Today is the day when voters in the United States will choose their next president. Kamala Harris, the Democratic Vice President, and Donald Trump, the Republican former president, continue running a neck-and-neck race. The election will be decided by the Electoral College, and a candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes to win.
The election is expected to come down to key swing states like Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, where polls are extremely tight. While past elections have seen winners declared quickly, this year’s competitive race may mean a longer wait. In some states, “narrow victories”‘ could trigger ‘”recounts,” particularly in Pennsylvania, where a margin of less than half a percentage point would require one.
On the final day of voting in the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris is reaching out to voters through a series of radio interviews. In a conversation with a radio host in Atlanta, Harris made her closing argument, saying, “I think this is an inflection point. This is the moment where we have two very different visions of the future of our nation.” Harris emphasised that her vision is focused on “progress” and on “investing in the ambitions, and the aspirations, and the dreams of the American people.”
Former President Trump expressed confidence in his chances, saying, “It won’t even be close” and adding that while he expects a victory, “it’s gonna take a long time to certify.” As the results start coming in, early vote counts may not reflect the final outcome. In 2020, Trump led in several states on election night, only to be overtaken later as mail-in ballots, which tend to favour Democrats, were counted.
If there is a tie with 269 electoral votes for each candidate, the House of Representatives will choose the president, while the Senate selects the vice president. The presidential inauguration will take place on January 20, 2025, marking the beginning of the new president’s term.
In a recent interview with News 5, Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander of the Belize Defence Force, responded to allegations that some B.D.F. soldiers may be accepting bribes due to inadequate pay. General Loria acknowledged that investigations are ongoing but defended the current salary structure, describing it as “average” and “appropriate” under current conditions.
The General outlined that the B.D.F., along with the Coast Guard, is currently undergoing a salary review led by the Joint Compensation and Classification Committee. He said, “Our salaries is being reviewed at the moment and it’s not only for the BDF but also for the Coast Guard. And, also, I believe that there were some allowances approved to the air wing pilots and to the whole of the BDF for us to start to draw jungle and bush allowances. So it is something that the government is looking into. And I know that, with this level of cooperation that we are having from the government, it is something very positive that all of us are looking into and seeing the results.”
This process, he said, is aimed at adjusting—not increasing—pay scales in light of the recent minimum wage hike. “No, it’s not a pay increase. We’re not getting a pay raise. It’s an adjustment where we’re looking in ways in which our pay scale could be adjusted because of that minimum wage that came into effect.”
When asked about reports of soldiers taking bribes from Guatemalans in the Machakilha area, General Loria admitted that bribery does occur, though he maintained it is isolated to “rogue commanders.” He explained that incidents involving Guatemalans attempting to bribe B.D.F. patrol commanders have been recorded and reported as part of a larger investigation into illegal activities in border areas.
“The B.D.F. is not immune,” he said. “But we maintain rigorous supervision. Our increased patrols are aimed at deterring illegal logging and other unlawful activities along the border.”
General Loria made it clear that the issue of bribery is not widespread within the force. The investigation, he added, has now been extended to include additional checkpoints beyond Machakilha.
Belize faces ongoing challenges in maintaining a stable power supply. With rising demand in Belize and persistently high temperatures, the risk of power outages looms. Belize stands at a critical crossroads with a record number of power outages due to “load shedding” earlier this year. The country saw temporary electricity cutoffs to maintain stability in the national grid.
Belize relies on the Mexican energy supplier, Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), which normally provides “up to 55 MW of capacity to the grid,” according to Belize Electricity Limited (BEL). While CFE has been a reliable partner since the 1990s and helps keep costs down, it has faced its own generation and transmission issues this year, leading to numerous disconnections in Belize. Under a Power Purchase Agreement signed in February 2018, BEL has been buying “opportunity cost energy” from CFE, allowing for additional power purchases when prices are low but also making this supply vulnerable to interruption.
But as Belize’s economy grows, the demand for energy rises. This highlights the urgent need for the country to develop its own electricity generation capacity to meet peak demand and reduce reliance on CFE.
