2025 - Channel 5 Belize

Thea Garcia-Ramirez Humbled By Ministerial Appointment

We also had the chance to chat with Ramirez, who expressed her deep honor at being chosen by the prime minister for this role. When asked about the rumors of favoritism, she confidently responded that the prime minister recognizes her as a hardworking individual who knows how to deliver results. Here’s more from our conversation with her.

Thea Garcia-Ramirez, Minister of Human Development

“I am humbled, honored, to have been chosen by the P.M. for this huge responsibility. I feel like I am up to the task. I am going to lean heavily on Minister, the honorable Dolores Balderamos Garcia. She has an infinite amount of knowledge and energetic and passion for the ministry. I like to say she is that ministry.”

Paul Lopez

“Of the few you are the only first-time elected representative that is getting a substantive ministry, there must be some sort of disappointment among your colleagues, even those who have some sort of experience and yet a couple of them even got ministry of state positions.”

Thea Garcia-Ramirez

“I think you will have to ask them how they feel, I don’t know to speak on anyone’s feelings unless it is my own.”

Paul Lopez

“You know how these things go. Do you feel like there is some level of favoritism here?”

Thea Garcia-Ramirez

“I think the call to serve comes from the prime minister. It is his choice, so you will have to ask him why he chose, but generally will tell you that women we have to work, three times harder than men to get half of the recognition if we are lucky sometimes. But I know my prime minister sees me for a hard worker, sees me somebody who delivers. I was ready to serve just in my own constituency if that is what he chose. I think I am correct in saying that if he thinks I am not up to task he will demote me and put me where I am suppose to me. It is not favoritism.”

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia Embraces New Role

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, who is the aunt of Thea Garcia-Ramirez, has confirmed that this will be her final term in office. She mentioned that she’s ready to support her niece, the newly appointed Minister of Human Development, whenever needed. When asked if she would have preferred a more senior role in the Briceño Cabinet, Minister Garcia confidently stated that her new position is indeed a senior one.

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of State, O.P.M.

“I have served with distinction under the governments of both Said Musa and John Briceno. I have been privileged to do so. Having bene in politics for a long, long period, I embrace a new role and I will continue to serve to the best of my ability. The decision is the prime minister’s I will embrace it, continue to serve and I will be able to carve out some of the role I will play. At this point my top priority is the people of Belize Rural Central who has reelected me with and overwhelming mandate. So, that will be my top priority.”

Reporter

“Will you be working with Ms. Thea seeing she will be taking over the mantle you leave behind?”

Dolores Balderamos- Garcia

“If she request then certainly, but being senior minister of state in the office of the prime minister, the directives and request of the office of prime minister will of course comes first.”

Paul Lopez

“Would you have wished for more of a senior position or a substantive ministry role?”

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

“No, this is a senior position which I will absolutely embrace.”

MOEST Gets New Minister Appointed

The Ministry of Education has a new leader. Minister Oscar Requena, who previously served as the Minister of Rural Transformation, is stepping into the role. He takes over from ministers Francis Fonseca and Louis Zabaneh. We caught up with Requena to hear about his exciting plans for the ministry and the unique value he brings to the education sector.

Oscar Requena, Minister of Education

“In terms of my value that I bring to the ministry, I want to say I spend twenty-four years in education before venturing into the field of politics. So, I serve form a primary school teacher, to a principal, curriculum officer to a district manager. So, I feel over the last twenty-four years that I served I have learnt a lot. I come prepared, certainly I will make use of professionals and people in the field to support the work that we do at the ministry of education. We bring a vision to the ministry of education. First and foremost it is to ensure that education is a life long process and that we equip all of our children at the different levels, with lifelong skills and values to be able to have their own personal growth and development in education, but most importantly for all Belizeans to contribute to the socioeconomic and political development of our country. Education is the game changer, education has to be the way out of poverty. It has to be the key to the future of our country.”

Doctor Zabaneh Removed from Ministry of Education

Doctor Louis Zabaneh, who previously served as the Minister of State in the Ministry of Education, has now taken on a new role as the Minister of Indigenous Constitution, Religious Affairs, and Transport. Given his significant contributions to curriculum reform over the past four years, why wasn’t he appointed as the main Minister of Education? Should Doctor Zabaneh feel disappointed by this decision? We posed these questions to the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“There are many things I look at when I am trying to appoint ministers. So, I don’t think that Dr. Zabaneh should anyway feel that. We have actually elevated him, made him a full minister. Mr. Requena has moved from Rural Transformation to the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. Minister Fonesca holds on to the post of Culture, something he is passionate about. He is also passionate about education, that is why when I asked him to take over foreign affairs, he wanted to finish the work he started at education before exiting an concentrating on the ministry of Foreign Affairs, Trade, Culture and Immigration, which is now part of the ministry. I had to hold it on for a little while until he can assume all of those ministries.”

