May 14, 2025 - Channel 5 Belize

Belize City Hails the Arrival of eRide: A New Era in Eco-Friendly Transport

Belize City has taken a major leap forward in urban transportation with the official launch of eRide, the country’s first digital taxi service. The eco-friendly, app-based platform allows users to book, track, and pay for rides through their smartphones — offering convenience, reliability, and sustainability in one package.

Mayor Bernard Wagner described the launch as part of a broader vision for cleaner, modern transport in the city. “We have a broad vision of really driving modern transportation within the scope of our city,” Wagner said. “This project really put in place an additional component needed to realise our ambition of a cleaner, less polluted city — less noise pollution, fewer emissions in the air.”

The new e-taxis operate similarly to global ride-hailing apps like Uber. Users can book rides, track drivers in real time, and communicate directly through the app. “You use this system to really communicate with the driver,” Wagner explained. “You would book your ride, pay, and enjoy the clean ride.”

Fares start at approximately eight dollars per 1.3 kilometres. There are currently four electric taxis in service. Among the drivers is Abigail Westby, the first female eRide driver. “This is a great opportunity I’ve been waiting for for a long time,” Westby said. “My mother, who has been a taxi driver for over eleven years, inspired me to venture into this.”

Funded through a loan secured earlier this year — now fully repaid — the project hasn’t been without controversy. Traditional taxi drivers have expressed concern over competition. Wagner addressed this: “We don’t want to undersell our taximen… It’s not something we see long-term. We want this to be driven by the private sector.”

Parents Allege Abuse and Negligence at Orange Walk Primary School

A group of eight concerned parents has come forward with serious allegations against a teacher at Louisiana Government School. The parents allege that their children, all students of the same classroom, have suffered severe emotional trauma, physical harm, and psychological abuse at the hands of a teacher.

In a formal letter to Minister of Education Oscar Requena dated 20 March 2025, the parents outlined multiple cases of emotional distress, humiliation, and even medical emergencies which they claim were caused or mishandled by the teacher.

One mother said her child suffered facial paralysis during class on 12 December 2024, and was not informed by the school and only learnt of the incident from the child. Weeks later, the same teacher allegedly attempted to strike the child with a book. Fearing for her child’s safety, the mother transferred the student to another school.

In another case, a father said his son stopped learning effectively under the same teacher due to her alleged impatience and unwillingness to assist struggling students.

Another case made by a separate parent stated that the teacher tried to hit a student with a plastic bottle and mocked a crying child while other students watched.

One parent alleged their child sustained a facial injury requiring stitches. The teacher attributed the injury to a “head buck,” but a medical doctor contradicted this, suggesting the use of a sharp object. The incident was reportedly not investigated by the school.

Parents say complaints to school officials and the Ministry of Education (MOE) have been met with inaction. One parent told News 5 that the matter was also reported to the police, who visited the school but failed to take further steps or produce any actions.

According to the school’s administration, the reported incidents involving the teacher have been brought to the attention of MOE, and steps have been taken internally to monitor both the teacher and the students involved.

“I’m aware of those cases, because it’s more than one,” said Margarita Melendez, the acting principal at the school. “As administration, when it started, we spoke to the teacher. Afterwards, we forwarded the matter to the Ministry, and they advised us to give oral reprimands. We gave those oral reprimands. We also held sessions with both teachers and parents, and from that point, everything remained in the Ministry’s hands.”

Melendez added that all relevant documentation, including the school’s incident logs, had been photocopied and sent to the Ministry.

“The only advice we’ve received from the Ministry so far is to continue with the reprimands,” she said.

The most recent report regarding the teacher was submitted to the Ministry in February 2025. The teacher in question has been with the school for approximately nine years and is described as having a “strong character and very strict, but I have never heard her yelling at the kids,” the administrator noted.

News 5 has contacted MOE and is continuing to follow this story.

The Fight is Not Over: Retired Public Officers Join National Protest

The voices of retired public officers rang loud and clear across the country this morning, as members of the Association of Beneficiaries and Retired Public Officers staged a coordinated protest, calling on the Government of Belize to deliver long-overdue benefits that have been withheld for nearly three decades.

The demonstration follows last week’s national protest by union members in Belmopan, escalating tensions between public sector workers and the government. Now, retirees — some in wheelchairs, others leaning on walking sticks — are making it known that they, too, demand justice.

