Barrow also highlighted a few specific taxes that are reportedly on the horizon, including a National Health Insurance Tax, a garbage tax for Belize City residents, and a hike in the hotel tax. He assured voters that if the U.D.P. is elected, they will not implement any of these taxes.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“You have the NHI tax which my colleague, which my colleague, brother Perrera is going to go into as the shadow minister of health, John Briceno pay as you earn NHI tax will be deducted from your pay just like income tax. So, while for thirteen years under the Barrow administration you saw none of this taxes, the PUP gives you less but wants to tax you more. You have the pension tax where money will be deducted from pensions to pay for NHI. This is the complete opposite of free healthcare. But as I said my colleague Mr. Perrera will expand in great detail about the scam that is NHI, which is one of the first thing we will fix in our hundred days as the next government o ensure NHI is public and works for the Belizean public. We have the city garbage tax. The government has already agreed with the city council that after elections they will approve a garbage collection tax for residents who already pay an increasing annual property tax. So, it will only get worse if you give this Briceno administration another term. If you think it is bad now you cannot imagine what it will be like if you give them another term. The UDP is here to tell you if we are given the privilege by you the Belizean people, we will not implement any of these taxes.”
Barrow claims that Belizeans are longing for the days when the U.D.P. was in office. He argues that more businesses are closing down under the Briceño administration compared to the thirteen years the U.D.P. was in power. Barrow also boasted about the record low inflation rates during their tenure.
Moses “Shyne” Barrow, Leader of the Opposition
“The people are yearning for the practical, common sense policies implemented by the UDP that saw our economy grow by four point five in successive years GDP. Keep inflation down to one percent. We went as low as zero point five percent. We created opportunities for all. You dint have Smiling Meats and Hofius and Santiago and all of these people going out of business during the Barrow administration. We made sure the guardrails were there for the vulnerable, the people in need. It is not that Belizeans want a hand out. Belizeans want and need a government that will do their sown oath of office. The people did not ask us to serve them. We asked the people of Belize to be area reps. The PUP begged for the job they have and it is up to the opposition and the people of Belize to hold them accountable for the promises they have made and the failures they have delivered to this country.”
Filly the Jaguar has safely arrived at the Milwaukee County Zoo in Wisconsin! Earlier this month, the Belize Zoo announced that Filly, one of their female jaguars, would be transferred as part of the Jaguar Species Survival Plan, a program designed to maintain genetic diversity among jaguars in captivity. Filly was rehabilitated in 2019 through the Human Jaguar Conflict Program after being classified as a conflict animal. These jaguars often struggle to compete for food and territory, leading them to prey on livestock and risk being shot or poached. After landing in Miami, Filly was driven to Wisconsin, arriving on the evening of January 23rd. The Milwaukee County Zoo shared on social media that Filly is “adjusting well, eating, and seems comfortable with her care team.” Filly has been paired with Frankie, the male offspring of Pat the jaguar, who was transferred to the zoo from Belize in 2008.
For the next two days, teachers from all over Belize are diving into an exciting training program hosted by the Institute of Creative Arts. The goal? To get kids pumped about performing arts. In collaboration with the Ministry of Education, the institute has brought together secondary school teachers, equipping them with the tools and techniques to inspire teenagers to explore music, drama, and dance. Today, News Five’s Britney Gordon was at the Bliss Center for Performing Arts to capture all the details of this fantastic educational opportunity.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Whether it’s through music, drama, or dance, the Institute of Creative Arts (ICA) is on a mission to get Belizeans fired up about self-expression. By sparking this passion in young people across the country, ICA hopes to see more talented performers stepping up for their annual Festival of Arts. Today, they kicked off a two-day workshop aimed at educating secondary school teachers on how to get their students more involved in the arts. Crysel Gabourel-Moro, the dance facilitator at ICA, shared the goals of this exciting training.
Crysel Gabourel-Moro
Crysel Gabourel-Moro, Dance Facilitator, ICA
“Festival of arts has been here since the nineties. The workshop is to help educate the teachers to properly train the students in order to come and give a full performance on stage in the areas of drama, in the areas of music, in the areas of dance, how to put together all of these items, how to differentiate between the different styles and techniques and genres and give them all the knowledge that we can possibly do to give better performances when they come on stage”
The Festival of Arts season kicks off with the preschool festival in March, followed closely by the secondary school festival. ICA director, Kim Vasquez, is hopeful that this training will build capacity and encourage more high school students to participate.
