Tonight, the voices of everyday Belizeans are ringing loud and clear and they’re standing in solidarity with the nation’s teachers. As educators continue to call for an eight-point-five percent salary increase to keep pace with inflation, the public is echoing their demands. Teachers argue that the rising cost of living is making it harder to make ends meet, and they’re pointing to a recent fifteen percent salary bump for government CEOs as a glaring double standard. Their message? If top officials can get a raise, so should the people shaping the future of this country. Today, News Five hit the streets to take the pulse of the people and the response was overwhelming. From shopkeepers to commuters, residents say the teachers’ call for fair compensation is not only justified, but also overdue.
Resident 1
“The teacher dehn know why dehn di ask fi that. Dehn know weh da fi dehn blood sweat and tears. Da just like when a taxi man ask fi wa extra two dollars pahn dehn fare because gas di goh up soh da wa business dehn deh eena and dehn high eena demand. Da nuh like – to be honest, teachers di get soh rough up, I have lotta customers weh da teachers weh di stop be teachers and goh work da wa call centre, soh I suggest dehn help dehn people.”
Resident 2
“Dehn work hard and dehn tek care ah dehn kids. Dehn all time assist dehn eenadehn school stuff to. One ah dehn tell mi that every summer holiday ih save atleast four hundred dollars fi spend back in the classroom outta ih own pocket.”
Resident 3
“They deserve it and also we got bills to pay, dehn got kids and dehn need fi eat.That da the reason dehn deserve weh dehn di ask fa.”
Resident 4
“It’s correct because everything is – the price of everything is going up and theteachers are people that have to get wa fair salary because dehn di teach kidsweh wa be the men and women of tomorrow. Soh dehn have to have peace ofmind fi teacher correctly.”
Resident 5
“Dehn deserve it, fi real dehn deserve it. The teachers are the backbone ofBelize. So dehn deserve that eight point five percent raise. Dehn deserve it.”
Marion Ali
Do you have anybody who teaches your child or maybe your grandchild?
Resident 4
“My wife is a teacher. She helps the students. Some children come to school without eating and she have to fill in that gap. Soh that’s why they deserve it. Everybody need a teacher in Belize. All the lawyers, all the prime ministers need teaches so the teachers deserve to be looked at.”
Belize’s teachers are turning up the pressure, calling for an 8.5% salary adjustment to help offset the rising cost of living. But government officials are signaling that change won’t come overnight. Minister of Labor Florencio Marin Jr. addressed the issue this week, acknowledging the educators’ demands and affirming that their voices have been heard. However, he made it clear that this isn’t a decision that can be made with the stroke of a pen. Marin emphasized that the matter is now in the hands of the negotiating teams, representatives from both the government and the unions, tasked with finding common ground. While the teachers remain firm in their call for fair compensation, the road to resolution appears to be a process of dialogue and deliberation.
Florencio Marin Jr., Minister of Labour
“I think you’ve heard the Prime Minister saying that he’s nominated a team thatgonna actively engage with them for discussions to see how they could come toa solution to this process. So, I think we just have to wait out how thatconsultation would work with the teachers and with the team from Cabinet tobring about a solution to that. I don’t want to jump ahead of that consultationprocess. So let’s find out what results that will lead to and then from there ourministry would participate where necessary.”
As negotiations continue, the nation watches closely. Will the government meetthe teachers halfway, or will this become another drawn-out standoff?
But the teachers’ plight is not just about salaries. Today, economist Doctor Phillip Castillo weighed in, pointing to inflation as a critical factor. He says the government must also focus on reducing the cost of living, especially food prices, which continue to strain household budgets across the country.