Gathering at Battlefield Park in Belize City, and in four other districts, the retirees sent a unified message: they refuse to be forgotten.

“Look at the walking stick there. Look at the wheelchair behind me,” said Burndina Eck, a retired public officer who joined the protest despite health challenges. “Many of us have to limp our wheel out here and we still haven’t gotten our money. And we are hungry. We need to eat.”

At the heart of their grievance is a trust fund — valued at over $8 million — managed by the Public Service Workers Trust. The retirees claim that this fund represents two years of withheld salary increments dating back to 1995. They are now demanding that the trust be dissolved and the money distributed.

Senator Glenfield Dennison of the National Trade Union Congress of Belize stood in solidarity with the retirees, decrying the government’s inaction.

“This cause is one where former public officers who have given their entire lives and careers to the service of the government and people of Belize are literally dying before they are able to collect on a benefit,” Dennison said. “The cry of these retired public officers is simply this: we are ill, we are ailing. Our colleagues have died. We need the proceeds and the benefits of this trust.”

According to the Association, at least 65 retirees in the Belize District have passed away without receiving a cent from the fund.

BNTU Issues Strike Notice Over Salary Dispute

The Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) has officially notified the Ministry of Education of its intention to engage in strike action within the next 21 days. The decision was conveyed in a formal letter issued today by BNTU President Nadia Caliz, addressed to Minister of Education Oscar Requena, CEO Dian Maheia, and Chief Education Officer Yolanda Gongora.

In the letter, the BNTU expressed deep disappointment and dissatisfaction with the government’s refusal to consider the Joint Unions’ demand for a salary adjustment to help offset the high cost of living. The union said its members are being severely impacted by the current economic crisis and are seeking immediate relief.

“The grounds for such Industrial Action is to express our disappointment and dissatisfaction with the Government’s refusal to consider the Joint Unions’ request for a salary adjustment to provide much needed relief from the burden of the current high cost of living,” the letter states.

“BNTU therefore demands that negotiations continue in an effort to find workable and reasonable solutions to the current economic crisis being faced by our members,” Caliz wrote.

This formal strike notice comes amid ongoing national discussions about rising living costs and stalled salary negotiations between the Joint Unions and the government.

This Is Why Shyne is Suing Elections and Boundaries Commission

Former Opposition Leader Moses “Shyne” Barrow has launched a legal challenge against the Elections and Boundaries Commission (EBC) and the Attorney General, claiming that the commission acted unlawfully by allowing a group of candidates aligned with current Opposition Leader Tracy Panton to use the United Democratic Party’s (UDP) name, colors, and symbols in the recently held general elections.

Barrow filed a formal application for judicial review, arguing that the EBC’s February 25, 2025 decision infringes on the constitutional rights of the officially recognized UDP leadership and violates Belize’s electoral laws. According to the claim, the 15 candidates in question were not approved or endorsed by the party’s National Party Council or Central Executive, and therefore, should not have been permitted to identify themselves as official UDP candidates.

Barrow contends that the decision to approve these candidates under the UDP banner was made irrationally, unreasonably, and in bad faith. He claims the ruling undermined the party’s freedom of association and disrupts the principle of free and fair elections by effectively legitimizing a breakaway faction.

Barrow requesting a declaration that the EBC’s decision is null and void, as well as damages for the alleged breach of constitutional rights.

Warden Injured by Ricochet During Prisoner Escape Attempt at Kolbe

A prison warden was accidentally injured this afternoon at the Kolbe Central Prison during a chaotic escape attempt by a mentally ill inmate.

The incident began shortly after the prisoner arrived at the facility. The man — recently remanded for smashing the glass display at La Popular Bakery — attempted to scale the inner perimeter fence of the compound.

In an effort to stop the escape, wardens discharged warning shots. One of the bullets, however, ricocheted and struck a female officer in the thigh. She was swiftly transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where her injury was classified as non-life-threatening.

The inmate was subdued shortly after the warning shots were fired.

The prisoner is believed to be suffering from mental illness.

Council of Legal Education Appoints New Principals for Regional Law Schools

The Council of Legal Education has announced the appointment of new principals to lead two of the Caribbean’s premier legal institutions — the Hugh Wooding Law School in Trinidad and the Norman Manley Law School in Jamaica.

