaboration was made among them, the Rotary Club of Naples, Florida, as well as from Belizean Americans living there.
Rossana Briceño
Rossana Briceño, Special Envoy, Development of Families & Children
“The CEO from the Ixchel Foundation in Naples had reached out and we have a large community of Belizeans in Naples, Florida, and they’re always trying to connect and see how we can partner. So when she reached out and she said, “We have a lot of wheelchairs that we want to distribute through the Wheels for Wheels Foundation,” I said, “Well, let’s connect with the Rotary Clubs.”
Gustavo Garcia is the President of the Rotary Club of Belize. He says the twenty-year-old effort by Rotary has seen more than three thousand Belizeans receive wheelchairs. Who gets the wheelchairs, he says, depends on who needs them most.
Gustavo Garcia
Gustavo Garcia, President, Rotary Club of Belize
“We have a system to verify if they’re going to have a good use of the wheelchairs or if they need it, and we try to cover as much as we can. We always need more help, that’s why we do the raffles for iPhones, trucks and everything, to be able to do the distribution. But actually this is a teamwork We work with on this case. It’s going to be Wheels for Wheels and several clubs all around the world.”
Briceño says she will store a few of the wheelchairs so that whenever someone needs one, she can be reached through her office, or through Rotary Club members. Marion Ali for News Five.
This afternoon, a group of thirty participants, comprising High Court judges, magistrates, and civilians, successfully completed a week-long training course on criminal mediation. This accomplishment not only introduces an alternative method for resolving criminal cases but also presents a significant opportunity to alleviate the backlog of pending trials. The training was conducted by the U.W.I. Belize campus. Chief Justice Louise Blenman addressed this issue, while Cynthia Ellis-Topsey provided her insights on the matter.
Justice Louise Blenman
Justice Louise Blenman, Chief Justice of Belize
“In Belize, we have challenges with backlogs and also with matters taking longer than they should, due to the fact of the heavy number of cases in the system. In any justice system, it is not expected that ninety percent of the cases that are filed in the courts should be going to trial. In fact, in North America, only 10 percent of the cases that are filed go to full trial. I keep saying that in the Caribbean, we have been getting it wrong. We have had situations across the Caribbean where 90 percent of our cases go to trial. It is impossible for any jurisdiction not to have a backlog if that situation continues. Therefore, alternative dispute resolution is critical and necessary if we are to have efficient and effective justice systems across the Caribbean. One of the key things is that we are learning how to be alternative to trials and imprisonment and so on. And this is a way in which it’s alternative dispute resolution to bring parties together to see if we can resolve issues rather than have punishment. So, it’s a facilitative process that included judges, magistrates and we were some of the few non judges and magistrates. It was a very intense course, and it was hard work.”
The Community Policing Unit has maintained a steady presence in various neighborhoods of Belize City, and on some occasions, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams participates in meet-and-greet sessions. This Wednesday, Williams was accompanied by Port Loyola Area Representative Gilroy Usher for a tour of the area, where they engaged with residents on Caesar Ridge Road. Both officials expressed their desire to listen to the concerns of the community.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Normally I come on this meet and greet because people will say things to us, some concerns that we cannot address that the political representative in the area could address, so Mr. Usher is here to ensure that those issues that relate to his office, that he can hear from the people and see what he can do to address those issues.”
Marion Ali
“What are some of those issues?”
Gilroy Usher
Gilroy Usher, Area Representative, Port Loyola
“Well, one of the issues is crime, but it’s very minimal right now compared to previous years. And so the whole purpose of this meet and greet is to assure the citizens that the police is here to cooperate with them to combat crime in every possible way and also to persuade the young people to take advantage of the many benefits of the L.I.U program to earn a honest living and also learn life skills so that they are they are more it is more easily for them to find employment in the wider community.”
A family of four from Belmopan has been charged with the kidnapping and assault of a twenty-three-year-old pregnant woman, leaving her hospitalized in severe pain. Police discovered the woman during an operation at the home of a pastor, where she was allegedly held captive by her husband’s family after attempting to leave the marriage. Today, forty-five-year-old Luis Tiul Sr., his son twenty-four-year-old Luis Tiul Jr., Tiul Sr.’s wife, forty-three-year-old Elizabeth Tiul, and fifty-nine-year-old Matilda Games were arraigned in Belmopan Magistrates Court and denied bail. They have been remanded to Belize Central Prison until January 22, 2025.
Wilmer Cruz, the victim’s brother, recounted the shock he felt upon learning of the ordeal his sister endured. Their family had believed that her marriage to the pastor’s son would provide stability, but they were horrified when police found her bound, injured, and left in inhumane conditions. Cruz described the relationship as initially positive, a union that had even brought the couple a child. However, Cruz shared that his mother contacted him with disturbing news, leading him to rush to the hospital, where he found his sister in terrible condition. “I find her in a condition like when you torture somebody, kidnap somebody and find them in a room, like a movie scene. ,” Cruz said. “Her hands all burned, swollen, her feet scarred like they were tied.”
Cruz expressed his distrust of the entire family, stating, “All of them look like they have the same vibe and the same mentality…because they don’t think, they just act.”
Belize City has launched the 501 Transit app, a new tool designed to improve the experience of using its recently introduced electric bus service. The app allows residents to track buses in real time, making city transit more convenient.