Phillip Castillo
Dr. Phillip Castillo, Economist
“You want to look at inflation, meaning that I’m very familiar with persons in the B.N.T.U. and I’m very familiar with the level of expertise that they bring to their analysis. I’m certain that they would’ve crunched the numbers. They’ve looked at inflation over the past years. The issue with Belize’s inflation numbers, whereas the overall number may be very low, for example, I think we are at 1.4%, but the food component of that is extremely high. I think the food component is around 15 point something percent. So what’s happening in Belize then is that food expenditures have been substantially going up far more than the average level of prices on goods and services. And it’s based on that the unions are making their demands that food inflation has been going up. So what government may want to do, if there’s something that government can do to reduce food prices or to keep food prices from not rising as fast as just about everything else, then that could mitigate some of the wage demands that teachers are making.”
Two southside men have been formally charged in connection with the brazen murder of a San Pedro fisherman. The victim, twenty-six-year-old Zinedine Pinelo, was gunned down last Friday and now, two suspects are behind bars, facing the most serious of charges. Twenty-eight-year-old Dashay Williams of Neal’s Penn Road and nineteen-year-old Kaylen McFoy of Hunters Lane were arraigned earlier today, jointly charged with Pinelo’s murder. The courtroom saw tense moments as Williams, who had been detained under the recent State of Emergency, told the magistrate he’s been suffering from a lodged bullet wound and has not received medical care. The Senior Magistrate ordered that Williams be taken to the K.H.M.H. for immediate medical attention before being remanded to the Belize Central Prison—where both men will remain until their next court date on July second. It’s a case that’s drawing attention not only for the crime itself, but for the conditions under which one of the accused claims he’s being held.
The government’s latest move to curb gang violence has already resulted in the detention of forty-six suspected gang members, who have been transferred to the Belize Central Prison. The State of Emergency, which took effect last week, is expected to last for one month, but officials say it could be extended if necessary. Authorities argue that this measure is vital to restoring public safety in areas plagued by escalating violence. But not everyone is convinced. Critics are calling the State of Emergency a ‘Band-Aid solution’—a temporary fix that fails to address the deeper, systemic issues fueling gang activity. They point to a lack of long-term strategies, limited economic opportunities, and inadequate community support as root causes that remain unaddressed. So, what’s the real plan to tackle violent crime in the long run? That’s the question we put to the Commissioner of Police, Doctor Richard Rosado, during a press briefing on Wednesday. Here’s his response and what it could mean for the future of crime prevention in Belize.
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
“Our effort has always been three-fold, prevention, intervention and the enforcement strategy. The intervention aspect of it, we rely on our stakeholders, we rely on the leadership intervention unit, they have been instrumenting in terms of the opportunistic programs, in terms of the mediation and the other intervention programs and support services. So, we rely on that. We primarily focus on the prevention aspect of it and the enforcement aspect of it. All three levels must be coordinated and communicated with one another for it to be effective.”
The call for fair compensation is growing louder and this time, it’s coming from within the ranks of law enforcement. The Belize Police Association is reportedly pushing for a salary increase for police officers, joining a growing chorus of public sector workers demanding better pay. The timing is no coincidence. With three major unions already pressing the Government of Belize for wage adjustments, the police association is now voicing its frustration, particularly over the recent salary increases granted to government CEOs, while officers on the front lines remain overlooked. According to reports, the association has written to the Commissioner of Police, Doctor Richard Rosado, outlining their concerns and calling for action. When asked about the letter on Wednesday, ComPol Rosado said it had not yet reached his desk, but emphasized that his office maintains an open line of communication with the association and is committed to ongoing dialogue.
Dr. Richard Rosado, Commissioner of Police
“I released my strategic plan to the rank and file the police department last week. My agenda is reforming, refocusing and rebuilding the police department. Critical to those would be the modernization, accountability and welfare. I met with the police association on Monday to discuss challenges and how we can work hand in hand in ensuring that they fulfill their legal obligation as per the police act. They are charged with the welfare and efficiency of their officers. So, we discussed many things in terms of improving the efficiency of officers and addressing the welfare of the officers. They have committed to work hand and hand with us, with the high command of the police department. We even agreed to meet on a monthly basis to discuss welfare issues of the police department.”