In an official release from the CLE Secretariat, Chairman Liesel N. Weekes, S.C., confirmed that Rudranath Maharaj has been appointed as Principal of the Hugh Wooding Law School, effective August 1, 2025. Dr. Christopher Malcolm has been named as the new Principal of the Norman Manley Law School, with his appointment taking effect on September 1, 2025.

Chairman Weekes extended her congratulations to both appointees, stating, “Please join me in extending our congratulations to them.”

Dr. Malcolm recently represented Moses “Shyne” Barrow in Belize.

Double Blow for Danny Mason: CCJ Slams Door on Final Murder Appeal

The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) has dismissed an application from convicted murderer William “Danny” Mason, who was seeking an extension of time to apply for special leave to appeal his conviction in the high-profile 2016 killing of Pastor Llewellyn Lucas.

Mason, along with four co-accused, was found guilty of Pastor Lucas’s gruesome murder on July 18, 2016. The prosecution’s case relied on circumstantial evidence, including CCTV footage, witness testimony, and forensic analysis.

Mason’s appeal to the Belize Court of Appeal was dismissed on July 11, 2024. His legal team failed to file an application to the CCJ within the prescribed time due to the illness of his attorney. Mason later hired new counsel based in Trinidad and Tobago, who filed the application 117 days after the appeal ruling.

The CCJ acknowledged the explanation for the delay — citing the attorney’s hospitalisation, the logistical challenges of Mason’s incarceration, and the new attorney’s overseas location — but ultimately ruled that the proposed appeal did not present a realistic chance of success. The Court found no merit in Mason’s claims, which included concerns over the circumstantial nature of the evidence, the weight given to certain prosecution material, and a new argument related to double jeopardy.

The CCJ stressed that the double jeopardy argument had not been raised in earlier proceedings and could only be entertained under exceptional circumstances. The panel concluded that there was no risk of a serious miscarriage of justice or any disputable point of law of general public importance.

With this decision, Mason’s murder conviction and sentence remain in place.

JUNT, GOB Conclude High-Stakes Salary Negotiation Meeting

On Tuesday, leaders of the Joint Union Negotiating Team (JUNT) entered into a critical negotiation session with senior government ministers in Belize City. The unions are demanding an 8.5% across-the-board salary increase for the approximately 16,000 public officers paid from the public purse.

The government, however, has raised concerns about the financial feasibility of this request, pointing out that the public sector wage bill already totals $700 million annually. An additional 8.5% would cost the government an estimated $63 million more.

Following the meeting, Minister of Education Oscar Requena described the session as positive and respectful. “We had a very good meeting. It was a very cordial, respectful meeting. And just to pre-empt, there is a proposal on the table and I think it was well received,” he said. He refrained from disclosing details of the government’s proposal, adding, “I do not want to speak to the specifics because we do have a proposal, we need to go back to Cabinet and thereafter we’ll be able to speak to you on the specifics.”

Deputy Prime Minister Cordel Hyde also characterized the meeting as constructive. “We had a very constructive meeting. We discussed the issues at length and I think we reached some level of over-standing… very constructive, very serious, very frank, but very respectful,” he said. On the matter of whether the government will meet the 8.5% demand, Hyde remained cautious: “We have a proposal, but we don’t want to prejudice that. The union leaders have to take it back to their membership. We have to take it to Cabinet.”

On the union side, BNTU President Nadia Caliz noted that while the meeting began cordially, tensions rose when union leaders felt their demands were not being fully acknowledged. “It was cordial until we got to a point where the demands of workers, in our view, was not taken seriously. And so we had to let them know that… I have a mandate for strike,” Caliz said. She confirmed that the government made a proposal but withheld details, explaining, “Let me just say they present us with a proposal that we need to take to our membership first before we can talk about it publicly.” She added, “I don’t want members to go with the wrong impression because they, too, have to vote on what the government presented to us today.”

PSU President Dean Flowers commended the tone of the discussions. “We had a very respectful meeting, as we always do… We did not waver with that demand. We stuck it out,” Flowers said. “The Cabinet subcommittee considered the request and they made an offer. They now go back to get the endorsement of Cabinet… I can say that today was a successful round of negotiation for the most part.”