On Wednesday, the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan celebrated thegrand opening of its new Mammogram Room. The event saw the presence of Doctor Julio Sabido, the C.E.O. of the Ministry of Health & Wellness, and Elder Rayan Olsen from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, who were both on hand for the official handover.
Julio Sabido
Dr. Julio Sabido, C.E.O., Ministry of Health & Wellness
“We gather to celebrate a celebrate a significant milestone in our ongoing battle against cancer in Belize. The hand over of vital mammogram equipment made possible through a collaborative effort between the Ministry of Health and Wellness and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to Elder Rayan Olsen, Julie Olsen, Daniel Hernandez and Ignacio Castillo for their unwavering support and commitment to this cause. Your dedication to humanitarian efforts is truly inspiring and we are honored to partner with you in this lifesaving initiative. As we reflect on the epidemiological landscape, it is sobering to note that according to the World Health Organization breast cancer accounted for approximately six hundred and seventy thousand deaths in 2022. Women representing a majority of those affected.”
In celebration of #CARICOM Energy Month, CARICOM invites you to participate in Rough Dry/No Iron Day on Friday, November 8th. As part of this energy-saving initiative, you are being challenged to go about your daily activities—whether at work or at home—in unironed clothing.
CARICOM says that small actions can lead to big impacts when it comes to energy conservation. “Let’s conserve energy together!”
On September 7, a group of Belize Defence Force soldiers were surrounded by over 10 Guatemalans, who were potentially armed and hostile, near the Machakilha Conservation Post (CP). The last communication the patrol received from Fairweather Camp, before contact was lost, was the command to “man your grounds.” During the escort of detained Guatemalans to the Machakilha Conservation Post, the patrol commander engaged in a conversation with one of the leaders, Juan Jose Garcia. Garcia allegedly asked for help, saying, “Échame la mano” (Help me out). Garcia attempted to bribe the soldier, who refused and followed protocol. Garcia also revealed details about an illegal logging operation, including four sub-bosses working for Salvador.
When we asked Prime Minister John Briceño about the allegations on October 11, he said, “That will happen any place. You get 1, 000, and somebody can’t give you another 100; you’re going to take it… And so it’s important to hit the reset button to ensure that these people or BDF soldiers say that we have to be able to at all times look after the interests of Belize. A chicken can’t pay to protect the interests of this country.”
When asked if Cabinet has discussed the matter, PM Briceño said “no.” During our interview with Brig. Gen. Loria, we asked him if the matter was discussed or brought up by the National Security Council. He said he cannot speak of matters discussed by the Council.
Today, more than a month since the allegations first were reported and later confirmed, the Cabinet has yet to issue a statement. In its weekly press release today, Cabinet made no mention of the confirmed reports that B.D.F. soldiers were being bribed by Guatemalan loggers. Soldiers being bribed by Guatemalan loggers points to deep-rooted corruption on the ground that allows Guatemalans to operate freely on Belizean soil.
Applicants Moses Barrow, Michael Peyrefitte, Shary Medina, Alberto August, and Hugo Patt have initiated an urgent action seeking to reclaim the UDP Headquarters, located at Lake Independence Block 45 Parcel 00969, from respondents Tracy Taegar Panton and Phillipa Griffith Bailey. In the claim, Barrow et al. say that Panton, who is described as an expelled UDP member and current leader of the Alliance for Democracy—allegedly took unlawful control of the headquarters on October 28.
The applicants are seeking an ex-parte injunction from the High Court to repossess the property and restore its use to the UDP’s leadership.
The case stems from a broader conflict over the leadership of the UDP, with Barrow contending that he is the legitimate party leader and the Leader of the Opposition in Belize. According to the applicants, the UDP Headquarters, which they have been using since March 2022, is critical for Barrow to discharge his constitutional functions as the head of the opposition, representing the citizens of Belize.
The claimants assert that the takeover by Panton and her supporters has not only disrupted their operations but has also caused significant damage to the reputation of the party as it prepares for the upcoming General Elections.
Among the applicants’ key concerns is the unlawful seizure of assets, including the Guardian Newspaper and Wave Radio, both considered vital communication organs of the UDP. The applicants argue that these entities, which operate as separate legal entities, have also been unlawfully affected by Panton’s actions. In their claim, they stress that Panton’s takeover poses a direct threat to Belizean democracy, particularly given the political implications of the seizure and its potential to undermine public confidence in the UDP’s ability to lead.
In their Amended Fixed Date Claim Form, the claimants are seeking multiple forms of relief. They are asking the court to declare that neither Panton nor Griffith Bailey has any legal right to possess or control the UDP Headquarters or to authorise its seizure. They also request an order requiring Panton to vacate the property and return all UDP assets located there to the Central Executive Committee. Additionally, they seek a permanent injunction restraining Panton from presenting herself as the UDP leader and preventing the respondents from unlawfully occupying the property in the future. Further claims include damages for unlawful possession, exemplary damages, interest, and costs.
