Belize Defence Force soldier Genario Che Junior died on Monday night following a road traffic accident near Jacintoville on the Thomas Vincent Ramos Highway. Che died on the scene.
Major Roberta Usher, Chief of Staff of the Belize Defence Force (BDF), said the force lost “a dedicated member of our team. He served with honour and commitment, and it’s a difficult time for all of us. Our thoughts and condolences are with his family, friends, and loved ones.”
The 26-year-old soldier, who lived in Silver Creek, was off duty at the time and was due to return to work at 2 PM but never did. “All of that is being investigated as to why he did not return at 2 and whatever caused what occurred.”
Che soldier had been socialising with a friend, another BDF soldier. “Yes, we understand that they were recreating at a bar together and drinking.”
He had served in the BDF for seven years as a member of Alpha Company in the 1st Infantry Battalion. His colleagues described him as a quiet, productive, and committed individual. While he may have experienced personal challenges, he remained dedicated to his work.
In terms of family outreach, Major Usher explained that when such incidents occur, the battalion closest to the family reaches out to offer condolences. The police are conducting an investigation, but the BDF is also conducting its own internal review to understand the circumstances surrounding the soldier’s off-duty activities.
The incident involved a motorcycle and a pickup truck. Che was on the motorcycle.
The “Cell Phone Repair Course for Women and Youth” has been extended to the Orange Walk District. This initiative aims to provide women and youth in Orange Walk Town and surrounding villages with self-employment opportunities by equipping them with skills in cell phone maintenance and repair.
Fourteen participants are currently enrolled in the training program, addressing a pressing need for qualified technicians in the region. With no other training of this kind available in Belize and limited access to cell phone repair services, particularly in rural areas, the program is filling a crucial gap.
Following the success in Corozal, where half of the trainees now offer repair services, the expansion to Orange Walk is expected to yield similar results.
The program also aligns with efforts to diversify the district’s economy, particularly by fostering skills development and entrepreneurship in the Orange Economy. Through this training, women will be empowered to earn additional income from home by repairing cell phones—essential devices for content creation in the growing Orange Economy.
The Alliance for Democracy stirred up the political scene on Sunday with a Special Unity Convention that saw U.D.P. delegates casting their votes for Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton as the new leader of the U.D.P. However, this move has ignited fierce contention between Taegar-Panton’s Alliance faction and the elected executive of the U.D.P., headed by Mesopotamia Area Representative Moses “Shyne” Barrow. Barrow contends that the Alliance has no right to hold a legitimate U.D.P. event, claiming they’ve been expelled from the party. The Alliance, however, argues that they are fully entitled to convene and that Barrow has effectively hijacked the party and leveraged the executive’s authority to impose his will. It’s a political mess, and from the looks of it neither side is backing down. So now the question really is: Who is the true leader of the U.D.P.? Reporter Marion Ali was at the convention and looks deeper into the U.D.P.’s constitution. Here is that report.
Tracy Taegar-Panton
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“Let me hear you, mi gente! UDP! UDP! UDP!…music starts, balloonsreleased, crowd shot and Tracy give thumbs up)”
Marion Ali, Reporting
In what can only be described as an unbreakable show of support by UDP delegates for Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton on Sunday, the Alliance for Democracy elected her as the new “interim leader” of the United Democratic Party. The status of who is the rightful leader is still not clear and may quite likely be subject to a court battle. Both sides are relying on different sections of the UDP Constitution to bolster their position for calling the convention. The Alliance makes its case on Article Six (e) which states, “A sitting of the National Convention shall be scheduled and arranged and a Call to National Convention shall be issued upon a majority vote of the National Party Council or upon petition of one-fourth of all Delegates or as may be provided for in the Party Rules.”.
