Oceana Belize is calling for stronger protection of the country’s marine ecosystems, stressing their critical role in both the environment and economy. In a statement released today on its Facebook, the organisation focused on the growing threats to Belize’s marine resources, which are vital to the tourism and fishing industries that many communities depend on.
This comes after it was reported that San Pedro residents staged a protest yesterday against proposed developments at Cayo Rosario, a small island in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Residents spotted heavy machinery near the island, likely for excavation to build over-water structures. In response, dozens of boatloads of tour guides, fishers, and residents gathered near the machinery to protest, holding signs and voicing concerns about the impact on their waters and livelihoods.
“People don’t come to Belize to see buildings—they come for the breathtaking beauty of our vibrant marine ecosystems,” Oceana stated. It stressed that marine protected areas “are crucial for Belize’s environmental and economic wellbeing. They ensure the protection of important habitats like seagrass beds and mangroves that are nurseries for marine life and natural barriers protecting our coastlines. They sustain fish populations and support flats fishing and fly fishing that provide for so many families and communities across this country.”
Oceana expressed concern over recent reports of illegal dredging within the Hol Chan Conservation Zone, which threatens these irreplaceable resources.
“Oceana continues to call for people-powered governance. Belizeans deserve a say in the future of our country,” the statement read. “The health of our marine environment is non-negotiable, and we will continue to advocate for its protection.”
According to a BBC News report, a Kenyan police officer deployed in Haiti as part of an international security force has gone missing following an ambush by suspected gang members. The officer was part of a team assisting a Haitian police vehicle that had become stuck in a ditch when the attackers struck, the Multinational Security Support (MSS) Mission to Haiti said in a statement.
Specialised teams have since been deployed to search for the missing officer. Haitian media reports suggest the officer may have been killed, though this remains unconfirmed. The incident occurred on Tuesday during a patrol operation in the town of Pont-Sondé.
The Kenya National Police Service stated that Kenyan officers remain committed to their mission despite calls from some Kenyans for their return. This marks the second attack on Kenyan officers in Haiti, following the fatal shooting of a 26-year-old police constable last month in Ségur-Savien—the first casualty among the Kenyan contingent.
Kenya has deployed at least 800 officers under the MSS mission to help combat gang violence in Haiti, where criminal groups have taken control of much of the capital, Port-au-Prince, and other areas. The crisis has led to over 5,500 deaths and displaced more than a million people in 2024.
Fonseca noted that while Belize remains committed to the mission, certain issues need to be addressed before deploying more troops. “I think there are a few outstanding issues that have to be resolved in terms of ensuring that our soldiers are ready. They have been training. So I think, around the end of the month, they will do another assessment. Around the end of January, they’ll do another assessment of where they are, and then they will report back to Cabinet,” he said.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has arrived in Jamaica as part of a regional tour aimed at strengthening energy security and addressing migration challenges in the Caribbean. The trip includes visits to Guyana and Suriname.
A key priority for Rubio is reducing the Caribbean’s dependence on Venezuelan oil. His visit comes just days after President Donald Trump imposed fresh sanctions on Venezuelan oil exports and threatened a 25% tariff on imports from countries that continue to buy oil from Venezuela. The State Department said Rubio will advocate for Caribbean nations to diversify their energy supplies, a move officials argue will lower costs and enhance economic stability in the region.
Rubio’s discussions will also touch on the deepening crisis in Haiti, where a multinational peacekeeping force, led by Kenya, has struggled to curb gang violence. On Tuesday, Rubio spoke with Kenya’s president about the security situation, though the State Department provided no details on the conversation. While the U.S. has extended waivers to continue funding the security force, it remains unclear how long the financial support will last.
Rubio is also expected to face questions from regional leaders regarding U.S. sanctions on Cuba, specifically those targeting programmes that send Cuban doctors and nurses abroad. Latin American leaders have criticised the sanctions, arguing they restrict access to vital medical services.
On his social media account Rubio stated, “On my way to Jamaica to meet with Caribbean partners to strengthen our hemisphere’s security and counter transnational crime. We’ll work together to crack down on illegal immigration, violence and contraband in our region, and hold accountable those who perpetrate financial fraud against vulnerable Americans. Always focused on what’s best for Americans first.”
