The Belize Police Department is under fire after detaining four schoolboys who were simply on their way to a football match. The boys, all minors, were picked up by patrol officers on Saturday under the State of Emergency (SOE) regulations, which prohibit gatherings of three or more people in designated “hot spots.” But according to reports, the boys had only stopped briefly to chat with a friend when officers swooped in. The case landed before Chief Magistrate Deborah Rogers, who wasted no time in dismissing the charges. She called it a “victimless offense” and ordered the boys released. Despite the court’s ruling, police officials are standing by their decision. Commissioner of Police, Doctor Richard Rosado, has defended the officers’ actions, even as public concern mounts over what many see as an overreach of power.
Richard Rosado
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
“First of all, police department do acknowledge and recognize the decision fo the court and we do affirm our commitment to upholding the tule of law. My police officers were acting in good faith in accordance with the state of emergency regulation. The gathering that was happening while those individuals were detained was in an area of high risk and the police detention at the time was based on credible information to protect those individuals. Hence the reason I believe they acted in good faith. In moving forward it does require we look at alternative measures to guide those at risk from being harmed.”
Paul Lopez
“Was it about preventing those youths from being harmed?”
Dr. Richard Rosado
“There are certain regulations put in place for public safety, all the police were doing was in good faith enforcing the regulation.”
Critics argue the incident highlights the sweeping and potentially harmful impact of the SOE, especially on young people. Human rights advocates are now calling for a review of how these emergency powers are being enforced and whether they’re doing more harm than good.
A grieving family in Ladyville says they’ve been denied the chance to properly mourn their loved one, all because of the State of Emergency (SOE) regulations. The family of Nelson “Mung” Henry, who was murdered on May fifth, claims police stopped them from holding a wake, an important tradition in Belizean mourning customs. Under the SOE, it’s illegal for three or more people to gather in designated areas, a rule that authorities say applies even to wakes. Henry’s death is believed to be linked to the same gang feud that triggered the SOE in the first place. But for his family, the pain is now twofold: losing a loved one and being blocked from saying goodbye in the way their culture and community have always done. Despite the emotional plea, the Belize Police Department is standing firm. At a press conference today, officials showed no signs of backing down on the enforcement of SOE rules. So, what about sporting events in these same areas? That’s the question reporters put to the head table today, raising concerns about inconsistencies in how the rules are being applied.
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
“Remember the State of Emergency regulation prohibits certain things, the loitering, the gathering of three or more persons, so several things are restricted under the SOE. So once those areas fall under the SOE, the regulation prohibits certain things from occurring. Any gathering of three or more persons is restricted under the state of emergency.”
Paul Lopez
“What about sporting events for example?”
Dr. Richard Rosado
“Any gathering over three or more persons is restricted under the state of emergency, those areas that are designated under the state of emergency.”
Stacy Smith
Inspector Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“Indeed as the commissioner rightly mentioned when areas are already designated as state of emergency there is an import of monitoring activities. What we have seen or known in the past is that many of these wakes are a catalyst for incidents that arise after. So, yes the wake limits three or more persons, but if the wake is to happen it has to happen in a very organized way that does not spill out into the street in terms of loitering. Whenever it is that a lot of persons are gathered in these areas of course it is the import of police to ensure they properly police those areas.”
Heads up, parents and teens, a curfew is in effect under the current State of Emergency, but it applies only to minors. According to police, anyone under eighteen must be off the streets by eight p.m. unless they’re with a parent or guardian. The curfew runs from eight p.m. to six a.m., and officers say they’ll be enforcing it strictly in SOE zones. Inspector Stacy Smith shared more details, reminding families that the curfew is meant to keep young people safe during this tense period.
Inspector Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“The curfew implemented in the state of emergency is only in relation to minors. So it is not applicable to other persons and only in relation to minors who are unaccompanied. Though we are under a period of state of emergency, it is always important that we know that whatever limits we put on people; s constitutional rights it is only to the extent that it is necessary. If it is not deemed necessary it is not something recommended and will not be implemented. So there is no curfew, because while we deem that the situation has reached a critical level, we believe the efforts we can undertake can be realized within the ambits of those provision in the SOE.”
