February, 2025 - Channel 5 Belize

CABEI to Fund Feasibility Studies at NRH and PG Hospitals

The Government of Belize has signed a funding agreement with the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) to conduct feasibility studies at the Northern Regional Hospital and the Punta Gorda Community Hospital. On Monday, Prime Minister John Briceño, Health and Wellness Minister Kevin Bernard, and Minister of State Osmond Martinez joined Ruth Calderon of CABEI and Taiwanese Ambassador Lily Li-Wen Hsu to sign the agreements. These studies will also include predesigns for new facilities in Orange Walk and Punta Gorda.

Kevin Bernard, Minister of Health & Wellness

“This initiative, approved by the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, CABEI, and facilitated through the Taiwan/CABEI Partnership trust and represents a critical step forward in enhancing our healthcare infrastructure. This journey, ladies and gentlemen, began with prefeasibility studies in 2022 and today we are proud to announce our government’s commitment to investing US$986,050.45 in the future of healthcare in our communities. The Orange Walk Hospital, serving over fifty-four thousand residents, and the Punta Gorda Hospital, serving nearly thirty-nine thousand residents, are vital to our healthcare system. However, we recognize that both facilities require strategic updates and improvements to meet the growing needs of urban and rural populations. These feasibility studies will not only assess the necessary infrastructure, equipment and human resources, but will also focus on strengthening the management of our hospitals.”

Lily Li-Wen Hsu, Taiwanese Ambassador

“Taiwan joined CABEI in 1992 as a non-regional member. Over the years, the ever-growing cooperation has made Taiwan the bank’s largest shareholder. In 2021, the Taiwan/CABEI Partnership Trust Fund was established to support CABEI and its recipient member countries in achieving sustainable economic, social and inclusive development with technical assistance, training and advisory services. Therefore, today, I am very excited that this trust fund will support a feasibility study to assist Belize to modernize healthcare infrastructure and reinforce institutional, technical and operational capacity building for the Northern Regional Hospital in Orange Walk and the Punta Gorda Community Hospital.”

A New Hospital for Punta Gorda and Toledo District

Minister of State Doctor Osmond Martinez, the Area Representative for Toledo East, highlighted the significance of the Punta Gorda Community Hospital, which is in his constituency. He briefly discussed the rollout of National Health Insurance in the district and emphasized the importance of the feasibility studies for the new hospital.

Dr. Osmond Martinez, Area Representative, Toledo East

“When you look at the health sector and the health system in Punta Gorda, I know we have done a lot and we must acknowledge the work that both at that time the Honorable Chebat did and what Minister Kevin Bernard has done and then with the NHI that is under the Office of the Prime Minister which the Toledo District enjoys the NHI, PM. And I must say that I’ve been walking, we’ve been in all the villages, the Mayan communities, the Garifunas, the East Indians, the Hispanic people, the Creole. Everyone appreciates the NHI. Everyone is grateful for what the Briceno administration has done under Plan Belize 1.0, now we’re going into Plan Belize 2.0. But we’re so grateful for that work but, nonetheless, there’s still a lot more work that we need to do in the health system in the Toledo District and the feasibility study is more than welcomed because we need to identify the needs and, especially, just the basic health needs that are needed in the system are also important for us to provide a better service to the most vulnerable population.”

Ruth Calderon, CABEI

“In our strategy, we are aways focused on healthcare. This is something that our strategic, institutional goals are, so we are really happy to be aligning with Taiwan and Belize in building these two hospitals. This is a feasibility study that will also have a pre-design and we will have all the information and all the technical specifications for us to do a formulation of a project and soon being implementing these projects. So this is very important for us to be able to have all the information that we need, technical and specifically for the implementation of the project. So we will also like to tell you that we will launch the bidding process next week”

PM Donates Robotic Kits to Schools in OW

On Monday, Prime Minister John Briceño handed out robotic kits to several high schools during a ceremony in the Orange Walk District. These kits are meant to help students tackle problems they encounter both in school and beyond. Godfrey Sosa, the Information Technology Director at Belize High School, explained that the kits, which resemble small toys, can be programmed to perform various tasks. Dian Maheia, C.E.O. in the Ministry of Education, urged the students to make the most of these kits. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story.

Marion Ali, Reporting

On Monday, Prime Minister John Briceño donated robotic kits to four high schools in the Orange Walk District and another to the Banquitas USpace. The kits are for the youths who attend these institutions and who use the USpace. The PM encouraged the youths to advance their creativity by using the kits.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I felt that this was a good time for us to be able to then to provide kids to all the high schools, and also here at the USpace, that we can give more accessibility to our young people, for them to be able to, to use their creativity, and to be able to see how they could advance even more. By providing these kits, and the schools also encouraging more of our young people to get more involved in technology. I believe that Belize is going to be in great hands in the future.”

