For the fourth time, the Organization of American States (OAS) will be deploying an Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) for the March 12 general elections.
Maricarmen Plata, a senior OAS official, has been appointed as the mission’s chief.
The team is comprised of 12 observers from seven countries and “will focus its observation on electoral organisation and technology, political-electoral financing, and electoral justice.”
“Ahead of the polls, the Chief of Mission, along with the OAS team, will meet with electoral authorities, representatives of political parties, government officials, and other stakeholders to discuss perspectives on the electoral process,” the OAS said. “On election day, members of the mission will visit polling stations from the opening of the polls to the counting of votes and the publication of results.”
The OAS added that post-election, it will release a preliminary report outlining its observations and recommendations aimed at strengthening Belize’s democratic and electoral practices.
Brazil, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Italy, Korea, the Netherlands, and Panama are supporting this mission financially.
Police are investigating the fatal shooting of 33-year-old Mark Usher, 33. The incident happened on Saturday night near the corner of Jabiru Street and Faber’s Road Extension in Belize City.
Reports are that Usher had just arrived home and was parking his blue Chrysler when he was shot multiple times. Police found several shell casings.
According to police, an unidentified assailant approached Usher on a small bicycle, firing several shots before fleeing the scene on Jabiru Street. Usher was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) but later died from his injuries.
Police are investigating a fire involving three buses in Lord’s Bank Village, Belize District, early this morning. The three buses were engulfed in flames, leaving two destroyed and a third severely damaged. The buses are owned by Bernardo Bennett of Central Transit Bus Service.
A watchman asleep in one of the buses reported to police that he was awoken by one of the bus’s engines getting turned on, in which he then noticed flames coming from the bus. Despite his efforts to extinguish the flames, the fire spread to two other buses next to it.
Initial investigation revealed that two of the buses were insured, and all three together were valued at over $50,000.
The cause of the fire is still under police investigation.
According to reports, a driver with gunshot injuries crashed into the front entrance of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH). Initial reports indicate that the driver was making his way to the hospital for medical attention when he lost control of the vehicle.
The crash caused significant damage to the hospital’s entrance and left an on-duty security guard injured.
The driver and passengers were quickly rushed to the hospital’s emergency ward after the crash.
Today, March 8, 2025, marks another chapter for the global celebration of International Women’s Day, centred on the theme “For ALL Women and Girls: Rights. Equality. Empowerment.
According to the United Nations’ statement, the focus this year is to continue unlocking equal rights, power, and opportunities for all women and girls, with particular emphasis on empowering youth, especially young women and adolescent girls, to drive long-lasting change.
This year holds significant weight as it marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, a landmark document that revolutionised the global women’s rights agenda, driving legal protections, expanding access to services, and challenging outdated social norms. The United Nations (UN) continues to champion this cause.
According to the UN, the origins of International Women’s Day trace back to the Russian Revolution in 1917, with the first known campaign against female genital mutilation emerging from the Egyptian Society of Physicians in 1920. Notably, New Zealand became the first self-governing nation to grant women the right to vote.
Since its recognition by the UN in 1977, International Women’s Day has evolved into a global movement, calling for women’s equality across all sectors—political, economic, and social. The UN adds that the celebration of women’s voices reminds us that gender equality is not just an aspiration but a pressing necessity.
The UN said, “It is a day to honour trailblazers who have broken barriers, empowered communities, and continue to shape the world with their courage and vision.” It added, “From political leaders to activists, artists to entrepreneurs, their voices inspired change.”
The Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic has issued a warning about the growing New World Screwworm threat in southern Belize. In a recent social media post, they urged the public to “#Check your animals for wounds every day. #Leave no wound untreated. #Report ANY suspicious wounds with maggots IMMEDIATELY to BAHA.” The clinic added it is important to note that “this fly larva develops fast (~7 days in wound) and is very small at first.”
The clinic’s warning stems from the Ministry of Agriculture’s 20 confirmed cases of the parasite, first detected on December 26 in Toledo District. Despite efforts to contain the outbreak, 19 more cases have surfaced this year. This is including the first dog infection in January.
In an interview with Minister Jose Abelardo Mai in January, he stated that a team was immediately deployed to monitor the Crique Sarco village and San Pedro Columbia Village in the Toledo District, where the first few cases appeared to be spreading. Despite these efforts, including a nationwide public awareness campaign, the number of cases continues to climb.
The Belize Wildlife & Referral Clinic advised immediate reporting of suspicious wounds to BAHA. The ministry has also urged the public to report any suspected cases.
Belize was represented at the 11th Smallholder Horticulture Empowerment Promotion (SHEP) International Workshop in Ethiopia, with Extension Officer Marvin Blades, Catherine Hob from the Ministry of Agriculture, and Jenilee Donis from the University of Belize in attendance.
The SHEP approach, which encourages farmers to treat agriculture as a business, is being integrated into Belize’s agricultural programs. “SHEP encourages farmers to shift their mindset from simply ‘growing and selling’ to treating farming as a business,” the Ministry said in a statement on social media. Seven farmer groups across six districts in Belize are already involved in the initiative.
Originally introduced in Kenya by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), SHEP has expanded to over 59 countries. The approach teaches farmers how to calculate production costs, analyse market trends, and align crops with market demands for maximum profitability.
The workshop aims to facilitate information sharing among participating countries. The event is funded by JICA and the Ethiopian government.