Solar Sisters: Women Leading the Solar Charge
Leading Belize’s renewable energy movement within indigenous communities are three Maya women who are bringing solar power to their villages, transforming lives and fostering sustainable change. Since 2016, Florentina Choco, along with sisters Miriam and Cristina Choc from the Toledo District, have been bringing solar power to remote, off-grid areas.
Through the Small Grants Programme (SGP), managed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), they underwent six months of solar energy training at Barefoot College International in India.
Florentina Choco, the pioneer, was the first woman to receive this training in 2013. Motivated by the need for electricity in her community and its impact on local education, she decided to take action. “I didn’t know anything at all… just heard about it, but eventually I knew how to connect solar. I can see my village… there is no light, no electricity. I want to help the community and the children in school,” she said. Two years after returning to Belize, she helped install light systems in her village and three others: Santa Elena, Graham Creek, and Machakilha.
In 2017, sisters Miriam and Cristina followed in her footsteps and travelled to India for their own solar energy training. “After the installation, the people are very grateful to see the lights in their homes,” Miriam noted. “Our plan is to electrify all communities without access to electricity.” As a result, schools gained access to modern technology like projectors and computers.
While traditional gender roles can be rigid in some indigenous communities, the women have effectively navigated these challenges. Miriam stated, “It’s bringing a change in the Maya women’s culture; it empowers… like we open the way so that other women… can participate in any projects or any trainings.”
“The three women being indigenous themselves… were able to relate to the culture in ways that I never could,” said Mark Miller, the retired executive director of Plenty International Belize Limited, who facilitated the solar training in India.
Cristina added that during installations, they teach local women how to install and maintain solar systems. “We train them… how to take care of their system,” she said.
As they gained experience, the women realised their skills were underutilised in their own villages. They are currently working in six villages, including Yalbac in the Cayo District.
Making Solar Work for Everyone
With increasing recognition of solar energy’s potential, Belize is exploring strategies to harness this essential resource for economic growth, particularly in tourism and agribusiness. The country is taking steps to reduce dependence on imported electricity and diversify its energy generation mix by expanding renewable sources where commercially viable.
Indigenous communities, such as Corazon and Indian Creek, have welcomed solar technology through private-government partnerships. However, transitioning to solar energy requires significant investment.
Interest in solar energy is growing, driven by financing options like special loans from the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) Projects. Solar Energy Solutions Belize (SESB), operating for 13 years, is one company facilitating community transitions to solar energy.
Co-founder Silvan Kuffer explained the inefficiencies of traditional generators in many Maya villages. “A little generator is not efficient. You run that thing one night just to have a fan blowing on you—five gallons of gas gone,” he explained. “Now, power from a solar system through a meter, they can blow the fan all night… and it’s going to cost them the same 80 cents or one dollar it’s costing another Belizean for the power.”
However, as the demand for solar energy grows in Belize, there is an urgent need for trained solar technicians. “Yes, there are no moving parts, but all of them need maintenance. They need cleaning. And that is, if the industry goes so quick, we’re going to have a lot of boats on the water, but not many captains.” He noted that a structured approach from the government to address this rising issue would be beneficial.
Vision for Renewable Energy in Belize
The Belizean government is committed to a sustainable energy future, with recent policy changes facilitating solar power integration, particularly for marginalised communities. Belize’s adoption of solar energy contributes to sustainability and reduces carbon emissions, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change.
In the 2023 Belize Energy Policy, the Government of Belize committed to becoming a low-carbon, energy-efficient nation by 2040, addressing climate change and energy system interconnectedness. The policy emphasises enhancing resilience, supporting energy transitions, and ensuring equitable benefits for all citizens, including indigenous communities.
