Tonight, a family is mourning the tragic loss of a loved one after a fatal traffic accident in the Corozal District on Wednesday afternoon. Around 3 p.m., brothers Gaspar and Santiago Cantun were driving a Chevy Tracker on Sarteneja Road when Gaspar lost control, causing the vehicle to flip multiple times. When the police arrived, they found Gaspar bleeding from his face and Santiago also injured. They also noted that the vehicle’s license plate was expired. The brothers were rushed to the Corozal Community Hospital, where Gaspar sadly succumbed to his injuries. Santiago has since been released.
Losing everything in a fire is a life-changing ordeal, but for Emelina Molina, it was the start of an inspiring journey to rebuild. When the flames turned her home to ashes, she was left with nothing—but she wasn’t alone. With the unwavering support of her family, community, and a group of dedicated volunteers, she found hope amidst the devastation. Now, after months of uncertainty, that hope is becoming a reality. This week, Emelina finally has a new place to call home. Sabreena Daly shares her uplifting story in this week’s segment of On the Bright Side.
Sabreena Daly, Reporting
For people already struggling to get by, losing everything in a fire can be a crushing blow that tests the limits of survival. This nightmare became a reality for Emelina Molina on December twenty-eighth, 2024, when her home—a sanctuary amid financial hardship—was reduced to ashes.
Emelina Molina
Emelina Molina, Recipient, Building for Change Program
“That was an ugly feeling. It’s an ugly, ugly feeling. When I ran out and I went on the roadside and I watched that house blazing in fire, all I could do was cry. I cried out because I ran out with one suit of clothes on my back and nothing on my feet.”
When disaster hits, having a strong support system can change everything. When all seemed lost, it was the steadfast support of the family that laid the groundwork for hope. Their encouragement and determination transformed a moment of despair into a chance to rebuild and find resilience.
Philip Molina
Philip Molina, Brother
“I told my sister, hey, let your heart not be troubled. I said, this is done. We’re going to start a new life all over, and the next chapter will begin in Boom.”
Philip Molina describes his sister as a determined woman who faces challenges head-on and never backs down. After her loss, her strength shone through as she placed her trust in those ready to help.
Sister Luke Boiarski
Sister Luke Boiarski , Missionary
“ What’s significant to me is that her family and her friends have come. I was really worried because we had all women, but I know they’re hard workers, but I’m still worried about when all these men showed up Her nephews and her brothers. And I’m like, Oh, thank you, God. I mean, it was wonderful. And there’s a real community spirit here. I feel it. It’s very tangible.”
At the heart of this transformation is Sister Luke Boiarski, a missionary with the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth, whose commitment to service has touched countless lives. Partnering with Hand in Hand Ministries, she led a team of nine women who took on the challenge of constructing Molina’s new haven in just one week.
Sister Luke Boiarski
“ I’ve done 22 builds and this is by far the best. We have a women crew, ten of us. Nine from the same family. They’re dedicating this house in memory of their sister who was a sister from Charity of Nazareth–Sister Mary Patricia Brennan. So they’re all here, they’re working away and they’re so happy to do this in her honor and her memory.”
Emelina Molina
“Well, all I have to do is thank each and everyone who came out and helped me, and also my brother, and the good Lord. I thank the good Lord that one door closed but another opened. I thank him so very much because I got down on my knees and I prayed every day and night. I don’t know how to thank the good Lord for it. He answered my prayer.”
The love and generosity that surrounded Emelina’s journey went far beyond just bricks and mortar. It was the spirit of community that truly carried her through. Emelina calls it a miracle—her new home was built with dedication and hard work. While the flames may have taken her house, they couldn’t take her hope, faith, or the unwavering support of those around her. Thanks to the kindness of strangers and the love of family, Emelina Molina’s story is one of resilience, rebuilding, and the incredible power of community.
Albert Area Representative Tracy Taegar-Panton has emerged victorious in a contempt case filed by Moses “Shyne” Barrow, who challenged her leadership claim. Barrow had sought to challenge Panton’s leadership claim, referencing a November 2024 court ruling that aimed to return the United Democratic Party (UDP) headquarters to its previous status.
Both Barrow and Panton claim to be the legitimate leader of the UDP.
However, Justice Hondora dismissed Barrow’s contempt claims, clarifying that the November ruling applied solely to the possession of the UDP headquarters on Youth for the Future Drive in Belize City, not to the leadership dispute.
