Commissioner of Police Chester Williams is about to start an exciting new chapter in his career. As the longest-serving ComPol, he’s leaving the Belize Police Department to become the Chief Executive Officer in the Ministry of Transport. He’ll be working with Doctor Louis Zabaneh, who just became the new Minister of Transport on Monday. Doctor Richard Rosado, currently the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of operations, will take over Williams’ role. However, there’s some drama, as there’s an ongoing legal dispute about Doctor Rosado’s promotion, brought forward by Deputy Commissioner of Police Bart Jones. In an interview with Prime Minister John Briceño on Monday, we asked about the possibility of ComPol Williams being appointed as a C.E.O. in his administration. At the time, he responded that that wasn’t the case, and that Williams was still the Commissioner of Police.
You’ve seen the Briceño administration’s Cabinet and C.E.O. appointments. Today, the Office of the Prime Minister announced the new government senators. Senior Counsel Eamon Courtenay will continue as Lead Senator for Government Business, and Minister of State Christopher Coye is returning to the Senate. Additionally, four new faces have been appointed, including two women. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the details.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
The Briceño administration has announced its Senate appointments, with only two senators returning from the previous administration: Lead Senator for Government Business Eamon Courtenay and Senator Christopher Coye, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance. The other four appointments are fresh faces in permanent senator roles. Brittney Galvez, the youngest female senator to be appointed, is described by the Belize Youth Movement as a dedicated and active member of the P.U.P., Belize Youth Movement, and the United Women’s Group. She holds a Master of Arts in Public Health, and her appointment is seen as a sign that young people are ready and capable of stepping into governance roles. Rozel Arana, a former Orange Walk Town Councilor, is another new addition.
She served under the former Orange Walk Mayor, now area representative, Kevin Bernard, and is known as a cultural activist passionate about promoting the Garifuna culture. Hector Guerra, the third new senator, is a Managing Partner at Marin Parade Chambers LLP, a member of the Bar Association of Belize, and a member of the Board of Governors of St. Ignatius High School in Santa Elena. He is described as a young Belizean with strong leadership potential and a staunch supporter of the P.U.P. Lastly, Linsford Castillo, who has previously served as a temporary senator, is now appointed to a permanent role. He is well-acquainted with politics within the Briceno administration and currently serves as Secretary General of the People’s United Party. The opposition has yet to announce its three Senate appointments, but News Five has confirmed that Patrick Faber will be appointed as the opposition’s lead senator. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
The annual Chocolate Festival in Punta Gorda is back on as planned. Earlier this week, the BTIA Toledo Chapter, which organizes the event, announced they were canceling this year’s festival. They were upset about a Christopher Martin concert organized by the Punta Gorda Town Council for the same weekend, claiming the council was using the festival’s name and popularity to promote an unrelated event. However, after a meeting between Mayor Carlos Galvez, association president Robert Pennel, and Area Representative Doctor Osmond Martinez, an agreement was reached to move forward with the festival. We caught up with Pennel today to get the latest scoop.
On the Phone: Robert Pennel, President, BTIA Toledo
“The main reason for the meeting was to see if we can find a way to move forward so that the Chocolate Festival of Belize. We had sent out a release saying that we would cancel it for certain reasons. We basically, Dr. Osmond Martinez our area rep reached out to me and the mayor and wanted to meet with us to see if we can find common grounds. The meeting was very productive, we spoke about some of the difficulties we think we would have had which led us to the decision to cancel. We trashed out the issues and decided we will have the festival. It will go through and the meeting was very cordial and we decided the festival was far bigger than anything else. It is a huge event for Toledo district and it highlight the culture of the cocoa farmers and chocolate producers and it is just a big draw for tourism in the south.”
Mayor Carlos Galvez emphasized that teamwork between the council and the event organizers is crucial for hosting this event. He acknowledged that there was some miscommunication at first, but Thursday’s meeting helped clear things up and set a positive path forward.