Mayor Bernard Wagner described the app as a key “milestone.” He said, “We started with the buses some while back… and the app… is a key milestone because it really speaks to connectivity with the residents with the commuters.” The initiative, funded by the European Union and the United Nations Development Program, has received positive feedback, said the mayor, particularly from the elderly and students. Wagner stated, “The kids of today will no longer be subjected to substandard transportation.”
Currently, the app tracks only electric buses, but plans are in place to expand it to include all public transport in Belize. Additionally, Wagner announced that electric taxis are set to launch in November, pending the hiring of qualified drivers.
Last night, following a Regimental Dinner held at Price Barracks in Ladyville, Belize Defence Force (BDF) Captain was injured in a road accident within the camp. According to reports, the Captain, allegedly under the influence, fell asleep on an active road inside the base. A Major, unaware of the Captain’s presence, accidentally ran over him.
News 5 contacted the BDF’s Chief of State, Major Roberta Usher, for comment. She told us, “Last night, an unfortunate incident took place at Price Barracks in which one of our officers was injured by a vehicle. On-scene medical care was administered immediately, and the officer was subsequently transported to the hospital, where he is now in stable condition. The incident is under active investigation, and additional details will be provided as they become available.”
This morning, Rossana Briceño, the Special Envoy for the Development of Families and Children, spoke on gender-based violence. Briceño said that while policies exist, “the implementation of the policies really needs to take centre stage now.” Briceño stressed the importance of evaluating the effectiveness of these policies, saying, “If they’re not working, we need to do better.”
She concluded with a call to action, noting that “most of the time, it’s women that are the victims.”
The question was asked in light of the recent case involving a family accused of holding a 23-year-old woman hostage for 8 days. The 23-year-old was reportedly assaulted and sexually harassed by her father-in-law, deprived of food, and left in her own excrement with no access to a shower.
The Belize Defence Force (B.D.F.) has intensified an investigation into bribery allegations involving its soldiers stationed along the Belize-Guatemala border. This probe was sparked by a recent News Five investigative report revealing claims that soldiers stationed at the Machakilha Conservation Post (CP) have been accepting bribes from Guatemalan nationals. The alleged bribes, reported to range from cash to canned food and even chicken, are said to encourage B.D.F. soldiers to ignore illegal Guatemalan logging operations within Belizean territory.
These allegations, if substantiated, would not only call into question the discipline within the ranks but also highlight broader issues surrounding the support and resources provided to B.D.F. troops tasked with securing Belize’s remote border areas. Sources indicate that some Guatemalan loggers have allegedly been bribing B.D.F. soldiers for over five years, suggesting that the problem may be deeply rooted and systemic.
B.D.F. Chief of Staff Major Roberta Usher confirmed that the investigation extends beyond Machakilha to include all CPs along the border. Major Usher said, “When we receive allegations and accusations of things like that, yes, we check all our CPs as to what is occurring because we need to know what is occurring along the border. Not just necessarily one conservation, one observation post, but all of them because the integrity of the force is then questioned.”
She acknowledged, however, that while the “possibility exists,” the B.D.F. is committed to ensuring that bribery is not pervasive throughout its ranks.
They Should Have Not Been Released
In our recent investigation, it was revealed that on September 7, Belize Defence Force (B.D.F.) troops apprehended Guatemalan loggers operating illegally in the Columbia River Forest Reserve. Shortly after, the patrol found themselves surrounded by more than ten Guatemalans, reportedly armed, who demanded the release of their compatriots. With communication to Fairweather Camp severed, the patrol commander decided to release the detainees to prevent the situation from escalating.
Following public concern, B.D.F. Chief of Staff Major Roberta Usher provided an update on the findings of the investigation into the incident, which concluded last week. According to Major Usher, the investigation confirmed that B.D.F. troops were indeed encircled by Guatemalans, though she noted, “Hostility did not escalate as we had previously discussed. The Guatemalans encircled the conservation post to understand why the detainees were held, and the commander on the ground deemed it appropriate to release them to avoid potential escalation.”
When asked whether the surrounding Guatemalans were armed, Major Usher clarified that “the conclusion of the investigation does not align with claims of shots being fired.”
Pressed on whether the commander’s decision to release the detainees was in line with standard protocol, Usher did not disclose operational details but affirmed that the B.D.F. follows specific escalation protocols and that commanders are authorised to make decisions based on on-the-ground assessments. She explained, “The commander on the ground took the measure he saw fit for this situation,” though she emphasised that standard procedure typically involves police detainment, adding that no police were present at the time of the incident. She added, “They were not to be released.”
B.D.F. Lacks Real-Time Tracking for Border Patrols Despite Claims
Reports of B.D.F. soldiers allegedly accepting small bribes like chicken from Guatemalan loggers have intensified public scrutiny on the conditions faced by border patrols and the level of support given to Belize’s Defence Force. Amidst this scrutiny, Prime Minister John Briceño told News 5 that technological upgrades, including tracking systems, are being implemented to monitor soldiers’ movements and keep them on Belizean soil during patrols. He stated, “We’re using the tracking system so that we know where they are at all times.”
However, after these remarks were publicised, sources within the B.D.F. indicated that no real-time tracking technology is currently in place, suggesting the Prime Minister may have misspoken. In a follow-up, News Five asked B.D.F. Chief of Staff Major Roberta Usher for clarification on the matter.
Major Usher responded, “We are looking into the ventures of technologies… we have the capability of communicating with our soldiers. We have the ability to communicate with our soldiers or look into other technological ventures to see how we can best remain in communication and track our soldiers on the borders. Yes.”