Reporter
“A basketball game will occur on Friday and run up to midnight.”
Inspector Stacy Smith
“Certainly, even outside of the SOE, it is the responsibility of the parent to ensure that whenever there are minors out on the street they are accompanied by a very responsible adult. So if an SOE is not in place it is expected that adults will accompany those minors.”
So, if you’re a minor, or have one at home, make sure you’re indoors by nightfall, or accompanied by an adult if you need to be out.
It was a dramatic display at today’s police press conference as officers unveiled a haul of high-powered rifles, ammunition, cannabis, and cocaine—all seized during ongoing operations under the State of Emergency (SOE). The Belize Police Department says the crackdown is yielding results, with a significant number of illegal weapons and drugs taken off the streets. But not everyone is convinced. For years, there’s been speculation that some criminal figures are handing over weapons and drugs in exchange for their freedom, a kind of quiet deal to avoid charges. Today, we put that question directly to the Commissioner of Police Doctor Richard Rosado. His response? A firm and vehement denial. “That is absolutely not happening,” he told reporters.
Supt. Jeff Gabourel, Commander, GI3
“We seized ten nine-millimeter pistol, one point twenty-five pistol, one point thirty-eight revolver, two shotguns and one two point two-three rifles. In respect to ammunition, we seized fifteen forty caliber rounds of ammunition and ninety-seven nine mm ammunition. In respect to cannabis, three thousand three hundred and twenty-six grams of cannabis was seized and nine hundred and ninety-seven grams of cocaine was seized.”
Richard Rosado
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
“First of all I want to reaffirm our commitment to transparency and upholding the rule of law. Any alleged suggestion that police are lenient to violent offenders is inaccurate and just an attempt to disregard the dedicated efforts of our police officers and the integrity of operations. Many of the firearms that were seized were based on the extensive interviews conducted and based on those information operations were conducted.”
At the start of the latest State of Emergency, police swept up one hundred and eighteen individuals for questioning. But now, only forty-nine remain behind bars at the Belize Central Prison, leaving many to wonder: what happened to the rest? Today, the Commissioner of Police Doctor Richard Rosado addressed that very question. He explained that while many were initially detained, not all had enough evidence against them to justify extended detention under the SOE.
Richard Rosado
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
“Individuals are just detained. We started with a hundred and eighteen individuals detained and after the extensive and rigorous interview only forty nine detention order was issued. If there is no merit or after we asses the material if there is no evidence for us to keep them longer they are released. The primary objective is to allow investigators to conduct their investigation without hindrance from the criminal elements and our main objective is to ensure we solve those violent crimes without any hindrance.”
Commissioner of Police Doctor Richard Rosado is yet to indicate if the state of emergency will be extended after the first month expires. We will continue to follow.
From the streets of Belmopan to the negotiation table at the House of Culture, the Joint Union Negotiating Team brought their demands straight to the government on Tuesday afternoon. At the top of their list: an eight-and-a-half percent salary adjustment to help offset frozen increments and the rising cost of living driven by inflation. Inside the meeting room, the Briceño administration sent in a high-powered team—Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde, Education Minister Oscar Requena, and Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance Christopher Coye, to lead the talks. Outside, a small but determined group of union members staged a peaceful protest, keeping the pressure on. After five hours of intense discussions, a proposal was finally placed on the table. Both sides agreed to take it back for further review. The outcome of these talks could shape the future of public sector pay, and tensions remain high as workers wait to see if their demands will be met.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Backed by a wave of support from Friday’s demonstration in Belmopan, the Joint Union Negotiating Team (JUNT) entered the House of Culture on Tuesday afternoon with renewed energy and a clear message: it’s time for action. Leading the charge for educators was Belize National Teachers’ Union President Nadia Caliz, who took on the tough task of representing teachers at the table. With public officers and educators united, the unions made it clear they’re not backing down.