Belize is doing relatively well compared to other Caribbean nations in supporting small solar projects. Previously, small solar users connected to the grid without contributing to stability. A lack of rules, like feed-in tariffs, limited the ability of solar panel users to sell excess energy back to the grid, helping to maintain the overall energy system. However, the new Electricity Licensing and Consent Regulation passed on March 1, 2024, modernises the regulatory environment for electricity supply, transmission, distribution, and energy storage. The new regulation outlined in Statutory Instrument (S.I.) 39 “is actually geared at opening up the energy market and the energy sector,” said Minister of Energy Michel Chebat, adding, “For the first time in Belize, in the history of Belize, you see a piece of legislation that is actually opening up the energy sector.”
I relocated from California to Placencia, on the coast of southern Belize, in 1995, when there were no paved roads, no vehicles and everybody walked around barefoot. Back then, I was working as a research assistant and scuba-diving instructor. That meant that I had access to Belize’s stunning coral reefs, but also that I began to witness — and document — an ever-more depressing decline in the reefs’ health.
In 1999, while managing Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve for the Belize Fisheries Department, I saw the effects of the 1998 global bleaching event caused by an El Niño followed by a strong La Niña — weather patterns resulting from variations in ocean temperatures in the Equatorial Pacific.
Then in 2001, the category-4 Hurricane Iris hit Placencia and the Laughing Bird Caye National Park 12 miles offshore, causing catastrophic damage. Laughing Bird Caye, part of the Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage Site, is crucial to local tourism. The devastation, for both the reef and the community, got me thinking about whether the corals could be re-established.
Coral-reef restoration or rewilding has since become the subject of often intense debate, with a growing number of scientists maintaining that it is a losing battle in a rapidly warming world. Specialists continue to argue over even such basic questions as ‘what is a coral?’ and ‘what is a reef?’, before you get to ‘how much coral cover restored counts as restoration?’ Some researchers question whether reef restoration can be done at scale, whereas others have made overzealous assertions about how easy it is, what it can achieve and how. Reef restoration has taken off — like yoga, I often joke — with ever-wilder ideas about how to ‘save the reefs’. Instead of ‘yoga with babies’, ‘yoga with goats’ or ‘yoga with snakes’, it’s ‘feed the corals’, ‘shade the corals’ or ‘mix in some probiotics’.
My and my team’s experiences, over almost two decades in Belize, show that coral-reef restoration projects can be an uphill battle. But — for now at least — done in the right way, the work can help the corals, their surrounding ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
It took four years to find funding to trial transplanting coral fragments from Belize’s outer reef to Laughing Bird Caye. But since 2010, a team of Belizeans and I have moved genetically distinct colonies of elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata), staghorn coral (A. cervicornis) and hybrids (A. prolifera) — amounting to more than 96,000 fragments — to Laughing Bird Caye and more than 20 other sites across 7 marine protected areas.
To better assess changes in coral cover, in 2014 we started using an imaging approach called diver-based photomosaics, a type of large-area imaging. Annual analyses of nine plots (each measuring 50–200 square metres) showed that coral cover increased from 4–6% in 2014 to more than 60% in 2021.
In 2019, we began using drones to assess larger areas, and, by 2021, showed that we had re-established live corals in more than 0.2 hectares of reef around Laughing Bird Caye alone. Although survival rates could turn out to be a lot worse this year, even after two major coral-bleaching events in 2023, nearly 80% of 1,200 transplanted A. palmata fragments at four Cayes in southern Belize had survived (these data are yet to be published).
We are trying to keep portions of shallow reefs alive for as long as possible in a warming world, partially in the hope — which admittedly is thinning — that humanity begins to bend the warming curve so that corals can thrive again. But our experiences suggest that these efforts are likely to prove beneficial only if the water quality is good enough, and if living corals and macroalgae grazers are present. Macroalgal mats interfere with the settlement of coral larvae when they switch from their planktonic phase to the sessile one; sea urchins, crabs and other grazers keep levels of macroalgae down. No-take or highly protected marine zones are also crucial because they preserve species such as lobsters, which feed on the snails that feed on corals.
