A man was fatally stabbed last night in Belize City. The victim has been identified as 43-year-old Shawn Ortiz Sr. We are told that he was attacked in the Faber’s Road extension area. The motive for the attack is under investigation.
This is a developing story.
With just two days left until Election Day, more than 73 million Americans have already cast their ballots. The race between Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump is too close to call. Recent national polls show Harris leading by only one point, within the margin of error.
On Saturday, Harris campaigned in Charlotte, North Carolina, where she made a passionate appeal to young voters. “I see the promise of America every day in the young leaders who are voting for the first time,” she stated, urging them to take action on issues like gun violence and climate change. Harris also criticised Trump, claiming he lacks a comprehensive plan for the future. “If he is elected, Donald Trump, on day one, would be in that office stewing over his enemies list,” she said. “But when I am elected, I will walk in on your behalf, working on my to-do list.”
Meanwhile, Trump campaigned across North Carolina and Virginia, where he held rallies and focused on his usual themes, including criticism of the media and immigration. At an evening rally in Greensboro, Trump claimed credit for the declining trust in U.S. media. He said, “The fake news back there, they were at 92 percent approval rating when we started this journey in 2015. And now they’re less than Congress, which is in the low 12s.” He added, “I’m very proud of that because I’ve exposed them as being fake.” He then returned to addressing the fears of undocumented immigration into the U.S.
The Ministry of Investment, in collaboration with several partners, officially launched the “Vanilla Training for Women and Girls in Western and Southern Belize” project in Bella Vista Village, Toledo District. This initiative is designed to empower 30 women from Toledo by teaching them how to grow and harvest vanilla.
The training will focus on increasing the acreage of vanilla cultivated in Belize, providing hands-on experience in propagating vanilla vines, and educating participants on the floral biology of vanilla, including the hand-pollination process.
Trainees will learn about harvesting, curing, and exporting their produce, while also receiving guidance on organising efforts within women’s groups to develop the vanilla industry.
The Ministry stated that “vanilla represents a significant economic opportunity for Belize, especially with international demand.” The project will also establish a propagation nursery at Bella Vista Government Secondary School.
The National Hurricane Centre is monitoring two weather systems in the Atlantic and Caribbean. The first is Subtropical Storm Patty, which is currently located near the Azores Islands in the northeastern Atlantic.
The second system causing disorganised showers and thunderstorms is located in the southwestern Caribbean Sea (AL97). According to NHC, this system has a high chance of development during the next 48 hours, while it moves generally north to northwestward over the central and western Caribbean Sea.
Additionally, a low-pressure trough near the Greater Antilles is producing showers and gusty winds east of the southeastern Bahamas. This system has low chances of formation through the next 48 hours.
Belize is getting ready for COP29, the United Nations Climate Change Conference happening in Azerbaijan this November. Building on COP28, this conference is another key opportunity for countries to be held accountable for their environmental actions.
Minister of Sustainable Development and Climate Change, Orlando Habet, noted the importance of Belize’s involvement in the decision-making process to protect the country’s interests.
Minister Habet said that while there was agreement on transitioning from fossil fuels, the lack of binding commitments raises concerns. He pointed out that the “Loss and Damage” fund has only received about $800 million in financial support, which is far too low.
For COP29, Minister Habet will be leading in finance discussion and strengthening the region’s negotiating power as he represents the Caribbean Community (CARICOM). He said his focus on finance and transparency, stating, “The adaptation fund, they even informed us that that $100 billion that we had been asking for was released in 2022. There’s no transparency on that part. So for COP 29, what we’re asking is more transparency on one, the acquisition of the funding, the facilitation of that funding, and how it is being distributed.
Just over a week ago, a BDF officer was run over by a military pickup truck after he fell asleep on a road in Price Barracks in Ladyville. The officer was returning to his quarters in the early morning following a regimental dinner.
