2024 - Channel 5 Belize

Travellers Produces a CARICOM 50th Anniversary Rum

Belize is known for many things, including its natural wonders. Travellers Liquors is also promoting Belize as one of the leading rum producers in the Caribbean. Through the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association, Travellers crafted a special edition premium rum to commemorate CARICOM’s fiftieth anniversary. Each CARICOM member state will be gifted a bottle at the CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting scheduled for July in Grenada. News Five’s Paul Lopez was at a launch ceremony.

Francis Fonseca, Minister of Foreign Affairs

“I tasted about five different blends and then of course we got to taste the special fiftieth anniversary blend which is absolutely more than two thumbs up. It is excellent, smooth, absolutely rich in flavor, and an exquisite blend.”

Paul Lopez, Reporting

Travellers Liquors Limited and the West Indies Rum and Spirits Producers Association teamed up to craft a special edition rum to pay tribute to fifty years of Caribbean unity and progress. The CARICOM Fifty Premium Reserve Rum was officially launched on Wednesday.

Perla Perdomo, Chair, Travellers Liquors Ltd

“The West Indian Rum and Spirits Association, we are members of that and at the last board meeting a year ago, a resolution was passed that rum producers who wanted to produce in the project could participate in this project to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of formation of CARICOM. So those producers, there are fifteen members in this organization and those producers that wanted to participate took it upon themselves to come up with a blend, come up with a presentation, label to do a release for the occasion.”

An official launch event is scheduled for July at the CARICOM Heads of Government meeting in Grenada. There, all the members of the regional rum association will present their brands to the heads of government. Francis Fonseca, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, will be gifting each CARICOM member state representative with a bottle of this latest blend. He was among the first to taste test the product at the launch.

Francis Fonseca

“It is a celebration of CARICOM, more than a year ago. This entire year we are really celebrating CARICOM, the fiftieth anniversary of CARICOM. Belize is a very proud, strong member of the Caribbean community. We value our membership in that community and so I think over a year ago the CARICOM Secretariat engaged with the private sector, including the West Indies Rums and Spirits Producers Association to say what we do, what are different things we can do to celebrate the spirt of our region and one of the things that rose out of that decision is the Caribbean is known for its rums. So they asked the producers association to discuss with their membership and I am very happy that Belize was included and our travelers liquors stepped up and said they wanted to participate.”

CARICOM was established in 1973 under the Treaty of Chaguaramas to strengthen regional integration and enhance the social and economic development of the Caribbean. Belize joined in 1974. There are fifteen member states in the Caribbean Community, including Haiti which was the first French-speaking Caribbean country to become a full member.

Perla Perdomo

“As you can see we designed a label with the CARICOM at fifty logo. The flag of Belize depicting Belize as a proud member of CARICOM with its rightful place as a rum producer as well as we have the authentic Caribbean rum trademark. This is a mark given to only those brands that pass the West Indies Rums and Spirit Association blends for rums.”

Jaime Perdomo, Expert Distiller

“It is aged for a minimum of five years in selected American oak barrels. The aging process results in a smooth, well-balanced spirit, with notes of vanilla, caramel, butterscotch, complimented with an array of oak spices and prunes. The rum can be enjoyed neat on the rocks, but it also serves as an excellent base for rum connoisseur’s delights.”

A press release from CARICOM notes that several of the special edition rums are unique blends that will only be available for the 50^th CARICOM Heads of Government Meeting in very limited quantities. Perla Perdomo says Travellers Liquors takes pride in its contribution to the CARICOM initiative.

Perla Perdomo

“Travellers is very proud to be a part of the association and this project, because we feel that Belize has been a bit, I wouldn’t say ignored, but like overlooked as a rum producer. You always hear about other countries, but we are there. We have the quality. So, we wanted to showcase and be part of the group so that when our heads of government are there and do the presentation a rum of high quality is there to represent Belize.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

China and the Philippines Clash in the South China Sea

The recent incident in the South China Sea has significantly escalated tensions between the Philippines and China. The Philippines accused China of using bladed weapons against its coast guard near the Second Thomas Shoal, a contested area in the Spratly Islands. This clash, part of ongoing aggressive interactions in the resource-rich waterway, raises concerns about a potential conflict involving the United States due to its mutual defence treaty with the Philippines.

The Philippine military reported that Chinese coast guard officers attacked Filipino soldiers, damaged their rubber boat, and looted equipment. In response, China reasserted its territorial claims and accused the Philippines of carrying smuggled weapons. The incident has drawn sharp international reactions, with the U.S. condemning China’s actions and reaffirming its commitment to the Philippines.

This clash highlights the volatile nature of South China Sea disputes and the risk of minor incidents escalating into major conflicts involving significant powers. China’s aggressive tactics appear to test the boundaries of Philippine and U.S. responses, raising the stakes in an already tense regional situation.

BREAKING: Doris Grant Charged with Being Member of a Gang

Belize City resident, forty-eight-year-old Doris Grant, is on her way to prison. She was arraigned today after being criminally charged with being a member of a gang.