As the pressure mounts, the question remains: will the government respond to the growing demands for equity across the public service? We’ll continue to follow this developing story and bring you updates as they unfold.
On Wednesday, Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith took center stage, and she owned it. With sharp language and a deep command of policing protocols, Smith impressed the public during a press conference where she emphasized the importance of following the rules under the current state of emergency. But the spotlight on ASP Smith didn’t end there. At just eighteen, she joined the Belize Police Department straight out of sixth form. Seventeen years later, her dedication paid off. Just three days ago, she was promoted to Assistant Superintendent and this week, she stepped into a new role as staff officer in the Office of the Commissioner of Police. From rookie to rising leader, Smith’s journey is a testament to hard work, discipline, and a passion for public service. News Five’s Paul Lopez sat down with her to learn more about the woman behind the badge. Here’s that story.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
At eighteen, most teens are thinking about college, getting their first car, or planning their next night out. But Stacy Smith had something else in mind — a badge and a calling. While her peers were exploring early adulthood, Smith was stepping into the world of law enforcement. Her goal? To serve and protect her country.
Stacy Smith
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“Several factors inspired me to become a police officer, chief among them being that I have always known the import of public service and wanted to be a public servant. I have always been someone who knows the importance of discipline. In my younger years I was a brownee, a girl guide, with Ebeneezer Methodist School under the leadership my godmother Ms. Marion Paul, so that aspect, I was a prefect at school. I guess that is the school police.”
For Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith, the call to serve runs in the family. Her father, the late Charles Good, was more than just a law enforcement officer, he was a legend. Known for his fearless stance against injustice and a military career that made him a household name, Good was a force to be reckoned with. It was his guidance that set Smith on her path. He encouraged her to join the Belize Police Department and she did, proudly continuing the legacy he left behind.
ASP Stacy Smith
“So I would have entered in 2007. I like to tell people, throughout my policing career I worked at both extremes of the department, because in my first set of posting I was a community policing officer and I was that for about three years and just before that I worked at an operational unit, a heavily centered operational unit. So, while I was working there and throughout my years I always saw the need for us as police officers to better equip ourselves to provide a better level of service to citizens and to be confident in the way we carry out our duties.”
In 2017, life threw Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith a curveball, a deeply personal and traumatic experience that forced her to step back from the job she loved. For a time, the uniform took a back seat as she focused on healing and spending more time at home. It was a difficult chapter, but one that revealed a different kind of strength: the courage to pause, reflect, and rebuild. She pursued an associate’s degree at Wesley Junior College in paralegal studies.
ASP Stacy Smith
“While doing my studies, my lecturers in the persons of Miss Mckenzie and Darell Bradely, whenever they would see my script they would insist upon me that I should further my studies and not just remain at the level of a paralegal certificate.”
She spent three years in Barbados studying at the University of the West Indies Cave Hill Campus, making a lot of financial sacrifices to complete her studies there. Smith then completed two years at Norman Manley Law School, before returning to her duties as a police officer.
ASP Stacy Smith
“With knowledge comes a certain level of confidence and you don’t take on a bombastic approach when you are confident in what you can or cannot do. So you are able to deliver what must be delivered to the people.”
From sergeant to inspector, Smith has steadily climbed the ranks of the Belize Police Department. Just three days ago, she earned her latest promotion to Assistant Superintendent, a milestone that reflects years of dedication and discipline.
ASP Stacy Smith
“Over the years I have seen more and more women join the department. When I joined my group of squad sisters was just six, now we are taking in fifty female officers at a time, even more. The department certainly recognize that there is a need, there is a place for females within the department. I have seen over the years, most recently being placed in key positions. We have a deputy commissioner of police in the person of Ms. Bodden being a female. Unfortunately, the only thing I have not seen over the years is a female being place at the high command of an operational unit. I think there is still some little residual stigma for it, but I certainly believe with time we will move there and certainly under the command of this new commissioner who I expect to carry out the vision of the past commissioner as it relates to representation of females within the department.”