The Alliance had presented that petition signed by two hundred and thirty-two of the five hundred and twenty-eight UDP delegates countrywide, which was more than needed to trigger the convention. And by Sunday’s convention, that number grew to three hundred and forty-seven delegates in attendance, three hundred and thirty-four of whom voted in support of Taegar- Panton’s leadership and the new executive she brings. That executive also includes Interim Chairperson Sheena Pitts who, according to the Alliance, has replaced Mike Peyrefitte and Interim Vice Chair Lee Mark Chang who has replaced Alberto August. When she spoke with the media following the event, Taegar-Panton said that the results of the voting were final, and that the Alliance would now do whatever it takes to ensure that the results are honoured by the UDP.
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Albert Area Representative
“I am now the interim leader of the United Democratic Party. The mandate by the delegates and the mandate by the UDP supporters who are out here today in the thousands is a clear indication and I will take up that mandate and I will lead this party. I will ensure that the party is united, and I will do everything in my power to have the party rebuild to its days of glory. We will leave no stone unturned; I know have a clear mandate from the delegates and the national convention, which is the highest decision makers of this party. And I act on that mandate.”
The UDP’s current elected area representatives, aside from Taegar-Panton are Collet’s Area Rep, Patrick Faber, Queen Square’s Denise “Sista B” Barrow and Corozal North’s Hugo Patt. And its other elected officials are Mayor Earl Trapp and Councilor Bernadette Fernandez from Cayo. Faber was the only one present of all these elected UDP officials. But there was notable presence by Audrey Wallace, former CEO in the Prime Minister’s Office when Shyne Barrow’s father, Dean Barrow was Prime Minister; as well as by former Ministers Anthony “Boots” Martinez and Edmond Castro and former UDP Port Loyola Standard Bearer, Phillip Willoughby, as well as other party standard bearers. Castro told News Five that he had to show his support for the Alliance after he realized that Barrow was not taking the UDP down the right path. Interestingly, he said that the Alliance kept Hugo Patt as the UDP’s First Deputy Leader.
Edmond Castro, former UDP Minister
“After today, Tracy Taegar-Panton will be the new leader of the United Democratic Party, Hugo Patt will be the First Deputy [Leader], Beverly Williams, Second Deputy, Sheena Pitts will be the chairperson and then we got Lee Mark as the deputy chair.”
Reporter
“So you’re saying that Hugo Patt has now joined forces?”
Edmond Castro
“I just gave you the slate.”
Marion Ali
“Mr. Barrow has said what you all are doing here is a non-UDP event, simply because they are no longer UDP members.”
Edmond Castro
“He is not a UDP. He is a just-come. He nuh understand how the bricks were laid to even build the headquarters. He nuh know nothing much about United Democratic Party. I gave him an opportunity to lead, but he nuh di cut it and I told him, “If you nuh di cut it, I will be vocal against you, my brother.”
News Five has reached out to Hugo Patt for his reaction to Castro’s comments, but he did not respond to our calls or messages. But as it relates to Barrow’s popularity, a question we ask now is this: Is Sunday’s U.D.P. delegates’ overwhelming vote for Taegar-Panton a reinforcement of the recent Viking Poll? That poll determined that while Barrow is Belize’s second most known politician after Prime Minister John Briceno, his favorability ranking is extremely poor, at thirty-fourth out of thirty-six. Barrow and the executive that call the convention and the voting illegal rely on the argument that Taegar-Panton, Faber, and Belmopan and Belize Rural Central Standard Bearers, John Saldivar and Beverly Williams had constructively resigned in late August.
The UDP Central Executive cited repeated violations of the UDP Constitution, particularly Article Five (1) (b) and (с); Аrtісlе Five (5)(а), (b), (с) and (d) аnd Аrtісlе Seven (11).” Barrow also turned to the Speaker of the House, Valerie Woods to kick Taegar-Panton and Faber out of the UDP isle. That never happened because Woods quoted from the Constitution of Belize, which trumps any other constitution. Woods ruled that the two UDP parliamentarians have not informed her office or the House of their resignation as Members. We asked Taegar-Panton at the start of Sunday’s event why didn’t the Alliance take the matter to court for a resolution. She explained that they first needed the vote, then they will proceed to court if necessary.