On the Phone: Carlos Galvez, Mayor, Punta Gorda
“I am certain that collaboration was one of the key factors BTIA was alluding to. Nonetheless they also had to take that discussion to their membership. I believe the membership state their opinion and voted having the Chocolate Festival keeping the dates that were set out which is the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth. People have already made arrangements in terms of travelling from abroad, rooms, tickets, hotels, rentals and all these logistics. That is what the broader membership had explained and here we are with a very successful and fruitful ending after the deliberation.”
On Friday, March fourteenth, 2025, around 4:50 p.m., Natasha Miles, a thirty-eight-year-old business owner from Belize City, reported a burglary at the Precinct 2 Crimes Investigation Branch office. She explained that she had left her house in the care of her carpenter, who was renovating it, and had secured her home before leaving on Thursday, March thirteenth. When Miles checked her house on Friday around 1:00 p.m., she discovered damage to several items: two mahogany doors valued at three hundred dollars each, two door locks worth twenty-five dollars each, two plycem sheets costing fifty-nine dollars each, and an aluminum window valued at two hundred and sixty dollars, totaling nine hundred and ninety dollars in damages. She also noticed that a small black fan was missing. Police investigated the scene and found that entry was gained by breaking the bottom part of the back door. They processed the scene, took pictures, and recorded a statement from an eyewitness who identified Breth-Tesha Alex Copious as the burglar. Video footage confirmed the eyewitness’s account. Based on the investigation, police visited Copious’ home on Raleigh Street, informed her of the report, and detained her. She was charged with burglary and damage to property. This morning, Copious appeared in court, unrepresented, where she faced charges of burglary and damage to property. Copious pleaded not guilty to both charges. The Senior Magistrate offered her bail at two thousand dollars each, plus one surety of the same amount.
A seventy-four-year-old man, Christopher Augustus Lamb, is facing charges of aggravated assault and wounding after allegedly attacking another man with a machete. In court, Lamb told the Senior Magistrate that while he pleaded guilty to the charges, he insisted, quote, I didn’t do it, end quote. Lamb appeared unrepresented in court, where he was read two counts: one for aggravated assault and one for wounding. The allegations state that on Sunday, March sixteenth, 2025, on Gulen Street in Belize City, Lamb assaulted and wounded Albert Ferguson with a machete. Before entering his plea, Lamb asked to explain his side of the story. He claimed that he hit Ferguson with a fluorescent bulb after an argument with Ferguson’s wife, who had called him some ugly names. According to Lamb, Ferguson then came at him with a knife and an iron. Lamb said the police have these two objects as evidence. Lamb further explained that Ferguson came to his gate, shook it, and threatened to kill him. In fear for his life, Lamb said he acted in self-defense by hitting Ferguson with the bulb. After hearing his explanation, the Senior Magistrate entered an equivocal plea on Lamb’s behalf. Lamb was granted bail of $1,500, which he met, and his case was adjourned to May 2025.
Kayaking is a thrilling water sport and adventure that’s not as popular in Belize as canoeing, likely due to the risks involved. In the rapids, kayaks can flip over more easily than canoes, and when that happens, kayakers might hit their heads on underwater rocks. Fortunately, kayakers are required to wear helmets, so if they do take a tumble, they can live to tell the tale. In Belize, a few coastal resorts offer kayaking as part of their tourist packages, but aside from that, there aren’t many events featuring this exciting sport. However, two canoe officials are hopeful that Belize will one day market kayaking as both a viable sporting event and a tourism adventure. In this week’s edition of Belize on Reel, News Five’s Marion Ali dives into the differences between kayaking and canoeing.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Kayaking hasn’t quite caught on in Belize like it has in other countries. While it’s like canoeing, it comes with its own unique twists and turns. Overall, kayaking is considered a bit riskier, especially because it often takes place in rapids where the adventure can get pretty intense.
Elvin Penner
Elvin Penner, Vice President, Belize Canoe Association
“If you pass through Succotz, you have all those rapids there. There is a good chance that you will flip, and if you knock your head, you could drown. You could have an accident, so most of the time helmets would be used. Life vests have to be used. It’s just much more technical. A canoe – you put it anywhere in the water where it’s more calm water, and you can learn and be totally safe doing it for thefirst time, while kayaking you might need some training.”