Thirty-one-year-old Austin Underwood was also charged with being a member of a gang. Both are said to have connections to the Southside Gangsters of Belize City, with Underwood said to be one of the reputed gang bosses, allegedly.

While on her way to prison, Grant said, “See how they chance people, police.”

Grant and Underwood are expected to reappear in court on July 31st, 2024.

PUP Government Called Out Over “Unfulfilled Promises”

The University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union (UBFSU) has come out swinging at the ruling PUP government in a press release dated Monday, June 17th. The union says it is disappointed with the People’s United Party for “not fulfilling its commitments to the University of Belize (UB).”

In its release, the union says that the PUP has yet to restore and increase the university’s annual subvention.

“However, with deep frustration, the UBFSU notes the PUP’s failure to follow through on these promises. Despite the party’s strong rhetoric and stated commitments, UB continues to face significant financial challenges, and the promised increase in funding has not materialized.”

*The University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union’s Press Release.*

In an interview with News 5 in July 2020, Education Minister Francis Fonseca criticised the then Barrow Administration’s decision to slash UB’s subvention. Fonseca called this decision “misguided,” “wrong-headed,” and “counterproductive.”

The UBFSU is calling on the PUP to “honor its commitments to the University of Belize and its faculty, staff and students.” The union is seeking “immediate restoration and increase of UB’s funding, as well as the recognition and inclusion of the UBFSU in all relevant Board meetings and decisions.”

BREAKING: Two Police Officers Rushed to Hospital Following RTA

News Five has confirmed that three individuals were rushed to the hospital following a road traffic incident earlier this morning. Two of them are police officers.

We are told that investigators are at the scene.

The vehicular crash happened in Ladyville Village, Belize District.

Video of the accident shows persons rescuing the accident victims.

This is a developing story.

Tropical Storm Alberto Claims Lives Across Mexico and Southern Texas

At least three lives were claimed by the first named storm of the Atlantic hurricane season, Tropical Storm Alberto, after making landfall along the Mexican coast and southern Texas, the BBC reports. The three deaths occurred in the northern Nuevo León state due to the rains brought by the system. According to the Mexican government, one of them, age fifteen, drowned while trying to retrieve a ball in the La Silla River, south of Monterrey. The other two, both ages twelve, died from an electric shock in the municipality of Allende. The three deaths were confirmed by Nuevo León’s governor, Samuel García, Telemundo reported.

In response to the situation, García implemented a temporary halt to public transportation, while schools in nearby Tamaulipas have been shut down. Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott issued a disaster declaration over the border in Texas, saying that “widespread and severe property damage, injury, and loss of life” are possible. Although the system has been upgraded from a tropical cyclone, there are warnings of “life-threatening” flooding and possible mudslides in north-eastern Mexico and southern Texas.

Father and Son Caught in Deadly Gunfire on La Croix Blvd.

There was a murder in Belize City on Tuesday night and police are trying to figure out who the gunmen were that ambushed Jahiem Fitzgibbon and his father near La Croix Boulevard. The deadly shooting happened sometime around seven p.m., as the men were wrapping up some repair work they were doing on a vehicle that fifty-three-year-old Nimrod Fitzgibbon had recently bought. The fatal attack comes a surprise to the Fitzgibbon family, especially since Jaheim was described as an easygoing individual. News Five’s Isani Cayetano has more on the latest homicide in the Old Capital.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A father and son duo came under deadly gunfire on Tuesday night just off La Croix Boulevard in the Lake Independence area. Nimrod Fitzgibbon and twenty-year-old Jaheim Fitzgibbon were winding down for the evening after spending the day repairing a vehicle. The father is a mechanic who was working on a van that he had recently purchased. His sister is Christobel Fitzgibbon.

Christobel Fitzgibbon, Aunt of Deceased

“He tell me that dehn mi di fix this vehicle because he just buy this vehicle because he run di dollar van and then he seh di two persons dehn just pass. From deh, after a while ih seh well he gaan upstairs because dehn deh eena di vehicle di sihdown, so he gaan gaan light wahn mosquito coil fi bring down cause dehn di chill eena di vehicle.”

It was during that time that the gunmen pounced on the unsuspecting victim. When Nimrod Fitzgibbon heard the reports of gunfire, he immediately rushed outside to see what was happening. His response, nonetheless, was equally met with a volley of bullets.

Christobel Fitzgibbon

“When he come, he sih ih son drop. Soh when he sih ih son drop now, like he just gwein behind di gunman dehn and dehn staat to fire shot and one graze ahn ya pan ih left side and soh he seh he pick up ih son and he holla fi di neighbors and ask dehn fi help, and then dehn pick up ahn and ker ahn to the hospital.”

This morning, a team of investigators returned to the crime scene where several expended shells had been recovered. The grief-stricken family is still trying to understand why Fitzgibbon and his son were visited with extreme violence of action.