Attorney Sheena Pitts elaborated on the decision. She said, “The court agreed with Peter Knox Casey that the order of November did not definitively establish that the party leader is Barrow.” She added that the ruling only addressed possession of the headquarters, not leadership, leaving that matter unresolved.
A recent court ruling also confirmed that Panton may continue calling herself the UDP leader. Barrow had filed legal action to prevent Panton from using the title, claiming it violated a November court decision that upheld the status quo.
Pitts defended Panton’s right, stating that both Panton and her supporters, as well as the media, are free to refer to her as the UDP leader, citing freedom of speech.
Pitts added, “The court concluded that the second application to injunct her from exercising freedom of speech in a political space could not be granted.” She added that both of Barrow’s applications had failed, and as a result, Panton and her legal team are entitled to recover legal costs.
The Hopkins Village Council has responded to growing community concerns over recent land clearing along Hopkins Road, assuring residents that the development is not within protected wetlands.
In a statement issued, the council reaffirmed that over 60 lots in the area had been distributed to Hopkins residents several years ago. The ongoing work, they explained, is meant to provide long-awaited access to these properties. “Our people have been lobbying for this access for years, and we are dedicated to providing this opportunity to them,” the statement read.
The council insisted that the land being cleared is outside the wetland boundary, located beyond the canal. They also assured residents that necessary drainage measures are being implemented to prevent flooding.
The council further stated that all legal processes were followed in partnership with the Ministry of Natural Resources, emphasising that their priority remains ensuring rightful landowners can access their properties. Despite the council’s clarification, some residents remain skeptical and have called for further transparency regarding the development’s environmental impact.
Some residents contend that the land being cleared is part of a wetland and unsuitable for development. They fear that removing mangroves could worsen flooding along Hopkins Road. Dissatisfied with the council’s response, frustrated residents planned a meeting this afternoon to demand answers from local authorities.
A Dangriga baker, Dylan Ysaguirre, is speaking out after a traumatic police raid at her home. Ysaguirre claims that on Thursday night, police raided her house based on “tips” they received about her allegedly selling marijuana. According to Ysaguirre, the police entered her home without a warrant, adding that this has happened at least ten times over the past year and a half.
“The police walk up to my house without the car, without a warrant. They came, and they stepped right up to my house; my door was open, and they just walked into my house,” Ysaguirre told News 5. She said that the police officers told her there was no need for them to have a warrant and that “supposedly that’s the new law in Belize.”
Ysaguirre stated that she was previously arrested and charged for drug trafficking after she was found with more than the legal amount of marijuana in her possession. She says that while, yes, she does consume it, she does so for medicinal purposes. “I tell them what the main reason is that I use it, that I use it for herbal medicine. Yes, I smoke weed. But the main reason I’m using it is for my remedies and for my medicine for my son,” she said.
Ysaguirre, who is bound to a wheelchair, stated that her condition is due to “an autoimmune disease that is stress-related” and that remaining calm is important to control her health condition.
She also said that her son has a history of multiple seizures a day, and combined with his “multiple congenital malformations, it causes intense pressure on his brain,” and for this reason, she administers medicinal marijuana to her son in the form of oil. “You need a lot of weed to concentrate it down into a potent weed oil for him to prevent the seizures,” she added.
After what she called a “traumatising experience,” Ysaguirre took to Facebook Live to share the aftermath of the raid. In the livestream, she revealed the damage to her home, including all her baked goods scattered across the floor, which is one of her few incomes she relies on to provide for herself and her son.
Ysaguirre added that after the ordeal, she became physically sick from the distress, and it has affected her mental health.
While she hasn’t made an official report, she said she is now considering making one.
The Christian Workers Union (CWU) is calling out the Government of Belize (GoB) over what it describes as a flawed and biased arbitration process regarding ongoing labour disputes at the Port of Belize Limited (PBL).
Since mid-2024, CWU and PBL’s management have been negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement for stevedores. After issuing a 21-day notice of industrial action on January 31, 2025, the Labour Minister empanelled an Essential Services Arbitration Tribunal (ESAT) on February 3 to resolve the dispute. However, CWU is strongly objecting to the tribunal’s composition. It is arguing that with three of its five members being government representatives, it cannot be considered impartial.
CWU asserts that the government, as the new owner of PBL since its acquisition in December 2023, should not be both the employer and the primary decision-maker in the arbitration process. The union contends that this setup undermines natural justice, as it allows the government to act as “judge, jury, and executioner” in the matter.