Man Murdered Near PG Cemetery; Police Suspect Friend

Over the weekend, a tragic incident occurred near the Punta Gorda cemetery where a man was murdered. Police suspect that the killer was one of the two individuals he was socializing with. Today, A.C.P. Hilberto Romero informed reporters that Dueton Coy was shot multiple times on Sunday night. Romero mentioned that the suspect is currently unknown to the police.

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Sunday, the sixteenth of March 2025 around seven p.m., Punta Gorda police visited an area around the cemetery in Punta Gorda Town where they found the lifeless body of a male person identified as Dueton Coy with gunshot injuries. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigations revealed that Coy was along with two other persons in that area consuming alcoholic beverages when several gunshots were heard and police found him with the gunshot injuries. There is one person in custody at this time. We are seeking one more in connection to this murder investigation.”

Marion Ali

“Who is the main suspect?”

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“ One is one of the persons that was at the scene at the time.”

Police Suspect Woman was Murdered in Domestic Dispute

Meanwhile, in Corozal, police are looking into the tragic murder of a woman in Concepcion Village. They suspect that thirty-six-year-old Wendy Mendez might have been caught in a domestic dispute, especially since she was gravely injured in a chopping incident back in 2022 that nearly took her life. A.C.P. Hilberto Romero shared that Mendez succumbed to her injuries on Sunday, following an attack on Friday, March ninth.

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Sunday, the ninth of March 2025 a report was received that a female was found unconscious in Concepcion Village. She was taken for medical treatment. Thereafter, police visited and saw the victim. She later succumbed to her injuries on Friday. Several interviews are being conducted and we’re trying to determine what happened to her as she was at the hospital where she succumbed to her injuries. She was identified as Wendy Mendez of Concepcion Village.”

Marion Ali

“Do police believe this was a domestic issue?”

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“Well, we have certain information that we are following up on and so, we should do some follow up today and the coming days to determine what happened to her.”

Reporter

“Would that information include a prior police report involving domestic violence?”

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“Yes, we have a report and that is being followed up likewise.”

Birthday Cake Catches Room Fire

What started as a joyous birthday celebration turned into a nightmare for one woman when the lit candle on her cake set her bed on fire, destroying all her belongings. The incident happened on Sunday morning in the room she occupies on the lower flat of her family home on Fairweather Street. Fortunately, the family of seven still has most of their home intact, except for two bedrooms that will need repairs. News Five’s Marion Ali has the full story.

Marion Ali, Reporting

The thick smoke billowing from the residence on Fairweather Street just before eleven on Sunday morning had an unexpected origin, a birthday cake. Astajah Smith had lit a candle on her cake in her bedroom and turned around to snap some pictures. But things quickly took a turn for the worse, as her sister Rackiesha Gregory explained to News Five.

Voice of: Rackiesha Gregory, Sister of Fire Victim

“Ih mi done light the cake, but ih mi about for tek pictures and within a split second, by the time she turn fi reach fi her phone from wherever it was and she turn back, she realize the candle for some reason flip over pon the bed and the mattress start ketch fire.”

According to Gregory, when Astajah realized she couldn’t put out the rapidly spreading fire by herself, she quickly alerted her family upstairs. Within minutes, helpful neighbors jumped into action to assist.

Voice of: Rackiesha Gregory

“By the time we came downstairs, we saw the flames coming through the window, you hear the wires popping up, her electronics and stuff like that and we yell for help and fortunately the neighbors were with us. Everyone came out, they came out with buckets and hoses. We have the neighbor across the street, her son was right in the front here. Her son constantly called until he got the fire pump. And they came really quickly and that’s how the fire was contained.”

Firefighters were just minutes away, which made all the difference, according to Gladstone Bucknor, the Belize District’s Station Supervisor. Their quick response helped contain the situation before it got even worse.

Gladstone Bucknor, Belize District Station Supervisor, National Fire Service

“Seeing that it’s right across the bridge, they responded very quickly. Bear in mind, it’s a wooden structure, two-story, and only one just a portion of the room got damaged downstairs, that’s really quick.”