What makes a good police officer? According to Assistant Superintendent Stacy Smith, it’s not just about wearing the badge, it’s about how you carry it. Her favorite quote is, “every adversity presents an opportunity to do good”. It’s a simple but powerful reminder from a leader who’s built her career on exactly that principle. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
The following story raises questions about trust and responsibility within the public service. A Belize City postal clerk is out on bail tonight after being charged with a rare and serious offense—opening a postal packet, allegedly in breach of his official duties. Forty-one-year-old Tyrone Davis, a resident of the Lake Independence area, was arraigned this morning before a Senior Magistrate. Davis, who was brought to court from prison, faced a single charge: opening a postal packet contrary to his duty as a post office employee. The charge stems from an incident that allegedly occurred between April twenty-eighth and May thirteenth of this year. According to the allegations, Davis opened a postal packet addressed to Mercy Cervantes, an act that, if proven, would be a clear violation of postal regulations and public trust. Davis, who appeared unrepresented, pleaded not guilty. The prosecution did not object to bail but requested conditions be attached. The Senior Magistrate granted bail in the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, plus one surety of the same amount. As part of his bail conditions, Davis must stay at least one hundred feet away from the complainant and avoid contact with any prosecution witnesses, many of whom are believed to be his colleagues at the Belize Post Office. The court also noted that his future employment status may depend on internal disciplinary proceedings. Davis was able to meet bail by midday. His next court appearance is scheduled for July fifteenth.
It’s been more than sixty-three years since Hurricane Hattie slammed into Belize, leaving a trail of destruction and heartbreak in its wake. The 1961 storm claimed hundreds of lives and changed the course of the country’s history forever. In the aftermath, Belizeans were forced to rebuild — not just homes, but entire communities. The capital was moved inland from Belize City to Belmopan, and a new village was born: Hattieville, named after the storm, that reshaped the nation. In today’s edition of Belize on Reel, News Five’s Britney Gordon visits Hattieville to find out how much residents know about the village’s powerful origin story. Do they remember why it was founded? And how has life in Hattieville evolved over the decades?
Michael Bainton
Michael Bainton, Hattieville Resident
“Everybody mi do move out the city because the city mi bruk up and dat da when Mr. George Price she he mi wa build Hattieville.”
Britney Gordon, Reporting
October thirty-first is usually a night of costumes and candy, but in 1961, it became one of the most terrifying days in Belize’s history. That was the day Hurricane Hattie roared ashore, unleashing devastation across the country. More than ten thousand people were left homeless, and the storm’s impact would reshape Belize for generations. Out of that tragedy came Hattieville, a village built as a refuge for those who had lost everything. It was a place to start over, to rebuild not just homes, but hope. Today, Hattieville is still standing strong, pulsing with life and history. For residents like Linval Mejia, who grew up alongside the village, the story of Hattieville isn’t just something in the past, it’s personal. It’s a reminder of resilience, of community, and of how even the darkest days can lead to new beginnings.
Britney Gordon
“How long have you been living in Hattieville?”
Linval Mejia
Linval Mejia, Hattieville Resident
“Fifty-nine years now. I born and grow here.”
Britney Gordon
“And you know the history of how Hattieville get its name?”
Linval Mejia
“Due to Hurricane Hattie. Hurricane Hattie.”
Residents say Hattieville is divided into two parts, the old village and the new village. Mejia was there to see some of these developments occur.
Linval Mejia
“Well first time we came, we were more over the next village. The old village and were on some barracks. Barracks we used to live in, then they decided to come up this side, build the school and build some house.”
While many long-time residents moved to Hattieville following the storm, some decided to relocate for greater opportunities. Danny Myles, who has been living in Hattieville since the 1970’s shares why his mother decided to relocate the family.
