Former Chief Magistrate Sharon Fraser, in her testimony as a diabetic, spoke to the challenges that diabetics such as Selgado endure, and how prison life adds to those challenges. Saldivar said that in a case like this, where the convicted is a trained expert in a field of study, the state should use their training to the benefit of others as a part of their punishment, rather than to tolerate jeopardizing their lives.
Arthur Saldivar
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for Oscar Selgado
“She spoke as only she can, about the challenges of diabetes and why it is from her expert and knowledgeable point of view, the prison would not be the best place for Oscar Selgado. We must remember, apart from being the former chief magistrate of this country, Ms. Fraser sat on the Parole Board at Kolby for quite a number of years, so she is intimately in tune and knowledgeable about the conditions of the prison and its capabilities. A part of sentencing has to do with rehabilitation and reformation. Mr. Selgado has the real prospect of losing his livelihood, which is a very grave punishment in itself. What he also has, by virtue of the expertise that he has and the training that he has, is the ability to help a lot of poor people out here, not by coming to court for them, but by providing advice for them. So there should be other ways that we look at to punish him appropriately for this offense that has been committed, but without compromising his life and losing a resource that could otherwise be put to good use for the public at large.”
The proceeding was adjourned until nine-thirty Friday morning.
Former Port Loyola Area Representative Anthony “Boots” Martinez has officially filed a High Court claim against the Elections and Boundaries Department. Earlier in May, Martinez told the media that the department refused his request to have the one hundred and eighty-eight rejected names on his Gilroy Usher recall petition further verified, based on advice from the attorney general. As a result, Martinez indicated that he would be filing a claim against the department over the refusal. Well, today we met Martinez outside the courthouse. He was there to finalize his application submission. Here is what he told us.
Anthony “Boots” Martinez
Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former Area Rep., Port Loyola
“I am here to deal with the registry of the supreme court to see the processes of the application for judicial review for the recall petition. The hundred and eighty-eight mismatched signatures of which I personally witnessed a hundred and seventy-two of the people signed and got back one hundred and fifty-eight declarations of the people saying they did sign the petition. So that is the only bone of contention in my view. They say, in my view, I believe that justice not only needs to be done but seems to be done. How you wah verify petition, in my view the law talks about duly verifying a petition and it falls in the chief elections officer hands and their team because they have the capability. They are the people who go, and check people’s addresses and they know there is nothing in the law that says there is one stop way of verifying. The people have phone numbers, an address you cannot even call and whatever the case may be. I have a fundamental problem with it. That cannot be the be it and end it all for the elections and boundaries because the court must have remedy to them kind of thing deh.”
Marion Ali
“Is there a timeline you are looking at?”
Anthony “Boots” Martinez
“We are looking to it as quick as we could, and we hope to get through it by November of this year because the law speaks to eighteen months after you can’t launch a petition eighteen months after the person is elected and one months before the next election is due.”
And if you happened to have forgotten why Martinez is so adamant about having current Area Representative Gilroy Usher recalled, he reminded us today. He also told us that he will seek another term in the constituency if that is what the Port Loyola constituents desire.
Anthony “Boots” Martinez, Former Area Rep., Port Loyola
“Two things happen, I only bear one signature, this is about the residents of Port Loyola who in my humble opinion believe that Mr. Usher is not doing the proper service that is why they sign the petition. This is not about one person. This is about the people of Port Loyola. This is about the fourteen, eighty five, fifteen hundred people that sign the petition. This is about the people, not “Boots” Martinez.”
Marion Ali
“So you don’t plan on reentering?”
Anthony “Boots” Martinez
“Listen, I am a creature of instruction like my attorney. The people asked me to launch the petition, they asked me to append their signature of which I did. The next step they will decide.”
Marion Ali
“But what your stance, do you want to reenter?”
Anthony “Boots” Martinez
“It is not what I want. I am a creature of instruction, the longest serving member of Port Loyola, four terms, consecutive. From since Port Loyola was created I am the longest serving member in the National Assembly there. So for me it has to be the wishes of the people. Like what I said last week, into retirement now, economically it is better for me. A representative makes only three thousand a month. My pension alone from government is more than that plus I get pension from Social Security. But like I said, all of that is not possible without the people.”