Brigadier General Azariel Loria, Commander of the Belize Defence Force (BDF), said that the incident occurred last Thursday when the officer “fell asleep on the road.” Brig. Gen. Loria added, “The officer was trying to walk back to his room, but for some reason he fell asleep on the road. It’s an area that is poorly illuminated, and there were a slew of vehicles that were trafficking to go back again to their bedrooms to sleep, and it so happens that one of those vehicles run him over.”
According to Loria, the officer suffered minor injuries only and “by the grace of God, he is doing well.”
“I don’t know what he is made of, but he did survive. He was run over properly by a pickup truck, and he is at home recuperating.”
When asked about the driver’s potential intoxication, Loria said, “I don’t know if it was drinking or not. An investigation is being conducted into that.” He added, “Whenever anyone gets into an accident, his driver’s license is suspended depending on the outcome of the investigation.”
Voters in the United States are three days away until the presidential election takes place on November 5. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump are neck and neck in key Midwestern swing states like Michigan and Wisconsin.
At rallies on Friday, Harris criticised Trump for his comments about former Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney, whom he suggested should have “guns trained on her.” Trump defended his statement, claiming it was a valid critique of Cheney’s foreign policy.
Polls indicate a tight race, with Harris leading nationally by 1.3 points, but her advantage in critical swing states is shrinking. In Michigan, she has a narrow lead of about 1 point, while Trump leads in Nevada by 0.4 points. In Wisconsin, Harris’s lead has increased slightly to 0.8 points.
Looking ahead, Harris will campaign in Charlotte, North Carolina, promising a star-studded rally to rally support in a state Democrats haven’t won since 2008. Trump is also headed to Charlotte, where he maintains a slight lead in the polls.
Both candidates are focusing on persuading undecided voters as they enter the final stretch of the campaign.
In July, we reported that Dr. Cecilio Eck was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. To help with his medical expenses, family and friends are holding a raffle. Alina Saldivar and her husband from Island Magic Villas have donated a prize: a fully paid two-day trip for four to Caye Caulker, including meals and a catamaran sunset tour.
Tickets cost $100 each and can be bought online through OneLink until the raffle on January 6, 2025. Payments are secure and accepted via local and US debit and credit cards.
In Friday’s episode of Open Your Eyes, Dr. Eck shared positive updates on his health. He said, “I’m feeling pretty good. When I left Belize, I was really sick.” After three sessions of immunotherapy and chemotherapy, he noted, “My latest scans, which were done on Tuesday this week, actually showed that there are no new lesions in my body, and of the ones that were there, they are getting smaller.” Dr. Eck explained that his cancer treatment plan includes six to eight cycles of chemotherapy followed by immunotherapy over two years. He will also need surgeries to address damage to his right humerus and possibly his pelvis after completing chemotherapy.
Despite the vigorous treatment plan, Dr. Eck sees his latest treatment results as good indicators. “My spirits are up, my appetite is back, my weight is going up, and I don’t feel as ill as I first started.” He mentioned that his oncologist views this as “very positive news.”
Prime Minister John Briceño met with representatives of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) on Friday. PM Briceño said they “discussed a range of issues,” including the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Bill, representation on the KHMH Workers Union Board, appointments in the judiciary, SPV-SSB Committee, Amendment to Finance and Audit Act, Tertiary Hospital Act Amendment, Starlink to Belize, and Auditor General Post and Office.
Briceno said it was a “very constructive meeting and agreed on most of the issues on a way forward.”
The meeting took place at the Eleanor Hall Building in Belize City. The NTUCB said the meeting was amicable and proved fruitful.
Eight months ago, the Ministry of Rural Transformation, Community Development, Labour, and Local Government announced that Cabinet approved amendments to the OSH Bill, which replaces the Factories Act. The new legislation establishes the National Occupational Safety and Health Authority and Inspectorate to oversee workplace safety.
Initially presented in January 2011, the OSH Bill has undergone major revisions after receiving feedback from the Belize Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the NTUCB. Extensive consultations took place in late 2023, culminating in proposed amendments submitted to Cabinet on January 30, 2023, which have now been approved.
