Goodnight and welcome to another edition of Sports Monday, I am Paul Lopez. The biggest canoe race in the annual canoe racing calendar is upon us. Of course we are talking about the La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge. Paddlers, in preparation for the big dance, participate in a series of races organised by the Belize Canoe Association. The association held its first race for the year on Sunday, the Loewen’s Boom to Manatee Lookout Canoe Race. Close to twenty canoes took to the Belize River and lined up at the starting line in Burrell Boom as fans flooded the riverbank. Among the paddlers were big names like Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb, Team Lucas Oil Mixed, Black Orchid Resort, and Wave Runners, to name a few. We heard from the President of the Association, Elvin Penner, at the starting line.
Elvin Penner
Elvin Penner, President, Belize Canoe Association
“I think excitement is definitely in the air, because normally for a race like this if we make fifteen, we do very well, and I think we will pass the fifteen by a couple. So, the serious teams. These are the teams you would see giving trouble in the Ruta Maya. These are the teams that come to every race. We have most of the serious teams looking to win a category in the La Ruta Maya. Out of the eight categories in the La Ruta Maya we have at least six winners, probably all eight. This year a lot of teams are just starting to train because sponsorship is a little hard to come by and without sponsorship you can’t buy all these equipment and be out here.”
And the paddlers are off. These athletes dug deep at the start to gain an early advantage in the race. And only a short distance from the starting line, one team found themselves in troubled waters, tipped over, and at a huge disadvantage. Fifty minutes into the race, we caught up with the paddlers in Lords Bank. At this point, three canoes were leading the charge, almost bow to bow. Wave Makers, Riverside Boys, and 2024 La Ruta Maya Champs, Guava Limb. Watch as they maintained momentum, gliding over that beautiful body of sun-kissed water. Lucas Oil mixed team trailed closely behind, followed by team Brothaz and a couple of other canoes pressing towards the finish. After an hour and twenty minutes of racing, it was an all-out sprint to the finish line between Guava Limb and Wave Makers. Ultimately, Wave Makers edged out Guava Limb for the victory. Riverside Boys secured the third-place position. Lucas Oil was in first place in the mixed category.
And from canoe racing, we move into what is unfolding within Belize’s basketball premier league. Tonight, there are still more questions than answers pertaining to the start of the season and the league that will take the lead. As we have reported, the Belize Elite Basketball League seems to be prepared to play ball this season. But a second league has emerged, the Belize Premier Basketball League, leaving fans and athletes alike asking what is next for semi-pro basketball in Belize. Well, we spoke with two-time league MVP Nigel Jones over the weekend to get his take. Here is what he had to say.
Nigel Jones
Nigel Jones, Pro Basketball Athlete
“I think that it could work. I just feel like with the two leagues, whatever they are trying to figure out is possible. It has to be like two different times of the year. I have seen it happen in other countries that I have played in before. You have players play at a certain time and when that season is done the following league happens right after that. So, I think it is going to take cohesiveness. Everybody will have to want to come together and work and it cant be about egos, I did this and did that. Going into the season we have to give the fans and the people that come out and support something that they want to enjoy watching, because without them it is not possible.”
Paul Lopez
“Do you feel like players want this type of cohesion, that it is their desire?”
Nigel Jones
“I feel like at the end of the day we just want to play. For all the players that is what it is for them. We just want to play ball, but we want it to be fair too. So, I feel like if we can come together and do what needs to be done as a collective unit, we can get pass this easily. There you have it, in the words of two-time MVP Nigel Jones, “We just want to play ball.”
And finally, in Sports Monday coverage for tonight, we bring you highlights from the Belize District Football Association’s First Division Tournament. On Friday night the number six ranked team, Kelly Street, played against the team in fourth place going into the weekend, the Reggae Boys. Fourteen minutes into the match, number sixteen for the Reggae Boys, Gentle, found himself wide open with the ball on top of the penalty box. Gentle squared up and launched towards goal, securing the first goal of the match. At the thirty-ninth minute, Reggae Boys number eleven, Perteau scored this difficult kick from an impressive angle. And, sixty-four minutes into match number twelve, Ottley secured the goal of the match with a highflying bullet train that completely evaded the goalkeeper. Reggae Boys won this one, three goals to nothing. Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. I am Paul Lopez.
