We also took the chance to ask ComPol Williams if his successor might be a woman. If it happens, she will make history as the first female Commissioner of Police in the department. So, is he considering making such a groundbreaking recommendation?
Reporter
“Sir, are you thinking of the next commissioner as a woman?”
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“That’s not a matter for me to decide. That’s a matter for the minister and the prime minister to decide when that day comes.”
Reporter
“In that case, would you think [of] or recommend Ms. Sandra Bodden? Is she being looked at, do you know?”
Chester Williams
“Ms. Bodden, Mr. Jones, Mr. Rosado and even some of the ACPs that we have are very capable and competent people. We also have Ms. Anderson, she’s very in tune and in touch, well knowledgeable and so forth. We do have some good people that can be considered, yes.”
The conflict between Palestine and Israel has been raging for over a century, making it one of the most violent disputes in the world. This ongoing struggle over land, borders, and rights includes the current war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Belize has shown its support for the Palestinians, publicly calling for Israel to halt its attacks. Today, at the invitation of Nancy Marin, Leader of the Belize People’s Front, a delegation from the Palestinian Liberation Organization (P.L.O.) is visiting Belize. The delegation, led by P.L.O. Commissioner and Coordinator of the Anti-Apartheid Department, Mohamed Salam, will be meeting with government officials.
Mohamed Salam
Mohamed Salam, Commissioner, P.L.O/ Coordinator, Anti-Apartheid Department
“We will be meeting with the Prime Minister and after that … for the Palestinians and also for Belizean youths? We are looking forward to … also the Palestinian universities in Palestine.”
Reporter
“Hamas is being named as the reason for this massacre that’s ongoing.”
Mohamed Salam
“Hamas is not the reason … while we don’t. The ceasefire, as of twelve noon, there was nothing … it will be Netanyahu’s fault.”
As we mentioned, the visit was organized by Nancy Marin, founder of the Belize People’s Front. She shared that she felt it was crucial to set up a meeting between the delegation and Prime Minister John Briceño. Despite being the leader of another party with close ties to the P.L.O. officials, she emphasized that this didn’t affect her decision to reach out to the current administration for this meeting.
Nancy Marin, Leader, Belize People’s Front
“I also arranged for him to meet with the current government. It is important. They are the people in authority, and we respect that, but our relationship with the anti-Apartheid Department of the P.L.O has nothing to do with who is in power in this country. I think that when it comes to something that goes so wrong, like what happened in Palestine and when it comes to the education of our people, it doesn’t matter who is in power. We collaborate and I’ve always collaborated with this current Prime Minister.”
Looking for a solid investment that also supports Belize City’s growth? The Belize City Council is opening the door to a unique investment opportunity. According to the City Council, through this opportunity, the public can support the city’s growth while earning attractive returns through municipal securities.
The Council held its Public Investment Forum 2025, where Mayor Bernard Wagner told News 5 that while tax revenues cover day-to-day operations, funding for large-scale projects like street paving, park development, and drainage improvements requires additional sources.
“You will never be able to get those capital on a day-to-day basis from property taxes, trade licenses, liquor licenses, or traffic fees,” Wagner said.
Instead of turning to costly bank loans, the council is offering municipal bonds, notes, and papers to the public. These securities will allow investors to lend money to the city in exchange for interest payments and repayment of the principal over time.
Financial analyst Abigail Castellanos says it’s cheaper for the council to raise funds through securities. “The interest rate for these municipal securities will typically range from 4.5% and as high as 7%… compared to the bank loans, which are at 8.45%,” she said. This means the council “saves between 2.45% and 4.945% in their borrowing cost,” Castellanos added.
The investment also offers tax-free returns, with interest exempt from income tax, business tax, and stamp duty, says Castellanos.
Wagner says that these investments will help pave more streets, improve drainage, and support the city’s continued growth. “We can build upon the one hundred and fifty streets rehabilitated in 2023 and 2024 by prioritising the use of concrete, ensuring greater durability and enhanced climate resilience,” he said.
Belize City streets remain largely unrepaired, despite a study conducted by the Belize City Council in November that estimated a cost of $1.6 million for necessary repairs. Over two months have passed since the study, but the damaged roads are still waiting for attention, leaving many residents frustrated.
When asked about the delay, Mayor Bernard Wagner told News 5 that the council is not relying on central government for a bailout. Bernard says that the city’s ongoing rainy season has delayed repairs. “We are waiting for the rains to subside,” and added that climate change has an impact on the city’s infrastructure.