Kim Vasquez
Kim Vasquez, Director, ICA
“Participation is always good across the board, from preschool, primary and secondary, we want children, we want students to grow in the Festival of Arts. But sometimes we notice that at the high school level, other things, other factors come into play. Graduation, CXC, workload there’s a lot. But there’s also a need for additional support. Because this is the time too when careers start being decided. When if you’re going to be involved more in music seriously, or dance more seriously, or drama as a career, or this is something that you want to take up into your, beyond your high school years, this is the time to really hold on to them and support them.”
In just two days, teachers are diving into intensive training in various arts disciplines, guided by professional performers. At the end of the sessions, they’ll showcase their newfound skills in a mock Festival of Arts.
Crysel Gabourel-Moro
“ We have to try and give as much as we can in the time that we have and then have them execute a practical afterward, which is a mock FOA. So the teachers will actually be dancing. They will be singing and doing all the things that they need to go and teach their students, then we would adjudicate them and let them know or give them some pointers on how to make it better so that when they get on stage with their students, they produce outstanding performances.”
ICA teamed up with the Ministry of Education to handpick around sixty teachers from across the country to join the workshop in Belize City. Among them is Stefan Nolberto, a teacher at Julian Cho Technical High School in the Toledo district. He’s thrilled to bring the new knowledge and skills back to his students.
Stefan Nolberto
Stefan Nolberto, Teacher, Julian Cho Technical High School
“ One of the most things that I’m going to take back to my students is to be open-minded. I believe that my students focus on primarily one aspect of the arts. And you can’t blame them for that. What we have learned today in this workshop is that the arts is not a competition. It’s about honing skills and trying to see how we could master not only one, but hopefully all three.”
The Festival of Arts is ICA’s national platform for creative expression. This April, the festival is broadening its horizons by reviving the creative writing publication, offering more Belizeans the chance to get involved and showcase their talents.
Kim Vasquez
“Last year alone in the Festival of Arts actively participating we had over two thousand, I think it was like two thousand three hundred students from across the country. from all areas. And that’s just on the stage alone. You also have to factor in that their classmates, their schoolmates, their community comes to see them participate. So the impact of the National Festival of Arts in Belize is huge. It’s really significant.”
The Institute of Create Arts invites all schools to showcase their students’ talents by participating in the festival this year. Britney Gordon for News Five.
The People’s United Party (PUP) has announced that Marconi Leal will not seek re-election in the upcoming General Elections, citing personal reasons.
A statement from the PUP says that Leal’s decision follows careful discussions with his family, the Belize Rural North (BRN) Executive Committee, and the party’s leadership. “The Party fully respects and supports his decision and expresses deep gratitude for his years of dedicated service to the constituency and the nation. His leadership and commitment have been invaluable to the development of Belize Rural North and the progress of the PUP.”
The process to select a new PUP Standard Bearer for Belize Rural North will be conducted in full consultation with the BRN Executive. According to the PUP, Leal has pledged his full support for the party’s candidate and remains committed to securing another PUP victory in the upcoming elections.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to expand a detention facility at the U.S. naval base in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to hold up to 30,000 deported immigrants.
The order directs the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security to prepare the facility to detain “the worst criminal illegal aliens threatening the American people.” Trump justified the move by claiming that some individuals are too dangerous to return to their home countries.
The Guantánamo base already houses a little-known migrant detention center, separate from the high-security prison for terrorism suspects. Reports indicate that as of February 2024, four people were being held there under secretive conditions.
Trump announced the plan while signing the Laken Riley Act, which mandates the detention of undocumented immigrants charged with theft-related crimes. The act is named after a Georgia nursing student murdered in 2023 by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant.
The executive order stated that expanding the Guantánamo facility is part of efforts to “halt the border invasion, dismantle criminal cartels, and restore national sovereignty.” Since returning to office on January 20, Trump has implemented a series of aggressive immigration measures, including declaring a national emergency, deploying troops to the southern border, and suspending refugee resettlement.
Cuba’s government condemned the move, with Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla calling it a “contemptuous” violation of international law. President Miguel Díaz-Canel labeled the plan “an act of brutality.”