Christobel Fitzgibbon

“He have no issue with nobody. He like talk and he like run joke, you know, and he da somebody he wahn play games, you know, and dehn wah quarrel ova games, “Bwai, I di beat you.” Things like that. But he da noh wahn person weh trouble nobody or nothing, nothing, nothing.”

So, were the gunmen there to execute Nimrod Fitzgibbon instead?

Christobel Fitzgibbon

“Last month, my bredda get a death threat and he call me and seh, “Bella, I get a death threat.” And I seh, “Okay then, we gwein da di police go report this because then we noh play like that, you know.” And he seh, “I noh gwein da no police.” Ah tell ahn, yes, we gwein.” Ah tell ahn I noh play, we gwein, and so we gaan by Mahogany [Street] Extension and we mek di report. I call di person and mek di police dehn hear all ah di conversation we me and this person have and weh paat dis person seh he work and everything. And when di police dehn gaan he noh work da di call center or nothing by Coney Drive weh ih seh ih work. And from deh di police dehn neva did tek wahn statement or so fahn he.”

Instead, Fitzgibbons was informed that he needed to get in touch with CIB personnel for a request to be made through the telephone company to determine who the number belongs to. To date, the owner of the SIM card remains undetermined. In the aftermath of last night’s shooting, police have detained a close relative of the deceased.

Christobel Fitzgibbon

“So while at the hospital now, the GI3 gaan and dehn just start rough up Ervin Fitzgibbon and have ahn eena custody, stating that dehn di pick up ahn fi gang affiliation, and he done get charged fi gang affiliation and he di goh da court right now fi gang affiliation. Soh I really noh know how dehn di pick up ahn again fi that.”

Isani Cayetano

“Ervin Fitzgibbon is the other one from the other side of the city?”

Christobel Fitzgibbon

“Yes, that’s my son and he not even mi deh round when di incident happened or nothing. He neva deh nowhere near this area.”

Isani Cayetano for News Five.

Murder Trial against Earl Baptist Concludes in High Court

A murder trial involving twenty-three-year-old Earl Baptist as a prime suspect in the shooting death of Burrell Boom businessman Leslie Gillett has concluded in the High Court. Baptist is one of two men who allegedly entered Matilda’s Shop and executed Gillett in January 2022. A second suspect was never identified. Tonight, Baptist remains at the Belize Central Prison after appearing before Justice Derick Sylvester earlier today. The crown is relying on testimonies from Sergeant Santiago Perez, the police officer who retrieved the surveillance footage that captured Gillett’s murder, and Sergeant Rollington Fuller who positively identified Baptist as one of two shooters seen at Matilda’s Shop on the night in question. However, attorney Leeroy Banner is challenging the crown’s evidence, submitting that footage of the individual that Fuller claims to be Earl Baptist is not clear for anyone to identify with a degree of certainty. Justice Sylvester has reserved his ruling for June twenty-seventh.

Purse Snatcher Lands 2 years in Jail for Assault

Today, a man was handed two years and two months in prison for assaulting a police officer with a firearm. He is twenty-one-year-old Kenyon Flores. Reports are that around eight a.m. on June eighteenth, 2024, Luis Santoya, an off-duty police officer, was walking towards Wood Street in Belize City when he heard a woman shouting for help. He then spotted two men in the area, both of whom he recognized. One of the men, ran past Santoya while the other, identified as Flores, threw a purse, he had grabbed from the woman in his accomplice’s direction, causing it to fall to the ground. Santoya said that when he bent down to pick up the fallen bag, he came face-to-face with a revolver pistol, which he alleges Flores pulled from his pants. Fearing for his life, Santoya remained still, allowing the men to grab the purse and make good their escape. Shortly after, Santoya filed a report against Flores who was found guilty in court earlier today. The second suspect remains at large but his identity is known to the police. No charges have been levied for the robbery as the victim has yet to file a report.

Eddie Webster Resigns as Clerk of National Assembly

The longest serving Clerk of the National Assembly since independence in 1981 has tendered his resignation from parliament. Sixty-two-year-old Eddie Webster served two years as a senator, between 2008 and 2010, before being appointed Clerk of the National Assembly. Webster, a native of Dangriga, has served in that capacity for the past fourteen years. But tonight, News Five has confirmed that Webster is demitting office at the end of June. We understand that his relationship with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Valerie Woods, was oftentimes contentious. Webster’s recent notice of departure was delivered to Cabinet Secretary Stuart Leslie who has forwarded the letter to the Governor General. Late this evening, we spoke with Cabinet Minister Francis Fonseca about Webster’s pending resignation.

Francis Fonseca, Cabinet Minister

“I am just hearing that on the media. I haven’t heard that officially yet that he resigned but I know that Mr. Webster has reached retirement age for some time now. I think he is sixty-five or so. So, I know that for the past year or so he has been negotiating with the government a departure but I don’t know what happened today or yesterday specifically, but I am sure the government will put out a release on the matter, the speaker will put out a release on the matter.”