Restoration can have all sorts of benefits. It can provide a habitat for hundreds of species and protect shorelines from erosion and flooding. It can provide an economic boost, too — and not just by driving tourism. In 2013, a group of us founded an initiative called Fragments of Hope to continue our coral-restoration work. Since then, we have employed only people who live in Belize. More than 100 have trained with us so far. Last year, more than 70% of our operating costs (nearly US$250,000 per year) were spent in Belize. Each person who worked with us last year (for 20 hours a week) earned around $5,000. And this year, it will be around $10,000. This is in a country where the minimum wage is $2.50 per hour and the gross domestic product per capita was less than $7,000 in 2023.
Today, around 25 researchers from different disciplines use Fragments of Hope for their work. Environmental engineers are trying to quantify wave attenuation or work out how to improve waste-water treatment, and anthropology students are pursuing socio-economic studies.
I often feel like giving up. But as long as the corals don’t, nor will I. Whenever I see tiny remnants of coral fusing together — often in the space of a year — to create a living coating over what had looked like a huge dead coral skeleton, I am persuaded to keep trying. Fragments of Hope and other interdisciplinary learning hubs should not be abandoned yet.
Antigua and Barbuda’s independent Member of Parliament for St. Peter, Asot Michael, was found dead in his home under circumstances suggesting potential foul play. Police discovered the 54-year-old politician early Tuesday, lying in a pool of blood, which has launched an immediate homicide investigation.
Michael, a prominent and sometimes controversial figure in Antiguan politics, previously served as Minister of Tourism, Economic Development, Investment, and Energy under Prime Minister Gaston Browne. His recent transition to an independent role in Parliament added another layer to his influential career.
Authorities have cordoned off the area as forensic teams meticulously gather evidence at the scene. Although few details have emerged, police have indicated that foul play has not been ruled out as they work to piece together the events surrounding Michael’s death.
The Belize Fisheries Department has acquired essential new equipment: a Toyota Hilux vehicle and eight laptops. The new resources aim to enhance the department’s capacity to monitor fisheries and enforce compliance with national fisheries laws—a critical step in protecting Belize’s marine ecosystems and supporting sustainable fisheries and local livelihoods.
The equipment, valued at BZD $108,633, was funded by the Belize Fund for a Sustainable Future through Government Strategic Allocation (GSA) financing. This funding falls under the project “Establishing the Enabling Environment for the Development of a Marine Spatial Plan through Strengthened Governance, Improved Management, and Enhanced Monitoring of Belize’s Coastal and Marine Resources.” The GSA facility is designated to help government agencies meet conservation goals outlined in the Conservation Funding Agreement (CFA) under Belize’s Blue Bond initiative.
Through this investment, the Belize government and its partners continue to push forward with conservation milestones, working to protect the country’s marine resources and promote sustainable development. The Blue Bond Agreement represents Belize’s ongoing commitment to balancing ecological preservation with economic resilience, a goal made more achievable with this targeted investment in the Fisheries Department.
Tonight, Shawn Ortiz’s family is grappling with his tragic and violent death. The beloved taxi driver was stabbed after a night out at a popular spot in Belize City. As he was about to head home, a verbal spat turned into a brutal attack, with one of three men stabbing him viciously. Ortiz tried to escape, unaware of his injuries, but collapsed a short distance from the scene. He was rushed to the K.H.M.H. but sadly didn’t make it. Now, police are on the hunt for three suspects linked to his murder. We start our newscast with this story from News Five’s Isani Cayetano.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
A well-known cabdriver met a tragic end overnight while socializing in Belize City. Forty-three-year-old Shawn Ortiz was leaving Stephen’s Place on Jaguar Avenue in the vicinity of Faber’s Road Extension when an altercation with three men turned deadly. During the confrontation, a knife was drawn, and Ortiz suffered a fatal stab wound. His girlfriend, who was at home across town, received the heartbreaking news of the incident later. Deandra Staine spoke with News Five off camera earlier today.
Voice of: Deandra Staine
Voice of: Deandra Staine, Girlfriend of Deceased
“Well I mi di sleep and then I just received it by a phone call and through text that he just get stabbed and so we mi need fi goh meet ahn da hospital.”