Belize’s National Football Selection is officially out of the CONCACAF Gold Cup conversation after suffering a crushing defeat to Costa Rica on Tuesday night. Over the course of two matches, Costa Rica scored a staggering thirteen goals against Belize, sealing the fate of the national team.
The second leg of the qualifier took place at Costa Rica’s National Stadium, with Belize entering the match following a devastating 7-0 loss at home. Just 31 seconds into the game, Belize’s Donell Arzu mistakenly scored an own goal, handing Costa Rica an immediate lead. Minutes later, Alejandro Bran extended the advantage with a long-range shot, and by the seventh minute, Alonso Martinez found the net once again, making it 3-0. Despite a lone goal from Carlos Bernardez, Belize struggled to match Costa Rica’s dominance, ultimately falling 6-1.
The defeat eliminates Belize from the Gold Cup race, while Costa Rica advances. In response, Minister of Sports Anthony Mahler addressed the situation on social media, pledging to overhaul the country’s approach to sports. He assured Belizeans that efforts are underway to restructure, reset, and reimagine the nation’s sports programmes. Mahler also committed to working closely with his Minister of State, Devin Daly, to improve the state of athletics and urged the public to be patient as these changes take effect.
Minister of Infrastructure Development and Housing, Julius Espat, submitted his 13th report to the Integrity Commission on Tuesday. On a social media post, Espat said, “Transparency and accountability are the foundation of good leadership, and I urge all elected representatives to lead by example.”
Speaking in an interview with News 5, Espat stated, “It’s important to show transparency and accountability in your personal assets.”
All elected officials, including mayors and area representatives, are required to declare their assets from their first year in office. He said even after leaving office, officials must continue submitting declarations for an additional five years.
“It’s part of accountability; it’s part of good governance, and I think it’s something that is healthy for democracy,” Espat explained. “I have done so from the first day that I was elected. So this declaration I handed in this week was my 13th.”
Espat noted that penalties exist for non-compliance, with fines of up to $100 per day for late submissions. However, he expressed uncertainty about whether any public officials had actually been charged for failing to comply.
Reflecting on past enforcement, Espat recalled that during the United Democratic Party (UDP) administration under former Prime Minister Dean Barrow, a decision was made to clear all area representatives from their asset declaration obligations up to 2016. He remarked, “We had that vigorous debate in the House as to why he did that, but it was done. As far as I understand, it is from 2016 to date that is pending.”
While Espat acknowledged that the forms for declaring assets are straightforward, he stressed that enforcement remains a challenge. “What is lacking, I believe, is the enforcement of when you don’t declare,” he said.
He commended the Integrity Commission for its efforts in reminding area representatives of their obligations. “I have seen that most area reps are doing it now, compared to in the past where nobody was doing it. Before 2016, nobody was doing it.”
Imagine a scene right out of the Life of Pi. The Belize Coast Guard recently rescued fifty-seven-year-old Carlos Pinto, who was adrift in the open sea. But here’s the twist—Pinto wasn’t in a lifeboat. Instead, he was floating on a makeshift raft, surrounded by buckets and bags filled with food and his personal belongings. This wasn’t some accidental mishap either. Pinto, a security guard on an island, had no other way to get home to Belize City. So, he set off on his improvised raft, determined to make the journey. News Five’s Paul Lopez has the full story.
Carlos Pinto
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Fifty-seven-year-old Carlos Pinto seemed to be in his own world of peace and quiet, drifting on a makeshift raft in the open sea when the Coast Guard patrol spotted him. With a hat and shades to shield himself from the sun, Pinto had two buckets, and two bags packed with food rations and his personal belongings. The Coast Guard was responding to a call from the port authority after a passerby saw Pinto from afar. Within just twenty-five minutes of that call, they found him.
“This was in the Blue Field Area, some seventeen miles south of Belize City, which we found very strange. Fortunately, we had a patrol in the area which deployed from Southern Light Caye. The patrol went into that area and found the gentleman that was drifting, and we brought him in towards Belize City. Our medics here at the headquarters checked him out did some vitals, we found him to be in fairly good health. His pressure was a bit high. We had difficulty identifying who the individual was.”
Rear Admiral Elton Bennett mentioned that Pinto seemed quite disoriented while being questioned. The Belize Coast Guard turned to Facebook for help, and it worked—Pinto’s family recognized him from the post. We caught up with his daughter, who shared that the family had been searching for him for three weeks. They eventually found out he was working as a security guard on an island. Without a cellphone, staying in touch was tough.