The High Court officially opened for the 2025 legal year with a traditional ceremony, beginning with a church service at the Holy Redeemer Cathedral. Chief Justice Louise Blenman inspected the ceremonial guard of honour and delivered an address celebrating the judiciary’s progress.
Blenman spoke on the achievements from 2024, such as the reduction of case backlogs and the introduction of criminal mediation. She said, “We no longer have cases as old as fourteen years…their matters being sent down for trial.”
New initiatives include a professional administrative plan for trained staff and digitalising court processes, with a focus on artificial intelligence.
While progress was acknowledged, Blenman pointed out the ongoing challenge of producing transcripts for Court of Appeal cases, promising improvements with a new speech-to-text system.
The Attorney General, Anthony Sylvestre, discussed upcoming reforms, including a new Bail Act. The ceremony also marked the completion of renovations to the historic court building, which was damaged by Hurricane Lisa in 2022.
President of the Bar Association, William Lindo, commended the judiciary’s achievements over the past year.
Belize has officially assumed the chairmanship of CARIFORUM, the Caribbean Forum of African, Caribbean, and Pacific States, for the first half of 2025. Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Dr. Osmond Martinez, has assumed the role of Chair of the regional organisation. An official statement said that this leadership shift represents Belize’s growing influence in regional trade and integration efforts.
In preparation for its new leadership role, Belize hosted a CARIFORUM delegation this past week. The delegation, led by Director General Alexis Downes-Amsterdam, engaged in a series of discussions with Belizean officials. The talks focused on several key areas, including policy dialogue, development cooperation, and ongoing trade agreements with the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK).
During these discussions, Minister Martinez pointed out the need to rebrand CARIFORUM to better address the current challenges facing member states. He stressed that the organisation must prioritise initiatives that will bring tangible benefits to both individual countries and the region as a whole.
CARIFORUM is an organisation that brings together Caribbean nations to promote economic, social, and cultural cooperation. It aims to boost regional development through collaboration on important issues such as trade, education, and climate change. The group is part of a broader coalition, the African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) group, which includes countries from three different continents working together to improve their global standing and development outcomes.
Belize is not the only country buzzing with general election, with the nation’s Prime Minister, John Briceño, keeping the election date under wraps. Many Caribbean countries are also gearing up for a major political year as several nations prepare for general elections. Voters across the region will have the chance to either retain current governments or cast their votes for a change. As issues such as COVID-19 recovery, rising violence, and climate change influence the political stage, this year’s vote carries more weight with all these in consideration.
Among the countries heading to the polls in 2025 are Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Suriname, Guyana, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines, with each nation facing its unique challenges. In Anguilla, while no official date has been announced yet, Premier Dr. Ellis Webster’s Anguilla Progressive Movement is preparing to launch its campaign in January. General elections were last held in June 2020.
In the month of February, two Caribbean countries are preparing for general elections. Turks and Caicos Islands will go to the polls on February 7, 2025. This election will mark the first five-year parliamentary term in the territory’s history. The Progressive National Party is aiming to retain power after the last election in February 2021.
Bermuda will head to the polls on February 18, 2025, following an announcement from Premier David Burt on January 8. The Progressive Labour Party will be seeking re-election. The last general election in Bermuda was held in August 2020.
Similarly, Curacao will hold parliamentary elections on March 21, 2025, with over 110,000 eligible voters. The country, which recently became an associate member of CARICOM, will finalise candidate lists by February 7. Its last election was held in March 2021.
In Guyana, an official election date is yet to be confirmed, though Vice President Bharat Jagdeo hinted that the next general election is likely to be held in November 2025. The country’s booming oil industry has spurred economic growth, but Guyana has also faced tensions with neighbouring Venezuela over a territorial dispute. Guyana’s last general election was in March 2020.
In Jamaica, the political arena is heating up, but no election date has been set. The ruling Jamaica Labour Party is hoping for a third consecutive term. The last general election in Jamaica was in September 2020.