Improving regional security through law enforcement cooperation was a sentiment that echoed through the room, as representatives from police forces of eighty countries met for the annual general meeting and conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police. This year Belize is hosting a meeting that provides an opportunity for commissioners of police from across the region to discuss strategies in tackling crime as a united front. Over the next four days, these commissioners will discuss how to address issues such as gang violence and border security, as the issues become of higher concern. News Five’s Britney Gordon was at the opening ceremony today for more information.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Gun violence, cartel and gang activity are all issues that have been of primary concern for the Caribbean region. Over the past few years, neighboring countries have observed a surge in these types of criminal activities. In 2023, Belize enjoyed a record low crime rate, but this year has proven otherwise. At the annual conference of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police, commissioners from across the region will strategize how to quell these concerning numbers. This year’s meeting is being hosted in Belize.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Not just me, but I think the whole country of Belize should feel honored and privileged to be able to host this conference. As last year we hosted the AGM for the Central America Chiefs and Directors of Police in November. And so this is our second conference in eight months. It goes to show that as a police department as a country, we are progressing. Gone are the days where we see these conferences happening in other parts of the world and we are unable to bring it to our shores. And for us to have been able to do that, I think it’s a great achievement for us.”
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams said that Belize’s participation in the event will seek to bridge the gap between Central America and the Caribbean.
Chester Williams
“We will be doing a presentation and our presentation will be focused on How we can tie the Caribbean and Central American region together as you know that I am the president of the Central American Commission, and I’m also a second vice president of this association so I am an executive of both commissions and so as the president of one commission the Second vice president of this one. I see myself as that come with that can bring the two regions together and so we will be focusing on the similarity in the types of crimes that occur in both regions and to show how if we collaborate by bringing both regions together, we can achieve much more in fighting support of crime.”
Attending the event was Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa, who said the meeting was much needed as the Caribbean observed a particularly violent year in 2023.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs & New Growth Industries.
“To be here for this thirty-eighth annual general meeting of the commissioners of the Caribbean. Extremely important, extremely timely. As you know, 2023 was a violent year all across the Caribbean and it was extremely important that this meeting take place. We are pleased, of course, to be hosting them here in beautiful Belize, but no doubt over the next four days, very, very important deliberations and discussions and presentations happening. And so it’s extremely important. And then, of course, thereafter, we’ll have a report.”
He explained that as neighboring countries struggle with similar issues, conferences like these are a vital part of implementing effective solutions.
Kareem Musa
“Well, of course, strategies we are, we are all facing similar type issues in terms of the influx of illegal weapons into our country. Of course, Belize is more porous than the other Caribbean countries because we do have the, the borders, the illegal border crossings where, guns come across, drugs come across, um, and the Caribbean, of course, is not immune to that either they do have issues at their ports of entry, whereby illegal weapons and drugs enter their country, and so, that’s one of the big issues, of course, gun violence, gang violence, in certain parts of the Caribbean has been extremely, high over the last year. So those are some of the issues and, of course, transnational crime that will be addressed at this conference.”
President of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police andCommissioner of Police in Antigua and Barbuda, Atlee Rodney, further emphasized the strength of cross-border collaborations. He explained that the association works not only by sharing information, but by conducting research into what areas need to be prioritized when addressing them as a unit.
Atlee Rodney
Atlee Rodney, President, ACCP
“We basically look at what is happening. We do our research. As most persons know, gun crimes is one of the biggest issues we have in the Caribbean. So that takes top priority. In terms of all the crimes that are happening, even cybercrimes, we look at those things that are predominantly taking place in the Caribbean. We focus on it and see how we can work together. Individually, we try to assist each other by showing if the problem is more predominant in one state, we provide some support and some of our expertise so that they can address it collectively. Especially when it comes to transnational crime, we see how we can improve our networking and sharing of intelligence, sharing of information to curtail the problems that we are facing.”
According to Rodney, Antigua does not struggle with gang activity as much as other countries in the region, making its input in the conference indispensable as other nations will study its strategies to combat the issue.
Atlee Rodney
“There are some other countries having the same experience while quite a few of the Caribbean islands does not experience that. So what we do is to do the investigation, see how we can infiltrate those gangs and to address the problems that they are creating for our region. So best practices, some places, because for instance, in Antigua, we do not have that type of gang problems, but there was a time where it was surfacing, but we basically addressed it. So sharing the best practices, what worked and what did not work, and how we can all improve the situation in the Caribbean is what we do. When we come together as commissioners of police from the Caribbean.”
Recently, concerns arose over the possibility of gang franchises establishing themselves across the Caribbean. Lieutenant colonel Michael Jones, head of the CARICOM Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, said that these franchises often have ties to members of the Caribbean diaspora, who facilitate the entry of illegal weapons into the region. It is suspected that many of these gangs venture into smaller islands under the guise of music performers. We asked president of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police, Atlee Rodney about this investigation. Here is his response.