The High Court has ruled that the intended acquisition of 23.4 acres of land, known as the Extension of Stake Bank Island, does not violate any provisions of the Constitution.
In its decision, the court declared that the acquisition, as published in the Gazette on August 27, 2024, is consistent with the requirement for a “public purpose” as outlined in Section 3 of the Land Acquisition (Public Purposes) Act and the Constitution.
The claimant was unable to substantiate the claim, leading to its dismissal. The court further ruled that the respondents are entitled to costs, while the interested parties, having joined the legal proceedings voluntarily, will bear their own expenses.
The High Court was asked to review the government’s decision to compulsorily acquire 23.4 acres of Stake Bank Island, a property owned by developer Michael Feinstein and earmarked for a cruise port project. The land is set to be transferred to OPSA, a Honduran company and former partner of Feinstein, sparking legal challenges.
Feinstein was represented by Godfrey Smith, while Eamon Courtenay represented OPSA, and Dean Barrow acted for the receiver. The government’s legal team included Magali Marin Young and two senior attorneys from Trinidad, whose fees are taxpayer-funded.
Feinstein’s attorneys argue that the acquisition lacks a legitimate public purpose, claiming it benefits OPSA in a private title dispute. The government and OPSA counter that the acquisition is constitutional and supports public interest by advancing cruise tourism.
Earlier today, the Minister of Home Affairs, Kareem Musa, addressed concerns about the pace of police recruitment in Belize. During the interview, he pointed out both achievements and limitations.
When questioned about fulfilling the government’s commitment, Musa clarified that the police academy’s capacity can only accommodate 225 recruits at a time, stating, “I don’t know what you think or how much space we have at the police academy, but we can only facilitate, say, 225 recruits.”
Despite this constraint, Musa stressed that the ongoing recruitment effort is part of a larger ten-year plan, stating, “Have you heard that Plan Belize is a ten-year plan?” He said that over the past four years, recruitment numbers have surged, with a total of 2,600 recruits expected by the upcoming intake in May.
“In the last four years, I can assure you that we’ve had the most recruitments than any other administration,” he said.
Some months ago, in August 2024, Minister Musa also said that the Ministry of Home Affairs was making efforts to build several new police stations nationwide and recruit more than 200 officers to staff them.
Teachers are gaining new skills to inspire the next generation of performers. The Institute of Creative Arts (ICA), in partnership with the Ministry of Education, is hosting a two-day workshop at the Bliss Centre for Performing Arts. The objective of this initiative is to train secondary school teachers on how to engage students in music, drama, and dance, which can lead to boosting participation in the annual Festival of Arts.
Crysel Gabourel-Moro, ICA’s dance facilitator, explained the workshop’s purpose: “The workshop is to help educate the teachers to properly train the students in order to give a full performance on stage in the areas of drama, music, and dance.”
Kim Vasquez, ICA Director, added that while student participation is high in younger grades, secondary school engagement often drops due to competing priorities. “We want children, we want students to grow in the Festival of Arts,” she said.
At the end of the training, teachers will participate in a mock festival to demonstrate their learning and refine their skills.
Lee Mark Chang is threatening to sue Opposition Leader Moses Shyne Barrow. Chang has issued a legal notice in response to defamatory remarks made about him during a press conference on Tuesday.
The statements, broadcast on several media platforms, were made when Barrow was questioned about Chang.
The comments, which included references to a passport corruption scandal, implied that Chang was involved in criminal activities related to the alleged sale of Belizean passports to foreign nationals, a matter that has been widely covered in the media.
The legal team representing Chang insists these remarks are false and damaging to their client’s reputation, noting that the statements were made with the intent to harm Chang’s standing in the lead-up to the upcoming general elections.
Chang’s attorney said he has no involvement in the alleged passport scandal.
Chang demands that Barrow apologise. “You are hereby advised to promptly and immediately publish an apology to our client, in terms to be agreed by our office. The said publication is to be given the same publicity as the defamatory statements you published. We also demand that you pay damages in the sum of $5,000 to our office. Kindly note that if this matter is pursued in court, we will seek an award of damages of upwards of $30,000.00-$50,000 and so consider the requested damages to be reasonable.”
Chang’s legal team further stressed that if the matter is not resolved within two business days, they will proceed with legal action to protect his reputation.
Chang recently launched his campaign to run for the general election in the Mesop. Division that Barrow currently represents.