Robotics was introduced into the high school arena by students at the Belize High School. That institution’s IT Director, Godfrey Sosa explained to the youths how the kit works.

Godfrey Sosa, IT Director, Belize High School

“We have our Spike Prime kit. This is our robot. Now, we look at this kit and we may think that it looks like a small toy for a kid. It’s not. There are many sensors in this kit that we have line sensors, we have gyroscopes, we have temperature sensors, so there’s a lot that you can do. So building a robot is only one part of it, your creativity, how artistic you are in terms of the design, but there’s also the additional part because if I don’t program this machine, it will do nothing.”

C.E.O. in the Ministry of Education, Dian Castillo-Maheia shared that the whole idea behind the facility now called the USpace was to extend the public learning space for youths and now, that learning potential has been further widened by the donation of the kit to Banquitas USpace.

Dian Castillo-Maheia, C.E.O., Ministry of Education

“There was a vision to start the USpace and that vision led us to open this space that’s open for you and the PM in his vision saw a way to extend and expand the reach of youth space. The BHS teachers, thank you for being here, because they’re going to share with us another way in which they have stood up and worked. They’ve taught and they’ve learned how to make robotics real. The kits that are going to be distributed today are going to be for your use, not for you to put on a shelf and then they’re going to collect dust and every now and again somebody wipes them off and says, oh yeah, remember when we got into that place and we may get that thing? Hm mmh. (Shakes hand)”

IT Director Sosa encouraged the youths to make the kits work so that they enable them to solve problems they encounter.

Godfrey Sosa

“In the future, we’re looking at those same people looking at problems that we have in our own country and see how we can then solve those problems. That is robotics. That is STEM. That is the whole concept of programming. How do we find solutions to our existing problems? And as simple as these look, it’s a start because the theme of this whole competition changes every year and it’s tied into problems in the community, agriculture, water, electricity, all of these things are problems and through a game this have you start to think, oh, this is how this works. How can I then become a part of the solution? How can I create something that can become a part of the solution?”

The Belize High School will hold a robotics competition on March fifteenth, for which ten schools have already registered. Marion Ali for News Five.

24-Year-Old Woman Raped by Male Cousin

Police are investigating a case of rape reported by a 24-year-old woman in the Cayo District.

The victim reported to the police that the incident happened on Sunday, February 16, around midnight. Police say that the woman reported socialising, during which her cousin offered her a ride home.

According to the woman, the cousin did not take her home. Instead, he reportedly took her to a secluded area and abused her against her consent.

Police have not yet released the identity of the alleged abuser.

Official Police Report on Carlos Casanova’s Death

Police are investigating the death of 40-year-old Carlos Casanova, who had been missing since Saturday, January 8. Casanova, a resident of San Pedro Town, was found on Monday off the Yo Creek Road in the Orange Walk District.

According to police reports, Casanova’s body was discovered in “an advanced state of decomposition.” The matter has been labelled as a “death investigation.”

Last Thursday, a close friend described Casanova as “a very cautious” person who “never made irrational decisions.” The friend added that Casanova had left his phone and wallet in his room. Casanova’s landlady was the first to report him missing after he failed to return home.

News 5 reached out to Casanova’s family earlier today. Casanova’s brother told News 5 that the post-mortem was still ongoing, and they were still awaiting an update from the police.

The investigation is ongoing.

Belize Bank Warns Customers of Online Scam

Belize Bank has issued a public alert warning customers about fraudulent social media profiles attempting to scam individuals by promising fake prizes.

According to the bank, scammers have been impersonating its official accounts, encouraging users to click on malicious links to claim rewards. Belize Bank has made it clear that it will never request personal or private information, such as credit card details, PINs, usernames, or passwords, through links or social media messages.

In its statement, the bank urged customers to remain vigilant and follow these security guidelines:

Avoid clicking on suspicious links shared on social media or in emails.

Contact Belize Bank through BBL Assist in Digital Banking or call 227-7132 for verification.

Use a trusted device to register for SOFT TOKEN to enhance account security.

Belize Bank continues to monitor fraudulent activity and advises customers to report any suspicious messages or profiles to help prevent cybercrime.

Paquita la del Barrio, Iconic Mexican Singer and Feminist Voice, Dies at 77

Paquita la del Barrio, the celebrated Mexican singer known for her unapologetic ballads that called out male infidelity and machismo, passed away on Monday at her home in Veracruz. She was 77.

The news was confirmed through her official social media accounts, though no cause of death was disclosed.