Elvin Penner, Vice President of the Belize Canoe Association, enjoys kayaking purely for fun. Today, we caught up with him to break down the main differences between kayaking and canoeing.
Elvin Penner
“They’re both a water sport; both crafts are propelled by a paddle. I’m holding a canoe paddle here made out of carbon graphite. The kayak is mainly considered to be an enclosed craft, whereby a canoe is considered open. A lot of kayaks, especially for racing, have rudders, so you can stay in the correct direction, while canoes, all of them have no rudders.”
The paddles used for the two types of vessels are different.
Elvin Penner
“The canoe is propelled by a single paddle, single blade, which I have in my hand and the kayak is normally propelled by a double blade. It has a specific shape, a spoon shape, which captures more water. And it has a straighter edge and a curved edge. You want the straighter edge to be face down, so it enters the water without a splash, and gives you a better thrust. The spoon shape grabs more water and then you want to angle it. Normally the angle is 45 degrees. If it’s very windy, you don’t want to stop the wind and your stroke is easier.”
Mastering the paddle stroke is all about using your hips, not your arms, to glide from side to side. Plus, there’s a big difference between river kayaking and sea kayaking, each offering its own unique adventure.
Elvin Penner
“The ocean kayaking is normally done with a sit-on-top kayak. So if you do flip – which you do often flip with the waves, especially if you’re close to the shore – so if you’re on an open kayak, the canoe, the kayak fills up with water. If you’re on a sit-on-top, you just flip it right back up, upside, right side up and jump on it back and run and the river kayaks are normally sit in, because you normally do kayaking in white water.”
Jesus Linares, along with his teammates Sergio Lopez and Hener and Efrain Cruz, paddled their way to victory in one of the rare kayak races ever held in Belize. This was back in 2019, during the BTB Love Belize Sea Challenge, a thrilling four-day race from Punta Gorda Town to Corozal Town. Linares believes that kayaking is more challenging than canoeing, adding an extra layer of excitement to the sport.
Jesus Linares
Jesus Linares, Former Sea Kayak Challenge Champion
“Kayaking takes a lot of time training, apart from being on the water, you also have to go to the gym, you know, and what you eat is what you gain back and on the training. You also train your body to take the amount of hours that you gotta be in the sea.”
Canoes and kayaks can be crafted from a variety of materials. Recreational kayaks are usually made of plastic because they’re affordable and durable. They can also be made from fiberglass, or even carbon fiber, which is super lightweight but comes with a higher price tag. Some kayaks are beautifully constructed from wood strips, adding a touch of craftsmanship to the adventure. And just like the vessels and paddles are built differently, so too are the experiences with river and sea kayaking.
Jesus Linares
“The river has a different flow than the sea. Example, the sea, the winds can change at all time and however, the race doesn’t stop. So the more hours you’re out there, the more energy you lose. So you can’t be out there on a time that the winds get, and in the evening the winds pick up, so you could probably lose more time out there if you stay, the later you stay out there. The current flow is different than in the sea. Yes. The sea has bigger waves and like I said, the wind is, is more stronger. You don’t have trees protecting you in the river and the river. You have that in the sea.”
Penner dreams of turning river kayaking into an exciting tourism adventure one day, while Linares envisions young people embracing kayaking as a thrilling sport.
Jesus Linares
“We have a lot of marine resources and you know, the sea that we could, you know, we have a beautiful country that we could participate in more water sports, you know, as a race.”
Elvin Penner
“The river has so much beauty to offer. To me, much more beauty than the ocean itself. The river changes after, around every bend the river changes, you get to experience what the river has to offer. You see crocodiles, you see fish jumping out of the water, a lot of birds, you can do bird watching. Bird watching is huge in Belize – camping. I would like to offer a tour that is an overnight camp out experience in the jungle.”
Since the 1950s, the Festival of Arts has been a cherished national stage for creative expression. Students from preschool, primary, and secondary schools get to shine, showcasing their talents in drama, dance, singing, and various arts. Earlier today, the excitement kicked off with the Preschool Festival of Arts, featuring delightful performances from thirty-one urban and twenty-eight rural preschools from the Belize District. The festivities will continue into Friday, promising two days of inspiring and heartwarming displays of young talent.