Alfonso Noble, editor of The Guardian newspaper, told News Five today that when he first saw the rival publication, he assumed it was a school project. “I thought it was a school project. You know, children are given these assignments to do various things, sometimes in the media and what have you, and create a newspaper and that kind of thing. And I was flattered, actually, that a child would come up with such an idea of doing a school project.”
Two versions of the United Democratic Party’s paper have been produced—one by long-time editor Alfonso Noble and the other shared by Moses ‘Shyne’ Barrow supporter Delroy Cutkelvin.
Noble stated that he had no concerns over the rival version of ‘The Guardian’. “When you open it in the first, page after the headline, you have who publishes it and the name of the editor and what have you.”
He found it amusing that someone, whom he referred to as “a child,” would want to emulate the work The Guardian does and seemed unbothered by the publication’s apparent opposition to their content. “This publication by some child, it’s flattering for us, actually, The Guardian because somebody would want to emulate what we do is just beyond is beyond me. I’m proud of myself really and of the work that we do at the Guardian newspaper.”
Noble joked that “the child” might be “suffering from some makoabi or goma of what has taken place in the leadership of the UDP and they would want to place the former leader on every page.”
When asked which version the readers should read, Noble said, “The reader must be able to decipher for themselves what is real and what is not, what comes from the multiverse, from the other dimension or the parallel reality.”
The remains of 11 individuals, including two children, were discovered inside a vehicle in the violence-stricken city of Chilpancingo in southern Mexico. The chilling find comes just weeks after the city’s mayor was beheaded shortly after assuming office.
Officials say the victims’ identities have yet to be determined, and the case is being treated as a homicide. Police responded to reports of an abandoned pick-up truck on a highway leading to Acapulco, a former celebrity hotspot that has since become notorious for drug trafficking and a high murder rate.
Guerrero, located on key smuggling routes along the Pacific coast, is one of Mexico’s most violent states, with 1,890 homicides recorded last year. Chilpancingo, a city of 280,000, has long been the site of brutal turf wars between rival drug gangs, the Ardillos and the Tlacos.
The region has seen a wave of violence, including the killings of at least six candidates ahead of Mexico’s June 2 elections.
As the city works to improve street conditions, the ongoing pothole problem is causing significant strain on vehicles and wallets. News 5 spoke to two local mechanics to get their take on the toll potholes are having on vehicles, especially after the last few weeks of heavy rainfall.
Travis Flowers, a mechanic based in Lord’s Bank, told us that potholes can cause significant damage to a vehicle’s suspension, tires, and rims. He said, “It can get expensive. It’s kind of expensive if you have to get the parts here. And you have to pay the labour to put it on. So in the case of rim damage, most of the time, you can’t get the rim here either. So you have to try to go and fix it at a welding shop or something so you can get it running until you get another good one.”
He said fixing rim damage can cost $200-$300, while suspension repairs may run $400-$500, not including parts. The cost also depends on the vehicle’s model, year and the need to import parts.
Similarly, another local mechanic, Lewis Hamilton of On The Spot Mechanic, also said that potholes can severely impact a vehicle’s entire suspension system. “I would say the suspension part like the damage would be on the bushings, the struts, the shocks, even tires; I mean, the rims could get bent easily,” he said.
Hamilton said that tires are another major expense, with replacements costing between $300 and $400. For drivers in particularly pothole-riddled areas, Hamilton estimated drivers might need to spend between $500 and $1,000 two to three times a year just to maintain their vehicles in good shape.
Both mechanics also noted that potholes cause fuel inefficiency, though this is less costly than mechanical repairs.
While the Ministry of Infrastructure Development and Housing is handling the city entrances, the Belize City Council did its damage assessment of the city streets. The Council identified 147 streets in urgent need of repair, with a cost of about $1.6 million. City Administrator Albert Vaughan assured that funds would be secured through a disaster program, and temporary patches are already being applied. However, priority will be given to key routes, including those for public transportation and school buses.
It seems like the Guardian newspaper is having an identity crisis. Two versions of the United Democratic Party’s paper have been produced—one by long-time editor Alfonso Noble and another by Moses ‘Shyne’ Barrow supporter Delroy Cutkelvin.
Both have different headlines and stories. Cutkelvin’s version looks like a Shyne brochure, while Noble’s version looks like the typical Guardian.
Cutkelvin’s version is 8 pages, mostly of pro-Shyne articles with the exception of only one article about the KHMHA Workers union. Noble’s version is 9 pages, which includes attacks on the Briceño Administration and ads. It also includes the paper’s information, such as the editor, publisher, and contact information.