Nadia Caliz
Nadia Caliz, President, Belize National Teachers Union
“Very positive, very optimistic and we are not backing down. If you notice, I am happy to see my teachers. I am pleased. Let us hope when I come out it is exactly what they want or more.”
Tuesday’s meeting between the Joint Union Negotiating Team and the government followed a set agenda, but not everyone was happy with the order of business. Salary adjustments and increments, the unions’ top concerns, were placed low on the list. Instead, discussions kicked off with committee reports and talks on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. As the hours wore on, union reps stepped out of the meeting room, twice, to huddle in private. We later learned they were weighing proposals and counterproposals, signaling that the talks were anything but routine.
Nadia Caliz
“It was cordial, until we got to a point where the demands of the workers were not taken seriously, and I had to let them know, because for me we have a mandate to strike, I had to let them know that as of today I am sending out what I need to send out. We all had to caucus after that, because the members don’t want to hear anything other than their demands. So they caucus, we caucus and they made a proposal and that is what we are going to take back to membership.”
How can union members make an informed decision on a government proposal that hasn’t even been put in writing? With only verbal exchanges and no official document to review, union leaders are left in a tough spot, expected to consult their members on terms that haven’t been clearly laid out. It’s a sticking point that could stall progress and raise concerns about transparency in the negotiation process.
Cordel Hyde
Cordel Hyde, Deputy Prime Minister
“I think we had a very constructive meeting, we discussed the issues in length and I think we reached some level of overstanding. Of course, these things are subject to agreement of Cabinet and agreement of the membership of the unions.”
Oscar Requena, Minister of Education
“I do not want to speak to the specifics because we do have our proposal. We need to go back to Cabinet and thereafter we will be able to speak to the specifics.”
The Public Service Union may have called Tuesday meeting a success—but not everyone was convinced. PSU President Dean Flowers told reporters the session went well, but behind the scenes, there was visible pushback from within. During a Tuesday night Zoom call with P.S.U. members, Union Senator Glenfield Dennison didn’t hold back, writing in the chat: “Government killed our movement with one meeting. My two cents.”
Dean Flowers
Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union
“I believe we had a very respectful meeting as we always do. While we can get emotional at times, respect is always maintained. We went into that room with a mandate from our collected membership. We did waver with that demand. We stuck it out. The Cabinet subcommittee considered the request and made an offer. They now go back to get the endorsement for that offer. Once Cabinet endorses that offer and our membership accepts that offer when it is presented, we will all be in a very good place. But I can say today was a successful round of negotiations for the most part.”
The standoff has reached a boiling point, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. Will teachers accept the government’s latest offer? Or will they hit the streets in a bold two-day national shutdown? The answer could shape the public service’s immediate future and it’s coming soon. Reporting for News Five I am Paul Lopez.
The clock is ticking. Teachers across Belize have officially put the Briceño administration on notice, they’re prepared to strike within twenty-one days if ongoing negotiations with the government fall apart. The warning comes from the Belize National Teachers Union, which has been in talks with the government over unresolved issues. Speaking on Open Your Eyes this morning, B.N.T.U. President Nadia Caliz emphasized that the notice is a legal requirement before any industrial action can take place.
Nadia Caliz
Nadia Caliz, President, Belize National Teachers Union
“I have to notify government and managements of our intent to engage in a strike action. We have to start the whole thing with the twenty-one days. That’s something that I have to do. I have to. I’ve been given a mandate so I have to do that starting today. While that is in process, we are negotiating. If the demands of the membership are met then there’s no need for us to engage in all of that. Now level two determines their response to our counter, so it’s not jumping straight into level two because, like I said, we have started to negotiate. They have not heard our counter, so why should we go to level two? And that is what my membership needs to understand.”