The mayor stated that the council has been actively cleaning drains and maintaining the city’s pumping station to alleviate flooding in downtown areas, but that the “flooding requires participation from residents.”
According to Wagner, this year’s focus will be on fine-tuning the drainage system to ensure it is well-connected and functional.
Tomorrow marks Belize’s first public and bank holiday of 2025, a day dedicated to celebrating an important chapter in the nation’s history. January 15, the birthday of George Cadle Price, has been a national holiday for four years.
Since 2021, Belize has been honouring the “Father of the Nation” and his enduring legacy. His leadership continues to inspire generations of Belizeans.
Price, who co-founded the People’s United Party, played a crucial role in leading Belize to independence on September 21, 1981. He was a true champion of Belizean culture, always pushing for unity and pride in the nation’s rich heritage.
The nation’s admiration for Price was strengthened last year, in September 2024, when his statue was inaugurated in his honour in Battlefield Park, Belize City. The 16-foot statue was unveiled, showing Price in his iconic Guayabera shirt.
Every September 15, National Service Day celebrates Price’s dedication to the country, inspiring Belizeans to carry forward his values of service, unity, and national pride.
From turning plastic waste into building materials to using coconut husks for water filtration, Muffles College students claimed the top three prizes at the Climate Change Youth Forum on Monday. The forum was hosted by the Department of Youth Services (DYS) in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Ministry of Sustainable Development.
It was held at the Centro Escolar Mexico Junior College in the Corozal District and focused on sustainability challenges and innovations brought together by passionate youth and environmental experts. Muffles College students dominated the competition, taking the top three spots in the project proposal contest.
The Child Advisory Body (CAB) and Nature Keepers of the New Hope High School were also part of the forum.
Eco Bricks: A Creative Solution to Plastic Waste
The third-place project, Eco Bricks, was presented by Brianna Castillo, Marcel Riverol, and Marvin Flores. The initiative proposes a sustainable way to tackle plastic waste by repurposing non-biodegradable materials like plastic bags and packaging. The project manager, Marcel Riverol, told News 5 that these materials are compacted into plastic bottles, creating durable “eco bricks” that can be used in construction projects.
“We plan to recycle plastic bottles, soda bottles, and other nonbiodegradable waste to reduce the pollution in our community,” said Riverol. “We can use these types of eco bricks in construction projects around our community, and that way we can lend a helping hand to the movement of eliminating pollution in our community and finding sustainable ways to manage waste in Orange Walk.”
Brianna Castillo, a researcher for the team, added that community engagement is key to the project’s success. “People say, ‘Oh, we should ban single-use plastics.’ But we’re not actually taking account for it,” she said. “The little steps matter, and that’s how we’re going to do that.”
Husk Flow—Turning Coconut Husk Into Water Filtration Systems
The second-place project, Husk Flow, was developed by Leilani Tun, Jarel Cordova, and Ziraili Narvallez. Their project focuses on utilising coconut husks to create eco-friendly water filtration systems, particularly aimed at rural areas lacking access to clean water.
Jarel Cordova, the project manager, told News 5, “What inspired us to create this project is those deep rural areas that don’t have access to potable water, and they depend on rainwater for their needs. With our project, they can make use of the coconut waste that we have in our environment, and so they can have quality fresh water for their needs to meet their necessities.”
The team’s researcher, Ziraili Narvallez, noted that while Belize is known for its tropical climate and abundant coconut trees, they focused on finding creative ways to use the often-wasted coconut husk after the flesh is harvested. “What happens afterwards is just left unattended, or it’s burnt? So instead of doing so, we want to recycle that waste and turn it into a treasure and also a functional treasure,” she said.
The team hopes to partner with NGOs to expand the project and make a meaningful impact by ensuring that “the type of water that people are consuming is the right one for their health,” Cordova added.
Solar Synergy Schools: A Sustainable Classroom Initiative
The first-place winners, Gianna Flowers, Adir Castillo, and Alexandra Blanco, presented Solar Synergy Schools. The project aimed at reducing carbon emissions in classrooms by replacing conventional lighting with LED solar-powered systems.
The project’s is to “reduce carbon emissions,” said Gianna Flowers, a researcher for the team. “By replacing conventional electricity with LED solar-powered systems in local schools and classrooms.”
“As compared to incandescent light bulbs, they emit 90 percent more carbon dioxide into our atmosphere,” Flowers added.
The team recognised Belize’s reliance on Mexico’s Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE) for energy. Their proposal aims to install solar panels in schools, enhancing self-sufficiency and reducing dependence on external electricity sources.