Only Noble’s version contains the horoscope, which arguably is the most useful part.
Tracy Panton says she is the interim leader of the UDP following a convention where delegates voted to recall Moses “Shyne” Barrow. Meanwhile, Barrow says he remains leader of the UDP. Panton and her faction took control of the party’s HQ and organs in late October.
The story was updated at 1:18 p.m. local time to reflect that Noble’s updated version does include the horoscope.
As part of our in-depth and intensive investigation into the “Machakila Incident,” it became apparent that the Belize Defence Force is in urgent need of better communication equipment.
On September 7, a group of Belize Defence Force soldiers stationed near the Machakilha Conservation Post (CP) found themselves surrounded by more than 10 potentially armed and hostile Guatemalans. Before communication with Fairweather Camp was lost, the last order received by the patrol was to “man your grounds.” Tensions rose as the soldiers realised they were being encircled by the Guatemalans, who had gathered near the helicopter landing site. It is believed their intent was to retrieve five Guatemalan men who had been detained for illegal logging activities in the Columbia River Forest Reserve.
The B.D.F. relies on Harris and VHF radios for its operations. The Harris radio, manufactured by L3Harris Technologies, is a secure, rugged communication tool used by military forces and emergency services. It provides encryption, long-range capabilities, multiple frequency options, and GPS, making it vital for critical missions. The VHF radio, widely used in professional environments, is known for its versatility and power. However, on the day of the incident, both systems failed. The VHF radio couldn’t establish contact, and the Harris radio eventually “went out of sync.”
During the incident, the BDF’s Fairweather Camp in Punta Gorda was alerted that the CP was being surrounded by “potentially hostile” Guatemalans, likely attempting to recover detained individuals. The response from Fairweather was to “man your grounds,” but shortly after, the Harris radio lost sync, cutting off communication entirely. All attempts to re-establish contact failed.
A second attempt to communicate using the Harris radio at 9:30 p.m. also failed, leaving the patrol to harbour overnight and depart the following morning.
When asked about whether the BDF’s communication equipment is outdated and in need of replacement last month, Defence Minister Florencio Marin did not provide a direct response. When we recently asked the Commander of the B.D.F., Brigadier General Azariel Loria said the BDF will soon receive upgraded communication equipment, thanks to support from the Central Bank of Belize. The new gear, which includes body cameras, satellite radios, and tracking devices, will be deployed to the most remote outposts along the Belize-Guatemala border, such as Cadenas, Machakilha, Rio Blanco, and Ceibo Chico. He said, “We are in the process of purchasing our satellite phones with the assistance of the Central Bank of Belize. We’re forming a partnership so that we could at least equip the most remote areas… and we are going to get those tracking devices, but we’re finding means, and it’s not only tracking devices. We are in the era now that we need body cameras to ensure that if they meet Guatemalans, that we get the precise information back to camp.”
The National Hydrological Service has issued a flood forecast for several regions across Belize. Residents are urged to monitor waterways and exercise caution as water levels in certain rivers continue to rise.
Region 7:
In the Rio Hondo, water levels at Blue Creek North remain above historical Hurricane Mitch levels but are expected to decrease. However, from Douglas downstream to the coast, flood levels are expected to rise above Hurricane Mitch levels. In Santa Cruz, San Antonio, and San Roman, flood stage levels are also anticipated to continue increasing. On the New River, above-normal levels are expected to persist at Hill Bank, Tower Hill, and Caledonia.
Region 9:
Residents near the Mopan River in Benque Viejo Town should expect water levels to reach bankfull stage. On the Macal River, reservoir levels at Challillo and Mollejon are expected to remain below the spillway, but the Vaca Facility spillway remains active. In San Ignacio, water levels are expected to stay below the low-lying bridge. On the Belize River, above-normal levels are anticipated at More Tomorrow, while flood stage levels are expected to continue at Double Run. In Crooked Tree Lagoon, water levels are rising but remain below the causeway.
Region 11:
At Freetown Sibun on the Sibun River, water levels are expected to reach bankfull stage. In the Southern Lagoon near Gales Point Village, above-normal levels are expected to persist. Watersheds along the Eastern Slopes of the Maya Mountains, including the Sittee River at Kendal Bridge, will experience above-normal levels, while Swasey and Bladen branches of the Monkey River are expected to see below-normal levels. Normal levels are anticipated on the Deep River at Medina Bank, while above-normal levels are expected on the Rio Grande at San Pedro Columbia and Big Falls South. The Moho River and Temash River are expected to maintain normal levels.
Region 13:
The Sarstoon River is forecasted to remain at normal levels.
Residents are advised to remain vigilant and heed any future updates. The next update will be issued as necessary.