Tracy Taegar-Panton
“If we need to, we will, but we have to first have the mandate of the people. We must first get the mandate of the delegates, and that is what happens today. And the mandate will be clear after today’s convention, what the people want to see happen within the United Democratic Party. If we need to go to court, we go to court. There’s no turning back.”
Geraldine Tillett presented the motion to rescind him as UDP Leader. The voting started at twelve-twenty and ended at two-fifty pm.The Alliance bussed in delegates from all thirty-one constituencies in a total of seventy chartered buses. It presented nine motions altogether at the convention, including the motion presented by Ernest Banner from Cayo South who presented the motion to rescind Mike Peyrefitte as Chairman of the UDP; Vanley Jenkins from Lake Independence who presented the motion to rescind Alberto August as Vice Chairman, and Geraldine Tillett, who has lived all her life in the Mesopotamia Division where Barrow represents. Marion Ali for News Five.
As we reported, the buses came from far and wide from all six districts, and so did the boats from Belize Rural South’s Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. And the supporters took up a significant space in the seating gallery at the Belize City Civic Centre. An interesting twist to the event was that while Moses Barrow’s aunt, Queen Square Standard Bearer, Denise “Sister B” Barrow, was a no-show, Godwin Haylock, who is the U.D.P.’s new Standard Bearer in Queen Square, did show up to support the Alliance. Haylock pointed to Barrow’s abstention in the House to vote on Belize celebrating thirty-five years of diplomatic relations with Taiwan, something that he considered ridiculous.
Godwin Haylock
Godwin Haylock, Standard Bearer, Queen Square
“When I saw that unconstitutional acts were being committed, standard bearers being removed, the latest one being that you go to the House after that and you say that we cannot support Taiwan, an ally of Belize with a straight “yes” vote. That abstaining was really ridiculous. I watched it again as we went to the House last Friday. You saw that the House Committee members were changed in a most malicious way. The truth is Dean Barrow, Sister B, the entire UDP of Queen Square will never support such as act.”
Reporter
“You’ve been known to be supportive of the Barrows and they are supportive of you. So for us you’re a young figure but a huge figure, but for you to go against Shyne Barrow on a personal level people will see that you’re a traitor.”
Godwin Haylock
“I feel that while the Barrows have the luxury of not coming out vocally against Shyne because they’re family members, I don’t have that luxury to go to the division and say I’m a Barrow and I can’t get into this. I must make a stance for my community and I feel deep down that the principles, the values that Dean Barrow brought to the Queen Square Division are the same values that he would want me to stand for today.”
Geraldine Tillett has been a long-standing resident of the Mesopotamia Division and a stalwart supporter of the United Democratic Party. She presented the motion for the recall of her Area Representative, Moses “Shyne” Barrow, as U.D.P. Leader at Sunday’s Alliance Convention. And she told News Five that while she voted for Barrow in the last election, there was no way she could support him in the next one, so she transferred her vote out of the constituency.
Geraldine Tillett, Resident, Mesopotamia
“Basically, I was a big supporter of Shyne, but then I realised that Shyne is destroying this party because of his attitude, his dictatorial ways. And I refuse to have him destroy a party that I have been working for since I was eighteen years old. I will not allow that to happen.”
Marion Ali
“So, come the next general election, when you get a chance to vote for him..”
Geraldine Tillett
“Not voting for him, not voting for him.”
Marion Ali
“Will you vote against the party this year?”
Geraldine Tillett
“No, I’m not voting against the party. I’m not in the division again. I transferred. I transferred my vote because I refuse to vote for him. But I will not go against my party, so I prefer to go somewhere where I know my vote will be counted because I will not…”
While the U.D.P. status quo has remained unfazed by the Alliance for Democracy’s convention on Sunday, the Alliance members are moving forward to ensuring that the outcome of their convention motions and voting is implemented. Area Representative for Collet, Patrick Faber, said that the U.D.P. will be a stronger and a more unified party now.