Kim Vasquez, Director, Institute of Creative Arts
“Today is the opening of the Preschool Festival of Arts and it’s starting with the Belize District Festival of Arts, but it is also the opening of the entire season for 2025 for the Festival of Arts. And so this is a time of excitement for us, it’s my favorite time and we are just here in support of the Belize District Education Center. This is Belize Rural happening here, simultaneously out in San Pedro as well, it’s underway already and tomorrow we are going to be back for the city schools and then it takes off from there. Toledo on Monday, and thereafter Stann Creek and then they go west and then up north and then we are straight into the Secondary [School] Festival of Arts at the end of the month, taking a couple weeks break and then continuing with primary and in April and then we expect to be back here, of course, for the exciting golden showcase at the end of the month of May.”
Reporter
“How important is this to keep the creative juices of our young students flowing?”
Kim Vasquez
“It’s so important. As I just said in there, it starts right here with the Preschool Festival of Arts. This is the nurturing and the fun and enjoying introduction to the arts that we want for the young students, and we want to see this continue and we want them to have the support and the recognition even at this young age. We know that along with their teachers, they have put in the work and preparation and they are passionate, and they are so vibrant and creative. When you see them on stage, you can’t help but get cold seed. And so, it’s really important that we have this national platform for all our children, from pre-school, all the way up until secondary and beyond.”
A generous hundred-thousand-dollar investment from the Belize Nature Conservation Foundation (BNCF) is set to boost enforcement across four protected areas in Belize. At today’s annual grant award ceremony, two conservation NGOs were each awarded fifty thousand dollars. The lucky Small recipients were the Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and the Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development. Both organizations plan to use the funds to enhance monitoring and enforcement within their protected areas. News Five’s Paul Lopez has a full story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Today, the Belize Nature Conservation Foundation (BNCF) awarded a total of one hundred thousand dollars in grant funding to two conservation organizations. The first recipient is the Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, a unique organization that blends tourism and conservation across three thousand acres of protected forest land. With accommodation for up to two hundred guests and a variety of tour offerings, the revenue generated is reinvested into environmental education, community outreach, and habitat management.
Eli Miller
Eli Miller, Managing Director, Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary
“We are managers of two protected areas within the Maya Forest Corridor and we take that responsibility very seriously in terms of enforcement. A lot of the rules were not being respected. So, we are trying to bring that park back from one that tis being respected to being enjoyed by the general public.”
This funding will boost their management efforts by enhancing enforcement across the sanctuary and Monkey Bay National Park. The Maya Forest Corridor, located north of the sanctuary, is rapidly being deforested for monocrop expansion. To ensure that the natural habitat in these areas remains a haven for wildlife in the future, enforcement and education are crucial.
Eli Miller
“What we are trying to do at Monkey Bay is not directly stop that deforestation, the march of development is almost unstoppable, but we are trying to mitigate the impacts that development has. What we are going to do with this project is acquire a ATV to allow the rapid deployment of the park ranger team to combat illegal infractions, incursions, and also wildfires or whatever the need might be within the corridor for our partners and buffering communities.”
The Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development also received a generous fifty thousand dollars in grant funding from the Belize Nature Conservation Foundation. Like the Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary, the alliance is dedicated to research, monitoring, enforcement, and education. However, their primary focus is on Belize’s marine resources, particularly within the expansive seventy-two-thousand-hectare Corozal Wildlife Sanctuary and Bacalar Chico National Park. This fifty-thousand-dollar grant will help establish a permanent enforcement presence within the national park, ensuring these precious marine areas are protected for the future.
Samuel Barrett
Samuel Barrett, Development Director, Sarteneja Alliance for Conservation and Development
“We are now at a point where we will be launching a permanent presence by stationing a team of rangers on rolling shift patterns so that we have three hundred and sixty-five days presence within the national park.”
Paul Lopez
“What is the biggest threat to the park?”