St. Vincent and the Grenadines will also hold elections, but no date has been announced yet. Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, 78, is seeking a historic sixth term after recently being reelected unopposed as the Unity Labour Party’s leader. He mentioned in December 2024 that he would soon advise the Governor-General on dissolving Parliament for fresh elections. The last election was in November 2020.
Suriname will hold its general elections on May 25, 2025, following an amendment to the electoral law that introduces a national proportionality system. The country has faced protests and economic challenges, including in February 2023, when demonstrators stormed the Parliament over socio-economic policies. Suriname’s last election was held in May 2020.
Trinidad and Tobago is awaiting an election date, but Prime Minister Dr. Keith Rowley has confirmed he will not seek reelection and will resign before his term ends. The ruling People’s National Movement (PNM) has selected Energy Minister Stuart Young as the next prime minister. Trinidad and Tobago’s last general election took place in August 2020.
As the region heats up politically, these elections arrive at a critical moment when many Caribbean nations face challenges in economic recovery, crime, and climate resilience. 2025 makes another year where the votes citizens cast are expected to have a lasting impact for another term.
Thirty-year-old Giovanni Ramirez was fatally shot while driving his red SUV on Amandala Drive just over a week ago. Since then, there have been no arrests made in connection with his murder.
Last week, the police had reported having video footage that captured the moment of the attack, in which two men were seen ambushing Ramirez on a motorcycle and firing a barrage of gunshots.
Ramirez had faced legal issues himself, having appeared in court for various criminal offences. He played a pivotal role in the conviction of attorney Oscar Selgado, who was sentenced to ten years in prison for attempting to hire Ramirez to murder Marilyn Barnes. Although Ramirez provided key testimony, he never testified in court due to fear, and reports suggest recordings of his conversations went missing. Ramirez had also recently been charged with gang membership.
In an interview today, Commissioner Williams said that the police have located and interviewed persons of interest in the case, but no useful information was obtained, and they were released. Authorities are continuing to search for evidence and urge anyone with information to come forward.
“Those persons who we were looking for at that particular moment have been found. They have been interviewed. They have not been able to get anything tangible from them, and so they were released. The investigators came to the area looking for evidence,” he said. “We invite anyone who has any information that they believe can help us in solving that murder to please come forward, and let’s see what we can do,” Williams added.
At the age of 78, Donald J. Trump has officially been sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday. His return makes Trump the only the second former president in U.S. history to return to office. Trump took the oath of office in an intimate ceremony inside the Capitol Rotunda.
Trump wasted no time outlining his bold agenda. “All of this changes starting today,” Trump said, adding his pledge to reverse what he called the “horrible betrayal” of the previous administration. He announced plans for over 100 executive actions on his first day, including increasing oil production, declaring a national emergency at the southern border, sealing the U.S.-Mexico border, and beginning mass deportations of immigrants in the country illegally.
When asked about the potential impact of these policies on Belize, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams commented, “Let’s congratulate President Trump for taking office today… It’s a historic moment for America, and certainly the world is watching—the world is waiting to see what is going to happen.”
He added that Belize would monitor the return of deported individuals, particularly those wanted by local authorities to face charges. “In terms of the people that will be sent back to Belize… we will wait to see who will be coming back. We certainly are looking forward to certain people coming back that are wanted by the police to face charges here in Belize. So, we welcome them,” Williams said.
The Government of Belize has received a US$3 million grant from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to support two key education initiatives. Prime Minister John Briceño was presented with the funds by Taiwanese Ambassador Lily Li-Wen Hsu, and they are to go towards the National School Feeding Program and the Wi-Fi in Schools Program.
The grant is the final disbursement under the 2023 Bilateral Cooperation Program. The breakdown of the funds includes US$950,000 for the National Healthy Start School Feeding Program and US$2,050,000 for the Wi-Fi in Schools Program.
The National Healthy Start School Feeding Program has been operational since 2022, providing daily meals to over 8,000 students across the country. The Wi-Fi in Schools Program, also launched in 2022, ensures that all 197 schools in Belize have access to secure, high-speed internet. By March 2023, all schools were successfully connected.