Alexandra Blanco, the project manager, pointed out that the project may sound ambitious but remain hopeful that this initiative can lead to a change within schools “one classroom at a time.”
“We believe that it’s important to keep pitching these things to NGOs and be heard by the government so that they realise that even though, yes, this is only coming from high school students, it is still a very important thing to do.”
Kanisha Cocom, the club moderator of Eco Warriors at Muffles College, said that after only launching in August of 2023, the club boasts of students that are passionate about doing their “best to protect earth” as part of Muffles College’s core values.
Belize City Mayor Bernard Wagner says that city residents must pay a garbage fee. “It is your garbage, and the city has the responsibility to ensure that we are not utilising funds that would be normally used for street rehabilitation and other operational purposes on your garbage,” he told News 5 this morning.
Mayor Wagner also pointed out that other municipalities have legislation in place that allows them to collect a garbage fee. “I do believe we have residents who want to pay. I have had residents who say, Mayor, we want to pay a fee because we are a responsible contributor to our city.”
The city’s waste management issues have been exacerbated by financial constraints, leading to delays in payments to Belize Waste Control Ltd. (BWCL) and subsequent disruptions in garbage collection services. In December 2024, uncollected trash sparked public outrage, with residents expressing frustrations over the delays. Mayor Wagner acknowledged these cash flow problems but assured that the Council is striving to meet its obligations to BWCL. “We are paying that outstanding balance. It is always a cash flow problem. Cash flow is how you manage it. During the slow season there will be a slowdown of revenues coming into the council’s coffers. So it is about managing it, but we are, as we speak, keeping up to our obligations to the Waste Control Board as a city.”
Last week, Moses “Shyne” Barrow started making moves to confirm the candidacy of several standard bearers for the upcoming elections under the United Democratic Party (UDP). Among them was Dean Samuels, Barrow’s pick to go up against Pickstock’s current representative, Anthony Mahler.
Mahler says he isn’t concerned. Speaking confidently this morning on Open Your Eyes, Mahler is sure that victory is already within reach.
In 2020, Mahler flipped the division to blue and claimed victory in Pickstock with an overwhelming 1,996 votes against UDP’s “Boots” Martinez. This five-to-one margin is Martinez’s biggest defeat at the polls yet. This was a major contrast to 2015, when UDP’s Wilfred “Sedi” Elrington held onto the seat, narrowly defeating PUP’s Francis Smith by just 78 votes.
“We wiped out Boots in 2020. I would have liked a bit more of a fight,” Mahler said. This time around, he says “the fight” against Samuels might offer an easier win. Mahler said, “We had a tsunami in 2020,” adding that this time “the tide looks like it’s even higher.”
“I don’t want to sound arrogant or anything, but that’s the reality,” Mahler added.
Mahler said that he had hoped for a strong opposition to come out swinging this election year. He said, “I wanted the ‘opposition,’ or ‘oppositions,’ to be in fighting form so that we could know who the real man or woman is.”
Mahler says that with the PUP’s momentum firmly in place, many “people say we’re going to win more” this time around.
Just like the Prime Minister John Briceño, Minister Mahler did not give a hint of a possible day when elections could be called. But, “You can already feel the momentum building, and you know that election day is coming soon,” he said.
It’s an election year, and the question is being asked again: Should Belizeans living abroad vote in the election?
According to the U.S. Department of State, “The largest Belizean community outside Belize, estimated at 70,000 to upwards of 100,000, resides in the United States.”
That figure might be closer to the population in Belize, according to Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler. He said this morning on Open Your Eyes, “It’s a very difficult thing because a lot of them, jokingly saying, went through the back.”
Some of them return to Belize to vote, while others hope to have the option to vote while living abroad.
Back in 2018, PUP Caribbean Shores Area Representative Kareem Musa proposed amending the Representation of the People Act to grant Belizeans living in the diaspora the opportunity to vote in Belizean elections. Musa told reporters, “I still firmly believe that dual citizens, those living abroad in the diaspora, should have the right to vote in our elections.”
Minister Mahler has a different view. When he was asked for his thoughts on Belizeans in the Diaspora voting in Belizean elections, he said, “I think you have to live in Belize; you participate here in Belize; you have to have an address here; you have to know what your street looks like to be able to participate in that voting process.”
He said they can vote, but “they just have to come home and register and come vote.”
While it may be challenging for undocumented Belizeans abroad, those with proper documentation can look forward to making arrangements to travel back to Belize and cast their votes.