Isani Cayetano
“What did you observe at the point where you got to the hospital?”
Deandra Staine
“By the time we reach da di hospital ih mi already passed away. And I mi end up fi sih and everything but ih mi done gaan.”
Shawn Ortiz
Investigators report that Ortiz became involved in a physical altercation with three men, during which he was stabbed once. By the time police arrived at the scene, Ortiz had already been rushed to the KHMH for emergency medical treatment.
“Police responded to a stabbing incident on Jaguar Avenue in Belize City. Upon their arrival, police learned that the victim had been taken to the KHMH for treatment. Police visited KHMH where they found Shawn Ortiz with stab wound injuries and he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigation revealed that Shawn Ortiz was in a fight in the area of Jaguar Avenue with other persons, one of whom inflicted the fatal stab injuries to him. We are seeking three suspects in regards to this report.”
News of the taxi driver’s death came as a devastating shock to Ortiz’s sibling. Shanine Campbell could hardly believe that her brother would meet such a violent end.
Voice of: Shanine Campbell
Voice of: Shanine Campbell, Sister of Deceased
“This is hard, I mean we buried mommy a year and change ago, buried Shawn’s dad and my dad two months later, after mommy, and now here comes Shawn. He was affectionately known as Big Shawn, so, you know, I would constantly say Big Shawn, but to his friends, he da mi Mack Shawn. This is hard. Truth be told, I can’t, at this moment, I am still processing it. I can’t cry, I am just trying to figure out what we’re going to do and how we’re going to get through this one. So I must tell you that it is hard, it is a shock, shock to the neighborhood, shock to Shawn’s friends, you know, a shock to Shawn’s family. This is different, we heard that it’s a stab. To be honest, we would have expected probably a crash, probably an altercation for a woman, but not a stab.”
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero, a motive for the murder is yet to be determined.
Hilberto Romero
“We do not have a motive at this time. They were all involved in the fight at Jaguar Avenue.”
Marion Ali
“Was this from an old dispute or something that just erupted?”
Hilberto Romero
“All we know is that there was a fight there and he was stabbed. That’s all we have at this time.”
Shawn Ortiz
Ortiz was a beloved figure in the Lake Independence community, known for his vibrant personality and infectious energy. To many, he was the life of the party, always bringing joy and laughter wherever he went.
Deandra Staine
“Everybody just like ih vibe da just life.”
Shanine Campbell
“Shawn was fearless was fearless. He used to say, “I go everywhere because I have nothing, I don’t have any feud, any quarrel, any fuss with anyone.” But here it comes. A stab wound at an establishment and we have no idea what really happened.”
A woman is in police custody, and her brothers are on the run after a fight left her common-law husband with a knife wound. Today, A.C.P. Hilberto Romero shared with the media that Kenroy Lanza, the victim, got into a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. She called her brothers for backup, and when they arrived, things quickly escalated. In the chaos, Lanza was stabbed. The woman is now detained as the investigation continues, and the police are actively searching for her siblings.
“On Sunday, 30th of November 2024, police visited Hattieville Village, where information was received that Kenroy Lanza had received stab wound injuries. He was rushed to the K.H.M.H., where he is presently admitted in a critical condition. Investigation revealed that Kenroy Lanza had a domestic dispute with his girlfriend, and she alerted her brothers, who then came. There was a fight between them which resulted in Lanza being stabbed. We have the female in custody and we’re seeking the other two brothers at this time. An investigation is being carried out and we have to verify certain information and at the end of the investigation, we will determine who will be charged. This is an open investigation at this time.”
In recent months, fatal road traffic accidents have tragically become one of the leading causes of death in Belize. This past weekend, the country mourned the loss of two more lives in separate accidents in the northern and southern regions. One of the victims was Elias Cowo, a resident of San Felipe, who lost his life en route to August Pine Ridge Village. News Five’s Britney Gordon brings us the details in this report.