Voice of: Daughter of Carlos Pinto
“I know that the young man he was working for that employed him, he gave me a call right away and he said to me, he was working out there with him and he don’t know how he end up like that, because he was going to return to the island today. He had everything out there and goes out there every three to four days. So I guess at that point my dad was just tired of being out there so he decided to pack up his things and came home with that. I guess he was tired of waiting on the boss to bring him in and he just decided to pick himself up and left. But that is like any person if you are out and say ok by any means I will get home, that was his decision in doing what he did.”
Pinto’s daughter shared that her father was fed up with island life and just wanted to come home. Without a boat, he gathered all his belongings, hopped on a makeshift raft, and started drifting towards the coast. It’s hard to say exactly how long he was at sea or how far he drifted, but he was definitely far from home, lost in the open waters.
Rear Admiral Elton Bennett
“We find it to be a very strange case. We have never found it where one person is drifting out at sea like that. We are very happy that we were able to locate him and rescue him before night set in. we don’t know what would have been the unfortunate situation that he would have encountered through the night, out there by himself drifting around. We were just happy that we were able to find him. He seemed quite contented on that raft little raft that he was onboard drifting out at sea.”
Pinto’s daughter assured us that he’s mentally sharp. When he was found, he was severely dehydrated and had high blood pressure. Despite these health concerns, his family is incredibly thankful that he was rescued and is now recuperating at home.
Voice of: Daughter of Carlos Pinto
“I was amazed, because how my dad was on that and nothing happened to him at the time. That is something small and he had two buckets and bags and with the wind and sea rough sometimes, who it never knock him off. It could have been worst. I am most appreciative of the coast guard because they never said, I heard he was giving a little bit of trouble to get assisted. But they worked with him and tried to bring him in at the moment. So I am very much appreciative.”
A tragic accident on the Hummingbird Highway Monday night claimed the life of Michael Daniels, a twenty-six-year-old bartender and father of two young boys, ages six and four. Two of his friends, Benjamin Guerra and Caleb Umul were also injured in the crash. Daniels and his friends had just finished football practice in Saint Margaret’s Village and were heading home to Valley Community in his silver Mitsubishi. Employed at Caves Branch Resort, Daniels lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a culvert, suffering severe head and upper body injuries that led to his death at the scene. He and his wife, Paulina Daniels, were set to celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary on Friday. Michael had a notable achievement in 2013, placing second in the La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge intramural category with his brothers. His older brother, Kenrick, shared that the last time he saw Michael was about a month ago when Michael was planning a family reunion.
On the Phone: Kenrick Daniels, Brother of Deceased
“He wanted to do a family reunion, football game, and this was his idea to do that, our family reunion football game down in our village – Valley Community. It was me, him and my uncle and my dad that was talking about it. That was his intention to also bring the family closer together and speaking with my mom this morning My mother said that for the past week or two weeks, Michael had just been bringing her flowers from work and bringing her all different kinds of flowers. And then my mom told him that when she dies, he doesn’t need to bring any flowers because he already brought enough for her right now. And then my mom said not knowing that he was bringing them now because he wasn’t going to be there when my mom died. So, it was something sad when I heard my mom say that this morning.”
Six days after five fishermen and a pastor from Burrell Boom were allegedly caught in Orange Walk with one thousand, one hundred and thirty-seven grams of cocaine in a gold Dodge Caravan, the pastor has been released, but the fishermen are still behind bars. They’re waiting for another bail hearing, set for Friday, March twenty-eighth, 2025, and Monday, March thirty-first, 2025, in the High Court of Justice Nigel Pilgrim. The delay happened because the court didn’t have all the necessary documents to consider their bail. The fishermen have two separate attorneys. Senior Counsel Simeon Sampson represents Lerman Norman Leslie and Ronyer Alexander Cruz, while David McKoy represents Freddy Estuardo Chavez, Angel Aragon, Marvin Teul, and Christian and Merilyn White. Outside the courtroom, heartbroken families waited anxiously for good news, only to leave disappointed when the case was adjourned. Inside, Justice Pilgrim first heard from Attorney Sampson, who argued for Leslie’s bail. However, the judge couldn’t proceed without the case facts, which neither Sampson nor the Crown’s representative, Alifah Elrington, had. Elrington explained that the prosecutor handling the case was unavailable. Justice Pilgrim then heard from Attorney McKoy, who had the case facts but agreed that an adjournment was fair to ensure all parties had the necessary documents. The bail hearing for Leslie and Cruz is now set for Friday, March twenty-eighth, 2025, while the hearing for the other four fishermen is on Monday, March thirty-first, 2025, due to McKoy’s availability. The fishermen were initially arraigned on March nineteenth, 2025, for possession of the quantity of cocaine. The bust happened around seven p.m. in Orange Walk, with Pastor Mark Anthony Humes driving the gold Dodge Caravan. One fisherman later cleared Pastor Humes, stating he was just hired to transport them for one hundred and seventy-five dollars and had no knowledge of the drugs. As a result, charges against Humes were dropped on March twenty-first, 2025. The fishermen’s case will continue in the Orange Walk Magistrate’s Court on May twenty-second, 2025.