Samuel Barrett
“In collaboration with the stakeholders, their biggest concern is illegal hunting and extraction of forest products like bush sticks, royal palms form the protected areas that are being used in the development of resorts and thinks within northern San Pedro.”
Leonardo Chavarria, Chairman of the Belize Nature Conservation Foundation, explains that conservation organizations are chosen to receive these grants through a thorough application process. Applications are carefully vetted and approved if they align with the foundation’s objectives. The Belize Nature Conservation Foundation oversees the annual conservation grant funding provided through the Blue Bond.
Leonardo Chavarria
Leonardo Chavarria, Chairman, BNCF
“Coming from a conservation organization myself, I am from TIDE, so we know the true meaning of small grant. We know the impact these grants can have. So, for me it was specially rewarding and a privilege to be here, because it was a moment we have to actually share, but share in terms of creating a meaningful future impact for the National Protected Area System.”
The Garifuna nation and fans of the legendary Aurelio Martinez are mourning his passing on Monday night. Martinez’s music touched many lives in the region, leaving a lasting impression on his fans, especially in Belize. Today, over thirty individuals from Belize set off for his funeral in Honduras. Sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade and the National Institute of Culture and History, the delegation will attend a wake tonight and the funeral service tomorrow in La Ceiba. News Five’s Marion Ali spoke with some of the attendees and filed this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
A Belizean delegation, including officials, musicians, family, friends, and fans of Aurelio Martinez, is on its way to La Ceiba, Honduras, to attend his funeral. The group of thirty-one departed Belize this morning by chartered boat. Among them is Aurelio’s business partner and friend of three decades, Ivan Duran, who shared that this feels like a tragic déjà vu, reminiscent of the loss of Andy Palacio, the man who introduced him to Aurelio.
Voice of: Ivan Duran, Friend of Deceased
“We’re here to pay our last respects for Aurelio. In my case, I’ve known Aurelio for 30 years, more or less, when Andy Palacio invited him to Belize and we started working on the Paranda album around 1997. This is a very very difficult moment for us. For me I feel like I’m reliving what happened seventeen years ago when Andy passed away tragically and suddenly. It’s a very hard blow, but we’re here to celebrate his life and his music.”
The Ministry of Culture and NICH isNIC NICH will isis represented at the funeral by April Martinez.
On the Phone: April Martinez, Representative, Ministry of Culture
“I will be providing a small statement on behalf of the Government and the people of Belize tomorrow at the funeral. So, we are here, documenting as well, on behalf of the Institute for Social and Cultural Research and I am here as a state representative. We are here in solidarity and we are here and representing the Garifuna community as well. There are a lot of family and friends of Aurelio Martinez that have come with us on this trip to pay their respect.”
Arlette Gomez, Aurelio’s girlfriend and manager, along with his youngest son, Newani, are both experiencing similar emotions during this heartfelt journey.
On the Phone: Newani Martinez, Son of Deceased
“It’s heartwarming seeing the support, having all the support, seeing all the love of people who are inspired and cherished my father and who also are here to be support to me as well. So it’s really heartwarming for me. It helps a lot to have good people around me, especially at this time.”
On the Phone: Arlette Gomez, Manager/Girlfriend of Deceased
“We were on the boat, we did a nice prayer and we did the “Our Father” in Garifuna and everybody’s just talking about our experiences that we’ve had with Aurelio. So it is a, it’s a little bittersweet. We have some Belizean musicians who came to pay tribute to Aurelio, along with his son, Newani. We’ll be paying tribute to him I think tonight at the Odeko Center, and then tomorrow at the funeral.”
Today, the United Democratic Party and Leader of the Opposition, Tracy Panton, issued a release expressing condolences to the family, friends, and fans of Aurelio Martínez. The statement beautifully captures Aurelio’s legacy, describing him as a cultural icon whose music transcended borders, bringing the vibrant spirit and rich traditions of the Garifuna people into the world. His artistry was a powerful force in preserving and promoting Garifuna heritage, and his voice united and uplifted communities across Belize, Honduras, and beyond. Marion Ali for News Five.