Britney Gordon
Britney Gordon, Reporting
In late October, Elias Cowo from San Felipe was anxious to buy a new motorcycle. Little did he know, just a week later, he’d be taking his final ride. Around ten p.m., Elias hopped on his bike, heading to a party he was excited about. Tragically, he never made it. His brother, Daniel, recounts the heartbreaking events of that night.
Daniel Cowo
Daniel Cowo, Brother of Deceased
“I was at the home with my mom. She was sick. Afterward, I told her, where’s my breda? She told me she, he had left from him. He just bathe, and gone outside with the motorcycle. So I tell my mom. He will come back right now. Cause he always do that. Well, then I went to buy some stuff. Then I come back to my house. And then I leave. After that, then I come out. When I come out, I had a call from my wife. And she tell me that something happen to my breda.”
Britney Gordon
This is the road Cowo was travelling. And just before he made it to Shipyard Junction, reportedly, a drunken man entered into his path. And in an attempt to avoid him, he lost his life.
Elias Cowo
Britney Gordon
“When you got there and saw that, what was the feeling upon seeing something like that?”
Daniel Cowo
“Well, I got scared. It’s my brother, so I cannot do nothing.”
Britney Gordon
“Were there already paramedics on the scene trying to assist him”
Daniel Cowo
“No, no. There was nothing about that. Only the police officers were there. But they were waiting for, like, somebody from the family who know that that’s the body of him in there. So that’s why I was there. I reach there late though. I neva know about it. I just gone.”
Elias Cowo
Reports say the person who wandered onto the road was drunk but luckily only got minor injuries. However, Elias’ brother, Cowo, shared that Elias wasn’t wearing a helmet and might have been drinking too.
Daniel Cowo
“I think that he got an injury in his foot and his hand. But, I’m not sure what happened exactly. But my brother died in the instantly. He was going with the motorcycle. I think, when he said in person closer, he crashed with it.”
Elias Cowo
Britney Gordon
“Trying to avoid him?”
Daniel Cowo
“Yeah. And it was already close because my brother was drunk too, so we could not do nothing.”
Elias’ mother, Isabel Cowo, is taking his death the hardest. She told us that she had pleaded with him not to ride the motorcycle that night.
Isabel Cowo
Isabel Cowo, Mother of Deceased
“I am making all the arrangements right now to be able to get my son’s body, but it’s been very difficult. Everything takes a process. So far, I’ve been told we have to wait through the process to get his body. We don’t know if it will take a week or two. We dont know. We understand that it’s not only his case; there are other families as well in similar situations, waiting for updates. All I know is that I’m trying my best. To tell you the truth, I have never been through such an ordeal like this before. My husband’s death felt different. But losing my son—it’s a pain I’ve never felt before. Right now I’m feeling very hurt; I feel bad; it’s something that I think no one can really overcome alone, only with the help of God. That’s really all I can say for now.”
While Daniel admits that Elias could be a bit reckless at times, he fondly remembers his brother’s infectious, jovial spirit that lit up every room he entered.
Daniel Cowo
“He used to go out around with a lot of guys. He always goes to a party anddance and everything. He enjoy, like too much to enjoy everything, yeah. But, I always tell him, be careful for everything. You don’t know what’s going to happen to you if you go on the motorcycle and drunk. My mom doesn’t want it that way. He did buy a motorcycle, so that’s why.”
Daniel says that he is trying to be there for his mother as he attempts to process his own grief. Britney Gordon for News Five.
As we mentioned earlier, another tragic motorcycle accident claimed the life of a Belizean man on Saturday. The victim was Elias Cowo from San Felipe. His family suspects that alcohol and possibly another person were involved in the circumstances leading to his death. Here’s ACP Hilberto Romero with the official report.
“On Saturday, the second day of November, there was a fatal road traffic accident at San Felipe Village in the Orange Walk District. Police visited the area where they saw the lifeless body of Elias Cowo. Beside him, there was a motorcycle with extensive damages. Investigation revealed that Elias Cowo was driving his motorcycle when he lost control and fell to the street causing his fatal injuries.”