Calling for immediate corrective action, CWU has urged Prime Minister John Briceño, the Minister of Labour, and the caretaker government to reconsider the tribunal’s structure. The union insists that the process must be fair and independent, warning that proceeding with the current panel would amount to a “farce and a tragedy” against Belizean workers.
CWU maintains that it will not allow its members to be subjected to what it views as an unjust process, vowing to ensure fairness in any resolution of the dispute.
The Central Bank of Belize has initiated the winding-up of 19 defunct credit unions, including prominent ones like Mount Carmel Credit Union, the Police and Civil Service Credit Unions in Belize City, and the Citrus Growers and Workers Credit Union in Dangriga. This process, which started in April 2017 under former Governor Joy Grant, is being finalised by current Governor Kareem Michael. Marlowe Neal has been appointed as the liquidator.
Elizabeth Ayuso, business development officer for the Belize Credit Union League, explained, “Unfortunately, the liquidation of the credit unions falls outside of the league’s direct mandate.” She said that these liquidations mostly concern credit unions that ceased operations years ago, with Mount Carmel being the most recent, closing in 2016.
The Belize Credit Union League is not commenting on the specific liquidations, as these are statutory actions by the Central Bank. “The league cannot comment on the specific details,” Ayuso stated. Currently, Belize has eight active credit unions, with several new ones emerging in recent years.
A worsening measles outbreak in Texas has infected 24 people and hospitalised nine, with cases concentrated in Gaines County, where childhood vaccination rates have declined in recent years, The New York Times reports. Health officials confirmed that all infected individuals—22 children and two adults—were unvaccinated.
According to The New York Times, public health experts fear that such outbreaks could become more common as vaccine hesitancy grows nationwide. Dr Cameron Wolfe, an infectious disease specialist at Duke University, warned that declining vaccination rates increase the risk of preventable diseases spreading.
Gaines County, which borders New Mexico and has a population of around 20,000, has one of the highest vaccine exemption rates in Texas. More than 13% of students in the county have opted out of required immunisations for religious or personal reasons. While Texas mandates vaccinations for school enrolment, parents can apply for exemptions based on “reasons of conscience.”
Local health officials have responded by setting up drive-through vaccination clinics in Seminole, a city with a large Mennonite community. According to The New York Times, these clinics have been well attended as authorities work to contain the outbreak.
Measles can lead to serious complications, particularly in young children, including pneumonia and brain swelling. The Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that one in five unvaccinated measles patients requires hospitalisation. In this outbreak, all hospitalised patients have been school-age children, with several admitted to intensive care.
State health officials caution that more cases may emerge in surrounding communities due to the highly contagious nature of measles. Meanwhile, The New York Times reports that New Mexico has confirmed a separate measles case in a teenager living near the Texas border, though there is no known link to the Gaines County outbreak.
A road traffic accident in the Corozal District has left one man dead and another injured. The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon around 3 p.m. when brothers Gaspar and Santiago Cantun were travelling on Sarteneja Road in a Chevy Tracker. Reports suggest that Gaspar lost control of the vehicle, causing it to flip multiple times.
Both men were rushed to the Corozal Community Hospital. Gaspar succumbed to his injuries, and Santiago was treated and has since been released.
According to initial investigations, the vehicle was operating with an expired license plate at the time of the crash. Authorities are continuing to probe the cause of the accident.
The High Court of Belize has sentenced former National Sports Council (NSC) accountant Ivan Ayuso to five years in prison after he pleaded guilty to theft and money laundering charges. Ayuso was found to have stolen over one million dollars from the NSC between 2013 and 2016 by making unauthorized salary payments to himself. The stolen funds were used to purchase a home, a luxury vehicle, and cover personal expenses.
Justice Nigel Pilgrim accepted a plea agreement that imposed a five-year sentence for each of the four counts, to be served concurrently. The court noted that Ayuso’s fraudulent actions severely impacted the NSC’s ability to secure funding and maintain credibility with donors.
In addition to his prison sentence, Ayuso has agreed not to contest the government’s move to seize his Belama property, which was allegedly purchased with the stolen funds. However, a third party has intervened in the forfeiture proceedings, delaying a final ruling on the matter.
While Ayuso expressed remorse for his actions, the court stressed the need for deterrence and accountability.