Voice of: Danny Myles, Hattieville
“My mom used to work da di sanitorium, through Boom road weh right now da prison. And every day she does have to left we da town and stuff like that. You know how ney landlord go when you can’t pay your rent.”
For Myles’ mother, the distance between work and home was more than just miles, it was a daily struggle. Living far from her child made life even harder in the wake of Hurricane Hattie’s destruction. But hope came through the leadership of George Price, whose post-storm rehabilitation efforts helped families like hers find a fresh start.
Voice of: Danny Myles
“That’s why we move here because my mom see the opportunities and the owning your own place. Working with the government, ih gene with mister, as usual, father of the nation, and since ih da mi wa person di work with government, he grant ah fi mek ih get wa lee piece of land ya and get ih house.”
Hattieville has a population of two thousand one hundred eighty-four residents as of 2022- a number that keeps growing every year. Kenneth Hoare has been living here for about sixteen years and he is happy to see the diversity within his community.
Kenneth Hoare
Kenneth Hoare, Hattieville Resident
“Ney got more people di come in now. Especially from different places. Hattievilleda noh just lone black people. Da mostly that but we got Spanish, Mayan, ih mix.Garifuna, Jamaican, ih mix.”
Hattieville thrives on mutual respect and understanding among residents. Although the Belize Central Prison is located nearby, Hoare doesn’t think that it should affect the public perception of the Hattieville residents.
Kenneth Hoare
“The place really develop ever since the bad history when ney give the place. Even though we live close to the central prison. We noh mek that stop we from do we thing and show the love and spread the love same way to.”
Michael Bainton, a longtime resident of Hattieville, says the village may be small, but its appeal is big. While many still make the daily commute to Belize City for work, Beinton explains that they choose to live in Hattieville for a reason — the peace, the simplicity, and the strong sense of community.
Michael Bainton
“We find out that people di come live da di village weh mi so hated. Because we used to name, ney used to call it Cattleville. We had all kind of lee bad name and quarrelsome people but find now people di run come da Hattieville fi rescue.”
Hattieville was created in the aftermath of a tragedy to provide peace and relief to Belizeans. Now, sixty-three years later, it is still that peace that attracts people to the village. Britney Gordon for News Five.
We turn our attention to the nation’s finances, and the numbers are raising eyebrows. The proposed national budget for this fiscal year has raised concern among economists and politicians alike. At a whopping 1.78 billion dollars, the total expenditure is nearly four hundred million dollars more than what the government expects to collect. That’s a significant deficit—and one that’s not unfamiliar. Belize has historically operated with a budget shortfall, but this year’s gap is drawing sharper scrutiny. Economist Doctor Phillip Castillo says the problem isn’t just the size of the budget, it’s where the money is going. He points to high spending on salaries and non-contributory pensions as key drivers of the deficit. According to Doctor Castillo, trimming these costs could help close the gap. And it’s not just economists sounding the alarm. Leader of the Opposition, Tracy Taegar-Panton, voiced her own concerns during an appearance on “Open Your Eyes” on Tuesday. After reviewing the figures, she questioned the sustainability of such a large spending plan. So, what does this mean for you, the taxpayer? And how can the government balance the books without cutting essential services? News Five’s Marion Ali breaks down the numbers and explores the implications in the following report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Belize is planning to spend a whopping $1.78 billion this fiscal year, but nearly half of that will go toward government salaries and pensions. And that, says one local economist, is simply too much. Dr. Phillip Castillo, an economist and lecturer at the University of Belize, says the country can’t afford to keep pouring such a large chunk of its budget into paying public workers and retirees. In an interview, Dr. Castillo pointed out a troubling issue: some people are still getting paid even though they’re not formally employed. He believes the government needs to take a hard look at its payroll and cut off payments to those who shouldn’t be there.