Atlee Rodney, President, AACP
“What I can say it’s one of our leading intelligence agency, the Caricom IMPACS, and we are paying attention to it. Hearing that information is out there now. We are paying attention to it because within all the Caribbean islands, there are normally some fets. There are normally some shows. There are normally some activities of that nature. So we are not taking that information lightly, and we are going to pay attention to The players involved, the organizers and the performers and see what we can discover from that, but we are mindful of it and we will be taking it seriously.”
The multinational security support mission that was meant to be deployed in Haiti is still in limbo. In early April, a team of Belize Defense Force soldiers and coast guard officers travelled to Jamaica for advanced military training to prepare for the possibility of a Haiti relief mission. For years, Haiti has been riddled with violence, as gangs engage in ongoing gun battles with police. And while a Kenyan-led support mission has been approved by the U.N., it has yet to act. Today, president of the Association of Caribbean Commissioners of Police, Atlee Rodney, was asked about the status of that mission. Here’s what he had to say.
Atlee Rodney
Atlee Rodney, President, ACCP
“Basically, this is a policymaking decision. That’s not really the decision of the individual police forces. And it’s a geopolitics matter, and if the government of the day and the policymakers of the day make that decision, we as law enforcement organizations will have to go with it. What we do in the meantime is to study what is happening. We look at all the intelligence that are coming from Haiti. We prepare our men and women for deployment if that becomes necessary. We do all of that work in the background, but the final decision has to be deployed in a foreign country is left with the policymakers.”
Minister of National Defense, Florencio Marin Junior says he has been keeping a close eye on the activities of the Guatemalan Armed Forces on Sarstoon River. Today, he told reporters that while the ministry is not concerned with the operational plans of the Guatemalan Armed Forces, a protocol needs to be established to inform the way the shared border will be managed. He also spoke to a concern raised by his B.D.F. commander over the long waiting time in receiving verifications from the Organization of American States as it pertains to incursions in Belize’s territory along border.
Florencio Marin Jr.
Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of National Security and Border Defense
“It is extremely important because we do share a border so that will not change. It is essential that we both are able to do our duties together and to will be even better if we coordinate how we try to maintain security in the Sarstoon.”
Reporter
“Are you concerned after they said they would increase patrols to stop incursions from BDF?”
Florencio Marin Jr.
“Their increasing patrols, how they do their operations that is not our issue, but we will never accede sovereignty. The Belize Defense Force, the ministry, this government has never compromised on the sovereignty of Belize. We will do our work. We are always in communication of OAS to be able to do these verifications remember it is part of the confidence building measure so we must, certain areas, particularly within the adjacency zones we have to get verification before we act on them. So, we will always continue on these operations. We also work with the OAS, informing them in order to get quick verification. Sometimes yes, they are slow, but we need the verification.”
The traditional Crooked Tree Cashew Festival took place over the weekend in that historic village off the Philip Goldson Highway. The annual event draws thousands of Belizeans from all over who have a liking for either the cashew fruit or its many bi-products. And this year, there was no shortage of all that was made from cashew, including Kriol bread and bun, ice cream and even butter. News Five’s Marion Ali was there for the opening on Saturday and filed this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The football field in Crooked Tree Village was booming over the weekend with tasty treats made of the cashew fruit and nut. The event has become a tradition that spans thirty-seven years. Crooked Tree Village Chairman, George Tillett says it all stemmed from a joke.
George Tillett
George Tillett, Chairman, Crooked Tree Village
“It came in a time when Crooked Tree was transforming, turning into a wildlife sanctuary, And at that time, the livelihood of the people, Of the inhabitants of the village, We’re into traditional fishing, traditional hunting, and stuff like that. And everybody wanted this to stop. A guy by the name of Tom Grassi, along with the late John Jackson, Rudy Crawford, decided that let us start a festival, a cashew festival because cashew grows wild in this village. If you notice, these aren’t bushes, these are all cashew trees. And it was like a joke at first. What is a cashew festival? A cashew festival. But it started, and gradually, along with the casual aspect, the agricultural aspect also came in, plus the village life.”
Charlene Flowers and Verna Gillett-Samuels had on sale some new treats they came up with.
Verna Gillett-Samuels
Verna Gillett-Samuels, Resident, Crooked Tree Village
“From the fruit. I make the wine, the jam, the syrup, the let’s see, what else, oh when we make things like the cake and fruits that we put in the cake and then from this, from the nut, we make the cashew butter. We make, the cashew sham, like what we had today. And then we also make cashew fudge, cashew bun.”
Charlene Flowers
Charlene Flowers, Resident, Crooked Tree Village
“We got cashew hot sauce. You’ll have the cashew cake, cashew cream pie, and cashew, stew cashew.”
Marion Ali
“You make cashew jam as well?”
Charlene Flowers
“Yes, ma’am, and jelly, but tomorrow, and the ice cream we’ll have here today.”