President Donald Trump has threatened to impose new tariffs on Canada once more. This time, threatening new tariffs on Canadian lumber and dairy products. Trump announced this from the Oval Office on Friday.
According to CNN, Trump claimed Canada had been “ripping off” the United States for years in these sectors, citing a 250% tariff on U.S. dairy exports. “We’re going to charge the same thing. It’s not fair,” Trump stated, and added that he may do it as early as Friday, or “wait until Monday or Tuesday,” CNN reported.
CNN also reported that Canada’s Trade Minister, Mary Ng, swiftly rebutted, calling Trump’s claims “not true” and the proposed tariffs “completely unjustified.” This latest threat comes just a day after Trump announced a one-month pause on tariffs under the USMCA, which offered temporary relief to industries like agriculture and autos.
While the markets initially reacted negatively, the Dow ultimately closed up 222 points, buoyed by positive economic outlooks from the Federal Reserve. However, experts warn that prolonged tariffs could exacerbate the economic uncertainty, particularly affecting housing affordability due to lumber price hikes.
A fire in San Mateo, San Pedro Town, destroyed a wooden structure late Friday night. The blaze broke out around 11:00 p.m. and was extinguished shortly after. Footage of the scene shows concerned islanders gathering as emergency teams worked to control the fire. The videos showed large flames engulfing the structure, which was next to the multi-story building, Hero Grocer. The extent of the damage remains unclear.
In a separate incident, another fire broke out in Orange Walk Town on San Francisco Street. Two firefighting trucks responded swiftly and attempted to control large flames coming from a wooden structure with zinc sheets. Initial investigations suggest the fire started in a kitchen at the back of the house. Police were also on the scene.
The cause of fire for both incidents are still under investigation.
In a harrowing incident this morning, shortly after six o’clock, a Central Transit Bus overturned on the Philip Goldson Highway, leaving thirty passengers injured. The victims, including children, were swiftly transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for urgent medical attention. The K.H.M.H. sprang into action, activating its mass casualty protocol to treat the victims. The accident has raised serious concerns about speeding, road safety, and the condition of public transportation vehicles. Here’s Isani Cayetano with that story.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
This morning, speeding and reckless driving led to a commuter bus careening off the road and overturning near mile six and a half on the Philip Goldson Highway. Onboard were over thirty passengers, including Ashanti Can, a teacher at Holy Redeemer School. Can and her children were on their way to Belize City from Lord’s Bank, comfortably seated at the back of the bus.
Ashanti Can
Ashanti Can, Accident Victim
“When we reached at Manatee Lookout, the bump there, we picked up the last set of passengers and the man crossed the bump and from there he picked up speed, and when I say speed, he was speeding very fast, because he did it yesterday. But today it was even faster and when he got there, those curves, there are some very deep curves on that side and he couldn’t take… like he went and he was unable to gain control of the bus again and when I looked up, I realized that the bus di goh soh but di tail ah di bus weh paat I deh noh di goh di same direction like di bus.”
The driver of the Central Transit Bus lost control, causing the bus to briefly veer off the road. He tried to regain control of the steering, but the bus fishtailed and swerved wildly to the other side of the road.
Ashanti Can
“For some reason, thanks, by the grace of God, we did not go in the water. We went around, he swerved again around to the next side of the road and then he swerved again and I guess that’s where he got the blowout and from there he landed on the side and the bus just skate into the bushes weh paat di lamppost deh and everybody, that was it for that bus.”
Many passengers, including children, were injured. Some had scrapes and bruises, while others suffered sprains and abrasions. Darren Slusher, a registered nurse attached to the Accident and Emergency Unit, was on duty at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, ready to help.
Darwin Slusher
Darwin Slusher, Registered Nurse, K.H.M.H.
“Our shift supervisor made the call to announce that there was a mass casualty in effect. And so, with that said, we had to mobilize nurses, doctors and support and auxiliary staff from the various patient care units to the Accident and Emergency, being that the number that we were informed was greater than six which constitutes our mass casualty plan. How the plan works is, we’d have one of the senior nurses on duty, such as myself who would then tag and triage these patients as they enter through the main gate.”
Can was among the many victims who were brought in by ambulance. She complained of a sharp pain in her right leg.
Ashanti Can
“I felt the pain. Like one spell, I couldn’t even move. So I sat on the side of the road and that was it, I could not move from there. My leg was unable to move, it was starting to go numb and the BERT people said not to move, that they would get a stretcher to take me to the hospital. So that’s how I came to the hospital, me and my other daughter.”
When they arrived, Morris Westby, a Senior Supervisor on duty, was already waiting. He efficiently directed the flow of victims as they poured into the hospital.
Morris Westby
Morris Westby, Senior Supervisor, K.H.M.H.
“The most difficult part would be the family members because, remember, nobody is begging to be in this hospital. People come here because they need medical attention and some family members get contacted, “Your family member was just in a crazy bus accident, they are doing bad.” All sorts of things, so you get all the family members rushing in and all people want to know is that their family members are receiving medical service and that’s why we, the security officers, the frontline people, the nurses, the doctors, give that assurance.”
Miraculously, no one was seriously injured. The KHMH quickly activated its mass casualty protocol and began treating the injured without delay.
Tylon Tillett
Tylon Tillett, Public Relations, K.H.M.H.
“This is what we are designed and trained to do. We are the only hospital that can respond to a level of care that was required this morning. This morning, our security officers did an awesome job of doing their duty as security officers and chipping in where necessary to get the work done, to get the Belizean public back on par.”