Phillip Castillo
Dr. Phillip Castillo, Economist
“What jumps out at me is the inordinate expenditures on wages and salaries and pensions, Now the way to handle that, meaning that – the unions – they’ve accused basically government of having a host of most workers. That’s a low hanging fruit you could easily ascertain. I’m certain that the government could initiate an investigation to ascertain if there are ghost workers on its payroll. If there are, you certainly want to move them. And you certainly want to prevent them from – to ascertain the process by which ghost workers came on your payroll and then you want to adjust that, legally or otherwise.”
According to Castillo, removing so-called “ghost workers”—people who are still being paid despite not actively working—could significantly reduce the country’s wage bill. And the numbers are no small matter. When he presented the national budget, Prime Minister John Briceño revealed that forty cents of every dollar the government spends goes directly to salaries and pensions. Last year alone, that added up to over half a billion dollars. Castillo says that kind of spending isn’t sustainable.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Government spending on salaries for its estimated fifteen thousand workforce, all teachers and public officers was five hundred and three million dollars with an additional hundred and thirty million dollars spent on pensions and ex-gratia payments. Put it differently, fifty-two cents of government spending goes to salaries and pensions. Forty-three cents on every tax dollar was spent on salaries and pensions.”
According to Castillo, the current pension system is putting heavy strain on the national budget. He says that if the government reforms how pensions are paid out, it could drastically reduce those costs and help chip away at the country’s four hundred-million-dollar deficit.
Dr. Phillip Castillo
“I have always been an advocate for contributory pensions. Belize’s pension scheme is non-contributory, and that makes it unsustainable. You really want to make your pensions scheme contributory, and then not only does that make it sustainable, but by paying contributor pensions, it means that public officers could then advocate for pensions to be tied to some kind of inflation or cost of living adjustments.”
Earlier this week, Opposition Leader Tracy Taegar-Panton shared that the figures presented in the budget are signs of challenges ahead. She raised a red flag about how the national budget is being spent, pointing out that once the government covers its massive expenses and debt payments, there’s only a small slice of the pie left for the things that really matter, like education, healthcare, and infrastructure.
Tracy Taegar-Panton
Tracy Taegar-Panton, Leader of the Opposition
“Forty percent is for recurrent expenditure; thirty percent – infrastructure development; eight percent – debt payments; so that’s eighty percent of the budget is gone. There’s twenty percent that should now be divided into areas that concern the Belizean people: education, health, social safety net programs for the most vulnerable in our communities, housing. These things are big things for people who are struggling every single day to put food on the table.”
While the Prime Minister touted an eight-point-two percent growth in GDP, not everyone is buying it. Panton pushed back, saying that kind of economic growth just isn’t visible to the average Belizean struggling with day-to-day costs.
Tracy Taegar-Panton
“Where is it? And who has the benefit of that eight-point two percent growth in the G.D.P?”
Paul Lopez
“It’s in the tourism sector – jobs.”
Tracy Taegar-Panton
“So what happens to the productive sector? What are we going to address the energy crisis that is imminent in this country? What are we doing to prepare for the trade wars and the impact that will have on small economies like Belize? What are we doing to expand our exports to CARICOM and to Mexico and to Taiwan? Where are the New Growth industries and what are we doing and what do we have planned to support these New Growth industries to take root, so we can diversify our economy?”
As far as loans go, Dr Castillo said there’s nothing wrong with borrowing, if it their interest rates are affordable.
Dr. Phillip Castillo
“There’s absolutely nothing wrong with borrowing money if you’re borrowing from cheap sources. Then you’re using that money for productive purposes to build your – to enhance your productive capacity. It’s always a challenge if you’re borrowing for recurrent expenditures. I’m not certain if that is being done, but if you’re borrowing for capital expenditures for capital projects, and your sources of financing are fairly low, it’s low-cost financing. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.”
Castillo said he anticipates a fiery debate of the budget, and he will be able to weigh both sides of the debate. Marion Ali for News Five.