Marion Ali
“Ice cream?”
Charlene Flowers
“Yeah, cashew ice cream. It’s not hard for me. I just sit down and think about different ingredients to put together and made it.”
Barbara Flowers travelled from Double Head Cabbage, several miles away, to attend the event for the very first time.
Barbara Flowers
Barbara Flowers, Attendee, Crooked Tree Cashew Fest
“This is the first time.
Marion Ali
“And then you bought two products?”
Barbara Flowers
“Two products. The because I believe I will enjoy it. That’s the cashew bread and the cashew fudge.”
Marion Ali
“Okay. So you’ve tried the cashew butter and the cashew bun?”
Barbara Flowers
“Yes. Not as yet, but I will look forward before the day out to try them. Not really into drinking to that, so yeah. So I did not believe I will try the wine.”
One thing that was not traditional to Crooked Tree but is rooted in Cayo were the herbal remedies by Harry Guy Sr. of Jungle Remedies. His son, Harry Junior, was on hand to offer natural medicines that could come in handy if you overdid the sweet treats from the weekend event.
Harry Guy Jr
Harry Guy Jr, Owner, Jungle Remedies
“We bring out a variety of almost all the products that we make. We have a high blood pressure, cholesterol, we have cancer, we have any kind of stomach problem, diabetes (medicine), we have a little bit of everything out here today. We’re in business now for more than 35 years. Well I recently started the business with him. Now, we have a lot of testimonials from people who I meet, people who are like amazed. They’re like, hey, your dad did this for me. I’m alive because of your dad and you don’t get a lot of good respondent thing from people. So it’s proven that yes, that’s why we’re still in business. My dad help this one.”
The Crooked Tree Cashew Fest is now a far cry from the joke it started out to be thirty-seven years ago. In fact, the chairman says it generates the kind of funds that helps the village to grow more.
George Tillett
“The proceeds that we are getting from these festivals is second to none. For example, last year was alarming. Last year we came up with a profit of over$ 21,000 from the festival. Which was used for what? This process is used for the development of the village, for the cleaning of public spaces. We used to have little bush booth out of cojone leaves and sticks and we have developed the, to a permanent, permanent booth, commercial booth, kitchen, and stuff like that. So our infrastructure have improved. Taking out garbage and stuff like that and sometimes we assist people in need.”
The villagers now look forward to a day when their products can be exported on a wide scale to promote further growth. Marion Ali for News Five.
Six-time Area Representative for Toledo East Mike Espat was laid to rest over the weekend. A state funeral was held in honor of the late People’s United Party politician in Punta Gorda. Family, friends, members of parliament and residents from his constituency were all present to remember his life and service to the nation. Both Prime Minister John Briceño and Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow shared memories of Espat. Here is more from the funeral.
Prime Minister John Briceño
Prime Minister John Briceño
“We are here to honor the memory of a man whose life was rich in years, whose career was filled with accomplishments and whose calling was to serve Toledo East and his country. There has never been a political career here in the south quite like Espat’s. And unless someone can tell me different, the Honorable Michael Joseph Espat lived his life and served the good people for Toledo on his terms. To paraphrase the song that was just sung and made famous by Sinatra, Mike did it his way. To Mike’s family and friends, the people of Toledo East and to the members of my party I extend a heartfelt condolence on this tremendous loss. The honorable Michael Jospeh Espat was born on September 1947. Those were different days, we sung God Save the Queen as our anthem and the Union Jack flew over the courthouse here in Punta Gorda.”
Moses “Shyne” Barrow
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“Members of Cabinet, particularly the Honorable Julius Espat. I know that was your first cousin, my cousin too, we established that. Melhem vouched for it, Luke vouched for it, but I feel your pain my brother and you keep being that emotional leader you are. Belize needs that. May you find comfort in the Lord. But most importantly the beloved family of the honorable Micheal Joseph Espat. My heart felt condolences to all of you on behalf of the opposition, United Democratic party. There are no words I can utter that will alleviate your grief. But as I said when we paid tribute to “Iron Mike” in the National Assembly, may you the family be comforted by the fact that brother Mike’s soul journeys armed with the good deeds he has done throughout his illustrious career as a servant to the people of Toledo East.”
The People’s United Party will decide in the coming days about a convention to select a standard bearer in Toledo East. The seat in the division was left vacant when sitting Area Representative, Mike Espat, died on April twenty-second. Espat had fallen ill some months ago and up to the time of his death, was the Prime Minister’s Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Economic Development and Investment. Interestingly, the C.E.O. in that ministry, Doctor Osmond Martinez, has expressed his intention to run for the seat.