Reporter

“ So it could have gotten worse?”

Gladstone Bucknor

“It could have gotten far worse than what it did. It’s a two-story wooden structure, only one room in that area, 16 by 10, got slightly damaged, not completely damaged. It all occurred due to the young lady’s birthday, Ms. Smith’s birthday, and she was having her birthday cake and the fan accidentally knocked down the cake with the candle on top.”

Although the family didn’t get to celebrate the birthday or enjoy the cake, they’re grateful that all seven of them, including two children, are safe and still have their home.

Voice of: Rackiesha Gregory

“It was supposed to be a birthday celebration, but we’re thankful that we’re all alive and no one was hurt. And, yes, it’s material stuff. But It’ll take a while to get it back, but we’re grateful that we’re all alive.”

Gregory says the family can always rebuild, but they will need a little help.

Voice of: Rackiesha Gregory

“By the grace of God, if we receive help and the family comes together and pull through. ’cause once we get materials, you know, we can go from there. ’cause my dad’s field of work is construction and my husband could always assist him.”

Marion Ali for News Five.

Another City Fire, House on Ebony Street Completely Destroyed

On Sunday, another fire broke out in Belize City, this time on Ebony Street. Unfortunately, no one was home to save the house, and by the time the fire truck arrived, it was completely gutted. Station Supervisor for the Belize District, Gladstone Bucknor, explained to reporters that there wasn’t much they could do, as they had just returned from putting out a bush fire.

Gladstone Bucknor, Belize District Station Supervisor, National Fire Service

“A cement bungalow structure actually completely got destroyed with all the contents inside. As far as the investigation reveals, we understand that the person who owns it, Ms. Humes, is deceased and I think her daughter lives in the house now.”

Reporter

“Do you have any idea what caused the fire?”

Gladstone Bucknor

“The officers are out there, they’re still looking at that. At the time of the Ebony Street fire it was after 12 on Sunday afternoon.”

Fire Official Says Faulty Wiring Destroyed Hattieville Home

Meanwhile, Bucknor provided details about a fire that left a family in Hattieville homeless last Friday morning. He explained that their investigation revealed the blaze was caused by faulty electrical wiring in the house on Old Hattieville Road.

Gladstone Bucknor, Belize District Station Supervisor, National Fire Service
“It’s a wooden structure, with about a four-foot elevation off the ground, completely destroyed. We have one female and her two kids staying in the house. That one, the fire originated in the kids’ room and again, electrical faultiness has a lot of role in that one. We found beatings where the fan was plugged in. And we actually discovered that there’s only a 20-amp breaker that was filling a whole entire building. So it was overloaded.”

Guatemalan Naval Vessel Drifts into Belizean Water Near Hunting Caye

On Sunday morning, a Guatemalan naval vessel accidentally drifted into Belizean waters. The boat captain and his crew got disoriented after one of their engines failed while they were out at sea. Coast guard personnel spotted the vessel drifting near Hunting Caye and quickly set out to intercept it. Rear Admiral Elton Bennett reported that when the patrol team caught up with the Guatemalan seamen, there was a brief exchange of information. The Guatemalans were safely escorted back to their territorial waters without any issues. Here’s more from the commandant of the Belize Coast Guard.

Rear Admiral Elton Bennett, Commandant, B.C.G.

“Sometime around 7:00 on Sunday morning, our patrol that was based out at the forward operating base out at Hunting Caye spotted a Guatemalan vessel that was inside Belizean waters. The patrol deployed from Hunting Caye and intercepted that Guatemalan vessel, there was an exchange of information and an exchange of words between the Guatemalan navy and members of the Belize Coast Guard. Basically, the Belize Coast Guard personnel informed the Guatemalan navy that they were inside of Belize. The Guatemalan navy informed our patrol that they had mechanical issues, that they lost one of their engines and also that they were disoriented. Our patrol informed them that they were inside Belizean waters, and we escorted them from that location. We escorted them towards Guatemala’s direction and watched them as they left Belize’s sea spaces and ventured into Guatemalan sea space. So that incident occurred sometime around seven o’clock in the morning on Sunday. This was a small, interceptor type vessel and it had six personnel onboard. The Guatemalan vessels that we would normally see in that area are the larger patrol boats. This is a very different case, a much smaller vessel. They cooperated and we escorted them out from that location and with no problem.”