Are ghost workers haunting the government’s payroll? That’s the burning question from the Public Service Union, as concerns grow over Belize’s ballooning wage bill. Union leaders say it’s time to shine a light on where the money is really going and whether some of it is being paid to people who don’t work. On Tuesday, PSU President Dean Flowers turned up the heat, publicly challenging government CEOs to come clean about their stance on ghost workers. He didn’t stop there, he also called out Transport CEO Chester Williams, the former Commissioner of Police, urging him to act.
Dean Flowers, President, P.S.U.
“Dah unu the financial secretary the reward, dah unu the prime minister the reward. That is the conversation. Bring all of them in a room and tell them let us open up Smart Stream to see how much you responsible for C.E.O. Dian, how much you responsible. Chester, I have a special message to the former commissioner of Police, you just took over ministry, youth and sports, even though it has been split, it was transport, youth and sports under the honorable Ferguson. No other than the former commissioner is there. I am waiting for him to face the Belizean public and tell them that he has opened an investigation. And if the former commissioner refuses to do that, because his minister is talking a good talk on the media. I am yet for him to say he has commissioned an audit of youth and sports and I am challenging the honorable Daly and Mahler to do the audit. That is one ministry, when the time is right we will speak about the other ministries. I want to call the former commissioner out because he is also an attorney and if he is not serious then he has no business being a CEO if he will not hold those beneath him accountable.”
With a twenty-one-day notice before the Belize National Teachers’ Union is set tostrike, union leaders say their latest sit-down with the government felt different, in a good way. Following Tuesday’s negotiations, P.S.U. President Dean Flowers and B.N.T.U. President Nadia Caliz expressed cautious optimism, calling the meeting one of the least heated in recent memory. As details of the discussion begin to surface, so does pushback from union members and the wider public. Some are questioning whether the outcome truly reflects the demands on the ground, and whether enough progress was made to call off the looming strike.
Dean Flowers
Dean Flowers, President, Public Service Union
“I think in terms of us have been here before, it had to do with the ten percent salary cut and the economic impact it had, not only on our members, but the wider Belizean community. So, those meetings were very tough, in my view, tougher than the meetings we had today. The actions taken three or four years ago had far reaching implications that we are still wheeling from and recovering today. And today we were able to demonstrate to the government that dah nuh only three increments we lose mih breda, you have to compound that. We demonstrated to them that one single public officer at the age of twenty would have lost ninety thousand dollars over his or her career.”
Nadia Caliz
Nadia Caliz, President, Belize National Teachers Union
“They have agreed for us sit down every year to look at inflation and based on that formula we will be adjusting salaries. We don’t have to be on the streets lobbying, advocating for an increase. That is what is different this time around.”
As the government grapples with a ballooning wage bill, union leaders are making one thing clear: that’s not their burden to carry. Prime Minister John Briceño has pointed out that a large chunk of government spending goes toward paying teachers and public servants, a concern as salary negotiations continue. But the Joint Union Negotiation Team isn’t losing sleep over it. According to Sharon Frazer, President of the Association of Public Service Senior Managers, the unions are focused on fair compensation, not the government’s budgeting woes.
Sharon Frazer
Sharon Frazer, President, A.P.S.S.M.
“You have to understand that we don’t hire anybody, successive governments have come in and they have done the hiring, so that from what we have seen, although nobody has given us the actual figure in terms of how many persons are employed by the government of Belize, particularly within the public sector, at the end of the day they are doing the hiring, so if it is bloated, if there are ghost workers, they are responsible. We wouldn’t take any responsibility for that and we agree they should not be spending money and not getting value for money. That is why we are here. Part of our collective bargaining has to do with performance, having to do with being accountable, ensuring we give government value for money. At the end of the day I don’t want anybody to feel this is all about money. We recognize. I don’t want anybody to think we are condoning a bloated government, a bloated public service, a bloated anything. In fact, we want, we have been asking for the numbers, we have been asking how many people are employed by government. They are the ones not giving it to us. In fact I will tell you today, brother Dean was saying he was prepared to resign to go look for those persons. That is what he said.”