Patrick Faber, Area Representative, Collet
“Belize deserves a UDP that is strong, that is unified, and ready to lead with compassion and conviction. This is not just a time for reflection; it is a time for action. The work we have begun here today will echo across Belize in every district, in every community, in every home. We are sending a message, loud and clear, the UDP is back. And we are stronger than ever. We are ready to fight for the rights of every Belizean, to protect our democracy and to ensure that no one, no one can take away what belongs to the people.”
Sunday’s event saw Attorney Jacqueline Willoughby elected as interim chair of the day’s events, and she conducted the verification of the quorum for the event. Thereafter, Taegar-Panton addressed the supporters and promised them that she will fight on their behalf to rebuild the U.D.P. She told them while they prepare to restore unity and strength, the work is only just beginning to prepare for the election ahead.
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Area Representative, Albert
“You, the delegates of the United Democratic Party, all three hundred and forty-seven of you who voted in today’s convention, those who voted for me and those who voted against me have spoken for the people. You have spoken for the fifty-nine thousand Belizeans who voted for the United Democratic Party in the last elections. And you stand here today to say to this nation, we are ready. We are ready to heal, and we are ready to restore, and we are ready to rebuild this great United Democratic Party from the ground up. We are ready to lead this nation, and we are ready to win. Mi gente, mi gente; my people, my people, this is our time. This is the time for the people. Today, you won. The voices of the people won. The voices of the delegates made clear our path. The voices of the United Democratic Party have come together as one voice. And now, my friends, and now you, the members of our UDP family, you, the members, the work has just begun.”
Notably absent from Sunday’s Alliance for Democracy Unity Convention was the only elected U.D.P. mayor, Earl Trapp. He has been quite vocal over the last couple of years about his desire to see the party unified. We caught up with him in San Ignacio while the convention was happening in Belize City. We pressed him on where his allegiance lies. Here is what he told us.
Earl Trapp, Mayor, SI/SE
“I will tell you what and it is obvious, our party is divided and it is difficult for me, but what I did is that as an independent minded person I believe in the best interest of the people of this country, in the best interest of the country, I don’t believe this convention should have taken place. We already had an agreement and an understanding that we would have gone into the next general elections with honorable Shyne as the leader. So, I just believe that would have been the best way forward. Thereafter, depends on what happens, either or, we need to do a general reform. If it is not done then we are not going anywhere.”
Paul Lopez
“So where does your support lie?”
Earl Trapp
“For this moment I will tell you that I am just, I am not shying away from the question. At this moment I will say yes, I am in favor, I am in support of Shyne, because he is the current leader of the party. If Shyne should say alright, you, you and you, unu guh, I will replace you with Jack and Tim, that is a recipe for disaster because we would cancel ourselves in those areas. For example, Albert and Collett, those are winnable seats. So, if he decides to say, Tracy you going and Faber you gone.”
Paul Lopez
“But it is not if he has decided, he has decided.”
Earl Trap
“If the two factions is to stay apart then it is a sure seat for the PUPs that should have been a UDP seat.”
Tropical Storm Nadine roared to life overnight, transforming into a formidable force by Saturday morning. By 10 a.m., it slammed into Belize just south of the city. Winds clocked in at a blistering 50 miles per hour. Heavy downpours were most evident on Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker and in the Corozal District. In Belize City, despite heavy rains, several streetside vendors were operational. Meanwhile, over in the west, the storm left its imprint in different ways. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Amidst the pounding winds and torrential downpour of Tropical Storm Nadine, it was business as usual in Belize City. Streetside vendors were out selling their products.
Street Side Vendor #1
Street Side Vendor #1
“I decided to come out because money need fih mek and if I don’t come out no money nuh mek. So, I need fih the out yah to make sure I create this service fih customers weh need it most. Reasonable stuff check.”