Today, the bail application for Travis Flowers, a senior Belize City Council employee of seventeen years, was brought before the High Court of Justice Nigel Pilgrim. However, despite being properly lodged, the application couldn’t be heard. When the case, claim #118 of 2025, was called up as the eighth bail application on a list of over 12, Crown representative Alifah Elrington requested to be recused. She explained that she knows both the accused, Travis Flowers, and the alleged victim, Calvin Cumberbatch. Elrington asked for an adjournment until Friday, March 28, 2025, when the original prosecutor, Dercene Staine, would be available. Justice Pilgrim granted the adjournment, meaning Flowers’ bail application will be heard then. Flowers, who was denied bail and is currently remanded at the Belize Central Prison, appeared virtually from his cell. His attorney, Leeroy Banner, also appeared virtually. Banner submitted an affidavit on behalf of his client, stating that Flowers, who was charged on March 9, 2025, with attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, and dangerous harm, was arraigned on March 11, 2025, and denied bail. Flowers, a 45-year-old City Council Enforcement Officer with an unblemished record and no prior convictions, is the father of one daughter. Banner argued that Flowers should be granted bail due to special circumstances. According to the affidavit, Flowers claimed he was first attacked by Cumberbatch, who punched him in the face. A struggle ensued, during which Cumberbatch tried to take Flowers’ gun. The gun fell to the ground, and both men fought for it. Flowers managed to regain possession of the gun and, fearing for his life, shot Cumberbatch in self-defense.
All that’s left of the building that once stood at the corner of Castle and Victoria streets in Belize City is a pile of ash after an early morning fire. Authorities say the two-story wooden structure was abandoned and didn’t have electricity. Thankfully, the National Fire Service responded quickly and managed to contain the blaze. Belize District Station Officer Gladstone Bucknor reported that no injuries were observed, but the investigation is still ongoing. Here’s more on that.
Gladstone Bucknor
Gladstone Bucknor, Station Officer, Belize District
“Approximately about five fifty this morning, the National Fire Service received call about a structural fire at the corner of Castle and Victoria Street when the guys did arrive both stations responded to that scene. They saw a large house fire. When large, I mean it’s a two-story structure, wooden structure in roofing. That building is an abandoned building and didn’t have electricity, let me make that clear. Didn’t have electricity at it, so the fire had to be started from inside and brought to the inside.”
Reporter
“What do you believe started the fire?”
Gladstone Bucknor
“At this moment we cannot see what actually started the fire, but however, some type of heat had to be introduced into the area.”
Reporter
“Do you believe that while it was abandoned there were maybe people, is there an evidence of people staying or doing something in there?”
Gladstone Bucknor
“Alright, from our preliminary investigation, what we discovered was that they do have squatters in and out of the building. And one main person that was frequently at this, at the house was somebody by the name of Harold. Name as full name and detail as there, we don’t know the full name. We have conflicting information that yes, he was there and no he wasn’t there. So we still looking into it. Actually, part of the investigation, we learned that some kind of heat was injured last night between nine and nine and eleven. So we’re still doing an investigation on.”
Reporter
“You wanted to speak about the issue of these abandoned lots and the, to the council, not, taking care of that.”
Gladstone Bucknor
“Yes. Within that area we have a lot of abandoned building. Some are neglected and used for criminal. And we have this abandoned building like this around the neighborhood. It pose a fire hazard to the rest of the community, especially to other buildings as well. Because anything do occur. Imagine somebody lost their building due to an abandoned building.”