A shooting incident at the Belize Defence Force’s (BDF) Crique Sarco Patrol Base on Sunday, January 19, 2025, resulted in one fatality and one injury. Major Roberta Usher, Chief of Staff of the BDF, told News 5 that Private Clive Baizar died from multiple gunshot wounds, while another soldier sustained two gunshot wounds and is currently receiving treatment at the Western Regional Hospital.
The shooting is under investigation by the police department. “This matter is now under police investigation, and depending on what comes of it, then they will be charged accordingly,” Usher said. Both soldiers were part of the same patrol.
Usher added that the incident occurred while the soldiers were on duty at the patrol base, and the weapon used was confirmed to be an issued firearm. Initial reports suggest that alcohol was not involved.
“The samples of the entire patrol have been taken, and they’re going through their process of being investigated; however, on the initial outcome of the commanders on the ground and the commanders that were at their camp, they do not believe alcohol is involved,” she said, adding, “We will not know until these results are back.”
Major Usher said that the infantry battalion commander has replaced the patrol, and all necessary steps to maintain operations have been taken. She also added that those involved in the previous patrol are now part of the ongoing investigation.
The incident follows similar cases in 2019 and May 2024.
Police Commissioner Chester Williams told reporters this afternoon that one of the soldiers, identified as Alfred Robinson, allegedly shot Baizar. “Alfred was taken into custody of the police and is currently detained, pending further investigation,” Williams said.
According to Williams, the shooting occurred after a heated argument between the two soldiers while they were reportedly socialising. The argument escalated, and Robinson fired several gunshots, fatally wounding Baizar and injuring another soldier.
The Public Utilities Commission (PUC) has placed limits on the operations of Starlink Belize, LLC (SBL), approving its services only in specific circumstances. While the company had applied for a Class Licence to provide fixed and mobile broadband internet across Belize, the PUC declined the request after assessing consumer needs, regulatory requirements, and the impact on current service providers.
However, the PUC will allow the use of Starlink equipment under the following conditions:
-Unserved or Underserved Areas: Starlink terminals may be imported and operated in areas lacking adequate internet services.
-Vessels and Aircraft: Usage is permitted on ships and aircraft in compliance with regulations for Earth Station in-Motion (ESIM) technology.
-Emergency Situations: Starlink equipment can be deployed during natural disasters when other providers are unable to deliver emergency services.
The PUC has also mandated that current Starlink users in Belize register their equipment within 60 days through the PUC Spectrum Online Centre. New applications for Starlink usage will be evaluated individually, following the PUC’s importation guidelines.
The commission said that it is committed to balancing technological innovation with equitable access to reliable services. It says that it is actively working to refine Belize’s utility regulations and develop a comprehensive licensing framework.
In late 2024, the Belize National Teachers Union (BNTU) voted to organise a national demonstration in January, demanding the Government of Belize address overdue teacher increments. While the government committed to settling the payments by the end of the year, BNTU President Nadia Caliz confirmed that more than 200 teachers are still awaiting their rightful increments.
During this morning’s episode of Open Your Eyes, Caliz stated that the union had initially planned a demonstration but has since adjusted its approach. “Belize is used to seeing BNTU in a more confrontational approach, and we have decided to change strategy,” Caliz said.
She added that the union has not yet ruled out the demonstration, as the month of January is not yet over.
Caliz said that the union has been “gathering accurate data” since January 1, 2025, through January 17, to determine how many teachers received their increments and whether they were paid the full amount owed. According to this data, the issue of unpaid increments involves not only the government but also school administrators and management.
“This situation is not only about government; it’s about management; it’s about school administrators; all three entities,” Caliz said, adding that the information gathered suggests the issue is “pointing at all three.”
She also addressed the broader struggles within the education system, which have led many teachers to seek alternative employment. While some leave the country for better opportunities, Caliz pointed out a surprising trend in data from the Ministry of Education. She said, “80% of teachers are going to the call centres.”
When asked if 2025 being an election year is a factor in the negotiations with the government, she stated, “Election year, or no election year, whenever you ask the people to vote for you, you are committing to improving the lives of citizens. So they’re still the government, and they have that legal responsibility to improve the quality of life for all of us.” She added, “When I approach them, I approach them with the same mantra that they campaigned us with.”