Street Side Vendor #2
Street Side Vendor #2
“I got people, customers weh notice I come out. But I bring out only hald of what I usually bring out. This is the last amount weh lef out ah the half. I didn’t evenbring out pork. This is the last amount left out of that half.”
Despite Tropical Storm Nadine making landfall, the Belize City market next to the bus terminal remained bustling on Saturday. Vendors carried on with business, even as NEMO strongly advised halting all operations due to the storm.
Daniel Mendez
Daniel Mendez, National Emergency Coordinator, NEMO
“Our messaging had been clear in regards to taking this seriously. We strongly recommended that businesses closed. We cannot take it for granted that this is a small storm. We don’t know what the impact will be.”
According to the National Hydrological Service of Belize, the Macal River, out west, rose approximately fifteen feet above normal levels, while the Mopan River continues to rise tonight.
Tennielle Hendy
Tenielle Hendy, Chief Hydrologist, NHS
“Recalling from memory, I believe the Macal has reached about fifteen feet, five point one two meters, which is about fifteen feet from normal flow. For Mopan right now, it is about six to ten feet above what is normal. But this system is still rising. So, that is still not the peak of this flood event we are going through.”
The Macal River runs through the Twin Towns of San Ignacio and Santa Elena. The low-lying bridge that connects the two communities became impassable on Saturday afternoon. By Sunday morning, floodwaters had started to recede. Mayor Earl Trapp of the Twin Towns spoke to News Five about a riverbank project along the Macal River that had been inaugurated just eight days prior, only to be swept away by the floods. Trapp clarified that he had no involvement in the project.
Earl Trapp
Earl Trapp, Mayor, SI/SE
“All of a sudden, the minister and area representatives came up with this of which I was not a planned. I am for the sidewalk and for the stage. I am not for the beach, because one little terential rain and it washes away.”
Paul Lopez
“So now the beach has washed away.”
Earl Trapp
“Yes, it was right in front of that stage. That is gone. So, now it means if you have a flood every month every month you will have to put back sand. I think we can do better if we can analyze the situation properly and yes with residents, I think we could make better informed decisions.”
Flood waters also destroyed a pedestrian bridge in San Ignacio. The low-lying bridge that connects the Twin Towns remains impassable. The Iguana Creek Bridge was also flooded, and that remains impassable tonight. One resident in that area visited the bridge on Sunday morning to assess the flood waters. She owns a farm near the river. Her farm was devastated by flood waters in 2020.
Denise Gordon
Denise Gordon, Resident, Blackman Eddy
“For now it doesn’t look really bad when compared to other years. So, for now to me it looks ok and it seems like it is going down fast.”
Three hydroelectric dams that are managed by Fortis Belize Limited sit along the Macal River, which runs through San Ignacio and Santa Elena. Dams like these are proven to prevent flooding by regulating the flow of water. But over the weekend, following heavy rainfalls linked to Tropical Storm Nadine, two of the three dams began to spill, the Mollejon and the Vaca Dams. We spoke with President of Fortis Belize Limited, Kay Menzies, on Sunday morning over the phone. She gave us a situational update on these dams.
On the Phone: Kay Menzies
On the Phone: Kay Menzies, President, Fortis Belize Limited
“Remember in the whole hydroelectric arrangement we have three dams. The largest is Chalillo which is the reservoir everybody was hearing about earlier this year and that hold back a majority of water that supplies the dams throughout the year. Chalillo has not so far overflowed. It is about five meters below the top of the spill level. We will see how it goes over the next couple of days there. However, below Chalillo, of course you have a river and creeks still flowing throughout the river, so Mollejon and Vaca both spilled in the course of the last couple of days. Yesterday, Mollejon had a slight spill and that is now over. Mollejon is not spilling as of this morning. But, Vaca is fed also by the Rio Hon. That goes through the Pine Ridge. Rio Hon has been at flood stage for the last day. So Vaca continues to spill for the time being. However, the good news is that the spill is slowing down. We don’t see, at the moment, the spills getting worse. We actually see them decreasing at the moment.”