Paquita, born Francisca Viveros Barradas on April 2, 1947, rose to prominence in the traditionally male-dominated ranchera genre. With songs like Rata de Dos Patas, Me Saludas a la Tuya, and Tres Veces Te Engañé, she gave voice to women’s frustrations and became a symbol of empowerment. Her music, raw and direct, turned personal pain into anthems.

Paquita’s music was shaped by her own life experiences. As a teenager, she married a man nearly 30 years her senior, only to discover he had another family. That marriage ended, but the heartbreak fuelled her artistry. In a 2021 interview with USA Today, she reflected on love and betrayal: “I’ve suffered a lot. The heart goes where it wants, and those feelings guide people to my music.”

Over time, even men became fans of her biting lyrics.

Paquita got her stage name—meaning “Paquita from the Neighborhood”—while performing alongside her sister, Viola Viveros, in Mexico City.

Throughout her career, she released over 30 albums and earned three Grammy nominations. In 2021, she was honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the Billboard Latin Music Awards, presented to her by Bad Bunny, recognising her profound impact on Latin music.

BREAKING: High Court Dismisses Jeremy Enriquez’s Application

The High Court has dismissed an application for interim relief filed by Jeremy Enriquez, ruling that he failed to present sufficient legal grounds for his claim. In addition, the court has ordered all parties to submit further arguments regarding legal costs by Monday.

Justice Hondora noted several concerns in the case, including the use of digital template signatures on affidavits and exhibits submitted by Enriquez, which raised questions about the authenticity of court documents. The judge also criticised the length and structure of Enriquez’s filings, describing them as unnecessarily lengthy and resembling legal arguments rather than standard court documents.

Senior Counsel Anand Ramlogan, who represented Enriquez, was specifically directed to clarify whether he operates a legal practice in Belize and to explain his arrangements with local law firm Messrs Estevan Perera and Company LLP, which had been listed as the address for service. Additionally, the court has requested details on how affidavits and supporting documents were prepared, signed, and submitted, particularly addressing concerns about digitally inserted signatures.

The Elections and Boundaries Commission, which was not initially cited as a party in the case, was granted permission to join the proceedings and file legal submissions. Meanwhile, Justice Hondora has reserved the right to issue further orders regarding the preparation and submission of court documents in this case.

Both Barrow and Panton Factions to Use “Traditional UDP Red with Different Symbols”

The Elections and Boundaries Commission has decided that “traditional UDP Red with different symbols” will be assigned to Moses “Shyne” Barrow and Tracy Panton for the ballot.

The commission convened on Tuesday to vote on the allocation of colours and symbols for the upcoming general elections. Members were presented with six options: (1) allowing both factions to use the traditional UDP red but with different symbols, (2) permitting a shade of red—excluding the traditional UDP red—designated by an RGB or HEX code, (3) allowing any colour other than red without a symbol, (4) assigning only a symbol with no colour, (5) granting traditional red exclusively to Tracy Panton, or (6) reserving traditional red solely for Moses Shyne Barrow.

With just 22 days to go before Belizeans head to the polls, this unprecedented ruling has left political observers and party loyalists wondering what comes next. Can two rival factions truly coexist under the same colour, or is this the beginning of even greater political turmoil? We are told that at least one party involved is considering legal action.

Traditionally, Belizean ballots include candidate names and assigned party colours. Since political parties in Belize are not officially registered, the EBC plays a crucial role in assigning colours to candidates, typically using traditional party colours. Sample ballots will be issued before election day to ensure voters understand the final design and avoid confusion at the polls.

The commission is chaired by Oscar Sabido Puga, who leads a team of four members: Conrad Lewis, Orlando Espat, Phillippa Griffith Bailey, and Alberto August.

According to Section 88(2) of the Constitution, the Governor-General is responsible for appointing the Chairman and four members of the Elections and Boundaries Commission. These individuals must be persons of integrity and high national standing. The chairman and two members are appointed based on the advice of the prime minister, following consultation with the leader of the opposition. The remaining two members are appointed on the Prime Minister’s advice, but with the concurrence of the Leader of the Opposition.

Mobile Passport Services Coming to Armenia and St. Matthew’s

The Belize Ministry of Immigration is bringing mobile passport services to two villages in the Cayo District this weekend. On Saturday, February 22, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 3:00 PM, the team will be at Armenia Primary School. On Sunday, February 23, 2025, they will be at St. Matthew’s Primary School from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM.

The Nationality and Passports Department will be offering passport applications and renewals, along with Permanent Resident Card renewals and replacements. They will also assist with replacing lost Nationality Certificates and provide general immigration information.

Residents of Armenia village and St. Mathew village are encouraged to take advantage of this mobile service event, which aims to make these essential services accessible to residents who may not be able to visit the main office.